CHAPTER SEVEN
By sunset, Kuzuryu, with the help of Tsumiki, was able to leave the hospital and it was time to celebrations.
I was excitedly waiting for the music to start. Mioda had set up everything herself and it was looking fantastic. Different coloured spotlights were flashing everywhere and there were tables of drinks and snacks. We were all hyped up for the music when suddenly…
Mioda opened her mouth and the blaring music was nothing I could've possibly prepared for. Instead of something peppy and bright like her personality, what came out was something akin to death metal.
It wasn't… terrible per say. Just not my kind of music and it seemed that everyone else was in accordance.
I took several step backs from the pure force of the noise and bumped into Komaeda who had a grimace on his face. He was trying to say something, but I couldn't hear anything, except for Mioda's music. I could already feel a headache forming with all the pressure pressing against me.
When it was finally over, I let out a sigh of relief.
"That was dreadful…" Komaeda groaned, rubbing his temples.
"Don't let her hear you say that," I mumbled. "She means well…"
"That was great, Ibuki-chan!" Saionji gushed, throwing her arms up.
It seemed that the dancer had decided to join on Kuzuryu's party after all. That was a good sign, right?
The yakuza looked happier even though Saionji refused to forgive him. Being around people seemed to have cheered him up some, especially when they all freely accepted him with open arms.
Well… This day was turning out to be pretty good, after all.
"Is everyone ready for Ibuki's next song?!" she shouted into the microphone.
Thankfully, we were saved by the small form bursting into the auditorium.
"H-Help! Help!" Monomi came running, clearly in distress.
"Huh? What is it, Monomi?" Hinata asked, going up to the panicking bunny.
Monomi frantically waved her nubbly arms. "It's a disaster! You must follow me quickly!"
"What's a disaster?" Sonia asked.
"Owari-san is in danger! Big danger!"
That was all it took for us to go running after her.
We stopped at a clearing where Owari seemed to be fighting Monokuma. She was in bad shape, while the bear didn't have a single scratch on him. When he took out a rocket launcher, I thought that that was it, but a large form ran pass us from behind and stepped in front of her.
"Nidai!"
I gasped, looking away. Did Monokuma really just kill someone? If he could kill anyone at any time, then were we all doomed from the start? Why did I still hold an ounce of hope that the fiend would play fair?
"Help! Please, save him!" Owari screamed, holding Nidai close to her chest.
"Save him, Monokuma! You broke the rules!" Monomi shouted. "You're not allowed to harm any of the students! Bad!"
Luckily, Monokuma caved in and took Nidai on to an ambulance that was identical to the one that drove Kuzuryu to the hospital.
"Do you think he'll be alright?" I whispered. We had only gotten Kuzuryu back this evening – just several hours ago. Why did it have to end this way, again?
"If anyone could help him, it'd be Monokuma," Hinata sighed. "The bear might be bad, but look at Kuzuryu. He only lost an eye, but otherwise, he's fine."
I nodded, sadly.
All the good feelings were blown away. Death was right around the corner, again.
We skipped dinner that day, too depressed to eat. Even Owari wasn't in the mood and that was saying a lot. She was typically ready to eat anything and everything in sight.
I knew she was close to Nidai and if he were to die like that, she would never be able to forgive herself.
"Komaeda-kun, stay with me tonight?" I asked.
He smiled. "Of course. I deserve at least that much, don't I?"
I sighed, tugging him into our cottage. "Just come in and stop saying weird things."
The next morning, Owari was still crying her eyes out. Tears streamed down her face as she despaired for Nidai. As expected, she was blaming herself and wouldn't listen to anything anyone was saying. "I can't do this anymore! I'm so scared!"
"I hope he dies," Komaeda suddenly blurted out.
Owari cried harder at his words.
Why would he randomly say something so heartless and insensitive at a time like this? In fact, I couldn't imagine him saying that at all. In fact, he had been behaving even odder than usual all through last night and I didn't think that was possible.
"You want me to tie you up again, asshole?!" Souda threatened with his fist ready to strike.
"This world is so full of despair! Why even bother trying? And you!" Komaeda pointed to the yakuza. "You're not even the real Kuzuryu! You're a clone! Monokuma is going to clone Nidai, too!" He tossed his head back and let out a chilling laugh.
"Am I also a clone?" Mioda suddenly asked.
"K-Komaeda-kun, are you okay? Why are you saying all this?" He wasn't making any sense at all!
As I reached out to touch him, he quickly seized my wrist. His palm was uncomfortably hot. Did he have a fever? There was something definitely wrong with him!
"You…" he breathed. "I hate you so much. You're always in my way when all I ever want is for you to leave me alone! I never want to see your ugly face, again!"
My eyes widened as tears immediately sprung out from my eyes. "Why…?" Was that really how he thought of me? All the time we spent together… Had it only been another one of his games? Ws the scheming bastard from the first class trial the real him?!
I tried to tug my hand away, but he refused to let go.
"Hey! What's wrong with you, Komaeda?!" Hinata growled.
"Ah! Hinata-kun… You should go die – a talentless, worthless scum like you! You don't even deserve to be standing before me!" Komaeda declared.
"Why you - !" Tanaka had to hold Souda back as the mechanic tried to charge at the Ultimate Lucky Student.
"Komaeda-kun, w-why are you saying th-this?" I continued to struggle again him. "If you really hate me so much, then why don't you just let me go?"
"Because I really do hate you," he hissed, his grip tightened. "If there as an option to never have to see you again, I would take it. I'd pay three hundred million dollars to make sure of it!"
Even so, he wouldn't let me leave. Was he truly so cruel to keep me here just so I couldn't escape his venomous words?
"Rin-chan should leave Nagito-chan alone because that's what he wants," Mioda spouted out.
How was everyone suddenly behaving like lunatics?!
"Mioda-san, what are you saying?" Sonia, too, was concerned.
The Ultimate Musician would never say something like that in such a bland tone. Everyone knew how she shipped us together. For this abrupt change, there just had to be something wrong!
"Puhuhuhuhuhu!" Monokuma decided to pay us a visit. "It seems that these three have been infected by the Despair Disease!"
We were all confused, so he elaborated.
"Yes. Owari is infected with the Coward Disease. Mioda is infected with the Gullible Disease. Komaeda is infected with the Liar Disease," he informed us, laughing at the chaos that was being caused by this.
I looked down at Komaeda's hand. Was that why he was so hot? "Komaeda-kun…"
"Despair! Despair! Oh, such wonderful despair! Everyone must feel what I am feeling! Such beauty… I – I… I…" His hand went slack around my wrist before he collapsed on to the floor. His face was flushed and he was breathing heavily.
"Komaeda-kun!" I dropped down on to my knees beside him. "Don't leave them like this! Please, help them, Monokuma!"
The bear merely laughed. "Sorry, you're on your own this time, but be careful, the Despair Disease is contagious!" With that, he was gone as quickly as he came.
"Tsumiki-san, you're the Ultimate Nurse. You can help them, right?" I begged her. "We'll take them to the hospital and you can treat them. I – I'll stay with you! I'll do anything you ask. Please!"
I couldn't lose him, not when I just found the only shred of happiness in my life. To live life as I did before… I wouldn't be able to bear it!
The nurse nodded. Hinata helped me with Komaeda, while Souda had Owari and Kuzuryu with Mioda.
Once we reached the hospital, the others refused to get any closer because they didn't want to get infected as well. It was probably for the best because an island of maniac was the last thing we all needed. They decided to stay at the nearby motel instead of going all the way back to the cottages.
Hinata, Tsumiki, Kuzuryu, Souda, and I stayed with the infected and I was left in charge with changing Komaeda into a hospital gown because no one else seemed to want to do it. I kept his boxers on and quickly draped the loose fabric around him, tying the thin string at the back.
There was a gentle knock on the door before Hinata walked in. "Do you need any help?"
"I… I…" I needed help, but perhaps nothing that he could provide. There were no magic words that could bring Komaeda out of this. No all-cure potion.
He knelt down beside me and pulled me into a hug and that was when the tears returned anew. I was so used to Komaeda always being around when I was on the edge of despair. He always seemed to know what to say or do to bring me out of it.
"He's going to be fine. He has someone to live for, so I know – I'm certain – that he will pull through," he whispered. "Besides, he's the luckiest person I know. He's not going to die."
"But what if my unluckiness finally catches up to me?" I feared. It was bound to happen, right? I can't hold on to happiness, not when this curse kept interfering with everything. "I can't lose him…"
"You won't." The firmness in his voice actually made me start to believe him. "He's not going to leave you."
I stayed in his arms for a little while longer before looking back to Komaeda who was panting softly. Pulling away from Hinata, I changed the towel on Komaeda's forehead. His high fever wasn't getting any better and the towels weren't as effective as I'd like, so I asked Hinata to go on a run for ice cubes.
"H-How is his temperature?" Tsumiki quietly asked when she walked in.
I shook my head. "He's at 40.2°C. I – I don't know what to do. He's absolutely delirious!"
She placed her hand over her mouth. "Oh, n-no…" She leaned over him and took his vitals. They were just as expected. He wasn't doing well. "If he d-doesn't get b-b-better soon, he m-might d-d-d-die!"
I let out a squeak as I tried to suppress a sob. I had already cried enough and my eyes were bloodshot.
"Hey, Tsumiki. I think Owari might need a bit of help." Hinata came back with a bowl of ice in his hand. "Saeki-san and I can take care of Komaeda."
"O-Okay!" She quickly scurried off.
"We'll nurse him back to health. I know we can do it. Here…" He extended the bowl towards me.
With trembling hands, I took a piece and began to gently run it down Komaeda's arm and bare chest.
"D-Didn't I tell you to l-leave me alone?" Komaeda mumbled, his eyes opened just a sliver. "Despair… Despair… Leave me with my Despair! Despair makes m-me feel g-great…"
Hinata walked up from behind me and ran ice cubs along Komaeda's legs. "Don't lose hope. You know he wouldn't like that. You're his beacon of light, remember?"
I wiped my eyes before nodding. "You're right. He's going to be okay because I refuse to let him die. I will kick his sorry butt when this is all over! How dare he make me worry like this/"
He chuckled. "Exactly! And I'll help you!"
We worked tirelessly, trying to keep Komaeda's temperature down. It was a struggling battle and the best we could do was preventing it from rising. In the end, we dozed off beside each other on the floor.
"Ne, Rin-chan," he whispered. "Stop being so stubborn. I really have a problem."
I flushed, pushing him gently away from me. "Komaeda-kun, I told you not yet! I-I'm not ready!"
He pouted, plopping on to the floor. "I know… It's really hard for me to be so close to you and not touch you like I want to. I guess I'll have to wait longer before my luck kicks in, huh?"
I laughed. "Don't worry. You will get luck. Just not today."
With a smile, he managed to pull me into his lap. "Can I kiss you, then? I really want to kiss you."
I nodded, leaning in to press our lips together."
A hand in my hair woke me up and I looked up from my bowed over position by the bed to see Komaeda gazing down at me.
"Komaeda-kun!" I gasped, trying to get up, but he tightened his grip. "Ow! That h-hurts. Let go!"
"Leave me alone. I hate you. Stop hanging around me all the time." His green eyes darkened, but contrary to his words, he yanked me up for a hot, wet kiss. The heat went straight down my body as I moved with him. "You're so ugly. You make me fall into Despair." He licked my lips. "You're so stupid and useless. No one could ever love you."
His other hand tugged at the buttons of my blouse and that was when I tried to pull away. It took several attempts, but his grip eventually slackened and his eyes drooped shut.
He was unconscious, again.
When I turned around, I noticed that Hinata had woken up and was staring back at me with a dark blush on his face.
"Ah! I'm s-sorry you had to watch that!" I stuttered, feeling my face heat up to the point where it was difficult to think. All the blood had rushed to my head.
That was so embarrassing! What did Hinata think of me, now? No, I couldn't feel that way. It was perfectly fine for me to kiss my… my…
Who was Komaeda to me? Was he my boyfriend? I couldn't recall a time where we actually talked about it and now, he…
"No, I'm sorry. I should've given you some privacy." As he looked away, he seemed conflicted. "Do you want me to…?"
I shook my head. "Please, stay. I'd really appreciate the company."
A relieved look appeared on his face. "Okay. How is he?"
"Same as before."
We repeated the day before, caught between trying to keep Komaeda's temperature down and not going stir crazy. It was stressful.
Eventually, Hinata volunteered to go down to the cafeteria to grab us some food and also check on Souda who was working on the security cameras.
I could hear people walking by several times of the day, but no one came to visit Komaeda. There was only Hinata, Tsumiki, and me.
It annoyed me that no one else would even try to understand him. They all held the first class trial over his head. It wasn't as if they didn't have any reason at all to be cautious. He had taken the first step to start off the Killing Game, but… he hadn't been the one to murder anyone. Teruteru made his own decisions.
His situation really wasn't too different from what happened with Kuzuryu and they had accepted him with open arms almost instantly. If the yakuza deserved a second chance, then why not Komaeda?
And if the reason was because they thought he was crazy, then they could all go to Hell.
Everyone was a little crazy here. We couldn't be anything else in a situation like this.
"Here." Hinata returned, juggling two trays in his hands.
I quickly went over to help him. "Thank you, Hinata-kun. You don't know how much I appreciate all that you've done."
He smiled. "I'm glad to be of help. Sometimes, I feel pretty useless when I have to watch as my friends die. If I could do anything to stop it from happening, I would."
Then again… Why did it even matter what others thought? Komaeda had Hinata and me. Friends were about quality, not quantity.
"I won't be able to stay tonight. I have to help Souda with something, but I'll still be in the hospital if you need anything.
"That's fine. Thank you." I stroked Komaeda's hair as he fitfully slumbered.
The hours passed slowly. I checked his temperature every half hour and there have been no improvements. He was stay steadily at around forty degrees. No amount of ice and cold towers did the trick.
"I have to go now." Hinata placed his hand on my shoulder.
I nodded tiredly at him. "Okay. Thank you, Hinata-kun. I'll see you in the morning?"
"Yes, of course. Good night, Saeki-san."
Time continued to crawl. Several times, I caught myself beginning to doze off, but quickly snapped back up to attention when Komaeda let out a tortured moan.
I rested my head against the side of the mattress when a headache hit me. The lack of sleep and stress of seeing Komaeda like this was really getting to me, but I couldn't afford to slack off. He could need me at any moment or perhaps I may have to retrieve Tsumiki if it got any worse.
Rubbing my eyes, I went over to the closet to grab a blanket and wrapped it around myself. Why was the room so cold? The window was closed. Maybe it was because Hinata wasn't here anymore…
I sighed, trying to keep warm and decided to rest by his bed, once more, with an alarm by my side. This should keep me alert enough. I could check on him again in another half an hour.