A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! This was originally going to be the second EaST Extra I post, right after Extras 1: Rin Wakuri Freetime and Salmon Team Events, but then I realized 'hey, it's valentine's day! The love suite stuff is perfect for a holiday post', so here we are. Enjoy.

This one-shot has spoilers for my fic: Entertaining a Small Thought.

Rin Wakuri Love Suite Event

Silence. Dead, awkward silence. That was the terrible silence that was drenching the room's atmosphere, Kirumi quickly realized, yet she still dared not speak. Not when she still had no idea what was going on in his head.

The two of them were stuck in a very strange place, and Kirumi never dared imagine she would willingly enter herself. Now she was stuck in this room that was colored various pinks and deep reds.

At the center was a large circular bed meant for two, with the bed's head being adorned with a large pink heart as decoration and a magnificent chandelier attached to the ceiling above it. Spinning around the bed were horses with Monokuma's eyes and twisted mouths like a carousel, making it all look incredibly strange.

The worst of it was the various items scattered around. They didn't even deserve description. They all were meant for the same purpose: carnal pleasures.

Yes…Kirumi found herself stuck in one of Hotel Kumasutra's rooms. Kirumi Tojo had gotten stuck in a love hotel. That is already bad enough, but her heart was brought to its limit when Rin Wakuri walked in a few moments after her.

Why was she here? What had brought Kirumi to such a place? To such a confusing situation?

That blasted key was to blame. She should have never agreed to hold on to that key. Kaede had given it to her as a gift. She had won it as a prize at the casino as she was trying to gain tokens to earn Date Tickets and gifts to hand out. She didn't know what the key was for, so when she offered it to Kirumi, the maid did not argue. In fact, something about the key was intriguing to her. Something about it made Kirumi's heart beat a little faster.

If she had known this was what it was for, she never would have taken the key from Kaede…

Monokuma had barged into Kirumi's room late at night and explained the rules to Kirumi. When night falls, the Love Suite would open up to whoever had the Love Key, as well as one other person chosen at random. Within the Suite, the owner of the Love Key will have to play out the other's fantasy. The 'guest' will see the key holder as their 'ideal' and 'swoon all over you' as Monokuma explained. Should the key holder fail to play the part of that 'ideal', the guest will wake up the next day in anguish. Strangest yet, the entire event would remain entirely private. No cameras whatsoever, and Monokuma explained that neither student would remember anything that happened inside the suite. The bear swore that on his grandfather's grave.

"So it's like a one-night stand within a dream. Probably best that you both forget it." Monokuma had laughed, though Kirumi couldn't help but feel conflicted all the same. "Now then, let love take hold of you! It'll make you sweeter than a bear's honey pot!"

Monokuma left the maid alone after that, the key in her hand now feeling incredibly heavy.

She hadn't wanted to go, but curiosity got the best of her. Besides, it couldn't be possible for Monokuma to somehow alter the perception of the students like that, was it?

Now that Kirumi was here in the Love Suite with Rin Wakuri wandering around the room, Kirumi found a stone lodged in her stomach as she began to regret her choices.

'...Monokuma said that whenever a key holder comes here, they must play the part of the other's 'ideal', as though it is some shared fantasy between the two of us. Is that really true?' Kirumi pondered as her dark olive eyes found themselves drawn to Rin. '...What could Rin's fantasy be? I cannot imagine anything deranged or overtly lewd. I have not even seen the slightest inkling that Rin is at all interested in anything romantic. So… what might he be seeing here, should Monokuma not have been lying?'

Kirumi couldn't help but wonder about those thoughts. Rin Wakuri was the most mysterious person at the Ultimate Academy, with Rantaro being a close second. While Rantaro claimed to not remember his talent and acted calm no matter the situation, Rin had the misfortune to have lost nearly all his memories entirely if Rin is to be believed, though he has reported slowly gaining some memories back recently. Someone like that could be considered the most suspicious in such a precarious situation.

Yet Kirumi could not help but be drawn to him. She could not help but wonder who this man could really be. What kind of fantasies did he have when he could not remember who he was? Could this give Kirumi a hint?

What…was Rin's 'ideal'? What was his 'fantasy'?

That's when Rin began to speak, and Kirumi suddenly was thrown for the first of many loops.

"Why did you call me here, Kirumi? And why here of all places?" Rin asked, an apparent coldness and distance in his voice masking something akin to sorrow as he spoke. "I told you, we don't have any connection now. We're not partners anymore. We're no longer affiliated. I…shouldn't be here with you."

'No longer affiliated? Did we have a falling out? Are we no longer friends in this dream? And he 'shouldn't be here'? I suppose as the only adult in this…love hotel, this would be morally questionable were he not here because of my doing. But the way he spoke…is he referring to something else? Does he…not want to be around me?' Kirumi wondered, a dull pain causing an ache in her chest at the mere thought, but the maid shook it away as she collected herself. 'No, that cannot be. Rin mentioned I called him here in this fantasy. Then… the 'me' he sees must still want to stay connected. I would as well if this were real.'

Kirumi then quietly cleared her throat as she finished collecting her thoughts before responding. "You may say that, Rin, but just because you wish for us to no longer be affiliated does not me I wish for the same. We were friends, yes? Partners?"

"That was another lifetime ago." Rin frowned as he crossed his arms. "We…haven't worked together on a case for a while now. Almost a year now, I believe. There…isn't anything between us now. We're back to being practically strangers again."

'We used to work on cases? I see. Rin must be something of an investigator, or perhaps law enforcement in this dream, but stopped for some reason.' Kirumi pieced together. 'Could this be part of who Rin really is, or is it just part of his fantasy?' Kirumi then pushed those thoughts aside as she focused. 'I can think about that later. Right now, I have to play my role. The role of…Rin's old partner.'

The very thought made the maid feel warm as she imagined a life where she worked together with Rin like this.

'I wonder what a life would have entailed.' Kirumi let herself think before returning to her role.

"Can we really consider ourselves strangers now?" Kirumi asked, not hiding the hurt in her expression at the thought. "You were my friend. Was that…merely a one-sided belief?"

"N-No, but…" Rin stammered as he gritted his teeth and turned away. "I just…I…" Words failed him as Rin suddenly let out a sigh, seemingly letting go of the topic as he continued to turn away, avoiding Kirumi's eyes as though they were something terrifying to him.

Rin looked ashamed.

'...In this dream, Rin has been trying to cut off his connection and relationship with me, the one playing the role of his 'ideal', but I seem to be trying to keep that connection alive. If I am playing the part of this 'ideal', does that not mean Rin wishes for the same, but cannot bring himself to admit it? Should I press him more on it? But if I do, what if that causes the fantasy to break? Then Rin would wake up in anguish. Perhaps it would be better to let it go for now…' Kirumi thought to herself as she lowered her head. 'I am…not sure what I should do here.'

The maid was at a loss, but thankfully, the awkward atmosphere in the room was broken by Rin.

"So…how have you been?" Rin asked nervously, his voice unsure as he rubbed the back of his neck while still avoiding the maid's eyes. "Have you gone back to being a maid?"

"Oh?" Kirumi couldn't help but let out a noise at that. So she was still a maid in this dream. She could work with that. "Yes. I have returned to my duties as a maid. Why do you wish to know? I thought you said we were now strangers."

"Don't use my words against me. You're killing me here. This is hardly easy for me." Rin muttered through gritted teeth. "But…I'm glad. Makes sense. You are the Ultimate Maid. You're all set, huh? Then…it really is better this way."

"Huh?" Kirumi's eyes widened at the words spoken with such finality by Rin.

"Good. That's…good. Then…I suppose I'll be on my way. Shouldn't keep bothering you like this." Rin said with a weak, forced smile as he turned to leave. "I'll…no, actually. Sorry. I hope you have a good life, Kirumi."

"W-Wait." Kirumi shot up from her spot on the bed and rushed over, grabbing Rin's hand before he could leave.

'If he leaves now, I'm certain he'll wake up in pain. He does not seem happy. I must be failing in my role here.' Kirumi realized to herself as she steeled herself for what had to come next. 'Then…no matter what, I must play my role to perfection.'

"You can't go. I don't…want you to." Kirumi found herself saying as she looked back to Rin. "What are you saying? 'Better this way'? You speak as though I never want to see you, but I was the one who called you here, yes? And…you must feel the same, since you're here. You're not a bother. In fact, being with you is a joy for me. I…want to spend more time with you, because you are someone precious to me, but…you're acting so distant now. So please. Tell me what you really think. Because…I would hate to truly become strangers with you. I cannot…imagine a world without you in it."

Kirumi stood there, holding Rin's hand firmly within her own grip. Kirumi might not have realized it, but she was holding on tightly, so tightly, so that she could not lose who was in front of her. And for the first time since arriving in this room, Rin stood there, now finally staring back at her, eye to eye.

Crimson met olive green, neither side blinking, as though they were frozen in time.

And then…tears came.

"...Why?" Rin spoke in a broken whisper as tears built up in his eyes. "Why…do you care so much about me? I'm…I'm not important. I'm not anything special!"

Rin pulled his hand back, breaking out of Kirumi's tight grip as he stumbled back, his eyes never leaving Kirumi's as he tried not to fall over.

"I…I tried, y'know? I really tried. But…I just couldn't do anything right. Even now, when my life is my own again, and I finally have the choice to be whatever or whoever I want, I can't escape it! I'm still just doing the same things as before! I haven't changed at all! I'm still just the same!" Rin cried as he ran his hands down his face. "But I still tried to keep at it. I chose to keep at it this. To keep helping people even when I never got it. I tried, but…I just can't. Not anymore. No matter what I do…I still just feel…empty. I still feel like a fake. Like I'm just fooling everyone into thinking I'm someone amazing when I can barely keep it together. No matter what I do, I'm just me, and I'm not good enough for anything."

"But you? You're so incredible. You're in a league of your own. I mean, you're an Ultimate! The Ultimate Maid. You can do so much just on your own! Everyone can rely on you, and you're so talented in so many different ways, and you're so kind and wonderful, as a person and a friend. You're…you're so much more than I am. Every time I'm forced to realize that, no matter how happy I was, I just…felt so small. No. I felt like a weight set upon you. How could someone so amazing, who can do anything they set their mind to, who can do and be things and make choices for themselves that I could never—who can someone so wonderful want to spend time with me? Why…would they work under me?"

"Why?" Rin asked as he stared with teary, red eyes at the stunned Kirumi. "Why…do you like me so much? I'm just a weakling. I'm a useless and pathetic adult who can't do anything for himself. So…why do you still want to be around me? No matter how much I want to spend time with you, wouldn't you be better off without this dead weight dragging you down? I can't understand it."

Kirumi felt her heart cry out in its own anguish as she processed what she just heard. She stood there, dumbfounded with a gaping mouth as she tried to get her bearing again.

'Is this…truly how Rin sees himself? Even in this fantasy…does he really think so lowly of himself?' Kirumi couldn't believe it. She didn't want to. But for now, she had to. 'So, in this fantasy, Rin sees himself as below me? He said so much to raise me and my position up, but spent just as long dragging himself down. If…If this is part of Rin's fantasy, then I, the one playing the role of his 'ideal', have only one course of action now. Thankfully, I do not have to pretend for this role anymore.'

Yes… Kirumi just had to share her honest feelings now.

"Rin, even if what you are saying is true…even if you are all those horrible things you called yourself and I am just as amazing as you think, that does not change the fact that you are special to me," Kirumi told him as she moved to Rin, standing right in front of him as she looked right into his eyes. "Because…you were all that and more for me. When I blindly kept moving as a maid, serving others without any thought toward myself, you were there to remind me that I was still just a girl named Kirumi Tojo. All those times you came to check up on me, or told me to rely on you, or came to help me despite having no reason, or when you held my hand just to reassure me things would be okay—that wasn't nothing. That meant something to me. You mean something to me, and I…I love spending time with you. Even if you are right about me 'being better' than you, does that matter when I want nothing more but to be with you?"

Rin was practically sobbing at this point as he tried to wipe his face clean to no avail. For the first time, the defenses the man always had up–the walls that were always there to keep others away from what lay just beyond were now gone. He was trembling as he failed to stop more tears from falling. It was only after Kirumi gently brought her hand to his and held it gently that Rin was grounded enough to look back at her despite the tears. Then, a small, hopeful smile came to him.

"I-Is that true? Do you…really like me? Even though I'm hardly worthy of your time? Even though you don't even know anything about me?" Rin asked. "What I feel right now, the warmth in my chest whenever…Is it not one-sided? You also…enjoy spending time with me, despite who I am?"

"Rin, it's never been a matter of worth," Kirumi responded. "You were the one who told me it was okay to be a little selfish at times. So, even if you weren't worthy, be a little selfish. That is what I'm doing right now." She emphasized this by ever so slightly tightening her grip on Rin's hand, reassuring him that she wasn't going anywhere.

"Ha…ha…" Rin choked out weak laughs as his small smile grew larger and became more vibrant. "The truth of everything is that I'm really happy just being here with you. I've…never felt like this before. My chest feels so full. So warm. It's the loveliest feeling in the world." Rin spoke softly as he held Kirumi's hand as though it were a precious treasure.

"I never once cared for maintaining relationships, let alone anything deeper than that. I was always too busy to even consider it, and even when I had the time, it never interested me before. It always seemed like something just beyond my grasp. I kept ignoring that growing sense of loneliness, convincing myself it was part of my duty, but in reality, I was just hurting myself. Because I believed I deserved to feel like that."

"But…now I have these new feelings after meeting you, and I was scared. I thought I shouldn't be allowed to feel so much joy in my life." Rin confessed. "Even though I saw you genuinely cared about me despite how I am, I didn't feel worthy of your companionship. I didn't feel worthy of your affection or care or love. I didn't think I deserved to feel those emotions either, so I pretended they didn't exist, and I hurt you again by doing so. I'm sorry."

That's when pulled Kirumi closer, close enough so that the maid could see the genuine emotion in Rin's eyes just beyond his tears. The immense feeling of care and love and admiration shined through, rendering Kirumi speechless as a newfound warmth found its way into her chest and filled her heart.

"I…I know what I'm doing now is bad. I know that." Rin muttered with a pained expression. "What I'm doing here, allowing myself to be brought to such a place to meet with you—I know it's not right. I know there are some out there who would condemn me for this. But…now that I've acknowledged how I feel and heard how you feel, I don't think I can stop. I don't want to stop. Even if goes beyond the limits of professionalism, or responsibility, or even what's right, all I want in this single moment is to be with you for just a moment longer."

Kirumi's heart skipped a beat at Rin's confession, and she felt her face flush even more as she found herself entranced by Rin and his overwhelming flood of loving emotions, all directed at her in this dream.

Even if this was just a dream, Kirumi did not wish to wake up just yet.

"I also…want to stay here, just a moment longer," Kirumi replied just as softly as she let herself lean against Rin's chest, resting her head against him as she focused on the warmth she felt coming from him. "Even if it is wrong and selfish of me to ask that, it is all I want right now, as Kirumi Tojo and nothing else."

"Ha…I'm glad." Rin smiled as he finally stopped the tears from falling from his cheeks. But he then placed his hands on Kirumi's shoulders and gently moved her off his chest. "But…there are limits to this. You're still in high school, after all. I know I said that I don't want to stop being with you even if it's wrong, I don't want to hurt you or take advantage of your kindness. Until you become a legal adult, we shouldn't do more than this." He then laughed as his hand fidgeted sheepishly. "...Holding hands is already pretty scandalous since we can't do that out in public, don't you think?"

"I-I…suppose you are right." Kirumi relented, though disappointment flooded her mind, as well as the feeling of grasping Rin's strong, gentle hand.

"But…you said it was okay to be a little selfish every once in a while, right?" Rin asked as his cheeks turned a rosy color, his hands repeatedly opening and closing as he managed to force out his words. "T-Then…just for tonight, can I…hold you? You can think of me as a terrible adult, but all I want right now is to be with you, so…"

How could Kirumi deny him that after all that was said this night? How could she deny that request when she herself wanted it as well?

That's how Kirumi found herself moments later lying on the bed, her arms wrapped around Rin who lay beside her, his own arms wrapped around her in a tight, but gentle, warm embrace. Kirumi had her head pressed against Rin's chest again as he rested his own on top of hers. Kirumi could feel his heartbeat, his warm love, and his gentle, yet nervous breathing, all against her own.

Then, in a whisper, Rin cried softly once more.

"I…never thought I could feel like this. I…don't want it to stop." He said before drawing Kirumi just a bit closer. "I…don't want to let go."

"...Neither do I," Kirumi whispered as she buried herself in the loving hug. "I will not ever let go."

There was one last gentle, sobbing cry of relief before gently, everything went dark in the room.

"Wha…h-huh?" Kirumi muttered as she opened her eyes.

She was back in her own bed now, wrapped tightly around her blankets, a fuzzy feeling left in her chest.

"Is it…morning already?" Kirumi asked herself as she tried to blink the sleep out of her eyes. "W-Why…am I here?"

Last night…wasn't she with Rin? Was that a dream?

…Kirumi could still feel the warmth of his embrace. She could still feel that wonderfully sweet love holding her gently, as though she was the most precious thing in the world. She could still recall all the emotions that aggravating, arrogant, sweet, loving, kind man showed her before taking her in his hands and not ever letting go.

Kirumi stared up at her dorm's ceiling as she recalled that wonderfully blissful dream.

And then she realized just what exactly she was imagining, causing her sleepy expression to break into mortified embarrassment, all the blood in her body now rushing up to her head to color her skin a bright strawberry color.

The same color as Rin's wonderful loving eyes she saw at the end of that dream.

Thoughts like those caused the blushing beauty to turn over quickly in her bed as she grabbed her pillow, pressed her face entirely into the soft fabric, and squealed. Yes. Squealed. Like a love-sick school girl who just got asked out by her crush, completely unlike the mature, professional maid Kirumi was supposed to be. Kirumi didn't know whether to be happy about the dream or ashamed.

Later that day, as he was hanging out with Keebo and Kaito down at the casino, Rin spotted Kirumi coming down. He greeted her with a warm smile, but that resulted in Kirumi blushing violently and running off as fast as she could. Rin was, obviously, terribly confused. Had something happened between the two of them? It certainly didn't help that Keebo seemed to be curious about it, too, and Kaito was just congratulating Rin, saying things like 'Way to go, bro! I knew you had it in ya!' and whatnot.

Rin could only sigh. He'd have to speak to the maid about this. He was trying to keep things professional and platonic between the two of them, but after seeing such a reaction from Kirumi of all people, he might have to either avoid her entirely or have a genuine talk about this with the maid. After all, Rin, or rather, the 'Rin' everyone knew here at the Ultimate Academy was no good for anyone.

He ignored the wonderful feeling he had when he woke up that morning and the loneliness he felt just briefly when he realized he was alone in his bed.

Kirumi would return to the casino later in order to earn more tokens. She wasn't sure why, but Kirumi had this inkling of a feeling that one of the prizes could give her wonderful dreams.