Spirit - Bungo Stray Dogs Fanfiction - Atsushi Love Story - 1215

Episode 17

"This is how it ought to be, Atsushi-kun."

The boy gasped, looking up to take us in. This time, seeing him upset didn't make me feel any sort of excitement at all. Just pure, searing pain. He looked conflicted, devastated but relieved because at least the man he admired was here. I wish he was relieved to see me, too, and that grossly selfish part of me made me want to run away so I didn't have to acknowledge it.

How could someone as honest and good as Atsushi ever possibly love someone as greedy as me? Even with her kill count, not even Kyouka could be this foolish, and she's only fourteen.

"Kyouka-chan overcame herself and saved the city, with the high mindedness expected of the agency." Dazai exclaimed, hands in his pockets and staring solemly as Atsushi's eyes welled with tears.

"But, there was no reason she had to die!"

"True, this is a merciless conclusion. But, there was a reason it had to be this way."

"My ability, All Men Are Created Equal, has an effect only on my subordinates." The president began, "That is, on members of the agency."

"That ability allows for control over the output of the abilities of another. The reason you're able to control your tiger abilities now is because you joined the agency." Dazai explained, "And Kyouka-chan passed the entrance exam. Right in the instant before the impact."

Atsushi's lips parted, and he hadn't blinked this entire time.

"Do you understand what that means, Atsushi-kun?" I wondered aloud.

Kyouka fell from the sky, landing gracefully with her demon behind her, "I used Demon Snow's Katana to cut the chain and escape."

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. All this was really sweet, but did we really have to act like she was really dead for this long? Or was this obvious to everyone except Atsushi?

Was everything obvious to everyone except Atsushi?

When I opened my eyes, the two had embraced. My face fell. Atsushi was wrong, maybe, just a little bit. I didn't deserve any extra credit. I was a jealous mongrel at this rate. I turned away to stare at some seaguls flying around a couple hundred feet in the distance. I could feel Dazai looking at me, probably with a dumb knowing expression.

"Sorry I kept it from you both." He began as if he didn't just make me want to punch him in the face, "If I hadn't, it wouldn't have made for a proper entrance exam."

I pouted, my thoughts blazing, Yeah whatever. You just love making things unnecessarily suspenseful. Jerk.

"Dazai-san!" Akutagawa barked, very aggressively, and I was going to listen in, until Atsushi approached me.

"Are you okay, Ayame-chan?"

I blinked, looking up at him. He was still soaking wet, his hair sticking to his face. Don't look down. He's wearing white. Don't look down!

"Ayame-chan?"

"I-I-I I'm fine!" I sputtered out, blushing as I ended up looking down. I was just trying to hide my face, because I was embarrassed for feeling jealous at a time like this, and because Dazai and the President were teasing me the entire way here, and I could see the define of Atsushi's shoulder muscles through his wet shirt.

I was glad Kyouka was okay, really. She was sweet, and cute, and I liked watching her shove boiled Tofu in her mouth and her cheeks would puff like a chipmunk. But I've held these feelings in a tiny bottle for what felt like forever and eternity now, and I hated it. I hated feeling like confessing would ruin me, and that Atsushi would look at me like I was disgusting. And all that was just my own insecurity.