A Touch of Sorrow [Dazai x OC x Chuuya]

Novendecim

A/N: you guys can right click/ long tap then choose "loop" to keep the song going while reading the chapter! Also, intense angst in this one...

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I'm sorry.

The ground where the explosion occurred marked the ground black, she stood there at the spot in the white dress that stained still the blood from earlier. Rei found herself wandering inside the house, from the diner on the ground floor, to the small room on the second floor. All had her steps trailing past.

The spilled blood of the landlord was still splattered everywhere, all the scraps and broken pieces of the furniture scattered on the floor. She placed a stool back up and sat down, facing the inside of the counter.

"Ya, isn't it Rei's birthday today!"

She could picture the man in his smile putting down the curry plate in front of her. Such a spicy dish it was, but nothing could beat the taste. Her eyes were set on the spilled pot of curry and shattered plates on the counter, if not careful the pieces could cut her anytime. 

Odasaku placed down next to her the chocolate cake she picked out just earlier. "The cake is for the kids Sakunosuke-san."  She looked up at him.

"No! It's for onee-san!" 

As if the grips of those kids were still clinging onto her, the weight was simply too great for her to stay still.

Those feet picked up again and this time they brought her to the bedroom on the second floor. The inside was a mess, she could only walk in so lightly to avoid stepping on the scattered objects. Sakura's teddy bear was ripped apart, Yuu's console was smashed, Shinji's books was shredded. Rei tried to swallow the cries clogging her throat, managing through it with great difficulty.

She pushed the wardrobe back up, placed the desk back at its spot. The messy blankets were then folded and set nicely on the beds. She picked up every book on the ground, every toy lay disorganized, and put them back the places they belonged to. In no time, the room was restored to its previous state, minor a little dusting. 

Rei stepped out of the room once finished tidying up, on those lips stretched a smile.

"Goodbye, everyone." She could barely see through the blurred vision by the tears filling up.

To no surprise, those tears fell off her lashes as soon as she closed the door. Silent cries followed her steps down the hallway and the stairs. 

...

The bus stopped for the girl to file out of the vehicle. Heavy steps trailed on the pavement but their taps against the cement were quiet. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a key. It fitted perfectly in the hole and she gave it a twist, opening into a small apartment. 

"..." 

The moonlight was soft as it peaked through the window to flood inside. Though it could not beat the electric lights, its presence was still very visible to the person in the apartment.

Unlike the other room she visited earlier, this place was still tidy. Those steps led her further in the room and after a few more steps, she stopped. There were a few books on the shelf, a notebook and a pen on the writing desk. Those slim fingers ran through the spines of those books, tracing the writings on the half written page, gently putting the pen back in the holder. The small writing space was set under the window pane, where the moon was shining through with its beautiful pearl white lights. 

"I still remember the first time you showed me this place. It wasn't this tidy." She grinned while recalling the memory.

She remembered the time when she first found out that her neighbor was also a member of Port Mafia. Rei and Oda became acquaintances after a few brief meetings at work and long treks back home. Odasaku never talked much around her, but she didn't mind, sometimes it felt like she talked for his part already. But they enjoyed each others' company either way. When he was home late because of the work, she would ask to come over to his place to tidy things up and vice versa. And he didn't even hesitate once to the proposal.