Cramped.

#1

"What do you want now, weretiger?" He snapped. His pale skin shone brightly beneath the moonlight.
It was a sight I never dared to acknowledge - I tell myself to stay guarded at all times, not to mind his features.
"You disgust me," he continued. His nose wrinkled upwards in a face that you'd make when introduced to a bad smell.

I remained silent.

I didn't wish to speak. I didn't want to talk, rather. I knew he would continue to throw insult after insult at me — there was no other way.

I knew I was crazy for doing this but I desperately needed to somehow make him shut up.
So with the few seconds I had before I changed my mind completely, I began to stand. I walked in front of him, grabbed him by the frills of his jabot, and pressed my lips against his.

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CHAPTER #1: Confined Greetings

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/ᐠ - ˕-マ｡˚ᶻ 𝗓
"𝜗𝜚 ﹐, ATSUSHI's POV ; ⟡"

I was confined in this tiny room with my worst enemy: Ryunosuke, Akutagawa.

His gaze was practically unbearable. And even worse, Rashomon, his ability, was always active giving off this terrible aura (what is with this guy??)

"Tch, of all people... why did Dazai put me with you? I cannot fathom what he gains from this.. hm. Whatever," the man across from me hissed through his bared teeth, his arms and legs crossing.

We were left, by Dazai, in a small confined room with two chairs and a mattress in the corner.

This place was no bigger than a shabby hotel room...

Yet, the more I look around, the littler the space between me and Akutagawa have between each other.

This was awkward.

The two of us... sitting here. Across from one another. In the dead center of the room.
His gaze made my hair stand on end. I did the best I could to avoid any type of eye contact — yet, for a second, our eyes met. I could feel the sweat beads rolling down the back of my neck and cheek as my eyes frantically looked elsewhere. Why the hell was this guy always so tense?!

     "What are you looking at, weretiger?" Akutagawa squinted his eyes at me. His hand clenched the fabric of his cloak while his dark, black, pupils stared directly into my soul.

     Seriously... what IS his problem... I couldn't understand why he was so rude — even if the feeling is mutual. My mouth went dry as I continued to ramble on within my mind. It was as if it had been 10 minutes before I responded to him because he used Rashomon to lash out at the chair I was in.

     "Your answer?" Akutagawa pressed, giving me a straight death-glare.

     "Huh? What?" I asked, confused. I was so caught up with my thoughts that I hadn't heard his previous question.

     "Why were you staring, imbecile," the mafioso responded snappily. His nose wrinkled, almost in a gesture of... annoyance? Disgust? Either or.

     "I wasn't! When?" I reflected defensively. "There's no way I'd be caught staring at you of all people."

     Akutagawa clicked his tongue as he used Rashomon to tip my chair backwards, making me fall backwards.
As I fell to the ground with a heavy thud, I looked up at him, a furious and annoyed glint to my eyes.

     "What the hell is your issue?" I barked as I continued to reside on the floor where I had previously fallen down, "That was totally uncalled for! You're such a child!"

     I said all that as if I hadn't been flailing my own arms around in the air — god, I looked like an idiot — however, my point still stands.

    "You are truly a work of art. Even your retorts are pathetic — you're quite literally moping along the musty floors of a tiny room because you've been tipped out of your chair," Akutagawa states as he gives me a side-eye to add atop it all.

     I fell silent. What the hell was I to say to that? He had a point — but, hey! That's not the issue!

     "What does that have to do with this? You're the one who tipped me over!" I retorted as I scrambled to my feet, forgetting all about my chair. My hair fluffed up, similar to a cat when agitated or frightened.

     "And? What is it you plan to do about it?" Akutagawa shrugs, his expression never changing.

     "Hey! Don't ignore my question!" I exclaimed as I furrowed my, very much so, existing, eyebrows. "I am acting like an adult!"

    Akutagawa gave me a blank stare. It was almost as if he was really questioning my confidence in it. And to which, I was resting well-assured that I handled it just as if any other regular adult would.

     "You're acting pathetic," the man before me repeats his words before letting out a series of coughs into his palm.

     "Elaborate then, Mr. Know-It-All!" I grumbled as I continued standing up. "If you're so knowledgeable about being smart, then enlighten me."

     "Has your education system failed you? Are you this foolish? Allow me to spell it out," he snorts. "Do you see the way you carry yourself? Your unprofessionalism and unflattering speech are boring my eyes — alongside that horrendous haircut of yours."

"I... Hey! My haircut isn't that bad!" I paused briefly. I was a bit taken aback by his words.

Akutagawa simply scowled at me. A frown firmly formed along his lips. His eyes bore into my being, I hated it. I hated how he felt as if he had this overwhelming sense of power over me — which he totally doesn't — for some reason. He also has this unbearable hatred towards me which I still cannot comprehend as to why he would...

     "Whatever!" I grumbled to myself as I leaned down to pick up and set my chair back up before plopping right back into it.