Little Do You Know

I Don't Want to Talk to the Likes of You

"What happened before you ended up on the roof?"

"Nothing."

"Has that happened before now?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

Kokichi glared at the floor with his arms crossed, sitting in the school therapist's office. The room smelled like citrus, making Kokichi sneeze and grimace every time he caught a whiff. He hated this, he hated being so vulnerable and talking about his deepest secrets with a stranger. She didn't care, it was her job to pretend and talk. There was no way he could trust her, not when this was the first time he'd met her. Almost an hour of talking had less progress than a snail racing a rabbit.

Arai-Sama, the poor therapist trying to ease Kokichi into opening up, only sighed. Kokichi had more meaningful conversations with his dad than this woman. "I can't force you to talk, but it would be beneficial if you tried."

"No," Kokichi spat. He wouldn't dare open up to a stranger. After being saved on the roof, he hadn't even talked to Amami, Akamatsu or Saihara. Although, he had to admit that it felt more comfortable just to cry whilst Saihara held him closer.

"What do you want to do then, Ouma?" Arai-Sama's smile never faltered but Kokichi knew that deep down, she had to be frustrated with him. Even if she didn't show it, surely she hated him. She probably thought he was weak and stupid for even attempting to kill himself.

"Class."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." He didn't want to talk any more than necessary. That would only fuel the fire.

"I'll escort you then. We can try again next week."

Kokichi rolled his eyes, secretly relieved to be out of there. Swinging his schoolbag over his shoulder, he followed the tall, pink-haired woman through the halls. He preferred the silence between them. The supreme leader would prefer being in class than with Arai-Sama anyway. She was creepily cheerful.

Luckily there were a few minutes until lunch break so Kokichi wouldn't be suffering in class for long. As they walked in silence, Kokichi stared at the white sleeves covering his arms. The memory made him smile. Saihara cleaned, disinfected and bandaged all of his wounds (including his thigh) with maximum care. Akamatsu tried to help but Kokichi refused, only letting Saihara touch him. Maybe that was his crush on the detective, or maybe he trusted Saihara more than the other two.

They reported his attempt to the school. Now, Kokichi was forced into weekly therapy sessions that he despised. The academy also called his dad (who remained his emergency contact after his mum died) yet Kokichi heard no reply. Hell, he hadn't even seen his dad since the incident, not even when he went to the single appointment he had.

Reaching the classroom, Arai-Sama stopped Kokichi and smiled. There it was again, that stupid fake smile to trick him into being vulnerable. He'd never fall for it, no matter what her job was. "You can come to my office any time, Ouma. Whenever you need to talk, drop by, okay?"

"I don't need to," Kokichi frowned.

"My door is always open to you, regardless." He rolled his eyes. Why was she still trying so hard to keep the act going? Kokichi wouldn't trust it.

Entering the classroom, Kokichi tried his hardest to avoid eye contact as he grinned like nothing in the world could hurt him. No matter how hard he tried, he still made eye contact with Saihara after taking his seat. Glaring at the detective, he lowered his head and pulled out a notebook, distracting himself by answering the questions on the board.

As he copied the questions, a balled-up note landed in front of him. Kokichi frowned, opening it with care so he didn't rip it. 'Hang out with us at lunch! :) How did the session go?' Glancing around the room, he noticed Amami smiling at him. He nodded at the adventurer, willing to take him up on his offer. It couldn't hurt to accompany someone for once, right? After all, his new friends had straight up admitted that they weren't letting him out of their sight. Despite preferring his privacy, Kokichi was fond of the idea that people were looking out for him in a positive manner.