Change

Nothing really Changed.

Atsushi was having such a good day. The skies were clear, the weather was perfect, and it was his payday. He decided to treat himself to a bowl-or ten bowls-of chazuke.

Nothing bad happened on his walk to a nearby mini-mart. Because Chazuke from anywhere else was just Not In His Budget, the silver-haired man sprinted to the cheapest bag of heaven and seized ten packs.

"Jinko"

Atsushi flinched. Oh god. He didn't need to turn around to know who had disrupted his peace. That god-forsaken emo.

"Akutagawa." He tried to smile. It looked more like a grimace than anything else."I didn't know you shopped at a discount store... Aren't those below you?" He tilts his head.

Said man scoffed. And glances over at the tiger's half-empty cart. "I would've thought buying one-star, low-grade packets of microwaveable food wasn't you. But I suppose your tastes are garbage... How fitting, a stray cat and its trash." He sneered.

Ignoring Akutagawa's comparison, Atsushi just stared at him blankly. "Could we continue this after I atleast finish my groceries, I'd rather not burn down a perfectly good store, Please?" He pleaded.

Akutagawa freezes. Out of all the sass the Jinko could've given him...

please?

Ryuunosuke nodded. A ding on the jinko's phone drew his attention towards it. Akutagawa slithered past him and mused on which figs looked fresher.

Great. Just fucking great The tiger sighed at Fukuzawa's message.

----President: I apologise, Atsushi. There's trouble with your paycheck. It'll be delayed for a few days as I figure it out.----

Oh well, it wasn't like he really needed a shit load of his favourite food...

Atsushi starts placing the packets back. A hand takes them back. Atsushi looked over to Akutagawa, who seemed to have decided on his figs in the span of the 5 seconds he took to read the text. The raven-haired man ignored him and took down the entire shelf.

"You were placing perfectly good Chazuke back. It is not like you. Let me pay." He explained the unsaid question. "There's no use in you dying of starvation before I kill you. Nothing else."

Atsushi smiled. "Thank you; I'll pay you back... when I get my money."

Gods... He didn't know what possessed Akutagawa, but damn, he appreciated it. Looking down at his scaringly empty wallet, his smile broadened.

Ryuunosuke said nothing. Grabbing more food and carefully placing it in their cart "Do you want anything else?"

---

Fuck Atsushi thought. He stared at the ruins of their apartments, concrete splattered on the ground, dust still hanging around here and there in the murky air, he saw the remnants of their home.

Fuck indeed.

"If only I was here two hours ago, perhaps I could've died along with this place," Dazai moaned. "Ow, Kunikida, that hurts!"

Atsushi trembled. His legs gave out as the numbness went away. He didn't remember anything after that. Only the faint feeling of big, fat tears.

---

"Atsushi! Earth to Atsushi!" Dazai shook him. It proved futile. Okay. Plan B.

Slap!

"Gah-! What- where-" The kid panicked.

"Great! Hes alive, everyone!" Dazai pats his head, a rare moment of sympathy spreading across his face. "You okay? Having to see your home get blown up by enemies is... a shock, to say the least."