Walking In Your Fleeting World || Dazai Osamu

Chapter-52: The Faintest Of Footsteps

A "Personal" Matter

-Neutral POV-

Dazai Osamu doesn't know how to act around his now-girlfriend.

It's silly, really. Riki has been one of his best friends for quite some time now. They have been emotionally intimate with each other for months. In a sense, she has been his girl for at least half a year. So, now that they are "official", it shouldn't be that big of a deal. He should be used to it all.

Frankly, nothing has changed, right? They have only just... kissed.

Ugh, is it too late to jump into the ocean?

It's been a few minutes since they pulled back from the kiss. Now, they're walking side by side. Close enough that their hands would brush, but don't. The faint scent of citrus clinging to her open hair urges him to look to his side, but he can't find the courage.

Why can't he find the courage??? Has he become a coward?!

He unknowingly clicks his tongue, rubbing the side of his hair hastily. He had a plan, you see? But it didn't cover the aftermath of the confession. Why should it? He didn't expect he'd feel embarrassed to face this idiot!

Riki herself isn't doing any better. Her cheeks are tinged red. Eyes set down on the sandy ground. Dark hair curtaining her face. Hands clutched together before her. Every once in a while, she glances at him sideways, and he feels her shy gaze, only for it to drop back onto the ground.

What an idiot! She pulled his tie so hard he almost died of suffocation. She kissed him without a shame in the world. Now she's acting all embarrassed?!

Good grief, why isn't she saying anything???

He looks away from her, stuffing his hands inside his pockets.

Honestly, this girl. Her final exams start tomorrow. She has so much studying to do. Can't she just say I need to go study and run off? At least then he'd be saved from this nightmare—

"Ah- ano..." she finally speaks.

Dazai's internal rambling stops as he looks at her, relieved. Like he just dodged a day's worth of paperwork. She tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, slowly meeting his gaze. Her eyes are still glossy from tears. Happy tears. Dazai never imagined he'd be the cause of someone's happy tears.

"Are you heading off to work now?"

Something tightens inside his chest, and a desperate urge to look away surfaces inside his brain.

This is all natural, he knows; his brain chemicals are all a mess thanks to... everything that has happened just a bit ago— but he still hates it. Hates how his body is slipping out of the control he has mastered for some time now.

"Er..." He considers lying, maybe telling her that he'll go straight to HQ. That lie would give him an excuse to exit this awkwardness...

He shakes his head, his expression slightly twisting. "Not really. I've taken the day off. Since I had a personal matter to take care of."

"Oh..." She instantly blushes, looking down again. Must be nice, huh? Blushing like that, being all cute. So fitting for a normal high school student. Well, try being a mafia executive, stupid! Then you'll know how painful this whole situation is for him. If anyone from the mafia saw him like this— ah, how humiliating. "That's nice."

That's nice?

His gaze narrows slightly. There's finally some conversation, and she just lets it end like this?!