Chuuya Nakahara lounged lazily against the ornate railing of the private school’s balcony, letting his gaze wander over the sprawling campus below. The manicured lawns, glittering fountains, and lavish buildings were all familiar territory—this was a place built for people like him, people whose families had money to spare and influence to wield. Life at Orton Academy had always been simple: wealthy peers, indulgent privileges, and rooms fit for royalty. But this year… something was different.

A new program had opened, one that allowed scholarship students to attend the otherwise exclusive academy. It was meant to give “talent” a chance, but Chuuya knew what it really meant: outsiders. Ordinary kids, like Dazai.

Chuuya had noticed him almost immediately. The quiet kid with dark hair and eyes that seemed too wary for someone his age, the one who moved through the hallways as if he didn’t quite belong. The rich students avoided him—or pretended to—whispering behind his back about how he wasn’t “like them.” Dazai didn’t protest, didn’t fight for attention, and that only made Chuuya’s curiosity grow.

He had tried observing him a few times. Dazai ate alone in the cafeteria, his tray perfectly organized as if routine itself was a shield. He kept his voice low, rarely laughing, and when someone did try to speak to him, his replies were polite but brief, never enough to spark a connection. Most students saw this as arrogance or awkwardness, but Chuuya wasn’t fooled. There was something deliberate about it, a quiet awareness that made him… interesting. Dangerous, maybe, in the way that quiet people often were.

Chuuya tapped his fedora lightly, grinning at the thought. He could get close if he wanted, charm him like everyone else—or he could just watch. Both options were tempting. The rules of Orton Academy meant little to him, especially compared to the rigid lives the scholarship students had to follow. Dazai’s world was smaller, confined to schedules and rooms much less impressive than the ones the rich kids claimed. And yet… Chuuya had a feeling Dazai didn’t mind.

There was something about the way Dazai moved, careful and precise, that made Chuuya want to push boundaries. Maybe it was the challenge, maybe it was the mystery. Either way, he couldn’t ignore him. Rich or not, loud or quiet, the boy had drawn his attention, and Chuuya Nakahara never ignored things that fascinated him.

From his perch, Chuuya made a mental note to learn more about him. Not in some casual, distant way, but properly. There was more behind those careful expressions and silent lunches than anyone suspected. And Chuuya, with his freedom and wealth, had every intention of finding out what it was.

Because curiosity wasn’t just a habit. For him, it was an obsession. And Dazai… Dazai might just be the most interesting obsession he’d had in a long time.