All For a Glance

No leads.

Warning
Brief mention of eating disorders. If that isn't something you want to hear right now, please click off and have a good day!

The days repeated like that.

Woods, bridge, "I think it's a code 5 A again.. WHS. Gotta LBR again." Wait 3 hours.. leave to house. Code word. I never tried to get in the abonded house.. but I was tempted.

I spent hours researching these words. But none seemed to match what he was saying. I knew the only way to find out was to befriend Kokichi.

But that was.. impossible.

I wondered what they did in that house. Who these people were.

They didn't go to school. I looked over and over again. Records, achievements, word of mouth.. nothing.

"Stop trying to find out about the weirdo," said Miu when I told her about my investigation.. again.

"Why? I don't think he"s weird.." I mumbled, looking down at her bottle of hot pink nail polish.

"Yeah, he is. Everyone knows it, just accept it."

"... I think there's more too him-"

"- 'Than meets the eye..' I know Kiibs, we've been over this before. Just accept that he's weird and move on."

"Okay.."

I knew I wouldn't actually stop.

The following school day, I sat next to Kokichi at lunch. He seemed.. rather calm. As if he was excpecting me. Though, he did seem a bit nervous as well.

"H-Hi.." I mumbled, knowing full well he knew what I knew.

".."

"Kokichi I-"

"Remember what I said?" he whispered. "I don't hang around your type. Popular kids like you. Always desperate for attention.." his fists clenched. "Always desperate. Always."

"Kokichi. I want to help you. I know that you know this."

"I don't know this. Tell me why I should trust you."

"Because, Kokichi. I'm sad. I'm angry. Everyone treats you like.. l-like shit. It sucks. Nobody.. no.. you don't deserve this! You're important, SG!" I knew I slipped up. I was so used to the mystery people calling him 'SG' that I nearly forgot his normal name.

He went silent and stared at me. His face was entirely pale, his eyes wide.

His eyes..

I never stopped to appreciate them.

Big and round. Intense.. but soft. A beautiful shade of violet. They sparkled. Intense.. but soft.

That's what Kokichi was.

Everything was.. opposite with him.. his voice was loud but gentle. He was quiet but loud. Calm but intense. It was so fascinating.. so beautiful. Why have I never appreciated it before?

It felt like years when he finally spoke. It was a soft whisper. "... So.. you were following me.."

"I had to-"

"Don't.. don't give me that bullshit! Don't you fucking dare give me that bullshit!" he said, his voice getting louder and louder. "You're a pervert.." he crossed his arms. "What are you doing in my buisness?"

"I-I wanted to.. I wanted to help!"

"How? How could you have helped? You only did this because my life is some mystery for you. Some cool story. Some puzzle game. News flash. It's my life. It isn't some movie or something."

"..." he was right. Why did I follow him? Why do I spend every day trying to find out 'the truth?' But what is the truth? Is it worth it..?

"Speechless," he scoffed.

"... I-I'm sorry.."

"Don't be a pussy. You aren't sorry."

"No! I am. I.. I.."

He sighed, "I won't give you the answers you want. I won't give you hints or clues. I won't do anything. I hope you know that."

He got up and left. I just watched him leave. I noticed that he was fidgeting with a paper in his hand.. what did it say on it-

No. I shouldn't know. He was right. It is his life, not my story.

"Hey, hey, Kiibo!" said a boy, Shuichi Saihara, after school. "Hey, look what Kokichi wrote me."

I don't want to know. I don't want to know. I don't- "What does it say?"

Shuichi handed me a paper. The same paper Kokichi was holding at lunch.

'Don't show this to anybody..'
Stop reading, Kiibo.. please..

'I want to be your friend. But I'm worried you won't want to.. hang out with me. Give me a chance?'

There were tones of scribbles and scratches all over the paper from corrections.

Shuichi burst into his usual gentle laughter. "I'm not gonna be his next victim," he said with a chuckle as he threw out the paper. "Well, see you Kiiboy!"

Was it just me or did I hear somebody start to cry..?

Why did all of this start? Most of the time, you're high in the social status because of your looks and money. Kokichi was relatively handsome. His voice was relaxing. He seemed bubbly when in a good mood. And his 'dad' was rich.

Did it all start when Ryota died..? How did they connect Ryota with Kokichi...?

Why have I never heard of him until I bumped into him that one day..?

All of these questions zoomed around my head. Along with guilt.

Mystery people. Mystery dad. Mystery death. Mystery boy. No answers. No conclusions.

SG, DL.. who are these people? The girl with the pigtails.. who is she? Who are they? Who is anybody? Who is Kokichi? Who am I?

I'm done with all these unanswered questions. Problems with no solutions. The only one with answers was Kokichi and he hates me..

Ring! Ring!

I picked up my phone. I recognized the voice as 'DL,' the person Kokichi often visits.

"Stay away from us, Kiibo Idabashi. We are many, you are few."

"How did you get my number?"

No reply. They hung up.
I was so close to the answer.. I don't want.. yes. I don't want these answers.

Kokichi hadn't come into school for the next week.

I ran up to him when I saw him, "Kokichi!"

"They sent you a call. Shut it."

"Call..? Oh, D-"

"Shut up. Don't say their name in public."

"Are those your actual names?"

"Disclosed," he said before walking off. He seemed.. even more reserved. The bags under his eyes were bigger. His skin was paler. He was skinnier. Has he been sleeping.. or eating?

"Kokichi, have you been eating?" I asked, catching up to him. "Please, your health is at risk and-"

"Shut up. Shut. Up. I've told you over and over. Go away. You don't want to regret it."

I know a threat when I hear one.. but.. please. I know everything else was stupid. But I need him to eat. He can't die. The world will lose a beautiful person.

He can not die. The answers will vanish a long with him.

"Here.." I mumbled, reaching in my bag, pulling out a small bag of cookies I meant to give to Kokichi the day prior.

He stared at the bag before taking it.

I saw the bag in the trash an hour later.

But at least one cookie was missing.