Chuuya hummed a low, absentminded tune as he plucked his clipboard from the counter, flipping through the pages with practiced ease. His fingers paused as his eyes landed on the next name listed. Instantly, his hum died. “…You’ve got to be kidding me,” He muttered under his breath.

'Experiment 404. Also known as Osamu Dazai. Also known as: the absolute bane of Chuuya’s existence.'

With an annoyed groan, Chuuya straightened up and adjusted the pen tucked behind his ear. "Of course it had to be him today," He grumbled, casting a quick glance toward the sterile, dimly lit hallway. He could already feel the headache forming behind his eyes.

Dragging his feet slightly more than before, he began the slow trek toward the subject’s room. Fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead as he passed room after identical room, the quiet rhythm of his footsteps echoing off the tile. Now and then, he peeked through the observation windows, catching glimpses of other test subjects— some sleeping, some pacing, one scribbling erratically on the walls. All normal. All manageable. Unlike what was waiting for him at the end of this hallway.

Finally, he stopped in front of the reinforced door labeled 404. He stared at the number for a long moment, then let out a breath that was more a sigh of resignation than anything else. Bracing himself, he unlocked the door with a swipe of his keycard, pushed it open, and stepped inside. “…Let’s get this over with,” He muttered, as the door closed behind him with a dull, definitive click.