We're "Just Friends", Right? [Pregame Kiibouma]

Chapter 7: Shopping Together Part 1

Shuichi woke up before his alarm went off. He was too excited to wait. He hopped out of bed, and grabbed one of his Danganronpa shirts, some jeans, a pair of his shoes, and his hat. He rushed downstairs to get a bite to eat.

Kiibo had already told his creators about his plans for the day and gotten their permission, so all he needed to do to get ready was grab his hat.

Kokichi groggily woke up, and stretched. He turned off his alarm, and remembered what he was going to do today. "Hm... shopping with Shuichi... and Kiibo." He said to himself, then began to get himself ready.

Kiibo had already arrived by the time Shuichi had left his house, and Kokichi was about 10 minutes away. Kiibo was bored, so he sat on a bench near the mall's entrance and sat down, and observed some of the people walking about.

He sat there for a while, until Kokichi came along. "H-hi Kiibo." He greeted him, and sat next to him on the bench. "Hi, Kokichi." Kiibo didn't take his eyes off the random people he was observing. "I'm g-glad you c-could come." Kokichi said. "Of course. Going to events with people is normal for teenagers to do, right?" Kiibo asked. "I-it is."

While the two were waiting for Shuichi, they people watched. It was fun for Kokichi to come up with different stories about the random people, and Kiibo enjoyed collecting data. Shuichi finally arrived. As soon as Kiibo and Kokichi noticed, they hopped off the bench. "Hey, Kokichi. And, uh, you. You ready to go in?" He asked, smiling at Kokichi.

"Yup. Lead the way." Kiibo said, and Kokichi nodded. He held onto Kiibo's arm. Shuichi's smile stiffened. He hated the fact that the two were close. "It should be me that he's holding...." Shuichi didn't say anything, however, as he didn't want his plan to be ruined before he even got it started. So Shuichi just lead the way towards the mall.

"S-so, where are we going?" Kokichi asked. "Perhaps we could go to the clothing aisles?" Kiibo suggested. "Or,"  Shuichi stopped in the middle of the lobby. "We could go look for some Danganronpa merch. I heard that a few of the stores are selling a ton of it, in celebration of the 53rd season being announced." Shuichi said. "We c-could... b-but... isn't there anything else you ever th-think about?" Kokichi asked. Shuichi feigned being offended. "Of course there is!"

"Danganronpa, Danganronpa, Danganronpa. That's all that anyone talks about. I know I was made to be the Audience's eyes for the show, but I really don't understand the hype...." Kiibo thought to himself.

"Besides, I bet that Kiiboy over there is just as into something as I am with Danganronpa. I bet it's really weird and perverted, too, like bondage." Shuichi said. "...Bondage? You mean like, tying someone up? I don't see the appeal of that...." Kiibo said thoughtfully. "See, Kokichi? He didn't say he wasn't a fanatic of anything." Shuichi said. "G-guys... let's just go shop. A-and s-stop talking about weird kinks s-so casually....!" Kokichi said, seeming a little embarrassed. "Whatever you say. I'm not sure where we'd find anything for Danganronpa, so Shuichi, could you lead the way again?" Kiibo asked. Shuichi gladly took the lead, perhaps his skills at finding good deals could help win Kokichi over.

They walked around, looking for a store with signs advertising the merchandise, or any that they could see it from the entrance. They quickly found a store with a couple aisles of it, and they headed in. Shuichi immediately dashed towards the aisle, eager to get a whole new load of merchandise. Kokichi and Kiibo, on the other hand, took their time.

"So... what is it that gets people so excited for Danganronpa? Why do they like it so much?" Kiibo asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. Despite being created specifically for the show, Kiibo failed to see the appeal. "Oh... w-well, people like it f-for different reasons, I guess... some of them l-like it way more than others, though." Kokichi said. "Are you talking about Shuichi?" Kiibo asked. Kokichi nodded and sighed. "He keeps trying to get me to join. I-I don't want to, t-though... but I don't want him t-to audition alone...." Kokichi said. "You sound conflicted." Kiibo stated.

"Hey, what're you two talking about?" Shuichi asked. He disliked them leaving him out of things. "O-oh! It's nothing." Kokichi lied, smiling. "I wonder why he's lying." Kiibo thought to himself. "Oh, Kokichi. You're so bad at lying." Shuichi said. "It's none of your business, then." Kokichi snapped, glaring at Shuichi. He was tired of Shuichi trying to force his way into everything.

Both Kiibo and Shuichi were a bit surprised at what Kokichi had said. Shuichi decided that instead of getting angry, it would be more useful to pretend to be sad and guilt trip him. "K-Kokichi... why would you say something like that to me? I just wanted to know what you were talking about...."

Kokichi's face softened. He hated making people feel badly, even if it was someone he wasn't fond of. "Shuichi... I was... joking. I-I'm sorry I hurt your feelings...." Kokichi stammered. Shuichi faked a sniffle. "It's... okay, I guess...."

He still seemed sad, so Kokichi gave him a hug. "Shuichi, p-please forgive me, okay? I was just a bit tired." Shuichi was quiet for a minute. "Maybe I'd feel better if you kissed me on the cheek or something... the way moms do when you get a scratch." Shuichi said. It was definitely a long shot, but hey, maybe it'd work.

Kokichi sweated a little. "I don't really wanna kiss him... but I don't want him to hate me, either." So Kokichi gave Shuichi a quick peck on the cheek, then quickly turned and faced the shelves, hiding his blushing face.

Shuichi let him go, pleased with the results. Kokichi had kissed him. A smile crept up on his face.

Kiibo watched this happen, quite confused. Especially with the kiss. "So... a kiss is for forgiveness? Or is it for lovers? Is it both? I don't understand...." He thought. "Maybe it is a friend thing." He muttered out loud, unaware that Shuichi had heard.

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Words: 1071

[Thanks for reading. Part 2 of this chapter will come out next week. Make sure to vote if you enjoyed! I almost forgot to upload this today]