Melody of Despair

Worth Living For

If Shuichi had to be honest, he'd started to like these companions he was given. Little Himiko was a delight, positive and naive as she was, and Gonta was resilient and strong. He found himself smiling more as he continued his pursuit of a positive relationship with them. Such a shame that Rantaro was to die first to fake his lover's death. He would have loved to get to know him.

It would make it all the more painful when he finds their mangled corpse, or watches their execution from the front rows.

Today, he'd found the Ultimate Baseball Pro at the Gym, which had opened recently, idly staring at the stage.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" Shuichi called out to him with a smile. "Ah, Shuichi. Nothing, don't mind me. I'm just feeling a tad.. Sombersome." He says softly.

"How come?" He asked, approaching Ryoma and gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "Well, there isn't anything wrong with talking about it, so I guess I had might as well say it." He says, before turning full body to face Shuichi.

"Do you have anyone out there, Shuichi?" The question was abrupt, and it had caused him some concern when he'd heard it. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Like, a family that's waiting for you. Friends? Maybe a lover?" Shuichi would be flustered at the idea of a lover, ans his thoughts dragged themselves to his obsession, his prized posession, his beloved Kaede. He let a somber smile paste his lips as he looked off into middle distance for a moment, before turning back to Ryoma. "Well, I don't think my parents would care much for my disappearance, but I had my uncle." He says. "Why do you ask?"

Ryoma nodded, letting out a soft sigh. "I believe this may be my penance, for all of my misdeeds. Yet it doesn't make sense to me why you all would be here too. So, I was wondering, if anyone had someone who needed them out there--" He paused, hesitating briefly.

"I think I wouldn't mind being the victim."

Shuichi took a quick halt. How dare he? How dare he accept death so easily! This took despair right out of his demise, if he had died content with his end!
"No! You should never think like that!" Shuichi said abruptly, causing Ryoma to flinch.

"Regardless of whatever you've lost, you have a life to live ahead of you! A world awaiting you! Even if you lost everyone, you have to keep walking forward with their hopes or else they would have died for nothing!" He let his passion speak for him. Ryoma would argue, yet his tone shifted as he realized how it may have come across to Shuichi.

In Ryoma's eyes, Shuichi was somewhat like him. Who'd lost someone they'd cared for deeply. And yet Shuichi marched on, how come? How could Shuichi live on with Kaede's wish even when Kaede wasn't here?

If Shuichi could do it, could he hope to do the same?

"Ah! I'm sorry, Ryoma.. I didn't mean to yell." Shuichi allowed his voice to retreat, returning to the quieter tones he'd usually held. Pulling his hat down to hide his face, he turned away, and Ryoma felt tense with the need to speak.

"..No, I should be the one apologizing. I had been so caught up in my own grief that I'd completely forgotten about the others here. I'm sorry, Shuichi."

Tense, eerie silence filled the room for a few seconds, and Shuichi spoke up slowly.
"...Do you want to go get something to eat..?" He asked, looking to meet Ryoma's eyes.

The tennis pro gave a slight chuckle, before nodding. "Sure. Come on."

"Lead the way then." Shuichi smiled, and Ryoma, for a moment, remembered the smile of his family. And maybe, just for now, he had someone to live for. Even if its in the confines of this hellscape. He walked ahead, expecting Shuichi to follow behind.
.

.
.

It took all of Shuichi not to grin and laugh. Everything was falling into place, so wonderfully.