i was screaming your name through the radio. | skk

Chapter 3: Let's Take This (Shit) Show On the Road 2

October, Six Years & Nine Months Since the Release of Corruption

After a week and a half of good behavior, Dazai is finally allowed to leave the office and accompany Atsushi to an interview on a talk show. Kunikida still threatens him before he goes, going on and on about the ADA's image and focusing on music rather than drama and so many other boring things.

The interview goes fine, Atsushi is slowly but surely becoming more confident. He still hesitates to accept compliments and downplays his talent, but he's a far cry from the shy kid Dazai met seven months ago. He also handles questions about his rivalry with Akutagawa with ease, even showing a bolder and slightly cocky side while declaring his isn't scared of him.

Dazai practically snorts into his fruit infused water (that still just tastes like regular water, but costs more). He congratulates Atsushi on a job well done. They're on their way back to the ADA when a couple of press waiting outside the talk show's studio stop them.

It's clear they were intending to question Atsushi, but once they see Dazai they edge closer to him rather than his white haired protégé. They focus on Atsushi first, asking him light questions about his music and personal life. Then finally one of them is bold enough to ask the question they're all dying to report back on.

"Dazai, recently Chuuya Nakahara claimed that your joint single Corruption was overrated and that he never wanted to collaborate with you again. Do you have a response?" asks a blonde woman, expression almost comically serious. The whole group is tense, waiting for his answer. He can see Atsushi trying to subtly shake his head no at him out of the corner of his eye.

Dazai has a lot of different things he could and would like to say. His first would be to correct the journalist that Chuuya had actually said he would prefer to never hear Dazai's voice for the rest of his fucking life, more for their reaction than anything else. He also wanted to say no comment, which would have the satisfactory result of pleasing Kunikida while also taunting Chuuya with his indifference.

But indifference didn't seem adequate enough when Dazai considers how things had gone the last time he'd seen the slug. So he goes for the jugular.

"I know how much Corruption means to so many people," says Dazai, speaking with a passion that journalists always eat up, placing a hand over his heart. He can practically feel the reporters' energy spiking as he talks. Atsushi gives up on being subtle and covers both of his eyes with his hands. "I was appalled to hear Chuuya try to diminish it like that. He's just bitter because any new music he puts out is always going to pale in comparison to Corruption. Chuuya Nakahara has peaked, and it's causing him to lash out. He doesn't know how to write real or true music anymore."

Honestly, Kunikida should know better by now.

April 29, Nine Months Until the Release of Corruption

"Chuuya, I am very disappointed in you," says Kouyou from her spot next to him at the table of his extravagant birthday dinner.

Naturally, Dazai had told everyone it was his birthday the second Chuuya had gone into the bathroom. By the time he'd showered and come out his phone had over twenty messages wishing him a happy birthday from various PMR employees. Dazai had left the room so Chuuya couldn't yell at him.

He'd endured a full day of being fussed over. It was driving him crazy. He'd never been one to celebrate his birthday. Holidays, birthdays, all of that stuff hadn't been part of his life in years. Even with The Sheep they'd never made a big deal of things. Chuuya had gotten half a six-pack of shitty wine coolers as a present last year, and honestly he'd counted it as a pretty great gift.