Chapter Text
Sickly sweet notes echoed throughout the trial room. The fourteen students forced into this twisted killing game watched in horror as their leader--their friend--was executed in front of their very eyes. The tune sped up, but did nothing to hasten Kaede Akamatsu’s execution. They had lost track of time by now… How long had it been again? Hours? Days? It might have only been a few minutes stretching over time, a cruel punishment of their own.
The chilling laugh of Monokuma made its way through the now off-tune sound of the larger-than-life piano. Tenko sent a particularly cold glare toward the black and white bear as she attempted to comfort a crying Himiko. It was hard to pinpoint everyone’s exact emotions as they witnessed the sickening display; the easiest way to describe it would be complete and utter despair .
After what seemed like ages had passed, Kaede finally stilled. Strands of blond hair obscured her face, her body swaying at the mercy of the rope. The last note hung in the air before it was interrupted by a shrilly creak. The spiky fallboard began to tilt back and forth before it succumbed to gravity and fell forward with a deafening slam, impaling Kaede’s body in the process. Neon pink blood dribbled at the lip of the piano. What followed was the stench of metal that filled the room.
Shuichi stood at the front of the group of students. From behind he heard several people gag at the gruesome display. He lurched forward, the loud slam of the fallboard ringing through his ears. His hat hid his expression as he fell to the ground, shoulders shaking with what seemed like silent sobs.
Through the cries of the others he faintly heard someone walking closer. A heavy hand on his shoulder made him jolt, but he didn’t turn to see who it was. The gruff voice that accompanied the hand allowed Shuichi to identify who it was.
“Get up, man,” the voice said roughly. Shuichi didn’t even make any indication that he heard Kaito speak.
“Just leave him alone, Momota-kun,” Tsumugi piped up, her voice shaky. Kaito narrowed his eyes at the cosplayer before turning back to Shuichi and grabbing him by the front of his shirt.
“Didn’t ya hear what Akamatsu was sayin’!?” Kaito demanded. Shuichi was still unresponsive, the bill of his baseball cap shadowing his face. Kaito shook him a bit, anger painting his expression. “Did anything she said mean anything to you!? You were close to her, right? Then don’t fucking sit there and do nothing!”
“Momota-kun!” Kiibo hissed.
Miu stomped her foot angrily. “The virgin’s girlfriend just died, ya fucking idiot! Lay off of ‘im!”
Kaito shook his head vigorously. “Don’t call me an idiot! Anyways, Akamatsu wouldn’t have wanted you to-”
Kokichi cut him off with a particularly loud scoff. “How about you’re all idiots! It’s her fault that this all happened anyways!” A smirk played across his lips. “We don’t need to honor the word of a murderer, right?” His expression darkened as he brought a finger to his mouth.
“Fucking ‘right?!’” Miu shouted incredulously. “How about you do us a favor and shut your mouth!”
Kokichi gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes all the while smiling brightly. “Make me, you dirty pig!” Miu whimpered at the insult and sobered shortly thereafter.
Kaito clenched his teeth, turning back to Shuichi yet again. “We’re getting off track,” Kaito growled. “Akamatsu tried to kill the mastermind, and yeah, maybe it wasn’t the smartest choice, but she was tryin’ to help us-”
Kaito was cut off once again when Shuichi finally spoke. “ Let go of me, Momota-kun .” Although his words weren’t particularly threatening, they held an underlying malice to them. Kaito realized he was still holding the detective by his shirt and instantly let go, making Shuichi stumble to the ground yet again.
“Atua says that we should give Shuichi some time to himself!” Angie said brightly, clapping her hands together and already making her way to the exit. The others murmured in agreement and followed. Kaito gave Shuichi a meaningful glance before stomping away. Kokichi, however, bent down playfully to catch Shuichi’s gaze. They made eye contact for several heartbeats before Kokichi suddenly turned around, his expression unreadable, and skipped out of the trial room.
At long last, Shuichi was left alone. His shoulders still shook, but he did nothing to silence the cause of it any longer. He lifted his head to the ceiling and let out an unsettling laugh, resembling a wheeze. His eyes were wide and cheeks flushed with an expression that could be described as that of pure bliss. The wide smile he wore spread wider at the sight of the bloodied piano in front of him.
“What a wonderful performance!” He exclaimed, arms extending outwards.