A/N: I don't own Corpse Party. I haven't played the game (though I have watched the anime and a youtuber playing it), but this is based on a wrong end.

SPLASH!

Yoshiki turned around in time to see the little waves in the dank, murky water of the pool. The rain and darkness made it difficult to determine what it was, but something had definitely dropped into the pool. Though it probably wasn't smart, his first instinct was to head for the pump room. He had found the rusty key laying on the path and inspected the pump room just a few minutes ago. From what he could tell, the drainage valve was still in working condition.

As Yoshiki turned the valve, he heard the sound of rushing water. Whatever was out there had probably been chopped to pieces. Yoshiki winced at the thought. Even so, knowing that the thing out there wouldn't be able to get to him was a relief. He exited the pump room less urgently, though his previous apprehension still lingered. Yoshiki couldn't help thinking that the person, ghost, or whatever had been Shinozaki.

Shaking the gruesome idea from his mind, Yoshiki climbed down the ladder into the now-empty pool. His eyes were drawn to the chopped-up body stuck in one of the drains and the fresh blood forming a pool around the body. Yoshiki instantly recognized the uniform and the beautiful blue hair. Shinozaki's lifeless eyes stared straight ahead. He felt like she was accusing him of having killed her, but he couldn't deny it.

After all, Yoshiki had just murdered the girl he liked (and still likes).

One of Yoshiki's hands groped blindly for the ladder while the other grasped his head. He faced the wall and threw up. Yoshiki couldn't erase her bloody body from his mind. It was engraved there, reminding him of the deed he had committed. He had killed Shinozaki with his own hands. It wasn't the creepy ghosts, the weird school, or some crazy psycho. He had killed her. That realization brought about another round of retching.

When he couldn't throw up anymore, Yoshiki collapsed against the side of the pool. He wiped his mouth, then placed his head in his hands. Yoshiki didn't have the energy to move anymore. It felt like he'd not only emptied his stomach, but also his spirit. No matter how terrible she was in this situation with her freak-outs and demands, Shinozaki was—had been—a comforting presence. Without her, Yoshiki didn't think he'd be able to survive this ordeal.

Somewhere, in his mind, Yoshiki knew Shinozaki would want him to move on and, of course, go find Satoshi. Although Yoshiki knew this, he didn't think Shinozaki would ever forgive him, and even then, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

Suddenly, a voice whispered, "Murderer."

Startled from his moping, Yoshiki looked up and came face-to-face with Shinozaki's ghost. He tried to scramble away from her, anything to get away from that broken body, the proof of what he had done, but his back hit the wall. The malicious aura surrounding Shinozaki combined with her wide smile only increased his anxiety and guilt.

"I'm sorry, Shinozaki! I didn't mean to!" he yelled, hoping the apology would appease her.

Shinozaki's ghost simply tilted her head (which would've been cute if she wasn't dead and her body wasn't chopped-up and her smile wasn't creepy) and raised her hand. She was holding a small knife, probably intending to kill him, and he completely understood her. He was prepared to let her kill him because he completely deserved it, but then he saw the little girl in the red dress standing behind Shinozaki. The girl, who he realized was Sachiko, had one small hand guiding Shinozaki's toward Yoshiki, and her smile was (if that was even possible) creepier than Shinozaki's. That was enough to invigorate Yoshiki and restore all of his hope because if Sachiko was the one controlling Shinozaki, that meant there was the slightest possibility that Shinozaki didn't hate him.

When Shinozaki stabbed downwards, Yoshiki rolled to the side. He tried to come up with a plan to get Sachiko away from Shinozaki, but his mind came up blank. He settled for sprinting to the other ladder. By the time he reached the other side of the pool, Shinozaki and Sachiko were already waiting for him. Some part of him thought it was incredibly unfair for him to be fighting against ghosts because they didn't have to run, but complaining wouldn't help him survive. As surviving had pushed itself from the bottom of The List of Things To Do to the top, Yoshiki silenced that part of himself.

Obviously, the best way to live would be to separate Shinozaki from Sachiko. To do that, he was pretty sure he'd have to "bring her spirit back" in a sense because even if she was being controlled, Shinozaki was acting unlike herself. The Shinozaki he knew and loved would be fighting against Sachiko's grasp with all her strength.

As Yoshiki ran away from the creepy little girl, his thoughts strayed from surviving to confessing. He'd liked, maybe even loved, Shinozaki, and now she'd never know his feelings for her.

With his thoughts leading in that direction, he blurted out, "Shinozaki, I've always really, really liked you!"

Because confessing when you're about to be killed by a little ghost girl and your long-time crush will definitely save you, Yoshiki thought, immediately regretting his words.

He chanced a glance behind him, and a hint of a grin appeared on his face. The ghost duo had stopped chasing him; Shinozaki had dropped the knife while Sachiko frowned and struggled to make Shinozaki move. The slightest inkling of emotion other than hate, anger, and despair appeared on Shinozaki's face. Sachiko's grimace deepened as she grappled with Shinozaki, trying to get her to pick up the knife.

"Are you stupid?" the little girl asked, though Yoshiki wasn't sure if it was directed at him or Shinozaki.

"No," Shinozaki responded, her expression and tone exactly as Yoshiki remembered. "Kishinuma's the stupid one. Who confesses in this sort of situation?"

Yoshiki brightened at her words, happy that she (apparently) didn't blame him and she was back to her usual self.

"What can you two do against me?" Sachiko demanded, taking a swing at Shinozaki.

Shinozaki backed away from Sachiko and lunged for the knife. Yoshiki caught the knife when she threw it to him, and he sprinted toward the school building. Shinozaki and Sachiko soon followed. They were fighting each other, and Sachiko seemed to be gaining the upper hand. Yoshiki desperately hurled the knife at Sachiko in an attempt to save his friend, but it went right through her. Sachiko's focus flickered to Yoshiki, allowing Shinozaki to gain the advantage.

Suddenly, Sachiko doubled over and began chuckling. "Whatever. It doesn't matter when; you'll die anyway, and become a part of this school!"

She faded, and Yoshiki was left alone with Shinozaki's spirit.

"Thanks and sorry, Shinozaki," he muttered awkwardly. "I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine, Kishinuma," Shinozaki said, her eyes downcast. "You did save me in the end, you know? And since I'm dead, you'll just have to find the others and escape for yourself!"

"Doesn't it hurt? That first ghost we met did say you'd feel the pain for all eternity. It must hurt a lot, so why don't you hate me?" Yoshiki demanded.

"You already know the answer, don't you? Just get out alive, and tell my family I love them. Now, go to the pool and find what you need to for my sake, okay?"

Shinozaki smiled—it was probably her first genuine smile ever since they ended up in Heavenly Host Elementary—and Yoshiki found the motivation he needed to move on.

A/N: This ended differently from what I had planned. Maybe that's a good thing.

"Lotus": In Chinese, the lotus is considered a "noble" flower for rising above "political corruption" (AKA dirt) without being tainted.