❀ The Disease Called Love [Oumasai/Saiouma] ❀

The Pain, There's No End

A/N (I lied. AGAIN. Who's counting?) Before I start, this amazing fan art was made by MsNobody357 . She's such a great friend to talk to and her art style is JUST CUTE. KSKSKSKS ISTG, I cried when she made this for me and I'm not kidding because! FANART. I'VE.. NEVER GOTTEN THAT BEFORE- MY HEART- I LOVE IT TO BITS AND THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! <3 You're such a great friend, author and your deep thoughts are just XD- you're amazing and, I don't deserve you. This chapter is dedicated to you,  friend :)

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✧ Chapter 27 ✧
[ The Pain, There's No End ]
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The two teenagers were back in Kokichi and Keebo's room, after Mondo and Mikan's execution. Shuichi couldn't get the crying from Ishimaru and Chihiro out of his mind. It was mixed with the memory of Monokuma's cruel laughter as he hit the red button located in front of him with a huge mallet.

"Shuichi.. if the water from the sprinklers spoilt everything," Kaede began, sounding worried, "Does that mean that Keebo's laptop is broken too? And.. that?"

Shuichi looked over at the girl, who was pointing to a familiar metal box. It was the same case which had the words 'Do Not Touch' written on it. The box seemed to be unhinged slightly, as if it had been forced open. Shuichi set the broken laptop of Keebo's on the table.

He looked at his best friend with fearful eyes, the two thinking the same thing. They had accidentally left the dormitory door open in their haste, which meant that anyone could've entered the room uninvited. Which also meant..

"How could we have been so careless.." Shuichi whispered under his breath as he slowly reached for the box. "Wait, you're going to open it?" the blonde girl asked in a slightly panicked voice.

Shuichi nodded. "But close the windows and doors first. Make sure we're not being watched." After what Gundham had told him, with the messages from the traitor popping up everywhere, he was going to be cautious.

Kaede nodded, moving around the room to make sure they were not being spied on. As soon as Shuichi was confident that the room was concealed enough, he opened the box.

Kaede inhaled sharply as a piece of green paper greeted them. The use of the newspaper cuttings. The disorganised use of the upper and lowercases just empathised how dangerous the traitor was. It was threatening. And terrifying.

"Shuichi Saihara," the black words greeted him, 'You can search all you want, but you'll never come close to finding who the mastermind is. The only way you can stop me, is to come forward yourself."

"..." Shuichi dropped the box with a loud thud, making Kaede flinch. "Shuichi? Shuichi! Wh-what are you doing?" the girl dropped to the floor beside him as he didn't take his eyes away from the message.

"The.. traitor. Kaede, don't you see what's happening?" he muttered after awhile, "He's calling me out. All this is happening because of me."

Kaede shook her head, "No. Don't freak out on me, Shuichi! Please!" she tried not to panic. "Shuichi!" She jumped when the door burst open, to reveal someone she never expected.

"What's going on here?" Kokichi asked, sounding breathless as his purple eyes surveyed the scene. He noticed the trembling Shuichi and Kaede, who was holding him up.

"You've been going through Keebo's things?" the purple haired boy asked, sounding calm, his voice remaining steady. Kaede nodded, glancing at the message which was still taped to the underside of the metal box's cover.