My Dearest, Saihara-Chan

Chapter Eight: Butterflies

Note from Shu: Going through an art block- no art for the rest of the story, apologies! Anyways, enjoy the soft Oumasai I know y'all are here for!

Shuichi felt butterflies were beginning to gather and flutter about inside him at that familiar smile, lighting up the world like the sun that's shining above them. Shuichi shook his head. Now's not the time to think about himself.

 "O-ouma-kun! What... how... why are you here??" He stammered, still shell shocked by Kokichi's sudden appearance.

"Nishishi- still worrying about the pointless... things I see, Saihara-chan..." Kokichi responded, still looking dazed. Pointless things? Shuichi thought. Oh yeah, Kokichi just fell out of a tree, that's probably not good...

 "Are you ok?" Shuichi asked, reaching out a hand. Kokichi just stared at his hand for a good minute. "O...ouma-kun?" Kokichi seemed to snap back into focus at the sound of his name and reached up to take Shuichi's hand. 

 "I'm a-ok!" He said brightly. "Thanks for your concern nishishi!" That laugh... it's been so long since Shuichi has heard it. Something tells him that he had heard it recently but... that's not possible.

 "W-well... um... why were you in a tree?" Shuichi asked, pulling Kokichi up. Kokichi wobbled a bit on his feet before regaining his balance. 

 "It's quite a nice place to hang out yanno?" He responded, keeping his focus on his feet as he regained his balance. Something's off about the way Kokichi said it but... Shuichi decided to ignore it. 

 "So, uh... where have you been all these years?" Shuichi asked Kokichi, letting go of his hand just as Kokichi flapped it at Shuichi, seemingly waving away all the questions. 

 "What's with the interrogations, Mr. Shuichi Saihara?" He complained. "Are you still on the job or something? Point is, I'm back! So, how about we spend the rest of the day catching up, hm?" Kokichi suggested, with a charming smile.

 "Ah, sure... I suppose." Shuichi agreed. He felt like Kokichi was just brushing off all of his questions for a shady reason, but... 

 "Say! Whaddya wanna do Shumai?" Kokichi asked, bouncing up and down slightly, looking at Shuichi, seemingly observing his face. Was something on his face? Or did he look that awful, not sleeping for the past few nights? 

 "I... I..." Shuichi stuttered, lost in his thoughts, not knowing how to reply. 

 "As indecisive as ever..." Kokichi sighed. "Well, guess I'll be choosing!" Kokichi leaped over the bench and flopped down into it with an agility of a lithe gymnastic, thinking thoughtfully. Shuichi walked around the bench, before hesitantly sitting next to Kokichi, nothing but Shuichi's book separating the two. He still felt as though butterflies were flying all around his insides and adrenaline seems to have gotten rid of his constant state of exhaustion for once. "I know!" Shuichi almost fell off of the bench, his heart leaping to his throat. "I wanna see our apartment! I wanna see what you two did with my stuff that is~" Kokichi suggested, with a sly smile.

 "A-ah... well... sure, we can do that." Shuichi responded, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Kokichi grinned, making the world around them seem to become brighter. Shuichi smiled bashfully in response. He really, really missed these kinds of moments with his... best friend. Though, it is worth wondering where Kokichi went all these years... but right now, it doesn't really matter, does it?

~~~

"Wow! The place still looks the same as the last time I was here!" Kokichi exclaimed, spinning in a slow circle in the middle of the living room. Shuichi leaned against the wall, taking off his shoes, the rush of adrenaline he felt from seeing Kokichi for the first time in five years running out, leaving him even more drained and exhausted than before. "Hey Shumai! Come here!" Kokichi called from the kitchen. Shuichi slowly made his way down the hallway to where Kokichi was, letting his body lean against the wall slightly as he walked.