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

Chapter 29: Going Out Part 2

Kokichi and Maki had ordered. "Alright, I'll wait for the pizza. You go and sit with Kiibo, ok?" She said. Kokichi nodded. Now seemed to be the perfect time to go see what was wrong.

Kokichi sat next to Kiibo, who was staring off into the crowd. "H-Hey." Kokichi said. Kiibo merely grunted as his response. "Are y-you ok? You s-seem pretty spaced out...." Kokichi tried again. "I've just been... thinking, is all." Kiibo responded. "About w-what?" Kokichi asked. "Oh, shoot. I can't tell him right now... Maki could come back any second. I need to lie...."

"I've been wondering... why do you hug and... kiss me so often? Well, you only kissed me once, but...." Kiibo asked. "No! That's just as bad." He scolded himself. Kokichi blushed slightly. "W-well, I mean, y-you seem to l-like it, so... b-besides, friends do those things t-too...." Kokichi stuttered. "Ah." Kokichi looked at Kiibo. "If y-you don't want m-me to hug you, I w-won't." Kokichi said. "...No. It's fine if you hug me. That isn't what I'm concerned about." Kiibo said. "D-Do you want a h-hug right now? It m-might cheer you up." Kokichi said. Kiibo nodded, and Kokichi layed his head on Kiibo's shoulder as he hugged the robot. Kiibo faintly blushed. "Hey... K-Kokichi?" Kiibo stammered. Kokichi looked up at him, giving Kiibo his full attention. "Do you... want to know what I was really thinking about?" Kiibo asked. Kokichi nodded. "Kokichi... I've been thinking about this for awhile, but... Kokichi, I wanted to tell you that-"

"I've got the pizza!" Maki announced, cutting Kiibo off. "Th-Thanks Maki." Kokichi thanked her, then looked back at Kiibo. "What w-were you going to tell me?" He whispered. Kiibo shook his head. "Nevermind."

As Maki and Kokichi dug into the pizza, Kiibo looked off into the crowd again. "Why do I keep getting interrupted? My timing is pretty inconvenient...." Kokichi glanced over at Kiibo. "U-Um, hey Kiibo?" Kiibo turned to look at him. "Hm?" Kokichi lifted up a pizza. "H-Have you ever... tried t-to eat?" He asked. Kiibo gently lowered the pizza. "Thank you, Kokichi, but I know for a fact that I can't eat." He responded. "Oh, yeah... Kokichi, we should try to hurry so that we can find something that Kiibo can do, too." Maki said. Kokichi nodded. "I'm fine just sitting here, though."

Soon enough, Maki and Kokichi finished eating. Maki stood up. "Alright guys! Where should we go first?" She asked. "I'm not sure if you like Danganronpa, Maki, but I saw on a flyer that a store here was selling Danganronpa Kirigiri books. I thought Kokichi might want to see them." Kiibo suggested. "That was nice of him." Kokichi thought. "Oh! I'm actually a big fan of the series... my favorite character is Peko. If Kokichi is fine with it, I'd love to go see!" Maki exclaimed. "Do you want to go?" Kiibo asked. Kokichi nodded. "S-sure."

Kiibo lead the way to the store, since he was the one who had seen the flyer. Soon enough they had arrived. Maki and Kokichi walked around, looking for merchandise that interested them. Kiibo stood near the entrance. Kokichi noticed that Kiibo was standing alone, so he gently pulled Kiibo in. "K-Kiibo, I know you d-don't like Danganronpa that m-much, but d-do you remember that f-figure you liked the last t-time we were here?" Kokichi asked. Kiibo thought for a moment. "The figurine was of Hifumi, correct?" Kokichi nodded. He then pulled Kiibo towards one of the shelves. "They h-have a lot of them l-left." Kokichi said. "They do." Kiibo stated. "D...Do you w-want one?" Kokichi asked. "Huh? I mean... I don't not want one, but I don't want to spend money on it." Kiibo said. Kokichi pulled out a wallet. "What are you doing?" Kiibo questioned. "I'm g-going to buy you this. Y-you and Maki tried t-to find me before, a-and I want to repay y-you." Kokichi stammered, pulling some money out of the wallet. "You don't have to. Me and Maki didn't look for you because we were expecting a reward." Kiibo said. Kokichi wore a determined face. "I know." Kokichi grabbed a figure of Hifumi and a figure of Peko, and walked up to the cash register.

Maki came up to Kiibo. "Is Kokichi already done?" She asked. "He grabbed the two of us figures. I told him he didn't have to, but...." Kiibo's voice trailed off. "What? He did? I'm gonna have to pay him back! Would you hold these for me?" Kiibo nodded and was handed a small pile of merchandise. Maki reached into her purse and pulled out some money to repay Kokichi. "Thanks, Kiibo." She took her stuff back, still holding the money in one hand. "I'm going to go pay for this stuff, and then pay Kokichi back." She said, and hurried off to the register.

Kokichi came back, holding the Peko and Hifumi figures. He handed the Hifumi one to Kiibo. "H-Here." Kiibo took it, then reached into his back pocket to get some money. He held out the money to Kokichi. "Kokichi, you didn't have to buy that for me. Please let me pay you back." Kiibo said. Kokichi shook his head. "It's a g-gift." Kokichi replied, then walked over to Maki. She had finished buying her things, and was holding two bags of them. The two seemed to have nearly the same conversation as Kiibo and Kokichi had. Kiibo looked down at the figurine in his hand. "To be honest, I'd probably be thankful if he got me a pencil. This is a really expensive figure...."

Maki and Kokichi returned. "Alright, where are we heading next?" Maki asked. Kokichi yawned. "Perhaps we should call it a day." Kiibo suggested. "What? N-no...." Kokichi seemed disappointed. "It's ok. We can go again another day!" Maki exclaimed. Kiibo nodded. "Rest is important." Kokichi sighed. "A-Alright...."

So, the trio exited the mall. It had gotten dark out, and since Maki lived the complete opposite way of Kiibo and Kokichi, she left first. Kiibo and Kokichi got to walk together for awhile.

Kiibo was quiet. "Right now is the perfect time." Kokichi noticed how quiet Kiibo was. "H-Hey, Kiibo? L-Lately you've b-been really quiet." Kokichi pointed out. "Yeah. I was going to tell you why before, but Maki interrupted." Kiibo said. "C-Can you tell me n-now...?" Kokichi asked. Kiibo stopped walking, and Kokichi turned to look at him. "I... ok. I'll tell you." Kokichi gave Kiibo a concerned look. "He seems nervous... I wonder why."

"Kokichi... I've had something on my mind for awhile now, and I need to tell you." Kiibo quoted. Kokichi nodded. "Kokichi... I... I... I love you." The words dropped like a Kiibo in water. Kokichi made a small gasp, and turned pink. "You're kind, and thoughtful." Kiibo held up the figurine. "And I find you quite humorous. Kokichi... please accept my confession."

The robots usually pale face was now scarlet. The two were silent for a moment. "K-Kiibo... is what you s-said true...? It's n-not a prank?" Kokichi asked. "Of course it's true." Kiibo said. Kokichi nervously bit his lip and fiddled his thumbs. "Kiibo... w-why didn't you t-tell me sooner? I mean...." Kokichi warmly smiled. "Of c-course I accept."

《________End of Chapter 29________》

Words: 1260

[Thank you for reading. All we have left is one last chapter, wrapping up the story. Once this is done, I'm gonna focus a bit more on oneshots, hehe.]