(A/N: 02/04/19) - Thanks so much for reading, guys. I'm hoping to have the next chapter out by the end of the week, but no promises. I'm sorry for slow updates as of late.
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After being absorbed in my thoughts for nearly thirty minutes, I blinked slowly, slapping my hands against my cheeks in an attempt to bring myself back to reality. I stared ahead, noticing that I was still facing towards the direction Kokichi had went. I sighed softly, shifting my gaze upwards and leaning back against the couch. My eyes narrowed, meeting the ceiling as my mind began to swim once again.
The boy was undoubtedly already in bed, though I knew he was probably having trouble sleeping; who wouldn't in his situation? I realized that sleep wouldn't come for me that night. For me, I knew there was no point in even heading to bed when my brain was so active. Memories of the reassurance I had given Kokichi, the many possible outcomes for tomorrow, and my acceptance of my feelings for the male—it all swirled within my head nonstop. I had told him everything would turn out okay, but I didn't know that for sure. I wanted to encourage him and give him the confidence to move forward, but I may have raised his expectations a bit too much. If things were to go badly, it would undoubtedly hurt him even more now, wouldn't it? Despite my realization, I knew it was too late to go back on what I had said. At this point, all I could do was hope for the best.
Since I had quite the day planned tomorrow, I decided it would be in my best interest to do some research on the killing game. I knew that knowing more information about the events that took place, and the characters involved, would likely help when it came to confronting Maki and Shuichi. Kokichi planned on being truthful with them for the first time ever, and it would be more difficult to support him with the limited knowledge I had. Perhaps doing some research would help me understand Shuichi and Maki's disdain for Kokichi more? Maybe I would even learn more about the violet-eyed boy I had come to room with?
Once I had plopped my laptop upon the kitchen table and began brewing a pot of coffee, I was ready to dive into the hell that was Danganronpa. My fingers met the keys, shaking slightly as they began to type. Before I knew it, I was skipping around within the show, watching highlights, trying to form conclusions, and so forth.
When I made it to the fourth trial, my lips curled downwards into a frown. Kokichi appeared to be losing his cool a bit, which was something he didn't normally do within the trial space, unless it was a joke. At the end of the trial, I found myself theorizing that the kindness he expressed to Gonta, that he claimed was a lie, was the actual truth. Something about the way he snapped in the end rubbed me the wrong way—it was a bit too over the top, even for the self proclaimed evil leader. He seemed...desperate.
By the fifth trial, tears began to glide down my cheeks. When I saw the press crash down once again, and had realized that it was in fact Kokichi beneath the machinery, I bit down on my lip to suppress the emotion swirling within me. S/N had told me that Kokichi hadn't survived in the end, but at the time, that information wasn't important to me. Within no time, the thought of the character's death had slipped my mind. At the time, Kokichi was nothing more than a fictional character to me—now, he was so much more than that. He claimed that everything he had experienced within the game felt real, and that the pain he felt was real. Kokichi was shot, poisoned, and then crushed to death—and to him, it was real. The violet-eyed boy I had come to care for so much, had already experienced what it was like to die, and in the end, he died with everyone hating him. In the end, did he chose to sacrifice himself in a final attempt to save the others, or did he simply want to win against the mastermind? Perhaps, the answer was more complex than that?
A sudden warmth pressed against my cheek—wait, no that's not warm, that's burning! On instinct, I slid my face away from the heat, my eyes darting open. Immediately, I took notice of Kokichi's curious stare as he placed his coffee mug upon the kitchen table.
"H-hey!" I yelled, lifting my head from the closed laptop. "That's hot! You could have burned me!"
"Well, you already look hot," he stated bluntly.
"Don't joke around like—"
"I mean your face is flushed," he interjected, a look of regret flashing upon his features for a few seconds. "What were you doing last night?" He curiously tilted his head to the side, narrowing his eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Nothing," I replied, my gaze meeting the laptop upon the table. "I'm just fine."
"Is that a lie?" He asked, placing his hand upon the closed laptop, causing my eyes to dart back up.
"Nope."
"Then I guess you won't mind if I open up this la—"
"D-don't!" I interjected, grabbing the device and pulling it to my chest. "It's...private."
"Oh, is that right?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought we weren't keeping secrets anymore."
"This is different because I was..." I trailed off, a nervous laugh escaping my lips. "I was watching...porn?"
"That's a lie for sure," he said, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
"Why would I lie about that?"
"You don't have to be afraid to tell me," he said, his expression becoming rather bare. "Okay?"
I fell silent, placing the laptop back on the table and sliding it towards him. With slight hesitation, he opened up the device and peered at the screen. His eyes widened a bit, and a frown settled upon his lips. He immediately glanced over each of the open tabs, a look of contemplation appearing on his face.
"Why were you looking at this?" He asked quietly.
"I was doing some research on the killing game," I replied, nervously tapping my fingers upon the table. "I thought it was important for me to be well versed before we meet up with Shuichi and Maki."
"...I guess that makes sense," he said, ripping his gaze from the screen and meeting my eyes, "So, do you feel any differently now?"
"About what?"
"About me, I mean," he stated, a look of curiosity within his gaze.
"Actually," I said in a matter of fact tone. "I do."
"...Oh," he muttered, shifting his eyes away for a few seconds before returning them. "I guess that is what I expected."
"Hey," I said, a small smile tugging at my lips as I held up my index finger. "I didn't say I felt differently in a bad way."
"..." At my words, he remained silent and gave me a questioning look.
"Okay, so I have a plan thought out," I said, completely disregarding the strange look he had given me. "I'm inviting Shuichi and Maki to the bakery tonight after our shifts, alright?" I said, retrieving the laptop and closing it. "I'll close the bakery a little early, so our meeting will be private."
"Are you sure it's okay for them to know our workplace?" He asked, concern within his voice.
"They already know where we live," I stated. "Honestly, if they wanted to know where we work it wouldn't be that difficult for them to find out."
"That's true," he replied, placing a finger to his chin as he shifted his gaze upwards, seemingly in thought.
"After we close, you can do some baking," I said, gaining his attention once again. "Maybe they'll be more inclined to listen with food?"
"Maybe if you make it," he stated, a forced laugh escaping his lips.
"Oh, come on, Kokichi," I said, pointing towards him. "Don't act like I haven't taught you anything."
"Do you really want to help me?" He abruptly asked, a blank expression upon his face.
"Yeah, if you need me to," I replied. "Though, I have faith in your baking skills."
"No, I mean when it comes to talking with them."
"Of course I do, but—"
"I'm not expecting you to clean up my messes," he interjected. "I'm an adult now, and I need to face the consequences and fix my own mistakes." A small, reassuring smile made its way upon his lips. "Your support is more than enough, you know?"
"...Consequences?" I tilted my head to the side, a bit concerned by his words.
"I know that you've been trying to reassure me that things will be okay, and that has encouraged me," he said. "But, I understand that I need to be prepared for the worst, too." His smile widened a bit. "I do think you're right though. Things will be okay," he said, looking away for a few seconds, then returning his gaze before continuing, "even if things don't go our way with Shuichi and Maki—it'll still be okay."
In the beginning, I wanted Kokichi to believe that things would turn out well because I didn't want him hurt, but I soon realized that I may had set him up for disappointment—that the false hope I have given him could hurt him even more. When those words left his lips, a wave of relief and realization washed over me. I realized that Kokichi had grown quite a bit since the day I had met him, and that he was more than capable of overcoming whatever hardships came his way. He wasn't a child, or a teenager anymore, and though I could be there for support, he had to do things himself—he was an adult.
"You're absolutely right," I spoke softly, a kind smile upon my lips as tears began to form in my eyes. "Good luck tonight, okay?"
Kokichi gazed at me for a moment, taking notice of my watery eyes. At first, a look of concern was evident on his face, but it was soon replaced with a kind smile. It seemed that he finally noticed that those tears weren't sorrowful—they were joyous.
"Thank you," he replied.
The very next morning, before Kokichi and I headed off to work, I left an invitation for Shuichi and Maki. In said invitation, I explained that the both of us wanted to come clean about everything, and tell them the truth. I wrote down the address of the bakery and what time they could come meet us. I also claimed that it would be a nice, private place where we could discuss the killing game without an audience. After delivering said invitation, Kokichi and I treated the rest of the day just like any other uneventful day—as if we weren't going to make or break our relationship with our neighbors that night.
"Hey, ___, you didn't even tell me why you're closing early tonight," S/N stated as she pulled on her jacket, about to leave work. "Did something happen?"
"No, no," I said, smiling nervously as anxiety began to rise within me. "Chikara and I are just meeting with some people tonight, so..." I trailed off.
"And you didn't invite your loving, wonderful sister?" S/N whined, sounding rather childish. "I bet you're making special food too, aren't you?" She crossed her arms, poking out her lip slightly. "That's not cool."
"We need to talk with them about something, and it's sort of important," I said, averting my gaze. "So, uh..."
"Hey, S/N," Kokichi said abruptly, catching S/N and I off guard as he approached the both of us. "Believe me, it's going to be a pain, you don't want to be there. If I could get out of it, I would." A small, calm smile appeared on his face, but it seemed a bit forced. "I'll save some sweets just for you, alright?"
"Huh? Are you being serious?" She asked, genuine confusion within her voice.
"Would I lie to you?" He asked, a smug look appearing upon his face.
"You better not be lying," she stated bluntly. "Food is no joke to me." She pointed towards him. "I swear, if I don't see some sweets with my name on them tomorrow, I'm kicking your ass."
"Understood," he replied, a small, nervous laugh escaping his lips.
When S/N finally stepped out the front door and attempted to leave, Kokichi grabbed onto her shoulder. At this, she stopped dead in her tracks, a look of pure confusion upon her face. Kokichi just stared back, a serious look on his face.
"Hey, be careful out there," he said. "The snow is heavy tonight, and we would prefer if you didn't die."
"Y-yeah, got it," she replied, her voice softer than usual. "Try and have fun at your little get together, and don't forget about those sweets!" She exclaimed with a smile, her voice growing to its normal volume.
"Wow," I said in a teasing tone. "You're nice to Danganronpa loving trash now?"
"I can't really hold a grudge over that, can I?" he said."I mean, I regretfully liked it enough to audition back then." A small, kind smile made its way to his lips. "Though she can be a bit defensive and loud, she's a good person that cares about her sister more than anything." He laughed lightly. "I'm sure when she learns the truth, she won't like that game anymore."
"She's super protective when it comes to her family and friends," I said, smiling. "You better be careful, or she might start clinging to you too."
"For that, all I'd have to do is tell her who I really am," he said, rolling his eyes, his smile still in place.
"Yeah, I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with that," I stated.
"I'm definitely not ready for that," he replied.
After I had closed the bakery for the day, Kokichi and I were ready to get started in the kitchen. Since he had been working at the bakery, he had learned quite a lot when it came to baking.
Despite all the knowledge of baking he had precurred, he had a difficult time multitasking. Though he wasn't great at multitasking, there was one thing he was even worse at—not making a mess.
"Stir that pot in front of you while you're just standing there not doing anything," I said, shoving a whisk in front of Kokichi's eyes.
"I was watching the oven," he said, rolling his eyes as he took the utensil. "This is chocolate, right?" He asked, as he began stirring the mixture within the pot.
"Yes, basically," I replied. "It's ganache."
"Are they almost done?" He asked, attempting to look at the oven and stir simultaneously, but ultimately failing. "I can't really tell," he whined, now just focusing on stirring the chocolate.
"Yep, just a few more minutes," I said, opening up the oven and peering inside. "Huh, looks like you did a pretty good job on them too."
"Obviously," he said with a smirk, attempting to stir the chocolate cooly. "Since I'm a master and—" Suddenly, he removed the utensil from the pot and pointed it towards me, accidentally slinging chocolate across the kitchen—and across my apron. Thank goodness for aprons.
"You were saying, master?" I teased, glancing at the mess he had made, then returning my attention towards him.
"Shit..." he muttered, a nervously laugh escaping his lips.
Soon enough, Kokichi had whipped up quite the array of sweets—including some for S/N. Though I did spectate and help with the chocolate, he had done a majority of the work—including cleaning up the mess he had made. I had to admit, he had outstanding job, and he would have undoubtedly done fine if I hadn't been there.
After the both of us set the sweets upon the table farthest from the windows, Kokichi went back into the kitchen. The both of us agreed that it would be best for me to explain my relationship with Kokichi, and how I was connected to the killing game, first. After that, Kokichi would take over; to us, It seemed like a solid plan.
After sitting at the table with the plate of sweets for a good twenty minutes, I heard the creaking of a door. Though I was hoping it would be Shuichi and Maki, I realized that it was plausible that a customer would accidentally disregard the closed sign and enter. Hesitantly, I lifted my head, immediately meeting the gaze of a hazel eyed male—Shuichi.
"I'm glad you decided to come," I replied nervously, looking towards the approaching male. As he approached me, I noticed that someone was missing—Maki. "But, where's Maki?" I asked, tilting my head to the side in confusion.
"She refused to come," he replied softly, nervously rubbing the back of his head, "and she really didn't want me to come either."
"Oh, well," I started, averting my gaze for a few seconds before returning it,"I guess that's okay," I muttered. "Please, sit down," I said, placing my hand upon the table.
"A-alright," Shuichi muttered, taking a seat across from me.
"Help yourself, he made them for you guys," I said, shooting him a kind, yet nervous smile. "They aren't poisoned, see?" I said, taking a pastry from the tray and biting into it. "And they turned out really well," I said, genuinely enjoying the taste. The taste was incredible, but it would have probably been more enjoyable if I wasn't under so much pressure.
"He made them?" He asked, a look of disbelief and confusion flashing upon his face. "Where is he anyway?"
"Yes, Kokichi did," I replied, letting out a small sigh."He's here, but I thought we should talk first. Is that okay?"
"That's fine, but..." Shuichi abruptly paused, finally taking one of the pastries from the tray and placing it to his lips. For a split second, I could have sworn I saw a smile tug at his lips; however, it was short lived. "I find all this a bit strange. I would have never imagined someone like him working at a place like this," he muttered, a bland expression upon his face.
"Well, the Kokichi I've come to know is pretty different from the one you knew," I replied, clasping my hands together upon the table. "But, very similar at the same time."
"You said you met Chikara, or Kokichi, here," he said, eyeing my curiously. "Tell me, ___, how are you involved in all this anyway?"
"That's a funny story, actually," I replied, a nervous laugh escaping my lips.
"I came to learn the truth, ___," he stated bluntly, his expression becoming rather serious. "Don't drag this out, please."
"Right," I replied, a bit of hesitation within my voice. "Well, in short, he stole food from the bakery and I chased him into an alley..."
"Uh, what did you say?" Shuichi asked, a look of confusion appearing on his face. "When I said not to drag it out, I didn't mean you had to be that vague..."
"Alright," I sighed. "This is going to sound strange, but," I paused, taking a deep breath, then exhaling before continuing, "I have some sort of connection with Kokichi, and I think that's what drove me to pursue him in the first place. When I chased him, it was almost like my body was moving on its own." I placed a hand to my chest. "Shortly after I met up with him, memories I had forgotten began to surface, it was all a bit overwhelming."
"Memories?" He questioned, still unsure of my words. "I'm not sure I fully understand."
"This may be hard to believe, but I was sort of like a rejected addition to the cast of the final killing game—I was basically the seventeenth student."
"S-seventeenth student?" Shuichi stuttered out. "But, I never heard of such a thing."
"I never auditioned in the first place," I replied, tightening my fist upon my chest. "My sister, being a fan of Danganronpa, wrote them in hopes of us being invited to audition.They didn't accept her, but they wanted me to come in," I said. "When I refused, they brought me there by force...I remember waking up in a large room," I looked away for a few seconds, then turned my gaze, "I don't really understand what happened after that, or why they decided to release me..."
"You mean you were kidnapped?" Shuichi asked, a look of disbelief flashing upon his face. "And afterwards they wiped your memories?"
"I guess so," I replied. "Like I said, I didn't remember them until I met with Kokichi. When I woke up in that room, I saw a younger Kokichi peering at me through the window of a large, white door," I stated, causing a look of contemplation to appear on Shuichi's face. "The staff had be restrained, so I couldn't make my way towards the door... And that was the last thing I remembered about it."
"That's interesting," he replied, placing a finger to his chin as he shifted his gaze upwards. "If what you're saying is true, then they must have wanted to cover it up. That would explain why none of us knew about a seventeenth student." He returned his gaze towards me, shooting me a question stare. "You don't remember anything else?"
"Well, I..." I trailed off, looking down at the table.
"Well, what?" Shuichi asked, almost in a demanding tone.
"I didn't only remember what happened to me that day," I stated, looking back towards the boy before me. "The day after I chased Kokichi into the alley, I had the urge to confront him once again. When I confronted him that night and asked why he felt the need to steal, what he said bothered me."
"What did he say?"
"He said that the killing game ruined his life," I replied. "And that he was sick of lies."
"Him sick of lies?" Shuichi mused. "...That's odd." He tilted his head to the side, eyeing me curiously. "But, what does this have to do with memories?"
"I started having dreams, or visions, of Kokichi before the killing game. I saw the memories of the child Kokichi," I stated. "He thinks they did more than erase some of my memories, but I don't know for sure," I said, placing a finger to my chin, a look of contemplation taking over my face. "Me having his past memories doesn't really make sense," I began, a small, kind smile suddenly forming on my lips. "But, I'm glad that I witnessed those memories. Because of them, I decided to put some trust in him," I said. "And since he triggered my forgotten memories, I had even more of a reason to keep him around."
"You made the decision to trust him rather quickly," Shuichi stated bluntly. "Even if he isn't as bad as I originally thought, what you did was pretty reckless, don't you think?"
"Y-yeah, I guess you're right," I replied, a nervous laugh escaping my lips. "But—"
"But, if she hadn't made that decision I would be on the streets right now," a male's voice interjected.
"...Kokichi," I muttered, taking notice of the approaching boy.
With little hesitation, the boy took a seat next to me, his gaze fixated upon Shuichi. He eyed him intensely, a hint of determination appearing upon his face. Though he appeared composed, I took notice of the distress hidden deep within his violet orbs. Though I was sure he would be honest about his past, I knew that he was attempting to hold his emotions back a bit. He was in quite the stressful situation, so it was no surprise that he was internally struggling—who wouldn't be? Perhaps Shuichi would take notice of this as well? He was quite perceptive.
"Sometimes having faith in others leads to good things," Kokichi said. "But, before I met her, I had completely abandoned that mentality."
"What's with the—"
"Oh, right," Kokichi cut off Shuichi's words, tating notice of the questioning expression upon his face. "Disguises are necessary for me," he stated, pulling the hair band from his locks, allowing them to fall freely. "I mean, people really hate me, you know?" He removed the glasses that were framing his face, gently placing them upon the table and pushing them aside.
"...Right," Shuichi replied, glancing away for a few seconds, then returning his attention towards his past acquaintance.
"Shuichi, you remember what I said last night, right?" Kokichi abruptly asked, a strange, blank expression enveloping his features. "Well, that wasn't a lie. I did not enjoy the killing game."
"I hear what you're telling me, but..." Shuichi trailed off, his gaze shifting downwards and meeting the table top.
"But, you want evidence—a reason to believe me?" Kokichi asked, propping his elbow upon the table and nestling his head into his hand. "That's understandable," he muttered, allowing a bit of hair to fall over his face. The previous look of determination appeared to have been short-lived. Perhaps he decided that act wasn't fitting in this situation?
"Yes, well, there's one thing I've been wondering, Kokichi," Shuichi replied, lifting his head. "Why did you do all that in the end?"
"Because I wanted you guys to win, of course," Kokichi stated, shifting his head uncomfortably.
"In the end you wanted the mastermind to be defeated, even if you couldn't do it yourself?"
"Yes, but..." Kokichi sighed softly, removing his arm from the table and opting to sit up straight. "That's not just it," he paused, shifting gaze towards the sweets upon the table."Like I told you last night, I never wanted any of you dead. That's why I acted the way I did."
"Like a villain?" Shuichi questioned, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"...Yeah," Kokichi replied. "Since I was given the talent of 'Ultimate Supreme Leader,' I saw it as my duty to end the game, you know?" He began nervously fiddling with the edge of the tray of sweets, refusing eye contact with the male before him. "I didn't want anyone to die, but I realized that some lives would have to be sacrificed in order to save more people. Things didn't quite play out the way I intended, though." Hesitantly, he shifted his gaze upwards, meeting hazel orbs again. "Whenever people worked together, Monokuma would make them suffer. That's why I pushed myself as far away as possible, and urged you guys to do the same."
"I guess that seems plausible, but there's something I've been thinking about..." Shuichi trailed off.
"...What?" Kokichi questioned, slightly tilting his head.
"From what I can tell, the people that participated are all similar to their in game personalities, yet also different," Shuichi stated. "Just how similar is the real you to the Ultimate Supreme Leader?"
"I have lied a lot in the past, but I never wanted to hurt anyone," he said softly. "I wanted the opposite."
"Half my lies are told with good intentions..." Shuichi mused for a moment, stroking his chin as if he were thinking intently. "That's what you said back then."
"Yeah, I did say that," Kokichi replied, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
"I knew that was a lie, but maybe not in the way I originally thought," he mused. "Hm..."
"Shuichi, I'm not expecting you to just outright forgive me," Kokichi stated. "I know I did some horrible things back then." He clasped his hands together upon the table, never breaking eye contact. "I've grown a lot since then, and since the opportunity for me to come clean is right in front of me, I would be a fool not to take it." He tightened his grip, causing his hands to turn slightly pink. "And I want you, and Maki, to know that I'm sorry." He lightly bit down on his lip, and I noticed the many emotions that were swirling within his eyes—desperation was the emotion that stood out the most.
"You're really telling the truth, aren't you?" Shuichi questioned, shock evident upon his features, and within his tone. "But, you—"
"What reason do I have to lie anymore?" Kokichi asked, cutting off the male's words. "I mean, there's nothing to gain from it anymore." His voice cracked slightly. I could tell that he was on the verge of losing composure—he appeared rather overwhelmed. "Lies aren't told for no reason, you know."
"I um," Shuichi said, appearing caught off guard by Kokichi's words. "I'm sorry, but surely you understand that this is a lot to take in." Shuichi laughed nervously, averting his gaze as a bland expression settled upon his face. "I have a lot to think about."
"Shuichi..." I suddenly chimed in, my voice rather quiet. "Are you going to tell Maki?"
"I don't really have a choice," he replied, shooting me a distressed look. "Though, I don't know if she'll believe me." He turned his attention towards the tray of sweets, taking yet another. "She already has a hard time believing in people, especially since he..." the male trailed off, narrowing his eyes as he took a bite of the pastry.
"He?" I asked, confusion lacing my voice. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, it's nothing, really," he replied, nervousness within his tone. "Thanks for the food, you guys." He forced a smile."This really is a nice bakery, and the pastries were great, but it's been a long day and..." Shuichi trailed off, hesitantly rising from his seat.
"Hey, before you go," I said. "Do you mind if I stop by in the morning?" After my question, Shuichi shot me a questioning look. "To see Maki, I mean..."
"I won't be there, but she will be," he replied hesitantly. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea though, even if it's just you, ___."
"I want to apologize to her myself," I replied, placing a fist against my chest. "I wanted to protect Kokichi, but in doing so I..." I trailed off, narrowing my eyes.
"I know that you meant well," Shuichi replied, a small smile forming upon his lips. "I really can't stop you." A nervous laugh escaped his lips. "So, if you really want to, then go ahead."
"I will then," I said, tightening my fist. "Hey, be careful out there, okay?"
"Yeah, the snow is a bit heavy," Kokichi added.
"Right," Shuichi replied. "I'll be seeing you then."
After that, the previous killing game participant stepped out of the bakery, making his way through the thick, white snow. Kokichi I peered out the window, watching at the boy's form disappeared in the distance. Suddenly, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Perhaps Kokichi felt the same?
"Hey, so I don't think that went too badly. I think we took a step in the right direction," I spoke softly, turning towards the boy beside me. "What do you think?"
"I'm not sure," Kokichi replied, shrugging his shoulders as continued to blankly peer out the window. "But do you think Maki is worth your time? She wouldn't even hear us out."
"I want to put some faith in her," I replied. "I know that she has trust issues, so I can't really blame her for being hesitant to show up."
"So, you're going to put your trust in her," he replied, turning towards me. "You're going to give her another chance then?"
"I am," I replied bluntly.
"I hope you're right about her, ___," he said, narrowing his eyes.
"I was right about you," I said, showing him a small smile.
After those words left my lips, a small smile began to tug upon his lips. WIthin seconds, I took notice that the emotion within his eyes was yet to fade—perhaps he was still overwhelmed? As if on cue, a single tear ran down his cheek. I had the urge to wipe the tear away, and then wrap my arms around him, but I knew that I had to suppress that urge—I couldn't let my own emotions take over. I placed a hand upon his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him a bit, my smile never faltering.
When the next morning rolled around, Kokichi decided that he better get to S/N's place as soon as possible—he did promise to bring her sweets after all. Though, he never liked having to be around Tsumugi, he knew that he couldn't break his promise. After letting out a groan, the boy left the apartment building with the tray of sweets in hand, and his disguise in place.
Once the boy was gone, I decided that it was time for me to pay Maki a visit, and to deliver some sweets as well. Once I had a nice arrangements of sweets picked out for the girl, I exited the apartment with them. Once I had made my way to her apartment door, I hesitantly knocked upon the door—no answer. After knocking for a few more minutes, the door slowly creaked open.
"Maki?" I asked.
"Shuichi isn't here," she stated bluntly, crossing her arms as she stood in the doorway.
"I didn't come to see Shuichi," I said. "I came to see you." I raised the box of sweets a bit, trying to bring attention to the sweets. "And I brought these for you since you couldn't make it yesterday."
"Well, that's too bad," she replied, moving her hand towards the door.
"Maki, please w—"
On instinct, I reached towards Maki's wrist and took a few steps forward, which seemed to have set her off. Immediately, she slung her arm towards me and struck me, causing me to stumble backwards and fall to the floor; the sweets flying out of my grasp and colliding with the floor.
"___?" The familiar voice of a male sounded nearby.
I shook my head lightly, lifting my head and noticing Kokichi quickly making his way towards me. I narrowed my eyes, embarrassment and regret evident upon my face. He offered me a hand, and I hesitantly took it. Once I was on my feet, I noticed another familiar person before me—S/N. She shot me a concerned look, then turned turned her attention towards Maki.
"You bitch!" She spat. "What the hell—" Suddenly, S/N stopped mid sentance, her eyes widening. "W-wait, you look familiar," she stuttered out. "Could you be...Maki Harukawa?"
"..."
"You are!" S/N yelled angrily, taking her silence as confirmation. "But, what the hell did ___ do to deserve that?"
"Nothing," Kokichi stated. He glanced towards S/N, then glared towards Maki. "She's been nothing but nice to you."
"Shut your mouth, Kokichi," Maki spat, tightening her fists. "I..." she trailed off.
After those words left her lips, a look of pure horror made its way upon Kokichi's face. I took notice of Kokichi tightening his fists, and I knew that he was on the edge of exploding—with what, I was uncertain. Hesitantly, I looked towards S/N, noticing the shock that was also on her face. Please don't connect the pieces—just don't.
"W-wait," she stuttered out, looking towards Kokichi. "Did she call you what I think she just called you?" She tilted her head to the side, examining the boy for a moment or so. "...Kokichi?"
On instinct, I grabbed onto Kokichi's hand and tugged a bit. He looked towards me, a look of uncertainty upon his face—he knew what I was going to do before I did it. Within seconds, I began running down the hallway and leading the boy along with me. I could hear the complaints coming from S/N, but that wasn't enough to stop me. Soon enough, the both of us had made our way outside the apartment building, now racing down the snowy street. Then, suddenly, my body just stopped—what the hell was I doing? Why was I running, when Kokichi had showed such bravery that day? I turned around, breathing heavily as the snow fell, and met the eyes of my roommate. He gave me a questioning look as he tilted his head to the side. I released his hand, letting out a regretful sigh.
"So, you realized," Kokichi began softly, "that running from this, through the freezing snow, isn't going to accomplish anything."
I realized that I had made a mistake that the previous me would have made—surely I was better than that now, right? I had made a quick decision based on hope alone, and it led to S/N figuring out Kokichi's identity. My first instinct was to run away, and yet, earlier that day, Kokichi had spilled his guts and taken responsibility for the mistakes he had made. Surely, after all that, I could own up to my possible mistake of trusting Maki?
"Yeah," I muttered. "Well, unless I intended on breaking some bones. I'm sure I could accomplish that by running in the snow."
"I can't argue with that," he replied, a small, nervous smile upon his lips. "Let's go back, okay?"
"I'm sorry," I muttered.
"Maki spilled my identity, not you" he replied. "And I did say things would still be okay if things didn't go our way with Maki and Shuichi." The male shot me a reassuring smile, but I could tell that he was still rather shaken up."Even if S/N knows my identity, things are still okay."
"Alright," I said. "Let's go then."
As the two of us approached the entrance side by side, I felt Kokichi grab onto my hand. I tensed up a bit at first, but ultimately ended up accepting the gesture. The snow was freezing; how could I refuse warmth? Since I had accepted my feelings for Kokichi, and accepted that they were a bit dangerous, I became a bit hesitant when it came to physical contact; but I couldn't just push him away. Though I liked such things from Kokichi, I was afraid that I would get a bit too used to them—that I would learn to like them too much. Surely, he also understood that it wasn't safe to be so close to me, he even expressed that himself, and yet he still does such things—what a lovable fool.