What?!? I've Seen You Before!

True Confession (Part 26)

A bit of time has passed since their date, and in a way, they didn't change. The two of them bicker and hang out often. At the same time, however, they were completely different. They were closer in actions and heart. One of the actions is public affection. Tanizaki was an unfortunate witness to seeing them taking a nap together. They were on the school roof during lunch break. Tanizaki's original goal was to tell Atsushi that class was starting in a few minutes, but it didn't go according to his plan.

Though Tanizaki may not like Akutagawa, he definitely cannot call Atsushi when Rashoumon was staring right at him. Rashoumon hung over the sleeping pair, its jaws ready to attack at any moment. The shadow it cast covered the young couple's eyes from the sunlight. It was unsure if Akutagawa was awake or not. His eyes were shut, and his expression was relaxed. Either way, Tanizaki left acknowledging that he should never bother the two of them, primarily because of Akutagawa.

School wasn't an issue for either of them. The only thing that they were struggling with was the final art project. Atsushi had created three drafts for them to draw out fully. However, Akutagawa rejected two of them, and the third was destroyed. It is unknown how the third was ruined. A theory Atsushi came up with was it got blood stains, but the mystery remains.

The theme of their project was secretly about their abilities. It was an interesting yet tricky topic to portray. The first two had indicators that it was about Atsushi and Akutagawa. The rough drafts included sketches of their faces and abilities in the background. Even Dazai chimed in, saying that the government would be on their backs if any of them caught a whiff of what they were making.

In the Nakahara apartment, Shin Soukoku were both thinking up a new draft for their art project. Both were sitting beside a coffee table in the center of the living room. The crimson pillows had been sat on many times. A few more recent scratches were on the table, to Chuuya's dismay. Papers and a notebook sat in the middle, scattered neatly to describe it vaguely. It was organized in Atsushi's eyes, at least. He was the lead artist in this project after all.

"What are you doing?"

"What else could I be doing?" He fumbled with the spinning pencil, causing it to slip from his grasp. Atsushi lets out a heavy sigh. "I'm trying to come up with another draft, but my mind is coming up with a blank." Atsushi groans as he lays his head on the mess of papers.

"We should take a break." Akutagawa coughs.

Atsushi shakes his head, "No, we have to get something, just one idea out." sighing, he turns around and gets up from the ground towards the kitchen. As he was walking towards the stove, the kettle started whistling. Atsushi goes through the blackened cabinet two to the right from above where he is standing.

"Let's have a break." Akutagawa stands up, brushing off potential eraser shavers from his black trousers.

After rustling through the cabinet, Atsushi pulls out a can of tea leaves, specifically his favorite brand. "Fine, we can't just stare at paper forever." From a lower cabinet, Atsushi grabbed a stone teapot. He scooped some tea leaves into the pot and poured the boiling water over the leaves.

On the other side, Akutagawa got two teacups with two coasters. He set them not too far away from Atsushi.

As Akutagawa sits on the stool next to the kitchen island, he stares as the other pours the water into the pot. A careful hold was required to keep a steady stream of hot water. The intensity of his concentration was evident in his eyes. His dual-colored eyes... "How long have you been making tea?" Atsushi's gaze has remained unchanged, seemingly ignoring his partner's question.

He speaks as he sets down the kettle of steaming water, "I'm not sure how long. I don't like to think too far into my past often. Let's say since I joined the Agency."