Saioma Month 2023

Modelling favour

Shuichi has been enjoying his new lab, but he wants company. Kokichi has been enjoyed his new lab as well, but he needs a new model for his work. Kokichi has a genius idea on how to solve this problem, and just needs Shuichi to tag along with the idea.

Or~ Kokichi tries to convince Shuichi to model for him, after Shuichi's been pining

Prompt : Talent Swap AU

Kokichi was an enigma. Shuichi could say that without any doubt. And if he may, he would argue that his opinion carried more weight than most; he was the Ultimate Anthropologist afterall. And if he couldn't figure it out, he doubted anyone else could. Perhaps the Ultimate Psychologist, or (considering how guarded Kokichi was at times) the Ultimate Therapist? Certainly no-one else in this school, at the very least. Well, no other student in this killing game.

Maybe he should ask Kaede, to see if they could team up. Shuichi would be the expert in human nature, and Kaede could be the much needed mystery solver (as the Ultimate Detective). But there was a small part of him that thought it might be better to just ask Kokichi. He did lie, a lot, but he could be honest. And there were times when the two would hang out, that Kokichi did seem genuine. Incredibly genuine. Even if he did try to mask it immediately.

Shuichi thought about potentially asking Kokichi to his lab, before dismissing that idea. In a way, it was sad that both of them had gotten their labs at the same time. Shuichi would have enjoyed being able to show Kokichi his lab, and the various wonders that were in it. And he would like to see Kokichi's as well - although he was consistently keeping it locked. In all honesty, that part perplexed Shuichi. There was a cylinder lock on the art lab - but no key.

Looking around again, Shuichi felt himself smile as he looked at the books. There was something so beautiful in humanity, and especially in books. Because books always showed how important something was. The things contained in them were so beautiful, in fact, that humans had chosen to record them - hoping the knowledge would be available for the rest of the century. That was why Shuichi was keeping a notebook now, and why he was so grateful he knew shorthand. It was beautiful that the world would be able to experience Kokichi for as long as this book survived. And that he would be able to experience Kokichi as well, even if...

Death could be beautiful as well. But that wasn't something that Shuichi wanted to think about. Especially with Kokichi. Not with him. Just as Shuichi's thoughts began to stray to the sparkling, purple-haired boy - a knock distracted him. A series of knocks, actually, all impatient and erratic. Then a cheery shout, "Hey Shuichi! Open the door!"

"It's not locked," Shuichi responded, a smile on his face as the door immediately opened - Kokichi tumbling out with a massive grin on his face, some paint on him. There was a concerning amount of paint on him actually, more than his usual messy but artistic apron. It looked like Kokichi had been making use of his lab and genuinely painting.

"Shuichi!" Kokichi immediately began to move forward, trying to hug Shuichi and pouting when he dodged, "Why are you running? Hey? Hey!"

"You're covered in paint, Kokichi," he pointed out, dodging out of the way again, "I don't want it on my uniform."

"You have another one, riiight?" Kokichi grinned, doing what could only be called puppy dog eyes, "Besides, aren't all anthropologists like 'this is only a material possession, it is replaceable' and stuff? Now hug me!"

"I-" Shuichi looked at Kokichi in front of him, before sighing slightly, "Fine."

Kokichi immediately buried his face in Shuichi's frame, hugging Shuichi tightly before looking up, "I have a favour to cash in."

"Don't you mean a favour to ask?"

"Nope."

"You're sure?"

"Yup!"

Releasing Shuichi, Kokichi stepped back, "You asked me to corroborate your alibi in the class trial, riiight? So you owe me."

"That was so we both wouldn't die!" Shuichi protested, but he had a fond smile on his face.

"Whatevs," Kokichi let his eyes sparkle slightly, knowing the blush it would cause on Shuichi, "Now will you help mee?"

"Maybe," Shuichi knew Kokichi well enough to not immediately say yes, "What's the favour?"

"I want to paint you."

"P-Paint me?"

"Yup." Kokichi said it was like the easiest thing in the world, "I mainly do hyper-realism in paintings, so I need a model!"

"Why me?" Shuichi couldn't stop more blush from appealing on his face, briefly averting his eyes.

"You're the prettiest here, obviously."

"Really?" For a second Shuichi tried to look anywhere other than Kokichi, but eventually he looked up. And, to his surprise, there was some blush on Kokichi's face. It was partially disguised by red paint, which Shuichi was now fairly sure was deliberate. Almost subconsciously, Shuichi reached out, gently wiping the still wet paint of Kokichi's cheek. Kokichi was now just as red as before, but it was a natural blush now.

Puffing out his cheeks, Kokichi slowly drew away from Shuichi's touch, before choking out, "Geez. If you wanted to touch me that badly you could've just asked, y'know."

"Of course, my apologies."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatevs. I like you too."

Something in Shuichi's heart missed a beat there, although it was certainly in happiness.

"You still want to model for me?!"