Project X (Bungou Stray Dogs X Reader)

Chapter Eighteen

Atsushi POV

I woke up in a still unfamiliar room and it took me a second to remember last night. Letting out an involuntary yelp of fright, I examined my hand, vividly recalling the paw that had been there mere hours ago.

It had been so long since I'd slept under a roof and, as I looked around my crummy apartment, I could find no faults.

Suddenly, buzzing filled the room. I turned to the side to see a pile of brand new clothing and a phone in the process of ringing. Quickly, I grabbed the phone and accepted the call.

"Hello?" I cried.

"Good morning!" responded the cheery voice of Dazai, the man I had met last night.

"Oh," I said, slightly relieved, "Dazai-san."

"Today's another fine day!" cried Dazai, "how's the new dorm?"

"Great, thank you so much." I said with a smile, "compared to sleeping outdoors, it's heavenly."

"That's good to hear." said Dazai, his tone becoming more official, "the change of clothes at your pillow is a gift from everyone at the agency."

"Thank you so much, for everything." I said again.

"By the way Atsushi-kun," began Dazai, "I apologize for asking this out of the blue... but there's been an emergency."

"An emergency?" I repeated.

"Yes, there can be no delay." confirmed Dazai, "please come to the specified location immediately. It's a crisis! Only you can help."

"O-okay." I stuttered, "I understand."

I quickly got dressed before calling Dazai back.

"Are you ready, Atsushi-kun?" he asked, stonily.

"Yes." I responded.

"First when you leave the room, make sure you close the door." began Dazai.

I did as he said.

"Look behind you!" Dazai cried into the phone.

I whipped around to see...

Dazai.

Stuck.

In a barrel.

I quickly rushed to his side, unsure of what to do.

"Um... what's this about?" I asked.

"What do you think?" responded Dazai.

"Maybe I'm hallucinating this morning...?" I mumbled.

"Wrong!" sang out Dazai.

"Is it an enemy attack!?" I inquired, "did you get caught in a trap?"

"I got in myself." said Dazai calmly, "Well, you see, I heard there was a way to commit suicide by getting stuck in an oil drum so, I decided to give it a shot. Now that I have, I'm just suffering without actually being able to die. Not to mention, now that I've wedged myself this deep, I can't get out on my own. I think I might die."

"But it's a way to commit suicide... so.... you should be able to kill yourself if you stay that way, I think."

"I like suicide," growled Dazai, "but I don't like suffering! or pain. Why would I?"

"Why did you ask Y/n-chan for help?" I found myself asking.

"She left for work early this morning." cheered Dazai, "you're the only one around to help."

"I see." I murmured before giving the drum a push so it landed on the ground, "there."

——
Sorry this chapter is short and boring. I'll post the next one ASAP

status: edited October 26th 2023