Encore Epilogues: III

Surprise! Again! (っ◕‿◕)っ ~

If I time this right, this chapter SHOULD go up on August 12th, and if that's the case, it's officially been 2 years exactly since chapter 1 first went up online! 🎹💖🎊 Big gigantic thank-you note in the ending notes though for all that sappy stuff along with an update on how I'll be proceeding with this story in the future (don't worry, it's all positive!) Speaking of, August 12th is also my runaway-hamster's birthday, so uh... it's a shot in the dark... I know I haven't seen you in nearly 15 years but Trixie... if you're out there and somehow reading this... 👀🐹😭

For the second anniversary, here's the second intermission chapter! Technically this can be skipped just like 12, but it's very fluffy and sweet and extremely self-indulgent and just a nice break from the edgy Killing Game. Enjoy!

Chapter III: Egoistic, Easy-going, Elegy of Emprise

God Complex? Sister Complex? (#064 - Sketchbook)

An art book for sketches. It's pocket-sized so it's convenient to carry around.

"This one's called… 'Irish Ethnologies: A Brief History'. Is there a European section around here? Oh, found it! I'm guessing it goes under 'I' for Ireland, huh?"

Korekiyo nods from his perch on a nearby desk. "It does indeed. Thank you again for helping me out, Kaito. It is much appreciated."

After he slots the book into its home on the shelf, Kaito turns back to him. "Nah, don't worry about it. I mean—" His eyes flit to Korekiyo's cuffed hands. "You're kinda… compromised at the moment, anyway."

"Kehehe. That I am. But that is my own fault, is it not?"

"Of course it is!" Kaito shouts. "You killed a shit-ton of women!" Grimacing, he scratches his head. "But if you're willing to change like Ryoma was, then…"

Korekiyo smiles underneath his mask. "Your willingness to believe in others is remarkable, Kaito. But know that I have no intention of changing."

"Tch. With that kinda attitude, you'll never be getting outta those cuffs." Kaito grabs the nearest book. He instantly blanches as his eyes scan the title.

"What do you have there?" asks Korekiyo.

"Uh…" Kaito very, very reluctantly holds up the brown leatherback book. "S-serial crime in the nineteen-hundreds…"

"Ah." Korekiyo chuckles. "I see. It would appear that whoever built this lab is catering to my guiltiest of pleasures…"

Kaito shudders. "Dude… stop. You're being weird." He slides the book into his pocket. "I'll… hold onto this. Like hell am I lettin' you get any ideas!" He peers over the second floor balcony at Angie, happily sweeping away on the ground floor, then to Kokichi nearby, idly dusting an empty display case.

Korekiyo closes his eyes. "Very well. Your concerns are totally understandable." There's a pause. "Say, Kaito."

"Yeah?"

"What is crime to you?"

"Crime?" Kaito thinks for a moment. "Well, it's obviously something people do that's against the law."

"But isn't law merely a concept made by man?"

"What do you mean?"

Korekiyo holds his cuffed hands to his chest. "Crime is a human construct driven by a strong moral compass rooted deeply within us. Without a strong sense of what is right and what is wrong, crime would not exist. To make a long story short, people such as Shuichi, for instance, would be out of a job."

"Well, yeah," says Kaito. "But if that happened, people like you would be everywhere killing left right and centre—!"

"Is that really how you perceive me, Kaito?"

"Huh?"

Korekiyo rhythmically taps his boot on the wooden floor. "The way you speak of those who kill… bloodthirsty, ravenous, unable to control themselves… I personally don't consider myself fit for such a vulgar categorisation."

Kaito's brow twists. "Then what do you consider yourself to be?"

There's another pause.

"The first answer that springs to my mind is… human."

"Human?"

"Yes," says Korekiyo. "Because as a human, I have a sense of morality."

"Morality, huh?" Kaito snorts. "Sure doesn't sound like it…"

Korekiyo holds out a hand. "Whilst crime is rooted in human morality, morality isn't objective. Crime is only what one considers unacceptable for one's own sense of morality. That is why I believe the actions I have taken thus far are right, because it is what my sister would have wanted." He sighs, almost wistfully. "Fulfilling the wish of a loved one... is that not beautiful?"

Eyes narrowed, Kaito slowly shakes his head. "I'll never understand how you see murder as beautiful."

"That would be because I don't admire the act of it per say, Kaito. It is the reasons that lie behind the actions that fascinate me the most. What drives people to do such things is what I find most beautiful. As I've said before, I have very little interest in gods and spirits themselves; there's a much bigger place in my heart for those who create them."

"Huh," says Kaito. "So… like Angie, then?"

Korekiyo hums. "From an anthropological standpoint, yes. Angie is one of, if not the most beautiful individual here. Her culture is rich, and the way in which she speaks about her god is a goldmine for an anthropologist such as myself to be fortunate enough to stumble upon."

Kaito raises an eyebrow. "You sure it's just anthropology?"

Smiling knowingly, Korekiyo nods. "Yes. Just anthropology. Nothing more, nothing less. Another woman already occupies my heart, I'm afraid."

Kaito blinks. "Another—? Actually, I'm not even gonna ask—"

CRASH!

The shrill splintering of glass emanates all over the lab. With an involuntary shout, Kaito drops the stack of books he'd been holding, and Korekiyo jumps to his feet. They exchange a glance.

"What…" Kaito begins to say, but Korekiyo's already sprinting ahead. Down, down, down the various sets of stairs. As Kaito catches up, panting heavily, a grisly, but not unexpected scene meets them. The empty display case near the front door, the one that had once held a golden katana (or so Korekiyo had been told) lies in pieces. Glass shards cover the floor's diameter.

And Angie Yonaga's lying in the middle of it.

"What the— Angie!?" Kaito runs ahead of Korekiyo to Angie's side. "Are you all right?"

Angie giggles weakly as Kaito helps her to her feet. "Nyahaha… Angie was having so much fun sweeping that she got carried away, it would seem…"

"At least there wasn't anything of value in that case…" Korekiyo murmurs under his breath. He crouches down into the glass and retrieves something soft and blue from underneath one of the shards by Angie's shoe.

"Oh!" Kokichi springs up from behind him. "There it is!" He snatches the cloth out of Korekiyo's hand. "I dropped my dusting cloth and couldn't for the life of me find it! Thanks, Kiyo! You're a life-saver!"

Kaito whips round. "You idiot! That's obviously why Angie slipped!"

Kokichi's hand flies to his heart. "Are you accusing me of tripping Angie up?" Tears bead at the corners of his eyes. "Kaito… I would never— okay, well, I would, but not where there's glass! That's too far, even for a supreme leader of evil!"

"Yeah," Kaito scoffs. "And I saw a pig fly over the cage the other day."

Kokichi tilts his head. "You did?"

"What? No! I was being sarcastic!"

"Kaito, you are the worst liar I've ever met!"

"Shut the hell up!"

Grinning, Kokichi turns on his heel. "Make me." He lunges at Kaito, snatches the brown leatherback book from his jacket pocket and bolts to the back of the lab.

"Hey! Give that back!" Kaito makes a move to chase him, but stops in his tracks. He hands Angie the handcuff keys. "I'll be back in a second, start cleaning without me." He starts to jog off but swivels back around. "And Kiyo! Don't do anything shady while I'm gone! I'll know if you did!" And then he races off, hot on Kokichi's tail.

"Wow," says Angie, peering out from behind Korekiyo. "Those two get along swimmingly, don't they?"

"That's… one way of putting it, I suppose." Korekiyo's eyes slide over Angie's form. "Are you injured?"

"Hmm? Of course not!" Angie stretches her arms out wide. "See? All good."

"Your legs are bleeding."

"Oh?" Angie looks down and gasps. "Wowow! You're right! But it's fiiiine! Angie can donate it to Atua later!"

"I would rather ensure you don't catch any infection," Korekiyo replies. And stop you bleeding all over my laboratory floor, he thinks. "I have bandages on my person. I do not mind assisting you with dressing your legs if you so wish."

Angie tilts her head. "Bandages?"

Korekiyo holds up his bound wrists. "Yes, bandages. Like these."

Tapping her lip, Angie considers his proposal for a moment. "Hmmmm… Okay!" She moves to unlock his cuffs with the key Kaito gave her, but stops short. "Wait. Can Angie ask you something first?"

"Yes?"

"Uh…" Angie's smile falters ever so slightly. "Kiyo won't kill Angie if she takes these off, right?"

"No… I won't."

"Is Kiyo suuuuure?" Angie holds up a hand. "Pinky promise?"

Korekiyo regards her for a moment. "…Very well."

Reaching up, Angie intertwines their fingers. "Pinky promise; if you lie, you'll drink one-thousand needles, and cut your finger off!"

Click.

The handcuffs drop off Korekiyo's hands and clatter noisily to the floor. With a relieved sigh, Korekiyo massages his wrists, before reaching inside his jacket and producing a roll of bandage.

Angie's eyes go wide. "Whoa, Kiyo actually keeps that on him?"

"You thought I was lying?"

"Nyahah, Angie wasn't sure…"

"Kehehehe. You're very brave to release me, in that case." Korekiyo slides open a nearby glass door, where a wooden dog statue sits opposite. He pats the empty spot beside the statue "Come, sit. Be mindful of the statue, it is of high anthropological value."

Angie obliges, sliding into the display case and kicking her legs out.

Korekiyo unravels the roll of bandage, and drops to one knee. "May I touch you?"

"Of course!"

"Thank you. I will be as gentle as possible." Korekiyo presses the first bandage to Angie's first cut, not missing the way Angie flinches when he makes contact with her leg, but pretending to. As they sit in silence, the pipes groan with age. The upper level floorboards creak over them, as do the distant cries of Kaito chasing Kokichi. The stagnant smell of must sprinkled with cleaner sits in the air.

"Hmmmm," says Angie, in an attempt to distract herself from the stinging cuts on her leg being smothered by Korekiyo's bandages. "Hmmmm…"

Korekiyo glances up. "Is something the matter?"

Angie shakes her head. "Nope. Angie's just thinking."

"May I ask what about?"

"Nyahaha!" Angie grins. "Angie's thinking about Kiyo!"

"Me?"

"Mmhmm, mmhmm! Kiyo's always asking Angie tons and tons of questions about Atua and her island and stuff…" Angie taps her chin as her eyes scan the ceiling above them. "Soooo, Angie was thinking about asking Kiyo something this time!"

"I… I see… very well." Korekiyo continues to dress Angie's leg. "What would you like to know, then?"

"Nyehehe…" Angie taps her chin faster. "Angie… would like to know… Ah!" She leans down, green eyes twinkling. "What's Kiyo's sister like?"

Korekiyo's hands stop moving. "Oh," he eventually says. "That's… certainly a question, isn't it?"

Angie nods. "Mhmm! That's why Angie asked it! She's super-duper curious!"

"I didn't say I wouldn't answer," replies Korekiyo. "But, well, that's… I fear my response may be incomprehensible to you." He meets her eyes. "May I first inquire as to why you'd ask me such a thing?"

Angie rocks from side to side on the display case. "Well, Kiyo killed all those ladies for her, right? So Angie thinks she must be a wonderful person!" Closing her eyes, she hums. "After all, if Atua asked Angie to do such a thing…"

Korekiyo raises an eyebrow. "Would you…?"

"Nyahaha! Angie can't answer that." She winks at Korekiyo, and swears to Atua that she sees him flinch. "But Kiyoooo! C'mooooon! Angie wants to know!"

There's another long pause.

Korekiyo sighs, defeated. "I suppose there isn't any harm in telling you..."

"Yay!" Angie's chin falls into her palms. "Angie's all ears!"

Moving over to her other leg, Korekiyo's eyes flutter closed, and he starts to speak as though in a trance. "My sister's health had always been extremely poor. I spent much of my time by her bedside in the hospital. She'd tell me about various legends and folktales she'd read about on specific days, which ended up igniting my love for anthropology…"

As he talks, Korekiyo's voice is even softer than usual (Angie didn't realise that was possible), but it pleases Angie's ears, and the way he's applying bandages to her legs is noticeably gentler (Angie didn't realise that was possible, either). He's using long words, words that Angie's not overly familiar with, but nevertheless, she listens, and finds her eyes wandering over the outline of Korekiyo's body, from the curve of his hips, all the way up to the top of his mask. He steals the odd glance at her face, but for the most part, his attention remains trained on Angie's legs. An idea floats into her mind, and Angie reaches into her smock to retrieve a pencil.

"There we go." Korekiyo ties the final bandage into a neat little bow. "How does that feel? Not too tight?"

"Non, non!" Angie stretches her limbs out like a cat. "All perfect!"

"Good, good."

"So… if Angie understands this right… Kiyo does everything for his sister?"

"Yes, of course."

"Even when he doesn't wanna do it?"

"…There was never an instance where Sister requested something distasteful."

"You hesitated."

"I did not. I was merely formulating my response." Korekiyo coughs into his mask. "But you are the same, are you not?"

Angie blinks. "Huh?"

Korekiyo stands, dusts himself down and takes a seat next to Angie inside the display case. "From what I've learnt, you would never go against Atua's will, correct?"

"No, no, no!" Angie frantically shakes her head. "Of course not! That would be a sin!"

Korekiyo folds his arms. "Just as it would be a sin for me to disobey Sister."

Angie's eyes flash beneath her bangs. "So Kiyo's sister is also a god?"

"N-not a god, but…"

"Then why do you hafta do everything she says?" Angie leans in closer. "Why do you hafta kill all those ladies for her? Why?"

"I… I told you…" Korekiyo's voice drops to a near-whisper. "Sister seemed lonely in her final months. Her dying wish was to have friends, so I decided to fulfil that wish…"

Angie tilts her head. "But… she didn't ask you to kill anyone, right?"

Sighing, Korekiyo tucks a strand of hair behind his ear. "Angie. Have you heard of the saying, 'Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean'?"

Angie's face lights up. "Oooh, the ocean! There's lots of ocean on Angie's island."

"Do you know what it means?"

"Nope!"

"Kehehe, that's not surprising. Sayings often circulate without their meanings attached. The horizon, like the one on your island, seems to look like the end of the world, the end of existence. But it's not. It's keeps stretching onwards, past what we can see. One can say the same about death. Death is merely the end of one part of the soul's existence."

"Hmmm… Angie's never thought about that before! Maybe Atua would be able to— nyah!"

Before she fully comprehends what's happening, Angie finds herself being pushed further into the case, right up against the clothed cage the wooden statue sits upon.

Curling one hand around Angie's neck, and the other around her tiny wrists, Korekiyo crawls on top of her, his voice low and wine-dark. "Say, do you believe in life after death, Angie?" His eyes flit to Kaito and Kokichi, merely purple and white blurs on the fifth floor.

Angie nods as best she can. "Yep! Angie knows she'll go to Atua's Kingdom when she dies, so of course she does!"

"Then… if I were to send you to Sister right now…" Korekiyo presses his thumb into her throat. "Would you believe that your life would still go on?"

"A-Angie knows Kiyo wouldn't do that." Angie's smile doesn't waver, not even slightly. Because Kiyo pinky-promised to not kill Angie when she unhandcuffed him." She winks. "And Kiyo seems to take his promises very seriously."

"Ah—" Korekiyo opens and closes his mouth under his mask. "What… you..." Shaking his head, he releases Angie and climbs off of her. "I-I don't understand. Why aren't you afraid of me?"

"Hmm?" Angie tilts her head. "Why would Angie be afraid of Kiyo? Afterall, Atua says Kiyo and Angie met in a past life!"

Korekiyo scoffs. "I highly doubt that."

"Why? If Atua says it then it must be true! Angie saw it in a vision!" She closes her eyes and steeples her hands. "Angie and Kiyo were in a dark, dark room, lit only by the light of a candle or two… and then BANG!"

"Bang?"

"Yep! Bang! That's all Angie remembers, though. It went black after that."

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

"That's okay, Angie doesn't either, really." Angie rocks back. "Aaaanyway, Kiyo thinks his sister's wishes matter more than his own, right?"

Korekiyo blanches. "Wh-what? Where's this coming from—"

"Buuut…" Angie reaches into her smock and pulls out a tiny sketchpad. "If Kiyo's sister loved Kiyo like you say she does… wouldn't she want Kiyo to just be happy?" She flips to the first page, and turns the sketchbook around for Korekiyo to see.

His eyes go saucer-wide. "That's…" With a shaking hand, Korekiyo reaches out to touch the picture.

"When Kiyo was talking about his sister earlier, Angie decided to draw a picture of her!" She pouts. "Angie's not quite sure she got all the details down, though…"

"N-no, you…" Korekiyo takes a shaky breath. "It… it looks just like her." He glances up. "How on earth did you manage to…?"

Angie smirks. "Nyeheheh… Angie's not the Ultimate Artist for nothing, you know! Even if most of her talent comes from Atua." She offers Korekiyo the sketchbook. "Here, it's for you! So whenever you feel lonely, you can remember how much your sister loves you!" She rocks back on the display case. "Kaede gave it to Angie the other day but Angie doesn't need it. That drawing's the only one in there, so Kiyo can fill it up with other pictures if he wants!"

"Angie…" Korekiyo breathes. "This is…" He holds the sketchpad tight to his chest. "Th-thank you. And… I apologise for earlier. I got… caught up in the moment."

"No worries!" Angie steeples her hands over her head. "Atua forgives all."

"But do you?"

"Huh?"

"I'm not asking for Atua's forgiveness… I'm asking for yours."

"Oh, well…" Angie thinks for a moment. "Sure! Angie forgives you also! And Angie's sorry, too."

Korekiyo's eyebrows fly into his hat. "Why…?"

"Yesterday Angie suggested locking Kiyo away in Ryoma's room and throwing away the key." Her head falls into her chest. "Well… she said that it was Atua that told her to say that but… it was actually just Angie."

"I see." Korekiyo folds his arms. "So sometimes you say things under Atua's guise, hmm?"

Angie shifts a little. "Not usually but… sometimes…" She looks up. "Does Kiyo do that too? With his sister?"

"I…" Korekiyo looks into his lap. "Perhaps… but never intentionally."

"Mmm… Angie thinks she's the same." She kicks her bandaged legs out in front of her. "So will Kiyo stop doing that?"

"Doing what?"

Angie's eyes flash again. "Putting his sister before himself."

Sighing, Korekiyo pulls at his hat. "That's... quite the request." He chuckles emptily. "I am not Kirumi, you know. You should really save those types of requests for—"

"Angie knows Kiyo's not Kirumi, but Angie also knows Kiyo's not his sister, either."

Korekiyo's quiet for a few moments. "Just as Angie's not Atua?"

"Ah!" Angie's eyes go wide. "Well that's… ahahaha, that's totally different!"

Korekiyo tilts his head. "Is it, now? And how so?"

"B-because…" Angie racks her brains. "Well, you see! Angie's Atua's prophet! So she has to fulfil her— no, wait, His mission…" She makes a noise of frustration, and her head falls into her lap. "Grrrgh… Angie's head hurts."

Korekiyo chuckles. "It's all right. Don't think too hard. I understand what you're trying to convey to me. And… I appreciate it."

Angie lifts her head. "Really?"

"Of course." Korekiyo pushes himself out of the display case, and Angie does the same. "Although I can't promise that I can do that…" His hand rises to his zipper, where his painted lips lie beneath. "I'll… take it into consideration." He pauses. "On one condition."

"Oh?" Angie blinks. "What's that?"

Korekiyo smiles under his mask. "That you consider doing the same."

"Ah!" Angie's hands fly to her face. "Kiyo tricked Angie!"

"Heh, not tricked, merely, what's the phrase… 'giving one a taste of their own medicine', perhaps?"

"Nnngh!" Cheeks warming, Angie sticks out her bottom lip. "Buuut does Kiyo promise? To at least try putting himself first? Atua says it'd be good for you."

Korekiyo holds out a hand. "Only if you do."

Angie looks uncertainly to Korekiyo's hand, back down to her own.

"Okay!" Angie shakes his offered hand and finds herself bewitched at how soft his bandages are, and how warm the hand beneath them feels as it gently holds her own.

"Wait, what the hell!?" Kaito stomps back over with the book that started it all under his arm. "You guys haven't even started cleaning yet?"

"Nyahaha!" Angie quickly retracts her hand and hides it behind her back. "Guess Angie got distracted again!"

Kaito looks to Angie, then squints at Korekiyo. "Well," he says. "As long as nothing bad happened, I guess it's all right. Here." He retrieves the handcuffs from the floor and beckons Korekiyo over. "Let's go find Kirumi. I'm sure she'll be twice as fast as all four of us put together."

Sliding the sketchpad into his jacket, Korekiyo complies. "You're probably right."

"Right!" Kaito snaps the cuffs shut around Korekiyo's wrists. "We'll be right back." He jabs a finger at Angie. "And actually start this time!"

The moment Korekiyo and Kaito are out of earshot, Kokichi slides over to Angie. "Soooo, how did it go?"

Angie wordlessly watches Korekiyo's back until the front door clicks shut behind him. "Angie… thinks it went well."

"That's all?" Kokichi's face screws into a pout. "I didn't break a glass box and go on a two-mile sprint just for you to tell me it went 'well'!" He taps his foot impatiently. "Do you think he's gonna be a risk or not—" He stops himself. "I-I mean… does Atua think he's gonna be a risk or not?"

Angie pulls her hand out from behind her back. "Mmmmm…. nope!" She finally says, grinning widely. "Angie thinks he'll be juuuust fine!" Spinning on her heel, she skips off towards the glass and starts picking up the shards with her bare hands. "Now c'mon! Let's start cleaning before Kaito tells Angie off again."

Kokichi blinks. "You think?" His eyes slide to the door Kaito and Korekiyo had disappeared out of. "Huh. Miracles do happen, I suppose."

END

A Match Maid in Heaven (#044 – Tennis Ball Set)

A standard tennis ball four-pack set. Not only is it used for tennis, but it's also used for massage and weight loss exercises.

Dun dun dun dun dun dun,

BANG!

Thundering up the stairs, Kaede explodes into the Ultimate Tennis Lab. "Ryoma!"

"Huh? Akamatsu?" Ryoma nearly drops his pack of candy as his door flies open. "What's the rush? Something happen?"

"N-no… it's nothing like that." Kaede bends over to catch her breath. "I just met Kaito and Kiyo on the first floor. They were looking for Kirumi or something."

Ryoma shrugs. "Shinguuji's been in his research lab with Momota for the past hour or so. I've got nothing to do with that—"

"I know," says Kaede. "But I realised that if Kiyo was with Kaito, then you had to have been free! Y'know, since you're usually supervising him and all these days."

"Well," Ryoma sighs. "As free as one can be in this prison of a school… hm?" He trails off as Kaede reaches into her backpack and pulls out a tube of tennis balls.

"I came up to give you these," Kaede starts. "I was in the casino with Tsumugi earlier and ended up getting these as a prize."

Ryoma looks blankly at the tube in her hand. "A four-pack? Hmph." He scowls. "You've got a lotta nerve coming to me with those."

"Huh? But I figured they were put in there for you, no?"

"Knowing Monokuma, probably."

"So then you should use them!"

"Akamatsu." Ryoma gestures to the floor. "Does this place look like it needs any more balls to you?"

Kaede glances round the room. Indeed, various tennis balls litter the navy-blue tennis court in more places than less. "I mean no, but…" She looks back down at the tube. "Maybe these are special balls, or something? Since they came from the casino!"

"Never heard of such a thing," Ryoma grunts. "And I'm not gonna be the one to find out."

Kaede rolls her eyes. "This again? Ryoma… How are you going to say you won't play tennis whilst literally standing on the court?" She pops off the tube's lid and lets a ball fall into her hand. "Besides… didn't you play with Kaito the night of the Insect Meet 'n Greet? And then with Gonta the day after?"

"Those were completely different things, Akamatsu. With Momota, I wasn't in my right mind, and Gokuhara…" Ryoma tugs his hat down over his eyes. "Gokuhara was a once off…"

Kaede bites her lip. "S-sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine." He turns his back to her. "It's sweet of you to think of me, but I'm better off without tennis coming back into my life. Especially at a time as uncertain as this."

"No, no I totally get it." Kaede slowly walks across the court and picks up the first racket she sees. "Then… I might as well give it a shot myself while I'm here." She looks to Ryoma. "Is that okay?"

Ryoma steps off the court. "Go for it. The floor's yours."

"All right!" Setting her backpack and the tube of remaining balls to the side, Kaede jogs back onto the court, squaring her shoulders. She steals a glance at Ryoma, still standing at the side, though she can't tell if he's watching or not. "Uh…" Kaede looks down at the racket in her hand. "How do I do this… I guess I just… hit it?" She throws the tennis ball up in the air. Swings the racket.

"Huh?" Kaede blinks. The tennis ball drops to the floor by her feet. She opens and closes her empty hands. "Where did the racket go?"

"Akamatsu," comes Ryoma's voice from the side-lines.

"Y-yeah?"

"You've never played tennis before, have you?"

"Ahaha… it's that obvious, huh?"

"The main goal of tennis is to get the ball in your opponent's court as often as possible." Ryoma folds his arms over his chest. "Rackets don't count for anything."

Kaede follows his eyes to the tennis racket, now laying on the other side of the court.

"I-I knew that!" says Kaede. "It just kind of… flew out of my hand?"

"Yeah, I noticed." Ryoma slides a racket across the floor to her feet. "Go on, try again. Actually try hitting the ball this time."

"All right!" Supressing a smirk, Kaede grabs the racket and the ball from before.

Throws the ball up.

Swings the racket.

"Akamatsu…"

"I-I'm sorry! It happened again!"

Sighing, Ryoma walks back onto the court and collects both of Kaede's discarded rackets. "When you're holding a racket, you gotta grip it like your life depends on it. The way you grip your racket determines how the ball will behave when it's hit." Ryoma hands her one racket and holds out the other. "First thing you gotta do is hold the racket pointing away from you with your left hand."

"Okay…"

"Next, orient the string area so that it is perpendicular to the ground."

"Like this?"

"You got it. Now, put your right hand out as if you're shaking hands with the racket, then place your index knuckle on the small, sloped side of the grip, like so. Now finally, close your hand around the grip so that the same bevel of the grip goes diagonally across your palm below your littlest finger."

"I see, I see." Kaede holds up her racket. "Today I learned something new!"

"It's nothing special, just the Continental Grip. All beginners have to have it down before they can even step on the court nowadays." Bending down, Ryoma picks up the tennis ball. "I'll serve this time." He walks to the other side of the court. "You know what they say, third time's the charm."

"Huh?" says Kaede. "I thought you didn't want to play?"

Ryoma frowns. "This isn't 'playing', Akamatsu. It'd be uncool of me to stand by and watch someone struggle on the court. I may be instructing you now, but nothing'll ever revert me back to the Ryoma Hoshi before he became a killer."

"Yeah," Kaede sighs. "I figured. But… you sounded really cool just there! Like a real coach!"

"Hmph. A coach, huh?"

"Yeah! Is that why you always call me 'Akamatsu?' I'm pretty sure coaches in movies do that too; call their players by their last names—"

"Akamatsu."

"Huh?"

"Heads up!"

Smack!

"O-oh!" Slamming her eyes shut, Kaede takes a blind swing at the impending ball.

Thwap!

The ball hits Kaede's racket.

Clang!

Bounces loudly off the metal shower door, and back into Ryoma's hand.

Kaede cracks an eye open. "I… I did it?"

Ryoma holds up the ball. "Sure did."

"Oh, wow! That's amazing!" Kaede looks down at the racket, still firmly in her hand. "Is that because of what you taught me?"

Ryoma shrugs. "I mean, once you've got the basics down, it becomes easier to control the way you move with your racket."

Kaede beams. "So I did hit it because of what you taught me. Thank you!"

"Hmph. It's nothing really. You probably struggle more because you're a pianist."

"Huh? What does that have to do with tennis?"

"As a pianist you've gotta keep your fingers in perfect condition, right?"

"Yeah." Kaede shudders. "A pianist's worst nightmare is a broken hand or arm…"

"And you've been playing piano for how long again?"

"Well… for as long as I can remember, really."

Ryoma closes his eyes. "You've probably conditioned yourself into keeping your hands as perfect as possible. You instinctively hold back, afraid of hurting your fingers." He gestures to her racket. "But when I pointed it out, you began actively concentrating on maintaining your grip while playing."

Kaede grins at Ryoma. "You really do love tennis, don't you?"

"Hmph… It's just psychology. Nothing to do with tennis."

"If you say so…"

The door clicks open before Ryoma can protest, and a third figure steps into the lab.

"Oh," says Kirumi. "Am I disturbing something?"

"No, no, not at all!" Kaede replies. "Ryoma was teaching me how to play tennis!"

Ryoma tugs at his hat. "I wasn't…"

Kirumi blinks. "Is Korekiyo not with you, Ryoma?"

"Huh? No, he's with Momota."

"Oh, that's right!" says Kaede. "I met them both on the way here. I think they were looking for you, Kirumi?"

Kirumi nods. "Yes, a glass display case fell in Korekiyo's lab. Kaito requested that I help them safely clean up. I have just returned from that. I came here because I believe it is my turn to supervise Korekiyo."

Ryoma shakes his head. "Not yet. He's not due to come back here for another hour or so."

Kirumi's silent for a few moments. "Yes… of course…" Her hand flies to her temple. "I misremembered the times. My sincerest apologies."

"No need to apologise," says Ryoma. "Sounds like you could do with a break, though. It's not like you to mix up times, Tojo."

"You've worked so hard for all of us ever since we got here," Kaede adds. "You deserve some time off too, Kirumi!"

Kirumi pauses. "I appreciate the concern, but I am fine. Serving others is what every maid desires." She closes her eyes. "Taking time off would be… unfruitful."

"Whaaat?" Kaede makes a face. "That doesn't sound very healthy… Oh! I know!" She holds out the racket in her hand. "Kirumi, you should have a go!"

Kirumi blinks. "A… go?"

"Yeah! At tennis!" Kaede's face lights up. "I bet you'd be awesome at it!"

Kirumi rubs her chin. "I do not think I have ever properly played tennis…"

"Me neither until today!" Shuffling over to her, Kaede forces the racket into Kirumi's gloved hand. "C'mon, it'll be fun! You agree, right, Ryoma?"

Ryoma sighs. "I never said that…"

"Yes, you did!"

"I said she needed a break; I didn't say anything about tennis."

"You seem to have your heart set on this, Kaede," says Kirumi.

Kaede turns to her. "Of course I am! I want to watch Ryoma play tennis with someone just as skilled as him."

"Skilled…?" Kirumi's eyes widen. "I do not think my skills as a maid are nearly enough to match that of the Ultimate Tennis Pro, Kaede."

Ryoma scoffs. "Well, if Akamatsu's anything to go by, I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"Hey!" Kaede flares. "What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Anyway, you don't need me to play a match here." Ryoma gestures to the racket-wielding machine spinning over them. "That guy will be a better opponent than I'll ever be." He hangs his head. "My enthusiasm for tennis… is long gone."

"Kirumi!" Kaede hisses. "Do something!"

Kirumi sighs. "Very well, if that is what you wish." She gingerly picks up the nearest ball and tosses it up in the air. Angles her racket. Serves.

Smack!

With a racket already in his hand, Ryoma's body moves on its own.

…Thwack!

The tennis ball comes flying right back to Kirumi.

Thwap!

And flies straight back over the net.

Staggering off the court, Kaede climbs up into the safety of the umpire's chair before she receives her second tennis ball-related injury. Her head goes back and forth trying to follow the ball's path, but all she sees is a small, yellow-green blur bouncing between two equally blurred figures.

Smack!

Thwack!

Smack!

Thwap!

"Not bad, Tojo," Ryoma says between hits. "Your first serve was flawless. You sure this is your first time?"

"Yes," replies Kirumi. "I can assure you this is the first request to play tennis I have ever received."

Smack!

"Nice," says Ryoma. "I felt the power in that hit."

Thwump!

"To be praised by the Ultimate Tennis Pro of all people, I am flattered."

Thwack!

"The Ultimate Tennis Pro no longer exists."

Smack!

"Then who is the man standing before me?"

Thump!

"An empty shell of who he once was."

Thwap!

"I respectfully disagree."

Smack!

"Heh. Why's that?"

Thump!

"I do not believe the Ryoma Hoshi I first met would have ever agreed to this."

Thwack!

The ball lands on Ryoma's side of the court.

"Hmph," Ryoma grunts. "You got me there."

"Uh, what's it called when that happens?" asks Kaede from her perch above.

"Fifteen-Love to Tojo," Ryoma replies.

"Oh okay." Kaede clears her throat. "Ahem! Fifteen-Love to— wait, so Kirumi won?"

"It would appear so," says Kirumi.

With a quiet chuckle, Ryoma places his racket on the floor. "It's funny. Just then with Tojo… it felt like the old days."

Kaede jumps down from the umpire's chair. "The old days?"

"Yeah. Back when I was in my prime."

"So playing against Kirumi felt like playing against one of your rivals?" Kaede claps her hands together. "That's so cool! I knew Kirumi would be amazing!"

Kirumi shakes her head. "Do not be ridiculous. I am merely a maid."

"That might be true." Ryoma ducks under the tennis net and walks over to them. "But you're a maid that caught me off guard." He half-smiles. "You've got a real talent there, Tojo. Make sure you never use it for killing. Don't be like me."

Kirumi's brow furrows. "Of course. I would never do such a thing." Her features soften. "But… like I said earlier, I believe the Ryoma Hoshi standing here is different to the one we first met."

"You say that, but…" Ryoma's frown deepens. "I don't see a difference. All that's happened is I've gotten softer."

Kaede tilts her head. "But isn't that a good thing?"

Ryoma scoffs. "Not when you're on death row. All that waits for me outside these walls is my old prison cell."

"We are all trapped in this space together, unaware of what awaits us in the future," Kirumi starts. "My desire is to fulfil the wishes of others whilst we are contained within these walls. Perhaps focusing on solely the present would do you good as well, Ryoma."

"Yeah!" Kaede jumps in. "Don't think about the past or the future." She pumps her fists. "Just focus on what you can see here, with all of us." She smiles. "I think Gonta would agree with Kirumi too, don'tcha think?"

Ryoma gazes at the ground. Chews on his candy cigarette for a while. "Hmph. I see." His eyes trail to the door. "Momota said something similar when this place first opened up. Never thought I'd hear it be echoed by you two, though." He tugs down his beanie. "Maybe the one who's still got a ways to go is me after all…"

"Well, if that is the case, then I think you are doing stupendously, Ryoma," Kirumi says with a smile.

"Heh." Ryoma closes his eyes. "I appreciate the flattery, but don't get ahead of yourself. It's only three in the afternoon."

Kaede claps her hands over her mouth. "Three?! I just remembered; I promised I'd meet Miu at three to help her with some invention she's working on! I'm super sorry for running off like this!" Kaede flashes an apologetic smile as she backs up towards the door. "Sorry for running off like this. I'll talk to you guys later! Bye!" She races out the door.

"And there she goes." Ryoma whistles. "She's got a lot of gusto for a girl carrying all of us on her shoulders." Ryoma remembers Kaede handing him her Kubs Kard in this very same room a few days prior. He lowers his head. "For someone carrying such a huge burden with her…"

"Ryoma?" asks Kirumi.

"What's up, Tojo? Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"I actually do not for once. But…" Biting her lip, Kirumi searches for the words. "Ryoma, there is something I have noticed."

"What's that?"

"There is not a single person here who does not respect you, myself included. Not one individual has ever spoken ill of you."

Ryoma chuckles. "Tojo, if you praise me anymore, my ego will grow taller than me—"

"Please allow me to finish." Kirumi closes her eyes. "Maids require the ability to sense their client's thoughts and emotions. Whilst we are here, that includes yours too, Ryoma." Her face falls. "I cannot do that efficiently if you keep yourself at a distance. You are stuck in a shell, and instead of breaking through that shell you avert your eyes from everything and everyone." She grits her teeth. "That is why I am hesitant to leave you alone."

Ryoma sighs. "You really don't have to do tha—"

"But it is also why I would like to offer to bridge that distance between us." Kirumi places a hand to her heart. "Because I, the Kirumi Tojo who is not a maid, would also like to know more about the Ryoma Hoshi who is not Killer Tennis."

Ryoma's eyes go wide. "Tojo… you…" His mouth falls open, his candy cigarette hanging immobile. "Hmph. So this is what it's like to be at a loss for words. For someone like me to interest someone like you so much…" He sighs. "I'll probably just bore you, but I guess I don't mind talking about myself. But first…"

Kirumi tilts her head. "Yes?"

Ryoma stares at the ceiling. "We still have some time before Momota comes back with Shinguuji, right?"

"I believe we have around an hour, yes."

"Then…" Ryoma's eyes flit to the racket still in Kirumi's hand. "Mind indulging me in a rematch while we talk?"

Kirumi smiles. "If that is what you wish, I am more than happy to oblige."

END

Do Ultimate Robots Dream of Love? (#067 – Proxilingual Device)

A tool that can translate any language, even animal sounds. It can pick up a dog's bark and eloquently describe the emotions in it with an electronic bark.

Someone knocks at Miu's hotel room door. In a frenzied hurry, she scrambles to hide the latest invention she'd been painstakingly working on – a vacuum cleaner, for Kokichi. Why? She didn't dare ask. Tucking it away into a drawer under the bed, Miu jumps up and quickly scours the room. Light-bathed bathroom on the left. Shadow-bathed sex dungeon on the right. Bed in the middle with two annoying-ass model horses galloping in endless circles. Nothing out of place, good. All looking just as it should.

Miu twists the key in the door and throws it open. Her face falls when Kiibo appears on the other side.

Or rather, Angie's most dedicated flunky.

"Oh. It's you." She moves to slam the door shut, but Kiibo's foot stops her short.

"Please wait!"

"Wh—!?" Miu's face contorts. "What the fuck do you want then?" She rolls her eyes. "Lemme guess, you've come to preach to me about Ass-tua again? Did that bobble-headed bitch ask you to come here, is that it?"

Kiibo shakes his head. "I-it's nothing like that! And Angie didn't ask me to do anything, it's just me."

With a sigh, Miu lets the door swing open again. "Then—" She bites her lip. "What do you need?"

Kiibo slowly opens and closes his hand. "I… think I need to recharge my power cells."

"So? Go charge. That's none of my business."

"That's the thing." Kiibo wrings his fingers. "There don't seem to be any power outlets in this hotel. I was wondering if you had anything I could use…"

"O-oh." There's a pause. "I mean, I probably do." Miu leaves her post at the door to rummage through her messily packed overnight bag. She pulls out a small pink device. "Got this piece of crap as a prize in the casino earlier. It's a translation device, apparently. Translates dog barks into electronic barks according to the label." She scoffs. "Of course something from that trashcan of a casino would have the fuckin' integrity of a used condom."

"I-I see. So you don't have anything." Hanging his head, Kiibo turns away. "Sorry for disturbing you, I'll see myself—"

"Wait!" Miu holds up a hand. "If you wait a couple minutes, I can c-convert this into a portable socket for you to use..." She averts her eyes. "I-if you want, that is."

Kiibo's eyes go wide. "Miu…" He smiles. "That would be extremely helpful. Thank you."

Miu's cheeks burn red. "I-I only wanna see if I can turn an electrical device into an electrical generator, th-that's all. Don't get the wrong idea." Grabbing a screwdriver, she collapses in a heap on the bed with the device. She glances up at Kiibo, framed like a picture in the doorway. "Um. Y-you can come in… if you want."

"Ah, thank you." Kiibo closes the door behind him. "I really appreciate it, Miu."

"Tch, I just said it doesn't matter—"

"I mean for everything so far."

Miu stops tinkering. "Wh-what?"

"I feel like… you're the only person here that appreciates me for who I am." He takes a breath. "And for that reason, I feel it is only right that I apologise."

"Apologise?" Miu squeaks. "For what—!" The rest of her sentence dies in her throat as Kiibo drops to all-fours beside the bed. "K-Kiibo?!"

"Miu, I am so sorry for my recent behaviour. For neglecting you, and not considering your feelings." He touches his forehead to the carpet. "I feel it appropriate to apologise in accordance to how I feel, which is why I have assumed the traditional Japanese dogeza stance in order to convey my—"

"I-I don't give a shit!" Miu shrieks. "Just cut it out with that d-doggy-style pose!"

Kiibo glances up. Miu's still sitting on the bed, violently shaking and teary-eyed.

"I-I don't know what you're apologising for but st-stop looking up at me like that or… or I'll…!"

"But Miu," Kiibo starts. "I must apologise, it is of utmost importance that I take responsibility for my—"

"Then get up and fucking say it to my face!" Miu snaps. "I… I'd usually be into this kinda shit, 'specially in a place like this, b-but I can't stand seeing you down there grovellin' at my feet!"

Sighing, Kiibo rises from the floor. "Very well." He moves to sit on the bed besides her. "Then, I just want to apologise for disregarding your feelings lately, Miu."

"O-oh yeah?" Biting her lip, Miu scowls her best scowl. "Well, you weren't thinking about me when you went off with her, were you?"

Kiibo grimaces at the mention of Angie. "I wasn't. And for that I am truly sorry."

Miu scoffs. "It's not even the first time either; remember when you went simpin' for Kirumi like a day after Rantaro died or something?"

"I know," says Kiibo. "I got carried away back then, too." He lowers his head. "I… I'm sorry, Miu. I truly don't know what else I can say."

There's a long pause. Only the mechanical creaking of the Monokuma-faced horses trotting around them fills the otherwise silent air.

"Y'know, I fucking hate this place," With gritted teeth, Miu clenches a trembling fist. "I hate it so fucking much."

"That's understandable," Kiibo starts, "As do I—"

"No, no, no, you don't fucking GET IT!" Miu's hands fly into her hair. "I fucking HATE waking up each and e-every morning and automatically wondering who's gonna be next, or if something happened to someone during the night o-or worrying that I'll lose someone the moment I start to give a shit about them, or…" She takes a gasping breath for air. "Or… the moment they start to give a shit about me…"

"Miu…" Kiibo breathes, but Miu's not finished.

"L-Like with Kirumi, it wasn't too bad, 'cause it'd only been a few days since we'd met. You looked fucking ridiculous in her maid dress and I hated every second of it…" She pauses. "B-but it'd be a lie to say it wasn't kinda cute… Then Gonta kicked it and that seemed to snap you out of it. After the whole trial and shit with Tenko, I thought things were getting better, we started doin' maintenance more regularly and we got cl-closer…"

"Y-yes." Voice modulator crackling, Kiibo feels his body heating up. "We, um, definitely did get closer during those… maintenance sessions."

"A-and then she— Angie started up her fucking cult and st-stole you away from me… and you stopped comin' round, and when you did come, someone would always come with you 'cause no one fuckin' trusts me in this place… A-all I had was the fuckin' computer on the fourth floor. And then when I started getting' distracted with that, Hoenaga comes up and tells me there's a fuckin' curfew now. S-so all I had to come back to at night w-was my own head that does nothing fuckin' useful except scream at me until the sun comes up because I'm too fucking scared that if I close my eyes for even a minute that I'll never wake up again, or that Kaede or you will never wake up again and I… I…" Miu kicks the bed with her heel. "F-fuck!"

"Miu…" Kiibo outstretches a hand to touch her shoulder, but Miu jumps up before he gets the chance.

"I'm fine." Miu furiously wipes at her reddening eyes with her sleeves. "A-anyway, I'll just go and uh—" She grabs both the proxililgual device and screwdriver off the bed. "W-wire this up for ya. It shouldn't take a minute."

"Oh, okay," Kiibo replies near-numbly, watching as Miu plonks down one of the yellow stools near the bathtub with her back turned. As she works, Kiibo turns over Miu's words in his head. His hand hovers over his chestplate, where his heart would be if he were a human. His inner fans rhythmically hum as they cool his overheated system.

What should I say in response to that? What *can* I say? Where can I even begin to fix this mess? Would a human know?

It's at times like these that he hates being a robot.

"All right," Miu swivels back around, completely recovered. "Done. You got your charger with ya?"

"Of course! That was fast." Kiibo presses a button, and a cable snakes out of his neck. He averts his gaze. "Would you mind… plugging me in?"

"P-plugging you in?" Miu's face explodes with colour. I… I guess I don't mind…" With searing hot cheeks, she gingerly takes the cable between two fingers and tugs on it. She gasps. "I-it's really long, Kiibo…"

As Miu pulls him out, the humming of Kiibo's internal fans turns into more of a frantic whir.

"Ahah, you think so?"

"Mhmm. I knew it'd be long, but I didn't think it'd be this long…"

"W-well it is fifty-three metres in length, so that I am not completely limited whilst replenishing energy."

"Fifty-three, huh? That's weirdly specific. Why not fifty or fifty-five?"

"Are you questioning the decisions of Professor Iidabashi, Miu!?"

"Hyeeee! I was just making an observation!" Miu plugs him into the newly-made outlet.

With a satisfied sigh, Kiibo relishes the burst of relief that washes over him as a fresh stream of electricity pours into his system. His hand wanders up to the top of his head. Since Miu's last maintenance session, the one Angie had sat in on, Kiibo's cowlick had been plucked clean from his head. Only a pea-sized opening sits in its place. He didn't mind the removal all that much – to be honest he doesn't feel all that different. The only thing that mildly bothers him is how Miu's being oddly secretive as to why she removed the hair in the first place.

That, and one other thing.

"Miu?"

Miu hesitantly resumes her place on the bed. "Y-yes?"

"Do you think my inner voice will return?"

"What do you mean?"

Kiibo's eyes flutter closed. "My inner voice… it used to guide me when I became lost. I would hear it with most perfect clarity. It would replenish me with hope when I felt despair. But I cannot hear it anymore." He hangs his head. "All I hear now… is silence."

"Silence, huh…" Miu sits up. "But isn't that a good thing?"

"What do you mean?"

Miu shrugs. "I mean, do you really want someone yappin' in your head all the time? Sounds irritating as shit if you ask me."

Kiibo frowns. "I personally found it rather comforting; like there was someone right there beside me, helping me through this terrible killing game."

Miu quirks an eyebrow. "Someone other than us?"

"Hmmm… yes, I believe so."

"But doesn't that mean you're free now?"

"F-free?"

"Yeah." Leaning over, Miu jabs a finger into Kiibo's chest. "It means you have your own free will now, y'know? You don't have whatever was in there eatin' your ear off anymore, so you don't hafta do what it tells you."

"Free will, free will…" Humming, Kiibo closes his eyes. "Miu?"

"Y-yes?"

"What you said earlier, about worrying about me. Was it true?"

"Wh-what?" Wringing her hands, Miu looks elsewhere. "O-of course. Someone might think you'd be an easy target, y'know?"

Kiibo grimaces. "That's… the only reason you'd be worried?"

"What? Th-that's… of course not!" Miu takes Kiibo by the shoulders. "Kiibs you're… a fucking masterpiece! A marvel of science and engineering! Any scientist would cum in their pants just thinkin' about the opportunity to meet someone like you! But that's not all… you're sweet and k-kind and understanding and gentle." Eyes swimming with tears, her voice starts to tremor. "Y-you let me augment you and experiment with new features and perform m-maintenance on you. And you're always so n-nice to me and I just…" Releasing him, Miu sighs. "People always treat me like I'm some freak, cuz they don't understand what's happened to me." She balls her skirt into her fists. "They don't understand that I'm an augmented human; a genius above all the other stupid dregs of the human race!"

"An augmented human?" asks Kiibo.

Miu nods. "I got into a car accident once, you know."

"A-an accident?"

"Yeah. A pretty grisly one, too. I was the only survivor."

"The only survivor? Who else was in the car?"

"… my family."

"What…?"

"We were comin' back from a daytrip, all five of us; my parents, my siblings, and me." Miu grits her teeth. "Dad was pretty tired from the day and he… he accidently veered off a cliff edge and then…"

Kiibo leans a little closer. "And… and then what?"

"Dunno… I went into a coma after that. Real life-or-death type shit." She coughs into her glove. "Anyway, after the surgery, I barely managed to regain consciousness, and I've been this way ever since."

Kiibo blinks. "This way?"

Miu grits her teeth. "An Ultimate. Before the crash I was a regular high-school girl with less talent than a broken dildo." She opens and closes her hand. "And then suddenly… my brain was fill to the fucking brim with ideas for all these inventions." She bites her trembling lip. "I… I've been alone since then, Kiibs… no one's ever fucking liked me since the day I woke up… I thought… Since I'd spent so many years just sleepin' on my ass, I thought maybe if I tried talkin' about shit adults do that they'd respect me more but it… it just them hate me even more. Nothing ever seemed to work; no matter what I tried, no one ever wanted to be around me." She looks up. "No one but you…"

"Miu…" Kiibo mutters. "This is all so… I-I don't know what to say…"

"I lost my family, all my classmates and doctors fuckin' hated me, and no one appreciated my inventions. But you care! And that's why…" Miu's head falls into her hands. "That's why I don't know what I'd do Kiibs, if y-you left or were… ta-taken away from me… I'd be so, so lost without you… you're the only person who's ever bothered to fuckin' care about me in my miserable-ass life…"

"Miu…" Kiibo's chestplate starts to physically ache with both heat and a different, completely new sensation entirely. After sucking in a breath, Kiibo rests a hand on Miu's shoulder.

Miu peeks up at him through glassy eyes. "Hnn?"

"While it is true that you can be rather… brash at times, it is equally as true that you are more than that." Kiibo states. "You are intelligent beyond comprehension, Miu. Perhaps just as smart as Professor Iidabashi himself. Your determination is admirable. If something doesn't work the first time, you stop at nothing to see it to completion."

"Ghnnnngh" Heat floods Miu's face anew. "Kiibo… wh-what the fuck are you saying all of a sudden…?"

Kiibo smiles at her. "You are also one of, if not the only person here that is able to see me beyond my existence as a robot. Instead of passing me off as a machine like Kokichi does, you defend me. You're interested in me as a person. It is because of this that when I'm with you I feel more… human." He presses a hand to his chestplate. "Miu, I… I think I can finally say this now that my inner voice is no longer holding me back."

"Wh-what?" Miu opens and closes her mouth at him, not unlike a fish.

"These feelings and sensations you're describing… I think… I've been experiencing them as well. And… if what I've learnt in the past about emotions is correct, then… these feelings can only mean one thing."

"H-huh?" Miu stutters. "B-but I—y-you— K-Kiibo… you…!?"

Kiibo tentatively drops his hand from Miu's shoulder down to her own hand. Her slender fingers interlock so perfectly with his, almost as though Kiibo had been built for Miu and Miu alone.

Kiibo looks her square in the eye. "Although I can't be certain, I think... I might be in love with you, Miu Iruma."

And that's all it takes for Miu to crack.

Staggering forward with a broken cry, Miu throws herself onto Kiibo. She snakes her arms around his neck and buries her head into his shoulder.

Just the sound of Miu's heartbroken sobbing is enough to trigger Kiibo's synthetic emotional contagion. If he'd had a crying function installed, he's certain that it'd be on in full force.

"Miu…" Kiibo wraps his arms around Miu's slender waist. With an elongated groan, Miu leans completely into his embrace until they're lying down on the bed.

"I'm so sorry, Miu," Kiibo says, over and over again, dizzy from the spike in power as his internal fans flick to their highest setting. "I am so, so, so sorry."

"It's okay, idiot…" Miu mumbles into his neck. "Just-just don't leave me again and I'll forgive you. G-got it?"

Kiibo smiles into Miu's hair. "You have my word, Miu."

They lie there in silence for what feels like hours.

Kiibo eventually pulls away from her, furrowing his synthetic brow. "You're awfully hot. Are you ill?"

"No…" Miu nuzzles into Kiibo's chest. "Just… happy." She glances up at him and smirks. "You're pretty hot yourself, y'know."

"Actually, my body temperature is currently sitting at a moderate thirty-two degrees Celsius."

"Shut up, nerd."

Silence falls between them. Squeezing Kiibo tighter than ever, Miu presses her cheek into his chestplate, Kiibo's fans humming against her face.

With a content sigh, Kiibo tangles his fingers through Miu's soft, soft hair.

"Miu?"

"Mhmm?"

"Does… does this mean we are forming a romantic pair-bond?"

"The fuck is that?"

Kiibo flushes. "I… don't know the correct term for it. My apologies."

"It's fine." Miu watches him for a moment. Averting her eyes, she twirls a lock of hair around her finger. "But… i-if you want, we can seal it."

Kiibo blinks. "Seal it?"

"Th-the bond I mean, yeah." Miu pulls Kiibo closer. "I mean, we gotta go to the casino in an hour for the transmission to Kaede and the lepers at the dorms, but until then we can…"

Kiibo gulps. "W-we can…?"

"Come on," Miu croons, dragging a finger up Kiibo's chest. "We both know you want it too." Her eyes glaze over. "You've been wanting me to do it for a while now…"

Kiibo looks away. "I-I swear, I haven't…"

"Really? That's a shame." Miu bats her eyelashes. "Because I wanna do it right now. Something special just for you, Kiibo. For everything you've done…"

"B-but we can't do it here—" Kiibo hides his face in his hands. "It's too embarrassing—"

"Kiibs, we're already in the perfect place." Removing his hands from his face, Miu cups Kiibo's cheeks. Her soft, soft fingers trail over Kiibo's cool skin, and synthetic lips so real to the touch, if she didn't know any better, she'd have thought they we real.

And then she leans closer.

And closer.

And closer, until all they can see are each other.

END

This'll probably be the longest author note I'll make for a while, anyway. There's a TLDR at the end if you so wish!

This one is just for older readers (aka anyone who'd been subscribed/caught up with the story BEFORE this chapter is released). So literally everyone, EVERYONE I talked to while I was doing this for the past 2 months called me crazy for going through with it, and I SAID in a past author note as a joke that I'd do it but uh... it actually ended up happening...

...I ended up rewriting the entire story.

OKAY WAIT. HEAR ME OUT. HEAR ME OUT. LISTEN! NOTHING, I REPEAT NOTHING HAS CHANGED. THE STORY IS STILL THE EXACT SAME, AND THE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST STILL HAPPEN AS THEY DID.

But okay, so here's my mindset, just so you see my perspective. My writing, since 2018 has gotten so, SO much better - I'm sure some of you have noticed it as well. I couldn't even bear to look back on past chapters to grab flashbacks - I had to get my friend to do it for me because it physically hurt to do it myself, it was THAT bad lmao. 2019 was a very, VERY bad year for me mentally-speaking, so my head wasn't all there when I was producing the chapters that came out that year. But 2020 me has, and I don't want to sound cocky but, my writing is finally at a place where I consider it to be 'good', I suppose? Maybe that's just what quarantine does, or maybe it's something else. I'm not complaining though, whatever it is!

All right, so imagine that the chapters are video clips for a moment: The 2018 chapters were written in 240p, and the 2019 chapters in 420p, let's say. As of 2020, I've turned up the dial, and allowed all of the past chapters to be showcased in the highest quality possible at the moment; the details are more vivid (written clearer, more concise sentences, less telling more showing, all that jazz), and other chapters (such as but not limited to: 1, 3, 11) have more details that maybe you couldn't see before because the quality was so low and pixillated. You see what I'm saying? The plot is identical, identical! Everything that has happened up to this point has still happened; as Ryoma says, we can't take back the past, so even though there are things I wrote back then I wish I could take back or change, they're out there, they exist, and it will stay that way. I will admit, there have been things, very minor things, that have been altered or changed, like plot inconsistencies, some characters doing or saying different things, or speaking up when they initially didn't, etc etc, but I highly doubt anyone would notice them. Nothing plot-relevant has been changed, and that's all you need to know!

But I'm finally done! It took the entirety of both June and July, which is why there wasn't a July update, but look! We're done now! Regular scheduling will go back to normal soon. I just need to get the finer details of Chapter IV ironed out before steaming ahead, but I'm pretty close to doing that, so it should be sooner rather than later!

TLDR; Happy 2-years of Encore, THANK YOU for all the support these past 2 years, and thank you for putting up with my clown-perfectionist-personality. Chapter IV coming soon! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️