I want to be an idle teen.

54.A bright day

"Kyouka-chan!" He couldn't help but chuckle as he hugged the girl, feeling her hug him back just as tight, a light smile painting her soft features as he spun her around and then set her back down, getting his face poked by the small girl.

"The hairpin really suits you." She smiled, as she stood there shyly, making him smile in turn. "Thank you. It was gifted to me by a very special girl." The tiger grinned, as they walked inside the office.

Apparently, according to the blond man beside him, she couldn't wait to see him, so she anticipated his arrival by the gate an hour before he was supposed to arrive. Now he felt like he should kick Akutagawa's ass even more for holding him back so much.

"Y'know, I'll never get used to the fact that the mafia's , by now, infamous white tiger who's always accompanied by that annoying bag of bandages, the boss of the PM is actually such a softie for kids." Kunikida commented beside him, causing him to roll his eyes at the comment.

"Just because I'm a member of the PM, that doesn't make me a monster y'know?" The boy sighed as he walked through the open doors, with Kyouka excitedly going over to Ranpo, to tell him something about a snack she wanted to give Atsushi. "Yeah. I'm slowly realizing that." The blond sighed.

"It's just…difficult to believe, after everything Yosano-sensei told us about the PM." Right. That made him realize something…..he could ask the said woman about the PMs old ways and boss.

Atsushi was afraid to do so, because breaching both her privacy and most likely painful memories as well as Dazai's wish to remain secretive about the company's old ways did seem wrong.

But still, if an opportunity arose, he'd take it, the tiger decided.

"Atsushi-kun, you have to try this one!" Kyouka grinned mischievously, as she passed him an odd looking bean. He couldn't help but suspiciously raise his brow at the menacing glint of excitement both Ranpo and the girl had in their eye.

Still, he brought the bean over to his lips, before pushing it inside.

As he allowed it to dissolve, he didn't find anything weird about it.

Until a taste similar to actual socks hit his tongue.

He spat the jelly bean out and rubbed his tongue in disgust like a cat, trying to get the taste out of his mouth.

"Kyouka-chan! How could you," He coughed out in betrayal, seeing the two high-five each other and laugh like the maniacs that they were.

What the hell was that bean?!

"Did you give the poor guy the beanboozled snacks boss gave you?" Yosano sighed as she walked towards the office, making him actually gag again, as the taste of socks remained in the back of his throat.

"Hey, that was all on Ranpo-san! He gave me the idea." The little girl frowned, and even through the disgusting taste, he couldn't help but give a small smile.

Kyouka changed a lot. She was much more…childish now. Instead of her usual almost frightened persona, she was more outgoing and much more happy, mischievous like any girl her age should be.

And that made him happy in turn. She got to have a sense of childhood here. Seemingly they were kind to her. Allowed her to be a kid.

That was good, and that made him feel better about his choices, about his rash decision to let the girl slip through his fingers.

"C'mon, kitty, drink this. It'll help with the after-taste." The doctor spoke as she passed him the cup of water, making him chug the entire thing and thank the woman with an embarrassed gaze.