Little Do You Know

New, Unexpected Friends

Sadness and anger merged into one, indescribable emotion. Kokichi had felt it often, yet he never understood how to process it. Storming into his room, he slammed the door and threw his bag to the ground. Tears continued to pour down his cheeks, tickling the skin of his neck.

Falling onto the soft blankets, Kokichi listened to the clock ticking as he curled up tight. Before he could begin feeling sorry for himself, a knock at the door startled him. Kokichi frowned, sitting up straight as he stared at the closed door. If Saihara wanted to enter, he had a key, so who could be at the door?

Wiping his tears, Kokichi took a deep, shaky breath and slipped out of bed, opening the door only to be knocked to the ground. He grunted in pain, hearing the door shut. Scrambling to stand tall (well, short in his case), he scowled at Iruma. "Yo, Tiny-Dick, the fuck happened to you? I watched ya run into the dorms crying."

Sneering, Kokichi rolled his eyes. "Mind your business."

"Oh come on! We're friends, unfortunately, so you gotta tell me!" Iruma argued. Kokichi winced at the backhanded acknowledgment of their companionship, but he knew she didn't mean it negatively.

Returning to his bed, Kokichi glanced at a lump of pillows, satisfied that Fifi remained hidden. "No, I fucking don't, leave me alone. We aren't friends." He crossed his arms and legs, glaring at the ground.

Iruma sighed, sitting beside him and wrapping an arm around his lithe body. He leaned into it instinctively, letting his eyes flutter closed. Normally, Kokichi would slap and kick anyone who tried to hug him, but friends were an exception. "I'm not good with friendships, but I'll do my best to help," she whispered.

"I don't want friends," Kokichi sighed.

"Why?"

Kokichi felt his shoulders tense. He hesitated but knew that maybe it'd help to release his emotions. Iruma had proven herself trustworthy already. Besides, she didn't treat him any differently after his meltdown in the changerooms, and he preferred things that way. "I'll kill more people."

Now it was Iruma's turn to hesitate. Kokichi's shoulders relaxed, the man sighing as he wrapped his arms around the woman's waist. Her hugs were nice... or maybe he liked hugs in general? Receiving affection from the same two people your entire life grew a little lonely in a poetically ironic way. "No, you won't. You haven't killed anyone, to begin with."

"I have, don't deny it," Kokichi grumbled. He let a tear roll down his cheek, disappearing into Iruma's scarlet crop top.

"You can't blame yourself for something you couldn't control," Iruma stated. Kokichi blinked, shifting to stare up at the woman.

Sighing, he lowered his head again and leaned against Iruma's shoulder. "Mum says the same," he whispered. The two continued hugging in silence, listening to their breathing. Kokichi could hear Iruma's heartbeat in the silence and briefly wondered if she could hear his.

"Do you wanna tell me what's got you crying?" Iruma whispered, rubbing circles on Kokichi's shoulder.

He hummed in thought. Could he tell her? Would it be a good idea to involve her in this mess? Sighing again, Kokichi knew that he couldn't continue to bottle things up deep inside his soul. Kokichi had a friend, why not take advantage of that luxury? "Have you ever had someone... uh... like you... but..." The supreme leader trailed off, unable to continue his explanation. Lies were so much easier to speak than harmful truths.

"You don't like them back?" Iruma incorrectly finished the question. "All the time, it's normal."

"N-No. Uh..." Glancing at Iruma, Kokichi noticed the confused expression on her face. He wasn't surprised. Kokichi refused to let people see him in such a state, Shirogane and his mum being the only ones granted that permission. Iruma showed herself to be a friend, so he could trust her, right? "He's..."

"Is he like fifty years older than you and obsessed?" Iruma's eyes seemed to harden, more serious than Kokichi had ever witnessed. Kokichi frowned. Was Sasaki obsessed? What would classify as an obsession?

"Not obsessed..." Kokichi hummed. Sasaki could be borderline maybe? "He found me at work even though he's banned from the place... The creep calls me his 'gorgeous kitty.'"

"So you've got a stalker?" Iruma pried further.

"No..." Kokichi groaned as detached from the hug, the bed thumping as he fell on his back and stared at the ceiling. "Maybe? Ugh, no, he's just creepy and..." He trailed off, unsure how to describe the man.

"Obsessed?"

"Fine!" Kokichi huffed with a pout. "Yeah, he's obsessed, but that doesn't mean you're right!"

"I know I am!" Iruma countered with a grin. "Besides, pretty easy to tell when someone else goes through the same thing as you." Kokichi's eyes widened as they flicked to the back of Iruma's pinkish-blonde hair. "When I was fourteen, a cunt thought I was cute and destroyed my life. It was amazing to see her in that cop car."

"How'd you get rid of her?"

"Police," Iruma muttered. The two fell silent as the Ultimate Inventor turned to gaze at Kokichi. "Are you gonna be okay?"

He'd already told the truth, despite how difficult it'd been. Kokichi averted his gaze to the ceiling again, pondering his options. Tell the truth and appear weak, or lie and possibly lose the only friend he had. Fuck it, he had one foot in the rabbit hole so why not descend to the bottom? "No, I'm not gonna be okay." Iruma placed a hand on his shoulder, gently rubbing.

"Thanks for telling the truth, for once," the woman smirked.

"Don't get used to it," Kokichi countered with an equally jovial grin. Another series of knocks sounded throughout the room. Iruma sighed, standing from the bed as she went to open the door.

"Ah, hello! Is Kokichi here?" Kokichi gasped as he recognised the voice of his mother.

"I'm here!" He called before Iruma could lie. Kokichi watched his mum enter and gasp at the sight of his possibly puffy, red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. "Oh sweetie, what happened?!" She raced forward, wrapping him in a tight hug that he hurried to return.

"Sasaki..." He muttered.

"Him?!" The woman gripped Kokichi's shoulders, stepping back to stare at him with wide eyes. "What did he do to you?!"

"Pinned me down, nothing else," Kokichi sighed. "I escaped and Sato helped chase him away."

"Oh, sweetie!" She cried, wrapping him in another hug. Kokichi let a tear shed, dripping down his cheek. The tear was joined by another, then two more, resulting in violent sobbing whilst gripping his mum's shirt for dear life.

"I'll uh, leave now," Iruma murmured from the doorway.

"Please, please don't tell anyone about this!" Kokichi stammered between sobs as he turned to stare at the woman. His eyes probably held a disgusting pleading expression, one he'd hate people to see.

"My lips are sealed... bestie. Oh, I'll make sure Saihara stays away for at least another hour." Iruma gently closed the door behind her. Kokichi smiled, wiping his tears as he tried to calm his erratic sharp breaths. A friend. He had another friend, and it made him happy.