Saioma Month 2023

Good to me

Post-game, everyone is trying to recover. Even if they know it will be slow, they are all trying to heal. Everyone, it seems, accept Kokichi. And of course, it's Shuichi that notices. It's him that get concerned as well, and it's him that looks out for Kokichi. Even if it's something as simple as going to his room...

Prompt : The Beauty and The Beast

It had been almost four months since everyone had woken up. Had finally gotten out of the simulation. If Shuichi was being generous, he would say it had been about three months since everyone had come to terms with it. Come to terms with it in the sense that they accepted it was a simulation, that is. No-one here would ever support what Team Danganronpa did to them. Even if they had supposedly signed up to it, no-one would forgive them.

At least, Shuichi was fairly certain no-one would. Almost all of the participants (he refused to call them his 'fellow cast members') ate together, and spent most of their days together. There wasn't much else they could do, afterall. None of them had passed enough mental evaluation and training to be allowed back to the real world yet. Only three people avoided them.

Tsumugi had immediately been whisked away by Team Danganronpa, thankfully. Korekiyo, for obvious reasons, was rather outcast from the group. Team Danganronpa had tried to introduce him back into the group, suggested group counselling with him and Angie and Tenko, but the two had vehemently refused. Everyone was mostly uncomfortable around him, and after a while he simply stopped showing up to meals. But he didn't shy away, he just didn't enter many social situations. You could still encounter him sometimes; in the library, or at the cafeteria getting a small snack or lte dinner.

You could never see Kokichi. They'd barely seen him at all, except for when they woke up, and for mandatory meetings. Him, Kaito, Rantaro, and Kaede had waited for him to wake up - somewhat worried about him. He should've woken up before Kaito, but for some reason he didn't. It was Shuichi who first realised his... friend had woken up. Shuichi was still never sure what to call Kokichi. At the start of the game, he would have comfortably said a crush. Then, after some of the events - he wasn't sure. Shuichi would still blush in exactly the same way, and get the same butterflies. But no-one else would even call him friend.

Shuichi didn't want to have to stand up to everyone else, especially not when Kokichi had done what he did. But whatever he felt for Kokichi certainly hadn't disappeared. In a way, it only ever got worse. Something in Shuichi's heart ached when Kokichi awoke, fear and horror in his eyes. A large, rattling gasping breath - his eyes looking around, panicked and scared. But something in him calmed down as he saw Shuichi. Well, that wasn't fair. He would like to say that slight sparkle, sigh of relief was because of him - but it might not have been. Afterall, he only asked for Rantaro. So only Rantaro explained to Kokichi.

In all of the group meetings, he still behaved the same. Had that exact smile, exact reactions that gave Shuichi a blush and butterflies. But something was wrong, and Shuichi could tell that it was forced - or at least a lot of it was. And he was worried for Kokichi. After a little over four months, things eventually reached a breaking point. He knew what his heart wanted, for him to see Kokichi again. Not just as something more - but first and foremost as a friend, a person. The still sixteen year old, who wasn't just the villain he had pretended to be.

That was why Shuichi was still looking around at breakfast. He waited until Miu took a large mouthful of food, and everything was relatively quiet to ask, "How do you think Kokichi's doing?"

"Pffftt-" Was the immediate reaction, from Miu gaging slightly and looking up at him, eyes narrowed, "Hey Poo-ichi, maybe warn us next time you're bringing up that ass? And why the fuck should we care?"

"It was a valid question," Rantaro spoke up, firmly but mildly, "None of us really see him anymore."

"Not even you?" Shuichi asked Rantaro, eyes narrowing slightly. If he wasn't even seeing Rantaro...

"When was the last time anyone saw him?" Kaede asked.

"Probably about three weeks ago," Kaito spoke up, "We had our monthly killer-victim thing."

A few people around nodded appreciatively, and then Miu took a gulp of coffee before saying, "Me and that gremlin spoke two weeks ago. It was a killer-victim thing, even though he never actually had anything to do with it."

She laughed slightly, glancing towards Gonta and winking. "He's fuckin' insufferable in those."

"How so?" Shuichi said, almost immediately.

"Course you'd like to know," Miu narrowed her eyes at him, "Just like he was in the game, y'know. Constantly spitting bullshit, that kinda stuff."

"Did he seem-"

"Sad, mopey?" Miu interrupted, "No. Except when he did those annoying-ass crocodile tears. But everyone knows how fake those are."

"His exaggerated emotions are based in truth," Rantaro pointed out, "Sometimes."

"I'm going to try and talk to him," Shuichi declared, trying not to flinch as everyone's eyes settled completely onto him.

"Why?" Maki's eyes glared into him, hand gripping her fork with more strength than necessarily.

"Probably wants to get freaky," Miu's eyes gleamed slightly, "Finally got tired of being a loser and a virgin."

"I- that isn't it at all," Shuichi protested, "I'm worried."
"And fuckin' horny."

"Ignore him," Kaede said, trying to smile at Kokichi, "If you want to talk to him, he'll probably be eating right now. His room's next to mine."

"How do you know?" Miu demanded, "You wanted some?"

"Because it's written on his door," Kaede sighed, "And when I get up later I've seen him sometimes, room service arrives."
"Bougie asshole."

I am finished," Shuichi looked down at his empty plate, "I'm going to go talk to him."

"Good luck."

The response came from three of them, Kaito, Kaede and Rantaro. But almost everyone had some form of encouragement in their face, even if everyone also seemed sceptical. Shuichi couldn't exactly blame them, however. It could be difficult to see Kokichi as anything but the villain, even if he certainly wasn't.

Eventually, Shuichi came to the correct door. It was still incredibly simple, and incredibly plain - with just his name, and a small smiley face drawn into it. Crouching, Shuichi dropped to examine the face - it was scratched into the surface, rather professionally. Of course Kokichi would be able to still get sharp objects, even when in this environment. Taking a deep breath, Shuichi knocked on the door.

Listening closely, he could hear a small amount of movement before the door unlocked. Kokichi looked almost exactly the same, and although his face had been carefully he schooled into something neutral - the first time that he had seen Shuichi, there had been a smile. Shuichi could even say there had been a slight bit of blush, along with that sparkle. The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds, Shuichi's heart beating wildly in his chest. And then he tried to speak, "Ummm.... hi, Kokichi."

"Heya Shumai," there was a small smile on his face, "Did you miss me? Did you? Did you?"

He got closer, a larger grin on his face. Holding his hands up closely and together, looking almost exactly like a child. And it was so... Kokichi, so refreshing - that it was beautiful. For a second, all Shuichi could do was smile and laugh.

"I-" he grinned as well, "I've missed you Kokichi."

"Well, it's no fun if you just admit it like that, y'know."

"Of course, my sincere apologies."

"Sincere?" Kokichi pouted, "Bleg. Now you've ruined it."

A sparkle still in his eyes, he began to exaggeratedly shut the door, forcing Shuichi to put his hand inbetween it. There was a second of pause, careful consideration, before Kokichi opened the door again.

"Fine. But only because I like you, y'know. What do you want?"

"You-you like me?"

"What do you want?"

"I'd like... to talk."