People are afraid of the dark and what lurks in it. They are afraid of her as well.
And yet, Dazai Osamu-- a man drowning in the same sea of shadows that had long since become her home-- was the first to tell her that she belonged to the light.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Will you have to leave eventually?"
The table falls silent, a violent pause in the constant stream of the amicable clatter of metal chopsticks against plates and the clanging of bowls. Atsushi shifts under the weight of the quiet, wishing instantly that he hadn't asked as he nervously eyes the (L/n) siblings and their careful lack of movement.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"Eventually, yes," (Y/n) cuts him off plainly, setting down her bowl of rice and turning to smile wryly at their guest. "Don't be sorry, Atsushi-kun. There really is no need."
Hiroshi nods in agreement. "We'll work on that," he tells Atsushi, referring to the elder boy's tendency to needlessly apologize. "Before we leave, I mean."
Atsushi winces, guilt pooling in his stomach and getting rid of his appetite. "I really shouldn't have brought it up during dinner. It's rude and-"
He is cut off by the eldest (L/n) again, this time by a silent raise of her eyebrow.
"It's okay, Atsushi-kun," she enunciates pointedly. "Neither Hiroshi nor I are in denial of what we both know is to come. Don't exhaust yourself with all this anxiety."
Biting his lip, he nods, shifting his weight again. "Can I ask something else, then?" he brings up hesitantly.
"Something unpleasant, I suppose?" (Y/n)'s mouth quirks up when he looks at his lap sheepishly, but she nods anyways. "Go ahead. If it gets awkward, I'll pretend I never heard you and talk about the weather instead."
Hiroshi groans at this. "No," he whines, "I hate it when you make small talk. It's torture!"
She rolls her eyes. "Oh, my! Do you think we'll have any rain soon? I do hope so. My succulents are getting pouty, you see."
"Succulents don't need rain," Hiroshi points out with a put out glare. "We don't even have succulents!"
She hums. "Sure, I do. You're practically a succulent at this point with all the water you're not drinking, and you're always pouty-- rain or shine. I may as well see you drenched and get a kick out of it if you're gonna be pissy either way."
