When I reached towards the doorknob, a wave of uncertainty and hesitation hit me, and I felt a heaviness in my chest. Slowly, I retracted my hand, then I froze solid. A mere knock at a door had me scared out of my wits. Perhaps I was overthinking things. Perhaps our current dilemma had made me overly paranoid. Surely, we weren't in danger, right?
"Hey," Shuichi said, placing a hand upon my shoulder, causing my wide, frightened eyes to meet his. "Step back a little."
With a quick nod, I stepped backwards and allowed the boy behind me to step forward. With a quick motion, the male turned the doorknob, then the door flew open. It was almost like a large, forceful burst of wind blew it open; however, I knew that was impossible. Within seconds, a tall, familiar male forced his way into my apartment, causing Shuichi to stumble backwards; perhaps I was wrong in thinking that the individual behind the door wasn't dangerous. I squinted my eyes, further examining the person before me; a male with spiky hair and facial hair—Kaito Momota, undoubtedly.
"Maki??" Kaito exclaimed, his eyes darting around the room. "She's here, right?"
"Ugh," Shuichi muttered, still a bit dazed. "What...? ...Kaito?"
"Maki Harukawa," he replied, pointing his finger towards the hazel-eyed male. "You know where she is, right?"
"No one said she was here," I spoke up, approaching the rambunctious male. "Also, you do realize you scared us half to death, right?"
"Uhhh, oh hey," he replied with a nervous chuckle, finally taking notice of me. "Sorry about that. I guess this is a bit sudden, huh?"
"Um, Kaito? Where even are we?" A calm, yet confused voice sounded outside the door, causing all three of our eyes to dart towards that direction.
"Who is..." I trailed off, my eyes widening as a somewhat familiar male stepped towards the doorway.
The male had light colored hair; so light that it appeared almost white. His hair was rather spiky as well, with a piece of hair that looked almost like an antenna sticking out from the top of his head. He appeared to be Keebo, but he did look a lot different than I remembered. Instead of having a bulky, robotic body, he appeared rather scrawny and his outfit choice wasn't flashy, or unique. He simply wore a black, button up shirt with matching pants. Among these things, his bright, blue eyes stood out the most. Even though I knew that such sophisticated robots didn't exist in the real world, seeing him as a normal, average human was rather surprising.
"W-wait... Could you be... Shuichi?" The male stuttered out quietly, hesitantly stepping towards the entrance.
"K-Keebo?" Shuichi replied, his mouth slightly ajar. "Why are—"
"I hired him to help me out recently," Kaito interrupted, motioning for Keebo to come forward. "I had Maki to help me out before, but..." He trailed off, his gaze meeting the floor for a few seconds, then he raised his head again, a smile coming to his lips; though, it seemed a tad forced. "I mean, I love her and all, but she wasn't that great when it came to technical stuff."
"I am extremely confused," Keebo spoke quietly, taking a slow, hesitant step into the apartment. After doing so, his gaze met mine and he gave me a questioning look, which I took as him silently asking permission. Once I nodded, he quickened his pace, then went to stand beside Kaito.
"Anyway," Kaito said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We came here for a reason."
"We did?" Keebo questioned, peering up at the loud male.
"Yeah, I told you that we were going to find Maki," he replied, a bit of annoyance in his tone. "Geez, do you ever listen?"
"You're the one not listening or being reasonable..." Keebo replied with just as much annoyance, his eyes narrowing and his lips falling into a straight line. "You just forced your way into someone's home..."
"If you want to know where Maki is, you better answer my questions," I spoke up rather loudly, causing all three of the male's to look towards me. "How the hell did you find my apartment, Kaito?"
"Oh, uhh," he said. "That weird girl told me your address. So, when you told me you knew where Maki was, I rushed right over." His eyes left mine, darting around the room as if he were looking for something. "Hey, is that weird girl not here anymore?"
"B-but, how did you get here so fast?" Shuichi asked. "I know you don't live far, but..."
"I'm pretty surprised I didn't get arrested for driving so fast," he replied, laughing rather casually.
"I still have motion sickness..." Keebo muttered, gripping the collar of his shirt.
"Okay, for Maki," I began, a sigh escaping my lips before continuing, "she lives in this apartment complex too, but if you just rush over there right now she will probably kill you." I placed my hands upon my hips, narrowing my eyes. "And S/N went home."
"Oh, come on," Kaito whined. "She's not that—"
"She's still mad," I interjected, pointing my finger towards the loud male. "Before you meet with her again, we'll smooth things out. First, we need to talk to her. If you're too hasty, you won't be able to make amends with her, you got that?"
"You seriously think waiting is my best option...?" A look of disbelief plagued his face, then his gaze met Shuichi's. "Oh, and Shuichi, are you sure you didn't try to steal my girlfriend?"
"I can't compete with someone like you," the hazel-eyed male replied, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. "You're...something else..."
"Heh, of course, man..."
"I'm not so sure that was a compliment," Keebo muttered, lightly tapping Kaito's side. Though, he just ignored the pale-haired male completely.
"Though you really surprised the both of us, maybe you coming tonight is a good thing..." Shuichi said, shifting his gaze upwards as he placed a finger to his chin. "I mean, there's some very important things we didn't get to discuss before." He then met the loud male's gaze, a rather bland, serious expression settling upon his face. "I think it might be easier in person."
"Agreed," I said. "So, let's start over." I looked towards Kaito, a small, hesitant smile forming on my lips. "It's nice to meet you, Kaito," I spoke, then I shifted my gaze towards the quiet male, my smile widening ever so slightly, "And Keebo, too." Then, my expression grew much more serious, and my lips fell into a straight line. I placed my hand to my chest, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I'm ___. I was the seventeenth student of the final killing game."
"Um..." Keebo tilted his head to the side, holding up his index finger. "Excuse me?"
"Huh, are you trying to be funny?" Kaito asked. "There was no seventeenth student. I'm not falling for that."
"I'm serious," I replied bluntly. "Against my will, I was forced into a building where I had my memories tampered with." I gripped my shirt, my hand trembling slightly as I remembered the incident. "I didn't willingly sign a contract like the rest of the students. Before even given the opportunity, my memories were wiped and they freed me for some reason. Though, I don't understand why..."
"But, if they wiped your memories, how do you remember anything? That doesn't make any sense." Kaito crossed his arms, seeming unconvinced.
"Well, I didn't remember anything until after I met another one of the killing game participants." I then paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "...Before I met—"
"Hey, ___. I'm home," Kokichi's voice suddenly cut off my words.
On instinct, my eyes darted towards the door. It appeared that Kokichi had returned from taking S/N home. I was so absorbed in talking to Kaito and Keebo that I hadn't noticed when he opened the door.
"Kaito.... And... "K-Keebo?" Kokichi stuttered out, his gaze quickly shifting between the two males as surprise engulfed his features.
"Um, who the hell is this guy?" Kaito asked, confusion lacing his voice.
Since Kokichi had left the apartment, he had taken his usual safety precautions. The violet-eyed boy had his hair tied back and his glasses in place so he wouldn't be so easy for the public to recognize. Due to this, Kaito didn't seem to recognize him. However, the expression upon Keebo's face was rather concerning.
"Have we... met before?" Keebo asked, eyeing the boy intently.
"Oh, um welcome back," I replied, a nervous laugh escaping my mouth. "As you can see, we um have...surprise visitors..." My expression softened when I looked into the violet-eyed male's eyes. "So, um, I think you should just go ahead and be upfront with them, okay?"
"...If you say so," he muttered, a tad of hesitation within his words. "I know we weren't on the best terms back then," he began, removing the tie and allowing his locks to fall freely, "But, I promise that I'm on your side." Once his hair was free, he removed the glasses that were framing his face. Then a nervous, yet kind, smile graced his lips as he looked towards our visitors. "And that I'm not lying."
"No way..." Kaito muttered, disbelief in his words."Is this a prank or something..?"
"W-wh..." Keebo said, his voice more forceful than before. "It's you!"
"Look, I know this might be hard to believe, but I'm not some monster..." Kokichi spoke calmly, but I noticed the fear hidden behind his calm demeanor. "I'm just ___'s roommate. I'm not your enemy." His smile widened a tad, and his lips quivered ever so slightly. "And I'm not the same Kokichi Ouma you once knew."
"I don't blame the both of you for being surprised and cautious," Shuichi spoke up, his tone rather serious. "But, just know that Maki, ___, S/N, and I are all on his side. We will all vouch for him."
"But, Maki hates..." Kaito trailed off, narrowing his eyes."There's just no way..."
"I find this hard to believe, but I also find it hard to believe that Shuichi would lie about such things," Keebo said, placing his index finger to his chin.
"I just need to talk to Maki," Kaito mused, tightening his fist. "Yeah, I-I need to hear it from her."
"B-but, I..." Kokichi trailed off, then shifted his gaze downwards. Upon doing so, a frown settled upon his face and he bit down on his lip, appearing a bit frustrated.
Upon seeing this, I slowly made my way over to Kokichi. As I did this, I could feel several gazes piercing through me. Regardless, I stepped towards the violet-eyed male without a second thought. I then gently placed my hand upon his shoulder and gave it a light, reassuring squeeze as a small smile formed upon my lips.
"It's okay," I spoke softly. Then, I turned and shifted my gaze between Kaito and Keebo, taking notice of their curious, confused faces. "Look, I want the both of you to stop by in the morning. It's too late for this now. We'll figure things out later, alright?" I turned towards Shuichi, noticing the rather blank stare upon his face. "Shuichi, can you come tomorrow too? I'll make sure to invite S/N as well."
"I can," he replied.
"But, I came all the way here!" Kaito whined.
"It's not like I asked you to," I spat, pointing my finger towards the loud male as I narrowed my eyes. "You made that decision on your own, so I don't feel bad for you."
"Geez, fine," he finally replied, an annoyed expression upon his face. "I guess we'll be leaving then. It's not too far of a drive anyway."
"Wait, before you both go..." Kokichi suddenly blurted out, lifting his head.
"Kokichi?" I asked, looking towards him with curiosity.
"Again, I want to make it clear that I'm not your enemy," he said, his voice a bit more desperate this time around. "And I also want to say that I'm sorry for what I did and said back then." He tightened his fist, and his large, violet orbs trembled ever so slightly as he eyed Kaito and Keebo with an intense expression. "My intentions were never bad, but I realize that I had a strange way of going about things..." He then shifted his gaze downwards, balling up both his hands into fists. "I wanted to end the game by losing as few people as possible." He lifted his head again, then placed his hand to his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt. "Though, many were lost and things didn't go as well as planned."
"Then why weren't you honest about what you were doing?" Kaito questioned, his words coming off more confused than angry. "Why was everything that came out of your mouth a lie?"
"In the end, I'm sure you understood that lies were sometimes necessary, right?" Shuichi asked, his tone rather blunt and serious. "You did go along with Kokichi's plan."
"Well, yeah, but..." Kaito trailed off, lowering his head.
"So, you're saying you were trying to manipulate everyone including the mastermind..." Keebo questioned, blankly eyeing the violet-eyed male. "Is that correct, Kokichi?"
"Yes," Kokichi replied.
"Interesting..." Keebo mused, looking away.
"Keebo, I think we should get going," Kaito abruptly said, grabbing onto Keebo's arm rather tightly, causing the boy to flinch.
"You will be back tomorrow, won't you?" Kokichi asked, curiosity swirling within his eyes.
"Yeah," Kaito spoke bluntly, narrowing his eyes as he met Kokichi's gaze, "for Maki."
With a subtle, quick exchange of goodbyes, Kaito and Keebo were out the door and on their way home. Once they were completely out of sight, a sigh of relief escaped my lips. My eyes wandered over to Kokichi, noticing that he still seemed rather fixated on the door. It was obvious that he wanted to make amends with the two of them, but his desire to do so appeared to be greater than I thought.
"I need to get going too," Shuichi spoke up, causing Kokichi and I to look towards him. "I'll let you know if I can get anything out of Maki."
"Alright, I'll be seeing you then," I replied, throwing up my hand with a smile. "But don't tell Maki about Kaito yet, alright?"
"Why not?" He questioned me, confusion in his eyes.
"Because I think we need S/N for that," I replied. "She's actually pretty good when it comes to this sort of thing."
"Yeah, she is," he replied, his expression softening. "You two take care, okay?"
Once those words left his lips, he turned towards the door and took one step forward. My eyes wandered over to Kokichi, whose mouth was slightly agape. I tilted my head to the side, taking notice of that determined look within his violet orbs. I found that look rather intriguing.
"Shuichi," Kokichi spoke up.
"Hm?" The hazel-eyed male came to a halt, then turned back around. He met Kokichi's gaze, his expression softening rather quickly. "What was that?"
"Thanks for sticking up for me," the violet-eyed male replied, his words a bit slower than usual. "That... means more to me than you know."
"Oh, there's no need to thank me for that," he replied. "You're my friend." A smile quickly formed upon Shuichi's lips. "But, you're welcome."
"...Yeah," Kokichi replied, his voice rather low. "That's right."
After that, the hazel-eyed male went on his way, leaving the two of us alone in our apartment. For a moment or so, Kokichi just stood there with a baffled look upon his face. I eyed him curiously, wondering what was going through his head.
"I knew Kaito cared about Maki, but I wasn't aware that he had that much faith in her," I finally spoke up, my eyes still glued to my roommate. "Seems like there's hope for you making amends with Kaito." At that, he looked towards me, causing me to pause for a few seconds. "Maybe even Keebo too."
"Yeah," he replied, placing his arms behind his back. "I'm really glad that I was able to make amends with Maki... and Shuichi." He then looked up, appearing to be in thought for a moment. Then, a rather large smile suddenly emerged on his face. "Not just because they're valuable assets, but because they're good people, you know?" He then returned his gaze to me, beaming.
"Right," I replied, his smile eliciting one from me as well. "You seem to be in a good mood. So, you're not nervous about tomorrow?"
"A little, but I'll be okay," he replied. "Because I have my friends..." He then stepped closer to me, pointing his index finger towards me. "You look like you feel better too."
"I do," I replied, a light laugh coming from my mouth. "Though, I'm pretty tired."
"You don't want to talk further?" He questioned, his expression growing a bit more serious, yet still kind. "You know, about S/N and everything else?"
"Well, not right now," I replied, nervously rubbing the back of my neck. "Things really have been a mess, so..." I looked away, a bit ashamed that I had sort of lied. "I'm a bit... drained."
"I get it," he replied. "Things have gotten a bit better I think, but still..." His voice grew sadder, which caused a wave of guilt to hit me. "Still, we can't just relax and live normally, which is... frustrating."
"Look, in the morning the two of us can prepare food for everyone," I replied, showing him a kind, reassuring smile in an attempt to salvage his previously good mood. "We have another long day ahead of us, but we can make the most of it. You do enjoy cooking, don't you?"
"Well, yeah," he replied, a smile tugging at his lips. "If it's with you."
At that, I felt a rather intense sensation within my chest, though it wasn't unpleasant in the slightest; actually, it was... warm. For a few seconds, I just stared at him, my expression morphing into one of awe. Surprisingly, I managed to recover rather quickly though, throwing back on my previous smile. I didn't want him to know how choked up that simple comment had made me.
"You jest," I joked, waving my hand in front of me as a laugh escaped my lips.
"I was being completely serious," he replied bluntly. "Surely you know that, don't you?"
"I, uh..." I replied nervously. "I mean, of course I do."
The way he was so straightforward and honest with that answer; it caught me off guard a bit. Despite that, him saying that made me very happy. In the beginning he hated my guts and didn't want to associate with me at all. Though, with time, he became much more open and hasn't been pushing away. Lately, since we haven't had quite as much one on one time together, he's seemed a tad... annoyed? Was that the correct word to describe how he's been feeling?
Shortly after speaking with the violet-eyed male, the both of us decided to head to bed. Though he seemed disappointed that he hadn't gotten much one on one time with me that night, he didn't whine or complain. Instead, he just let it go.
The next morning, I managed to wake up early, which was quite surprising. Usually my alarm would wake me up, and if that failed Kokichi's fist would repeatedly pound against my door. However, that wasn't the case today—I had woken up before my alarm had even went off.
Within no time I found myself in the kitchen brewing a pot of coffee. It was something I was so accustomed to doing I could probably do it in my sleep. Though, as I reached for the pot and expected to hear the soft, low sound of the liquid pouring into my cup, I heard something entirely different; a knock at my door.
Since I realized that my paranoia had gotten the best of me yesterday, I opted to not let it do so today. So, I made my way towards the door with little hesitation, then opened it with a swift movement. On the other side was an all too familiar girl. She had a tired, yet kind smile smeared across her face.
"Huh, S/N?" I asked, a bit surprised. "It's really early." I narrowed my eyes, tilting my head to the side in confusion. "You know you didn't have to come this early, right?"
"Yeah, sorry," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm a bit impatient I guess. Also, the bakery is closed today, so I just figured I might as well come on over."
"Well, that's true," I replied, my expression relaxing. "Kokichi is still asleep, so don't be too loud."
Without question, S/N followed me towards the kitchen. When she entered, she wasted no time taking a seat at the kitchen table. I then prepared two cups of coffee; one for her, and one for me. After doing so, I placed hers in front of her, then took a seat across from her.
"Thanks," she replied softly, staring down into her cup and fiddling with the handle. She then sat quietly with her cup for a moment or so, which was strange for her.
"You're a bit quieter than usual," I said, concern lacing my voice.
"Oh? Sorry," she replied a bit louder, a nervous laugh leaving her lips as she raised her head. "I've just had a lot on my mind for the past few days I guess; that and I'm still tired."
"That's understandable," I replied, sipping my coffee. "What's on your mind exactly?"
"Well, I think reuniting Maki and Kaito will make them both a lot happier," she replied, her voice growing soft again and her tone strangely depressing. "And that all of us coming together would heighten our chances of success..."
"Yeah. I seems like Kaito will do whatever Maki does, so it's likely he'll come to our side," I replied, eyeing her with curiosity as I spoke. "And Keebo is an incredibly valuable asset. He appears to be pretty smart, so him coming to our side would be great."
"Yeah," she replied, finally looking into my eyes. "But, I've been thinking..." She paused for a few seconds, taking a deep breath and exhaling before continuing. "If we manage to obtain these two valuable allies, that means Shuichi will probably want to move onto the next step, whatever it may be..."
"You're nervous about moving forward."
"Duh, who wouldn't be?" She said, sounding a bit defensive. "I'm going to have to confront Tsumugi eventually." Instantly, her voice became more nervous and she averted her gaze. "Around her, I have to pretend like nothing has changed; like we're still friends..." She looked down at the table, tightly gripping her mug as her voice grew more sorrowful. "It's...hard."
"S/N..."
"I don't like living this lie," she replied softly, still eyeing the table. "And yet, I'm afraid to get away from her." She then shook her head, lifting it immediately after. When I met her gaze again, she had a more determined look within her eyes. "When the time comes, things won't be easy... I know that." Suddenly, a smile made its way to her lips; however, it did seem a tad forced. "But, for now, all I can do is smile and do my best."
"None of us are going to let you get hurt. I promise you that," I replied, placing my hand over hers. "And you know it's okay to be scared. You don't have to hide that from any of us." I showed her a kind, reassuring smile. "We're all in this together," I spoke softly. "But, right now, let's try to focus on Maki, Kaito, and Keebo."
"You're right," she replied. "Let's do our—"
Suddenly, I heard the rubbing of her stomach. At that, I began laughing. Despite my laughter, S/N didn't appear amused. She immediately ripped her hand away from me, crossing her arms with a scowl upon her face.
"You didn't eat before coming?" I teased. "That's surprising."
"Just feed me already..." She muttered, puffing her cheeks.
"Sometimes you act like my child rather than my sister..."
"Morning, ___. I smell coffee," a familiar voice sounded behind me, seeming rather cheerful. "So, when do you want us to get started cooking tog—"
"Kokichi," S/N said, a smile upon her face. "Good morning!"
I turned towards the direction his voice came from. My eyes wandered over to the male rather quickly. I was a bit surprised to see that he had already gotten dressed and... wow, he appeared to have actually brushed his hair on his day off.
"Oh," he replied rather bluntly, giving S/N a strange look. "Morning.... S/N..."
"She um," I began, nervously laughing, "stopped by earlier than I expected her to, so..."
"Oh," he replied, making his way into the seat next to me. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised..." He then lazily propped his elbows upon the table, narrowing his eyes as they met the table. "So, she's going to help us cook, isn't she?"
"Oh, um... no way," she said, her eyes darting between us for a few seconds. "I'm not up for that, so I'm just going to go watch some TV." She then pointed towards the exit. "You know, in the living room where I won't be able to hear or see anything the two of you do."
"...Huh...?" Kokichi's head shot up, a confused look upon his face.
"Have fun, alright?" She beamed. "I won't bother you guys, I promise."
"...O-okay," I replied, a nervous smile on my lips. "While we're doing this, let Shuichi, Kaito, and Keebo know that they can come over when they get ready. Also, tell them they better not eat beforehand. Don't tell Maki though; she comes later, alright?"
"I got you, I got you," she replied, rising from her seat. "I'll get to that. You know, in the other room..."
"...Okay then," I replied, watching as the girl bolted out of the kitchen.
It was painfully obvious what she was doing. The girl was trying to push Kokichi and I together; sort of. Before, she promised that she wouldn't directly interfere with our relationship, which she technically wasn't, though it appeared she had no intention of ruining my alone time with him. In the beginning, she hated Kokichi's guts and didn't trust him around me—oh how things have changed.
"I'm not that experienced when it comes to making breakfast food," he said, rising from his seat. "You will help me, won't you?"
"If you need it, though I doubt you actually will," I replied, standing as well. "So, what do you want to make?"
"Hm," he pondered, lightly stroking his chin. "Muffins, maybe? That's breakfasty." His gaze then met mine, a look of contemplation upon his face. "Though, I'm not sure what kind I want to make..."
"You can make more than one kind," I replied, stepping towards the counter. "Just get creative, okay? I trust you." I shot him a kind, reassuring smile. "You don't even need me for that."
"So, maybe some sweet ones and some savory ones?" he asked, stepping beside me. "And maybe french toast too?" He then shrugged his shoulders. "Except I don't know how to make french toast..."
"We can make them all, alright?" I replied, rummaging through my baking supplies. "It's early; we have plenty of time." I then pulled out a large bowl, shoving it into his hands. "And I'll teach you."
"You better," he replied, smiling rather innocently despite that comment. "We need to make a variety so there will be something for everyone." He paused for a moment, seemingly in thought. "I don't know what Kaito or Keebo like..."
"Well, I just remember Keebo as a robot, so..." I trailed off, trying to wrack my brain for information. "I have no idea, honestly. But, as for Kaito, he strikes me as the type to eat anything."
"Like S/N?" The boy tilted his head to the side.
"Yeah," I replied. "Hm, now that I think about it, they appear to have a bit in common."
"So, is that why Maki took to her so well?"
"Maybe so."
Before long, Kokichi had began preparing the french toast. After I told him how easy it was to make, he had no problem doing it all on his own. Even though I wasn't doing anything, he insisted that I stay and make sure he doesn't mess up.
"Wow, I almost feel bad for Maki having to deal with both of them in the future," he said, a slight smirk forming on his lips as he placed the bread into the mixture of eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla.
"Oh, come on now." I playfully nudged him. "That's a bit rude."
"I'm kidding," he replied, laughing. He then took a few seconds to flip the bread over, immediately looking back towards me once he had done so. "S/N can be annoying sometimes, but she has plenty of good qualities too; that's why she's my friend." Suddenly, he fell silent and shifted his gaze towards the bowl, a distant, sad look appearing within his large orbs. "And near the end of the killing game I...."
"You realized that Kaito wasn't all that bad?" I asked in a matter of fact tone. "That he was the type of person you wouldn't mind calling your friend?"
"How did you...?" The violet-eyed male trailed off, lifting his head back up and meeting my gaze.
"I think I know you better than you realize," I said, a bright, somewhat proud look upon my face.
"..." After I said that, Kokichi fell entirely silent. He just stood there for what seemed like several minutes, silently staring at me.
"Hey, you're leaving the bread in the mixture for a bit too long," I said, pointing towards the bowl "It's going to get too soggy."
"S-sorry..." he stuttered out. He then turned towards the bowl, trying to stick a fork underneath the bread like he did before, but failing to lift it up since it was now extremely flimsy. "Damn it, I can't pick it up... I'm going to break it..."
"It's fine. A spatula will probably work better," I replied. Then, I quickly retrieved said utensil from the drawer and proceeded to pick up the bread with it. As expected, I was able to remove the bread without any complications. "See?"
"...Yeah," he replied softly, seeming to be in somewhat of a daze.
Soon enough, Kokichi had finished cooking everything. I was there with him, but I didn't really lend much of a hand; I mostly just teased him and kept reminding him to clean up after himself. When the both of us exited the kitchen, we immediately took notice of another individual in the living room; Shuichi. He was sitting on the couch next to S/N, just smiling as she was babbling on about something.
"Hey, when did you get here, Shuichi?" Kokichi asked, causing S/N and Shuichi to turn towards us.
"Hey, Shuichi," I replied, waving my hand. "If we knew you were here, we would have greeted you sooner."
"Hey guys," he replied. "I just got here a minute ago, so it's fine. S/N let me in."
"You guys were busy, so we were just hanging out," she said.
"Okay," I replied. "Then Kaito and Keebo should be here any—"
Before I could even finish my sentence, that loud, forceful knocking sounded from behind the door. Of course, there was no mistaking that particular knock; Kaito had arrived. Just as I took a step towards the door, S/N shot up from her seat and began racing towards the door.
"I got this," S/N said, looking rather confident.
I simply nodded, allowing the girl to take charge; she was better at dealing with someone like him than I was. She could be rather scary if she needed to, so someone as rambunctious and impatient as Kaito, or rather, fairly similar to her, was someone she could handle.
S/N cheerfully made her way over to the door, carelessly swinging it open. Upon doing so, the very person I expected charged inside my apartment without hesitation. After he did so, the rather calm, collected Keebo slowly stepped inside, a somewhat embarrassed look upon his face.
"K-Kaito, slow down," Keebo pleaded. "Don't you think you're being a bit rude again?"
"Right, right. Sorry," Kaito replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He then looked towards the girl before him, a rather surprised look appearing upon his face. "Hey, you're here this time."
"Yep," S/N replied. "Now, before you start talking about Maki, we're having breakfast. Are you down for that?"
"I like breakfast as much as the next guy," Kaito began, crossing his arms, "but that's not why I—"
"Breakfast or no Maki," S/N interjected. "So, hurry your ass up."
Upon hearing that, he just stared at her in disbelief. Then seconds later, his expression morphed into one of annoyance. S/N stared back, narrowing her eyes. Were they having some sort of staring competition or something?
"Kaito," Keebo said, tugging on the side of his shirt.
Kaito then looked towards Keebo, taking notice of his concerned expression. After that, the calm male shifted his gaze towards S/N's direction. Kaito turned to look as well, realizing that Keebo was actually eyeing the violet-eyed male that had stepped next to her.
"Kaito, Keebo," Kokichi said, a soft smile upon his face. "Morning."
"Good morning..." Kaito muttered, refusing direct eye contact.
"Morning," Keebo simply said, a somewhat conflicted look upon his face.
"You can help yourselves to whatever you want in the kitchen," I said with a smile, stepping next to Kokichi and placing my hand upon his shoulder. "So, let's go, alright?"
Soon enough, all five of us made our way towards the kitchen. Upon seeing the food Kokichi had prepared organized on the counter, S/N's mouth began to water and a rather wild look shone within her eyes. She then pushed in past all of us, shoving Kaito out of the way and earning an annoyed grunt from him.
"Out of my way, me first," S/N exclaimed, about to pass Shuichi, who was ahead of everyone else.
"S/N, would it be okay if I went first?" Shuichi asked, grabbing onto her shoulder and causing her to come to a halt. She then turned around, noticing the kind, calm look upon his face.
"H-huh?" She asked, seeming a bit caught off guard. "For you to ask that of me so boldly, you must me super hungry." She shrugged her shoulders, a somewhat conflicted look upon her face. "Fine, you can go first I guess." She looked behind her, her eyes scanning over every other person. "But, I'm second."
"Thanks," he replied, stepping in front of her. "Though, I don't really see how I was being bold."
"Yeah, whatever," she replied, tapping her foot as she waited for the male to get out of her way.
Before long, all of us had gotten our picks of what Kokichi had prepared and settled down at the table. I sat between S/N and Kokichi, while Shuichi sat next to Kokichi. Kaito and Keebo sat on the other end of the table, seeming a bit hesitant to take the first bite. Since they didn't appear completely convinced that we were all trustworthy, and that the food wasn't poisoned, they didn't begin eating until Shuichi did so. Surprisingly, the hazel-eyed male dug in in a quite similar fashion to S/N. Normally, he wouldn't eat that much and would be slow about it; he didn't normally eat like a starving animal. Soon after he began eating like so, Kaito and Keebo took their first bites which was soon followed by many, many more. Perhaps Shuichi's intention was to entice them; regardless if that was his intention, he did get them to begin shoveling it in.
"This is actually pretty damn good," Kaito muttered out, his voice muffled by the food in his mouth.
"I agree," Keebo replied, actually swallowing his food before opening his mouth. "And I don't typically care too much about eating."
"Weirdo..." S/N muttered, a small smirk upon her lips.
"Excuse me?" Keebo asked, narrowing his eyes.
"What?" S/N laughed, propping her elbow on the table. "I totally didn't say anything."
"You cooked everything, didn't you, Kokichi?" Shuichi spoke up, smiling.
"Yeah," the violet-eyed male replied a bit hesitantly. "Y-yeah, it was all me..."
"Thank you," Shuichi replied. "It was great."
"Yeah, it was perfect," I said, smiling towards him.
Upon hearing such praise from Shuichi and I, a rather bashful look appeared on his face. It was a look I didn't really see from him all that often anymore. Though, I did find it quite endearing and wouldn't be opposed to seeing it again.
"You're welcome," he replied softly.
"He cooked all this?" Kaito asked, his mouth slightly agape. "I never thought he was that type of guy..."
"Like I said yesterday," Kokichi began, eyeing the two males before him. "I'm not the Kokichi Ouma you once knew."
"You really expect me to just believe that?" Kaito asked, crossing his arms.
"I can't deny that I have my similarities to the character in the game..." Kokichi replied, his orbs shaking ever so slightly. "But, of course, the two of you aren't carbon copies of the characters you portrayed, right?"
"You do have a point there," Keebo replied, a hint of hesitation within his words. "As you can see, I'm not a robot."
"Hm..." Kaito suddenly looked towards me, an impatient look upon his face. "So, anyway, when am I going to be able to see Maki?"
"After S/N and I talk her into coming over here," I replied, wasting no time standing up from my seat. "Well, I guess it is about time to get to that, don't you think?"
"Yep, so let's going," S/N replied, a small smile on her lips. "I want to put a smile back on her face as soon as possible, you know?"
"Wait, before you said you were Maki's best friend," Kaito said, narrowing his eyes as they landed on S/N. "I find it hard to believe that Maki chose you as her best friend."
"What do you mean by that, Kaito?" Shuichi asked bluntly, his eyes piercing Kaito.
"What's with that glare, man?" Kaito asked, surprisingly seeming intimidated by the hazel-eyed male. "I meant that I'm supposed to be her best friend."
"Are you really jealous of someone you just met?" S/N teased, a smirk upon her lips.
"Like hell I am!" Kaito spat, shooting up from his seat and clenching his fists.
"Heh, you are," S/N replied, pointing towards him. "That's why you're losing your cool right now."
"Hey, shut up!" Kaito yelled.
"Shh," S/N said, placing her finger to her lips. "If you act up, then you're not going to get to see Maki."
"And I'd think twice about being rude to S/N, Kokichi, or ___," Shuichi said rather bluntly.
"W-what?" Kaito stuttered out, waving his hands in front of him. "I-I wasn't..."
"S/N, let's get going," I said. "Kokichi, Shuichi." I turned towards the two males, giving them a serious look. "You two keep things under control while we're gone. We will return with Maki."
"Sure thing," Kokichi replied.
"Here," Shuichi whispered, stepping close to me, then discretely handing me a key. "In case she doesn't go to the door."
Without wasting any more time, S/N and I left the apartment in Kokichi and Shuichi's care. I had full faith that the both of them could keep Kaito in line, and Keebo wasn't even an issue to begin with. Once the both of us had made our way in front of the crimson-eyed girl's apartment, S/N began knocking. After doing so for a little while, a frustrated sigh escaped her lips. Since she was knocking pretty loudly, I knew that Maki had to have just been ignoring us.
"I guess we just have to go in then," I said, my voice a tad hesitant.
S/N nodded, then slipped the key in and proceeded to unlock the door. Once she had slid the door open, the both of us peered inside, taking notice of the fully lit apartment. She had to be home, didn't she?
"Maki?" S/N called rather loudly, taking a step inside the apartment. "It's just us, so don't freak out."
The both of us slowly wandered into the living room, noticing that the television was on, but no one was in sight. We then made our way towards the kitchen, quickly taking notice of an all too familiar brunette sitting at the table with her head nestled in her arms.
"H-huh?" S/N stuttered out, seeming extremely concerned. She then rushed towards Maki, placing her hand on her shoulder. "What the hell are you doing, Maki?"
"What the hell are you two doing here?" Maki asked, tiredly lifting her head. "It's really early... I'm struggling to wake up..." She then peered behind us for a few seconds before returning her focus to us and giving us a stern stare. "Wait...how did you both get in?"
"We just came to talk to you," I replied, walking up to the table and placing Shuichi's key in front of her.
"We're all worried about you," S/N said. "I know that you wanted space, and I gave it to you..." Her voice grew a bit shaky. "But, I was hoping that you were finally ready to open up to us." She then slammed her hand onto the table, seeming a bit frustrated. "You haven't spoke to either of us in days."
"I'm sorry, S/N," Maki muttered bluntly, looking away. "But, I'm not in the mood..."
"Look, ___ already told me about what Rantaro said," S/N said rather bluntly. "You miss Kaito and you're regretting leaving." She then knocked on the table, causing Maki's eyes to shoot back up and meet hers. "I know that you're hurting, but you don't have to."
"I walked away from someone I care about over a disagreement," she replied, quickly looking back down again. "I do hurt, but that's what I deserve."
"No, you don't," S/N stated. "I won't say that you're without blame, but neither is he. You both messed up, but it's not too late to fix it."
"I can't face him again," she replied, hesitantly lifting her head. "He had faith in me. He did so much for me and I walked out because I didn't agree with his way of thinking." She bit down on her lip, her voice cracking ever so slightly. "He's an idiot, and I don't condone his way of making a living, but I know that he was just trying to make a name for himself; trying to secure a future for the both of us after we went through so much hell."
"This is what you should be telling him, Maki. It's plain to see that he still cares for you, " S/N replied, a small, sad smile on her face. "Why not do what it takes to fix it now? The longer you wait, the harder it will be."
"Because I don't deserve someone like him," Maki replied softly, narrowing her eyes. "And I don't deserve either of you." She paused for a few seconds, her crimson orbs a bit shaky. "Or Shuichi... or even Kokichi."
"Get up and shut up," S/N said, grabbing her by the arm and forcing her to her feet.
"W-huh?" Maki stuttered out, stumbling. "Why did—"
"I disagree with what you're saying, but I get that no matter how many times I tell you that you're amazing you're just going to shrug it off," S/N interjected, releasing the girl's arm. "So, instead of sitting here doing nothing, prove yourself to yourself; become someone you believe is worthy." S/N then showed her a reassuring smile. "Now, I'm going to be blunt here, but Kokichi could really use you right now."
"What?" Maki asked, a look of concern upon her face. "Is he okay?"
"He's fine, but he needs your help back at ___'s," S/N replied. "Are you just going to sit here, or are you going to help him? I mean, he's your friend, right?" She placed her hand on her hip, smirking. "Surely, you're not just going to abandon him, right?"
"If he needs me, then I guess I can go..." Maki looked down for a few seconds, then met S/N's eyes. "But, what—"
"Don't ask questions. All will be revealed soon, so just come with us, alright?" S/N then grabbed onto her wrist, tugging lightly.
"...F-fine," Maki muttered, ripping her eyes away from the girl.
Without any further words, S/N began dragging Maki out of the apartment. I followed behind the two of them, holding back the urge to laugh at Maki's astonished expression as she was being dragged. Though Maki didn't seem too keen on this, she knew that there was no stopping her now.
Within not time, S/N, Maki, and I had made it back to our apartment. I was a bit hesitant to open the door, but S/N sure wasn't. She slung the door open without a second thought, then shoved Maki inside. When the girl stumbled inside, she looked like a deer caught in headlights, and so did everyone else within the apartment, even though they all knew that she was coming.
"M-Maki?" Kaito stuttered out, walking up to her. "Y-you're finally here!"
"W-wait," Maki stuttered out, looking behind her and giving S/N a disapproving look. "S-S/N! You set this up, didn't you?" She then looked towards me, her eyes rather wide. "___, did you know about this?"
"It was me. Don't blame this on, ___," S/N replied, stepping next to Maki. "Isn't it great though? Now you two can make amends."
Maki roughly shook her head, then just as she was about to dart towards the door, Kaito grabbed onto her wrist, not allowing her to flee like she wanted. As soon as he touched her, a gasp escaped her lips and her eyes darted towards his on instinct, her body shaking ever so slightly as her nerves took over.
"Wait," Kaito said, his voice softer than ever. "I'm not letting you leave this time. Not before I can say sorry."
"..." Maki remained silent, her crimson orbs widening as she stared into his eyes.
"I didn't realize you were so against my way of making a living," he replied, releasing her wrist. "I was an idiot. I thought I was doing what was best for us, but I was only thinking of myself..." He paused for a few seconds, his eyes narrowing. "I'm sorry."
"Y-you're admitting that?" She stuttered out, then fell silent for a few seconds before continuing. "But, I know you weren't just thinking of yourself... Like you said, you were doing what you thought was right. You just happened to be wrong."
"H-hey, that's..." Kaito started to refute that comment, but then just sighed. "Ugh, you're right... I was wrong in thinking that I should just accept the praise the crowd gave me..." He paused for a few seconds, shaking ever so slightly. "That I should embrace the fame and pretend like I enjoyed something that really beat me down."
"Kaito, if I might add..." Keebo chimed in, holding up his index finger. "You've gained quite an impressive following. Surely, a large portion of them would stick around if you choose to change your content. That's an option; you don't have to change everything."
"I just want him to make what he enjoys rather than pandering to the audience," Maki replied, a calm, confident look on her face. "The ones that like him for him will probably stay, while the others will move on. Those don't deserve him anyway..." A somewhat annoyed look appeared on her face for a few seconds, but was then quickly replaced with a rather bashful one. "T-that's what I think, anyway..."
"Maki, I think you're right," Kaito replied, a small, somewhat sad smile forming on his lips. "And if I would have listened more closely, then maybe..."
"Of course I'm right..." Maki spat, looking away. "B-but, I'm sorry too. I should have been a bit more upfront about how I felt." She crossed her arms. "I mean, you are an idiot, after all..."
"But, I'm your idiot, right?" Kaito asked, smirking.
"Y-yeah," she muttered. "That's right."
"Ahem, not to spoil your moment or anything, buuuttt..." S/N said, looking towards the couple. "Maki, would you mind telling Kaito and Keebo how you feel about Kokichi."
"Huh?" Kaito asked, glaring towards the violet-eyed male. "Kokichi, you little—"
"Kokichi's my friend," Maki stated. "Nothing more, nothing less."
"Wait, what?" Kaito's expression morphed into one of confusion, then he turned back towards Maki, tilting his head to the side.
"You heard me," she replied, a small smile forming on her lips. "He's trustworthy; he's an ally." She then turned towards Kokichi, her smile deepening. "And he's a good person."
"So, you're saying that you believe in him?" Kaito questioned her.
"Yeah," she replied, turning towards him and giving him a stern look. "What? You don't believe me?"
"O-of course I believe you," Kaito replied, nervously waving his hands in front of him. "If you can put your faith in him..." Kaito paused, looking towards Kokichi, taking notice of his small, innocent smile. "T-then I guess I can give him the benefit of the doubt..."
"You're accepting this pretty easily, Kaito..." Keebo said.
"Yeah, so what?" Kaito spat, shooting Keebo an annoyed look. "I mean, so far he seems alright. He's good at cooking, so there's at least one good thing I can say about him." He turned towards Maki with a smile, confidently placing his hands on his hips. "And Maki and Shuichi don't put their trust in just anyone."
"That's true..." Keebo replied, placing a finger to his chin, a look of contemplation upon his face. "I suppose I wouldn't be opposed to giving you a chance... If Shuichi and Maki say you're okay." He then turned towards Kokichi, giving him a serious look. "Just don't make me regret it."
"Thank you," Kokichi replied, a quite pleased look on his face. "I promise you won't."
"So, Maki, now that you're not mad at me anymore, how about you come back with me?" Kaito asked, casually draping his arm over her shoulder. "You know, after we're done here. You live in this complex, right?"
"I'm sort of already settled in here and this is a bit short notice, don't you think?" Maki asked, hesitation in her words.
"That's okay," he replied, removing his arm and giving her a thumbs up. "When it comes to packing, you can leave it to me."
"That's not what I meant," she replied, looking away. "I mean, since Shuichi and I share an apartment—"
"Wait, you what?" Kaito exclaimed, his eyes darting towards the hazel-eyed male. "Shuichi, you have to be kidding me!" He spat, grabbing onto the male's collar. "So, you and Maki are—"
"W-wait!" Shuichi stuttered out, a look of fear in his eyes. "It's not what you—"
"You jerk!" Kaito moved his arm back, ready to punch the lights out of Shuichi. Though, before he could do so, S/N grabbed onto his arm and pulled rather forcefully. When she did this, Kaito lowered the arm that S/N had grabbed, but didn't let go of Shuichi.
"He's not with Maki," S/N stated, shooting him a rather menacing glare. "He's with me, so hands off."
"Say what now?" Kaito then let go of Shuichi, S/N earning his full attention.
"Shuichi and I," she began, her voice a bit shaky. "W-we're a thing, you know?" She swallowed roughly, forcing a smile to her lips. "He's my...boyfriend."
"..." Shuichi just stared at the both of them, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"Woah! Is she serious, man?" Kaito asked, grabbing onto his stomach as he began to erupt in laughter. "Her?"
"...Yeah," he replied with a serious tone, narrowing his eyes. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"No, no, " he replied, his laughter fading quite quickly. "She's um... cool I guess." His expression then morphed into one of curiosity. "I just assumed you would end up with Kaede."
"Well," he replied bluntly, "you assumed wrong,"
"Then why don't you guys share an apartment instead?" Kaito asked.
"Because I share an apartment with..." S/N sighed. "...Tsumugi."
"Wait, what?" Kaito asked, shock upon his face. "You definitely didn't just say what I think you said, right?"
"Look, Kaito, Keebo," I chimed in. "I need the two of you to just listen carefully, alright?" I eyed the two of them, my expression serious. "S/N, Shuichi, Kokichi, Maki, and I all plan to put an end to everything..." I narrowed my eyes. "To finally put Tsumugi in her place."
"S/N living with Tsumugi is dangerous, but..." Shuichi said. "It's convenient for us."
"Convenient?" S/N asked, looking a bit confused.
"Yes. Now, I believe the next step in our plan is gathering whatever information we can about Tsumugi and the killing game," he replied, his eyes meeting S/N's. "S/N, you live with the main source of information. We need you as much as we need ___."
"M-me?" She stuttered out. "But, how can I do anything?"
"Digging through Tsumugi's things and manipulating her into spilling valuable information," he replied. "Though, you will have to be extremely careful."
"I don't know if I'm capable of doing such a thing," she replied, shaking her head. "Are you sure you want to put something so important in my hands?" She balled up her hands into fists, shaking slightly. "What if I screw up?"
"You're not going to screw up," he replied, showing her a reassuring smile. "I've been around you long enough to see what kind of person you are." He placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch. "You're capable of more than you think you are." His lips then fell into a straight line, peering deep into her eyes. "You always put faith in others, and yet you have a hard time putting it in yourself."
"B-but," she stuttered out, biting down on her lip in frustration. "You've been known to do the same thing, you know." A small, nervous laugh then left her lips. "You're such a hypocrite, Shuichi."
"I..." I trailed off, looking away for a few seconds. Then, he looked back up into her eyes, his smile reappearing. "I can't deny that. You're right. That's why I want to do better." He removed his hand from her shoulder. "I'm going to do my best and you're going to do the same, right?"
"I—"
"You don't need to answer that," he interjected. "I already know your answer anyway."
"When did you get good at reading me?" She asked, a bashful smile appearing on her lips. "Am I that obvious?"
"I mean, he's your boyfriend, right?" Maki snickered. "Of course he'd be good at reading you."
S/N and Shuichi just looked at Maki in disbelief. The girl stood by Kaito's side smirking, while Kaito just stood there looking a bit dazed. I had the urge to say something sarcastic, or to tease the both of them, but decided against it.
"I think she's pretty obvious," Kokichi stated bluntly.
"Shut up, Kokichi!" S/N spat, an embarrassed look on her face.
"Kaito," Maki spoke up, earning his full attention. "I promise I'll come back with you soon, but, I would appreciate it if you would give me time to get ready on my own." She showed him a kind, loving smile. "I know you don't live far, but that still means that I won't be able to come here as often as before. I'd like to spend a little more time here before I go."
"So, you want to say goodbye to this place, huh?" Kaito shrugged his shoulders, smiling back. "I guess I can understand that."
"It'll be a bit weird not being nearby S/N, ___, Kokichi, and Shuichi," she replied. "Also, I'll miss the bakery and the coffee shop... a lot."
"There are other coffee shops and bakeries where I live, you know," Kaito replied.
"That doesn't mean they're the same," Maki replied, shifting her gaze towards everyone else. "The people aren't the same either..."
"Well, um..." Kaito began, placing his hands on his hips. "If you care about them that much then I'll drive you whenever you want. From my place it's a bit too long of a walk here, but if we go by car it'll be super quick." He gave her smug smile, then a thumbs up. "Especially if I'm driving."
"Are you sure?" Maki asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Yeah, anything for you."
"Well, in that case then..." Maki smiled the happiest smile I had ever seen. "Then I guess I wouldn't mind leaving with you sooner than later."
"Seriously?" Kaito asked, seeming rather caught off guard.
"Yeah," she replied. "I'll get packed tonight and I'll head back tomorrow." She then turned towards the hazel-eyed male, a bit of guilt upon her face. "...Shuichi... are you okay with that?"
"Of course," he replied softly. "___ and Kokichi are in the same building, so if I need anything I'll go to them." He looked towards Kaito, then returned his full attention to Maki. "Really, I'm very happy for the two of you."
"Thanks," she replied, her guilt seeming to fade. Then she turned towards Kokichi and I. "So, I can trust the two of you to keep him in line then?"
"Hey, I don't live in this complex, but he can count on me too," S/N spoke up. "And you better be serious about seeing us. We need you for our plan, you know."
"I promise that I'll come see you guys as often as I can," Maki replied. "And I have every intention of doing whatever it takes to put Tsumugi in her place." She then shifted her gaze between Kaito and Keebo. "Speaking of which, Kaito and Keebo; you two intend on joining forces with us, don't you?"
"Of course," Kaito replied. "I don't know what you're planning exactly, but putting Tsumugi in her place sounds pretty damn good. If you're down, then so am I."
"What exactly do you plan to accomplish? I'd like you to be more specific than 'putting Tsumugi in her place," Keebo replied.
"We plan to expose Tsumugi and the killing game. If all goes well, then the public will finally know the truth behind everything," she replied. "Of course, most of us signed contracts that prevent us from speaking out about it, but __ and S/N didn't."
"We're still working through everything, but we've made progress," Shuichi said.
"That sounds dangerous, but..." Keebo began, looking towards the hazel-eyed male,"Shuichi, I trust you, so if you need my assistance I'll be happy to oblige."
After all of us spent a bit more time together and got Kaito and Keebo fully caught up on the situation, Kaito, Keebo, and Maki decided to head off. Kaito and Maki were going to go out together, while Keebo wanted to head to a particular shop he had caught wind of. So, with those three gone, it was back down to S/N, Shuichi, Kokichi, and I.
"So," Kokichi said, turning towards S/N and Shuichi. "Are you two actually a thing now?"
"H-hey, Kokichi!" I stuttered out, quite surprised that he was calling them out.
"I just panicked, okay?" S/N said, nervously laughing. "I didn't want Kaito to beat Shuichi's ass, so I told a little lie..." She then turned towards Shuichi, not making direct eye contact. "Uhh, sorry about that, Shuichi. Maybe I went a bit too far..."
"I was pretty surprised, but I know your heart was in the right place..." He spoke softly with a nervous smile, looking away as he crossed his arms. "Though, now we have to keep that lie up around Kaito and Keebo."
"It doesn't have to be a lie, you know," Kokichi stated bluntly, causing both of them to look towards him with shocked expressions.
"Um, what?" S/N questioned.
"I mean the two of you could actually be a thing," Kokichi said, a serious expression upon his face.
"Kokichi, that's a bit—"
"What about you and ___ then?" Shuichi cut off my words, narrowing his eyes and eyeing Kokichi.
"..." Kokichi fell completely silent. Apparently, he had no smartass comeback for that, so he just blankly stared ahead.
"S-Shuichi?" I stuttered out, nervously waving my hands in front of me.
"I'm sorry, forget I said anything. Maybe that was a bit far," Shuichi replied, a hint of guilt on his face when he met my eyes. "Honestly, we have more important things to worry about right now."
"He started it first though," S/N muttered, crossing her arms.
"You said we had more important things to worry about," I said. "But where exactly do we go from here?"
"Well, I think letting S/N search around is the first step," he replied, the guilt returning on his face. "Though, I hate having to send her back there with that woman at all."
"It's no big deal, so no need to worry about me," she replied, forcing a smile. "I mean, I'm good at lying, so..."
"Yes, but it's plain to see that you don't like going home with her," he replied, meeting her gaze. "Every single time you leave us for the night claiming that you don't want her to get suspicious..." His tone was a bit blunt, yet also quite concerned. "I can see it on your face right now; you want to stay with us, but you know you can't. Also, you're more afraid than you let on."
"Damn," she replied. "I guess you can see right through me."
"I just need you to hold out a little longer, alright?" He replied, a determined look upon his face. "After that... you can come to my place."
"...Really?" She asked.
"Maki's going to be gone and ___'s place would be cramped," he replied, his expression growing a bit hesitant. "Do you not want to stay with me? I-Is that not what you want?"
"I didn't say that," S/N replied. "I was just a bit surprised."
"So that's a yes then?" He asked, eyeing her intently.
"Yeah, since you seem to really want me to," she replied, looking away. At that, Shuichi simply smiled.
Before long, S/N and Shuichi had left the apartment as well, leaving Kokichi and I alone once again. S/N had agreed to go home and see what she could find, while Shuichi decided to help Maki, Kaito, and Keebo get her stuff packed. With the three of them doing that, Maki would undoubtedly be gone by tomorrow if she didn't leave that night. Despite that, I knew that Maki wasn't planning on abandoning us; she promised not to.
"They seem like an unlikely pair at first glance, but..." Kokichi spoke up, still eyeing the door that the two of them had exited merely minutes ago. "I think it would work."
"You mean..." I began a hint of surprise within my voice, "the two of them in a relationship?"
"Yeah," he replied, his large, violet orbs meeting mine. "What do you think?"
"Well," I said, a smile slowly forming upon my lips. "Now that I think about it, I think they're surprisingly perfect for each other."
"Surprisingly perfect, huh?" he asked, smiling. Then, her averted his gaze, once again looking ahead. "Well, I just hope things work out for the both of them... Even if for some reason they don't end up together."
"Yeah, me too..." I replied, looking away as well. "Though, I hope they do."
"...Yeah."
Kokichi had realized something that I hadn't; that happiness might be closer to Shuichi and S/N than any of us thought. I was so focused on the situation before us, S/N's past feelings for Kokichi, Shuichi's past feelings for Kaede, and my current feelings for Kokichi, that I hadn't even considered the idea of the two of them coming together and healing one another's wounds in that way. After the two of them were aware of their common ground, they both began picking each other up and grew much closer—rejection was the very thing that brought them closer together. Surely, if things can work for them, they can work for Kokichi and I; we have had lived quite different lives, and yet, just like S/N and Shuichi, one single thing brought us together—our desire to destroy the killing game and Tsumugi for good.