Chapter Text
Kokichi blinked slowly, staring down at the bulky opened textbook planted firmly on his desk. He squinted, trying to focus on the words printed in front of him and copy them down into the notebook sitting in his lap, but it seemed all he could do was let his mind wander while he unconsciously doodled in the margins of the paper. In his defense, it was far too easy to get distracted when what you were supposed to be doing was so damn boring.
Honestly, Kokichi couldn’t care less about studying for the final exam. He knew he was going to pass anyway, so he saw no real point in studying. But for the past week, it seemed that all any of his fellow students were interested in doing was studying, and it practically drove him mad. Lately, his pranks were met with a far harsher reaction from the teachers than usual, and messing with his classmates was becoming less and less fun due to how drained and exhausted they all were. Nobody had any free time to spend with him anymore, so he had very limited options on what to do with his own time. Lounging about in his dorm room had become boring, so he decided to settle for studying in a random empty classroom. Unfortunately for him, that had also become extremely boring in a matter of seconds.
So while he tried to concentrate on writing down notes, his brain was desperately trying to find something else to entertain him. He fixated on the ticking of the clock mounted on the classroom wall until that too became dull, shifting his focus onto the soft beams of afternoon sunlight shining through the large windows and on his face until that wasn’t interesting either, then his thoughts drifted onto the cool, subdued winter breeze that lingered in the air until he grew tired of that as well, then deciding to silently grumble about how uncomfortable his rigid wooden chair was, realizing that he was getting a cramp.
These wandering thoughts swarming through Kokichi’s head weren’t overwhelming per se, but he was growing quite restless. He leaned back in his chair, closing the heavy textbook and staring at the ceiling in an attempt to clear his mind. He stretched his legs under the desk, briefly considering getting up and taking a break despite barely starting. Normally when Kokichi was alone with his own thoughts like this, he would find one of his classmates and bother them until he felt better. However, since everyone was far too preoccupied to pay him any mind at all, that was clearly out of the question.
Perhaps his issue was that he was focusing too hard on what was physically around him. Maybe all he had to do was daydream a little and then his mind would be as clear as day. He tilted his head to the side a little, staring off into space as he let his random thoughts consume him. Of course, there were his usual unrealistic fantasies of world domination with D.I.C.E. by his side, but those were hardly exciting anymore. However, that fantasy had caused him to start thinking about D.I.C.E., and with a fond smile on his face he began recalling all the memories he had made with his found family over the years.
There wasn’t anything that Kokichi cherished more than D.I.C.E., the group of outcasted hooligans that he found solace in, his beloved organization of troublemakers that cared about him more than anything. It was because of D.I.C.E. that he had ever amounted to anything at all in his life. If it wasn’t for them, he wasn’t sure he could have even gotten into Hope’s Peak Academy in the first place.
Hope’s Peak Academy- the school that shaped his life over the past three years.
It was at that moment that he realized how drastically his life would change after graduation. The thought was daunting, to say the least. Kokichi liked to pretend that there wasn’t anything in the world that could possibly bother him, always making jokes and pulling pranks even at inappropriate times. He liked to fool people into believing he took nothing seriously, but when he was alone with his thoughts there was nobody else to fool.
So he let himself reflect on the past three years.
Hope’s Peak was probably the perfect school for somebody like Kokichi. It was certainly the least boring school he’d ever attended, and he theorized that it was likely the least boring school in all of Japan. The Ultimates were eccentric at best and downright chaotic at worst, and with such a colorful cast of characters, daily life at Hope’s Peak was extremely entertaining. His constant antics received some of his favorite reactions among the Ultimates.
Of course, that’s all Kokichi ever felt for his classmates. They amused him, but he wasn’t really attached to any of them. Not in the way he was attached to D.I.C.E., at least.
Perhaps if he were a less apprehensive person, he would care more about them. But none of them ever cared about him anyway, so why should he? While he enjoyed his classmate’s company, such as his back-and-forth banter with Miu or K1-B0’s irritated reactions whenever Kokichi teased him, he was pretty sure all of his classmates either hated him and his antics or didn’t pay him any attention.
Kokichi pursed his lips at that last thought, reconsidering that statement. Sometimes he’d unconsciously lie to himself, but he’d usually catch himself whenever that happened.
All of his classmates either hated him and his antics or didn’t pay him any attention… Well, that wasn’t necessarily true. Some of his classmates tolerated him more than others. Shuichi and Rantaro were the first to come to mind, as Kokichi’s inability to ever be honest about himself made the detective curious about his true nature, while the adventurers’ natural older brother instincts made him quite fond of Kokichi’s childish personality-- at least a little fonder than most would be.
Of course, both of them got tired of his shenanigans just like the rest of the class. The supreme leader hummed quietly to himself while curling a strand of hair between his fingers, wondering if there was anybody in this class who didn’t get annoyed by his pranks. Over the years, he was sometimes able to convince a few of his peers to help him with certain practical jokes, such as that time when he persuaded Himiko to let him borrow some of her magic show equipment for an elaborate prank or the numerous times he’d come barging into Miu’s lab with blueprints drawn in crayon to annoy her into building something for him.
But just because a few of his classmates helped him out from time to time didn’t mean that they were his friends . In fact, when he thought about it, he couldn’t think of a single classmate that consistently went along with whatever prank he planned whenever he asked--
Ah, wait a minute.
...Maybe there was one person.
For the past three years, Gonta Gokuhara was always eager to help out Kokichi whenever he asked. At first, Kokichi had chalked it up to Gonta being too stupid to realize what he was doing, but eventually he learned that Gonta was perfectly okay with being Kokichi’s partner in crime (or pranks, at least) as long as nobody got hurt. He’d even suggested his own idea of pranks every once in a while, which excited Kokichi a lot. (Not the pranks themselves, they were usually pretty basic. But the fact that Gonta would even try to come up with pranks of his own had filled Kokichi with a sense of pride.)
In fact, it seemed that his friendship with Gonta wasn’t only limited to pranks. Of course when they first met, their friendship had gotten off to a rocky start, as Gonta didn’t like the way that Kokichi picked on his fellow classmates so often, so as such he felt the need to watch over Kokichi and make sure he wasn’t up to anything too troublesome. This had irritated Kokichi at first, seeing Gonta as nothing more than a glorified babysitter, but after getting to know the entomologist better, he found that Gonta was actually surprisingly pleasant company, and any annoyance he held against him melted away.
Kokichi couldn’t help but smile as he recalled all the memories he’d made with Gonta over the years. It was rather silly, but something about Gonta stood out to him compared to the rest of the class. Perhaps it was Gonta’s unique background, the way he talked, his astonishing skill and passion for entomology, or maybe his unwavering kindness that interested Kokichi. Whatever it was, out of everyone in that class, Gonta was the closest thing to a friend that Kokichi had.
…
...Kokichi really didn’t like that thought.
He had never imagined someone as kind and compassionate as Gonta could even exist. Someone who didn’t mind getting him out of trouble, someone who voluntarily hung out with him despite all their differences, someone who took the time to understand him no matter how difficult he was. The thought made Kokichi’s stomach churn, that someone could look past all his flaws and all the barriers he had put up, even someone as naive and gullible as Gonta.
Kokichi grimaced, his eyebrows furrowing as he glared up at the ceiling. He briefly recalled a conversation he had with Gonta about the two of them not seeing each other after graduation. It had once again occurred to him how close their graduation was, and just how little time they had left at Hope’s Peak Academy. But nothing would change Kokichi’s mind, he decided. No amount of happy memories could change the fact that he just wasn’t good for someone as gentlemanly as Gonta. Someone like me doesn’t deserve to be with someone like Gonta, anyways, he reasoned to himself. I would only hold him back. It’d be better if we just forgot each other after we leave Hope’s Peak.
But that conversation played back in Kokichi’s head- when he had confidently declared to Gonta that they wouldn’t ever see each other again. He remembers it as if it happened mere moments ago: the devastated look on Gonta’s face as if he had just stepped on a bug in front of him, the way Gonta gripped onto the light green strap of the bug cage he always wore, how much Gonta’s voice wavered as he implored Kokichi to tell him that it was all just another one of his lies. Kokichi could remember it all clear as day, how hurt Gonta was.
...But that was just a lie, wasn’t it?
Gonta wasn’t hurt at all, he couldn’t have been. That would be impossible, Kokichi reasoned, because even someone as stupidly kind as Gonta couldn’t truly care about him. Nobody at Hope’s Peak did.
Kokichi huffed, sitting back upright in his seat and looking down at his desk again, leaning his head on his hand. It had occurred to him at that moment just how much he was thinking about Gonta. How dumb, he thought to himself. It doesn’t even matter anyway. I’m gonna forget him after graduation, just like I’ll forget about the rest of the class. And if he doesn’t want to forget me, then that’s his fault for being so stupid.
He had decided that was enough of letting his mind wander. He opened the textbook back up, flipping to the chapter he was on previously, and attempted to focus on studying.
He had better things to worry about then that stupid entomologist, anyway.
Final exams were over before Kokichi knew it, and soon the graduation ceremony was upon him. If he were being totally honest, the entire ceremony was a blur. The speeches were far too long and Kokichi quickly got bored of listening to them, instead fidgeting in his chair and trying to find a way to distract himself. As the headmaster droned on and on about whatever, Kokichi curled a strand of purple hair with his finger, humming absentmindedly to himself as he tapped his foot briskly.
Evidently he was getting too loud, if Kirumi pressing a hand firmly onto his knee and shushing him quietly was anything to go by. The maid sitting next to him hadn’t even spared him a glance as she had done it, eyes fixated on the headmaster. Kokichi huffed in annoyance, pausing his foot-tapping but opening his mouth, likely to make a snide remark at the maid in hopes of getting under her skin. Yet he was stopped once again, this time by the person sitting to the other side of him. His mouth shut slowly as he felt Rantaro’s hand pressing down gently on his head.
“C’mon, man, she means well. Maybe settle down a bit?” The adventurer had whispered quietly enough for only the two of them to hear. Kokichi spun his head around and looked at Rantaro, who wore a gentle and laid-back smile. Just as he was about to childishly argue that he hadn’t even done anything and didn’t need to settle down, Rantaro broke eye contact and turned away, no longer paying him any mind. Kokichi’s pout had melted into a frown, slightly disappointed at Rantaro no longer paying him any mind. So much for an easygoing big brother type.
Deciding that he was bored of Rantaro and Kirumi, Kokichi leaned back in his chair and decided to scan the room, still tuning out the headmaster’s speech. His eyes grazed from classmate to classmate, taking note of each individual and their body language in search of something interesting to focus on. His gaze had settled on one particular student-- the same one that Kokichi had been actively trying to avoid thinking about.
And funnily enough, this exact student had been staring right back at him.
When the two had made eye contact, Gonta’s lips parted slightly in surprise before he whipped his head back around, uselessly trying to pretend that he hadn’t been caught gawking at Kokichi. The supreme leader had noticed a faint, embarrassed blush on Gonta’s face as the entomologist sat up straight and stared ahead at the headmaster, trying to focus on the speech.
Kokichi’s facial expression had stayed blank, not betraying his emotions at all. His gaze lingered on the gentle giant for a few more tense moments before exhaling softly and turning away. It was difficult to not think about what had just transpired, with Kokichi idly wondering to himself just how long Gonta had been staring at him. A frustrated crease appeared between his eyebrows-- only the slightest tell that gave away his feelings. Other than that, his body language had been completely controlled.
...Gonta really was stupid, huh? Staring at him like that…
His shiny, wide, ruby red eyes boring into his soul… Kokichi hated that thought. After all, what else could he describe the churning in his stomach other than hatred? He had refused to consider any other option.
The ceremony had finished before Kokichi knew it, and the relief that washed over him once he was permitted to get up out of that damn chair was palpable. After he and the rest of his class bid farewell to their homeroom teacher, he had slipped away out of everyone’s sight, seemingly vanishing into thin air the first chance he got.
And that was how Kokichi Ouma had found himself lazily wandering the school, arms raised and hands resting on the back of his head as he aimlessly roamed the school for one last time.
He definitely could have left the school whenever he wanted. All of his stuff was already moved out of his dorm and he could have easily taken his bike and pedaled away, never to return. But perhaps he just wanted a few final moments at the academy that changed his life before he never saw it again.
As he wandered, he passed multiple groups of friends celebrating their graduation, some far louder than others. He noticed the Ultimate Gamer with a content smile on her face playing some video game with the Ultimate Lucky Student and some Reserve Course guy, who was far louder than his Ultimate friends. He shifted his gaze a little to the right and caught Miu with a greasy-looking mechanic guy both fawning over Keeboy for one last time, perhaps giving him some special graduation upgrade. He ignored both friend groups and kept walking, firmly deciding they were too boring for him, but as Kokichi kept walking and kept noticing more and more clusters of upperclassmen laughing with each other and having fun with one another… Well, his facial expression nor his body language hadn’t changed one bit, but he couldn’t help the bitter taste that had caught itself in his throat.
He knew this feeling all too well, this nasty feeling of loneliness. But what was the point in wallowing in his own pity? Being alone wasn’t a bad thing, after all, since he was the only person he could ever truly trust.
He clicked his tongue nonchalantly, deciding to slip into the dining hall one last time to raid the kitchen fridge of any carbonated drinks. Of course the dining hall wasn’t empty, with various students scattered around the tables, chattering at different volume levels. Not one person noticed him walk in, and while he would hate blending into the background on any other day, perhaps he didn’t mind it as much right now.
As he walked towards the kitchen, he noticed Kirumi walking out with various plates and dishes. None of them looked too heavy-- if anything, most of them looked like light snacks you would enjoy with a group of friends. His eyes followed her with mild interest as she made her way over to a table with some of his classmates seated. He noticed Kaito, loudly blathering about whatever the hell with his arm wrapped around Maki, along with Kaede smiling brightly and enthusiastically conversing with him while she leaned her head on Shuichi’s shoulder. Tsumugi was also present, though her plainness next to colorful personalities such as Tenko (who was having a very loud, one-sided argument with Angie while Himiko was asleep in between them) made her fade away into the background.
Of course there was someone else sitting at the table with them, but Kokichi felt like it was easier to not acknowledge Gonta was there. He had been thinking too much about Gonta as of late, and if Gonta noticed Kokichi staring at him, Gonta would definitely confront him, which was the absolute last thing Kokichi wanted right now.
Disregarding Gonta, Kokichi watches from the sidelines as Kirumi places down plates in front of everyone at the table, accompanied Kaito loudly exclaiming as he snatched what was presumably his favorite snack. Kirumi didn’t sit down at the table with them, simply stepping back and watching as everyone ate and chatted happily. Kokichi huffed, suddenly becoming uninterested, and spun around on his heel to enter the kitchen and grab a soda.
He lingered there for a little bit longer, sipping the Grape Panta he had snagged from the fridge and leaning against the kitchen counter. The kitchen was rather quiet, so he could hear some of the chatter spilling in from the cafeteria, one muffled but still very string of words catching his attention.
“Awwh, c’mon Gonta! Lighten up a bit! You sad about graduation or something?”
Kokichi pursed his lips into a thin line as he leaned against the kitchen wall adjacent to the door, ear pressed near the wide kitchen window as he eavesdropped on his classmate’s conversation. Something about the tone that Kaito took with Gonta… Kokichi couldn’t quite place it, but something about that bothered him.
“Hm? Oh, no, Gonta fine. Gonta sorry to make you worry.”
“Are you sure?” Kokichi could hardly make out Shuichi’s quiet voice, but he definitely heard the detective speak. “You seem a little downcast, Gonta. Is something bothering you?”
“Ah… W-well, there is… something bothering Gonta,” Gonta confessed. “Gonta... a little concerned. Been long time since Gonta spoke with Kokichi.” The supreme leader in question grit his teeth at the mention of his own name, but nonetheless kept listening. “Gonta scared that Kokichi was serious when he said… we not see each other again.”
There was a moment of silence in the group and Kokichi dared to peek his head a little bit out the window. He saw Kaito standing, one arm still wrapped around an irritated Maki and the other clasped on Gonta’s shoulder. “Listen up, big guy. It’s probably gonna be a good thing that you never see him again, yeah? I mean, for the past three years, Kokichi’s been terrorizing everyone at Hope’s Peak, and he’s even tricked you into going along with a couple of his schemes!”
Kokichi couldn’t help but chuckle at how stupid Kaito sounded. Only an idiot like him would make such a bold claim without actually listening to Gonta. His eyes flickered over to Gonta and he saw a clouded expression written all over his face. Despite this, Gonta didn’t say anything as Kaito kept talking.
“I mean…” Kaito dramatically trailed off as he plopped back into his seat, flinging an arm around Gonta’s shoulder. “He’s always been a huge brat, Gonts. Someone with a heart of gold like you shouldn’t have to waste time and energy looking after him.”
Gonta opened his mouth to presumably say something in protest, but before he could, Kaede spoke up. “Yeah, Kaito has a point. You’re always the one getting him out of trouble, right? And he doesn’t do anything but mock you and use you.” Kaede furrows her eyebrows and crosses her arms, taking her head off of Shuichi’s shoulder to look Gonta in the eye. “You deserve way better than that, Gonta! You’re such a sweetheart, and he hardly ever appreciates you!”
Kokichi’s frown deepens, letting their words sink in for a moment. Of course he never cared what any of his classmates thought of him, but… No, whatever, none of their words mattered anyways, so why should he listen? He turned around, no longer looking out the kitchen window but still eavesdropping on the conversation for Gonta’s response.
“...Maybe,” he mumbled. “Maybe you right, but… Gonta still feel worried. Gonta hasn’t spoken to Kokichi in long time and--”
“Hm… well, now that you mention it,” Shuichi chimed in. “He has been acting rather distant ever since finals, hasn’t he? I’m not quite sure what it is, but he hasn’t been acting like himself.” He looked lost in thought for a moment, then turned to Gonta. “Maybe it is a good idea to have a word or two with him. Maybe… just a goodbye?”
Gonta sighs, looking down and fidgeting with the strap of his bug cage. “Yeah. Gonta… Gonta hopes he can find Kokichi. Gonta not want to leave Hope’s Peak without saying goodbye to him.”
Kokichi tuned out the rest of the conversation from there, not wanting to hear Kaito’s idiotic confidence or Kaede’s grating positivity. He took another swig of his soda, quietly contemplating what he just heard. It sounded like Gonta hadn’t listened to a single word Kokichi told him those few months ago, which made things… a little difficult. It’d be much easier to just forget about Gonta if Gonta could forget about him, but whatever. It’s not like that would change anything, anyways.
He slipped out of the kitchen, half-empty bottle of Panta in hand, and purposely avoided looking at the table in question. None of them seem to notice him, anyways. In fact, they seemed to be talking about a totally different topic now. Kokichi took pride in being able to turn himself into the center of attention at the drop of a hat, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t good at blending in if he wanted to. After all, sneakiness was a must for a skilled prankster like him.
But unfortunately, he made the mistake of turning his head a little bit to the left, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Maki staring directly at him. They only made eye contact for a quick, fleeting moment before Kokichi was able to leave the dining hall, picking up the pace a bit. He swore under his breath-- that damn assassin always had to ruin everything for him, huh? Whatever, he could probably bet on Maki not even saying anything. And even if she did, if he left the area fast enough, it wouldn’t even matter anyways.
Once he was a reasonable distance away, he let out a deep breath and slowed his pace down from a brisk jog to a sluggish walk. A lazy smile made its way to his face as he leaned his head back, taking another swig of Panta. He pulled out his phone, unlocking it to see some unread messages from his fellow members of D.I.C.E. asking him how graduation went. He meant to send some quick replies and be on his merry way, but he had got too caught up in himself and went off on a long tangent making up some wild story about the ceremony to one of his members.
Eventually he stopped walking, leaning against the wall, absorbed in his phone. He was so preoccupied with texting that he didn’t notice the footsteps behind him getting louder and louder until it was too late.
“Kokichi! There you are!”
The supreme leader jumped in pure shock, fumbling his phone around in his hands for a few moments as he whipped around, stumbling backwards a bit and looking up to see Gonta’s eager smile beaming down at him.
“Maki said she saw you, so Gonta been walking around looking for you! Gonta worried about you... Kokichi been avoiding Gonta lately, and Gonta got scared that we would graduate without saying goodbye to each other.” His smile grew a little bit sadder as he gripped the strap of his bug cage. “But… Gonta glad he found you. Has Kokichi been alright lately? Shuichi said--”
Thankfully, Gonta’s lengthy rambling had given Kokichi enough time to regain his composure. He flashed Gonta a wide, sly grin as he looked up at him, curling a strand of purple hair with his finger. When they made eye contact, Gonta trailed off, eyebrows knit in confusion as he looked down at Kokichi’s face. Good , Kokichi thought. He had meant to throw him off.
“Gonta!” Kokichi exclaimed in an excessively sugary-sweet voice. “My, my. Coming to visit me one last time before we part ways forever, huh?” He stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back as he leaned forward, with his mischievous grin never faltering. Gonta’s lips parted slightly, unsure how to respond as he stepped back cautiously.
“U-uhm… Well, about that… Is that truth, Kokichi?”
“Hmm? What’s the truth? Everything that comes out of my mouth is the truth, y’know!” He winked, snickering quietly. “But you know by now that that’s just a lie.”
Gonta hesitated for a moment before elaborating on his previous statement. “What you said… last winter,” he admitted. “When you said we never see each other again. Gonta got confused. Kokichi… not really mean that, right?”
Kokichi hummed in mock thought, staring up at the ceiling and rubbing his chin. “Hm… well, y’know it’s not so rare for you to get confused, big guy. You’re always confused.” He tilted his head back down and made eye contact with Gonta once again, who looked a bit concerned by now. “But to answer your question… Well, why would I ever lie to you, Gonta? After today, we’re never seeing each other ever again.”
Gonta’s eyes widened as he processed Kokichi’s words. “But… Gonta not understand. Did Gonta do something wrong? Why Kokichi not want to see him?”
“Oh c’mon, Gonts. Didn’t I tell you this already? You’re a kind gentleman and I’m a supreme leader of evil. We don’t exactly mix, y’know.”
“B...but…” Gonta’s lower lip trembled slightly, and Kokichi pretended not to notice. “Gonta… Gonta not think Kokichi evil. Gonta like Kokichi a lot. Gonta thought… Gonta thought he was Kokichi’s friend.” The entomologist had squinted as he confessed the last statement, but Kokichi hadn’t faltered at all. He always hated when his classmates used the word ‘friend,’ but he wouldn’t let that distract him now.
Kokichi clicked his tongue and leaned back, rocking on his heels. “Mhm. You want to be a gentleman though, right Gonta?”
“Ah-- uhm--” Gonta stuttered a little. “Yes. Yes, becoming true gentleman… Gonta want that more than anything.”
“So you wanna be a gentleman more than you wanna be friends with me! Riiiiiight?” Kokichi leaned forward, maintaining eye contact while he gently traced the strap of Gonta’s bug cage. Had it not been for the malicious look in his eyes, he would have seemed almost playful. Gonta gulped, unsure of how to respond to such a question. He opened his mouth, trying to say something but failing to force the words out. Thankfully, he didn’t have to say anything, as Kokichi’s hand rose up to his chin, gently shutting his gaping mouth.
“You can’t have both, y’know,” Kokichi grinned. “You can’t be a gentleman and be my friend. That’s like having your cake and eating it too! You ever heard of that expression, Gonta?” Apparently the question was rhetorical, since Kokichi’s hand was still grasping the bottom of Gonta’s chin, effectively shutting his mouth. Kokichi continued, not leaving any time for an answer even if Gonta could provide one.
“Gentlemen aren’t friends with people like me.”
Slowly, Kokichi removed his hand, stepping away from Gonta. He idly observed the gentle giant, who seemed shell-shocked. He smirked, spinning on his heel and turning his back on Gonta, still talking as he walked away.
“Oh, and before I forget. Y’know Gundham Tanaka from 77-B? Yeah, he told me to tell you to come to his animal shed. Something about ‘requiring the might and wit of a fellow beastspeaker to assist in taming his horde…’ or whatever. So you should probably go do that. Like, right now. He’s having serious trouble with his animals.” It was a lie, of course. Gundham hated Kokichi too much to even look at him, much less request favors. But the purpose of the lie was to get Gonta off of Kokichi’s back, since he knew if he just walked away, Gonta would follow him. But a distraction like this would get Kokichi enough time to get off the campus.
Then, he’d never have to see Gonta’s face again. He’d never have to see the face of anyone here again, and he was perfectly content with that.
Gonta furrowed his eyebrows. “Gundham… not usually need help. He usually control animals fine.”
Kokichi slowed to a stop, peering at Gonta from over his shoulder. “Yeah, usually. But today’s not a usual day, is it Gonts? Besides, you’re not one to turn away from your dear friends when they need help, are you?”
Gonta paused, weighing his options, then eventually sighed, hanging his head low. “Okay. Gonta go see what Gundham needs. But, Kokichi?”
“Hm?”
“Please… don’t leave school yet. Gonta has lot more to say to you.” The entomologist looked up, meeting Kokichi’s eyes. “Gonta… will see what Gundham needs, and then come and meet Kokichi right back here. Okay?”
When he didn’t receive an answer, Gonta sighed again, turning around reluctantly. “At least… please don’t leave without saying goodbye,” he mumbled under his breath, so quiet that Kokichi almost couldn’t hear it. “Okay?”
Kokichi didn’t bother smiling, since Gonta wasn’t looking at him anymore. Despite this, however, his tone of voice was still upbeat. “I would never, Gonts.” There was a pause between them, uncertainty in the air, causing Kokichi to continue. “C’mon, trust me. Would I lie to you?”
Gonta didn’t bother replying, though the answer to Kokichi’s question was obvious. He spared the supreme leader one last, fleeting glance before walking away, leaving Kokichi standing alone in the hallway.
He lingered there for a few more moments until he was positive the entomologist wasn’t going to return. Then, he turned on his heel and began walking, raising his Panta to his parted lips once again, and taking a long sip before pulling out his phone.
He sent a quick text message to the D.I.C.E. group chat, telling them he was just about to leave Hope’s Peak.
Then, he pocketed his phone and kept walking, not paying attention to anyone or anything else, and not stopping until he was out the doors.
That was the last time Kokichi would ever speak to any of his classmates. In fact, that was the last time Kokichi would ever set foot in Hope’s Peak Academy.
“At least… Please don’t leave without saying goodbye. Okay?”
“I would never, Gonts.”
And that was the last lie he would ever tell Gonta.