Suishō Gensō (Crystal Fantasy).

"(Y/n), I need to focus."

"I disagree. You work too much. A moment of relaxation won't harm you."

"I hate when you use your ability to make someone lose their sense of time and space. I can't really focus on anything!"

"Kunikida... That's my purpose! Don't hide the fact that you also enjoy a little break from work."

"If anything, this is the worst nightmare during a business day. I bet you almost made me lose ten minutes of my precious time."

(Y/n) chuckled. Her ability made her lose the sensory perception of her victim and to make them confuse reality, but Kunikida always knew how much time she was keeping him under her influence.

He was the only one who could do this, but (Y/n) knew Kunikida well and she knew he would be really upset if she used her ability on him for more than ten minutes.

And she clearly didn't want this to happen.

She stopped her ability and watched the guy start working again.

"Kunikida... how is your pursuit of your ideal girl going?"

He briefly raised his eyes.

"I'll just have to find someone who's your opposite to find what I want."

"Sure, you always remember this to me."

She smiled.

That was true.

Since she discovered she had feelings for him she had tried to understand what he wrote in his notebook under the section 'ideal girl', but every time she received the same answer: "your opposite".

Although she hadn't shown it the first time she heard it she felt like dying.

Was there really no chance for her with Kunikida?

Every time she thought about her ability she could give herself an answer.

Suishō Gensō clashed with Kunikida ideals.

She was still hoping to change something when Kunikida declared to everyone that he was going to get married.

Everyone in the agency was thrilled and also (Y/n) pretended to be, but she didn't congratulate Kunikida like the others, she stood aside.

After a while someone approached her.

A hand was lending her a chocolate lollipop.

"Ranpo?"

"Take it, (Y/n). I think you need it."

(Y/n)'s eyes filled with tears.

"Thank you, Ranpo."

She took the lollipop and enjoyed it with the agency's best detective.

"Remember, (Y/n). Kunikida is a fool."

Kunikida was looking at them from afar with a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Why had Ranpo given his sweets to (Y/n)?

He never saw him gifting his precious candies.

Was there something going on between the two?

The fateful day of the yes came.

Almost everyone was dressed in pastel.

(Y/n) heard from Yosano that this was a choice of the bride.

While everyone was waiting for the ceremony to begin (Y/n) was in the back seats of the church and she could hear the bride yelling at a bridesmaid.

It seemed the poor girl had forgotten to polish her nails.

(Y/n) chuckled and asked herself how such a person could really be Kunikida's ideal type.

She thought he could have better.

She heard Dazai laughing near her.

Him and Ranpo were sitting next to her.

Maybe because they knew what she felt for Kunikida.

It was impossible to have a secret with them.

Soon the organ started to play what for (Y/n) was a death march.

That was the funeral of her love for Kunikida.

The bride-to-be was walking down the aisle, but (Y/n)'s eyes were on Kunikida.

She was sure to see a frown in him. She turned around and understood why.

The bride had chosen a peculiar dress that made her seem like a cute pastry.

Who knows if Kunikida was having some regret.

When she looked back at him, their gazes met and (Y/n) saw something new.

The girl turned towards Ranpo.

"I've told you Kunikida is a fool."

"I agree. He's dumb as hell." Dazai chuckled.

(Y/n) spend all the ceremony in turmoil until the vows arrived.

"... Speak now or forever hold your peace."

(Y/n) was trembling. It was her last chance.

Now she understood the reason why Dazai and Ranpo were next to her.

She didn't have to confirm.

They knew it would have ended like this.

And if they weren't stopping her...

She stood up, shaking.

Within a short time everyone was looking at her, but she was only looking in Kunikida's eyes.

"Don't say yes, Kunikida! She's not the girl you're looking for, right? This isn't what you really want!"

Kunikida stayed silent.

She was right, he had spent all the years of his life choosing every single aspect of his ideal partner.

He had written everything down in his notebook.

Until one day something unexpected broke all his certainties.

(Y/n) has come into his life like a storm.

His horror was great when he realised he was in love with a girl that was poles apart from his ideals.

So he tried to raise a wall with her.

He hoped she would lose hope.

But it didn't happen.

She and her ability had become consistent in his life.

He said that he hated her ability, but he loved to be under its influence.

He loved being under the effect of its user, but Kunikida was a fool over-fixated on ideals.

He saw Ranpo and Dazai next to (Y/n).

That bastards knew and they've come to enjoy the show.

He thought while walking.

"Fuck the ideals."

He mumbled walking down the aisle.

(Y/n) was looking at him hypnotized.

She wasn't dreaming, right? Was it reality?

"Let's run away, (Y/n)."

He told her while lending his hand.

(Y/n) got closer to him.

"If we have to cause a scene..."

He kissed her under everyone's gaze.

Then they run away together.

The only ones who weren't surprised were Ranpo and Dazai.

They knew it would have ended this way.

28/07/2023

I am completely in love with this one shot and I can assure you that in my head it works very well, I hope in yours too!!!

In this case I wanted to play with opposites attracting, which is also why I chose Suishō Gensō (Crystal Fantasy), a work by my beloved Kawabata Yasunari, as (Y/n)'s ability. It is a collection of short stories, but I chose Kawabata in general because he often presents texts where the stream of consciousness prevails over the logical and consequential presentation of a story, to quote an English author, Kawabata also read and studied Joyce, so in part the cue comes from there. And so I exploit it to create the ability of (Y/n)!!!

See you next time with Dear John, for which you may wonder what problems I am afflicted by, but we are here for that too.