SaiOuma Stories

New Rule

[this was inspired by hunger games. I have no idea why]

It was after the game, that he lay wide awake every night.

Every night. His eye lids never gave up holding that horrified expression. With his lips pressed together so tightly that they turned white, his face peekish, the constant flinching at any and all sudden sounds.

The dark color under his eye deepened every day. He couldn't sleep. He wouldn't sleep. No matter how utterly exhausted his body was, no matter how worn his mind fell. His psych wouldn't allow it. In that hospital room, day after day, after day, he would do as they said, follow their orders. But never, let his eyes fall shut.

His resistance surprised many people, nurses, doctors, even his fellow classmates he can hardly look at. Since many assumed, that his body would force it upon himself.

But his will was far stronger than that.

Another morning. After a long anticipated night. His hands shook with muscle ache, from the previous clenching and unclenching. Anger filled with fury with himself and trapped emotional pain seeping out in frustrated movements. He can't do anything with incision anymore. His focus rang out in small door openings and loud amplified footsteps.

Making him flinch when the door opened.

Except this time it wasn't a nurse to lecture him. No doctor to poke and prod at him. The person came hurrying to his side, scooping his hand in theirs and just staying there. "They finally let me see you..." They breathed, sounding close to out of breath. Having maybe of ran here.

His eyes darted to his face and the sudden urge to do something was so hard to bite back, that helplessly fell into it. Taking his hand from his and throwing his arms forward to wrap around him. As tight as he could. "...Shuichi..." he whispered in the tone that held back so much exhaustion. He so badly wanted to tell him of the awful pain in his mind. The ongoing war he fights every night.

"I know... I know." He hushes. He angles himself better by sitting on the bed, putting one hand on the back of his head and the other on his back. It's been forever since they've barely laid eyes on each other. Not to mention hands.

Kokichi, who buried his face into the crook of his neck, silently wished to be more embraced. He knew, however, that in this condition he wouldn't be suited for it. His shoulders began trembling and the tears forced their way through his weakening barriers. "T-They..." he started. The tears squeezed their way through and dripped down his cheeks, making a slow path that others soon followed.

The words he wanted to say, stuck in his throat. He choked on them until he found himself sobbing. It was so out of character for him to rip his mask off himself and bolt straight into the arms of someone with just as many scars. "...T-They're-...M-Making me-!" He dragged in an uneven breath of air, "G-Go back...!" He wheezed in his own strain for oxygen. His ugly cry making it hard to breath.

Shuichi held him tighter, stronger, just to make him feel safer. Even though in the long run he knew it wouldn't do much. "...shh, shh..." he could only try typical tactics when his lover is breaking down into a thousand pieces.

The new rule, that had everyone except him, Maki and Himiko in despair, was that all those who did not survive the killing game, had to, without a choice, go back. Everyone found out a week into recovery. Except this time, there was only one survivor allowed. Since the first game mistakenly had 3 graduate. Instead of the normal 2.

It was a school. In the form of killing games, simulations, and permanent scarring of scream worthy trauma.

And Kokichi Ouma, failed it's semester. In one slab of metal that had his eyes open every night.

"I-I can't..." he stammered. "I-I can't do this again." Kokichi took his hands from around Shuichi. The overwhelming sense of dread was building in his chest again, making him nauseous. It made his hands shake badly, the anxiety sending him another curveball into his stomach. He's refused meals for this reason, and this reason alone.

"You still have time..." Shuichi tried, taking his hands and placing them on Kokichi's wet cheeks. "...But dear, you need to rest." He quietly whispered. He placed a kiss on his forehead and let his hands fall to his.

"S-Shuichi, the nightmares..." he whimpered. Begging him silently to drop the idea and let him stay longer. "I'll sleep with you." Shuichi said almost matter-of-factly. His expression turning from sympathetic to near determination. Almost as if his heart was set on letting him sleep for once.

"It won't help..." Kokichi said back stubbornly. "I'm still going back... I-I'm still going into another killing game..." his voice cracked as he said it. Followed by more tears that wanted to make appearance. "...I'm gonna be their f-first target." He winced. His heart pounding a million miles per second. He really wasn't okay. Nothing was okay.

"Kokichi..." the way he said it, how it rolled off his tongue so naturally, so perfectly, had his eyes on his lips. Shuichi wanted him to calm down. He knew that. But it was a lot harder than just stopping. He's been biting back screams of heartache, loud cries that would crawl up his throat and plead most awful thoughts and memories that haunted him, knowing they'll be there for the rest of his pathetic life.

"...You'll make it this time." Shuichi comforted. "You're smart and cunning... you can and will figure out a way to survive." Kokichi only shook his head. "I-I'm not smart. I-I just made myself look like that b-before. It was all a lie!" He cried but Shuichi squeezed his hands, running circles into his palm in a soothing manner. Hoping to get Kokichi to come back to his senses. Though, with the dark grey under his eyes, it was making that hard.

"...You were smart enough to know that all of us were being watched." On countless occasions he remarked something like that. "You... figured out Miu plotted against you and were able to turn the tables." Kokichi flinched at the mention of her. "The list could go on and on..." He stood up and gently placed his hands on his shoulders. To get him to lay down. Kokichi gave him a look of protest but gave into it anyway. Letting his body fall against the pillows. He reached out a wanting hand.

"You'll stay with me...?" He asked as Shuichi took his outstretched hand. "Yes... I'll stay with you until you wake up."

Kokichi gave a tug on his arm. "Come here then." Shuichi nodded and slipped off his shoes. Easily settling into the hospital bed besides Kokichi. The rather frail boy next to him felt cold. As if all the warmth in his body left a long time ago. His skin was so pale, that youthful color seemed to of faded. "...Don't go when I wake up." Kokichi whispered as he hugged Shuichi. "Stay, stay as long as you can before..."

Shuichi could see the anxiety rise up in the others eyes. He watched him blink away the tears, and swallow them hard. No more crying. No more wailing. No more feeling bad for himself. "I will..." he said back. "Just sleep."

But Kokichi didn't. Not immediately anyway. He was still struggling with the future. It seemed to weigh on his trembling shoulders, never to leave and let him relax. "I-.." Kokichi started, searching for the courage to just say it, even if it did nothing to stop what was coming. What he'll be forced to face. "I-I'm..."

For him, to admit these words would take a huge chunk of his pride. Though, at this point, it was taken away when he was strapped to the bed on awakening day. Screaming and throwing countless of swears at the people who trapped him in a place he couldn't leave, but couldn't stay.

He gripped Shuichi's arm, anything, anything at all to ground him of his fate sealed so harshly on his life.

"I-I'm scared."