Dear Saihara~

Letter Thirteen

I bought some flowers as I glanced more closely at the riddle.

Where time stops.

After a while I finally understood what he meant. So I headed to the cemetery.

The walls around was cracked and most of the grass was dead. I looked around curiously for the letter seeing it on the wall held down by a rock.

Drawn on was four figures, wearing the DICE uniform waving goodbye. Some even had extra color showcasing their hair and their masks and scarves as I opened it.

Dear Saihara~

Did you buy the flowers? Thanks if you did. I guess I'll tell you about it now.

Some of DICE are dead.

Chiasa, Mirai, Riko, and Takura. Sucks for Tsuki heh she's the only girl left.

Genkei misses his comedy buddy he was the most recent as of right now...heh...it's fine.

I felt my heart sinking. Ouma's friends were gone. The handwriting also was squiggly suggesting Ouma was shaking while writing this.

Chiasa was the first. It came out of the blue and we weren't ready at all. We all met as kids, maybe six or somewhere close to that.

We lost her two years ago. None of us knew what to do. Mostly everyone got depressed.

We lost her pig snort and her thirst for blood when we insulted her horrible cooking. Even now writing this I'm looking for her to break in and say: I make the best food ever what are you talking about?

She never did. She burned sushi. She set cereal on fire. I miss that weirdo.

Then came Riko. A decent half a year after Chiasa. It's sad to say we were more prepared as it was a lot longer than Chiasa's sudden demise.

But watching that...we just had to sit by her side as we watched our close friend slowly crumble was painful to watch. A lot of optimism died with her.

We didn't have her just laughing and smiling at everything anymore. I don't actually know if it was all genuine, that smile. Or maybe she was putting on a brave face those last weeks.

I can't help but think about Mirai and how she dealt with it. She never talked till her own death only weeks later. I think it was the grief that got her. She spoke just one on one of her final days: see you later alligator.

I didn't say it then so I will now: in a while crocodile.

At least we still had her murals to look at all around the city to remember her. A lot of people seemed to have liked her work so I guess she kind of had a legacy.

As of writing this Takura went a little bit after our fight. It was quick. No preparing or anything. Just one second someone is there arguing how Juvia from fairy tail is the best waifu then...I don't know where they went.

Heaven? Some kind of weird otaku after life? Reincarnation? Genkei makes a lot of jokes that we will all reincarnate together into barnacles when we finally all die.

He doesn't really joke anymore. Doesn't do much other than say we need better tea to be honest. Though he isn't wrong the kind we have is cheap but no one can go to the store right now and get us anything decent!

Saihara please...all we want is some macha...anything other than that cheap green tea from the super market I beg of you.

How can he joke right now? How did he just jump from talking about his dead friends to jokes? Is...

That's how Ouma deals with pain isn't it? He layers on jokes and masks to deal with pain.

His friends died recently and none of us noticed his grief or his loss in any way, shape, or form.

He just carried it all inside of him and it probably destroyed him.

So you got the flowers? Ok, do me a solid I know the place is huge but they're all buried here and I can't bring any.

None of us can.

I guess I kind of turned you into a little errand boy didn't I? Sorry Saihara.

On the bright side you have the undying love of all of DICE. They actually gave me a list when they saw what I was writing. I'll spare you.

For now, they still have the list and will shove it in your face the second you come over here. That isn't a lie.

We love you Saihara, don't let us down.

You're probably bored huh? Fine. I'll give you the sweet reward. After all...I'm telling you where I am in the next letter.

You probably thought you would never make it. Nope. The next is just for context as for why I'm where I am. Not even going to give you a riddles anymore.

I just want to see you.

So once you're done placing the flowers look at one of the graves I placed the letter there.

Their names are Chiasa Jin, Riko Sanyu, Mirai Masako, and Takura Danuja.

I wanted to...please say hi to the old gang for me. Ok?

Won't be long now.

From,
Kokichi Ouma