The Mastermind's Lies | Mastermind Shuichi AU

Chapter 33 - Hope

SHUICHI POV

'That's so embarrassing. Someone please kill me.'

I let out a deep shaky sigh as I put on a fake toothy smile and waved at the cameras. I could feel the cold sweat dripping from my face, my hair sticking to it. I pulled my hat down a little as the flashes of dozens of cameras blinded me.

The man glanced back from time to time to look at me as we walked down the blue carpet laid out.

We walked through open double doors, under a giant sign that showed the television show's name in bright neon lights. I gulped as I felt the guards standing at these doors staring deep into my soul.

I fiddled with the end of my black suit jacket nervously. The production had made me wear this extremely (and way too) tight suit. It was suffocating, and the red tie was wrapped too tight around my neck, cutting my breath short everytime I wanted to take deep breaths.

We finally got inside the building, the guards closing the doors behind us, finally cutting all the noise of the reporters asking thousands of questions and trying to get an interview with me.

"Come on, move faster. We're supposed to go live in 3 minutes top."

The man grabbed my wrist and pulled me forward harshly. Remembering to keep up this little act I was supposed to have, I grinned in response and let out a little giggle. The man huffed in response and didn't say anything.

Eventually, we got to the live show stage, a woman and a man sitting in large comfortable looking chairs. They smiled and stood up, before walking over to shake the man's hand. They eventually moved over to my side and shook my hand as well. They seemed slightly uncomfortable shaking my hand and the woman had a mix of worry and what was either digust or confusion on her face.

I mean...

Who wouldn't be nervous around an almost literal criminal.

They both went to sit back down at the chairs and invited us to sit down in the two remaining chairs.

And then, the show went live.

The two animators happily waved at the small crowd in the studio and at the television cameras. Any trace of the uncomfortableness on the woman's face had completely disappeared.

'Seems I'm not the only one that's good at keeping up little acts...'

She introduced the man, mentioning his position in Team Danganronpa and all that stuff, before she moved on to introduce me. The crowd inside the studio cheered and had to be calmed down when she finished doing so. To say that I was embarrassed would be an understatement; at this point, I just wanted to crawl back into my small room back at thr mansion and never get out.

I hated all the attention, all these fans.

I hated them for worshiping the terrible, disgusting persona I had to make up.

It was probably selfish of me to hate them; I mean, what did they even do, except watch the show like anybody else? I was in the wrong here, I was the one who signed up and got myself in trouble. I couldn't hate them for my stupid mistake.

My brain was spinning when I got brought back to reality when the guy animator's voice called out to me.

"Ah! Mr. Saihara! What are your thoughts on the end of the killing game? Did it go the way you wanted it to go?"

I gulped and immediately, I did the exact same thing I did back at the end of the killing game.

I closed my eyes and let the act begin, letting the words pour out, completely improvised.