(Complete) Taking Her Place (Saiouma/Oumasai)

Off the Edge

Chapter 8: off the edge

Kokichi's POV

Dinner went well, just a normal dinner. The boat was stopping at small island with lots of beach area tomorrow. Apparently it's privately owned which is pretty neat. It was around 10:00 now and I was pretty tired. Shuichi wasn't since he woke up at noon. As soon as we got to our room I headed to the shower. I brushed my teeth and sat on the bed.

"How are we doing this?" I asked.
"Doing what?" Shuichi asked back.
"Sleeping."
"On the bed?" He laughed slightly.
"No shit Sherlock, I mean do you want me to sleep on the couch?"
"I figured we could just share again but if you're not comfortable with that, I can sleep on the couch."
"Oh- no that's fine!" I smiled at him, "we can share!"
"Alright, I'll go shower and I'll come to bed.

With that Shuichi left. Now it's just me, sitting on the bed, alone. Today went a lot better than I expected it to. We even made some friends, granted they're old. That's ok though, better than children, children are annoying. Although, Kyoko and Makoto did ask us if we were dating and that was a bit awkward.

I could barley keep my eyes open so I just went to sleep. As I felt myself drift away into sleep, I could see a new day before me.

I opened my eyes and found Shuichi clinging onto me. I slowly sat up, trying to avoid waking him up but failing.

"Morning Kokichi." He smiled at me, "how'd you sleep?"
"Good, you seem pretty comfortable. Not sure how I feel about all this flirting you're doing Saihara-"
"You can tell?"
"H-huh? I was joking Shuichi."
"I like you Kokichi, I like you a lot."
"Shuichi-" I was stopped by him putting his hand over my mouth to stop me from talking.

"Don't think too much about it. Just answer off the top of your head, do you like me too Kokichi?"
"Do I... like you too. I mean, of course I do but I don't know what's going on here."
"Good, I'm glad we agree. Let's go upstairs and tell Makoto and Kyoko."

Shuichi took my hand and dragged me out of bed quickly. Running up to the top deck of the boat Shuichi stood by a railing and held his arms out as if to ask me to join him. I'm not sure what I was thinking but my legs started moving. I couldn't stop myself from walking towards him. When I got to him I put my hands on the boats railing and looked out to see no land in sight.

Shuichi got behind me and put his arms around my waist. This was what I wanted... right? I smiled to myself as Shuichi put his head on my shoulder. I looked down to see Shuichi's arms slowly fade away from my waist and a weight get lifted off of my shoulder. I looked behind me to see no one there. Shuichi vanished? But that's not possible he was just with me. I poked my head over the railing to see if he somehow jumped but I didn't see anything.

I felt a hand appear on my shoulder instead and when I looked back I saw Miu. Miu was holding my shoulder with one hand and holding someone else's hand in another. Miu looked at me in the eye.

"What are you doing here, you know you don't belong here." She said with a straight face. I saw Kiibo come out from behind her and look at me as well. "Just because I'm happy doesn't mean you get to be."
"Wha-"
"Stop talking, look at yourself Kokichi, you're pathetic." She laughed with her normal boasting laughter.

Everyone appeared slowly, holding someone else's hand. Kaito held Maki's Himiko held Angie and Tenko's, Rantaro held Kiyo's and so forth. It looked like everyone had someone with them. Worst of all, there was Shuichi, he was back, but he had his wife's hand in his. A ring on his finger and everything.

"Look at you Kokichi, alone, you always were and you always will be. You don't deserve to be with anyone else." Shuichi smiled as if he had said something happy.
"Shu-" I tried to get out.
"You might as well leave already, no one wants you here." Miu stepped closer to me. I tried to back up but finding out the railing was now behind me. I couldn't move back anymore. Miu moved her hand from my shoulder to my chest.

Her voices echoed in my head.
"If you won't do it yourself maybe I'll do it for you."
Miu pushed on my chest and I felt myself fall.

Time felt like it slowed down until it almost stopped. Miu looked over the edge of the railing and smiled at me with a wave. She, she was the one person I still had, the one person I could rely on. And she left me... for Kiibo.

My hair blew in the wind and I slowly made my way to the water below. As if the water didn't stop my momentum at all, I still kept falling. Slowly but surely I started to lose my breath. Was this it now? I didn't see any land around. I tried my best to swim up but to my many efforts I just couldn't. It seemed liked the harder I tried the farther I moved in the opposite direction.

Until it all went black.

Terrified I died I opened my eyes and sat up immediately.
"K-Kokichi, are you ok?" I looked to my side where I heard the noise coming from and could see a very tired Shuichi.
"Wa-was it all just a dream?" I pinched my arm trying to make sure I was awake. It worked.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Shuichi sat up in the bed and turned on a bedside lamp.
"N-no just a reality check." I smiled at him, "I need some fresh air." I got up and left the room.

I made my way to the actual top deck and saw the dark night sky above me. Maybe the dream was trying to tell me something. Maybe I really wasn't meant to be with anyone. Maybe I'm supposed to be alone. I should go home. I don't deserve to be here with Shuichi. Maybe I am pathetic. Who am I kidding, I definitely am pathetic. I put my hand on the railing in front of me and heard the waves crash against the boat.

Just like in the dream there was no land in sight. Not that I could see very well in the dark. I looked over the edge of the boat just to see if I could see anything. I felt arms wrap around my waist and pull me away from the edge.

"I don't like you that close to the edge of the ship when you just had a nightmare."

I hesitated a bit but when I looked up I saw Shuichi above me. I got up and out of his arms. He looked really tired. He had on a big t-shirt and his boxers. His hair was super messy, you almost couldn't see his ahoge.

"I never said I had a nightmare, I said I had a reality check." I looked up at him.
"Same difference. Reality sucks. Don't succumb to the pressures of how you think things should be." Shuichi yawned.

"I'm convinced you can read my mind Shuichi." I laughed.
"I can't, I can read your actions though. You have to pick up on people's actions to be a good detective. *yawn* I'm a little tired right now though."
"Why'd you get out of bed?" I asked.
"I didn't trust you."

"Trust me? You can trust me!"
"Then why were you looking over the side of the boat?"
"I was just-" He cut me off.
"Listen, I don't know what's going on in your mind right now, contrary to popular belief. But I do know that I want you here. So come back to bed *yawn* we shouldn't be late to leave the boat tomorrow morning. I can hold you if it's easier for you to fall asleep." Shuichi reached out and grabbed my hands.

We both silently walked back to the room. Shuichi still holding my hand as if I was a little kid who ran away. We shortly got to the room and Shuichi took out his key and headed straight to bed.

"Hey Shuichi?..."
"Yeah Kokichi?"
"Thank you."
"No problem."

(That was a much heavier chapter than I remember writing. This is the author here to tell you that I love you and I'm so so so proud of you for making it through another day. Don't jump off the side of the boat. ❤️❤️)