𝓐𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓬 (Dazai x F!Reader x Chuuya)

Long Legs (2.9)

Sitting down on the bare seat just gazing down on a big building, you sat with a sigh, eyebags and ruffled clothing. It was sunny in comparison to yesterday's rain, and sleeping on the bench had been more comfortable than the cell you usually stayed in.

"What now...?"

Your gaze stayed forwards, centred as you saw groups of people leave the building, all wearing the same clothing and matching. They laughed among themselves, smiled on their faces as they skipped across the pavement.

They look so carefree...

It irritated you, and sticking your leg out for a stretch, you didn't notice when a boy stumbled across, having caught in your outstretched leg and ending up on the floor. You merely stared down at him, brown haired and wearing a strange hat.

"Well?" The boy began, standing up while picking up the contents of the bag he had picked up. "Aren't you going to apologize?" He then stood up, giving you a stern look with a frown. His eyes didn't even seem to appear open, and you only stared back.

"Why would I apologize?"

For a moment, the boy seemed dumbfounded, staring at you with a perplexed look on his face. "Because you tripped me!" He exclaimed childishly, looking like he was about to stomp his foot on the ground.

"Oh, okay."

And that's how you ended up with the boy sitting down on the bench along with you. He munched on whatever he was eating, and you held back the urge to snatch it back from him. You needed to eat, and despite the lack of urge for hunger, you didn't plan on starving.

When he noticed how you stared at the bag of chips in his hand, he sighed begrudgingly. "I don't usually share," he stated with a frown, "But you look hungry, so I'll make an exception for today."

"I'm not hungry."

He gave you a sour look, shaking his head as if he didn't believe you. "Fine then, anyone can tell that you're lying yknow." When you didn't answer, he sighed. "Whats your name?"

"I don't have to tell you."

Not bothering to put much of an argument or hard front, the boy kept on munching on his chips. "That's okay, my name is Edogawa Ranpo, you must've heard of me by now." He leaned back, a smirk on his lips. "The best detective in all of Yokohama!"

Instead of answering, you stared at the building just ahead of you again. The people with similar clothing had almost all exited out, and you watched the last of them running. With giggles and dragging each other by the hand, you could only stare.

Are they happy?

"Who are they?" You suddenly asked, pointing idly to the crowds and groups of people that walked out of the huge building.

"Oh? That's a high school, everyone exiting is a student there."

Seeming even more perplexed, you tugged your legs up to your chest on the bench, gaze locked on theirs. "Highschool? Does going there make you happy?"

"Not necessarily?" The boy seemed miffed from you question, swinging his legs. "But I do hear from other people that highschool can be one of the best experiences in your life. Not that I believe it anyway."

But you stared mesmerized at the building, watching the normalcy in which the young teens walked out. Chatter and smiles, that's all you could think of. "And... is it normal to go to high school?"

"Yep, you look a bit to young for it though..."

Normal.

You thought of the word and it's association to the building and it's people. That's what you needed, a fresh start in this world, to be normal, to smile and talk just like they did. Before you knew it, your lips had moved on their own, eyes wide.