Bungou Stray Bitches

Short - First Name Basis

Junko was never in touch with her own feelings, but she was very good at sensing and recognising them in other people. It was a useful skill she worked very hard to acquire, the process was a lot like learning a second language that she was now fluent in, more or less. But sometimes she would come across something so strong, she was certain she would have noticed it even if she never learned that second language.

And in his case, she couldn't understand how nobody else saw it.

Osamu was miserably lonely.

She could imagine what growing up must have been like for him - he must have started by talking to a brick wall, until it collapsed. Then he shouted at the wind, until it stopped. And now he was desperately screaming into a void, and his voice was giving out, it won't be long before he loses it.

Whenever she could, she did her very best to try to be there and pay attention - a lot of people heard him, a few even listened, but nobody ever paid attention - but it never felt like enough.
It always felt like he needed more.
And she was always willing to give him more.

But there was just no way to fill the bottomless pit within him.

Maybe, just maybe, if she could, she would build an infinitely tall tower right next to the pit, then the two would cancel each other out and he would be able to finally achieve peace, but could she?

"Junko-chan, you can fit anything in your bag, right?"
"I believe so..."
"Have you ever tried putting ice in there?"
"Ice?"
"Ice, Ice, baby." He wriggled his eyebrows with a smirk, to which she responded with a soft smile. "But seriously, if you put ice in there, would it melt?"
"Huh." She looked up at the ceiling and thought about it. "I don't know."
"You wanna check?"
"How?"
"By... you know, testing it?"
"But how?"
"Step one, take some ice - oh."

They both looked at each other silently for a few long moments.
She's the only one who can activate the ability, if anyone else tries to put something in the bag it just pops back out, but she couldn't touch ice.
Osamu sighed in disappointment at this seemingly dead end.

"What about soup?" Her eyes suddenly lit up.
"Soup?"
"Yes, soup, what if I put soup in there for an hour and take it out and see if it got cold?"
"...DAMN you're smart."
"Thank you, Dazai-san." she smiled with a bow. "I'll go get some soup, then." And she gathered her things and got out of her seat, but then she noticed the way Osamu was looking at her.

Eyebrows raised, pupils dilated, cheeky smile, she got to see a similar look directed at many women, and she was on the receiving end quite often too, but it was rare of him to get like that when they were alone. Still, she expected what he might say next.

"Your eyes are hauntingly beautiful, you know that?"

Well, that was not what she expected.

"Why would you say that?" She blinked, a bit confused.
"Just making an observation." He shrugged.
"No, you're flirting."
"Wow, you noticed?" He mocked with a grin.
"But... We're alone here."
"So?"
"So no double suicide stuff?"
"Double suicide stuff is for me."
"So who is this for?"
"You, obviously."
She was visibly startled by that last statement, dropping her bag, and as soon as she felt the blood rushing to her cheeks she immediately scrambles to awkwardly pick it back up and run towards the office door.

"I'll just go get soup - " she started saying, but he interrupted her,
"No, forget the soup! Stay here with me!"

The office was pretty empty today. The president, his right hand man, and his left hand man, and his no hand gremlin were all at an important meeting with a government official.
The new detective, Junnichirou, was dragged by Akiko to the shopping centre, and his little sister Naomi tagged along.
It was around lunchtime, so most of the clerks went out to get some food.

If she left right now he would be alone.

So she walked back to her seat.

"You sure you don't want to test the bag?" She tilted her head before sitting back down and setting her bag back on her desk.
"Nah, it's not that important." He leaned forward on his elbows with a toothy, pleased smile.
"I just figured, well, you wanted to find out, wouldn't it make you happy?"
"You want to make me happy, then?"
"Of course, Dazai-san."
"How about..." he took a few moments to think about it. "Oh, I know - "
"I'm not going to strangle you to death." She chided.
"No, no, I was thinking about something else you can do for me!"
"Oh, well, if it makes you happy, I'll do my best, what would you have me do?"
"Say my first name."
"W-w-w-what?" She could feel her face on fire again, "w-why?"
"It'll make me REEEEEALLY happy."
"B-but, you're older than me, and, you are far above me in the hierarchy, and, and, I don't want to be disrespectful..."
"Fine." He slumped back in his chair with a sad puppy dog eyes, "I guess I'll just stay sad forever."
"But, but Dazai-san, I can't... I mean... you're... how do I even..."

Osamu jumped out of his chair and stretch his arms a bit and then placed them on his hips.
"Yeah, you're a stickler for manners, I figured it would take a while. Still, after a year, I thought maybe you'll finally get comfortable enough to make this one exception."

There was just no way to fill the bottomless pit within him.

Except maybe, if she could build an infinitely tall tower right next to the pit, then the two would cancel each other out and he would be able to finally achieve peace.

"....Osamu-san, than, do you want to go get soup together?"