What if it Repeated? (Oumasai/Saiouma)

Chapter 32- False Pretences

Please don't be the mastermind please don't be the mastermind.
"The mastermind?! Me?!" please don't be the mastermind please don't be the mastermind. "Pffft!" Kokichi laughed and gave him an amused look, "do you want me to be?" Please don't be. "Is this a role play thing you're wanting to try out? I mean if you're into it..." Kokichi trailed off wistfully.
"That's... not what I meant..." Shuuichi groaned, running a slightly shaky hand through his hair to get it out of his eyes.
"Oh this is legitimate. Ahh alright then, nope I am not," not... the mastermind ... He wanted to believe him, every fibre in his body was aching for Kokichi to be telling the truth, but something seemed off. "Huh?! Don't give me that look I am not lying I swear it!" Kokichi continued when he caught sight of Shuuichi's face.

"You..." Shuuichi began hoarsely, not knowing what he was going to say when Kokichi saved him the chance of coming up with something.
"Why won't you believe me? What have you seen?" Kokichi's face betrayed nothing and even his eyes seemed awfully blank of their usual rampant life. Please don't actually be the mastermind.
"In the other reality, you..." Kokichi held up a finger for him to stop and gave him a wide smile,
"Well that's bullshit then! It's fucking Miu's invention, of course it doesn't work properly!"

Shuuichi ran his hand through his hair again, this time only messing up his newly straightened hair. That wasn't right. Everything lined up between the realities and this one except for the few differences that set them apart. The machine worked perfectly, which also meant Kokichi was lying. He had known it before, but this only cemented the fact.
"Kokichi, please... just tell me the truth..."
"So you don't believe me? I guess you've already made up your mind on what the truth is. Unbelievable!" Kokichi growled through gritted teeth, "what did you bloody see, huh? Tell me that." Shuuichi wasn't quite sure what to call this emotion exuding from the boy opposite. It seemed to be a mix of anger and something he couldn't quite pinpoint.
"You said some things... and you were the one who stabbed my leg..." he said in a low voice.

"Me?" Kokichi said with wide eyes, glancing at the leg that had previously had the knife protruding from it. "Tactless."
"...huh?"
"Honestly I would have expected something better from myself. Stabbing you to death is FAR too boring, especially since it's you." Kokichi twinkled so innocently that it took a moment for Shuuichi to register what had just been said. When it finally clicked, his heart seemed to stop mid beat. He had been willing himself to not link the kind and humourous Kokichi with the mastermind he had seen only a day ago, but it was starting to take its toll. Even though this Kokichi acted different on the surface, they were the same.

He had grown close with Kokichi, he had laughed with him. He was nothing like the other reality Kokichi who was cruel and sinister.
"So, you are then...?"
"Well no shit Sherlock, pretty bummed you found out, but what can I do?" Kokichi pouted, flicking a couple of the remaining cards onto the floor, clearly noticing that it was bothering Shuuichi immensely and relishing in it. "So what are you going to do now that you know, Huh? You gonna try and out me to everyone? Kill me maybe?" He recounted, his voice growing higher excitedly with every added word.

Kill? To kill Kokichi. It hadn't even crossed his mind. Even if he was the mastermind, the thought broke him. If Kokichi were to die, would there still be a backup mastermind to pull the strings in his stead. Was it different in this reality? Everything was getting so confusing.
"No."
"What was that? I didn't hear you?" Kokichi simpered sweetly, leaning in again to catch Shuuichi's eye. Shuuichi couldn't bring himself to look back, he felt more betrayed than ever. He should've seen it coming. He knew it was true as soon as Kokichi had first denied it. No matter how hard he tried to conceal it, his mannerisms gave him away. He shouldn't have let his guard down. No matter what he did in this killing game he was never able to be happy. It was just one factor after another that seemed to put every happy moment to an abrupt and brutal end. He wished he had truly died that first time. Never experiencing all this would have been better than this pain he was feeling right now.