Danganronpa: Painful Truth

Overwhelmed

Kokichi's heart pounded as he scanned the crowd. Nearly all of his friends were there, and even their parents. Tetsuo and his father were the only ones missing, but that didn't surprise him. He'd already received his customary birthday acknowledgement text message from the grumpy researcher, which was all he ever expected, and it was hard to picture Byakuya doing anything fun whatsoever.

As overwhelming it was to see them all here to celebrate his birthday, his friends and their parents weren't the members of the crowd causing him so much anxiety. He spotted Gonta first, since he was at least a head taller than everyone else. He was carrying Ayu and Yuri on his shoulders and greeting the guests with enthusiasm. He really was a perfect henchman.

Tenko and Himiko stood out to him next, together as usual. He was glad they got along so well with Yoshi, who was often overlooked for his timid nature. He even felt somewhat proud of Tenko for getting over her weird issues long enough to become friends with boys. The fact that Ryu and Yoshi were a couple likely had something to do with it.

Even though Kiki was there, Miu was nowhere in sight. He found himself feeling relieved. As terrifying as Maki was, she had at least waited for him to make his move as the villain before actually trying to kill him. Even her career as an assassin didn't seem to have been a choice. Miu, however, had tried to sacrifice them all for her own selfish reasons, and had only chosen him as her target because she knew he wouldn't be missed. He wasn't ready to hear her filthy, irreverent insults quite yet.

Finally, he noticed the small group that had been previously obscured by Gonta's hulking form. Kaito, Shuichi, and Maki stood huddled together, deep in conversation. Their eyes flitted toward him occasionally, which made him nervous, even though none of them struck him as the gossiping type, except maybe Kaito.

He took a deep breath, trying to think logically through his anxiety. The astronaut's obsession with friendship and sincerity was likely what had brought him there, that was no surprise. As a detective, it was natural for Shuichi to involve himself in events and gatherings, in order to collect information. The only presence he still didn't understand was Maki.

Kokichi was so nervous and deep in thought that he barely even noticed Gonta approaching until the enormous boy was blocking his view again. "Kokichi! Happy birthday! Please enjoy refreshments!"

"Yeah boss...happy birthday..." Yuri beamed down at him. "We worked...really hard...so you're...not allowed...to run...away...okay...?"

Ayu looked concerned, likely picking up on his lingering anxiety. "Hey, boss, just take deep breaths, okay? You don't have to talk to anyone yet, just sit down, we'll bring you a drink!"

"Don't treat me like a baby, I'm fine," he grumbled. He didn't need to express his gratitude to Ayu; she could always tell. It was the only reason she could tolerate Tetsuo for more than an hour.

Gonta frowned. "Kokichi not like party?"

Kokichi winced slightly at the disappointment in his voice. He glanced up, feeling a surge of guilt at the gentleman's sad face. Forcing away the worst of his anxiety, he pulled his own face into a grin. "Of course I do, Gonta, don't be dumb! It's a party for me after all, why wouldn't I like it?" He hoped his voice was loud and arrogant enough to stop it from shaking. He put his hands behind his head in his best attempt at being casual and strolled away toward the snack table. "Good work, team! I may even start handing out promotions or something! Nee-hee-hee!"

The three of them smiled as they watched him walk away. Ayu had tears in her eyes. "He's trying so hard! It's so sweet!" she sniffled.

Yuri nodded knowingly. "I told you...he would...be weird...but he's...still happy...about it..."

Gonta grinned brightly, looking relieved. "Gonta so glad! Party off to smashing start!"

Ayu nodded, wiping her eyes. "This was such a good idea, you guys! I can't believe we don't do this every year!"

"He usually...tells us...not to..." Yuri shrugged. "But this year...is special... he's been...through a lot..."

"Yes! So he have party, whether he like it or not!" Gonta looked proud. He brought his passengers to the table where the variety of drinks were displayed. He examined the pictures on the bottles curiously. "This...fruit juice?"

Yuri grinned and crawled down from his shoulder. She grabbed a cup and poured him some of the orange soda. "Here...you go...try it..."

He took it and sipped it cautiously. His eyes widened in surprise. "Spicy fruit juice! Interesting!" He smiled at Yuri. "Tastes very nice!"

Ayu giggled knowingly as she watched them interact. For once, she was sure she wasn't the only one to notice what was going on.

********

Meanwhile, from a short distance away, Shigeri watched Kokichi's reactions. Once they were satisfied that he wasn't planning to flee, they snagged a glass of  grape soda and sauntered over to us. "Hey Spaceman," they greeted Kaito with a yawn. "Glad to see you brought these assholes. Really caught the kid off guard."

I frowned and Maki glared, but Kaito simply grinned. "Hey Shig! Wish I could take the credit, but they showed up on their own!" He put one arm around me and one around Maki. "This party was a great idea!"

Shigeri blinked, looking surprised. "You? Not takin' credit for somethin'? Crazy."

I laughed. Of course, while Maki and I had been training, Kaito had already been busy getting to know the others. "You two seem like you're good friends already."

"Eh," Shigeri shrugged and picked their nose. "I guess so."

"And Kokichi's gonna be the same way in no time!" Kaito declared confidently as he started dragging us toward the table full of food. "Come on guys, let's eat before those two finish it off!

"Don't worry, Chef Sleazeball is upstairs makin' more. He straight-up cringed when I told him Ryu's mom would be here," Shigeri assured us, following with a smirk. "But it's a good way to make sure he doesn't try to join the party."

All four of us shuddered in unison. "Yeah, good call," Kaito agreed.

"Hey kids! Ya gotta try the beef stew!" Akane called to us as we approached, her mouth full. She swallowed and frowned at us. "Hey, what're your names again?"

All I could do was blink at her in confusion. Kaito laughed, while Maki just rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, she does that," Shigeri snickered. "That's Shuichi, Kaito, and Maki. Don't forget this time."

"Ohhh okay!" She nodded, staring at them. "And what about you?"

"Me too, really?" They gave her a pained expression. "I've lived here for like ten years. I'm not telling you."

"Fine, I'll just ask someone else!" she growled. "Hey! Birthday boy!"

"Goddamn it," they sighed exasperatedly. "Ask anyone but him."