This chapter was originally written in early 2018. I have rewritten and edited it as of 19th October, 2018. Author's notes remain the same, however.
Note: There is mention of a game in this chapter (specifically during Ryoma's part). It's called BS, but you may also alternatively know it as Cheat, Doubt It, etc. Look up the rules if you're really curious, but understanding of the game itself is not necessary to understand that section of the chapter!
I thank those of you for giving this work faves and follows all around! As well as my general readers! A special thanks to user "Basjetball" for leaving a really sweet review for last chapter! I appreciate it!
Now, about this chapter:
KIRUMI TOUJOU: this part takes place during chapter one, before the killing game even starts.
RYOMA HOSHI: this part can take place any time before the death/investigation/trial of chapter two.
KOREKIYO SHINGUUJI: this part specifically takes place in chapter three, after the fourth floor of the academy is unlocked and before the death/investigation/trial begins.
Kirumi Toujou
She dotes on him, and that's okay, because she dotes on literally everyone else. Kirumi lives up to her title quite feverishly, and as the Ultimate Maid there isn't anything she wouldn't do if it meant satisfying the demands of others. Not only is it convenient, but it is dangerous because Kokichi can easily imagine someone using Kirumi to their ends, and having her carry out lethal acts in their stead. So he likes to think that he keeps a careful watch over her, even though he often wanders away from the others himself.
She approaches him one evening, looking curious but behaving obediently as usual. Hands folded, eyes steady, and voice calm—she really is the Ultimate Maid. So the Ultimate Supreme Leader, in turn, acts accordingly to her words.
"Ouma-kun, may I ask you a few questions?" She asks him.
"Sure, but you already asked one. You've only got one, maybe two left before I have to run away from you. Or kill you, but that'll be hard because we're out in the open." He tests the waters of her patience, but comes up dry since she doesn't bite. She only stares at him with a serious expression, one that fades away into something neutral as her hands rasp lightly against each other.
"I highly advise against making such statements. Even if they are your baseless lies or usual jokes, the dire status of our current circumstances are no laughing matter." She straightens out her dress (which is already impeccable to begin with) and continues her interview. "I am speaking to you because I'd like to address your needs. I am doing this to everyone, and so I want you to answer honestly without the opinion of others affecting your decisions."
"Huh, that's a lot of trouble you're going through. Why? Why cater to us when any one of us can start up the killing game in an instant?" Kokichi points a finger at Kirumi, not to accuse her but to remind her of their situation—something which she seems to already fully understand but still struggle with. "You'd only be making it easier on a potential killer, including myself."
"...You have a valid point…" she concedes quietly, but speaks up when she realizes her mistake of faltering in his presence. He wants to tell her that it's no big deal, but he doesn't get the chance to as she quickly moves to cover up her missteps. "Either way, until that situation happens, I am obligated to make sure that everyone's needs are satisfied thus far. So I'll begin with the questions now."
"Aw, jeez, you're no fun," Kokichi whines, staring at the bitten ends of his fingernails before paying her any further mind. "Fiiiine. Ask away, Toujou-chan."
"Very well. First, do you have any allergies to food or other substances?" Kirumi whips out a notepad that must have been waiting to be used from her pocket, and flicks the pages over the spiral before she comes to a blank one. A pen that was nestled in the same pocket is brought out, and she brings the black tip to the edge of paper in anticipation.
So prepared, he thinks to himself. I wonder if she'd be just as fast if that were a dagger, instead?
"I'm allergic to lies," he says in a serious voice. "If someone lies, I get all red, blotchy, and eventually I'll die."
"..."
"Okay, that was a lie. I'm not allergic to anything, Toujou-chan. Or, if I am, I don't remember~" he practically sings, but she ignores his little antics for now. Her pen writes diligently across the page.
"I see. Alright then, any health issues that I should be aware of? Also, if I could have a few of your preferred foods down, then it would assist me in making your meals."
"Are all your questions this boring? Because if so, I might fall asleep while standing up. Will you do something about it if that happens?"
"In the event that you grow weary, I will suggest moving to a place where you can sit or lie down. If not, then I will be happy to carry you to your room, given that I also know the location of your room key so that I may be able to deliver you to your bed without incident."
He laughs at her words, hoping to make a suggestive joke about the bed part, but given her lack of proper reaction, he abandons the idea. Her questions are really just that—questions. No hidden intentions, no malice lying in wait to try and catch him off guard, no anything.
What a killjoy.
"I was kidding. About falling asleep, not about being bored. But I'm healthy as a...I don't know, what's healthy? Let's go with spinach for now. I'm healthy as spinach." He glances momentarily at her notepad, as he can see the writings of previous pages facing him. He reads them, finds no interest in their arbitrary nature, and sighs. "Okay, I prefer sweets to most foods. And I'm not lying about that one, either. So just write it down and get to the next thing so I can, I dunno, do something else with my brain cells besides feel them deteriorate and die from this awful conversation."
"I see. Very good. Next question, how do you sleep? I will specify the information I require: how many pillows do you sleep with, do you prefer a warm bed or a cool one, how many blankets do you sleep with, are you a side-sleeper, a back-sleeper, etc. Do you toss and turn—"
"If Toujou-chan goes to bed with me tonight, she'll see how I sleep~"
Her face falls into the most stoic expression he's ever seen, except the one that he is capable of doing himself. Perhaps he has reached the limit with her. But as the Ultimate Maid, shouldn't she have the patience of a 90-year-old grandmother? Why is she glaring at him like that? He wells up fake tears, and starts crying without reservation.
"Waaaah! I w-was only joking! D-Don't make such a scary face like that, Toujou-chan…! P-Please, don't be so meaaaaaan to meeeeee!"
She suddenly looks alarmed, and puts away her notepad for the time being. Then she walks forward, and places a hand on his shoulder. The motion is gentler than he had anticipated it to be, and he feels inclined to let her hand stay there, if just for a moment.
"My apologies, Ouma-kun. I didn't mean to upset you. If you wish, then I will write down the sleeping specifications on a piece of paper, and you can fill it out at your own pace." She slowly takes the notepad back out again, and rips out the paper she was writing on. Then she hands it to Ouma. "Will that better suit your needs?"
"Now you're talking!" Kokichi laughs and rubs his fake tears away in the same motion, only to swipe the paper from Kirumi's hand without so much as a warning. He runs off, but not before turning around and waving her goodbye.
"I'll let you know when I'm done with this! Hopefully we're not dead by then! Good night, Toujou-chan!" Then he disappears into the dorm building, becoming nothing more but a lasting image in Kirumi's mind.
She sighs.
.
.
She doesn't stop doting on him, even after that. Dozens and dozens of questions later, she finally deems Kokichi "fit to serve", and waits on him as if he was her liege. But he isn't her liege, not really, and so quite frankly he is bothered by her willingness to do whatever he—and anyone else—wants her to do.
Of course, everyone else is unabashedly milking Kirumi's services, and making it a big deal that she does this and that for them. He feels bad for her, actually. Are Ultimate students supposed to be this lazy? If that's the case, then he certainly won't follow their example. He lays off Kirumi as much as he can, asking for only the bare minimum of her service (although she countered him at this time, and insisted that she shine his shoes, at the very least. He gave in only to get her to stop begging for menial tasks to complete). If anything, Kokichi tells her to "be his mom" for lack of a better idea, and hopes that the vague request will actually be dismissed and she won't ever nag him or anything of the like.
He is sorely wrong, and soon enough he finds himself cursed with Kirumi's constant presence. She does not overtly follow him at night, but he never stops seeing her—at the dorms, in the dining hall, by the courtyard, in the library—literally anywhere else in the school. Does she stalk him without him knowing, or is she somehow lucky to keep running into him? He can't quite tell, himself.
"Toujou-chan, why are you still watching me?" Kokichi asks her, placing one hand on his hip and another pointing at her in an accusatory manner. "It's getting annoying!"
"I'm watching you for your own good!" she doesn't yell, but her voice is louder than he remembers it being. Huh. "Why don't you appreciate what I do for you…? Is it not enough, Ouma-kun? I made you your favorite meal last night, didn't I? Then why are you so unsatisfied with my work?"
"But you don't need to keep watching over meeee," he whines, voice fluctuating between serious and joking. "I feel like I'm suffocating with you around! And you're always nagging me! Yesterday you told me that I shouldn't look 'untidy' and tried to remove my buttons!"
"At the time, I only planned on removing them and sewing identically black buttons on in their place. It irks me that they are currently mismatching in color. I see the appeal in asymmetry, but together with your general disposition, it makes your overall image appear to be lacking." her voice is deathly serious, and she circles him like a hawk, observing him for more mistakes. "Additionally, your clothes appear slightly torn on the bottom, so I would like a chance to repair them—"
"You're kidding, right? First, I like the colors. Second, the tears are there on purpose, not because my shirt is old or anything! Literally, it's just the style." he gawks at her, taking a step back out of shock. "W-Why does that even matter to you, anyway? You're acting like such a mom."
"...Isn't that what you wanted from me?" Her voice is light and careful, now. "I recall you telling me sometime ago to 'be your mom'. And so, your mom I will be."
Then it all finally clicks together. His head resounds with similar phrases repeated over again, each with varying degrees of piteous disbelief. Oh, you poor thing. Oh, you're so naive. Poor, naive, takes-everything-I-say-too-seriously Toujou-chan! I guess I have to set you straight, huh?
"You surprise me, Toujou-chan! The fact that you literally became my mom, that's really cute of you! Are you being genuine or is this a ruse for when you inevitably kill me?" he laughs at his own words, even more so when he sees the irritated frown that crosses her face in response. "I wasn't being serious when I said that. It was definitely a lie. I only said I wanted you to be my mom because you're so responsible and diligent, but mothers can also be stifling~ Also, if you really were my mom, I would have to automatically hate you because of the passage of life and teenage rebellion, yada yada yada. And I don't want to hate you, at least not anymore than I have to."
He speaks with such clarity, but even Kirumi is unsure which words are truthful and which ones are just lies. She thinks hard before responding. "...So, you wish for me to cease this behavior?"
"Yes," he says simply. "Very much so."
"Fine, then I will return to our previous relationship. I still expect you to give me orders when you can." Kirumi pauses, and something flashes across her deep-green eyes, but Kokichi's not sure what it is. But he knows it's there, and that there's something she wants to say to him.
Her denial is further proof of that. "Ah, Ouma-kun? Could I ask—no, wait, nevermind…"
"No, tell me what you were going to say, Toujou-chan!" he insists, smiling widely at her. "Speak now or forever hold your peace!"
"I-If you say so...I was going to ask you a personal question, actually."
"Eh? You know what those are?" he tilts his head, seemingly concerned. She could have been exasperated but her face is too composed for that. "Well, what is it?"
"I was simply curious. Why did you ask me to be your mother in the first place if you did not truly want me to mother you? And why have you not used my services since then? I noticed you eat the meals I prepare and whatnot, you allow me to shine your shoes as per my suggestion, but unlike most of the others you have not explicitly asked me for favors, like delivering meals to your room or cleaning up a mess, and such." She glances at him, unable to see such a simple answer herself. Kirumi nearly mutters, more to herself than to Kokichi. "Why is that?"
For a short moment, Kokichi considers telling her the truth. He thinks of plenty of lies to give her instead ("I think you're incompetent so I never asked you to help," or "I can't trust you because I can't trust anyone, we're in a killing game for fuck's sake!" or "No reason, I'm just into that kink where people deny others of their desires. What about you?" or "Sorry, I was too busy planning murder to call you! I won't make that mistake next time!") but none of them settle with him quite right. And of all the truths to tell, this would probably end up being the least consequential.
Ouma laughs at her. "You can't see it for yourself? That's silly. Isn't it obvious? The reason why I did any of this was because I pitied you!" Seeing her surprised expression, he just smiles widely and continues talking. "The moment that everyone realized you would literally do everything for them is when they turned you into their errand girl! You were already swamped with useless shit, like meal deliveries and whatever, so I figured you didn't need me to interfere."
"That's—"
"I'm not quite finished, Toujou-chan." Kokichi gently interrupts her, but there is a serious ring to his voice that makes him seem more imposing than he is. He looks up at her again with a strange look in his eyes. She stares deeply into the bruises of his irises, while he gets lost in the forest of hers. At their equilibrium point, he speaks. "Also, I don't need you as much as you think I do. I'm the Ultimate Supreme Leader, after all."
Despite the serious nature of his words, Kokichi makes his face out into a wide, mischievous smile. "Buuuut the real reason I actually put up with your nagging is because I think it's cute. You found out my real secret, you see. I have a superiority complex and I love it when others look up to me...not. Come on, don't look so serious, Toujou-chan, I was just lying again! Relax!"
"Your lies are unlike the norm," she informs him, as if he didn't know this already. "So I cannot anticipate them as much as I'd like to. But, in response to your words...I suppose…I can admit I feel some semblance of gratitude. Although I must assure you that I don't mind the others' requests in the slightest. Even if they have increased my workload considerably, it is still my job to see to their needs."
"Yeah, I know, that's why you've still been nagging me this whole time," Kokichi points out. "But, you know how I said I don't need you as much as you think I do? Well, throw that out the window, because I've got a request for you right now."
"And what is that request, Ouma-kun?"
"...Catch me!" he reaches out to her, and prods her left arm. She sputters a reply, but he just runs off. "We're playing tag, it's top priority! Consider all the other requests null until you catch me~"
She smiles softly, and places her hands to the side. Then she calls out to him with a teasing voice: "Are you sure that's wise, Ouma-kun? I am quite fast when needed to be!"
"Oh, please~ You're nothing but a snail right now! If you're so fast, prove it!" he's farther in the distance now, and laughing like a madman. "Catch me if you can, Toujou-chan!"
Of all the requests she has had to fulfill today, for some reason Kirumi finds this to be the least exhausting one, even if it should be the most physically taxing. But something about the lilt in Kokichi's voice, the starry sky above them, and her own resolution made it more picturesque than it needed to be. In fact, she feels like a tiny weight has lifted off her shoulders, and her back can straighten naturally without the need for her practiced poise.
With that bright new perspective in place, she kicks herself into full gear before dashing down the roads at a breakneck speed. Kokichi screams like a child when she closes in on him, and Kirumi spares him a rare but pretty laugh.
"W-Wait, Toujou-chan, I didn't think you'd actually catch up—"
"It's too bad, Ouma-kun! I never fail a task given to me!"
"I see that, but—AAAH! NOOOO, I LOST!"
"Yes!" she cries out, risking to reveal the desperation in her voice. "Victory!"
Ryoma Hoshi
"Hey, Hoshi-chan! Are you rigging the system or are you actually this lucky?" Kokichi asks him earnestly, starry eyes staring down at his triumphant figure. It's another night in the casino, and like every other night, Ryoma effortlessly outmatches everyone in any game they plan. Whether they just aimlessly pull the slot machine lever, or whether they play one of those multiplayer games as a big group, he always comes out on top.
It's times like these when Kaito is yelling loudly about his (expected) losses that Kokichi looks elsewhere for entertainment. And usually it falls to Ryoma, whose mysterious yet cryptic personality never fails to draw attention. While Kokichi should save his breath for someone that cares about living, he doesn't mind finding new amusements now and then.
If only Ryoma could think the same about him. He spares Ouma a quick glance, before looking back at the machine in front of him. "Like I said before, I'm not even trying to win. Must be luck, no doubt about it."
"Aw, boring!" Kokichi whines, and dramatically flops in the chair next to him. He's not as bad as Kaito, but his luck at these games isn't as good as it ought to be. The words "TRY AGAIN" flash across his screen when he runs out of lives. He kicks his feet up on the console, and looks back at Ryoma again.
The tennis pro is off in another world, but makes a momentary return to this one in order to respond. "Boring? Do you want to actually rig the games, Ouma? There's no use in doing so, since Monokuma will probably show up and rant about destruction of property, or something."
"That's true," he concedes. "Still, it doesn't hurt to try. Momota-chan's probably broken the machine just by hitting it too hard when he loses."
Hoshi is difficult to please at times, but for some reason that wayward thought makes him chuckle. He gives the machine in front of him another go before talking again. "Huh. You're a funny kid, alright."
"Kid?" Kokichi tilts his head. "We're all the same age, though?"
"Physically? Sure. Mentally? Hell no," Ryoma scoffs at this apparently obvious revelation, but keeps his eyes hidden as much as he can. "You might not know this but I've grown at least a decade older while in prison. This killing game's sure to take a night off our total, but it ain't the same thing."
"Oh? Are you sure about that?" Kokichi leans back further into the seat, but doesn't fall. His feet are still up on the dash, though. "It sounds the same to me."
"I imagine most things sound the same when you're not paying close attention to them." Ryoma glances to the side to gauge a reaction, only to see that Kokichi is too busy staring at his chewed up fingernails. He scoffs. "Point made."
"Mmm, just 'cause someone's not looking at you, Hoshi-chan, doesn't mean they're not paying attention to you." His voice is more offbeat than usual, but he turns it all around on the flip of a switch. His lips rise into a jubilant curve, and he swings his legs down to jump out of his seat. "Boring, boring, boring! These games are all boring! Let's do something fun, for once!" The way his eyes can go from thoughtful darkness to childish glee in a few seconds is nothing short of amazing. Ryoma pauses, and takes a moment to try and understand the drastic change in Kokichi's demeanor just now.
"Oh? And what's your definition of fun, Ouma?" he asks unobtrusively. "I thought these casino games were already fun enough."
"Please, this is Monokuma's idea of fun. Having us while our time away here so we can get distracted on the important stuff is all part of his plan!" He blinks once, twice, then turns to Ryoma with a new, blank expression on his face. "I'm lying, of course. I have no idea what's going on. But I saw Momota-chan wave us over, so we should go along."
Hoshi, for all his observant nature, cannot figure out what Ouma's deal is. But he takes each word the other says with a grain of salt, hoping that things get clearer at some point. The two of them regroup with Kaito, who really isn't lying about wanting them to join the others. He smiles at their appearance.
"Alright, you guys in?"
"In for what?" Kokichi asks, rocking back-and-forth on his heels. "Momota-chan, we're not helping you fix the machine so you can get your Monocoins back."
"Shut up, that's not my intention!" Kaito barks at him, then eases up as his gaze slides over to Ryoma's smaller figure. "What about you, Hoshi? You in?"
"For once, I'm with Ouma here. What exactly are we getting ourselves into?"
"Can't you people look with your eyes, or somethin'? Come on," he motions to the large game table, where seats from other students (Shinguuji, Toujou, Kiibo, and Shirogane by the looks of it) are taken already. "We're playing card games tonight! I'm thinkin' poker, but I'm down for whatever anyone else wants to do!"
Kokichi and Ryoma take their seats, the remaining of which are next to each other. Kokichi seems relaxed and unaffected by the energetic atmosphere, while Ryoma allows a tiny smirk to cross his face. He hasn't played a good round of cards since his time in prison, so having a match now would only benefit him.
And from the sight of nervous, fresh faces around him, he can tell it'll be easy pickings. He almost laughs.
"I suggest something easier than Poker," Kiibo chirps up. "I don't think everyone knows the rules!"
"How about we play Dungeons and Dragons, instead?" Tsumugi asks, initially excited but faltering as she seems not too confident in her choice of games, either.
"Ew, nerd!" Kokichi teases her, leaning forward on the long table so he can be in view of Tsumugi as he sticks his tongue out. "Come on, we have to play something that won't put me to sleep in the first few turns!"
"Hey, it was just a suggestion!" Tsumugi huffs, but quickly drops the idea. "Then what do you want to play, Ouma-kun?"
"I've got a list in mind. Right now I can think of strip poker—" a collective groan of refusal echoes all around, and he laughs loudly in response— "War, Rummy, Blackjack, Sevens...this is a pretty long list, but that should be enough for now."
"By the time we actually decide a game, it will be the next morning already." Korekiyo suddenly speaks, his voice leaving undeniable chills in the air. "Of course, observing humans as they congregate and try to put their differences aside...I'm entertained just by watching all of you like this…"
"Well," Kirumi interjects from her seat in between Kiibo and Korekiyo. "We could always vote for a game listed. Or put the names of games in a hat and draw one at random."
"You guys are making this decision way more difficult than it has to be!" Kaito exclaims. Then his magenta eyes flicker in Ryoma's direction, noticing he hasn't spoken in a while. "Oi, Hoshi! Are you down for anything or do you got something to say?"
Everyone turns their attention to him, as if Kaito's words were a secret cue to put Ryoma on the spot. Even if that was the case, Ryoma is not one to back down under pressure. He glances from Kaito to Kokichi and back to Kaito again before speaking. "Didn't realize you all cared about what I had to say. Does it matter if we're going at it randomly like you said?"
"Of course it matters~" Kokichi pipes up from beside him. "Can't you see this is a group event? Everyone needs to talk even if they don't want to! It's forced dialogue, after all!"
"Heh, I suppose you're right. In that case, I have a game that's perfect for the maddest of people. So it should be fine for us." His words—suddenly alight with a sort of liveliness that wasn't there before—attract attention and demand silence. Even Kokichi keeps it quiet for a bit. "I'm thinkin' we play a few rounds of BS."
No one makes any sudden reactions, and that's when Hoshi realizes that no one knows what that game is. Kaito, who originally held the floor with his presence, makes some sort of motion to indicate that he's handing control over to Ryoma, now. Understanding this sign at once, Ryoma turns his attention to his fellow students.
"Here's how it goes. First, let's do some betting. Throw in your coins." They follow his orders, albeit hesitantly, and over the clutter of gold he adds on: "Now let's put some of these suspicions to use! This is a game where you absolutely cannot trust anyone!" For some reason, his eyes fall to Kokichi when he says this, and the shit-eating grin he receives in return doesn't seem as annoying anymore.
"No matter what!"
.
.
The game goes on for hours. Once they burn through the motions once, they get the hang of it, and continue playing multiple rounds of BS as a result. Everyone is about the same level of good at it, although Korekiyo and Tsumugi stand out for being better liars than most.
Ryoma and Kokichi, however, are on another level entirely. The Ultimate Supreme Leader is just that, and every time his turn comes around, he says something outrageous like: "I have three eights right here, whatcha gonna do about it?" or "I'm putting down one king, but I'm definitely lying! You're all fools if you don't call me out on it!" Words that provoke others for their blatant meaning, but also make othem suspicious in the same turn are deadly in a game like BS. Kokichi is so fluent at it, that even Kiibo and Kirumi hesitate to call him out on his turn.
The Ultimate Tennis Pro, on the other hand, is not nearly as fastidious or facetious, but his innate mystery and hard-to-read personality makes him a force to be reckoned with. No one can quite tell what he means when he places down cards on his turn, and he never looks at anyone in the eye, either. He just pulls down on his beanie so it covers the top half of his eyes, and keeps his voice even when he speaks.
"Two queens," he calls out, placing two cards face down on the pile. It is quite the large pile that rested underneath his cards, and it stands as the only thing preventing anyone from calling out on his lies this very minute. Ryoma only has one card left and if they don't do something soon, then he will inevitably win.
"Two queens? Didn't someone put down two queens last time, too? That's awfully suspicious of you, Hoshi-chan!" Kokichi's voice is clear as day, and loud as a bull horn as he puts unnecessary emphasis into his words. Ryoma gives a cursory glance in his direction, sees his annoying face, and then looks away again. "Oh, is that guilt in your eyes, Hoshi-chan? Are you guilty?"
"...Why don't you call BS on me if you're so curious, Ouma?" Although he is referring to the game, there is a strange edge in his voice. The others detect it easily, but they're not sure what to think of it. Only Kokichi, who is apparently referring to something else as well, understands his sentiment.
He laughs. "Isn't that a bit cruel towards you? If I call you out on something you already know, that would instantly make you feel better, right? Sure, you're stuck with like, half the deck of cards as a result, but it's like the ultimate catharsis afterward! Kind of like taking a biiiig shot of heroin in terms of feeling better about it all."
"Ouma—"
"But I could also not call you out on it, and make you live with the choices you've made. Make you live with the guilt, you know? And so even if you win, it'll be like you lost one hundred percent!" A bright smile appears on his face, as if he had been praising Ryoma this entire time instead of messing around with him. "I guess it sucks for you either way, huh?"
"Ouma," Ryoma addresses him again in a much more serious tone. "Quit screwin' around. Just go, already."
"Nishishi, did I hit a soft spot somewhere?" He widens his eyes, making the most innocuous expression that anyone has ever seen on his face thus far. "But, sorry, I won't hold up the game any longer."
"Finally, I—"
"Because I call BS on you, Hoshi-chan!" his sudden accusation riles up the others, and he's sure he can hear Tsumugi's confused babbles in the background somewhere. "Reveal your hand! Well, not your actual hand, but the cards you just put down~"
Ryoma grimaces, but abides by the rules as he reveals the top two cards on the deck. He had claimed that they were queens, but turning them over reveals that they are a pair of nines, instead. Everyone loses their minds as they scream and overreact in every way possible (which, for sedate people like Kirumi or Korekiyo, amounts to being vocal notes of displeasure and slightly-less-stoic expressions on their faces).
Kokichi smiles triumphantly, and waits for the cards to be collected before starting his turn. "It's too bad, because I did all that to you just so I could do this," he cheers himself on, and reveals his last card. It is a king, and in the ascending order of the card ranks, it means that it is the right card for his turn and the last card needed to end the round completely. Upon realizing this, everyone protests in their own ways (ranging from exasperated groans to relieved sighs) and throws their cards in the middle of the table.
Ryoma does the same, after having stared down the massive amount of cards in his hand. Despite the big speech Kokichi gave about guilt and revealing one's self, he ended up stopping the game in its tracks, anyway. And what was that he said about calling out Ryoma's bluff? That admitting his guilt would make him feel better, or something? He thinks carefully about it, but quickly denies the thought. He's just messing with me, he decides. That's all there is to it.
Yet, Kokichi isn't wrong when he says that admitting one's guilt could be cathartic. Despite having been the clear loser of the game, Ryoma feels no worse than he did when this whole charade started. In fact, he feels a little bit better for some reason. It's nothing compared to his thoughts about his imprisonment and the murder he committed, but it's a tiny step in the right direction.
The person who had unknowingly (or did he know all this time?) pushed him in that direction is Kokichi Ouma. Ryoma looks over his shoulders to look back at Kokichi, who seems completely absorbed in some insult war with Kaito. They throw poisonous words of back-and-forth to each other, ignoring the judgement of onlookers. It's just as well, Ryoma thinks to himself. He's not serious about this. He never is.
Of course, those thoughts are simply a part of balancing out the natural pessimism rising inside of him. If he lets his heart be honest for once, then he would know that he actually takes Kokichi's words very seriously, and part of him is still wondering about that smile he had worn on his face. If Ryoma could just be honest, then he would be able to admit that Kokichi's little plan to rile him up worked entirely.
The honesty is quiet, though, and never lives beyond his lips. Instead, he just keeps it close to his chest like a promise, and leaves the casino wordlessly without a fight. He knows very well that Kokichi's eyes have wandered to his fleeting figure in the process, and he does not seem to care.
Just like always.
Korekiyo Shinguuji
Kokichi is not going to admit it, but he really likes the Ultimate Anthropology Lab. He gets shivers from just being in the room, yet that doesn't change the fact that there's so many interesting things in there. He has always preferred manga over literature, but the shelves stacked top to bottom with different folklore and secrets over time that call out to him all the same. He knows that in order to keep his head above the bleeding water, he needs all the knowledge he can pry from the resources in the Academy.
So it's no surprise to himself that he ends up inside Korekiyo's lab one night. Far past the ten o'clock announcement from the Monokubs, Kokichi has evaded the watchful eye of the self-proclaimed student council, and successfully made his way into the spacious lab. He stares at the display cases that hold artifacts beyond his understanding, as well as the scattered papers across one of the desks. It seems Korekiyo has already made use of his personal abode, which is only to be expected from an obsessively observant guy like him.
But even as he thinks that, Ouma is rather thankful that he doesn't feel true fear towards Shinguuji, despite the latter's horribly creepy disposition. Given the fact that he looks the most like a serial killer out of anyone else here, he knows that it is better to exercise caution in any case. But if worse comes to worse, he can easily outrun him in any given situation. That much he knows.
"Wow, this is some pretty morbid stuff!" Kokichi exclaims to himself, letting his voice bounce off the walls of the room. He takes up the space between two bookshelves by sitting cross-legged on the floor, and thumbs through several encyclopedias written on the topic of human torture. "Jeez, has Shinguuji-chan gotten to this yet? I hope not."
He places the books back in their spot, and scans the aisle for more reading material. There is a distinctly dusty smell and appearance on some of these books, reminding him of the library in the basement more than anything. It feels like a library, too, if the cases of anthropological artifacts weren't there to offset it all.
Kokichi glances at the door ahead of him, wondering if Shinguuji ever comes here at night, or if he remains totally alone on the fourth floor. It is possible that Angie and the student council are in the Ultimate Artist lab, but even then they would never know about Ouma's presence in the nearby room. If he really wants to, he could try and concoct the perfect murder that would inevitably frame one of those brainless cultists as the guilty party.
Then he remembers that murder is wrong, of course, and that he shouldn't let the horrors of the past two trials get to him so easily. Such intrusive thoughts scare even him, and he nearly bites his whole thumb nail off while trying to curb his anxiety.
Just as the idea disappears from his mind, the entrance to the lab opens and closes in one swift movement. The sound doesn't catch him off guard, but he remains cautious as he silently gets up to his feet, and peers from behind the bookcase to see who it is.
"Hmm. I sense something different here. I wonder what it could be…" from the wondrously sedate tone of the voice (he always sounds like he's had three doses of anesthesia, a funny thought echoes inside his head) Kokichi realizes that it's none other than Korekiyo himself. Of course, the Ultimate Anthropologist spending the night in his own lab isn't surprising at all. If anything, the surprise lies in Kokichi, who shouldn't have been there in the first place. But he can't just disappear into thin air, even if he wants to, so he decides to wait for the other to figure it out.
"...I see." Korekiyo is rather tall, and Kokichi can see him clearly from his vantage spot. He goes down to pick something up, but that something is so small that Kokichi can't see it no matter how hard he squints. Yet Korekiyo is transfixed on it, turning the unknown object in his hand over and over again.
"And I find myself upon a metal pin. Quite a specific kind, too. Is this yours, Ouma-kun?"
Kokichi doesn't answer at first, and instead he feels his shirt for the missing pin that Korekiyo claims to have. Of course, the bottom flaps of his shirt are more pronounced than he remembers them being, and that's because the metal pin that usually keeps the ends of it stuck together has come loose. A thread hangs from its old spot, but the familiar gleam of silver is no longer there.
It's in Shinguuji's hands, instead, and it's the evidence that makes Ouma's presence undeniably real. He sighs loudly, dramatically, then yells out: "No, that's my ghost's! If you come any closer, you'll see my body and bam, my spiritual self, floating like a piece of dust in the astral plane." He can't even entertain the idea as much as he would like to, but it doesn't matter.
The anthropologist takes careful steps in the supreme leader's direction, minding the small clutter that has accumulated there beforehand. Then he appears in all of his 6'2" glory, nearly casting a damn shadow on the 5'1" boy before him.
Yet somehow, Kokichi is not half as nervous as Korekiyo appears to be. He barely manages to return the metal pin back to its owner, with his hands trembling slightly the entire time. After Kokichi pockets the stray object, Korekiyo asks him: "And what are you doing here, Ouma-kun? It's rather strange of you to be out here, especially given the time."
"I'm not out, I'm actually in." He places his hands behind his head, and throws an easy smile in the other's direction. "In your lab, I mean."
"Ah, forgive my phrasing. That's what I meant to ask at the beginning. Why are you here, in my lab, tonight? Is it possible that you were planning to—"
"Kill you? Yup, you caught me red-handed!" Kokichi moves one of his hands out from behind his head, and waves it in Korekiyo's face. "Oh, well my hand's actually a light-peach color, but the 'red' in 'red-handed' doesn't actually refer to the skin—"
"I know that," Korekiyo interrupts him, weirdly impatient towards his usual hijinks. "You say you are meant to kill me, but I have a feeling that is but another one of your lies."
"Nope, not a lie, this time. I'm definitely gonna get ya. If you keep talking to me, you'll end up convening with all our old friends sooner than you'd like!" A wicked smile on Kokichi's face is what it takes to flush out the inner horror he feels when recounting their fellow, fallen students. He hopes it passes off well, and that his turmoil is kept undetected by the other's watchful eyes.
That must be the case, because Shinguuji's face blanches to record-high pales. Even for him, who fantasizes over humanity's ugly and beautiful traits (being murderous was ugly, right? Or was it beautiful by his standards? Kokichi couldn't know), something like joking about death only works to make him extremely uncomfortable.
"Ouma-kun...that's a lie just now, isn't it?"
"Oh, who knows?" he shrugs it off, then grabs a book off the nearest shelf. Korekiyo wants to protest, but it's too late and Kokichi continues to leaf through the pages. "More importantly, have you actually read the books in here? This is wild shit, I'm telling you!"
"I haven't had the chance to read them all, unfortunately." Shinguuji reaches for the book, but Ouma dodges his movements and ducks beneath his arm. "Ouma-kun, I'd prefer if you put that back where you got it!"
Of course Ouma doesn't listen, he just hums to himself while he walks rounds around the lab's perimeter. It amuses him to no end that Shinguuji actually follows him on his trail, instead of waiting for him to loop back around to the same spot. Perhaps this lapse of judgement can be blamed on the late hour (shit, that clock says it's almost four in the morning) because he remembers Shinguuji to be far more intelligent than this.
And Shinguuji knows this, too, which may explain his frustration towards Ouma at the moment. "Why do you insist on wreaking havoc in here? Given that this is a public space, and anyone is welcome to use it, I would rather have a moment of privacy considering the late hours!"
"Yeah, and if I do that, you might just have enough time to plan a huge murder!" He laughs at this idea, but doesn't necessarily dismiss it. "Can't have you do that, Shinguuji-chan! I have to keep an eye on you, after all~"
"What? But you just said that you were planning to kill me yourself—"
"That was a lie," Kokichi cheers, relishing in the pure exhaustion appearing in Korekiyo's eyes. It must be from the late hours, and not his sudden annoyances. Or if his listless expression is a result of Kokichi's stupidity, then he's even happier for its appearance. "Come on, there's like a million books in here and you think I'm interested in murder? Jeez, you must be fun at parties."
"Regardless of your interest in books, everyone is concerned with the killing game," he huffs, finally able to get a word in edgewise. "Anyway, are you really as fascinated by all of this as you say? Anthropology and folklore, by association, are not amicable topics to most people."
"Yeah, well, as an evil supreme leader, anything that can further my goals is interesting to me!" He screeches to a halt, looks up at Korekiyo, and dangles a book by its front cover as he watches for a reaction. "This is full of stories about tortured villages and stuff. Have you read it yet?"
"That particular copy, yes. Only because I had to start somewhere, and I had read most other books in this collection already. Why do you ask me this?"
"Now two of us know the methods inside, then! So if either of us use this as a means of murdering someone, the other will know exactly who did it~" Kokichi smiles, smiles, and smiles...but then the ends turn up too high and the shadows cast against his face turn his cute countenance into a horrific facade within seconds. There is a disturbing aura emanating from those eyes alone, and like bruises they seem as if they would bleed out and turn the rest of his body into the same, putrid shade of purple.
Korekiyo has seen ghosts, demons, and the ugliest aspects that humanity has had to offer. Yet at the same time, Kokichi's current expression manages to match them all for pure desperation, and straight-fucking-creepiness of the highest degree. He doesn't want the other to know he's been unnerved, however, because surely this is just another amusement of his.
But he can't help it—he can't possibly know what spurred on such rotten sentiments in the first place. And he wonders why it has to be him, of all people, to be on the receiving end of it.
"Right, Shinguuji-chan? Nishishi, you got all quiet just now~"
"...Ouma-kun," he says in a deeply concerned voice. "What's with this sudden mood change? Are you tired since it's three in the morning, or is this how you always are?"
Kokichi blinks once, twice, then rubs at his eyes in a cute, sleepy manner. In doing so, it's like he's removing makeup or some kind of mask from his face. When he looks back at Korekiyo, that horrible expression is gone, and his face is as blank as printer paper when he tilts his head to the side. "Eh? What were we talking about again? Wait, don't even remind me, because my answer will be that I was lying no matter what."
"Ouma-kun," Korekiyo says, losing the annoyed tone in his voice from before. "How long do you plan on staying here?"
"Well, I'm bored now," Kokichi admits, stifling a yawn. "So I guess I'll leave now. I was gonna stay up all night just to pester you, but you suddenly got so serious. Talk about being predictable, Shinguuji-chan."
"I see. In that case, know that you are to assemble here tomorrow at, say, ten in the morning. Failure to do otherwise will force me to seek you out instead." Slowly, carefully, and methodically, do his words come out. He is like an experienced nurse, drawing blood from the words that are hanging in the air.
Ouma quickly decides he doesn't want the blood drawn out of him. He balks. "And what makes you think I'll agree to that? Even if you chase me, I'll never ever meet up with you again. Unless I'm dead, then sure, I can come visit you when you do one of your creepy rituals or something."
"It's not a negotiable factor, I'm afraid." Korekiyo is decided in this course, and his eyes stare straight into Kokichi's core. He hopes his stare burns into his very soul, or leaves him as exposed as a nerve. Hopefully, it can achieve some lovely combination of the two, but it doesn't matter as long as it's anything that shows—for once—Shinguuji means serious business. He normally prefers observation, but this is a case that requires direct intervention.
Kokichi sulks in his own way—and that way is him smiling, stepping on Korekiyo's foot as he skips to the entrance, and waving goodbye at him in such a fake manner that he doesn't bother fixing himself. "G'night, Shinguuji-chan! Please, never look at me again! I mean it, that's not a lie!" Then he disappears behind the doors, making a point to slam them just loudly enough to be startling.
"Dear me," Korekiyo mutters to himself, "it seems as if I have a lot on my plate now."
Dearest Korekiyo, what bothers you?
"Oh, I am afraid that Ouma-kun has been in this room for far too long. One of those spirits has entered his body, I'm sure of it."
Are you certain? What makes you think so?
"The way he looked at me...it was nothing short of demonic. Of course, the energies in this room are overwhelming, even for the most crafty individuals, so the fact that even the Ultimate Supreme Leader could succumb to them is not surprising. I shall see to an exorcism, for his sake alone if no one else's."
Sweet Korekiyo, how chivalrous you are. You always think of others, don't you? I will be here, as always, to make sure your endeavors succeed with all my heart.
"Thank you, my love. I promise not to fail you, or Ouma-kun, for that matter…"
.
.
The next day, Korekiyo confronts Kokichi at the dining hall. He hopes the other students and the need to eat breakfast will trap him there, and keep him under his watch no matter what. But the supreme leader is smarter than that, because he skips out on breakfast and confrontation by running as fast as his legs can take him.
The anthropologist is no less dedicated when his mind is set on something, so he gives chase. Their whole morning is spent circling the courtyard, the roads to Miu's lab, Tenko's lab, the pool and back—even around the dormitories and over the new astro-turf grass placed by the Exisals. Neither of them wants to give up, and it's here that Korekiyo realizes he has to take unfair action if he is to accomplish his goals.
So, he puts his long reach and bigger body to use, and sticks his leg out as far as it can. The limb tangles up with Kokichi's fleeting feet, and the boy yelps loudly before falling face-forward into the concrete. There isn't a hard cracking noise like there should be, so Korekiyo assumes that he has caught himself on his hands before his face could take the full brunt of the force.
This assumption turns out to be right, because Kokichi resurfaces without a single scratch on his face. No, the only thing on his face is an indignant scowl and a look of pure confusion. That malevolent glower from last night threatens to break through his annoyed countenance. Luckily, he relents before giving into such a horrific expression. "Fine, fine, you got me! What the hell do you want, Shinguuji-chan? What's so important that you have to chase me all over the school, huh?"
"Running away from me during such an important time is foolish on your account," he insists, pointing a bandaged finger in Kokichi's direction. "I'm only doing this for your own good, Ouma-kun."
"Doing what? Listen, the weird and mysterious act might be charming to some people, but I think it's tacky. So hurry it along, or I might just actually have to factor in your death to my plans somehow!"
"Fine. Say no more," Shinguuji says, moving a step forward in an attempt to close the distance between him and Ouma. In the few seconds it takes to do that, he has unwrapped the bandages from his dominant hand, revealing the smooth skin underneath. "This shouldn't hurt."
"What are you doing?" Kokichi wants to ask more, but he gets cut off by a hand as cold as ice. This hand makes contact with his forehead by pushing the long bangs out of the way, and pressing into the skin with minimal but distinctive force. He can't suppress a shiver climbing up his spine, but he bites down on his tongue to prevent one of those weak-sounding whimpers from coming along with it.
Throughout this whole moment, Korekiyo doesn't speak. He only stares, stares, stares at Kokichi like there is something worth looking at, and something even more to see beyond that impossibility. The entire time, his hand is placed on Kokichi's forehead, and it feels like a weirdly-shaped glacier trying to edge its way into somewhere it doesn't belong. When it finally ends, Korekiyo retracts his hand, mutters a few words to himself, and nods.
"There, we are done."
"Done with what, exactly?"
"I have cleansed the evil," is all he says whilst raising his hands in the air, as if to praise whatever unseen force lay there. "You are free to move at your own will, once more. The darkness has been vanquished."
"...What? What are you going on about, Shinguuji-chan?"
"Of course, I don't expect you to understand even if I told you, despite your innate cunning." he seems pleased by this reasoning, somehow. "But, I will say this: I noticed a strange entity in my lab the other night. Perhaps you heard me speak aloud to myself while you were reading the books in there. Anyway, the being I sensed was not actually you at the time, but a wayward spirit come to recollect itself in my domain. When we spoke, I noticed something strange about your usual behavior, and I have realized that the reason for that was because the spirit has taken asylum in your body."
Kokichi opens his mouth to say something, but for once he is not quick enough and Korekiyo cuts in again. "And worry not, it is gone. My actions just now have freed your soul, Ouma-kun. Cleansed it, even. There is no need to thank me on this matter. I find that the resolution of the problem itself to be highly rewarding. So, with everything out of the way, I shall take my leave. Good day, Ouma-kun."
Korekiyo turns on his heels, and begins walking with a bouncier step than usual. His hair flows behind him like dark curtains, and the distinctive nobility of his figure disappears into the distance, then fades entirely as he slips behind the doors to the academy building. In the time it takes him to leave, Kokichi collects his bearings to try and figure out what the hell just happened to him.
"What a weirdo," he mutters to himself. "Talking about last night and whatever...I didn't even see him last night." A small sigh escapes him, but he allows it since he has the safety of his own company to behold it. The talk of demons, possession, and strange behavior all work to confuse Kokichi. He doesn't remember anything like that ever happening. Granted, he had stayed up very late last night, but he never even made his way to the Ultimate Anthropology lab.
In his mind, he had taken a midnight stroll at that time, returned to his room, and spent the rest of the night writing away on his whiteboard, papers, and in the margins of the papers when he realized he had forgotten something. Not any time during that sequence did he manage to walk to the fourth floor of the school building, so what gives?
Whatever, Kokichi thinks to himself. I have more important things to worry about than this! He resolves himself to spend the whole day in his room again, using the unsightly appearance of the student council members as an excuse to stay busy. But as he walks back to his room, he can't help but feel strangely light-hearted, as if a burden he doesn't remember carrying has suddenly lifted off his shoulders. Maybe it has to do with the "cleansing" or "soul-freeing" that Shinguuji had mentioned, and maybe he wasn't lying about whatever it was he said before.
But as soon as that thought enters Kokichi's mind, he shoots it down without a warning. Don't be stupid, he thinks. There's no such thing as spirits.
He walks inside his room, and faces the whiteboard once again. A new scrawling appears underneath Korekiyo's picture, in bold lettering that is nothing short of mocking. FUCKING WEIRDO, it temporarily says, NO LONGER INTERESTING!
Over the course of the day, the writing eventually gets erased, but the thought of it never truly escapes Kokichi's mind. By the next morning, he forgets the strange occurrence in its entirety, but doesn't feel worse or better for it. He greets everyone at breakfast with a usual smile and a joke about dying, before sitting down and eating some food himself. He even makes eye contact with Korekiyo, and gives a jovial wave that is free from his usual (fake) malice.
Life goes on.
Note: Thanks for reading this far! Again, I appreciate it! Reviews would be appreciated (mostly I'm curious as to which of the three snippets is your favorite!) more than anything!