Unravel Me

6: Off The Clock

   "Are you suuure you can't make it tonight?"

   Chuuya was on his way to Dazai's apartment for their 'off-the-clock' study session. Yuan and Shirase hadn't taken it too well when he'd told them about it, as he'd predicted. He'd been promising them a movie night for a while and he had to keep canceling because of his studies. He felt like a shitty friend, but it wasn't as if he had much of a choice. He couldn't jeopardize his future just to listen to Shirase's commentary on slasher movies from the 80's that they'd already watched a hundred times.

   "Yuan, we've already talked about this. I really can't afford to skip this study session."

   "I know, I know, but it won't take all night, right? Couldn't you at least stop by after?"

   Chuuya sighed. The sun was already starting to set over the city. It was the earliest he was able to meet Dazai, since he had to work during the day. Stopping by after the study session could very well mean stopping by around midnight, depending on how slowly they worked.

   "Honestly, I don't know how long it will take. I've got the unit test on Monday and i'm still a couple of chapters behind. Dazai's essentially gotta teach me a week's worth of material in one night. I might be at his place kind of late."

   He heard her hum as she processed the info. "Well, just keep us updated? Shirase will probably be at my place pretty late, too, so we might be down to hang when you're done."

   "Sure, I will," Chuuya promised.

   "Love you," she said.

   "Love you, too."

   He ended the call as he neared Dazai's apartment. When he'd been before, he could tell that the building wasn't necessarily home to luxury accommodations. He remembered the way that the ceiling lights of the veranda flickered and the steps to the second floor creaked underfoot as he half-carried the other boy to his door. Now, in the light of day, the building looked even more shabby than he'd realized. The sun had faded the color of the building, paint was peeling off of the columns that supported the veranda and there was even an apartment with a poorly patched-up broken window.

   Chuuya guessed that Dazai must not have been making very much as a tutor if he was forced to live in a place like that.

   "Chuuhuahua! Glad you could make it," Dazai said as he opened the door for him.

   "Mhmm," Chuuya grumbled. He hadn't even set foot inside of the apartment before being accosted by the other boy. "I'm sure you are."

   "You're late, you know."

   "Yeah, I got out of work late."

   Dazai hummed. "Did you eat? I could order takeout for us."

   Admittedly, the last thing Chuuya had eaten was a crushed-up granola bar he'd dug out of the bottom of his backpack during his break at work, but he didn't have a lot of extra money for food, nor did he love the idea of owing anything to the lanky bastard.

   "I'm fine."

   Dazai shrugged. "Alright, guess we'll just get started then. Come on, we can work in the living room."

   He led Chuuya into the apartment. The blinds over the front windows were closed, but there were spots where the slats were damaged and allowed the bright light of the setting sun to peak through. It was enough to illuminate the dust particles that floated through the air and wash the room in a dim orange glow. The interior of the apartment wasn't in much better shape than the exterior. It was pretty dated, and it seemed that the space had absorbed every unpleasant scent from previous tenants—cigarette smoke and. . . was that moth balls?