For Bungou Stray Dogs Rarepair Week 2017.
Day 2: "However, there are some people in this world that you can just never forget." - Kunikida Doppo, River Mist and Other Stories
rain
.
It was raining.
Just barely, a thin drizzle drumming on trees and cars and sliding down a dotted concrete; the clouds hovering over Yokohama were thin, sunlight filtering through small droplets to make miniatures of the rainbow lighting the city up, higher than the five skyscrapers that pierced through the sky.
Her yellow umbrella was tilted backwards to allow her to see the colours crossing the clouds, mouth slightly open as the water clung to her uniform on the third day of school, slowly but surely.
But that was not the reason her gaze drifted down the sky as she entered the park, blossoming branches crafting a pink ceiling between her and the rainbow; there was no reason, really, until bright eyes fell on a figure as delicate as the petals swarming around a violet kimono.
The girl staring at her didn't look much older than Akiko; reddish hair was tied up in a bun behind her head, eyes examining her in return. She didn't have an umbrella, but she didn't seem to be bothered by the droplets running down her pale skin.
"Hello," Akiko greeted, slightly uncomfortable by the other's stare. The girl nodded, tilted her head to the side, pensive. "Don't you have an umbrella?" she asked as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, uneasiness creeping up her spine at those eyes still fixed on her.
"I don't need one."
Akiko raised her eyebrows. The girl's voice didn't match her delicate appearance; it was about as high-pitched as her own, but where clarity rang in Akiko's tone there was a melancholy that spoke of maturity in the stranger's.
Now, looking back, she reasons she could have shrugged and resume walking home; she had actually intended to cut through the park to arrive faster and the rain wasn't really intense.
But standing under the cherry trees, showered in petals and rain, the girl looked beautiful.
"Nonsense," Akiko replied, stepping closer and covering the girl with the umbrella. "Where are you going? I'll go with you."
A frown settled between the girl's eyebrows, a mild glare nearly pinning Akiko to the spot.
"To the harbour," she muttered, though, most likely deciding arguing with Akiko would get her nowhere.
They fell into step under the yellow umbrella, walked in silence towards the coast. Akiko would steal glances at the girl in the violet kimono every now and then, feel her fleeting gaze on her skin when she looked away. Maybe what caught her attention the most was the sheathed blade she carried at her side; Akiko wanted to know if it was real, if it had any purpose beyond adding a powerful touch to her delicate appearance.
Neither of them made any comment, though, until the girl stopped before a block of flats.
"It's here," she announced, stepping under the porch. She gave a polite bow. "Thank you."
A smile made her way to Akiko's lips, small and sincere.
"You're welcome." And then, inevitably: "What's your name?"
The girl laced her hands together, fingers nervously intertwining. "Kouyou," she answered quietly, as if ashamed. "Yours?"
"Akiko." Kouyou smiled a little, too. "Nice to meet you."
Akiko turned around and left as Kouyou kept waving her hand in small, elegant motions.
Her lips stayed curled upwards until she arrived home, twenty-five minutes after the usual time.
.
It was four days after Akiko met Kouyou that a storm spoiled the cherry blossoms, left petals scattered on the ground, heavy rain pressing them flat beneath her steps.
That time, she saw Kouyou after crossing the park where they had met, sheltered from the storm under a balcony. That time, an exasperated huff escaped through a smile as Akiko crossed the street to approach her, pink clothes and red hair the only colours in that grey day.
"Did you forget your umbrella again?"
Kouyou frowned as Akiko stopped barely a metre away from her. "I don't need one."
Akiko raised an eyebrow at a reply she had already heard. "You're stuck here until the storm passes," she noticed.
Laughter bubbled up her throat when Kouyou scrunched her nose up in annoyance, the sound ringing clear over the rain hammering on the ground around them.
"I'm not stuck," she insisted, though, bringing a sigh out of Akiko's lips.
"Alright, I believe you." Judging by Kouyou's mild glare, Akiko needed to get better at lying. "I don't mind accompanying you home."
Kouyou didn't seem to have any objection to that statement.
"Now it would be impolite of me if I refuse," she admitted, stepping beneath the umbrella with an agile hop.
She didn't notice the words Akiko had kept to herself –she had homework and an exam the next day, her parents would worry if she arrived late–; but there was no lie in the ones she had spoken. She was curious about Kouyou.
"Hey," slipped between Akiko's lips, "what school do you go to?" Pink spread across her cheeks when her question was met with a blank stare. "I-I mean, you look about my age and…"
"I'm fourteen," Kouyou interrupted her, smiling slightly. "And I study at home."
Akiko nodded. They were the same age, as she had suspected. Maybe Kouyou seemed awkward because she wasn't used to be around people her age, she mused.
They didn't talk during the rest of the way. Just like the other day, Kouyou thanked Akiko and kept waving her goodbye until she disappeared behind a corner.
.
The third time Akiko saw Kouyou, it was about to rain.
She wasn't walking back from school, but from a friend's house; somewhere behind the clouds the sun was setting, sinking Yokohama in a sort of darkness that reminded Akiko of horror movies, one that would last until the streetlamps of the city lit up.
Akiko didn't dislike horror movies, but she surely hated the presence that had been following her for three blocks already. It wasn't the first time; something like that had been happening for months, but it usually kept its distance, only showing pieces of shadows when she whipped her head around. Now, though, those steps were increasingly close, slowly catching up with her even though her pace had sped up to a light jog.
She felt her throat too tight, eyelids stinging with furious tears she refused to shed; a tremor that had nothing to do with the wind blowing through the dim street shook her entire form, fear and helplessness making breathing harder because her house was still too far away and the man would reach her before she could set foot in that safe place.
Just when she was readying herself to break into a full sprint, though, a figure emerged from a side street, blocking her way.
All trace of blood abandoned her face when Akiko stopped abruptly, eyes wide as the man smiled down at her, trying to remember what one was supposed to do in cases like that.
Akiko could easily beat her classmates, had often got into fights with her peers and usually won them.
"Do you need help, little girl?" he asked, taking a step towards Akiko.
He brought a foul smell of alcohol to her nose, but he was still twice her size; she would surely lose.
"N-No, thanks," she managed, brain racing in search of a brilliant plan. Violence wouldn't be the answer, at least not for her.
Then…
Do I have to yell?
But her throat was closed off; and even if she managed to calm down enough, Akiko feared all that came out of her mouth would be the half-digested pastries she had eaten with her friends, half an eternity before.
"Are you sure?" Akiko took a step back as the man approached her, horror clawing at her insides when his hand clasped around her forearm. The streetlamps around them were flickering as they lit up, uselessly now. "You can come with––"
But he trailed off, and it took Akiko some seconds to understand the reason, as well as to realise the glow behind her was too intense to come from a streetlamp.
"She said no, you prick!" came a furious yet oddly childish voice.
The man let go of her arm, stepped back, horrified eyes fixed on whatever was behind Akiko.
"W-Wait… What's that––"
Akiko only caught a glimpse of gold pass her as the stalker turned around and ran like she had wanted to, the figure pursuing him until he reached the end of the street and turned right. Then it vanished, evaporated into the night; it was only in that moment that Akiko's brain registered a long string of profanities coming from her side.
"…coward! Come back, try to fight against someone your size like Golden Demon, you disgusting pig! I actually don't even need it, my own blade is sharp enough to cut your filthy little––"
"Kouyou?" Akiko breathed out as she looked at the newcomer, eyes wide as the other girl gesticulated wildly at the already gone man, fists raised over her head as the wide sleeves of her kimono swung in the air.
She seemed to remember that she wasn't alone, the anger in her eyes replaced by worry when they landed on Akiko.
"Oh… Are you alright?"
It dawned on Akiko then that the tremor shaking her entire frame was so intense it was a wonder her legs hadn't given out; but air passed through his throat again, and her nausea was gone. The tears running down her cheeks were a surprise, though; as she wiped them on her sleeve she found herself giggling, torn between relief and utter bewilderment.
She hadn't really thought Kouyou was able to say so many words at once, much less that she was able to say so many insults at once.
"I… You…" she babbled, struggling to form a whole sentence.
A raindrop hit her forehead before she managed to answer Kouyou's question. She saw another one disappear down the girl's cheek, as if mirroring Akiko's own tears. The third one rolled down her nose, hung from the tip for a second before falling on the pavement.
By the time Kouyou grabbed her hand and guided her towards the closest building, they were completely drenched; they sat next to each other on the steps of a porch, Akiko's earlier laughter but an eerie echo as the relief wore off and she thought about what had just happened, about what could have happened had Kouyou not appeared at the right moment.
And the nausea came back, eyes burning in shame and anger.
"I have pastries," she heard Kouyou mutter, uneasiness clear in her voice as she reached between the folds of her kimono; Akiko realised that she was crying again, or perhaps she had never stopped.
"I'm not hungry," she replied, rubbing at her eyes and hoping they stopped making a fool of her this time. "Really…" she insisted when Kouyou looked at her with incredulity. "Thank you."
Kouyou shrugged. "Don't overthink it. There are a lot of disgusting men in this neighbourhood." She lowered her voice. "They are in every neighbourhood, actually… I think they're the main reason my mentor taught me to fight with a blade, even though I have Golden Demon to protect me."
Akiko's head perked up.
"Golden Demon… Do you mean what chased the man away?" Kouyou nodded. "Is it an ability?"
"You know about abilities?"
Now was Akiko's turn to shrug. "I have one… that never works when I want it to, but still."
They fell into silence again. Neither of them had an umbrella that night, so they were stuck until the rain eased off. Akiko didn't feel like teasing Kouyou about her apparent independence from umbrellas, though; she felt the girl's concerned gaze on her as she hugged her knees, but she didn't really mind.
She was ridiculously tired, and she was happy she wasn't alone. The shadows looming in the corners the light didn't reach looked now menacing, invisible monsters lurking to hunt a distracted prey.
Akiko hated it. Night wasn't supposed to be scary.
"Kouyou," she mumbled, not looking at her, "can I ask you something?"
Next to her, Kouyou stretched her legs. "Of course."
"Can you teach me to fight with a blade?"
There was a short pause.
"I don't know…" When Akiko looked at her, Kouyou's expression was troubled. "I don't think I'm good at teaching."
"But you can fight, right?" Akiko insisted. "You just said someone trained you."
For a second she wondered why a fourteen year-old girl –and one as sweet looking as Kouyou, at that– was familiar with fighting; it wasn't the right moment to ponder about that, though.
Kouyou nodded cautiously. "But it's not the same."
"I'm a fast learner."
Kouyou's damp fringe stuck to her forehead as she shook her head.
"You're so stubborn," she muttered, disapproval clear in her voice.
"Is that a yes?"
Kouyou let out a huff. Then she smiled; first it was resigned, then amused. In the end her lips stretched the widest Akiko had seen on her expression so far.
And for a second she could swear the night was sunny in that little porch.
"Do you want me to walk you home tonight?" Kouyou offered.
Only when she watched Kouyou walk away from her home Akiko realised she would have agreed even if she hadn't been afraid of what hid in the shadows.
.
And so they met again.
Kouyou offered bringing one of her own blades, suggested the place where they had met the first time, that little park where people rarely wandered into; they would meet twice a week, Akiko would often end up losing against her and then they would go to a patisserie nearby, eat their respective sweets as Kouyou accompanied Akiko to her doorstep.
Kouyou hadn't lied. Teaching wasn't one of her strengths; she had trouble finding the proper words to explain the moves she wanted Akiko to learn, as well as little patience when Akiko failed to understand her advices. She never raised her voice, though; usually she would leave Golden Demon fighting in her stead for a few minutes, until she calmed down enough and tried again.
Akiko soon proved she had been sincere, too; her cheeks burnt in shame whenever Kouyou stopped fighting her to take a few deep breaths, so she tried her best to grasp everything as quickly as possible, to not grow tired embarrassingly early on their sessions while her friend wasn't even sweating.
Still, Kouyou's skills were miles ahead of hers.
"I've been training for years," Kouyou explained one day as they sat next to each other, as Akiko caught her breath. "Don't be surprised it'll take you that long to get the hang of it."
"Why did you learn this?" Akiko found herself asking, in spite of her exhaustion.
Kouyou's gaze drifted away, the light in her eyes dying down as her fingers tensed around the hilt of her blade.
She never answered.
.
Akiko soon learnt Kouyou wasn't as naïve as she looked; she was not only incredibly skilled with her blade, but also disturbingly knowledgeable about human anatomy. When they were taking a break (or, rather, Akiko took a break and Kouyou sat next to her until she was ready to continue), she gave light-hearted tips about the best points to aim for when faced against an opponent.
It didn't mean Akiko didn't enjoy the tips; she liked anatomy, quite a lot, and she had been considering the idea of becoming a doctor for a while. But Kouyou's comments often made her wonder what kind of environment her friend lived in; she never talked about relatives or friends, other than the man who had taught her to fight, but something painful darkened her expression whenever Akiko tried to know more about her.
So Akiko learnt not to ask, to just accept the advice so kindly given to her, because Kouyou's smile was more important than satisfying her own curiosity. Akiko didn't care where her friend came from; she was there, and it was all she could ask for.
.
Summer had a foot on Yokohama when the routine Akiko had come to love changed.
It shouldn't have caught her attention; in fact, had Kouyou not become such an important part of her days, she would have probably missed it.
But when the girl's voice trembled as she announced she would leave the rest to Golden Demon, the disappointment Akiko expected was substituted by concern as she watched Kouyou lean her back on a tree, arms tightly folded over her chest.
"Are you alright?"
Kouyou didn't move, so Akiko, after a glance at Golden Demon to make sure it wouldn't attack her when she lowered her guard, put her blade down and approached her.
"Leave me alone," Kouyou muttered, looking down. That afternoon, she looked oddly small in her kimono. "Golden Demon will hurt you if you're distracted."
Akiko frowned. "Not if you don't give the order." She bit down her lower lip. "And you won't."
An annoyed glare fixed on Akiko, mellowed at the girl's blush.
"I'm fine."
"Just like you weren't stuck that day, right?" Akiko couldn't conceal a smile when Kouyou's pale cheeks reddened, too. She raised her hands, swallowing down an unfamiliar uneasiness as she grabbed her friend's to unfold her arms. "Maybe… Maybe I can help."
"You can't," Kouyou replied, perhaps too quickly. But her hands slipped easily into Akiko's. "It's not a bad thing…"
Akiko tilted her head to the side. "Then why can't you tell me?"
Kouyou's fingers tightened around hers.
"Because I'm leaving."
It was, perhaps, the first time Akiko was aware of how silent the park was. She searched Kouyou's eyes, but the girl had looked away again– now at their intertwined hands.
"You…" Akiko started, only to realise her mouth was dry. "Leaving?" she echoed.
"It'll be for the better," Kouyou answered quietly. "Because the… people my mentor and I deal with are dangerous. We both will be happier far from Yokohama."
And what about me?, Akiko wanted to whine, jaw clenched in childish anger to keep the words to herself. Because she liked Kouyou, liked every second they spent together and every wrinkle in her face when she smiled, but that was all. They had known each other for three months, dedicated a few sacred hours every week solely to each other, but barely knowing Kouyou didn't give Akiko any right to complain.
In the end, they were but strangers joined by chance and rain.
So she tried to act in a mature way, to pretend something about Kouyou's composure had stayed with her.
"When will you leave?"
Kouyou dared to look at her again. "Next Monday."
"And––" Akiko choked on the knot in her throat, blinked the helplessness blurring her vision away. "Did you plan to tell me?"
To her surprise, Kouyou nodded.
"I wanted to give you a present, too…" A bittersweet smile lit her face. "But I guess I can give you half of it now."
Akiko frowned. "And the other half?"
Kouyou's smile grew, true excitement reaching her eyes now. "You'll have it when I learn my new address."
The first half of Kouyou's present was soft, warm and cautious as their palms grew sweaty, lips trembling against each other's in an attempt at a first kiss. It was also short, for Akiko saw Kouyou draw back too soon, cheekbones bright and gaze uncertain.
And Akiko could only smile back with warmth in her cheeks and butterflies in her stomach.
.
The next weeks passed in a tortuous blur, both fast and slow; Akiko was scolded often for not paying attention, but each second left until Kouyou gave her the other half of her present stretched for years, countless eternities she spent staring at the fleeting summer.
She visited their park every day after school, practiced the moves Kouyou had taught her until she exhausted herself and walked back home dragging her feet, each absence a needle piercing though her skin.
But Kouyou wouldn't show up. She did not call, either, despite Akiko had insisted until Kouyou accepted a piece of paper with her parents' phone written on it. She disappeared just like she had never been but an illusion; and, had the owner of the patisserie they had gone to so many times not asked about her, Akiko might have had believed it.
.
The last time Akiko saw Kouyou, it was raining again.
Summer had come to an end, the suffocating heat finally receding as fresh water poured down Yokohama's streets. Under a yellow umbrella, Akiko watched her feet as she walked back from school, actively avoiding the park even though it meant she would arrive home later.
She looked up upon reaching a zebra crossing, grabbed her umbrella tighter with a conscious effort to not hope for anything. Halting on the edge of the pavement, Akiko's gaze lazily drifted across the pedestrians standing opposite her.
Air got stuck in her throat when her eyes landed on a thin figure wrapped in pink, the only colour in that grey day.
And Akiko wanted to scream her name, to ignore the cars passing between them to cross the road and hug her and reproach her not giving any signs of life for so long, but she was frozen, pinned to the ground by what she was seeing.
Because Kouyou did not have an umbrella. She was soaked to the bone, red hair falling free over her shoulders, clinging to her clothes. And her eyes…
Oh, her eyes.
There was no light in them.
Not even as they flitted around and fixed, eventually, on Akiko's bewildered expression.
Kouyou only turned around and ran, as fast as she could, until she disappeared among the crowd.
.
Dazai makes his way down the hallway until he reaches the infirmary door, finds Yosano leaning on the opposite wall, arms crossed and gaze fixed on the floor.
"Is what Kunikida-kun says true?" he asks, tilting his head with studied precision to appear casual. "We caught a Mafia Executive?"
It irritates Yosano more than it should, considering Dazai is just being his usual self.
"She should awaken soon, if you want someone to bother."
Dazai raises his eyebrows, then knits them together. "It is strange you aren't with her."
Yosano doesn't bother to reply. She straightens up, walks past her co-worker without a word.
She doesn't know whether she will dare to talk to the hostage, either.
After all, now she understands enough.
Thoughts? Tomatoes? Anything?