Soukoku - Silent Understanding

5

"Come on Atsushi~~~" Dazai groaned out, peeping his head into his kouhai's classroom and looking around for the boy. Today would be his first time going to a mixer and he didn't want to screw things up just because he was late.

"A-Ah, yes! I'm coming now!" Atsushi instantly shot out of his chair and ran after Dazai who was already striding down the hall with purpose."Where's Kunikida?"

"He said he would meet us up ahead," Dazai said with a shrug."All the better because now I can devise my plan to make all the pretty lady's fall for me without him getting in my way."

Atsushi sweat dropped but otherwise left the matter alone. In the little time he had known Dazai he had realized that trying to understand what was going on in his head was a fruitless act. He was far to complicated than he seemed.

The pair arrived at the food joint they were told to meet at and Dazai skipped through the double doors without hesitation. He was beyond excited, not only because he was about to meet some beautiful girls but also because this mixer could help him on his long quest to gain Chuuya's love. With that idea in mind, he strode to the booth Kunikida and the girls were already waiting at and sat down with confidence. Atsushi walked in after him, looking around like a cornered tiger.

"Good, you guys made it on time," Kunikida stated firmly, checking his watch just to make sure.

"Of course~ I could never keep a lovely lady waiting," Dazai purred out, glancing at the three girls that sat across from him. He recognized two from seeing them around school but the third was unknown to him.

"Well lets all introduce ourselves, I'll start. Im Kunikida Doppo a third year at A.D.A. Highschool," Kunikida said and Dazai was lost for a second but then understood (for the most part) what was going on.

"Hello~ I'm Dazai Osamu also a third year at A.D.A.!"

"I-I'm Atsushi Nakajima a second year at A.D.A. Highschool." Atsushi bit his tongue a little at the end but otherwise got the sentence out. It wasn't like he was nervous but he just didn't know what to do with himself.

"Kyouka Izumi, second year at A.D.A. Highschool," the girl across from Kunikida said in a monotone voice.

"My name is Lucy Maud Montgomery. I'm a second year at A.D.A.," said the girl across from Atsushi. She pushed some of her hair behind her back and let out a smile, her braces flashing.

Dazai's gaze then turned to the girl across from him. She was the only one he hadn't seen before."Hello, my name is Higuchi Ichiyou, a third year at Port School."

"Heh~" Dazai said with interest. That was the same school that Chuuya was going to, maybe he could get some information about him from her."To think their would be such a lovely lady going to Port School without me knowing."

Higuchi blushed but otherwise stayed silent. The other two girls, Lucy and Kyouka, instantly set their sights on Atsushi and were talking him up from across the table and occasionally nonchalantly butting heads with one another.

Dazai forgot all about his true reason for being here and focused his attention on Higuchi, needing to get information on Chuuya off her."Have we met before?" She asked, narrowing her eyes with concentration.

"Only in your dreams~" Dazai flirted back, sending her a wink which she easily ignored.

Her eyes then widened in realization."You're Akutagawa's old home tutor!" She suddenly burst out, making everyone turn their attention to her.

Dazai instantly knew what she was talking about. Ever since Chuuya left, he had decided to start tutoring people and finally put his smarts to use. Akutagawa was his first student but then he cut ties with him after he got a little to clingy. Now, he was currently tutoring Atsushi and it was proving quite the conquest as the man had a knack for learning things easily once he put his mind to it.

"Geh, Akutagawa!" Atsushi said with a mix of fear, digust, and interest. To say the two have met before was an understatement. Akutagawa had basically declared war against him once he found out he was Dazai's new home tutor.

"Yeah but thats now in the past, I was wondering if you knew anything about- WHAT CHUUYA!" Dazai freaked once he saw Chuuya walking down the rode right outside the food joint he was in. Chuuya seemed to notice him and instantly gave him a disgusted look, walking away with quick steps.

"No Chuuya! Its not what it looks like!" Dazai yelled, hopping over Atsushi in the booth and running after Chuuya.

"Dazai knows Chuuya?" Higuchi asked with confusion. Chuuya had never mentioned him before, then again the man didn't talk much about himself.

"Well he used to go to our school. I guess they were close..." Kunikida mumbled out. Even he didn't understand their relationship, things got very jumbled when it came to Chuuya.

"Friends?" Atsushi asked, wanting to know more about Dazai.

"I wouldn't exactly say that..." Kunikida watched Dazai run after the smaller man with narrowed eyes. The two of them never acted like friends, there was always something extra going on between them that Kunikida couldn't describe."Something more than friends..."

"Like best friends?" Atsushi said, his eyes sparkling. Kunikida couldn't bring himself to say no so he just patted the mans head with a knowing sigh.

If there was something Kunikida was 100 percent sure on, it's that Dazai and Chuuya were not friends.