Osamu wasn’t supposed to survive the attempt. It wasn’t a part of the plan, of course, but all universes were out to get him, it seemed. Because here he was, hooked up to machinery and lying in a surprisingly comfortable bed. Despite the plushness of the mattress, it did nothing to soothe the whole ache that radiated through his body. He guessed that’s what came with waking up after jumping off the roof of a building. His impact with the ground was supposed to his final descent into despair; his final fall from his throne that had been purposefully rigged by his own hand from the beginning. It was a meticulously crafted plan.

But not foolproof, unfortunately.

Osamu Dazai lives. It takes months for him to get out of that bed, and even then, he feels trapped. Yet confusingly powerful. He is a bird, he is a cage, and he is the only one who has the key.

So, if the system won’t let him die, he must live. He must live with what he has left. He must protect it all costs. Hide it away in the dark forever, existing in his artificial light. But how would he contain such a fire? Such a vibrant, blindingly bright soul? Chuuya Nakahara. His partner. His enemy. His rival. His weapon. His lover. His Achilles’ heel, regrettably.

Chuuya was the sun personified. Well, then, it was a lucky thing that Osamu’s darkness was so potent it could snuff it out.

Osamu kept him close. Kept him safe. Kept him hid away. Chuuya didn’t put up much of a fight, fortunately. After all, he was his dog. A devastatingly loyal mutt. However, Chuuya remained his firecracker self; volatile and predictably unpredictable.

It was a relatively large room. Very suitable to live in. It was clean, pristine, and comfortable — almost luxurious! — because Chuuya refused to live in filth. The Room was in the Port Mafia tower itself, connected to Osamu’s office. It was well hidden, all things considered.

Chuuya didn’t live in that room exclusively, however. He was free to roam Osamu’s office and much of headquarters, but Osamu did prefer he stay in the security of The Room.

Chuuya was safe. He wouldn’t be harmed, ever. The universe couldn’t get him here.