(Complete) Taking Her Place (Saiouma/Oumasai)

Is This Trespassing?

Chapter 11: is this trespassing?

Kokichi's POV

I finished the drink Makoto got for me and decided to swim out further into the water. There was a small rope in place to keep us in one little square of water. I was deep enough where I couldn't touch the ground however when I got out to the rope. Shuichi was far too interested in the VIP passes Ibuki just gave us to notice that I was swimming out too far. I wanted to go past the rope. Kyoko looked like she was sleeping on her floaty and Makoto was reading something on his phone. No one was looking. What's stopping me from going out past the rope.

I pushed up the rope and went under it. Could I make myself fall like I did in my dream last night? I tried to push myself under the water. I felt myself drift down a bit before floating back up to the top.
"Kokichi! What are you doing?" I turned around to see Shuichi by the rope. "You're not supposed to be out that far."
"I'm swimming, duh, what's it look like I'm doing?" I responded to him.
"Come on," he reached out a hand, "come back to the area you're supposed to be in."
"Make me!" I stuck my tongue out in retaliation.

"Ok." Shuichi immediately ducked under the rope and swam towards me. He grabbed me and started swimming towards the beach again.
"Don't make me have to do that again." He laughed and dunked my head underwater without warning to tease me. Water in your nose doesn't feel very good.

"You don't have to keep pretending to be some hero who has to rescue me every time I'm about to do something I shouldn't, you know." I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes.

"Well I can't have you doing things you shouldn't. Last time we actually talked to each other before this all you did was things you weren't supposed to. I can stop you this time, and help you. At least that's what I'd like to believe." Shuichi looked up at the sky, "you know you could've escaped this entire trip at the motel when I was gone getting food. Or better yet you could've just said no. Do you not want to be here anymore?" He looked at me with a serious tone of voice, "because you know, I want you here." He pulled my hand out of my crossed arms and held it under the water.

"It's not that I don't want to be here..." I looked away from him. The butterflies in my stomach came back for another visit. "I just don't think... I should... be here."
"What do you mean you shouldn't be here? I invited you-"

"You don't get it, I have Miu, I can't just leave her like this. Not to mention that you still have a girlfriend... wife... fiancé mess. What do you think she'd be feeling if she knew you left her to go travel the world with a gay guy you know from high school." I took my hand away and pulled my knees to my chest.

"Well, right now, I don't really care what she would think." Shuichi looked over to Makoto who could see we were arguing. "Why don't we go on a walk?" Shuichi stood up and offered me a hand. I got up without his help and glared at him for a bit. We walked back to the cabana and grabbed some towels. All of the cabanas were attached to a small stone path surrounded by lots of tropical plants and trees.

"How can you just pretend as though she doesn't even exist?! She's a person! With feelings!" I lightly hit Shuichi on his shoulder.
"I mean, that was bad wording earlier. I care about her yeah, but shouldn't I be thinking about myself? What I want? We're told all the time that it's unhealthy to put others feelings above our own 24/7 but that's exactly what I do. I just want to think about myself for once."

"This is like, the worst situation to finally start thinking about yourself." I rolled my eyes.
"I know, but you have to start somewhere. What if, you know how I said I might like someone else," he looked like he was getting nervous, "what if I like them more than her. Am I just supposed to spend the rest of my life sparing her feelings and keeping mine on the back burner. Because if we're being honest I think I've liked this other person since I first met them and the feelings have never really gone away, just forgotten."

"Why can't you tell me who it is?"
"Reasons, maybe one day I'll tell you though. You'll have to stick around to hear it then."
"Are you trying to get me to stay by telling me that you'll tell me who your crush is? This isn't middle school Shuichi. We're grown men, you should be married."
"I know! But I only did it for her! And I think, I would rather act upon these feelings of liking someone else than be tied down to her. And that's my issue to solve, not yours. Quit acting like you're above me."
"Above you? All I'm saying is that-"

"Stop it. If I want to fuck myself over by doing whatever it is you're trying to fix... then let me."
"Oh but when I try and fuck something up you get to stop me?! I don't know if you noticed but you've stopped me twice now for doing something I wanted to! And you didn't even know what I was going to do by the railing last night!" I pushed him farther away from me, "maybe I just wanted to look at the night sky! But you wouldn't know because you decided to play the role of the hero yet again! This what you always do Shuichi, it's just like in high school. You can't always save everyone god dammit!"
"Kokichi-" he stopped.
"No just... stop." I walked faster and eventually found myself alone.

There wasn't much around me, just more plants and trees.
"What are you doing in a foreign place all by yourself?" A short girl walked up next to me.
"Huh? Who are you?"
"You don't know who I am? But you have a VIP pass?" The girl pulled on the pass around my neck that Ibuki gave me.
"Oh, I got this from someone my friend really likes, I don't actually know the band." I reassured the girl.
"Oh, I see," she held out her hand for me to shake it, "I'm Chiaki Nanami."
"My names Kokichi," I shook her hand, "nice to meet you Chiaki."

"Nice to meet you too. *yawn* sorry I'm pretty much always tired. I stay up too late playing video games."
"Oo! I like video games! What kinda video games?"
"All kinds, I went to hopes peak under the title of ultimate gamer *yawn*"

"I went to hopes peak too, I was the ultimate supreme leader, not that it's something I'm very proud of anymore."
"Why not? An ultimate talent is something to be proud of." She reassured me.
"I'm trying to be a good person, emphasis on trying. Supreme leaders aren't usually good people. I wanted to save everyone but I had to pretend to be evil to do so. Really ruins your reputation." I sighed.

"Oh, so you were the antagonist of your class?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that."
"Gee, I remember my classes antagonist, we still talk. He was the ultimate lucky student. Went crazy during the first trial. I killed him."
"Wow, that escalated quickly. I died too, but I was a victim. I tried to end everything, didn't work."
"Is that what you meant by 'I wanted to save everyone'?"
"Yeah, I wanted to get everyone else out, but I couldn't do it. I don't think I'm as smart as I think I am." I sighed.

"Don't say that. You seem smart. You kinda have to be to be a supreme leader."
"I guess. How'd you find me out here? We're kinda in the middle of nowhere."
"I come here every time we stop at this island. Just up a little further is another tiny private beach but it's completely empty, kinda like the cabanas, but free. *yawn* here I'll show you."

Chiaki took my hand and pulled me to the small beach area. It was really small, a lot smaller than I imagined. It was really peaceful though. I hadn't seen any flowers around the island yet, just green plants and tree, but this small beach was full of tropical flowers. It felt like I stepped into a painting.

Chiaki looked at me intensely.
"What?" I look at her back.
"You look stressed. Maybe it's good I found you." She smiled and walked into the water.
"I'm not stressed." I crossed my arms, "I'm perfectly fine!"
"Come on! We don't have all day here you know." Chiaki persuaded me to get back in the water.

There was no barrier blocking me in at this beach. I don't think we were meant to be here. For some reason, the possibility of us trespassing made me feel free. No one was stopping me, in fact I was being told I should
get in the water. Maybe... maybe it was a good thing Chiaki found me.