Simply, Virtual

Virtual...Fake?

•^ Shuichi's POV ^•
"-Chi..!"
My head was pounding, the worst headache I had ever had,

"-Uichi.!"

The entire world was black, pitch black, no color, no light, nothing. Just completely black. I tried opening my eyes, it was no use. I opened them and the world was still completely black, and that's when I thought to myself, 'Is this...What it's like to be dead? If it is..this is nothing-'

"Shuichi Saihara!!"

I looked over to my side to see someone I thought I'd never see again.

Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist.

But..this can't be real can it? Kaede...Kaede was executed..This can't be real! It's just...a...a dream. Yeah, that's what is, this isn't real, it can't be!

"Hey, Shuichi! I thought I'd never see you again!" The blonde-haired girl exclaimed, obviously excited.

"W-Wha- No..Th-This, This isn't r-real..Th-This is just a d-dream, r-right...?" I spoke shakily, obviously confused and terrified.

"Actually...No, this is not a dream! I'm actually here! I'm not dead, Shuichi!" Kaede smiled as she spoke, how could she be so...Enthusiastic all the time...?

"K-Kaede...O-Oh m-my.." I couldn't even finish my sentence, I was choking on tears, I didn't even notice it until now but tears were spilling down my face.

"Shuichi.." Kaede smiled sympathetically, pulling me into a warm hug. And I hugged back, tightly.

I thought I'd never see her again. After seeing her get executed...I thought I'd never hug her, I thought I'd never speak to her, I thought I never would have done anything else with her, but here she was. Standing right in front of me, telling me she wasn't really dead.

"K-Kaede..." I finally managed to muster out, still hugging her, not as tightly as before.

"Yeah?"

"How are you still alive...?" I was so...Confused, I wouldn't be surprised if I woke up and realized everything happening was a dream. It sure felt like it.

She let out a small chuckle. "Well, that's a long story, but to put it simply, that whole thing we all went through, was just a virtual simulation that Tsumugi was orchestrating."

"V-Virtual..? So...All of that...It was fake?" I was so...dumbfounded, I didn't even know how to react.

"Essentially." Kaede then got up, held my hand and started walking out of the hospital like the room I had been staying in. "C'mon, there's something I wanna show you, Shuichi."

And she walked into an area that somewhat resembled a school cafeteria.

"K-Kaede, what are we-"

Immediately I stopped talking, I saw so many people standing right in front of me, people who I watched die, people who I watched become victims, people who I watched become murderers, people I thought I'd never see again. They were alive, standing right in front of me.

I felt like I was about to break down and start crying.