Hopeful Blacksmith (Danganronpa 1 x OC)

Chapter 37: Free Time Event #9

-TOKO FUKAWA-

I was hanging around the garden when I noticed Toko walking up to me quickly. She looked left and right before whispering to me.

"Hey, K-Kuno? Could you come to my room...?"

"Oh, uh, sure! For what?"

"I want to sh-show you something. I'll be waiting th-there...", Toko ran off, me following behind slowly. When I got there, Toko was pacing around the room. She jumped when she saw me, giving me a tiny grin.

"Th-Thanks for coming...But don't get the wrong i-idea! I didn't ask you here for a-anything...like that! I know how pervy Mistress can be...~"

"H-Hey, I'm not that bad! Whatever, I wasn't thinking about that anyways!", I huffed with a blush. "What did you want to show me?"

"I was hoping you would...r-read this.", Toko picked up a LARGE stack of papers and handed them to me roughly. I staggered a bit but held myself up. The top cover was hand written neatly. "Is this...?"

"I took your advice and s-started writing. I wanted you to be th-the first one to read it..."

"Wow, Toko... Thank you, I'm honored!", as I began to read, I got hooked in the first few sentences. The scenes were flowing in my head so effortlessly, it was almost unreal. "This is really good, Toko! I've never read anything this good!"

"It's pretty g-good, right? Hehehe...!", Toko giggled. It was a dark story, yes, but still very good! Nothing wrong with a messed up story. "You know what they c-call the type of writing where the author has directly experienced the subject matter? It's a kind of naturalistic style popular in Japan. Katai Tayama's "Futon" started it all..."

"You mean an I-Novel?"

"C-Correct...! Mine's still a w-work in progress, though. But as soon a-as it's finished... it's going to b-become a shocking masterpiece that'll change the face of the I-Novel f-forever!"

Knowing her, she'll do it for sure...!

"It *will* be a masterpiece, I believe in you."

"And it's all th-thanks to you, Kuno. Thanks to you, I-I... Ahh, I'm s-so embarrassed...! I'll express my a-appreciation in the form of a p-poem!"

"A-A poem? For me?"

" "On a locked and rusted door / I dug my nails in and dragged them down / Warm blood mixed with old rust / Flowing down my wrist / Coils like a snake / Embracing my body / You watch me / A smile in your eyes / You watch / Time runs away / And you with it / You leave me drowning in a red sea"... Well? Now do you understand how I feel?"

"Oh wow... It's beautiful yet... tragic. Can't I... save you in the poem?"

"I-I could do that! I'll do anything!!"

"I-It's okay if you don't want to, I just want you to know that if you need my help with anything, I want to be there for you! Not just watch, you know?"

"I g-get it... S-So...that's it for now. You've helped me find m-my motivation. Now I have to do my b-best to bring the story to an end. And when there's someone there t-to support me for that... that's what you c-call a friend...right?"

"Hm... Yeah, it is!"

"M-Maybe later... Eheheheh..~!", Toko started giggling to herself, something about a "Letter".

"Huh?"

"N-Nothing! T-That's all I wanted to show you, n-now please leave me alone..."

"Alright then, have fun finishing the novel!", I left Toko's room with a spring in my step.