Dazai Osamu (soukoku 15)

Several months ago, Dazai fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a severe leg fracture. The injury was so severe that doctors had to perform a complex operation. Even afterward, he couldn't walk properly and only moved around with the help of crutches.

School quickly became a real ordeal. Some of his classmates decided it was funny to bully a boy who couldn't fight back. They hid his crutches, pushed him, mocked his gait, and made offensive jokes. Dazai tried to pretend he didn't care, though each day became more and more difficult.

He couldn't tell anyone. He had no parents—his only close friend was his elderly grandmother, who was already constantly worried about her grandson. Dazai didn't want to cause her any more pain, so he silently endured everything that was happening.

On this warm summer day, he sat in a small gazebo not far from his house. It was difficult to walk far, so this place became his quiet haven, where he could forget everything, if only for a little while. He enjoyed the silence until it was broken by familiar voices.

Several boys from the neighboring yard noticed Dazai and, after exchanging glances, headed straight for the gazebo. Amused smiles had already appeared on their faces—they clearly had no good intentions.

Meanwhile, Chuuya Nakahara arrived in this same courtyard for the first time. He was spending the summer holidays with his grandmother and didn't know anyone there yet. Until that day, Chuuya and Dazai's paths had never crossed...