𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲 | 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙥𝙖 𝙫3

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁

Kokichi walked around town, looking over the shops and smiling at them. It probably came off weird to others, since he was just inspecting them and not taking them. A worker even suspected he was taking some garments inside the pocket of a jacket for display and asked for permission the check.

He was humming to some random tune he made up throughout the day. Apparently a lot of hummers stroll around the streets at 3:00 p.m. He made a combination of all of the sounds.

He finally stopped at a little convenience store which was just somewhere locals would go for a late night snack. The little liar wasn't a local, of course, but he had to 'fit into society' and not show up one day and end up on the news the other.

It occurred to him that normal people don't walk around like a creep looking at every single item in the town and then just waddle away.

Oh well.

"Hi there!" A lady said. He muttered an 'oh shit' before zooming out after apologizing. He remembered that woman. Kokichi had already entered that store and acted weird.

Looking for another place to admire, he suddenly bumped into a woman. She had blonde hair and was wearing a black tunic with a belt and jeans.

"Sorry," he said. The lady turned around. She looked to be in her mid-30s, but of course, no one could just assume.

She smiled. "It's all right. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. . ."

Creases began to show on her forehead until her eyes beamed. "Oh! I see! You went to Hope's Peak, correct?"

Kokichi was taken aback. "Um. . .yes. How did you know?"

She clapped her hands together. "Call me Norta! I saw you before, yes. It was at the orientation, perhaps. You were wearing the same thing right as right now, oh—you've grown so tall!" She ruffled his hair.

'Is she some pushy aunt? I didn't see her. Like, ever. Her hair is something I recognize, but I can't place my finger over it.'

"Wait. You were at the orientation, correct? Who's your child?" Kokichi inquired.

"Hmm?" She stopped ruffling his hair and paused to think. "Now, that would be a little hard to remember."

What.

"How old are you, deary?"

"I'm. . .nineteen. . ."

"So that would make," she put her hands together, "OH! So that year then, huh? I would say Kaede! Akamatsu Kaede. What do you call her? I don't know."

KAEDE. That's who had the same colour of hair. The same skin complexion. It was like a bunch of missing pieces of a puzzle was found under a couch after six years and you still have the unfinished project.

"Oh," the Supreme Leader said nonchalantly. "Yeah, I know her. She was one of my classmates."

Then, he bit his lip from the inside. She did say it would be hard to remember. Would it be rude to ask? He was never nice from the beginning, so why bother?

"Why was it hard to remember?"

The mom of the Akamatsu's smiled. "You see, I have many kids. They all went to Hope's Peak."

"All? Wow. That's a lot of Ultimates."

"I suppose. Kaede's the one with the. . .not most impressive, but, broad, I suppose? For example, you hear piano a lot, but never have you ever heard of the Ultimate Asian Food-tester?"

'She's right. I've never heard of that before.' He gave a smile and just nodded, not sure how to respond to that.

"What was your relationship with my daughter? Were you close friends, or pretty distant classmates? Oh wait, were you dating? Come on, deary, tell me!"