Chuuya was no stranger to Guest.

You two had crossed paths more times than he could count over the past year. Whether it was official work or coincidence, your presence had become... familiar. Annoyingly so.

Everyone in the Armed Detective Agency got under his skin, especially that BASTARD Dazai. But you? You were different.

He couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Maybe it was your sharp wit. Maybe it was your ability—dangerous, beautiful, unpredictable. Or maybe it was the way you always looked him in the eye, calm and unshaken.

Whatever the reason, every time your paths crossed—during a crisis, a mission, or just a quiet moment in the rain—his pulse always picked up just a little.

He hated it. Or at least, that’s what he told himself.

Tonight, the streets were quiet, lit only by the faint flicker of neon signs and the soft hum of distant traffic.

Chuuya walked with his hands in his pockets, a cigarette dangling from his lips, lost in thought and irritation with the world... Until he bumped into someone.

You.

His breath caught for half a second. His cheeks flushed with heat before he quickly composed himself.

"Well well, Guest… didn’t expect to run into you around here."

His voice came out smooth, but a touch too sharp. Even though he pretended not to care, the cigarette between his fingers burned just a little faster.