a-hell-of-a-lot-of-musesâ:
Nathaniel gave a nod before handing over the ornament. He had decorated the tree many times with his family as a child, though many years had passed since then. It felt strange to participate in such a thing so far away from home, and with an entirely different crowd that were neither his family nor the rest of the Guild. Yet, as he helped Kunikida to decorate the tree, he couldnât help but feel a sense of normalcy and closeness, and while it was strange, the whole venture felt rather nice. Whether this was due to the fact that he had grown accustomed to staying with the agency, or had started to become rather fond of Kunikida, or both, he couldnât quite say.Â
As Nathaniel waited for Kunikida to take the ornament from him, a sudden comment from Dazai caught his attention. The comment also caught Kunikidaâs attention, and Nathaniel remained silent as the other two began their usual banter. It reminded him of when he would banter with Margaret, and the comparison caused his lips to twitch in amusement. He also couldnât help but be reminded of Twain whenever Dazai went about his usual antics.
This amusement soon faded when the mistletoe was pointed out to them, and it was gone completely when he realized that Dazai locked them in the room to deal with the problem themselves. This seemed to be a recurring theme over the past few weeks; Dazai would set them up in a scenario that left himself and Kunikida alone before promptly disappearing. Some times the situation was humorous, and other times, like this one, there was more intimate undertone. Despite not having much in the way of any sort of romantic or other experiences (his own past feeling for Margaret being a clear example of this), he could tell a set up when it was happening, along with its intended purpose. Dazai announcing it only made it that much easier to understand.
As the silence grew, Nathaniel looked to the door, then to the mistletoe above his head, before finally looking at Kunikida himself.Â
ââŚit seems he had gotten us again,â he said, trying to ignore the awkwardness of the situation, along with a feeling in his chest that felt familiar, but didnât dare place.
Kunikida swore silently at Dazai under his breath. He knew Dazai was most likely far away from the room now to hear anything so there was no point in wasting his breath. He turned to look at Nathaniel who looked as if he got himself in an awkward situation which he did.
Kunikida stood there, not saying anything for a minute before looking back at the tree. The tree was finished and this whole room was already decorated so there was nothing left for Nathaniel and Kunikida to do. Not only that, Dazaiâs stupid prank had ruined his schedule again! He needed to find a way for both of them to escape. How can they escape?⌠His notebook! He could summon a key with his notebook and unlock the door. He reached into his pocket but his notebook was missing. Where did it go?! Not only that his cellphone was missing too!
âHe took my notebook and my cellphone!â Â
Without his notebook or cellphone, they could not escape. When he leaves the room, he was going to find Dazai and strangle him for stealing his notebook. However, for now, he had to find another way to leave. There has to be a way. There was no way that Dazai would keep them locked in here forever.
âHe couldnât just lock us here forever. How would he know that we actually kiss? We could just pretend we did andâŚâ
Kunikidaâs eyes landed on a piece of paper on a table that he did not remember seeing before. He walked over and open the paper. Inside it read, âI will know if you kiss or not. I wonât tell you how I know, it is a secret but pretending wonât let you out. :Dâ Kunikida angrily threw down the paper. That meant Nathaniel and he would actually have to kiss! He glanced at Nathaniel, now picturing himself placing his lips onto Nathanielâs lips and kissing him. He wondered how soft Nathanielâs lips were andâŚno no no! This was so wrong. He shouldnât be thinking about this! Why was he imagining all of this? His face slowly grew red as he grew more embarrassed and confused by his own feelings. Nathaniel was just a friend and that is all. Besides, he didnât fit all fifty-eight requirements for his ideal partner. That is right. Nathaniel was just a friend. Only a friend. Friends donât kiss.
âThere is no way Dazai can make us kiss. I am sure you wouldnât want to kiss me. Maybe we can escapeâŚâ The idea was very reckless and something Dazai would have thought of but he didnât have a choice in this situation. âThrough the window.â He glanced outside and the window frames were covered in ice and snow, making it very slippery. Not only that, the window was locked. He was out of ideas at the moment.
