(DISCONTINUED! REWRITE IS OUT NOW) Down the Rabbit Hole {Danganronpa}

Chapter 20 ~ Just A Talk

Shuichi stared down Kaito's back to the ground, his anxiety rising with each second that past. He didn't know where they were going or what Kaito was going to do with him. A part of him hoped he could find a way to slip out of Kaito's arms but Kaito's grip never lightened, as if Shuichi could be easily whisked away at any second. His nerves never calmed, shaking getting worse as he looked up, recognizing the area. It was the entrance to assassin castle, two girl's holding swords and glaring at him.

He could only assume what this meant, finally beginning to struggle. Digging his fingers into Kaito's back and kicking his legs, he struggled the best he could, not thinking if it was even possible to get away. Kaito's grip tightening caused Shuichi to stop, starting to feel pain. Shuichi could feel Kaito's nails digging in his side, causing some regret.

Kaito laughed a bit before speaking. "Calm down."

He turned the corner into a room. Shuichi's gaze had gone back to the ground, not wanting to know where exactly they were going. He expected maybe a dungeon or some kind of torture room. This Kaito seemed crazy, so Shuichi wouldn't put it past him. He was shocked when Kaito suddenly stopped walking, placing Shuichi down in a chair. Finally looking up, he looked around, recognizing the room as a kitchen. He gave a confused look as his gaze went up to Kaito.

"I just wanted to talk." Kaito smiled, acting as if what happened back at the woods hadn't actually happened. He turned and walked towards one of the two refrigerators. "Hungry?"

Shuichi was about to decline before his stomach spoke for him. All his panic had caused him to forget about food, making him wonder when was the last time he ate. Usually he got food from Kirumi. But his last time there felt like weeks ago.

Sighing, he finally spoke. "Yeah, kind of."

"What do you eat?" Kaito asked that as if Shuichi were some alien that didn't eat normal food.

"Um... anything is good, I guess." Now definitely wasn't the time to be picky, so he didn't quite care.

Kaito pulled out a bowl, his back still to Shuichi as he stuck it in the microwave. Shuichi stared at the door way, realizing he could easily attempt an escape. And yet, he didn't move, seeing no reason to. He was still hungry and being offered food. Add that Kaito no longer seemed like a threat and probably really did just want to talk. So he stayed seated, hoping everything would just stay calm for once.

The microwabe beeped before Kaito almost instantly took it out, setting it in front of Shuichi. It was a bowl of spaghetti, already half eaten. But Shuichi didn't care, eating as soon as he was handed a fork. Kaito laughed at how fast Shuichi began to eat, grabbing his arm to slow him down. The last thing he needed was for Shuichi to choke. You can't have a conversation with a corpse after all. After Shuichi started to slow down, Kaito cleared his throat, ready to start asking questions.

"So how did you get here," he asked, leaning a bit closer.

Shuichi finished swallowing his food before answering. "Kokichi. I'm not exactly sure how he got to my world but he was the one who dragged me here."

Kaito wanted to growl at the mention of Kokichi but kept quiet. He tried to see this as some sort of hope that Shuichi didn't actually like Kokichi. "So that's why you were with him?"

"Actually, no. It's more because he is the only person I can really trust in this crazy world." He found surprisment in his own words, looking down. Sure, it wasn't completely true considering there was also Kirumi. And yet, he felt as if what he just said was the complete truth.

Kaito grunted. "You know he's just as crazy as the rest of us, right?" His voice got dark, almost threatening.

Shuichi didn't look up, letting those words sink in. He knew Kaito was probably right. Kokichi grew up in a world where being a psychopath was normal and encouraged. So why would Kokichi be any different? He may seem more sane then the others but was that because he knew better, or because he needed Shuichi to like him? Questions started to form in his mind. Such as: How many people had Kokichi killed? Did he laugh about death like Kaito? Would he try to change Shuichi into loving this way of life?

The last one made him frown. Death had taken too many of his friends. Whether these people could come back or not, he'd never enjoy their ways of living. He'd rather die than become like them.

Kaito noticed Shuichi's change in mood, feeling a little regret. He had wanted to cause some distance between the two, not make Shuichi upset. Sighing, he decided to try to change his approach.

"What I'm trying to say is, he isn't different from the rest of us," He said. "So maybe give us all a chance."

Shuichi knew what Kaito was trying to say, shaking his head. his was different. Kokichi never tried to kill him, unlike everybody else. They were the ones not giving him a chance without wanting something in return. And sometimes those prices were too high to pay. He looked over at Kaito, taking a second to analyze him. Remembering this was in no way his Kaito, he thought about everything he knew so far. This Kaito never actually attacked him. In fact, he had acted pretty friendly towards Shuichi compared to everyone else. The only time he tried to be threatening was when he held the sword to Shuichi's neck. And even then, it didn't seem like hurting Shuichi was his goal.

This brought him to a new question.

"Why did you bring me here," he asked, starting to eat again.

Kaito hadn't expected that question, taking a second before answering. "I told you. To talk."

"But about what?" Shuichi set down the fork, staring into Kaito's eyes. "I doubt it was just to ask about me."

"I mean, I am curious." Kaito shrugged, smiling. "But you're half right." He leaned closer to Shuichi. "So tell me, what did Kokichi tell you about me?"

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🌿Hhhhh school is killing me... Anyways, I forgot yesterday was Wednesday. Oof.🌿