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Kokichi didn’t like making a habit of listening to Monokuma, he knew better than anyone else the trickery and danger that might hide behind every word that bear spoke. Every “hint” and every “gift” was nothing more than a push for this game to drive off a cliff. Sure, no one was being harmed. In fact, their goal was rather simple, they just had to date each other in ten day increments and then they could leave. That didn’t leave Kokichi lowering his guard though, any game that they were forced to play couldn’t be a good one. No matter how innocent the rules seemed to be. Kokichi felt everything that damn bear said was just a trick of misdirection.
... But when he heard there was a key that could open the door to fantasies of the participants around him, Kokichi was at the casino gambling his heart away.
The key was a gaudy thing, just holding it felt gross. “A key to certain places filled with greed and lust,” that’s what the casino called it. It made him want to gag, but it made him want to laugh all the same. Greed and lust… he was sure there were many that would use the key for such things. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that some fantasies must get more frisky than others. Especially with that skank Miu walking around. Kokichi wasn’t doing this for lust though. He wasn’t doing it for greed either. Kokichi told himself he was doing this for many, many reasons.
He was doing it to win the game, because if he knew everyone’s fantasies then it would be a piece of cake to win their hearts within the time limit. This was a game after all, and if anyone would master the ins and outs of it, it would be Ouma Kokichi.
He was doing it as a means of gathering intel. How could he know things would be alright just because he one some weird dating game? They were kidnapped. For all they knew this could be the first stage of many games. And if they were willing to kidnap for it, they were willing to hurt for it too. It left an annoyed feeling in Kokichi whenever he saw the others, far too relaxed for kidnapping victims. It sometimes felt like he was the only one looking ahead. And if the day came when these people were his enemy… knowing their secretive fantasies wouldn’t hurt.
And sure.. Maybe he was doing it just for a bit of fun too. In a world of uncensored fantization, amusement surely awaited Kokichi. He could only begin to imagine the hilarious scenarios he could witness with just this key. As he flipped the key around in his hand he wondered if Kiiboy would even be able to have a fantasy. It was probably something boring, like being a human with a 9-5 job.
Despite all this, Kokichi knew his main reason for buying the key wasn’t so important. He knew that no matter how much he lied to himself there would always be that curiosity for a certain detective and what was buzzing around in his head. He had been fascinated with Shuichi since day one.
When the others had relaxed and accepted the situation with little to no issue, Shuichi kept his guard up just like Kokichi did. He could tell, he could see it in those tense shoulders. He could tell that between dates Shuichi was investigating every nook and cranny to try and understand who kidnapped them. And although the two seemed to think in opposites, Kokichi couldn’t help but wonder if maybe they were one and the same. Even in a dating game, however, infatuation of any sort was a risk to Kokichi’s safety. He tried, oh he tried, to let go of this but it was hard not to be allured by someone with the talent that Shuichi had. Kokichi was more than just a liar, it was more accurate to say that he was a lie himself. Lying was a part of him, he could never give that up, even when it pushes others away. But a detective… a kind, sweet, attentive detective like Shuichi? Could he one day get to the point where he could lie to his heart's content, but Shuichi would always be able to read between the lines? Could he one day have a playful back and forth with Shuichi, like a real life game of chess where the two one upped each other using only their wits?
Could he get someone who just… understood him?
Kokichi tucked the key under his pillow and fell asleep to thoughts of Shuichi. What sort of fantasy would Shuichi have? Would it be an awe-inspiring one where he had such confidence that he could be a hero? Maybe Shuichi wished to achieve something grand in his life, and reach celebrity status? Maybe Shuichi would have more… fun thoughts in mind, the quiet ones think the loudest, after all. He drifted off to these possibilities until they were no longer words and instead were just vague thoughts about Shuichi in general.
But when he opened that door, he saw Kaito instead.
He spent the entire night playing the role of Kaito’s passionate pilot rival, somehow the gayest and yet straightest thing Kokichi had ever experienced. When he’d woken up, one of the first things he did was march over to Monokuma to ask what gives. Of course, in a fun, unsuspecting, Kokichi way.
“What? You thought you’d get to choose which student you get to twiddle with? That would be waaaay too much power for one of you naughty brats, upupupu! If you want to see someone special you better work for it.”
Of course. Kokichi couldn’t even pretend to be surprised. There was always a catch with the tricky types. He would know.
So, Kokichi kept trying. Again and again.
Miu, Angie, Gonta, Tenko, Maki, Kaede (he’s pretty sure he played Shuichi in that one), Ryoma, Kiibo. He’d gone through so many god damn dreams. He’d even gone through Korekiyo’s (who he promptly kicked in the face and ran away from). What the Hell was so elusive about Shuichi’s god damn fantasy that he wasn’t able to get lucky enough to see? And as he progressed through the others… it only made him more and more curious about Shuichi. The dreams could range from sexual, to domestic, to platonic, all of which he could see Shuichi having. With how intense the others were, and how much Shuichi kept to himself… damn it all, he just wanted a little peek! He had spent basically the entirety of the first ten days trying harder to get into this one fantasy than he was trying to get along with Rantaro on their dates.
It was the last day of this iteration. He had already won with Rantaro, so he was safe. But soon enough tomorrow he would have to wake up and woo someone else over in only ten days. Kokichi didn’t want to risk failing, who knows what the punishment could be. This would be the last try for a while, he couldn’t let this silly desire distract him from what was important.
He wondered what awaited him behind the door this time. Whatever it was, there was a guarantee it wouldn’t be boring. For good or for worse. Keeping his guard up in case he was bombarded with some sort of insanity, Kokichi opened up the door.
…
There was no one there?
Honestly, Kokichi couldn’t help but do a double take. He was expecting a lot of things to happen. Not… nothing. The only sounds in the room were from the obnoxious Merry-Go-Round pony that did laps around the bed. Typically someone would… just be standing there, in front of the bed, already sunken down into their fantasy world. Kokichi glanced to his left, at the pool. No one. He glanced to his right, at the assortment of BDSM gear. No one. Was it possible to get a null result? Maybe there’s no repeats… so he was meant to experience someone he already saw, like Miu, but because he can’t repeat he just gets… nothing? He wouldn't exactly put it past Monokuma to put in place such a boring unnecessary rule.
Ah. Wait. There was a shift on the bed. Maybe he wasn’t alone after all. He approached carefully, unsure if the build up was part of his role or not.
“Oh.”
In the bed was Shuichi himself. He wasn’t wearing his hat for once, instead it was down at the end of the bed. Shuichi was curled up in a fetal position, wrapped within the golden sheets of the suite’s bed. One of his hands was loosely holding onto the blanket, the other was placed below his parted lips. His hair was slightly tussled, bangs hanging over his face. Most of his face was pressed within the plush, expensive looking pillows. But the exposed bits that Kokichi could see revealed Shuichi looking simply… at ease. It had only been about ten days, but he had never seen Shuichi looked so comfortable and okay. He didn’t even know he could look so relaxed. Kokichi couldn’t bring himself to wake him up.
His fantasy was just… to get some rest.
Kokichi laid down in the empty space of the bed left to Shuichi. He had never really gotten a moment to indulge in how nice this bed actually feels. He could feel himself sinking into the mattress. He wondered briefly if maybe it was only so relaxing because Shuichi wanted it to be. Kokichi tucked himself under the covers, which felt way too warm and soft for normal bed sheets. Even the movement of the Merry-Go-Round wasn’t grating on his ears anymore, it just felt like a humble background noise that lulled him into relaxation. This had to have been a part of Shuichi’s fantasy. Only he could create a fantasy world designed to ease your mind. He pressed his back against Shuichi’s, thinking about how this could possibly be the closest he’d ever get to him.
Was this… really all he wanted? The others thought on a monumental scale. They were all so self indulgent, even Kaede. Even himself. But here Shuichi was, within the vast expanses of his imagination, the thing that brought him the most joy was the idea of getting restful sleep. Why did he dream so small? Kokichi gripped the blanket tighter within his fist, feeling the rise and fall of Shuichi’s back.
“This dream could be real.”
Kokichi could make it real.
-----------------
The next morning it was announced that ten days were over, and that no one had failed the first round. Now all they had to do was… the exact same thing again, but with someone else.
Kokichi took his chance to enact his plan, jumping in front of Shuichi who was clearly trying to get to Kaito instead.
“A-ah! Ouma-kun… hi.” Kokichi noted uncomfortable posture, although Shuichi always seemed uncomfortable. He took a step back.
“Saihara-chan!” he cheered, hands behind his back. He wished Shuichi didn’t hide those pretty eyes, he always had to angle himself just for a glimpse of them under the brim of his cap. “Go on a date with me!”
Shuichi lifted a hand to his chin. He was thinking it over then, but that was alright, Shuichi had trouble saying no. His plan would still work. “Right now?” he asked.
“Ye-ap!”
“Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt…” Shuichi gave him a kind smile, “Would you like to go to the-”
“Let’s go to the library!”
“Huh? The library?” Shuichi was now looking down at him, seeming confused, “How come? I thought you would prefer something like the game room or the AV room.”
‘ Because it’s not about me, silly.’ Kokichi’s smile was too innocent to ignore, “Wow wow, how cruel, does my beloved Saihara-chan think I’m too brain dead to enjoy reading?”
“Ah..! That wasn’t what I-”
He grabbed onto the end of Shuichi’s sleeve, “C’mon, to the library! You’re so damn slow, Saihara-chan!”
“Okay, Ouma-kun, I’m coming, just slow down..!”
You know, Kokichi suspected that despite being a detective, Shuichi wasn’t used to things being energetic. And while normally that would mean he’d get annoyed easily at Kokichi’s antics… it also meant that they would tire him out faster too. The rapid talking, the lies that somehow kept tricking Shuichi at first, the bouncing around, the dragging. By the time they’d stepped through the library doors Shuichi already looked ready to go back to his dorm.
There weren’t many places to sit down in the library, so Shuichi immediately went for the table on the left of the entrance. Kokichi redirected him to the back right corner instead, tucking themselves down on the floor and leaning back against the bookshelves.
“Ah… is there any reason we’re sitting on the floor?” he seemed genuinely curious, not upset.
Kokichi’s smile grew sly, “Isn’t it more romantic here?”
Shuichi tugged the brim of his cap down, but Kokichi could see his blush through his exposed ear. “M… mm” was all he could get out.
“Do you have any recommendations, Saihara-chan? You must know some good mysteries after all, Mr. Detective.”
Shuichi was looking down at his hands, which were placed in his lap. But Kokichi could tell he wasn’t disinterested, just awkward. “Not really… I used to enjoy mystery novels quite a lot but… after becoming a detective, I stopped reading them.”
“Ooooh, got too boring for an experienced veteran then?”
“Uhm… not exactly…” So Shuichi didn’t like being a detective, then. Kokichi made a mental note of that.
“But,” Shuichi continued, “Back at home, we really only owned mystery novels. So unless I was at the library I would read them out of boredom.”
“Hmmm, so you’re the type to finish a book even if it sucks.”
“Haha, well, you should give it a good chance, right?”
“If a book sucks, it sucks.”
Shuichi’s laugh was gentle, yet overpoweringly sweet.
“So you’re a huuuuge geek then, have you read any books here yet?”
Shuichi shook his head, gesturing to the impressive mess around them, “It’s too much to search through… and everything is so disorganized. I haven’t really gotten a chance to try and choose.” So he was the type to become indecisive with a lot of options, then.
“Plus,” He picked a book up from the pile just sitting next to them, and flipped open to a random page. He turned the book to Kokichi, revealing strange organic patterns cut away into the pages of the book; they seemed to run deep too. Not to mention the crusty yellowness to them that left the pages crunchy and wrinkly. The words that weren’t cut out of the book from the holes were faded, smeared, and difficult to read. There was a musty, moldy smell that hit Kokichi’s face as it wafted off the book, likely coming from the strange spots clinging to the cover and edges of the book. “These books have been left here for a long time, they’re waterlogged from mold and moisture, and have bad damage from insects eating the pages. So they’re essentially unreadable.”
Kokichi stuck his tongue out in disgust, imagining gross bugs crawling inside the books near them. It would sure make Gonta happy, though.
“Well, luckily for you, not all the books are damaged!”
Shuichi’s intrigue was instant, enough so that he didn’t hide his eyes as well as he normally does. “Really?”
“Look at what I found!” Kokichi pulled out two books from the shelf, he’d put them there earlier just for this moment. “Maybe I just have Ultimate Luck, I stumbled on these completely by accident. Ah, but, that’s a lie.”
Shuichi took the book from his hands, turning through the pages with a careful hand. Making sure it really was readable, “This is incredible, Ouma-kun! How did you find this?”
“I had to kill Kiiboy for it, just so Monokuma would owe me a favor for the entertainment! It was brutal too. Lots of sparks.”
“That’s… a lie, right?”
“Who knows~”
Once Kokichi noticed Shuichi’s eyes were scanning the pages of the book he fell into silence. Kokichi sagged down further against the bookcase, arm just barely brushing against Shuichi’s. He opened his own book, but truth be told that was just a lie. He didn’t read a single page, instead he just occasionally turned one so that Shuichi would think he was enjoying their little reading circle. Kokichi’s plan was good. Genius even. He deserved every right to brag. The library was the perfect place to get Shuichi’s guard down. Around the others, things were a constant flurry of chaos. But here it was quiet, peaceful, and smelled like old books. Top that off with making him read the most boring, uneventful book he could find? Shuichi was a goner.
Kokichi flipped another page in his book, but his eyes were focused on Shuichi’s. Shuichi’s face was alert, but underneath his eyes were dark circles that looked honestly draining. No wonder he was so tired he fantasized about rest. Kokichi wondered if something made it difficult for him to fall asleep. A restless sleeper? A ghost in his dreams? A painful past? Maybe Kokichi was just projecting, maybe he was just having trouble adjusting to their new day to day schedule. Well, here in the library by Kokichi’s side it seemed to be easier to sleep. Because after a while his eyes became sleepier and sleepier. Kokichi shifted himself so that he was leaning further against Shuichi’s arm. Shuichi, too tired to be embarrassed or think it through, dropped his head down to rest on Kokichi. Before long he stopped turning pages, then his hands loosened around the book, then Kokichi heard the relaxed breaths of someone finally getting some well deserved rest.
“You’re too easy, Saihara-chan.” he whispered.
Soon Kokichi would get up and ask Gonta to carry Shuichi to his bed. Then he would make sure he was comfortable, and that no one would interrupt his rest. But until then… it didn’t hurt to enjoy this moment.