(Shuichi Harem) Oops...

Chapter 14

1. yes i updated like a year later lmaoaoaoa. i might start updating regularly. i'm not into danganronpa as much but i'll try lol.

2. my writing style may have changed because of the long break, so sorry in advance if it sounds different

3. i forgot everything that happened in here and just reread what i wrote and daMNN i'm a better writer than i thought

4. also this is random but rantaro gives off the vibes of jim halpert (from the office)

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The weekend quickly came and went, and Shuichi found himself back at school again. He wondered if Kokichi would be back today. He took the bus and found himself sitting next to Maki. They didn't talk to each other and he just stared out the window. The bus was crowded, too crowded considering that most of the students on it could just drive to school themselves.

When the bus arrived at school, Shuichi went into the common area and met with only Kaede. "Hey, Shuichi! Seems you're earlier than normal today," she told him. Her voice always had that bright and confident tone that Shuichi never heard from anyone else. He never noticed that up until now.

"That's probably because I took the bus for a change," he answered. 

"Well, you should definitely take the bus more often. I usually spend like 20 minutes by myself before anyone else arrives," Kaede explained.

"Alright. I'll think about it. The only issue is that I don't wake up in time."

"Oh, that sucks. Do you sleep late?" Kaede asked.

"Do I..." Shuichi trailed off and thought to himself. When was the last time he got proper sleep? He had slept at around midnight that day, because there was just so much to do. And it seemed like an awfully bad habit of his the more Shuichi thought about it. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"That's alright. A lot of high schoolers have that issue too." Kaede spoke like she wasn't a high schooler herself. "But it can lead to bad health in the future."

"Oh, please, Kaede. Sleep is for the weak!" declared a voice from behind them. Shuichi turned around and saw it was Kaito.

"Sleep is not for the weak! Whoever made that saying up is dumb," Kaede told the two.

"Oh, Kaito. Have you had the sauna battle with Kokichi yet?" Shuichi asked.

"Not yet, I haven't heard from him all weekend," Kaito admitted. "I think he's scared I'll win."

"I don't think so," Shuichi said. He remembered what his uncle had told him, about how Kokichi had shoplifted and got caught. Should he really tell them though? Kokichi might have had a trial and needed to get counseling or something. Shoplifting was a pretty hefty crime. Shuichi decided he had no choice, it was best to tell them anyway. "My uncle told me that he caught Kokichi shoplifting. He might be in legal trouble."

"Hold up, your uncle!?" Kaito exclaimed.

"His uncle's a detective," Kaede recalled to Kaito. "Thanks for telling us, Shuichi. But we knew that already."

"What?" Shuichi said in surprise. "H-How?"

"It's not in my place to speak, but..." Kaede started. "Kokichi's been having a bet with another student to see how many times they could shoplift without getting caught."

"Geez." Shuichi didn't expect the Panta-loving weirdo to be into betting of any sorts. "Who... Who's it with?" 

"I don't know her name, I've only heard rumors," Kaede said with an enigmatic tone in her voice.

"She's a year above us, right?" Kaito asked. So he knew about this too.

"How come none of you guys told me?" Shuichi said. He was a bit disappointed, but he knew they probably had good reason not to tell them. Besides, he himself had stalled telling them about Kokichi's crime (or as it seemed now, crimes).

"Well, we weren't supposed to know about it either. In fact, it was supposed to be a private bet for a long time. But one day I was shopping with Kokichi and like--"

"Wait, you shopped with him?" Kaede said as looked at Kaito, perplexed.

"No, wait! I meant, I saw him in the store by chance," Kaito said, correcting himself."I would never shop with the dude." Shuichi narrowed his eyes. Kaito shopping with Kokichi seemed pretty unlikely, but so did seeing him by coincidence. 

"So, what happened?"

"I... y'know, saw him stealing things from the store and I asked him. And he explained this whole bet thing, but told me not to tell anyone. But I told Kaede by accident," Kaito explained rather loudly. "Not even Rantaro knows, and he knows everything."

"I don't know what?" said the green-haired guy that suddenly appeared from behind Shuichi.

"What the hell!?" Kaito yelled out. "Do you teleport or something?"

"No, I think you're just really ignorant," said Kaede in a joking manner.

"Don't be so rude, Kaede," Rantaro said with a smile. "Anyway, what were you guys saying? I heard my name."

Kaito sighed and gave Kaede a look. "Well, we explained it to Shuichi so we'll have to tell you too..." 

They explained the bet to Rantaro, and he was visibly shocked as well.

"My God. I never would've expected Kokichi to do things like that, and I thought I knew him pretty well," he said.

"That's what I thought too when Kaito told me," Kaede said sadly.

"Anyway," Shuichi mentioned, "do you guys have any idea of who it could be?"

Everyone shook their heads. "I've heard a couple things, but everyone just calls her the Ultimate Gambler. No names," Kaede told him.

"I see." Shuichi thought to himself. He'd have to ask around to find out the student's name, but that wouldn't really help him except to satisfy his curiosity. If he really needed to find out more about this, there was only one person he could ask.

His uncle.

"So what do you think he's doing now?" Rantaro questioned, causing Shuichi to glance back up at his green eyes. "If he was able to prank us, he might just be chilling at home or something."

"I dunno. I don't really wanna play detective here," Kaito sighed. "We'll find out whenever Kokichi comes back anyway."

"I hope," Kaede muttered.

The bell rang, signaling the start of first period.

As well as the start of Shuichi's investigation.