What's this? A fic with another protagonist besides Makoto? I must have gone mad! Not quite, this is an entry to a certain writing contest in one of the Discord servers I dwell in.
I saw this prompt and was interested in writing the concept.
Hope you find the fic interesting too!
Kaede didn't imagine her death would be so gruesome.
Granted, she wasn't the type of girl to think about such bleak topics. She preferred to think about happier things like her favorite songs or playing the piano.
Ironic that the instrument she dedicated her whole life to was used to end it. Kaede suspected that it was Monokuma's sick sense of humor. The sensation of the rope burning her neck and stopping her breath, the discordant horrible music still ringed in her ears.
Which was quite strange since, as stated before, Kaede Akamatsu was dead.
She wished the whole thing to be a nightmare, the girl pinched herself as hard as she could but the lack of pain was unnerving. If one were to add that to the fact her body was see-through and her feet didn't touch the ground only reinforced the current state of the pianist: She died and her spirit haunted the halls of the academy.
"Haunt is not the right word, I don't go around moving things or scaring people, I just... hang around." The pianist spoke out loud to herself, a habit she developed since no one alive could hear her words and there were no other spirits around.
That last thing Kaede was somewhat grateful for. On the first day of her new existence, she hoped to see Rantaro, to have a chance to apologize for taking his life even by accident, but he wasn't anywhere to be found. Kaede was surprised at the relief she felt when he didn't appear to rightfully blame her for his sudden death, even if she deserved it.
A few days had passed since her execution, enough for her to be a bit less miserable. Not even in death could she allow herself to wallow in misery, not when someone else felt despair.
Her translucent figure silently floated above the stairs of the dorm until she stood in front of a door that wasn't his own, she stopped her hand from knocking on it halfway through the process of lifting her arm.
"Old habits, die hard..." Kaede resisted the urge to make a pun, even if no one could hear her she still had self-respect.
She shook her head, then proceeded to push it through the piece of wood as if it wasn't there at all, the advantages of being a spirit. The room was modestly decorated, all of them were, Monokuma wasn't very inspired when he designed their rooms. Maybe he just couldn't be bothered to care.
The only distinguishing thing in the room was its occupant, curled in a ball on top of the bed, his shoulders shaking slightly. She couldn't see his face but she didn't need it to know Shuichi was crying. It broke her heart every time.
Kaede floated closer. The day after her execution, Shuichi seemed tired but didn't let it bring him down. Her heart was full of pride and hope when he discarded his hat and met the others eye to eye, she knew he would be fine... but some days were worse than others.
With a hesitant hand, Kaede closed her eyes in concentration and touched his body.
"I can't do it..." A voice that wasn't her own rang in her head. Kaede discovered that, if she concentrated hard enough, she could listen to the thoughts of the people she touched. But she tried not using it, people deserved some privacy.
"I know I promised to find the truth... to keep trying to make friends with everyone... but it's too much... without you I..."
Kaede didn't know ghosts could cry, translucid tears welled in her eyes and disappeared into the ether a few inches above the ground. "It's my fault, I shouldn't have put so much on you. It is too big of a burden..."
Silence took hold of the room broken only by some occasional sobbing, eventually, that stopped too and Kaede saw the boy falling asleep. She could still feel his mind heavy with loneliness.
Kaede had to help him, it didn't matter her situation for she was guilty of this almost as much as the Mastermind. Not only that but Shuichi and her formed a strong connection despite the little time they spent together, the girl was certain that if things went down a different path they could have become an item, but that ship was now sunk...
The girl's eyes widened and she gasped. "That's it!" She announced it to no one. "What Shuichi needs is to get a girlfriend! That way he wouldn't need to do everything alone and his spirit will be lifted, like listening to a beautiful symphony!" It was a logic that didn't need to be explained since it was obvious but Kaede felt reassured to hear her own voice and words.
Her ghostly fist clenched in determination and for the first time in her new life, she felt hope. Now, there was a question in need of an answer. Who would be the lucky lady?
While the pianist pondered about it, the sleeping detective shuddered for some reason.
/-/
After a full morning of following Shuichi, except to the bathroom, they found Kaede's first objective.
Kirumi Tojo was the only person who could make the act of using a broom look elegant and graceful. The dust danced at her feet in twirls before landing on the dusting pan, and her eyes weren't even open!
Kirumi was the perfect option for Shuichi. She was thoughtful, dedicated, elegant, smart, and very capable. Hell, if Kaede wasn't dead, she would try her chances with the maid.
She shook her head. "I think that's enough hyping up, don't wanna sabotage myself."
The objective was locked on, now there was a little problem to deal with: To make the two of them interact with each other. Which could be harder than she expected.
While the two were walking the same hallway in a direct collision course, the chances of the two engaging in a conversation that went beyond a polite nod or some greeting were too low. To make sure the two could have a chance to develop their relationship a little ghost intervention was needed.
Floating until the pianist was behind the maid, Kaede took a deep breath -or the illusion of one-, gathered her focus, and slapped Kirumi's broom from her hands with enough strength to make it fly away.
Normally, the spirit girl went through anything or anyone she tried to touch but making use of the free time she had in troves, Kaede discovered two special tricks.
One was the ability to read the surface thoughts of others by touch, the other was interacting with the physical world. Very useful but with its own drawbacks.
The moment the broom flew away an overwhelming feeling of emptiness took Kaede, she didn't feel tired per se more like the act took something from her. It would pass but her hand looked a bit more translucid. A trick of the light?
Commotion close by made the girl's head snap back up. Kirumi was bowing and apologizing to Shuichi who had a vertical, red mark on the middle of his face. Did the broom hit him on the face?
"It's… fine, you don't have to apologize. It doesn't hurt." He would sound more believable if there weren't tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
"I simply don't understand how such a thing could happen…" Kirumi went while Kaede's apology fell on deaf ears. "Nevertheless, the fault rests on me. Please, if you need anything from me just say the word. My services are yours."
"You don't need to be so serious about it." Shuichi had managed to blink the pain away and gave the maid a calming smile. "But if you are free we could spend some time together."
An inaudible cheer erupted from the deceased pianist, he was doing it!
The maid's gray eyes sharpened to attention and the aura around her became heavy. "Understood, I'll accompany you through the day and make sure all your needs are tended to."
Both of the teens that weren't Kirumi had the same reaction to her words.
"What?" Shuichi was the one to put it into words, his voice full of confusion. "No, I just want to talk with you for a bit."
"Is that your request? Very well, which topic would you prefer to discuss? Economics, politics? Maybe you have an opinion on the Prime Minister's course of action to better the country?"
All of those are such heavy topics! And why is the last one so specific? Was she doing a survey?! A sense of dread was settling in Kaede's stomach but she shook it off, Kirumi was a bit serious but she just needed to loosen up a bit. "Go, Shuichi!"
The detective was taken aback by the maid but he spoke as if Kaede's order reached him. "That's… That's like a full-on debate, I was thinking of something more casual. Like when you talk to your friends after school or at lunchtime. You know what I'm talking about, right?" Kirumi didn't say anything, she was rubbing her chin thoughtfully and the boy didn't let up. "M-maybe we could go to the dining hall and drink something?"
Finally, she spoke. "Yes, that is more than fine. Let us go."
That was good! The initial interaction may have been a bit awkward but Shuichi managed to score a lunch date all by himself, barring some otherworldly assistance. Kaede always knew he had it in him!
The trip to the cafeteria was a silent one and Shuichi had to almost be Kirumi to walk beside him and not three steps behind but they were there. Now they simply needed to work out that shyness and let the romance flow. If only she could play a nice song for them everything would be so much easier.
It was a great gesture from the detective to offer Kirumi a seat, sadly, he was too slow and the maid was the one guiding the confused boy to a chair. "Would you prefer coffee or tea?"
"T-tea is fine." Shuichi sounded as confused as Kaede felt and that went double for when the maid responded with a sharp nod and marched into the kitchen.
The boy reached for her in an attempt to stop her but it was already too late, he sat there with a troubled expression and Kaede's worries came back in a torrent.
Then the cart came.
"Sorry for the wait." After what couldn't have been more than five minutes, Kirumi went back to the cafeteria pushing a silver cart full of delectable sandwiches, scones, cakes, and amazing-looking tea.
Hunger wasn't a thing for Kaede anymore but now more than ever missed food, the taste, the texture, and how did Kirumi do all of that in so little time? Wasn't Himiko the one with magic?
"This… this looks amazing, Kirumi!" After the deserved praise, he took one of the cups in his hands and raised it to his lips but went still just an inch away. "Aren't you going to sit?"
Confused, Kaede turned around to see the maid standing perfectly still at the other side of the table with her eyes closed. "If I were to sit as well, I wouldn't be able to serve you properly."
"But… I don't want you to serve me… please, relax and sit with me."
It was time for Kaede to stop deluding herself and face the music. Kirumi wasn't the one for Shuichi.
Her personality was too intertwined with her duties, not to say she would do anything someone ordered her but if Shuichi asked her to be his girlfriend and she happened to accept, Kirumi would either redouble her efforts to serve him or perform the act of a girlfriend without any real feelings behind it.
In both cases, the boy would be immensely uncomfortable.
Said boy tried once again to make the maid drop her work for a second and her eyes snapped open. A heavy aura of duty around her. "Shuichi, you commanded me to prepare this tea for you. And it's my intention to perform any task given." She didn't sound angry but it was similar to a mom scolding her child. "Please, enjoy this tea." It didn't sound like a suggestion.
With a heavy sigh, Kirumi was crossed from Kaede's mental list of suitors. It was a painful blow but it was too soon to give up, six more lovely ladies were waiting to have their socks blown off by Shuichi!
Which, by the way, was silently eating and drinking a wonderful meal under the watchful eye of Kirumi.
Lucky him!
/-/
"So what if my first option was a bust? That's in the past, today is a new day full of new possibilities. You and I can do anything we set our minds to!"
That whole rally was more for her than for the boy who idly walked the halls of the academy, after all, it was complicated to cheer up someone who couldn't acknowledge your existence. Not like she cared much at this point, the things people can get used to can be kinda wild.
The next girl on the list was none other than Tsumugi Shirogane.
She was way more down to Earth than Kirumi and was easier to talk to. The air she exuded was one of calmness but also a bit sexy so Shuichi should be entranced by her without a problem!
But enough of that, it was almost time to enact the first step of the plan.
After some light stalking -no- scouting, Kaede discovered that Tsumugi went into one of the classrooms at the same hour every day. She didn't know what the blue-haired girl did inside but it should spark a conversation between the two and then Tsumugi will fall victim to the Casanova detective's charms.
And what a coincidence, they were just about to reach the said classroom. All that effort scouting and planning would be for nothing if Shuichi didn't go inside, so in order for him to do so, it was time for Kaede's ghost trick! She closed her eyes and poured all her concentration into her hands, using her mind to imagine the cold sensation of the doorknob, her palm closing around it. She made tangible contact with it and immediately something drained from her, but she couldn't stop now.
Kaede turned the knob slowly and once she was sure the door was unlocked, she pushed. The simple act of pushing a door open went from a mundane act to a herculean struggle, it was as if the door was made of heavy stone and she was pushing it through honey. She wanted to stop and rest but she didn't, she owed it to Shuichi.
A strange sound caught her attention, a metallic noise as if some machine was moving around. Did it come from inside the classroom? Must be, because Shuichi's head snapped towards the door and he began walking to it.
"Thank God…" Her concentration broke and the girl phased through the door into the classroom face first.
Now she definitely knows that she shouldn't be doing that much more if she wanted to hang around this plane of existence. Her whole body felt like mist that could be blown away with a single breath. With enough time, she will recover enough to do it again but she wouldn't be quite as whole. Shuichi better get a girlfriend soon before something irreversible happens…
The door opened much more easily when a hand of flesh and blood pushed against it, behind it a nervous girl with glasses and blue hair looked at him with surprise. "Shuichi? You scared me, did no one tell you to knock before entering a room?"
Weird reaction, was she doing something she wasn't supposed to? Ugh, too tired to care.
Shuichi had the decency to look ashamed but went inside anyway. "I'm sorry, I heard something strange and curiosity took the better of me. Was that you?"
"Now those are detective instincts. C'mon, Tsumugi, marry him…" Kaede was already regaining strength but her arguments were sorely lacking.
Tsumugi's head shook and her long blue hair followed her motion just a bit later. "Sorry about that, I was looking for some clues about our situation and tripped on a desk." She brushed off her skirt with a smile. "I'm glad to not be the clumsy archetype, that hurt quite a bit. I don't think the popularity is worth it."
That little joke made the detective crack a smile, good job! "I'm glad you aren't hurt and that you are working so hard, maybe we can chat a bit? Rest would do you good."
"Smoother than molten chocolate!" Wasn't that more sticky than smooth? Is that how the phrase goes?
Tsumugi's hand went up to shield her mouth from the boy. "How unexpected, for you to want to talk with someone as plain as me when there are so many interesting people around. Or maybe you are simply weird."
Kaede noticed Shuichi's subtle flinch but he did a great job keeping his expression polite. "I don't think I'm weird, and neither do I think you are plain."
"Thanks for being polite but it isn't truly necessary, my plainness is a well-known fact." Why did she sound proud of it? "Most people have a hard time noticing me and always are surprised when they finally do, like I'm some sort of ghost."
"Gee, I wonder how that feels."
While Kaede rolled her eyes, Tsumugi kept going. "When I enter a store full of people, I have to put tons of effort into making the clerk notice me."
Shuichi, being the sweet boy he is, tried to ease her worries. "That's not so bad, it happens to a lot of people in crowded stores. It happened to me a few times too."
That's weird, Kaede never had a problem being noticed in stores no matter how many people were inside, why was that? She crossed her arms under her chest, pondering such a strange mystery while the future couple kept talking.
"When my friends and I go to a theme park they always lose sight of me, because I'm so plain."
"That's hardly your fault, those places can be pretty chaotic."
Tsumugi's blue eyes narrowed. "What about me always carrying a sewing kit and two plain white handkerchiefs?"
"That's simply being prepared." It was also a stretch.
The expression on the girl changed, her eyes were intense and her brow was furrowed. Was she... upset? "You won't be convinced so easily... very well, but beware, once you hear about my list of plainness you'll think of me as the most uninteresting girl in the world!"
"Why would you want that?!"
But Kaede's silent cry was for naught. What followed was the most strange show of bizarre pride in the world. Tsmugi kept listing all the things that made her plain as if she was aware of Kaede's intention and wished nothing more than to utterly destroy them.
The times she's marked absent in class because the teacher forgets about her.
How she's always picked last when people split into teams because she's plain.
How people bump into her in the street because she's plain.
The fact that her underwear is white too because she's plain.
At least she can get onto the train or theaters without paying because no one notices her.
Because she's plain.
Plain was not a word anymore but a sound that had burrowed itself inside of her brain and bounced around with a dull noise.
This kept going for a while. Tsumugi shared a story about how plain she was, and Shuichi offered some kind of defense that only served to prolong Kaede's suffering.
By the time the ordeal was over, Shuichi and Tsumugi were panting with exertion and Kaede floated aimlessly like an only half-full balloon.
Why? Why does this keep happening? Why were the girls so eager to sabotage themselves in the most strange ways possible? Maybe this was all a trick, an elaborate plot to torture Kaede who was currently in hell.
That would make more sense than whatever was happening.
"Cosplay!" Shuichi's sudden outburst cut through the air like a blade, startling the girls. "You are the best at cosplay, you can't say that's plain."
Said cosplayer reeled back from the surprise, the surprise blow left her without a retort. "It's true that I was chosen as the ultimate cosplayer, but I prefer making the outfits to wearing them. But since there are lots of normies who cosplay without even knowing the characters it was my duty to do it myself."
"That was I mean, your love and passion for the craft are everything but plain. Not everyone can throw themselves at something and put so much effort into it even if they love it."
Kaede could tell the girl was trying to think of something to counter his argument but eventually, her shoulders slumped in defeat. That's her Shuichi! Always sharp and caring.
The fact that Tsumugi let out a small laugh was very promising too, could this be it? "I suppose you are right about that but you surprised me," A glint appeared in her eye. "Are you perhaps interested in cosplay?"
"Me?... I always thought it looked fun but never tried it."
The glint now shined with the intensity of a star. "I would be thrilled to help you with it. I have lots of ideas for someone with a complexion like yours, since you have a nice face and a great body the arrangement of characters you can cosplay is vast." Someone was excited, was that drool on her chin?
Nevertheless, Kaede's mission was fulfilled. Shuichi and Tsumugi were on the romantic path and while nothing was set in stone, the connection between the two of them would only grow stronger by the day. There was no reason for her to stay behind anymore...
Her translucent body began to glow softly and she could see a light behind her, beckoning for the tortured soul. She earned her rest, and with a fond look at the both of them, Kaede went to the light.
"You could even cosplay as girls!"
Before stopping and doing a one hundred and eighty-degree turn and walking away from the light.
What was the hurry anyway? The afterlife wasn't going anywhere, now, what was that about Shuichi as a girl?
"G-girls? That's a bit too much to start, don't you think?" The boy stammered.
"Not at all! There are tons of people who do crossplay and you'll be amazing at it. With those long eyelashes of yours and soft features, oh, and your legs are thin and smooth, perfect for a skirt!"
How interesting...
Now the detective was blushing and trying to cover his legs over his pants. "How do you know my legs are like that!?"
Tsmugi offered no answer about her secret knowledge, instead, she walked closer and grabbed Shuichi's hand on her own. It didn't fail to make the boy blush and his mouth stopped working but she didn't notice or care.
The fire of excitement burned bright in her chest. "I may be a cosplay fangirl but I'll do everything in my hand to support you, together we will be the perfect cosplaying couple!"
Did she just say what she just said?
Their faces were so close that Shuichi had to be feeling her warm breath on his face, that would explain why he was looking at the side in embarrassment. "T-that's very kind of yours, but, um... y-your hands..."
That gave her pause, she looked down at their intertwined hands for a second before the realization turned her cheeks pink. "Sorry!" She said and let him go.
The two of them were silent for a long moment, seemingly very interested in their shoes or a random spot in the room but never looking at each other. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife and Kaede would have been holding her breath if she still had any.
"I..." Shuichi's words tentatively broke the silence. "I wouldn't mind trying it if it's with you, maybe there is some con we can go... together?"
Tsumugi turned around and a bright smile was on her face. "I would love that. Once we escape from this place, let's go together..."
"Yeah..."
They stood like that for another moment, simply enjoying the moment and taking a chance to just be.
The nice moment would have been ruined if they saw Kaede jumping around in pure glee, and how could she not? This time she did it without a doubt!
Sure, first they had to escape from the academy, and by the time that happens Kaede won't be there to see the fruits of her efforts bloom but that didn't bother her much. She had faith in them.
Shuichi gave the girl a polite goodbye and a nod before leaving to take care of the rest of his day, and Kaede began to follow but she turned around to give her silent cheer to Tsumugi.
She froze.
Something was wrong.
Kaede began to tremble. Nothing changed inside the room, no terrifying monster appeared out of nowhere, and Tsumugi wasn't doing anything strange or alarming like cackling like a mad person.
But there was something wrong with her. With her eyes.
Tsumugi's eyes were like two calm blue lakes, undisturbed and serene, but not anymore. Now, it was as if something was swimming just below the surface of the water, something dark, twisted, and dangerous.
Kaede didn't understand what she was seeing, her brain too rattled to try and process it. She wanted to run away without looking back, and she did.
Everything Kaede said before she took back, Shuichi should never get close to Tsumugi no matter what. That girl was dangerous in a way she didn't fully understand.
"What an interesting plot point..." Kaede thought she heard Tsumugi mutter.
She didn't go back to check.
/-/
For once, it was nice that things came to Kaede instead of her having to break her head and spirit making elaborate plans to make Shuichi talk to a girl. Even if it said help came in the way of... moans.
"Oooh~ Ngh~ Aaaah~" Yeah, those.
Imagine taking a stroll outside and suddenly hearing that out of nowhere, enough to make anyone jump in surprise! The two of them moved closer to investigate whoever was making those alluring noises, and Kaede had half a mind about who was making them.
She was quite surprised to see it wasn't Miu, but Angie.
The dark-skinned girl had her eyes closed and stroked the canvas in front of her with the brush in her hand. Every time she did so, the girl let out a sexy moan.
"Angie?" He called for the painter but she didn't respond.
"Hmmm~ O-oooohhh~!" Were the sexy noises necessary? More importantly, the way Angie moved was strange. Her arms jerked in bursts, similar to a puppet that was being clumsily controlled by an invisible hand. And the air around her seemed to slightly bend too, was that an optical illusion?
"Angie!" He called again this time louder and from a closer distance.
"Oh?" Angie's eyes opened and her arms fell to the sides of her body, the strange distortion disappeared too and she looked at Shuichi with a cooked head. "...Shuichi? Do you need something?"
It sounded like the same Angie they knew, Kaede didn't fully know if that was a good thing. Not like she didn't think Angie was a good person but she could be very... devoted. Always talking about Atua this, Atua that, asking people to join her religion, etc...
She supposed it was part of the course when one is supposedly the avatar of a god but didn't Angie realize how she sounded when asking people for blood offerings? Kaede was respectful of other people's beliefs but it sounded like a cult!
Was Atua even real? Ghosts turned out to be, so everything was possible...
Even for Angie to be Shuichi's special someone
"I'm fine, just worried about you. It was as if you were in a trance or something, is that normal?"
The painter's smile widened and she leaned from one side to another as she spoke. "Nyahaha~ Were you worried about me? How divine! Thanks but I'm okay, I was just filled with his holy essence! Filled to the brim!"
"His... holy essence?" Kaede couldn't blame his mind for going to a dirty place. For how cute and innocent Angie acted, she could use some dirty language and be a bit touchy. Was it on purpose or pure innocence?
"Yes yes! This is how all my work is made, Atua comes down from the heavens and uses my body as a vessel to create art." Wouldn't that make him the ultimate artist and she the ultimate vessel or something? "But this is most curious! Atua is all-mighty but a bit shy so it's very rare for him to possess me when other people are around... Maybe you are a chosen one, hm?"
"Is that a good thing?" Kaede shared his apprehension. Being Atua's chosen could mean many things, maybe Angie and he were required to get together.
She supposed there were worse choices for a partner, despite Angie's zealot-like devotion she was a cheerful girl to be around.
Or maybe she would sacrifice him the moment they got to her island to satisfy Atua's will.
Both options were equally plausible.
"It's very good! The chosen ones of Atua get many benefits and because I found you my points will go up a lot, lucky me~"
"Your religion has a point system?" He was wise to be skeptical, that religion looked more and more like a cult every time Angie shared something about it.
Angie's eyes went wide and her hands pressed to her cheeks, did she have a revelation? "Can't forget, I have to make sure you are ready for it!"
Taking advantage of the gap left by Shuichi trying to understand whatever she meant by that, the artist walked closer to him, put her hands on his chest... and stripped him down. Or so she tried, the boy grabbed her hands in a panic before she could reach the third button of his vest.
"What are you trying to check and why do I have to strip!?" He said, maybe too loud.
At least Angie didn't seem to know what the problem was, she looked at him with a smile and laughed. "Nyahaha~ but it's so obvious, I need to know if you are still a boy or already a man."
Kaede was sure Shuichi's face never had so much color before, she was worried his face was about to explode. Not that she could blame him, Angie was being too forward about it and should stop before she got sued for sexual harassment!
After Shuichi answered the question. For curiosity's sake.
"That's neither you nor Atua's business! Religion isn't in my interest anyway so let go of my clothes!" The poor boy could only plead as he tried, and failed, to get the girl away from his buttons.
"Don't worry, don't worry! Even if you aren't ready, I know of a ritual that will help you reach maturity." She managed to work her fingers through another button. "Let's reach it together, okay? You, me, and Atua!"
"A threesome?!" That's not important! Focus, Kaede, was this the correct option? Should she retire and let things play out?
She had the feeling it wasn't and Shuichi's panicked face supported her feeling, but what to do? Kaede lacked the strength to get the petite girl from him. She needed to be creative about it and fast.
Was there something around she could manipulate?
"There!" Kaede moved like the wind, reaching the canvas in a second, and after concentrating, the girl gave it a little push.
It wasn't enough to tip it over but it did the work, the wooden structure rattled and Shuichi's eyes didn't miss it.
"I-I know, why don't you show me that painting of yours? Seeing his work will help me comprehend his magnificence! And I won't have to get naked, at least I hope so."
That worked in making Angie stop, she looked up at him with her big, puppy eyes, then at her painting and back at him. "Okay!"
And just like that, Angie forgot all about what she was just doing, skipping over to the canvas and waving a hand for the boy to get closer. Which he did, walking around it to see the painting while Kaede did her best to get rid of her dizziness.
"It is very..."
He didn't speak beyond that, instead, he made a weird choking sound. Was it that good? The pianist moved her head to see but it wasn't amazement what his face showed.
His face was even paler than usual, pearls of sweat rolled down his face and his eyes were trembling wildly. Before she could do anything or even comprehend what was happening, the body of the boy crumpled to the ground as if he forgot how to stand.
"Shuichi!" Kaede moved without thinking, she hovered over the detective and was glad to see he was still breathing. He won't be joining her just yet. "What happened to him, what did he-? By complete chance, she glanced at the picture on the canvas.
A torrent of knowledge crashed into her mind like a raging river.
Words of a dozen syllables, colors that didn't exist, images that tore at her sanity, and much more were crammed into her spectral brain.
It didn't stop, there was simply too much.
Was someone screaming? Why did it sound like her own voice?
When unconsciousness fell on her senses like a heavy blanket, she was grateful.
...
...
The girl woke up to the light of the sunset, afflicted with a headache she didn't know could have. "What happened?" The girl wasn't lying on the ground, she was standing in the same place she was before Shuichi passed out, and then she... she couldn't remember what happened afterward and something told her it was a good thing.
Kaede learned what happened during the time she was out of commission by listening to the monokids bickering with each other.
Turns out, Shuichi recovered from his sudden episode of fainting after a few minutes. He felt fine enough and had another conversation with Angie regarding her painting.
She brushed the topic off saying how it happened from time to time and expressed disappointment at the fact he lost consciousness, arguing that a true chosen one should be able to handle that much.
It sounded like Angie lost interest in him. Good.
For Kaede had learned two important things that day; How dangerous Angie could truly be, and to never doubt Atua's existence. No matter how horrific it may be.
If only she could shake that feeling of being watched by someone.
Or something.
/-/
"Nyeeeh... it's magic..."
Kaede was currently staring at a tiny witch making the cutest pouting face ever. No doubt she was doing her best to look intimidating but poor Himiko looked more adorable than anything.
Why was she pouting? Well...
"You say that, but magic isn't real. It's simply not possible." For all his good qualities, Shuichi could be very stubborn about certain topics.
Case in point, he and Himiko got into an argument regarding if magic was real or not.
Himiko was on the side of magic, the girl being the ultimate magician -mage- and all.
Shuichi for his part was on the side of logic and rejected any supernatural idea, like magic or spirits.
Turns out science and logic don't have all the answers just yet, huh?
Nevertheless, this time Kaede wasn't trying to get the detective a girlfriend. She had nothing against Himiko and knew that despite how she may look and act, the girl was the same age as all of them. No, the reason why Kaede thought they wouldn't be a good couple was another.
Himiko was too lazy.
In fact, she had to be the laziest person Kaede ever met.
Before they began to argue, Himiko had asked Shuichi to give her a piggyback ride because she was too tired to walk herself. Even when it was so early in the morning.
Shuichi needed someone to support him and Kaede didn't see the small mage as that person.
"It's magic!" Himiko said with the most energy Kaede ever saw from her.
And yet, Shuichi didn't yield. "Okay, then show me some real magic. Right now."
"N-nyeh?" And for someone so adamant to prove magic was real, she shouldn't be so caught off guard by the obvious request anyone would ask for. "That's n-not possible, there's no m-mana here... so I can't use any magic..."
It wasn't a surprise how unimpressed he was at the convenient explanation he was given. The boy sighed, "Himiko if you want to convince people you need proof, you understand that don't you?"
The girl used her witch hat to cover most of her face, in a way that reminded Kaede of the way Shuichi did the same with his hat. Poor girl just wanted to keep the illusion of magic but Shuichi was giving her a hard time. Could Kaede help somehow?
"I... I have proof... if we go to my ultimate lab, I'll show you true magic. And then... and then you'll have to admit magic is real!" She stomped the ground, and once again, she looked absolutely adorable when mad.
Shuichi's eyebrows went up, he didn't expect Himiko to keep going but if she was willing to show him proof, he was more than happy to see it. He stepped to the side and let her lead the way.
The trio walked in silence to the girl's ultimate lab, the hallways that lead to it, and the door did a good job giving the whole thing a magical air. Himiko turned around in front of the door and put her hand in front of her to keep Shuichi from going further.
"Wait here, I have to make some preparations…"
"I see, magic tricks need preparation after all." Kaede frowned at the way he said that, in her opinion, the teasing was in bad taste.
Poor Himiko flinched at that and she began to sweat a bit. "Nyeeeh, it's not that at all… I need to gather mana and make sure to place the proper seals… if not, you could end up with your hair turning to fire."
"I see…" He simply said and watched the small girl disappear behind the door.
Was Kaede tempted to take a peek inside the room and discover Himiko's secrets? Yes, but she knew how to appreciate a good magic trick and knowing the surprise would ruin it.
She could, however, take a peek at other things. The detective was resting against one of the walls of the hallway, arms crossed with a look of contemplation on his face. Pondering thoughts only he knew.
He and Kaede.
The boy had been mean to poor Himiko so he didn't deserve the courtesy of keeping things to himself today. The spectral hand made contact with his shoulder and thoughts flooded into her.
"What kind of trick will she use? It had to be a complex one if she was prepping things. I know magic isn't real but I'm getting excited thinking about it… Did I go too hard on her? Poor girl is just trying to keep the illusion of wonder… I should act surprised when she performs the trick, that will cheer her up."
Kaede retired her hand with a smile, now that's the Shuichi she knew and loved. Boys who couldn't let their pride aside to make a friend happy weren't worth a penny.
The door opened seemingly on its own and an echoey voice came from within the room. "Prepare to be excited, prepare to be amazed. The great mage, Himiko Yumeno is about to show you true magic!"
An amused smile showed on the face of the boy and he entered the room ready to be amazed.
The room was full of magical artifacts, like one of those boxes that one sawed while someone else was inside, although this one had circular saws. And was that a tank full of piranhas?
Most of the things had been pushed towards the wall to make space for a long table, Himiko stood behind it with what looked like a cloak and a wooden staff in hand.
"Levitation spells are a very hard and consuming magic that I can only use once a month, so you better be grateful and ready to admit magic is real."
Himiko instructed Shuichi to get onto the table and relax his body. He did what ask without any complaints and once he lay on the table, Himiko started to wave her scepter around.
The candles in the room flickered and almost went out, she was great at giving effect to her performance. Just when the room is almost completely dark, she strikes the air with her magic scepter, and the light came back at full force.
Shuichi didn't move an inch.
No one said anything, the three of them waiting for something to happen.
"N-nyeh? Why isn't this… j-just give it a minute…" Confusion was apparent in her voice and the hand that held the piece of wood trembled slightly.
If Shuichi noticed it he didn't say anything, he waited at that table without letting a word out. They waited a minute, then two.
Himiko tried the incantation again but this time she didn't bother with the light show.
Nothing happened.
She tried again.
Nothing happened.
Awkward couldn't make justice to what was happening right now. Shuichi was chewing his lower lip, desperately waiting for something to happen so he could give the girl the reaction she wanted. But right now he couldn't find anything comforting to say.
Kaede ventured a look towards Himiko and her heart broke. The poor girl was clutching the scepter with both hands, her head was low and even with the brim of her hat covering her face, the shake of her shoulders was telling.
This couldn't stand, she wouldn't be there looking at one of her friends crying no matter the circumstances. Shuichi was going to levitate one way or the other, or her name wasn't Kaede Akamatsu!
"Himiko… Sorry, I… Huh? W-what?"
The girl slowly looked up and looked at Shuichi through teary eyes, eyes that went wide once she realized how Shuichi's body was hovering a whole two inches above the table.
All thanks to a bit of spectral magic, it took everything Kaede had to lift the boy that much and even more to not let him down again. But it was worth it to cheer up a friend.
"H-how are you doing this?!" The boy didn't need to fake his surprise now, he looked around searching for cables or some invisible mechanism. How could he imagine the truth?
For her part, Himiko was still looking at the display of magic in shock. Only when Kaede let Shuichi hit the wood with a soft thud did she regain her composure. "Isn't it obvious? I used my magic, now you see I am a true and powerful mage! Hihihihi~"
The girl's witchy laugh was happy beyond measure, so gleeful that even Shuichi, as confused as he was, began to laugh with her.
Kaede was happy for both of them too and would happily have joined the two if she wasn't busy sinking through the floor in absolute exhaustion.
But she shared the feeling.
/-/
Kaede observed the conversation between Shuichi and Maki without an ounce of interest. If it could be called a conversation at all.
"Maki, are you sure you don't want to go have breakfast with all of us?" Shuichi asked once again, and Kaede didn't need powers to know what she was about to say.
"I'll pass." She didn't even look at him.
"But… you have been in front of your ultimate lab since Monoukma opened it… You don't want people being inside that badly?" That was a good question, why was she guarding it so fiercely? It was just a caregiver room. Was she embarrassed about it?
When she talked this time, she looked at Shuichi. Two glaring rubies bored into him. "Do you wanna die? If so, keep sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."
That made even Kaede shudder, what's up with this girl? How could she say those things when they were in such a dire situation? Shuichi was just trying to help her because she was all alone!
Kaede was in a pretty foul mood and Maki wasn't helping her in the slightest. Maybe it was because all of her tries to help Shuichi find love had gone ridiculously wrong or the fact that the girl was turning away a kind hand just like she did when Kaede tried to befriend her. Whatever it was, Kaede was done with it.
Did she want her lab to be a secret so badly? Too bad! Kaede was about to go in and opened the door from the inside, maybe then she will learn to be a bit nicer to people!
The enraged Kaede was done being nice, and while she may regret it later, right now it felt good to have a bit of revenge.
"Let's see what's so special about… about…" Kaede stood there, only her head sticking from inside the door as she took in what she was seeing.
Now, It's true that Kaede never had to take care of anyone's children, but she was fairly sure one didn't need knives for it, or guns, or crossbows, and definitely not bazookas!
What kind of room was this? More importantly, what kind of girl was Maki?
No matter how Kaede thought about it, that wasn't the room of a caregiver, it was better suited for a soldier or a mercenary.
Was that the reason she didn't let anyone inside? Because she had such a dangerous talent and didn't want anyone to distrust her? Kaede hoped it was the cause, for the alternative was too terrifying to consider.
With a cleared head, she slowly went back to where the two still talked.
"Okay, I'll get out of your hair. Just… Please, ask if you need help with anything." Were Shuichi's last words before leaving the mysterious girl to guard her secret weapon room.
"It's better if I don't…"
Did Maki sound sad or was Kaede wishfully thinking the girl wasn't as bad as she wanted herself to seem?
"Why are so many girls here so dangerous?"
/-/
Kaede faced the new days with a revitalized optimism.
So what if her list of possible candidates was down to only two?
So what if they were only in it because they were girls and had nothing else to connect with Shuichi?
Those were all details without an ounce of importance, it was all about being hopeful and keeping going no matter how rocky the path ahead is! Besides, Miu wasn't that bad!
Shuichi had a very obvious crush on Kaede, and she and Miu had many things in common.
They were both girls, they had blonde hair, a taste for the color pink, and no matter what Miu said, Kaede's boobs were pretty big too!
Taking all of that into account, the two of them should form a bond instantly.
So, why was Shuichi trying to stop Miu from hitting herself with a wrench?
Don't get her wrong, she saw the events that led to the current situation. She simply couldn't understand anything at that point, that's all.
At first, they were having a normal conversation, by Miu's standards, which meant tons of innuendoes, sexual jokes, and insults. After all of that, she shared with Shuichi a story about her being in a pretty serious accident that left her in a coma but when she awoke from that, she was a genius.
Kaede could believe that such trauma and a prolonged coma could change a person's mind but make them a genius? That was more akin to the plot of a manga, not real life. Was that one of Miu's stories to blow her horn and inflate her ego even more?
It was a real possibility until the wrench came out to play and she told Shuichi her great theory. How the surgery that saved her life must have augmented her somehow turning her into the sexy genius she was now. Her words, not Kaede.
And what would a genius do with such information? Apparently, try to open themselves and take a peek inside to figure out if they are truly human or not. They knew a robot who could act like a human and feel so it wasn't such a crazy idea, right?
It was, it was stupid and crazy.
It didn't make sense, none of it did, and yet, it was happening before her eyes. Her smile and optimism were gone as she just stared at the two of them.
"M-Miu, take a hold of yourself. You are going to get hurt!" He grunted, trying to wrestle the heavy thing away from her.
"Hands of your virgin! Go play with yourself in a corner and stop getting in the way of science!"
"I said… STOP!" The sudden burst from the detective made the inventor freeze on the spot like a deer about to be hit by a truck. She didn't resist when Shuichi took the wrench away and babbled something about her investigation and the destiny of the world. Shuichi didn't let her finish. "Enough! I don't care about any of that, your life is much more important than any investigation or the world!"
A few days ago, such a demonstration of manliness and care would have left Kaede speechless and hopeful, maybe a bit weak in the knees too. But that was the Kaede who still had hopes and dreams, she knew better now. So when Miu ran away from him in a hurry, the pianist wasn't sad, angry, or disappointed, she was simply tired.
The rest of the day passed in a haze and so did the night. Nothing happened that was interesting enough to break Kaede from her bleak trance. Nothing, except Miu running towards them with a pie in her hands.
"Hey, Pooichi, check this out! Pretty nifty huh?" She displayed the baked goods like a proud mother showing everyone their perfect child. To be fair, it was a nice-looking pie.
As taken aback by the surprise pie as he was, the detective managed some words of praise for the busty inventor. "That's great Miu, did you make an invention that makes pies while you sleep?" It was a good guess that, for some reason or another, many of Miu's inventions centered around doing things while asleep.
But the inventor scoffed at the idea. "No invention, dickweed. I, Miu Iruma, made this tasty baby from scratch to show you how fucking amazing I am at everything!" Except for being modest, that was obvious.
"Wow, it looks pretty tasty, didn't know you were so prolific." He said with a big smile that warmed the room and made Miu's cheeks bloom.
"Y-yeah, well, don't stand there smiling like an idiot, dig in! I made this, especially for you…"
Such a sweet and lovely gesture, did she spend the last day baking it as thank you for Shuichi's help last time? Or maybe… maybe it was the symbol of something deeper? A token of a young girl's love created not by machines but by her caring hands.
"Yeah, no, I don't buy it." This was THE Miu Iruma, the girl who can't go five minutes without saying or doing anything inappropriate. Kaede bet her soul that the moment Shuichi tried to have a bite, a dildo would spring from within the pie and slap him across the face while Miu laughed. "I have no patience for that."
Kaede's hand slapped down the pie with unexpected cruelty and only when the food crumbled on the floor and Miu let out a pained cry, did she think she went a bit far.
"No, my pie!" Miu was on her knees clutching the pieces of her creation with shaky fingers.
"Did it slip? It's fine, let's see what we can salvage and… what is that?" Shuichi was reaching from something within the pie, Kaede expected her suspicion to be right but it was no dildo what Shuichi pulled from the remnants of the pie, it was a long, blonde strand of… "Is this hair?"
From the depths of Kaede's cold soul emerged a spark of emotion that quickly became an out-of-control fire. She turned towards the kneeling girl, eyes wide as saucers, and screamed. "YOU PUT HAIR IN HIS FOOD?! WHY!?"
As if she could hear the wailing wraith, Miu responded. "Huh? Yeah, that's my secret ingredient, don't worry about it. I have more." The fact she wasn't even ashamed of it was baffling.
"Of course, I'm going to worry about hair in my food!" Shuichi was a patient young man, but even saints have their limits and he was reaching his fast. "What would possess you to do such a thing?"
Miu seemed to shrink at the question, her disposition growing skittish by the second. "It's not that weird, I-I just wanted the girl who I like to eat me. Lots of girls do it!"
"NO THEY DON'T!" Kaede helpfully added.
"I…" Shuichi rubbed a hand on his face as he tried to regain his composure and made sense of Miu's strange logic. "I'm flattered you have those kinds of feelings for me but this… this is not for me."
Miu's look was one of pure sadness or disappointment. "T-then you aren't going to eat it? What about the chocolates with my blood mixed in them?"
"YOU ARE INSANE!"
"I'm not a chocolate person, sorry…"
The inventor kneeled there, stunned. Shuichi was afraid she was going to burst into tears but her eyes began to regain their usual strength. She stood back up and placed her hands on her hips, looking defiant.
"Oh, I get it! You are scared!" She pointed at Shuichi with a sneer. "You wanted a piece of this sexy body but realized it was too much for you and got cold balls. Admit it!"
"I…yeah, you got me. No way I can trick a genius like you." Why fight her? She was putting on a front to protect her broken heart. What right did Shuichi have to blame her for that?
"Muahahaha! I knew, I'm so fucking smart! But I won't be too hard on you, at least you had the good taste of going after me, and for that, you deserve a prize." Out of the pocket of her cleavage, she retrieved a small laser gun similar to a kid's toy then she pointed it at Shuichi's hand. "Time to go commando!"
The trigger was pulled and a flash of light filled the room, by the time Shuichi's hand adjusted he felt something soft and warm in his hand. His face exploded with red when he saw what it was. "P-p-p-panties?!"
"Enjoy them while they are hot, bye virgin!" And with that, Miu left the room without a boyfriend but also without panties.
Unable to handle the whole thing anymore, Kaede fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands to stop the tears. "Why…. why are you like this?"
She didn't even react when Shuichi silently pocketed the panties…
/-/
Shuichi flew through the air in a perfect art, his form was so beautiful that it made the moment last forever.
Kaede was aware she should feel bad for him, the poor boy could end up badly hurt when he reaches the ground but at this point of her undead life, the pianist learned to appreciate the small things and not worry about things out of her control anymore.
She didn't know why Tenko had decided to throw Shuichi across the air like a ragdoll, probably something about him having too many Y chromosomes. She was very picky about that for some reason, such a silly girl, but Kaede knew she wasn't a bad person. After all, Tenko carried the unconscious boy back to his room even when she hates males so much.
That had to be worth something.
"Can't help but feel I'm forgetting something… Oh well~"
/-/
"What about Monomi? She's technically a female so she counts! And what about that ghost girl that hangs around Kiyo? Sure, she is whispering creepy things to him all the time and she's dead but Shuichi doesn't care about petty things like living! Maybe I can be her ghost girlfriend then!"
People often say that when you look too long into the abyss, the abyss looks back.
Kaede was beyond that, she had won a staring contest against the abyss and the abyss requested a restraining order out of pure fear of the girl. Her mind came back from the depths but not quite the same as before and she had tried many different things to force a relationship to bloom between Shuichi and one of the, still alive, girls in the academy. Some went better than others but none took root.
After that, she had nothing left and spent days rambling about absurd plans and machinations. But most of all Kaede knew she had let Shuichi down again. Not even with a second chance can she do things right.
Suddenly, a sound snapped out of her pity party. It was the sound of laughter, very familiar laughter.
She slowly made her way to it, Kaede wasn't as corporeal anymore so it took her a while but she found the source of it outside of the forms.
There, laying on the grass next to Kaito was Shuichi, laughing.
The sight, the sound, mended something inside of her. Kaede wanted Shuichi to be happy by giving him someone to love and who loved him back, but it didn't have to be a lover.
As the weeks passed, Shuichi got to meet new friends, to learn about others and himself. He got stronger and even if some regret and sadness lingered inside, Shuichi could live with it and laugh earnestly.
His heart wasn't broken, it was just growing a bit stronger every day.
"I'm glad… glad to know that even if tragedy strikes again you will endure it and keep laughing and living."
As Kaede's form slowly left the world, her smile was like a beacon of light in the dark night sky.
"Shuichi… goodbye… love you…"
This time, Kaede Akamatsu didn't feel an ounce of despair at the end of her life, but overwhelming love.