You did not leave the house that night with this in mind. After Kunikida randomly texted you, you spent twenty minutes frantically looking for your self-destructive coworker, Osamu Dazai.

Dazai was on a rickety old bridge outside the city when you eventually found him. The winter air pierced you both as he looked at you and sighed, his hands tucked into his pockets.

After a few brief exchanges and an impulsive suggestion, you made your way down the icy wooden steps to the riverbank. Dazai had gone ahead, clutching your hand to keep you from slipping as you followed him.

Before you knew it, you were standing together at the edge of the freezing river. He turns to you with a teasing smile.

“A midnight swim, hm? Isn't this too romantic for a friendly outing?" his smile widens into a small grin as he speaks, and he begins to take off his jacket. He hopes that your promise to swim with him wasn’t a bluff. He needed this distraction.