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Two weeks before the results of the auditions come. That's plenty of time to be meeting with his friends. But, instead of going to Yonaga's house, or Yumeno's dorm, or Harukawa's orphanage, or Oma's house, Saihara goes to see Momota. At first, he didn't know what he was doing. Momota is a part of those delinquents in school, but last week, he and Momota were spending time like they were good acquaintances.
Momota's house is only a block away from Saihara's. Momota asks Saihara to come into his house, but Saihara refuses. He didn't know why he would refuse such a thing from Momota, but, well, he's still wary of the guy who beats them up for fun.
Saihara finally reaches his destination: An old looking house with vines growing on the fences. The plants seem to have grown for many years, showing signs of abandonment, as he walks nearer to the house. There were roses everywhere, and they were all dying.
He knocks on the door, also as old as the house. How did Momota grow up in such a defective house like this? Saihara waits for a minute, then the door opens. A small frail old lady is in front of him. Momota has a grandmother? Oh well. He greets Momota's grandmother with a bow.
"Hello, Mrs. Momota", Saihara says politely. "Is Kaito here?"
The grandmother tilts her head, and nods. "Upstairs, in his room."
"Thank you." Saihara walks in. Jesus, the house looks so small. The living room can only fit up to three people, and there was no kitchen. There is a small table in the far corner of the room, which Saihara assumes as the dining table. He takes the stairs. The stairs are wobbly, and only a few feet away from the first floor.
Momota's house is kinda like a flat, but with stairs. As he reaches the next floor, he sees a portrait of child Momota, with, presumably, his parents. The walls looks so worn, and some even have spider webs on it. The floors look so old and dusty too. Saihara reaches the end of the floor, with a room that has a colorful, space wallpaper on the door. This must be Momota's room.
Saihara knocks on it, and a gruff voice answers.
"What the fuck do you want?"
"I-It's me, Shuichi", Saihara says. "I'm just here to talk to you."
Saihara hears the door click, and Momota motions him in. Unlike the house, this room looks so new. An air conditioner on the corner of the room, aesthetic space wallpapers, a television on the corner of the room, a matress, and a wardrobe.
"What? Puzzled because this room looks good as new?", Momota asks.
"Well, yes", Saihara replies.
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh, nothing, I got bored."
Momota snickers. "Yeah, right. Wanna watch Danganronpa?"
Saihara nods. "I'll never get tired of that series."
Well, they are right. They never get tired of watching Danganronpa, no matter how many times they play it, it gets more and more exciting.
"I have to say, who're your favorite characters in Danganronpa?", Saihara asks Momota.
Momota shrugs. "I like the characters that say they're a man."
"That's sexist."
"Do I look like I give a fuck?"
"No, just... answer my question then."
"I like Owada, Nidai, and Sakakura. What about ya?"
"Well, you know I like detective characters", Saihara says, tapping his chin. He has a lot of favorite characters, that he tries to remember. "Hm, Kirigiri, Komaeda, and Celestia are my top three favorites."
"You like that white-haired prick from the second show?", Momota scratches his head. "Well, whatever. It's my turn to ask you a question."
"Go on."
"When did you get obssessed with Danganronpa?", he asks.
"When I was seven, I heard that my father was going to participate in Danganronpa", Saihara begins.
"Wait, who's your father?"
"Leon Kuwata."
Momota's eyes grow wide. "But, you don't even look like him, but, your voice sounds the same, so I won't complain."
"So, when my mother divoced him, I was really sad that my father has to go", Saihara continues, sitting cross-legged. "I decided to watch his trial, and I fell madly in love with Danganronpa after that."
Saihara sighs dreamily, remembering the smile plastered on his face when he was a child. Looking back, it seems the only change he had went through was that he lives alone, with no one to contact but his friends. He gets his money from his father, but never his mother. After she found out he was watching a horrid game, she gives him to his father. They were never close after Leon came back, but, oh well, Saihara feels nothing anymore.
"Ya know, Shuichi", Momota comes closer to him, making Saihara's heart beat.
"W-what?", Saihara asks.
"I've always seen you wearing those hot, long sleeves", Momota replies, pointing at Saihara's clothes. Saihara holds one of his sleeves, confused.
"Let's not talk about that", Saihara says.
"Okay, then", Momota shrugs, then stands up. "Well, it's time for us to eat lunch."
"Oh, okay." Saihara follows Momota and goes downstairs. Saihara follows Momota in to the backyard.
The backyard is just as old as the house itself. Tall grass blades obscure Saihara's view of the backyard, but Momota's tall stature stands out of the garden. It looks like some kind of depressing garden, and it is. They reach the side of the house, where there's a kitchen stove and a sink.
"So, this is the kitchen? Does it even work?", Saihara asks.
"It doesn't, but it does when I'm cooking", Momota replies.
"Why does your house... look so old?", Saihara asks.
"Parents want me to live in poverty", Momota grumbles as he turns the stove. "Just give me some clothes and some extra pocket money that I spend on drinks."
"So, what're you going to cook?"
"Rice balls and some noodles. You can wait in the living room."
"O-Oh, okay." Saihara finds the back door and enters the living room, sitting on the couch. He sighs a bit.
That audition still haunts his mind. He just wants to be in the show he loves, to follow his father. He doesn't care if he becomes like him, he's already messed up. After he moved out of his mother's home, he started to cut himself. He started to enjoy cutting himself, seeing the blood trickle down his skin. Maybe he was just born like this.
"You're Kaito's friend, aren't you?", he looks up to see Kaito's grandmother. Saihara nods slowly.
"Yes."
"It's so good that Kaito has a friend", she says.
"Um, Mrs. Momota, not to be rude, but Momota has a lot of friends", Saihara corrects the senile with an awkward smile. "I think they come here when you're not in the house."
"When...?"
"Hey, guys, it's time for lunch or something." Momota comes inside with two bowls, one for the rice balls and one for the noodles.
They sit on the dining table, incredibly silent as they eat. Saihara is actually surprised that Momota can cook this great. But he refuses to eat more, which catches Momota's attention, who is slurping on his noodles.
"Eat more", Momota says, giving him more rice balls. Saihara forces a smile and shakes his head.
"No, thank you."
Momota shrugs. "I can't help you if you're on a diet then."
And they continue eating, while Saihara just stares at the food, hunger in his eyes, but his brain not wanting to eat.
"The sunset is nice, huh?", Momota says. They sit on the highest hill on the park.
Saihara didn't know why spending time with Momota is relaxing. Maybe because he's a friend turned enemy? Oh well. At least they both spent time this day. The sunset truly is mesmerizing, but he's looking at Momota than he should. Momota catches his eye, and Saihara looks away, his face pink.
"Hm? What's wrong?", Momota asks.
"I... nothing." Saihara sighs, and looks at the horizon again. The sky is darkening, and stars start to glitter across the night sky.
"Well, you wanna go talk about your auditions?", Momota asks.
"N-no", Saihara replies. "I just wanna... spend time with you."
Momota grins. "And ya did. I also looked forward for your next visit."
"Me too."
"To be honest, I'm still sad", Momota sighs.
"What are you sad about?", Saihara asks.
"My grandfather... passed away."
Saihara knows nothing about the death of relatives, but he knows the boy is having a hard time moving on from his grandfather's death.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"And I regret being a dick to him. But you gotta move on from the past, like what they always do in Danganronpa."
"Yeah, like being confident too." Saihara nods. "Like for example, me liking you."
Momota looks at him, then laughs. Good. He didn't get what he meant.
"Ya know", Momota slings his arm around Saihara. "I think we're gonna be accomplices in the show."
"Yeah, we will." And Saihara can't wait to kill him in the show.