Love and Lies [Saioumami]

Don't Skip Projects

Kokichi's heart raced as he slowed down to a brisk walk, reaching his house. As he entered and made his way down to his basement, a sudden realisation hit him after the adrenaline of running all the way from school. I can't work on the project. No one chose a topic and I won't be able to get the checklist done with Rantaro and Shuichi. Maybe I could get my own project planned and work alone?

"Kokichi, you're home earlier than usual." His mother interrupted the boy's thoughts as she made her way downstairs, high heels clicking against the plank vinyl flooring matching the stairs. 

"Sorry I felt a bit sick-"

"We need to talk," She cut him off, not caring about her son's excuses. "Your teacher emailed me today, why don't you tell me what this is about?" Handing over a piece of paper to Kokichi, he grabbed it and skimmed it, his skin paling as he read. 

Hello Mrs Ouma

I have recently given the class a group project. Kokichi expressed some worry over working with his two groupmates and wished to be switched to another group or work solo. Unfortunately, I cannot switch him for any reason.

I've allowed Kokichi to work with his two friends as they all get their work done on time and to an excellent standard. Due to his worry, I have reason to believe he's having trouble with friends and may need some emotional help from you and Kokichi's father for this issue and help with the project. 

I'll do what I can to help, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Kokichi peeked up at his mother, a shadow of rage spreading across her face now obvious from her towering figure. Although not easily intimidated, Kokichi's parents used their height over him as a threat considering his lack of vertical growth. "You do not have friends, and you shouldn't be wasting people's time attempting to bother them with your pathetic issues. They are not friends, they are classmates and nothing more."

Slowly backing away from his mother, Kokichi attempted to distance himself as far as possible from his mother's building rage. "How dare you attempt to get out of this project by coming home?!" She closed the gap between the two and grabbed Kokichi's floating hair, twisting around to throw him behind her and away from the corner. "You should be with your classmates and doing the project for them!" Grabbing Kokichi's hair again, his mother lifted him to his feet and kicked him to the ground. "It's the least you could do considering those nice kids have to work with someone as shitty as you."

The next time Mrs Ouma picked up her son, she used all her weight to throw the light boy into the sliding door of his closet, glass going everywhere. Kokichi winced as he felt sharp shards cut into his uniform and skin. He noticed blood seeping from his palms and legs, unable to feel the pain through the adrenaline rush. Punch after slap from thrown into the child as his mother screamed in his face. "How dare you break that! We do so much to help you and this is how you repay us?! You're so fat you break a fucking door?! I thought we told you to lose your fat fucking gut!"

Kokichi's mum grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the stairs, forcing the child to stumble to his feet as they stormed out of the house and into one of the family cars. "Don't you dare get even a speck of dust in this car," she growled before slipping into the vehicle. Knowing the punishment would be dire, Kokichi grabbed a towel stored in the backseat, hurrying to throw it over the seat before painfully getting in.

"Tell me where your classmates are. I will not let you ride off of their hard work in order to sneak another A grade."

"Yes mother," Kokichi mumbled, giving her directions towards Rantaro's house where he was sure the couple would be starting the project.

~💙/💜/💚~

"You knew where they live?" The Ouma's had stopped down the street from Rantaro's home in another upscale block similar to their own.

"Um y-yeah." Kokichi barely spoke before having his head slammed into the dashboard. How the airbag didn't activate from the impact was a mystery to the world.

"Cut that stutter shit out." His head hit the dashboard again with the same force as the first. "That's for stalking your classmates. Get your sorry ass out of my car and get in that house. Don't even try to run off because I'm not leaving until I watch you go inside. Remember, they won't understand tough love, and I love you more than anything Kokichi, so don't tell them about this okay?"

"Yes Mother," Kokichi answered before opening the car door and stepping into the pouring rain. Carefully shutting the door in order not to slam it, he trudged through puddles towards Rantaro's house. She loves me deep down, it's tough love, it's not abuse. It's not abuse. It's not abuse. Kokichi repeated, reminding himself that his parents love him deep-down and just have a weird way of showing it.

After what felt like years, Kokichi finally managed to reach the Amami mansion and ring the doorbell, wiping away the blood from his nose that had started mixing with rainwater. The large, fancy door swung open revealing an overenthusiastic girl. "Hello my God, what happened to you?!" She sang her greeting before realising her guest was soaked in blood, water and shards of glass.

"Nishishi, hello! Did I scare ya? Anyway, where-"

"Don't you dare tell me that's makeup, get in here!" She ushered Kokichi inside, leading him through the marble white halls towards a large living area. "You look like you've been through a war, what happened to you?"

"I fell on the way here, it's pretty wet when it's raining, who'd of thunk?" Kokichi joked.

"Why didn't you catch the bus? It only stops a few houses down and it would've been less wet!" She countered, briefly texting someone on her phone.

"I missed it. Didn't want to wait around for the next one." Keep going hun, I have a lie to counter everything. 

"Oh, right I should introduce myself! My name's Sakura and I'm calling you an ambulance."