Chapter 17: Aftermath

Chiaki Nanami

Chiaki shut her eyes, the image burned into her mind. "Y-y… You killed her…!" She pulled up her hood, wanting to find some comfort.

"I'm sorry, I had no choice." He said quietly. "She was going to keep hunting you down. It would be an endless struggle. She almost killed you this time. If I were to let her retry her plan, it wouldn't have gone as well as this time."

"'As well as this time'? T-two people died… How can you say this went well!?" She shouted.

"I see. Even those who wanted you to die should have lived." He stated, as if he was realising it for the first time.

Chiaki was startled by the touch of his hands, her eyes flying open. She was met by Enoshima's confused expression as blood poured from her injuries. Kamukura swiftly lifted her off the ground, cradling her in his arms. "What are you doing…?"

"You're hurt. I should treat your wounds." Kamukura mentioned, setting her in the chair she was sitting in a minute ago. He grabbed her hand, looking at her hurt finger. It felt like so long ago that Ikusaba had forced her to play that knife game. The image of Enoshima killing her sister flashed through her mind, the curiosity of what she had said growing. The only two people who knew it were now dead. "It will require disinfectant, but will heal fine alone." He said, returning her to the situation.

"You… Why are you so calm? Y-you just killed someone!" She argued.

"Since the beginning of my existence, I've felt nothing but boredom. Enoshima had promised an escape, and although she showed me not everything was predictable, the boredom was still there. That was, until the day she tortured you. You showed me hope, but more importantly, what it feels like to care. About someone. About anything." He said as he examined the cut on her neck. "This will require bandages, I'll apply pressure for now." He cupped his hand around the cut, carefully enough to not choke her.

"Ah…" The touch slightly stung. "Th-that doesn't help… You killed someone because of me. That's just… Wrong. No matter what."

"The choice was you or Enoshima, I chose you. It was a decision that gave me no pause. I need to remove your hood." He moved behind her, keeping his hand in place. She winced as he began inspecting the back of her head. "The wound is consistent with that of an average Baseball Bat. Likely sustained concussion. The blow broke the skin but no more. It'll most probably cause a headache and increased irritability. It should heal within a week."

"Stop brushing me off… You killed someone… I know you did it to protect me, but that just makes it worse." She pulled away from him, pulling her hood back up.

"You confuse me. You should be happy. Your tormentor cannot harm you anymore." He frowned.

"You don't get it… Th-This was one of those games where you can choose to spare the final boss. But you didn't…" She stumbled over her own words. "I think…"

"Your metaphors are nonsensical." His eyes widened. "The security has arrived, they are on this floor. I need to leave. We can continue this discussion later." Kamukura stated, opening a window. He looked back at her for a moment before climbing through.

As soon as he left her view, the door flew open. "Ah, Nanami-senpai! Do not fret, you are being rescued!" A boy with black hair smiled. "Please come with me- Raaargh!" He shouted, seeing Enoshima.

A patter of footsteps stormed down the hall. "What the hell are you screaming about!?" Sakakura-san pushed himself past. "Oh shit…" He pulled out a radio, saying something inaudibly. "Nanami… Did you do this…? I, uh… Shit…"

"N-no… I didn't… She attacked me… And killed Ikusaba… And then, um…" She trailed off.

"Listen, you don't gotta talk about it now… Just, you shouldn't be in here… Okay?" He sighed.

"I… I don't have my cane…" She mumbled.

"Uh, okay… Ishimaru, help her. Get her out of here." He commanded.

"Yes, sir!" The Moral Compass nodded, walking over to her. "Please come with me." He grabbed her hand, helping her to her feet. "Ah, you're hurt. Allow me to take you to the infirmary!"

"Okay… I guess…" He draped her arm over his shoulder, wrapping his arm over the small of her back. She flinched at the touch, but appreciated the support. Together, they left Sakakura, heading to the stairs. She hadn't even realised where she was until she was outside, recognising it as the fifth floor. He helped her down the stairs.

Ishimaru looked back to see her footprints, trailing blood. She hadn't even noticed the blood sink into her soles. "S-so Ikusaba is also…"

"Yeah… Enoshima… She murdered her…" Chiaki huffed.

"I see… They were sisters… Ngh… How could she…?" He groaned, helping her down to the third floor. "She's a monster… What she's done to you is unthinkable…"

"Y-yeah… I know…" The same tired words offered her no solace. She sighed as they reached the next stairs. "H-huh…?" He once again helped her down.

A large group of unconscious students were slumped over. "What…? Nanami? You're supposed to be dead?" A weak voice came from one of them.

"Ts-Tsumiki-san…? How are you… Here? What did you do to them!?" She shouted.

The Nurse struggled against an orange tie, wrapped around her hands. Her face was pale. "Where is Enoshima-sama!? What did you do to her!?" Chiaki's eyes drifted down, to her legs. One was fine, but the other was a bloody stump.

She covered her eyes, looking away. "Huh? Mioda-san!? What happened?" Her face was covered in blood, a gash from her cheek to her forehead.

"Nanami-senpai, please excuse me, but we should get going. They will be okay. You should see someone about your cuts." Ishimaru kept walking, pulling her along.

"I-I can't just leave them there…" She protested.

"The security teams have already got that covered. They've already taken Kuwata-kun and Kirigiri-san to the infirmary." He grinned.

"Okay… But still… They're hurt…"

"I've been given an order from a superior. I can't disobey." He said, a slight sympathetic tone in his voice.

Chiaki glanced back towards them. "I… I guess." She mumbled, reaching the next staircase.

Once at the bottom, they made their way to the exit. The snow from earlier had given way to rain, a crack of lightning stabbing across the sky.

Juzo Sakakura

Why? Why am I happy? After Nanami had left, he collapsed in a corner. He'd ordered the rest of his team to escort the injured students to the infirmary, so he could be alone. Alone with the cadavers once known as the Ultimate Fashionista and the Ultimate Soldier. Every muscle within him was shaking, both with anger and relief. Enoshima was finally gone, dead, no longer a threat to anyone he cared about. Even though he asked, he knew Nanami hadn't done this. He forced himself to his feet, looking between the two bodies.

Ikusaba was covered by a blanket, blood soaking through. Juzo lifted the edge, revealing a single shot to her jaw. He set it down, turning to the other body. She was clearly more injured, three bullet wounds piercing her. One to her hand, one on her shoulder, and presumably the fatal shot to her chest. He was about to step away when he heard the door opening.

The figure standing there erupted into a fit of laughter. "Who got her? I mean I wish I did, but y'know, a dead bitch is a dead bitch all the same." A familiarly shrill voice came from their mouth.

"What the fuck are you doing here!? You can't be out, especially not now! My squad is all over the campus!" He shouted.

"Ooh, Juzo-chan. Trust me. If I wasn't here, a certain corpse would be walking and a certain Gamer would be in her place." Yukizome said, dejected.

"The hell does that mean?" He pushed his hand through his hair. "Wait, did you do this? Did you… Kill her?"

"Psh, I wish. But bullets aren't my style. Mine'd be a lot more painful and drawn out. My bet is Kamukura since he was here and all." She stepped into the room, crouching down in front of the body.

"Huh? He was here? When!?" Juzo began looking around the room in case he'd missed him.

"The window's open, ain't it? My bet's he climbed out."

"Yeah, except that we're on the fifth floor. Nice try though." He mocked.

"Alrighty then, you don't believe me? You do you. But someone left handcuffs there, and I wonder who was attached to them." She pointed to the heater.

"It was probably Nanami. Enoshima tied her down or something." He didn't know why he was arguing, but didn't feel like losing.

"Hmm, well, you saw Chiaki-chan's wounds, right? I don't think they'd be enough to leave this much blood." She sighed. "Meh, you can just run a blood test. My class rep is O-Type, for your information."

"Uh, yeah, thanks." He groaned. "Why are you even here? Aren't you into despair or something? But you hated Enoshima so wouldn't that give you hope?"

"Ah, ah! Y'see, when brainwashing me, she made a big ol' mistake. She made me love her, so now that she's dead, I have so much despair!" Yukizome giggled. She stood up and raised her foot, bringing it down with a sickening crunch. A wealth of blood shot up.

"Argh! Ugh! What the fuck!?" He recoiled, falling backwards into one of the chairs. Enoshima's head was now a mess of bone and brain. "What the fuck are you doing!?"

"Oh, come on! Are you telling me you didn't wanna do this? Be honest, I saw the way you were looking at her. You wanna join in, so just embrace it!" She hopped up, falling back on the Analyst, another squish coming from the landing.

Juzo got up, grabbing her by the arm. "Cut it out." He tugged her away, her outfit now stained with blood. "The hell do you think you're doing!?"

"I'm just having some fun, Juzo-chan! You oughta loosen up every once and awhile." The Housekeeper tapped his nose.

"Are you forgetting the last time I 'loosened up', this happened to you? And now practically every student is hurt. So excuse me if I'm a little wound up." He tightened his grip around her arm. "Not to mention this is a crime scene, and you're tampering with it. What am I supposed to say when they ask why her skull's caved in?"

"I mean, you could always sell me out! That'd be super despairing!" She pouted. "Or would you turn yourself in in my place!? Ugh, that's just the kinda thing you'd pull." Her smile returned. "Oh, oh! I know! Take off your clothes!"

"Huh? The hell do you mean?" He winced, looking away. "I'm gonna keep my clothes on, so fuck off."

"Ah man, so close. I guess I could just peek again when you're in the shower." She frowned.

"You… What?" He groaned. "Whatever, just… Get out of here before someone finds you."

"Right-o!" She saluted, pulling away from his grasp and dashing through the door.

Juzo sighed and rubbed his face. He was tired of not being there when he needed to. Time after time, he was moments too late. Yukizome-san, Munakata-kun, even Nanami. His one job was to protect them, and he had failed. He grabbed a chair, throwing it out the open window. The sound of it shattering five stories down, it snapped him back to reality.

Izuru Kamukura

Exactly three hours had now passed since Enoshima's death. Izuru decided that the underground would now be swarming with security, so it was unsafe. Something was puzzling him, though. The Despair had only ever tormented and tortured her, so why was Nanami mad? He had no clue what to think. It was illogical. Even knowing The Gamer was unpredictable, this especially seemed to be a deviation. His only course of action was to talk to the only other connection to his past self.

That was the train of thought that led him here, a room with a small bed. The time passed slower than he'd ever experienced. His perfection stuck on a single imperfection. Exactly three hours and four minutes after Enoshima's death, his struggle was finally broken. "What the fuck!?"

His eyes snapped to the figure in the bed, now wide awake. "Hello again, Kuzuryu."

"Back the fuck up, I have a gun!" He shouted.

"No you don't. Your weapon was confiscated when you were taken here." Izuru blinked.

Kuzuryu looked around the room. "Huh!? How did you know that!?" He continued his protest. "You… You… Fuck you! What you did to Nanami… Bastard!"

"I have since amended my mistakes." He was unsure of the truth in his words, but said them anyway. "Enoshima is dead."

"What? Don't screw with me!" He paused for a moment. Izuru recognised this as him recollecting the prior events. "Sh-shit… Nanami… Is Nanami-san okay!?"

"Yes. I dispatched of Enoshima before she could harm her." He stated.

"W-wait… You killed her? But you were working with her! Quit lying to me fucker!" He swore.

Izuru was growing impatient. It took him a moment to recognise the sensation, never having felt it before. "I was never working with her. She simply tried and failed to show me something entertaining. Speaking of which, I wanted to discuss something with you specifically."

"The hell do you want with me!? Y-You pulled that shit with my sister to save your own skin. Don't try to act like you actually knew her. After Ikusaba got me, I thought about it and realised you were bullshitting me!"

"You are partially correct. I never met her. I didn't even exist while she was alive. Yet the owner of this body did. And he was in the same class as her," He felt momentary pause before continuing. "And he's the one who talked to you then."

"Don't tell me this is some split-personality shit! Plus, even if you were in her class, I think I'd remember her mentioning some long-haired creep."

"I am Izuru Kamukura, and the owner of my body is Hajime Hinata." He stated. "He was simply a talentless reserve course student, like your sister. He was erased and replaced with me. The school wanted to create artificial talent, and I am the result."

"The fuck!? Seriously, what the fuck!? How did… Was it fucking… Ugh…" He sighed.

"You are still suffering from the effects of Oxygen deprivation. Your thought process will be stunted when you hear this." Izuru's eyes were illuminated in the dark room. "They performed multiple lobotomies. Funded by the reserve course and anonymous backers. The Steering Committee was the driving force behind the project. Therefore the obvious conclusion is that your clan was involved."

"Are you saying I… Bullshit, we wouldn't… You're accusing us of funding human experimentation!" He paused, closing his eyes. "You… Shit… Fucking shit… That bastard… So you're here for revenge? Listen… You can kill me, but just leave Peko outta it, okay? She has no idea."

"I'm not going to kill you. I wouldn't be here for a reason as boring as revenge." He washed his hands in the sink. "As I said, your sister knew Hinata. That makes you a strong connection to this body's past. That's how he was able to emerge when we last met."

"So… Wait, what do you want!?" Kuzuryu wiped his forehead, clearly relieved by the fact that he wasn't going to die.

"You are a strong connection to our past, but not the strongest. Hinata was especially close to Nanami, as was she. When offered, he accepted the chance to partake in the Kamukura Project, and disappeared. A year later, I was finished."

"Huh? Nanami-san… I didn't know she had any other friends. Wait, are you saying that asshole abandoned her for talent?" He clenched his fist. "A year ago… That's when Natsumi… Did he… He was friends with her too. So that'd mean…?"

"As far as I've learned, a series of unfortunate events led to his decision." Izuru solemnly nodded. "Two of his friends were murdered in succession. Since dubbed the Twilight Syndrome case. After the murder of Sato, he wanted to comfort those in the main course he knew were close to them. He, of course, was denied entry. Hinata blamed his lack of talent and signed onto the project." Izuru felt a strange familiarity while explaining something that he'd never experienced. "Since Nanami's failed execution, I've been drawn to her. Likely from Hinata's affection for her."

"S-So you're asking me… Listen, if you're coming to me for relationship advice, I'm the wrong guy. Okay?"

"I have seventeen unique talents devoted to romance, I wouldn't need to come to you for that." He rubbed his self-stitched bullet wound. "As I said, I've killed Enoshima. Moreso, I killed her as she was about to murder Nanami. Yet for reasons I am unable to comprehend, she was upset with my actions. As someone with a connection to Nanami and partially to Hinata, explain."

"The fuck? I don't… Listen, I don't know this Hajime Hinata. A-And this is something you need to talk to Nanami-san about…" He rolled his eyes. "But still… You killed someone in front of her… Of course she'd be pissed."

"Why? I shouldn't need to remind you what Enoshima did."

"You don't, but even I fucking know that's a terrible fucking idea." Kuzuryu sighed. "Of course Nanami-san is pissed. The Class Rep I know would never want anyone to die, no matter what. Yeah you did what you needed to do, but there's still consequences to everything. Good or bad." He averted his eyes.

"You are speaking from experience. Elaborate." Izuru said, not sparing a word.

"Bastard… Just… Don't tell anyone." The Yakuza scratched the back of his head. "That Sato… She was the one who killed my sister. And when I found out, I just fucking… I killed her, okay!? It just… She killed my sister… She deserved it… It needed to happen. But still, I didn't think about what… What that was going to do." He groaned.

"You are a Yakuza, and she dishonored your family. It is a natural reaction." He stared into his eyes.

"That's not what I'm fucking saying! I did what I needed to do… But that still hurt people. People I cared about." He sighed. "Sato was Koizumi-san's friend. Since their childhood. After I murdered her, she just… It fucked her up bad, man. And then Komaeda-kun tried to stop the exams because of that, and that got him and Yukizome-sensei kicked out… And Nanami-san kept us all together through that…" His eyes shot open. "And all through that, her friend was missing… But she still took care of us… And… And fuck! That bitch almost killed her for that!?" He rubbed a tear out of his eye.

"I see. Goodbye." Izuru opened the door.

"Wait, where the fuck are you going!?" Kuzuryu shouted.

"I've gotten my answer. I will use this to talk to Nanami." He stepped out, shutting the door before Kuzuryu could say anything.

Byakuya Togami

Byakuya's head ached. As soon as the medical team let him move, he left his room. Last he remembered, it was hailing, but it had since turned to rain. A thunderstorm at that. The hope of making it to the library was crushed as he heard a shout behind him. "Hey! Togami-kun, where are you going!?"

He spun around. "Asahina, what do you want?"

"Aaaah!" She screamed, directly into his face. "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else… Uh… Do you happen to know where Togami-kun is?"

"I am the Ultimate Affluent Progeny. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way." He sneered.

"Woah, are you sure!? Your face is like, all screwed up! I got it, you're that Ultimate Imposter everyone is talking about!" She slammed her fist into her palm.

"I am not that identity thief, thank you very much. I am Byakuya Togami. You're getting on my nerves." He pushed up the replacement glasses he'd been given.

"Alright, well, if you say so." She shrugged. "Everyone's meeting up to talk about Kuwata-kun, so, like, you should come with me."

"I see… And why would I want to talk about the man who tried to murder me?" He sighed. "Where?"

"Everyone's meeting up in Naegi-kun's room since he's like, y'know, super sick still." She rolled her eyes.

"Still? Other than his leg, which I wouldn't classify as 'sick', he's not had any health issues." Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he's super sick. That nurse injected him with something I guess. And well, he's really pale and sweaty." She crossed her arms.

"Nurse? Wait, what nurse?" He asked. She opened her mouth to reply, but he interrupted. "Don't bother trying to explain it. Just take me to him."

"Jeez, alright… Um, well, everyone in 77-B is hurt, and everyone but me, Ishimaru-kun, and Fujisaki-san in ours. It sucks so much." She pouted. "Anyway, they didn't have enough room in the nurse's office so everyone's being taken care of in their room."

"So they're in Naegi's room. You should've opened with that." He began to walk over, not bothering to talk any more with Asahina. After doubling back, he opened the door.

"There you are! The fuck was the hold-up?" Owada shouted.

"The hold-up was your messenger is an idiot." He took an open seat. "Is he going to die?"

"Who? Kuwata-kun, or me?" The sickly boy said with a shaky voice. "I'm gonna be fine, she got me with a slow acting poison, I guess. Luckily it's one with an antidote so I've got nothing to worry about. And, uh, Kuwata-kun is… Tied up in his room."

"Tied up? And why would that be? Can our lackluster security team only afford a single ankle collar?" He asked sarcastically.

"You were unconscious when everything happened. I've deduced that Ikusaba gravely injured Kuwata-kun. Something changed her mind, as she took him to class 77-B's Mikan Tsumiki, the Ultimate Nurse. She was told to keep him alive, and did so. Although, it wasn't all she did…" Kirigiri trailed off.

"Hmph, out of everyone, I wouldn't have thought you'd be the one to clam up at the mention of… What exactly." He grinned.

"She cut out his tongue! It's super hot. If only she did it to an actually cute boy!" Fukawa, or more accurately the Serial Killer within her cackled. "If I were to lose my trademark tongue, I'd just keel right over!"

"She did that, but it isn't what caused me pause." The Detective continued. "Tsumiki forced him to watch the video that converted her to Despair. All the while taunting him about Maizono-san's… Passing."

"Gh… And that's why he attacked me?" Byakuya adjusted his glasses, as they slid down his nose.

"Precisely. Later, Enoshima showed up and told them to guard the old school building. In their brainwashed state, they agreed. Tsumiki still had her ankle cuff. Using what I assume was unsanitized equipment, she amputated her own foot." She crossed her arms. "I believe that sums up the events prior."

"M-Maybe if I was there for him, he'd be okay." Fujisaki whimpered.

"I doubt it. The way it unfolded was a favorable scenario. If we hadn't gone down, then the entirety of Class 77-B would have died. And Enoshima would have survived."

"Survived? So you're saying…?" Byakuya looked away.

"She is dead, yes. They've said it was Nanami-senpai in self defense."

"I must say, I hold no sympathy towards her. But even then, to lose two classmates in such a short period of time…"

"Three. Enoshima murdered her sister as well." Kirigiri frowned.

He felt his face twitch. "I see… To think I once considered myself close with either of them."

"So, about Kuwata-kun-"

"What about him?" Byakuya cut the Moral Compass off. "He has fallen to Despair. What do you expect me to be able to do about it?" He got out of his chair. "I have somewhere to be. And a letter to write." As if to punctuate his sentence, a roar of thunder echoed across the school.

"The… The fuck do you mean!? We can't just ignore him!" Owada shouted.

"Don't group me in with you. My goal of finding Kuwata has been completed, therefore I am no longer obligated to work with you." Byakuya turned to the Serial Killer. "Don't follow me, not even you." He promptly left before she could respond.

Chiaki Nanami

The storm grew worse as she stayed in her dark room. Chiaki pulled her blanket over her head, muffling the rain. Everything felt off, her senses numbed. After being questioned by security, they got a doctor. He took an hour to come to the same conclusion that Kamukura had.

The bandage around her neck was tight, like wearing a choker. Her fingers were also wrapped, making it hard to play games. Not that she could've anyway, as she had a concussion. The doctor made a point of advising her to stay away from screens, or any bright light. The minutes dragged on after he left, unable to find anything to entertain her. A few consoles were tantalisingly close, but she'd decided to follow the doctor's orders.

Chiaki buried her face into her pillow, waiting for anything to happen. Another flash of lightning spiked outside her window. She winced, getting up to draw her curtains. As she pulled them closed, she noticed a figure approaching outside. A spike of fear shot up within her, before another strike illuminated his face. Kamukura slid open the window, climbing in. A wild wind blew in with him, the flailing curtains knocking her back.

"Ah… Ugh… Why are you here?" She pressed her palm to her aching forehead. "And why couldn't you just use the door?"

"Opening your door would expose you to the hallway light. I'm here to continue our earlier discussion." He lifted her back onto her bed.

"Well, you're soaked. And now I am too…" She mumbled.

"I'll get you a towel." He stepped into her bathroom, returning with a small green towel adorned with the Hope's Peak logo. He handed it to her.

"You didn't get one for yourself?" She tilted her head.

"No." He continued to stand, drops of water falling from his hair. "I have no need as I'll just get wet again when I leave."

"Well, if you're gonna stay for a bit, then you should dry off, y'know?" She set the towel down beside her. "I… Just, what are you going to say?"

"Sometimes, doing what is necessary will have consequences. In this case, you are upset because you believed there was a non-violent solution." He looked out to the rain. "I assure you there wasn't." Thunder rolled across the clouds.

"No, that's not… That's wrong. I'm not that stupid, I knew there… That she was going to kill me if you didn't." Chiaki mumbled. "That's not why… I just… I feel bad… I mean, like… For someone to turn out that bad, something… People aren't just that bad…"

"Enoshima was. From her birth, she was that terrible. Every step of her life was on a path to paint the world in despair. There is nothing in her to be sympathetic towards." He continued to stare out the window.

"I know that. But maybe… I don't know, there would be a person out there that could change her mind…" She sighed. "Like me to you."

"My mind is split across thousands of talents. That functionally makes me a thousandth the analyst she was. It is the same principle that allows you to match me in gaming skill." He paused. "She could understand you more than I could. As well as having no emotional connection to drive her."

"I… I know but… There had to be someone… Someone she cared about…"

"I believe she genuinely cared for her sister. You surely remember how that ended." He took a moment. "You don't need to carry her sins on your back, metaphorically."

"That's not… Just… Look at me… Please…" She begged.

He turned to her, a puzzled look on his face. "I'm sorry, I was distracted."

"Huh? Is… Someone out there?"

"No." He shook his head.

"Then… What…?" She shut her eyes as another fork of lightning struck the ground.

"The rain." Her curtains continued to wildly thrash about, slightly obscuring his face.

"You… Is something wrong? I wouldn't expect-"

"I am fine." He interrupted. "I have a fondness for rain."

"You do?" She gave him a puzzled look. "Sorry, I guess I just… Well, I never thought you cared about anything like that… Or anything at all."

"Perhaps Hinata did too. More likely, though…" Kamukura closed his eyes. "It was raining when we first met. Or, I met you. Perhaps my subconscious has made a tie between those two disconnected things." He frowned, looking at her. "Although I understand that drawing a connection to that day is tactless."

"Huh? Oh, that's… Yeah… I don't mind, trust me." Chiaki nodded. "I mean, I don't blame the rain for what happened, y'know? I-I'm still alive, and that's enough to be grateful for… I'm not going to let stuff like this get me down… I'd never have gotten to feel the rain again, or hear thunder, or see lightning. Everything just feels surreal." She grabbed her cane and got to her feet, stepping in front of the open window. Rain pelted down against her. "It's like when you're down to one hit in a game, so every easy enemy feels important. I guess…"

"I see. You now appreciate your life after multiple brushes with death." He sighed, looking out the window with her.

"Well, that makes it sound like I didn't like it before all this… But yeah, I get what you mean." Chiaki wiped a raindrop from her eye. She realized it wasn't a raindrop when it kept coming back. "Just being alive… Right now… Right here… It's enough. Thank you… Kamukura-kun…"

"Er… Why the honorific. You've never used them with me before." He pushed some of his hair out of the way so she could get a better view.

"Oh, well… You used one with me when…" She paused to find a good way to phrase it. "When you saved me…"

"I don't recall." He shook his head. "I don't remember saying anything when I shot her."

"W-Well you did… I think… Maybe it just slipped your mind." She said, knowing it wasn't that.

"Perhaps." He solemnly agreed. She was surprised that he didn't bring up his talent. "I do believe that it is unlikely, but it is possible it slipped out without me realizing." He once again paused, longer than she'd ever seen. "Would you like me to use them with you?"

"Huh? O-Okay…" She nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Alright. Nanami-san." He said, uniformly. Chiaki never thought that something she'd heard thousands of times before could feel so foreign. It was the same voice, speaking in the same tone as she remembered, but it felt as though she was hearing it for the first time. As if she beat a level she'd been stuck on. It felt right.

She couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "Thank you… Kamukura-kun… For everything."

"You're welcome, Nanami-san." He looked down at her for a moment, quickly looking back out. If she didn't know better, she'd say it amused him. "Since your concussion, you can't play any games. I assume you'd like me to stay with you?"

"Yeah… Yeah I'd like that… A lot…" She smiled. "Let's just stay here for a while… Right here…"

The rain incessantly poured down on his face. "I'd like that too."