Danganronpa: String Theory (DrV3)

1.2 - Ctrl+Z!

He actually sniffles as he turns away, making my chest ache with sudden guilt at the idea that I might have actually hurt his feelings. After all, I don't know why he behaves the way he does- maybe I hit a sensitive nerve by calling him weird. It's just hand holding, I guess. I's not worst thing he could ask for...

In my haste to make him feel better, I step towards him as he moves to leave and boldly take his hand in mine to see if it makes him happy again.

"Ah! Glad you decided to see it my way!" Kokichi whirls around with my hand in his and tugs me close to him with a big grin, any signs of his previous disappointment and emotional state having been completely wiped away. One might even say he wasn't actually sad to begin with and that it was just an act all along.

When he wraps an arm around my waist to hug me to him I yelp out loud in horror, feeling my face turn bright red before I push away from him and unhook his arm from around me. Kokichi bursts out laughing at my response, holding his stomach as he tries to stay upright from the onslaught of snickers and giggles.

Oh, so I'm just the butt of his joke then, huh? He thinks it's funny I get easily flustered around guys? Well...!

I frown at him and allow my eyes to flick around the gym where the others are. No one is looking our way- even Rantaro is busy talking to the others.

I'm still close enough to Kokichi, so with my mind made up on vengeance, I lift up a foot and stomp it down as hard as I can on one of Kokichi's feet shamelessly. His laugh cuts off abruptly and I watch as the first chill of pain visibly runs up his body.

It. Feels. Great.

I already know this action isn't without repercussions and panic when Kokichi lets out a loud profane curse at the pain, scurrying to the others and making a beeline to hide behind Rantaro. Kokichi hops around on his good foot and babies his toes a little before racing over towards the rest of us.

"Oh, you brat!" Kokichi snaps, his expression that of something more demonic than boyish and cute like before. I yelp at the sight, ducking further behind Rantaro as he shifts the two of us back from the visibly agitated Kokichi.

Before he can take any steps closer towards us, Kiyo, Gonta, and the girl with the weird pigtail chains steps in his path, prompting Kokichi to come to a stop.

"How appalling, trying to pick on a girl. What in the world has gotten into you? You weren't behaving at all like this earlier," Korekiyo speaks up, standing his ground.

"Me? She stomped on my foot! I'M the one getting picked on here, get with the program! She's guilty!" Kokichi argues, pointing straight at me. All eyes follow his finger towards me, prompting my stomach to swirl anxiously not only in shame at my childish behavior, but because of all the eyes on me. I shrink back from everyone's gaze automatically.

Just when I think it's all over for me and I'm about to suffer a social death...

"Um, Gonta no can see small Prairie doing that," Gonta speaks up, with the pig-tailed girl nodding eagerly at his side.

"Nyeeh, yeah, she's too timid looking to be the kind of person that does that..." The red haired girl pipes up in a slow voice, casting me a look from where I'm hiding behind Rantaro.

"Yeah! She's too small, cute, and shy to antagonize somebody! Look at her, she wouldn't harm a fly!" The pig-tailed girl agrees, turning to give me a friendly smile despite me using Rantaro as a shield.

"Tell that to my throbbing foot! The foot she outright assaulted! You can't seriously be falling for that Bambi face, she's lying! I should know! I know my kind!" Kokichi exclaims heatedly, stomping his bad foot and wincing at the slight pain the action brings him.