#skk fanfic recs

[scarletgray]

SOUKOKU FICS FOR THE SOUL!!!!!

partners by setosdarkness (best skk fic my favorite the most adorable thing I've ever read in my entire fucking life hnhhgg)

The irreplaceable things by BlowingYourMind

A Few More Tries by StarshipDancer

our hearts steeped in hate by setosdarkness

the taste of love cherryousama

never ever invite soukoku to parties by xxalwayssofia

look chuuya, i just want a divorce by xxalwayssofia

minus four years by xxalwayssofia

plus four years by xxalwayssofia (honestly just go read everything by xxalwayssofia they're so so good)

Admit Defeat by StarshipDancer (again just read everything by StarshipDancer)

Full Tacit Understanding by setosdarkness (this writer is the ceo of skk istg just read all 1001 of their works lmao)

into continents and cars by halfbloom (diphylleias)

Narrow Staircases by rutu14

all of these except the last one (so angsty but has a happy ending dw) are the FLUFFIEST CUTEST SWEETEST SKK FICS EVER will heal your soul they're all on ao3 enjoy :D

[nyxi-pixie]

Hiiiii.

Sorry to bother you, I wanted to know if you had any fic recs? Your writing is so good and your tastes are immaculate, and I am starving for any kind of good content. Please?

its not possible to bother me love dw <3

NOW. i dont actually read all that much anymore bc i am horrendously picky but this does give me an excuse to hype up the few authors that have satisfied my unreasonably specific tastes 🤩.

so. a few bsd recs for you (except theyre 99% skk because im horribly predictable forever). everyone go read all of these and tell the authors how wonderful they are in the comments please <3

anything @booksandpaperss has ever written is genius work and everyone should read it. could talk abt all of their stuff for hours (and i have🤩 they put up w so much of me bothering them godbless). also our brains do some accidental crazy mind melding shit whenever either of us write fic so if you like any of my stuff you will like theirs. thats the rules. <3

like twin stars in the dark (we collide)- dead apple skk porn as a vehicle for 22skk analysis. makes me salivate i have read it so many times. they get 22skk better than anyone🙏

my lies are for you to keep (my love for you to lose) - the only take on beastskk that matters to me ever. you can actually see me losing my mind in the comment i wrote on this fic bc of how fucking insane every single line made me. theres SO much packed into this thing its fucking crazy i NEEEEED everyone to read it. thats all <3

till death, I'll give you my breath - dazai death timeloop. this fic terrifies me so much i await every update with my teeth chattering and my heart pulsing so rapidly i should be hospitalised. the first scene of chapter 2 genuinely had me on the verge of tears im unwell about it.

(elli also has some jjk stuff thats REALLYREALLY good and if ur into jjk u should check that out too.)

NOW. aside from being a propaganda machine for my fav writer ever. Heres some other stuff i love.

the second perspective by @wildflowerteas. murder mystery/detective noir stuff w some time fuckery. the au of all time. mashes aspects of beast, canon, and some extra special niko sauce into a mixing bowl and goes crazy w it. just Such a genuinely impressive piece of writing. i could talk abt the technical brilliance of it for hours but i will stop myself. you gotta commit to this thing because it WILL make u crazy. also i loveee the sskk. its like if we had the beast first meeting sskk forever. SOSO GOOD!!!!

did fate guide the gun or did you? by @kanetheo. i read this pretty soon after chapter 109 and it genuinely fried my brain for months. the writing style is beautiful (as for everything they write AUGHH!!!) and the angst is delectable. the way it intersperses more fun silly skk moments with just. complete misery. GOD. it just hits. ive reread it quite a few times and it never fails to make me go crazy. srsly cannot rec this enough.

the decomposition of dazai osamu by @hella1975 this shot several bullets through my brain and i still havent recovered. i keep thinking 'oh i should reread that' and then i dont bc some part of my brain still concerns itself w maintaining whats left of my sanity. BUT its crazy good and everyone should read it and suffer at least once. EVERYONE LOVES YOU OSAMU!!!! EVERYONE EATS YOU!!! line of all time lets all kill ourselves.

smoke held conversations by feralrookie - i havent reread this in a while but it does cool stuff with nlh and the skkisms are really good in this too. ppl often write teen chuuya as less intelligent than he actually is. hes very observant, esp of dazai, and this fic gave me that 🙏

i called your name til the fever broke by forest_raccoon - vampire chuuya. biting is involved. i blacked out reading it. enough said.

[iamtheracoonking]

So do you guys happen to know a good Buddy Daddies but make it Soukoku fic? Or like any fic where Dazai and Chuuya just end up with a child in the most random way possible and now have to take care of it for an indefinite amout of time? If you do then pleeaaaseee just spare me the name. Thank you in advance! 🙏 And who knows, maybe I can make a post with my fave parentSKK fics one of these days so it would be ✨️equivalent exchange ✨️.

[calmlb]

skk | 5.9k | hurt/comfort

read on ao3!

[mystivcandocrime]

Was hating which one I should post to present, cuz the second one just looks good in my eyes and it looks like it has more details than the first one for literally no reason 😭, ao3 lurker and all recommend me fyolai fics pls for the love of God (ongoing which is DEFINITELY CONTINUING MONTHLY) and maybe few skk (i think I've read a lot already just don't mention Empire of Dirt I'm avoiding that like my tasks in school) anyways back to art!

This is one of Chuuyasporkie's works on Ao3:D someone I didn't know was my fav author cuz one of the finished story, i recently looked at the profile and was surprised by the discovery:D

If you came across this before the story then I recommend you to read it it's so good ngl, it's like icing on a cake man — fulfilling 🫦

[sickficideas]

Hello it’s me Rui again! You’ve been so good to me recently for absolutely no reason at all but your own kindness. But I’m here to share some sickfics with you and the wonderful lurking community that looks at your page. 

In my opinion, I think that finding good bsd sickfics is actually really hard. So many of them are too short, not enough buildup, emit enough suffering… you get the idea. I tend to find that sickfics are best (in my opinion) when there is good buildup and absolute suffering that then elicits care :]

I have 411 (mainly soukoku) bookmarks, that vary between hurt/comfort and sickfics. (Most are hurt/comfort because sickfics that I like are hard to find). I’ve spent an unholy amount of time going through thousands of bsd fics to find satisfactory sickfics, and I thought I’d share them here for anyone else who struggles finding them <3

Mainly focusing on emeto fics for this blog because that’s what the central topic here is lol. I hope you enjoy some of my stash! If you end up liking it, maybe I can share my larger stash of hurt/comfort. I wish this category wasn’t so sparse.

» Nothing || Fraink5 - https://archiveofourown.org/works/11365941

A sadder fic with a bit less emeto. TW for major character death. I know it’s not exactly emeto, but it has its moments, and I find that this short little fic provides some of the same things that standard emeto fics do. Definitively worth the read if you’re in the right headspace for character death.

» Nebulous || way1203 - https://archiveofourown.org/works/37985296

Beautiful Chuuya sickfic oneshot. It’s about the aftermath of corruption. There’s a lot of delirium, sometimes it is hard to suspend my disbelief, but I still enjoy this one a lot.

» You’re a Canary, I’m a Coal Mine || PlayRough - https://archiveofourown.org/works/37985296

One of the more popular bsd sickfics writers, but I found myself needed to include this fic. It is quite long, but it’s basically just Dazai suffering from sickness and Chuuya assisting him. I’m ashamed to say this has become one of my bedtime stories.

» surely i’ll go bite the dirty dust || lizzielovessharks - https://archiveofourown.org/works/36533236

I can confidently proclaim this as one of the most criminally underrated bsd sickfics I’ve ever had the honour of discovering. Chuuya and Dazai are severely injured after a mission, Chuuya can hardly walk, and he’s sick. They just get so tormented but there’s so much comfort in this short and sweet fic. The ending always makes me smile, and I find myself coming back to this one very often.

» In Sickness and In Heath || TheShortestAlchemist - https://archiveofourown.org/works/48006802

Chuuya taking care of Dazai :]

Less emeto but still provides much comfort for the soul. 

» I’ll Take Care of You || Anonymous - https://archiveofourown.org/works/49949443

Sorry this one isn’t emeto either… but it’s chuuya being torment by Arahabaki so much that he gets a migraine that renders him unable to do anything. Still fulfills many sickfics desires.

» Poisoned Valentine || Wolf___Spirit - https://archiveofourown.org/works/53768785

Someone tries to send Chuuya home with poisoned chocolates with the intent to kill. However Dazai ends up eating them first, thus causing him to endure a lot of pain. (Read this honestly it’s wonderful)

» Burning Out || Trinity_of_Madness - https://archiveofourown.org/works/18899161

Long term corruption side effects… that’s all I’m gonna say. Take it or leave it as you see fit :] (it’s very fluffy, however it is quite bittersweet in case that’s not what you’re looking for)

» crimson headache, aching blush || kaiunkaiku - https://archiveofourown.org/works/24344119

More post corruption. Chuuya really needs a hug. He gets one. (Recommend reading lol)

» Underwater || TheGreatCatsby - https://archiveofourown.org/works/24344119

I’m so sorry. Not as much of a sickfic, but gosh it has to be one of my favourite comfort oneshots to ever exist. Chuuya does have a small emeto moment though. Ahhhh I’m so sorry for getting off track in these recommendations, I just have so many 🪦

» A Joyless Ride || calmlb - https://archiveofourown.org/works/55224694

This one is beautiful. I personally love the motion sickness Dazai headcannon. And this does a perfect job at demonstrating it. Dazai and Chuuya are on a mission, but they have to escape via Chuuya’s motorcycle. Dazai gets motion sickness that Chuuya had not considered.

» on standby for you || lonelydoctors - https://archiveofourown.org/works/48558496

Chuuya is hit with a virus ability and Dazai has to take care of him while he suffers. I really enjoyed this one. 

» Flashover || affectropia - https://archiveofourown.org/works/35640841

Bittersweet concept that is the reason behind this fic being a sickfic. However, it has a fluffy ending, and is only the care taking half of it. 

» beating drums and piping flutes - as they play the rain will fall || saanoir

This fic has to be another criminally underrated one. It’s the insomniac Dazai headcannon, except he starts feeling badly. All alone, he remembers a promise him and Chuuya made years ago. Hurt, even more comfort.

» I Think I’ll Just Collapse Right Here, Thanks || huntersserenity - https://archiveofourown.org/works/27219268

Chuuya has a drink poisoned. He is disoriented and not very functioning, but Dazai is there to assist him like he always is. (Very good, underrated, highly highly recommend)

Andd that’s all I got for now! Aside from another wonderful writers works that I didn’t include. Their username is ringingmaybelles and they make very very quality sickfics. Definitely read their work if you want the best there is to offer.

I’m sorry for the long list, I hope it is helpful/enjoyable. Sorry to come back and bother you with this essay. Thank you for letting me share these for the fellow sickfic enjoyers 😭😭😭

(Apologies in advance for the links not working I’m sorry ahh, you’d have to put it into your browser qwq)

RUI!!! You have no idea how much I appreciate you doing this for us 💖💖💖 hehehe...you're so sweet🙈🙈

I know a lot of people on this blog loooove SKK as well, and you've included many sick Chuuya fics here which I find more difficult to come across...this hand selected list is so beautiful and I really appreciate all of the effort you went through to give this to us 🥺💖

It took me a little bit to get to this ask chronologically between all the asks in my inbox but here are clickable links compiled for everyone's ease, since tumblr asks took yours away hahaha!!

I've included short summaries from the fic's original summaries along with Rui's descriptions, but please head the warnings and tags on the fics themselves!

Enjoy and share with fellow SKK sickfic enjoyers :))) I haven't read many of these and I'm so excited to dive in 🙏 let me know if any of the links are wrong so I can fix them, and if any of these authors see this and want to be tagged on tumblr ;)

Nothing by Fraink5

"Chuuya wakes up with a terrible fever--except he can't stay awake. Dazai is determined to keep Chuuya from losing consciousness, but how long will it last?"

Nebulous by way1203

"Chuuya struggles with the aftermath of using Corruption too many times and Dazai helps him through it."

You're a Canary, I'm a Coal Mine by PlayRough

"Super self indulgent Dazai sickfic."

surely i'll go bite the dirty dust by lizzielovessharks

" "Come on Chuuya," He muttered quietly as they felt themself having to pull Chuuya harder and harder to keep up, "Just a little bit further." -- or more Chuuya angst :) "

In Sickness and In Health by TheShortestAlchemist

"Dazai is sick and Chuuya takes care of him like the loving bf he is~"

I'll Take Care of You by toucheslikethesun

"Dazai walks into the ADA to find a desperate and distressed Chuuya looking for him, haunted by Arahabaki and having been unable to sleep for a long time."

Poisoned Valentine by Wolf__Spirit

"On Valentine's Day, Dazai steals and eats some chocolates that were given to Chuuya in the mafia. Turns out they were poisoned chocolates."

Burning Out by Trinity_of_Madness

" “Chuuya… We have to go…” Dazai whispered and pulled him up unwillingly. -- Chuuya held his hand, followed his guide with his usual smile on his face. Dazai’s chest tightened painfully at the sight, and he couldn’t stop himself from pulling him into a tight embrace."

crimson headache by kaiunkaiku

"the aftermath of corruption is its own kind of hell."

Underwater by TheGreatCatsby

"Chuuya has never liked water, but he never thought about why."

A Joyless Ride by calmlb

"Dazai hates motorcycles but right now he doesn’t have a choice. It does not go well"

on standby for you by lonelydoctors

"Chuuya gets hit by a virus ability and Dazai has to take care of him"

Flashover by affetropia

"Dazai tried again. Now, he gotta to deal with the pain, and Chuuya is there. He always is there when he needs."

beating drums and piping flutes - as they play the rain will fall by saanoir

"Dazai, in the midst of suffering another bout of insomnia, remembers a promise he made to Chuuya a long time ago -- to go to him when he's feeling bad."

I Think I'll Just Collaspe Right Here, Thanks by huntersserenity

" ‘ ‘Samu,’ Chuuya groaned. ‘Wanna take a nap.’ -- ‘You can’t nap right now, darling,’ Dazai said." "

The end 🏁 Enjoy!!

[chuuyasporkie]

Hi layh 😊 do you also read other skk author's works? If you do, mind sharing with me the list of your fav skk fic?

hello, friend! i’m so glad you’ve asked, because now i get an excuse to recommend some great beautiful skk bangers!!! also of course i read fanfiction about them <3 we are all insufferable and mentally ill in this house and i am unfortunately no different 😋😋💓

anyway! as asked, here are some of my favs! ❤️

• you're like lightning in a bottle by saffroncassis

• the sunset clashes on waves of cobalt by RoianaMustang

• tea over rice by the_most_happy

• stay by the_most_happy

• you look like you fell in love tonight by lunarumbra

• partners in love by meyllah

• one night in the emergency room by adifferenceinbreathing

• picking a flower that blooms on the heart for you by burgundytshirt

• the (latte) art of seduction by prsnlenvy

• the liar’s house by burgundytshirt

that should be it for now <3 these are all beautiful pieces that left me smiling, so please do check them out!! i know none of them are new, and you’re probably familiar with half of them, but these fics are popular and well-loved for a reason!! they’re magic, plain and simple. ❤️‍🩹

[mysoncookie]

BSD Soukoku Fic Recs

Here are a few of my favorite Soukoku fanfics that I revisit frequently. I'll keep this list updated whenever these fics are updated. And as always, to the creators of these fanfics, if you happen to see this and prefer your work to be removed from this post, please feel free to message me.

Btw all the fanfics listed below are Soukoku (Dazai x Chuuya), so if you're not interested in this pairing, please feel free to swipe away.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The hamburger incident by hasa3810

Not rated, M/M, No archive warnings

Available on Ao3, Complete | Wordcount: 3,057

Summary: Chuuya, upon noticing his former partner's serious weight problem, decides to make it his life goal to see Dazai eat.

Or, Dazai doesn't know how to eat like a normal human being and is too cute for his own good (one-shot edition)

Power in beauty by nyxieeeeeeeee

Mature, M/M, No archive warnings

Available on Ao3, On Going | Wordcount: 3,008

Summary: Dazai is pretty, Chuuya is in love

To be a teacher (Rewrite) by hasa3810

General audience, M/M, No archive warnings

Available on Ao3, On Going | Wordcount: 1,153

Summary: Dazai loses his memories and becomes a teacher at Houzomiyuki. Despite not wanting anything to do with his past life, he's still being tied to it.

"To be a teacher" rewritten because I wasn't too please with the original. You don't have to read the original one but there are some changed here and there.

"That's hot!" - Nakahara Chuuya, About Dazai Osamu With A Gun by YunaYamiMouto

Teen & Up, M/M, No archive warnings

Available on Ao3, Complete, | Wordcount: 4,142

Summary: Following the shitshow after DA where one had to fight their own Ability, Fukuzawa and Kunikida have come to the realization that too few of their members even know how to properly handle a gun. Thankfully, they have an alliance with the Mafia and were allowed to use their training facilities. They were not, however, expecting an audience. Or a training dificculty mode labeled DAZAI.

God Is A Woman (And She Has One Worshiper) by YunaYamiMouto

General audience, F/M, M/M, No archive warnings apply

Available on Ao3, Complete | Wordcount: 1,157

Summary: Shirase's back in town so he tries to reunite with Chuuya and Yuan. Meanwhile, ADA don't believe the Akutagawa's that Dazai is a literal goddess, so they go shopping. The 2 groups meet. Chaos~!

In which Nakahara Chuuya exploit's Dazai Osamu's weakness by hasa3810

General audience, M/M, Multi, No archive warnings

Available on Ao3, On Going | Wordcount: 2,553

Summary: Basically Dazai has really sensitive ears and Chuuya will take any opportunity he can get to reduce Dazai into a mewling and moaning mess.

Others get in on it once they find out and Chuuya's not happy at all. Especially not a certain rat constantly trying to get to his mackerel.

Wait, we're married? by hasa3810

Not rated, M/M, No archive warnings

Available on Ao3, Complete | Wordcount: 2,818

Summary: At the young age of fifteen, Chuuya tricks Dazai into marrying him. At the age of twenty two, Dazai confronts Chuuya about it.

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o also if i made a mistake/problem with any of the links or if u want me to change the formats pls let me know

[uzi-x33]

read it, now.

also read the sequel,, thank you.

[thepartyishere]

this ao3 series made me cry, changed my life, and is now my literal favorite ever so I have to share it. I have never felt this way before.

friends to lovers skk in a modern au with trans chuuya and acespec dazai. dear lord they love each other so much

it's a two part series called "the history of firsts" by oursorrows (about 32k total words)

[knockyasocksoff2022]

Everyone, please read this.

It's about Chuuya getting Hanauso, the Hanahaki variant in which flowers grow out of your neck when your beloved one is lying to you.

SUMMARY:

Dazai loves Chuuya.

Chuuya loves him.

There’s something square about that statement that soothes Dazai’s raging anxiety.

When they married, it was in spite of their organizations. In spite of his fragile mental health, in spite of Chuuya’s dangerous life. They are soulmates, and their loyalty to each other comes first.

Now that Chuuya might die with a necklace of Loving Memory roses blooming from his neck, choking him with every passing day, they are willing to sacrifice everything to choose each other again.

[Or: Married Soukoku loving each other above all else.]

More info under the cut.

Rating:

Mature

Archive Warning:

Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Category:

M/M

Fandom:

文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs

Relationship:

Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs)

Characters:

Dazai Osamu (Bungou Stray Dogs)

Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs)

Armed Detective Agency Ensemble (Bungou Stray Dogs)

Language: English

Words: 11,518

Chapters: 1/1

[crowscadence]

Bsd fans do y’all have any recommendations for skk mermaid x human fics. I saw a post about a concept for that dynamic and now I’m curious

[starrynightarchive]

it's so fun to write a fic for a well-known and loved ship. because you will walk inside this fic thinking "oh how bad can it be. eventually they'll kiss and it'll be okay." but then you realize the author is a bastard. and take max damage every time the said characters kiss.

i'm talking about this fic of mine btw

[calmlb]

skk | 6.2k | hurt/comfort

read on ao3!

[reading-stains]

soukoku fics: recs and reviews

look, i really like fanfiction. and i've always felt people sometimes don't give good enough reasons to actually read a lot of it. if you scroll down enough, you'll see i did that too. so i thought i'd help out some people that don't know what to read tonight. you'll notice i took my reviewing seriously hgdsafvkhagsv i'll add more in my reblogs as i go on with this review style, but for now, here are three fanfics that pushed me to do this. fair warning, they're long ones.

A Lesson in Thorns by arkastadt

Word Count: 454,556

Tags: Arranged Marriage, BSD Beast!AU, Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Character Death, Heavy Angst, Happy Ending, Ghosts, So Much Smut

Review:

As one of the longest fics I’ve ever read, it took me three days to read it, and a lot of lost sleep. A Lesson in Thorns is a journey that no one is truly prepared for. It’s surprising, I think, how one only notices the slow burn in the beginning, and forget they didn’t start out together in the end. So many things happen in the span of those fifty chapters, and so many feelings arise alongside their events. The reader watches Chuuya grow into himself, despite the haunting (hehe) that surrounds him by the end. Dazai becomes a man wishing to live, despite becoming a ghost of who he used to be. It’s quite magical, the way the story builds upon itself. What is usually some home, this piece makes an empire. 

This author appealed a lot to the wants and needs within these characters, making a paced build up to the challenges the characters face. Furthermore, there is a wonderful line of thought that is unwavering, consistent to the very end. The reader meets Chuuya getting ready to be married. A deal has been struck with the Port Mafia, and as the leader of the Sheep, Chuuya must marry their boss. A questionable and confusing task, but Chuuya has no more cards under his sleeve, and he has to save Shirase from the pending prison sentence. He walks into where he is to be married, looking to find a wrinkled, aging man. Instead, he faces the bandaged limbs and cunning eye of Dazai Osamu, and the story truly begins. 

The reader already knows it’s not a choice left for random that Dazai takes Chuuya under his wing. It’s already stated that on the first day in his position as the boss, right after killing Mori and sixteen months before he and Chuuya marry, he finds the redhead. A search that is broken down as the story unravels, and an effort that builds them and breaks them apart and puts them back together. 

This fanfic is clearly derived from a lot of the factors pointed in Bungou Stray Dogs’s BEAST light novel, which in my eyes makes it all the more interesting. I tried to give a short insight into the beginning with as much care as I could without creating any spoilers for the reading. I guess from me, all my notes just say it’s worth it. This fic really drags you through so many stages of feelings and excitements, and it builds off from them until you reach a new peak all over again. 

On Deathless Feet by AbsoluteNegation

Word Count: 71,848

Tags: Caretaking, Controlling Arahabaki, Canon-Divergence, Port Mafia and Post-Port Mafia, Smut

Review:

There are some stories that find themselves tucked into a hidden corner. It does not make them any less, and it does not make them any better, it just makes them quiet. Which in turn, when they are finally found, makes them all the more surprising. That is how I feel about On Deathless Feet, tucked in a corner of Ao3, and all incredibly surprising. 

Written with a nonlinear narrative, the reader meets the famed Double Black in different moments, recently met, in the middle of their rise through the ranks, at the brink of their end, after their disconnection with years of silence. AbsoluteNegation makes a wonderful story threaded in different moments, contextualizing their uncomfortable return to each other with interruptions back to their old lives before Dazai’s split from the Port Mafia. The author mainly focuses on Arahabaki, and Chuuya’s relationship with understanding the singularity as it slips out of control. Dazai is sent in to help counter it throughout their time together, and long stretches of contact are needed to get it down to normal. 

With a state of constant carataking, the two are thrusted into communion, needing to learn to accept living with each other for the time being. It isn’t a foreign feeling, seeing the other there, but at the end of the day it’s hard for the two with all that past. A past the author explores in detail just as much, not holding back on making it layered and pretty and very intense. They are creatures of passion, that’s what drives this ship and makes it so loved, and the author doesn’t shy away from building on it. Just as well, however, does the author place their own touch to their relationship, with the care and devotion the two also experiment between them. This fanfic is a welcomed balance to the rockier roads often explored surrounding these two. It never lacks sharpness, but it definitely warms the heart.

music for our funeral by itotypes

Word Count: 67,723

Tags: No Smut, Angst, 70s, Musicians!AU, Drug Abuse, References to Child Neglect, Songwriting, Artistic Lyricism

Review:

Music for our funeral by itotypes is a breathtaking composition, and there is not much like it. Set in the 70s, the author explores the surrounding setting of the rock genre, and writes a story of struggle and connection. Starting out with a run-away teenager, we meet Dazai’s lackluster perfection, the narrative often picturing him as a clinical artist. After leaving home, we watch him make himself something, and see him survive until he looks to live. Meanwhile, the other side of the piece plays with a striving perfectionist, and a reckless guitarist, in the form of Chuuya. The man comes from a struggling family (a stark contrast to the origins of his partner), and finds himself lost in the music. 

An interesting part of the story is that we get to know the characters before they meet. In a way, it allows the reader to explore the lives privy to the explosion, and before the pining and intensity that sparks between the two. One of the most appreciative factors that make this story one of my personal favorites is the usage of images throughout it. With beautiful lyrics exploring the essence of a character’s beliefs without them needing to admit it to themselves, there is a clear view into the conflicts and selfish needs that each character has. 

This author’s work is best described as an ode to music. It comes as a surprise at times, the way words fit together in reverence to this branch of artistry. Yet the fact that it’s done through another form of storytelling, through the use of words on a screen instead of notes on one’s ear, makes it all the more captivating. There is no question this is a must read.