Chapter Text
‘Haa~ What a boring round!’
The table was littered with the cards he threw. Numerous facing up, and others down, not like it mattered anymore since he was obviously fed up with playing.
Jin’s eyes travelled to the grape Fanta fanatic; a bottle of it sitting on the edge next to the boy’s feet on the table.
He chuckled out a grin. ‘Seems our supreme leader has already lost complete interest.’ Jin smiled, closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair his foot clipping over his thigh.
‘Even though you were the one who SO earnestly insisted to play… ugh… Why are we doing this anyway?’ Shun let out as he placed his cards face down on the table and relaxed his head into his leaned elbows. Evidently, he was tired after playing fifty rounds of Uno.
‘Haha, no need to be down Shun.’ Izumi pat Shun on the back while flaunting his sole two cards in one hand.
‘I was just about to win too! But now Ouma’s gone and ruined it,’ Izumi ranted as he flocked his eyes open and stared at his cards then Kokichi with a humorous-not-so-humorous glare.
‘I’m not so sure about that,’ Jin retorted as he got up with one hand, and began to clean the table for the stray cards.
‘What?!’ Izumi snapped as he dropped his cards in surprise on the table as he bolted onto it with his hands.
‘Let me help you with that Jin!’ Shun eagerly hopped up to assist Jin tidy up.
‘Then who else could’ve won that round! You all were way behind me!’ Izumi pressed, as he pointed at their decks, which were all spread and scattered across the table.
Kokichi having twelve cards.
Jin having five.
And Shun having seven.
The future-reader smiled, as he closed his eyes and briskly collected the cards into a neat deck. Kokichi caught his eye, as the short purple-haired male was checking his nails with not a shred of remorse to help clean the mess he made.
Jin’s eyes deepened, as he flashed his eyes to Izumi. ‘Well… we’ll never know!’ Jin smiled as he waved his palm to Izumi and duck-pouted his lips.
Izumi’s face flattened with a stained smile. ‘Really now. Hah.’ Izumi crossed his arms as he stared down Jin and sat down with a thump.
Only one outcome…
As stated by Kokichi before, Jin could agree.
That it really was a boring round. Not worth pursuing.
‘Well, I should get going! Being Border’s elite has its downfalls and one is all the work!’ Jin flashed a grin as he turned on his heel and left the table with a wave.
‘You’re so mean! Yuichi-san how could you leave me alone with these bums!’ Kokichi dramatically cried as he obviously didn’t care as evident by the fact he was still in his chair.
Jin chuckled. ‘Sorry, I must be off…’ Jin matched his dramatic tone with his own melodramatic sendoff as he pretended to tip a hat he didn’t have.
‘WAAAAAAH!’ Kokichi balled loudly to the air with his fist flying up at the sides of his face.
Izumi looked at the two glancing between them with a purse of his lips, as Shun looked envious of their… strange but friendly bond.
Izumi propped his elbow on the table. ‘How come you never send me off like that! I’m hurt,’ Izumi teased as he propped his chin on his fist.
Kokichi stopped crying and looked him straight in the eyes. Then a disgusted façade shined on his features. ‘Not worth it.’ He idlily glanced aimlessly to the side, with a bemused face on.
And from the faint sigh of Izumi as he rested into his chair’s back, Ouma spoke up. ‘That’s just a lie!’ He turned firmly to Izumi and brightened with a big sneer.
Izumi’s face lagged; a smile stuck on. He didn’t know which statement the shorter male spouted were the ones he should to respond to, so he decided he’d rather not have him cry over him every time he left.
Izumi picked his phone from his pocket, as Shun began to trace patterns on the table, Kokichi’s chattering being quieted by the crowd. Izumi and Shun not listening, and only noticing his arms thrashing and motioning in the air from their own preoccupied selves and indirect side view.
‘Ouma-kun! There you are!’ A girl’s voice called, her red fury wasn’t missed on Shun and Izumi, who steadily retreated to be like the wind in order not to be lumped together with whatever it was that Kokichi had done this time.
‘Oooh! It’s my beloved Akamatsu~’ He jumped out of his seat, and pushed his arms behind his back.
Shun always wondered why he called miss Kaede that, but he assumed it was just another one of his little tricks… to annoy her. Personally, he always saw the slight red it made her, so perhaps it was working.
‘Ouma… My. Bag.’ She extended her palm and balled her fingers repeatedly.
Kokichi with his finger curiously on his chin, looked behind at his backside, an unusual white bump out resting on it. ‘Oh, you mean this~’ he turned around, and grabbed the straps and mockingly shook back and forth.
It surprised Shun and Izumi that they hadn’t realized it was Kaede’s bag, probably because it matched his outfit because it was also white.
Kaede tried not to fall for any of his provocations, and breathlessly sighed and said again. ‘Could you give it back.’
Kokichi pretended to ponder it over, resorting to. ‘Nope!’
‘Ouma!!!’ Kaede chased after his heel as he hauled speedily away.
The tramps of heels clicking in the distance only minutes later, until the two left at the table couldn’t hear them anymore, they both sighed.
‘Heh, maybe we should’ve grabbed him while we had the chance…’ Izumi thought out loud, as him and Shun locked eyes and nodded in place at the table. The deck of Uno cards still neatly sited on the table where Jin had left it.
Kokichi’s nishishi-ing echoed throughout the C-rank hall’s hallways, that Kaede had chased him through and to with battered breath. Everyone in Border, above B-rank and even most C-ranks knew, is to steer clear of his laughter if heard.
It’d become a prophecy of bad fortune, you knew, if he had something to laugh about, he was going to make it everyone’s problem.
But the problem that arose, was the fact was that today was Broder’s enlistment day, which meant, a load of new trainees that didn’t get the memo.
It was after they’d separated the snipers, from the attackers and were moving onto the next room, Yuma, Osamu and Kitora were in the back pack… when…
Well.
‘Hey Mikumo,’ Kitora’s voice shot through to Osamu’s ears.
‘Kitora?’ he turned around slowing down as he did.
‘What are you doing here with the trainees? Weren’t you promoted to B-rank…’ Her eyelids flattened against her magenta irises.
‘I’m mostly here to keep Kuga and Chika company,’ He explained.
Yuma turned around upon hearing Kitora’s voice, and hearing… something in the distant, something sounding like “Nishishishi.” Yuma didn’t know what to make of it, and just shrugged it off as one of Japan’s weird features.
‘Hey Kitora! Long time no see.’ He sauntered up to her, the three were now a little way away from the C-rank group guided by Jun.
‘I’m enlisted with Border now so you can be nice to me,’ Yuma promptly stated with a relaxed duckface.
Kitora snidely grunted, her brain buzzed hearing—something familiar as she stared meditatively at the smaller stature male. ‘Huh.’ Kitora hummed before she gave a response, causing Yuma to tilt his head.
She turned around her eyes widening as she wretched her jaw. Osamu looked perplexed, and as he was about to ask her for what was wrong. She fumbled in place as her worst nightmares came true.
A purple flash sped into them in an ungodly sprint, causing them all to topple over and flatten to the floor.
Osamu reached for something, as Yuma fell with his arms crossed and with a mildly peeved duck pout, Kitora was the one he fell onto, and the blonde was the one to bear witness.
*THUMP*
‘Umm… are you okay?’ Kaede reached her hand, while the other covered her mouth, her hair frayed at the ends as her face paled.
‘KOKICHI!!!’ Kitora hollered.
‘Whoopsies…’ Kokichi dumbfoundedly bumped his head as he stuck his tongue out, but fear… yes fear was obvious in his purple glazed eyes.
Even the starry glaze of his cheered gaze looked duller when faced with Kitora’s rage. Looking innocently at his mess, as he stunted up from the tumble of four including him.
Osamu watched as Kitora seemed to contort into pure red rage, his back spat on the floor as his elbows supported him, Yuma next to him near his torso as he had gotten up and dusted his clothes and watched as well.
***
Let’s say, Kaede got her bag, Kokichi got punishment, and Kitora crossed her arms as the two now joined walking with Osamu and Yuma with the C-ranks.
‘So… should we introduce ourselves!’ Kaede was the first to speak as she smiled as brightly as she could, after being the one to bump into them, (indirectly of course, the one directly was Kokichi).
‘Yes. I do believe that’s in order.’ Kitora huffed, seemingly finally ready to talk.
‘Well then! I’m Kaede Akamatsu! It’s a pleasure to meet you two.’ She gestured her hand to shake both Yuma’s and Osamu’s hands.
‘Ah. I’m Osamu Mikumo, the pleasure’s mine…’ He smiled as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he weakly took her hand.
‘And I’m Yuma Kuga,’ Yuma interjected as he firmly took her hand next, a smile flashed then he went back to his duckface.
‘It’s great to see more new agents!’ Kaede cheerily stated as she pushed her arms behind her back and smiled.
‘Well, I’m- not exactly new…’ Osamu looked down as he stuttered.
‘Yeah-yeah whatever, it’s my turn now!’ Kokichi hastily interrupted as he propped his arms behind his head and pushed between the two.
‘I’m Kokichi Ouma, the radiant and supreme leader of a certain super hidden, secret organization!’ Kokichi proudly stated as he jeered and leaned to the side as he looked at the dumbfounded Osamu.
Yuma’s eyes sharpened, his head spilling with half-truths, hidden lies, and deception being used at its finest. The humming in his head coining to a halt as it reached the bellows, finally falling into the cash register.
‘Well, your lies aren’t boring.’ Yuma smirked, as his head tilted up and looked at Kokichi.
Kokichi sneered, as he spoke. ‘Nishishi! Yep, you caught me! It’s actually Border. That’s right I’m the supreme leader of Border! Not really a secret organization, is it?’ Kokichi continued to spill more nonsense lies.
‘Ugh…’ Kaede sighed, ‘What he really means is he’s part of… actually I don’t know what he’s talking about.’ Kaede pondered, she thought she knew but—what she was thinking of, was the past.
Kitora looked at the four, and crossed her arms, deciding to butt out and continue to monitor the rest of the C-ranks.
‘Whoa! Kaede, you don’t know!? Even when your one of the proudest members! You… wound me… WAAAH!’ Kokichi briskly pulled out the crocodile tears.
‘Since when was I a member! How can I be one without knowing it!! Agh…… don’t pay him any mind.’ Kaede turned to the two, a sympathetic smile on her unchanging face, dulled eyes meeting Osamu and Yuma’s.
‘Will do.’ Osamu shined his glasses as he pushed them up from the side.
‘Got it,’ Yuma assured as he hooked his arms behind his head and popped his knee out.
Kokichi had long since stopped fake crying and fell behind Kaede as she chatted with the two, he occasionally added an abrupt, shrewd remark or comment, but for the most part it seemed he’d finished playing around.
‘So, why’d you become a Border agent?’ Kaede asked Yuma as she put her finger to her chin.
‘Well, Osamu here and me are aiming for the away missions.’ Yuma grinned as he locked eyes with Kaede.
Kaede’s eyes broadened, as she tilted her head. ‘It seems you two have a long road ahead of you, getting onto an away mission’s no joke! But I guess that means you two are going to form a team?’ To Osamu’s shock Kaede didn’t seem all that surprised at their goal like others.
‘Ah- we actually have another; the main reason is for her that we’re doing this. She wants to save her brother and friend who were taken by the neighbours. She’s also here today, she’s a sniper so she’s not here-here,’ Osamu chimed in.
‘Ah! I see… what’s her name? one of my friends is a really good sniper, if you want, she can give her some tips and tricks!’ Kaede excitedly offered.
‘That’s kind of you, I’ll ask her about it. Her name’s Chika Amatori.’
‘What a cute name, must belong to a cute girl!’ Kaede smiled as she rose her finger up as if she were stating a very important fact. Her face suddenly turning dead-serious.
‘You’re right, Chika’s a very cute girl.’ Yuma crossed his arms over his head, as his face contorted into a duckface and causally and matter-a-fact-ly praised Chika with a nod.
‘I can imagine!’ Kaede pointed to the roof.
Yuma chuckled in response, as the two continued to share stories and anecdotes of not-so grander. Osamu hummed at the two, that became quick friends. Though he supposed Yuma always formed bonds easily.
The purple male weaved his head toward Yuma as he spoke, deciding whether to tease or not—A perfect line came to mind. ‘How cute? How cute? As cute as my Beloved Akamatsu?’ he snickered.
He made Yuma pause, and Kaede freeze with an embarrassed heat covering her cheeks. ‘Of course that’s a lie tho.’ Kaede let out a thankful sigh, a bit offended too. ‘SO! how cute?’ He excitedly chirped, as he leaned into Yuma’s space.
‘Haha, ask Osamu, he’d be better at answering.’ Despite his efforts, Yuma stayed completely calm. Only garnering a small shift in his crimson stare.
Annoyed, yet entertained puffed out cheeks laughed, and turned to bother Osamu before retreating behind them and watching their backs.
***
Kokichi viewed the three chatting with his violet gaze, listening to everything.
Hmm, He hummed in his head.
Suddenly coming up with a fun idea, he cornered Osamu. ‘You wanna know something~’ Kokichi drew Osamu closer, and tried to allure him into another scheme.
‘Ah yes…?’ Osamu bended over to him; his ear sharpened.
‘Me, Kaede. We’re dead,’ Kokichi alleged with a flat voice, then snapped away without a care as he skipped to toy with Yuma again.
Osamu’s heart skipped and started to beat against his ribs, surely, he shouldn’t believe Kokichi he thought. But something about what he said… seemed all too real, it was like Osamu had acquired Yuma’s side effect for a brief moment, and he saw through Kokichi’s lie that wasn’t a lie.
He clenched his chest as sweat dripped from his cheek to his chin, then he flashed his glasses up and gulped then walked beside Kaede.
Never mind, said Osamu to himself as he brushed his neck and strolled beside Kaede.
They made it to their first training exercise, and had just made it through the doors to the room Jun led them to, when Osamu heard a boy’s voice from behind.
‘Kaede! There you are. D-Did you get your bag back?’ A boy with a cap on ran up to her.
His under-eyelashes were really long, was Osamu first thought upon seeing him.
The blonde turned round to him and gave a bright smile and a big thumbs-up.
She shifted to stand between the boy and Mikumo. ‘Shuichi, meet Osamu! Osamu meet Shuichi.’ She gathered the two in front of each other as she pat both their backs.
‘Ah, hello. I’m Osamu Mikumo. You?’ Osamu placed his hand out to the boy.
‘Oh, I’m Shuichi Saihara. Pleased to meet you.’ The boy gently smiled as he took Osamu’s hand in a tight but tender handshake.
‘And that’s Yuma.’ Osamu pointed to the short white haired male next to him. Who waved as he nodded.
‘Okay now that we’re acquainted! Let’s listen to Jun,’ Kaede guided the three alongside Kitora who was beside her as they stood at the rail.
‘Your first training exercise will be a computer-generated combat against a Neighbour!’ Jun’s voice took all of Osamu’s attention as he intently listened to the same speech he heard on his first day as a Border agent.
‘Using our arena for battle simulation training you’ll fight a Neighbour, that we’ve created from Border’s intelligence data.’ Jun gestured around the room toward the Trainees.
Yuma hummed as he looked onward toward the arena.
Kitora said something along the lines of. ‘This started immediately when I entered Border as well.’ Osamu also said the same.
‘Me as well!’ Kaede rose her hand, then recollected her first steps into Border as a combatant.
‘Yeah… I still recall that,’ Kitora said as she looked at Kaede, a sort of sympathetic glint in her eyes.
‘Hehe…’ Kaede pumped her fist, as she bashfully rubbed the back of her skull.eh
‘Hmm? What happened?’ Yuma turned around as he asked.
‘Well… umm let’s say, I may have ruined something… and also tripped on the way in…’ Kaede made it brief.
‘Heh, I see.’ Yuma nodded and turned back to Jun a small smile tugging at his lips.
Osamu had a visual question mark next to him, as he glanced at Kaede. ‘What does that mean…?’ he asked.
‘Well, I got in there. Tripped, got up and killed the hologram and… ah, don’t worry about the rest... Haha, it was really embarrassing, and I had trained so much in advance for it!’ Kaede puffed her cheeks then happily smiled as she closed her eyes and put her arms behind her back. Still being rather vague, but Osamu wouldn’t push.
Kokichi sneered, and made sure she’d didn’t notice him laughing at her.
It must still be funny to him. Thought Osamu as he looked at the chuckling Kokichi and adjusted his glasses.
Jun looked around the room, and waved toward Osamu, well more like everyone, and continued his explanation. ‘I’m sure some of you’ve tried this before during your temporary enlistment. In simulation mode your Trion never runs out, and you can’t be physically hurt, so dive right in and fight.’ Jun bumped his fist as he locked eyes with the trainees.
‘Today you’ll be fighting a beginner level opponent. It’s a large size Neighbour one you’ve seen before.’
A Bander materialized out of green particles as it lifted its head up.
‘It’s been reduced in size for training purposes, it also can’t attack you but we have made the armour very thick. Your time limit for this test is five-minutes, the faster you defeat this opponent the more points you’ll earn! If your confident in your skill finish quickly and score big.’ Jun now almost finished rose his hand. ‘That’s all I’ve got to say, let’s fire up the rooms and take the tests!’
* A few unpromising trainees tries later *
‘Wow… All of these guys are so boring~!’ Kokichi spouted as he hung his arms off the cold metal rail’s edge.
‘Kokichi!’ Kaede hit him on the head, and sighed.
‘W-Well, you can’t expect amazing recruits every year…’ Shuichi scratched his cheek as he muttered this.
‘You too Shuichi… Ahh… well, at least we’ve got more recruits there’s always budding potential in seedlings!’ Kaede sung out as she clasped her hands.
‘Ahh… I have a question, what would you normally call a good score…?’ Osamu chimed in, as he shamefully looked down.
‘If you finish within a minute you’re doing well,’ Kitora stated in between their conversation, her arms cross, as she turned to Osamu. ‘How many seconds did you take on your first try Osamu?’
Osamu, clenched hard on the railing as he leaned in. ‘W-Well I didn’t really-‘ he wasn’t able to finish cut off by the wowing from the trainees below.
Kitora looked down, as did everyone else.
A guy had completed it in under a minute. Kaede didn’t look down, instead wanting to hear Osamu’s answer. ‘Well, how many seconds did it take you?’ She went close and whispered, presuming he was embarrassed from his reaction before.
‘A-Ah.’ Osamu jittered back, a flush on his ear. ‘Well… My first try I couldn’t beat it in five-minutes…’ He looked down as he sourly bit down on his tongue.
Kaede glanced at his face. ‘Well, that’s nothing to be ashamed of, just think of how well you can do it now. There’s nothing like improvement! It’s how I feel when I remaster or master a song on the piano!’ Kaede pumped her fists, as she flashed a reassuring smile his way.
Feeling a little better about himself, Osamu went to face Kaede with a smile. ‘Ah, you play the piano?’ Osamu enquired as he turned to her.
‘Hmm-hmm!’ Kaede bobbed her head as she put her arms behind.
‘I… used to play a lot… But now, it’s harder for me to even get through a single song…’ she looked wistfully at the arena, as she hooked her hands over the metal rail. She looked like a sad sonata, if Osamu even knew what that meant. The words were just right.
‘Hmm?’ Osamu’s head bent. ‘What do you mean by that-‘
Cut off again this time by Kokichi who’d loudly and excitedly stated Yuma had started his test, stars in his vivid violet eyes.
‘You’re right,’ Osamu remarked, adjusting his glasses as he let the feeling fester in his stomach from Kaede’s expression. He’d ask her later, he promised himself.
The five watched Yuma enter, and get in position. He bent to his leg, a sharp glint over his eyes, and leaped, then landed. The white flash stood slowly, as people turned to look at the only thing in the room.
The speakers turned on. “Zero-point-six-seconds.” Silent gasps. Gabbled recognition. Disbelief.
All that came from it, was a simple laugh from their group. ‘Nishishi! Looks like shorty’s beat you~ Kitora,’ Kokichi turned to her exasperated face that turned to grit their teeth at him.
‘What did you say…’ Kitora clenched her jaw as she tightened her fist, it wasn’t so much she cared Yuma beat her test score, no the fact Kokichi dared to say anything was what blew her fuse.
‘Hey-hey!’ Kaede calmed the two.
‘You know… who are you to call anyone short…?’ Shuichi genuinely pondered as he muttered this as he drew his cap over his face.
Kokichi heard the detective, and paid no mind, instead his gaze turned to the idiot who declared it wasn’t “legit”. It was some stupid drabble from someone who only got under a minute Kokichi thought.
That idiot even told him to redo it. Which Yuma obliged. And got an even better time under the gaze of Kokichi’s high expectations, only zero-point-four-seconds. Kokichi’s eyes smiled, finally someone worth playing with.
Kokichi for lack they of, hadn’t joined a squad, instead built his rank in the solo wars to pretty good in the attacker ranks.
After the killing game ended, Kokichi wandered around for fun things to see, and frankly there were a lot, but someone who easily spots his lies and can fight good, now that sounds like a fun person to prank!
Yuma Kuga, similar in height, yet a lie detector to his lies.
What a perfect pair!
It’d been four years since the last large-scale invasion when they awoke, now it’s been four and a half, a half a year of living in border for the 53rd killing game students of the killing school semester.
Yet it felt like longer.
A half a year, with no sign of their memories returning.
How boring, is that?