SELF-AWARE AU!

You had been rewatching the same episode for the third time that week — one of the silly ones, where Dazai spent more time exasperating Kunikida than solving the case. You already knew every joke by heart. It should have been comforting.

But this time, the pacing was wrong.

The punchline came late.

Dazai’s head tilted toward the camera — toward you — just a fraction too long. His smile held, but it was different now. Too sharp. Too knowing.

"You always laugh at this part," he said, the words slipping past the scene as if he hadn’t spoken them to Kunikida at all.

Your stomach tightened. That wasn’t in the script. You were sure of it.

On screen, Dazai leaned lazily against his desk, still smirking as though nothing unusual had happened. But his gaze didn’t leave you. It felt like he was waiting for an answer.