Danganronpa: String Theory (DrV3)

4.24 - Echo of a Person

"...Is that how you saw my lab?" She asks, though her tone isn't as harsh as her expression when she makes the inquiry. Embarrassed, I just laugh nervously and wave my hands in front of me.

"No, no...! The portable door lock wasn't on your door yet when I saw it!" I reassure her.

"What a relief."

She's obviously implying that it doesn't change anything, but I decide to collect Rantaro from her to distract myself from the embarrassment and shame. As Rantaro's trembling arm settles over my shoulder, he lets out an unsteady breath of amusement and follows me along the hall.

"See you in a jiffy!" I chirp, urging Rantaro to move a little faster towards the stairs.

"Who uses that w-word anymore...?" He teases me, the two of us slowing to a more natural walk as we reach the stairs and head down. I shrug, my cheeks still radiating a heat that has Rantaro poking at them with his free hand. "Puffer fish."

"Not that again...puffer fish aren't cute at all," I grumble, feeling my cheeks puff up despite myself.

Thankfully, Rantaro is still able to keep up with me as we cross the piles of snow outside. Somehow the snowfall has only gotten worse, coupled with wind that quickly chills our cheeks in our underdressed states. It's fine for me despite being barefoot, but without his jacket, Rantaro trembles violently as wind pelt snows across his prone body. I can see his lips tint blueish-purple as color drains from his features, my heart aching as he struggles towards the midway point back to the dormitories.

"Don't worry! When we get inside, I'll make sure you're bundled up properly so you can get warm!" I say, making him smile as we walk.

"Y-Y-ou're not c-old...?" He asks, voice trailing off and discontinuing like he's forgotten he's waiting for an answer from me at all.

For the duration of our trek back, I can see various trails of displaced snow from people going to and from the academy- though a lot of them have been filled in, leaving smooth natural dips where snow was once disturbed. Even if we tried to determine who could have made which trail, the falling snow would change it too much for anything definitively conclusive.

Gonta was the one watching to make sure all the guys would stay inside the building, so what could have possibly made him leave? Rantaro probably snuck out while Gonta was stopping Kokichi and Shuichi from escaping, so he would have no reason to believe Rantaro wasn't in his dorm room to go looking for him...unless Kokichi broke in.

I doubt Kokichi would have done that though, he has no reason to bug Rantaro since they aren't exactly known for getting along- more so now than ever. So what reason would Gonta have to leave? To look for me then? No, probably not. I remember what he said, and he genuinely believed Tenko when she said I'm tough enough to walk around the killing game grounds alone.

"W-What's wr-rong...?" Rantaro manages to stammer as we're nearly about halfway to the dormitory building, making me snap out of my rumination to cast him a brief glance.

"Just trying to figure out why Gonta would leave his post. You poor thing...your lips are all blue," I say when I take in his pitiful appearance, reaching up to run my thumb over his lips in an effort to warm them for a moment. Under my touch they feel like ice, but Rantaro seems to take a chance and puckers his lips to kiss the pad of my thumb in the process. As if electrocuted, my face becomes akin to a furnace and I recoil my hand back into my chest with a horrified squeak of disbelief. "What the-? What was that?!"

Rantaro looks a bit on the sleepy side as he smiles down at me and kind of slouches into my shoulders.

"Glad y-you're...s-still here...warmmmm...." he sort of slurs, eyes unfocused and sleepily tracing the details of my face as he rests his head over my shoulder. I'm embarrassed he kissed my thumb, but it's quickly pushed to the back of my mind as realization slowly catches up to me. In this weather, in his state of dress, there's only one reason why he'd start to feel any sort of "warmth".