Big Book of Writing

Roses (Sanniuri, SDRA2)

Prompt: https://fusetter.com/tw/iyevwIsL#all and the picture above!

Translation: "I'm struck by the fact that the Alter Ego of Mikado Sannoji, which transcends humans, has mentioned Nikei several times after his death. Mikado Sannoji tasted defeat after chapter 6 - I want him to reunite with Nikei Yomiuri who died earlier in a pitch-black space, and talk philosophically alone."

Warning: death, spoilers for the whole game!

***

Orange roses: desire, enthusiasm

"U-Um, Nikei? I have something I want to give to you..." Mikado nervously looked away from the journalist, holding something behind his back.

Nikei stared blankly at the hacker, unsure where he was going with this. "Mikado, your glasses are slipping." He pointed out, pointing to them.

"Well, uh, you can open this while I fix them!" The taller boy exclaimed with a flustered face, handing Nikei what was behind his back and quickly fixing his glasses and whatever else he thought needed adjusting, such as his tie, the cuffs of his shirt, his hair; anything he could fidget with.

Nikei looked at his hands, which now held an envelope with an orange rose taped to it. Looking back at Mikado, he had a feeling that the hacker wouldn't be talking to him anytime soon until he read the letter. 

'Just like an unskippable cutscene.' Nikei thought with a sigh, carefully opening the envelope so he didn't rip it. Inside, he saw something that he never expected.

A confession letter.

He read it over in disbelief. Was this really true? He knew that Mikado and him had been close friends since they had first run into each other at the beginning of the Tragedy, and had stayed together when they learned that the other was looking for the same person, but he never expected that Mikado would've fallen in love with him.

He remembered how Mikado would always soothe Nikei's fits of blind anger, distract his mind when things were getting stressful, and murmur positive words when the journalist was close to crying. Perhaps, just maybe, he was in love too.

In place of words, Nikei lowered the letter from his face and walked over to Mikado, hugging him with a smile. "Ah?! Does that mean you...?" The hacker trailed off. When Nikei wordlessly nodded his affirmation. Mikado hugged his back, tears coming to his eyes as he laughed.

Nikei didn't know why, but he wanted to keep his best friend-turned-lover by his side until he died. Maybe that was just love.

***

Black roses: eternal love, tragic love

The journalist grumbled as he continued writing his new article. He was content with the adjustable temperatures of the Monocruise rooms, as he could cool himself down after running around the island and getting interviews from everyone. Not that they'd mean anything in the end.

They would have meant something to him, the real Mikado Sannoji, if he were still alive. But when he came to the temporary laboratory where the hacker worked to visit him, his work partner had informed him that his dear Mikado has been murdered in cold blood. He didn't believe it until she showed him a picture that she was given.

After getting the location of where the picture was taken, Nikei hurried to that spot while ignoring the pleas of his 'partners'. When he saw Mikado's dead body for himself, at least a day or two old, he hugged his corpse as he wept, not that he'd ever admit that to the others.