Anywhere the Wind Blows

Chapter 1

"And who are you?"

I heard something crack, then next thing I knew I couldn't move.

When I came to, there was another man across the river yelling at us. A man with glasses and long blonde hair tied in a wolf's tail. He was holding a notebook. I did not pay attention to anything he said, nor did I care. I was more focused on how and why Dazai did not recognize me.

"I don't think I got either of your names."

That one line from Dazai snapped me out of my trance. And apparently, I was not the only one. The white-haired boy flinched.

"Nakajima Atsushi."

Then he turned to me. I paused for a moment. Did he really not recognize me? Was he just playing with me? What do I even say? Finally, something came out of my mouth.

"Shujin. Chōkōdō Shujin."

It was a name I had begun using for the last few months. I don't really know why I chose it. It just felt right when I wasn't using my real name.

"Well, nice to meet you, Atsushi!" I felt my eye twitch as Dazai seemed to completely ignore me. "Why don't you come with me? I'll give you something to eat!"

"Well, if it's not too much trouble... some tea on rice would be great right now."

Then Dazai did something I never thought would possibly happen; he laughed. Never, in all my time training under him, had I ever seen him genuinely smile, let alone laugh! What was it about this white haired boy that clearly enticed him?

"Would you like to have tea on rice too?" The white-hair boy asked. "You look pretty hungry as well."

"I'm not hungry." I said.

GRRRRROOOWL!

My body had betrayed me.

I would have walked away, but instead my gaze drifted back to Dazai. The way he was looking at me; his eyes showed some form of calculation behind them. Like he was anticipating my next action.

Maybe...

"I'll come." I stated. If only to talk to Dazai.

"Alright then!" Dazai responded cheerfully. "I'll have Kunikeda treat you two to fifty bowls of tea on rice!"

This Kunikeda had heard that last statement and began shouting even louder.

"DON'T GO SPENDING ALL MY MONEY ON TWO BRATS, DAZAI!"

"... Dazai?"

"That's right, I didn't give you my name, did I?" The wind seemed to bend to his will and picked up, causing his coat to flow dramatically. "I'm Ousamu Dazai."

....................

I hate the white haired boy.

He's pathetically weak, insufferably quiet, eats like a pig, and somehow manages to get Dazai's attention and interest so easily!

Ever since we sat down- no, ever since we all meet at the river, out of the two of us Dazai has only ever spoken to the white haired boy (not counting when he asked who I was, of course).

Then there was Dazai's so-called partner...

"Who says 'Wow, that's a nice river,' and then jumps into it in the middle of a job?! Now we're late! I'm going to have to revise my whole schedule!"

"You're obsessed with your schedule." Dazai stated.

Then this Kunikeda slammed his notebook down on the table and went on a boring spiel describing something about "ideals."