Archive of Our Own

Shuichi woke up to his six am alarm, the first of many. 

After one unfortunate and highly embarrassing incident he had set multiple alarms in the morning, six, six ten, six fifteen… It was something that both Maki and Kaito had teased him for relentlessly but he had held his ground. There was no harm in some extra caution, after all. 

Shuichi got up lethargically, tucking his sheets and comforter neatly back into the mattress. Satisfied with his work, he quickly undressed and dressed, changing out of his pyjamas and into his usual school clothes. 

Shuichi ate a small breakfast and made his way out the door, going over the concepts from last night's late study session in his head. There was a science test today, and Kaito had come over to help study. 

Science was a subject Kaito excelled in, and while it wasn’t too difficult for Shuichi, Kaito was happy to lord his extensive knowledge over him and Shuichi was grateful for the extra help. 

Well, there’s also that other reason…  

He shoved those thoughts out of his head as he walked along the tree lined sidewalk toward the school. 

In the first year of highschool at Hope's Peak, he had only really talked to Kaede, but since she was so social, he had often been dragged along to events and parties. But then Kaede had moved away and… he was certain he’d be alone. 

That was until Kaito had started inviting him over to hangout. They would bike or jog or just do pushups in his yard sometimes but after a while they had become pretty good friends. 

At first, Shuichi was certain Kaito only invited him out of pity, or because he needed someone to do his schoolwork for him. Shuichi was surprised to realize that Kaito was 1. Not the kind of person to invite someone out because of pity, and 2. Surprisingly brilliant despite his blunt personality. 

They were best friends, and Shuichi found that the times he spent with Kaito were the best times he’d ever had. The way he felt with Kaito was the greatest feeling, and when Maki started joining in on their hangouts, he was the happiest he had ever been. 

Maki was an… interesting character, to be sure. Though he was definitely not a very judgemental person, even Shuichi had been hesitant when Kaito suggested inviting the stoic, somewhat terrifying girl. Kaito had insisted, so Shuichi trusted his friend's instincts and went along with it. “Two sidekicks are better than one!” Kaito had said, giving him a dazzling smile that put Shuichi at ease. 

At the start, things had gone exactly how Shuichi had predicted, uncomfortable, dry, and painfully awkward. The girl was even scarier when you spoke to her directly, but Shuichi was always polite and tried to be understanding. Kaito, though, had seemingly no issue with Maki’s intimidating personality, giving her the nickname “Maki Roll” which was undeniably adorable. Kaito had a knack for pushing people out of their comfort zones, and making them better for it, as he had done with both Shuichi and Maki.

Maki was a good, caring person, it showed over the months and months that the three had spent together. Although she seems intimidating and scary, she is genuinely kind. She was also very protective of her friends, especially Kaito, which was very endearing. 

Soon enough, the three had become very close friends, even among their “group”, what the three had was something special. 

Shuichi Saihara was naturally very observant, but it would take an absolute idiot to not notice Maki’s uncharacteristic behaviour around Kaito. Unfortunately for her though, Kaito was the biggest idiot around (Regardless of his knowledge of math, science and languages, Kaito could really use a lesson in emotional intelligence.). Shuichi quickly noticed Maki’s feelings and encouraged them. Maki was his good friend, so was Kaito, they’d be good for each other. Perfect, even. 

Yet as their relationship progressed and they started dating, Shuichi found himself alone more often, wanting to give them space, despite their protests he knew they would be better together without him getting in the way. They still hung out together, just not as frequently. 

It was balanced and steady, and yet Shuichi was not satisfied. 

He walked faster on the sidewalk, trying in vain to stop thinking about that.  

The way his heart fluttered at his voice and his words, the way he was instantly put at ease; instantly soothed by his touch. It was like that with Kaede, her soft hands and warmth and encouraging words, there was no denying he had loved her. Everyone knew that. But Kaito? Shuichi never really considered that he might be gay- wait no, that’s wrong… he had though about it a bit but… he liked Kaede. Was he bi? Maybe- 

His thoughts were cut off by the firm, painful feeling of cold metal smacking him right in the face. “Ah-” he yelped, hoping that nobody had seen him walk face first into a streetlight, but of course he wasn’t that lucky. 

“Wow Shuichi, I didn’t take you for the clumsy type. I guess that lamp came out of nowhere! Nee hee hee!” Shuichi mentally groaned as he realized who the voice belonged to. So he was extra unlucky today.

“Um, not really. It was right in front of my face when I walked into it” He replied, somewhat used to the purple haired boy’s casual lies. 

“You’re right! I guess you musta’ been thinking reeeeally hard then, huh.”Kokichi giggled again. What a weirdo, Kaito was right. 

“Not really.” Shuichi lied. 

First period went normally, well, as normally as possible at their freak school with their freak students. Shuichi was around 70% certain he’d aced his science test, all thanks to Kaito. Oh yeah, Kaito. He, Kaito and Maki were gonna meet up and eat lunch together outside, he was lucky he had remembered just before lunchtime came. 

He made his way around the corner of the school to the little gazebo where they would usually meet up. They had gotten in the habit of walking over to the nearby park and sitting in the garden there. Sometimes they visited at night too. 

It was always really pretty. 

As Shuichi rounded the corner he noticed the sole figure of Maki, sitting in the grass a couple metres away from him. They usually sat on the benches or on the stones but it was warm and sunny so he had no qualms with sitting on the ground. He imagined Maki had the same thought process, though it was sometimes hard to tell what she was thinking. 

He made his way over and sat down, greeting Maki with a smile. As he made himself comfortable he looked around and before he could open his mouth, Maki was speaking.

“He isn’t coming today, he didn’t say why. It’s just us this time.” She was pretty direct, but he appreciated it all the same. Shuichi nodded and started eating. 

The silence between them was calming. They were both pretty quiet, but even without Kaito to fill the silence, things were never really awkward between them. Shuichi assumed today would be like normal, they’d eat in silence then go back to class, but he was wrong. Maki was feeling talkative and open today and Shuichi had no choice but to match her behaviour.

“So, what have you been up to lately.” Maki said, in between bites. 

It was a horribly vague question but Shuichi just smiled awkwardly and replied: “Umm… Nothing very interesting?” He said. Which was apparently the wrong answer because Maki looked at him and sighed.

“I’ve been thinking about how disappointed I would have been with myself right now a couple of years ago.” She said.

“Oh, um-” Shuichi floundered before Maki kept talking.

“I think I would have considered this a weakness, considered him a weakness” she said, her bento box was left abandoned at her side.

“Even though this is all I ever really wanted, I buried it so deep inside me after so many years, I convinced myself that I would never be allowed to have it.” 

“And I’m grateful to him. For helping me get over that, to defeat my enemy, but… I am also grateful to you, Shuichi. For being my… friend.” She smiled a slight, genuine smile and Shuichi felt himself returning the gesture. After hearing her share something so intimate he sort of felt like an idiot for his previous comment. So he decided to tell her about his brief crisis that morning. 

“I…” He stopped, but Maki waited for him, listening intently. 

“I think I might be bisexual?” He said, cringing slightly at his weak tone. Maki didn’t say anything, just nodded respectfully. She waited patiently, which really calmed him down. He kept talking. 

“I definitely like girls, I mean, I liked Kaede and I’ve liked girls in the past, but...I think I like boys too? It’s all so confusing and I- Ugh, sorry it's just you just shared something so intimate so I-” Maki interrupted his helpless rambling. 

“No it’s okay, I’m glad you told me. We are friends after all.” She smiled again and the tension left Shuichi's shoulders. 

“Yeah” He smiled.

The bell had rung shortly after that and it wasn't until the last period that he saw Kaito. They were in their last class of the day, English, and Kaito was seated two places behind Shuichi. The time inevitably came where he felt the short impact of something hitting the back of his head. He reached around with a sigh and bent down to pick up the paper plane Kaito sent him. 

“Sorry I couldn't make it to lunch today :p Maki Roll says you two had a good time tho! I’m glad my sidekicks r getting along ;) Ya wanna go to Tsumugi’s after school today?? I think there’s gonna b a party w the reg crew :D - KMLotS” 

Shuichi smiled at the note. There was a little star doodled in the corner, how typical. He considered the invitation, he had no homework and no plans. He pocketed the note and gave a little thumbs up over his shoulder, knowing that Kaito had likely been watching him for a reaction.

All the good parties were always at Tsumugi's, probably because she had her own place and was always stocked up on booze. 

As he pulled up to the nice house and rang the doorbell, he was glad that Tsumugi was the host instead of him. Their “crew” was a little destructive. 

It was all people he knew pretty well, not that it made the situation that much better. 

Korekiyo and Kirumi were sipping some red wine, chatting on the couch. Those two were mostly pretty tame but they had their… moments. Miu, Kokichi, and Kiibo were arguing about god knows what, and Shuichi was grateful to be on the other side of the room. 

Maybe he’d go sit with Gonta and his- TARANTULA???

“AH!” came several cries from across the room. Gonta looked up in question. 

“Why everyone scream? Gonta brought friend! Everyone meet Cyriopagopus Lividum!” Gonta had a huge smile on his face, his hands cupped around the spider. 

Shuichi was not very keen on meeting Cyriopagopus Lividum, so he shuffled over to the wide kitchen area. He greeted Tsumugi who was pouring some sort of alcoholic beverage into a blender. A lot of alcoholic beverage. 

“Hey Shuichi! Want a drink?” Tsumugi asked cheerfully over the loud and unpleasant noise of the blender. Shuichi hesitantly accepted. He wasn't planning on drinking a lot at all, his dad would cry if he knew. He took a little sip and scrunched his nose in disgust. It was sweet and fruity but also bitter from the alcohol Tsumugi had dumped in there. 

He brought his drink to the living room, where Kokichi was trying his hardest to bother Korekiyo. 

Shuichi started to move out of the room but Kokichi noticed him, approaching him eagerly.

“Heyyyyy Shuichi! What’s up!” Came his familiar, irritating voice. 

“...What do you want Kokichi…” He unfortunately hadn't been able to avoid Kokichi’s endless annoyance pushing him further into the depths of despair. 

“How cruel Shuichi! Here I was about to tell you what Kaito said to me earlier… Though now I’m pretty sure I’ve changed my mind…” The short boy pouted. 

That got Shuichi’s attention. He perked up. “What? Really? What did he say?” Shuichi’s mind raced a mile a minute, was Kaito talking to the others about him? Did he somehow know?

Kokichi looked displeased at his answer. “Nothing? I’m lying. Obviously.” he said, a monotone hint to his usually expressive voice.

Shuichi sighed, he really should’ve known better. 

“Althoughhhh,” Kokichi drawled. “I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you fell for that, considering how much you liiiike that idiot space-boy.” Kokichi frowned patronizingly. Shuichi's face flushed at that comment and the implications there but he couldn’t find it in him to refute. So he averted his eyes, desperate to quell his embarrassment. 

“Awwwww that’s such a cute face you’re making Shuichi! I’m jealous that you’re so flustered over your boyfrie- sorry, best-friend. ”.

He couldn't avoid Kokichi’s relentless teasing but he still had to deny it.

Because… it wasn’t true. Kaito didn’t like him like that and he never had. 

He never will. He knew that. He knew that.

“Kaito… is in love with Maki.” Shuichi muttered, still avoiding eye contact with the purple haired boy in front of him. 

“Oh, so you’re upset cause you’ve got a crush on straighty mcgee!! Don’t worrrryyy Shumai, there are plenty of fish in the sea! Holy shit! That rhymed.” Kokichi said, in awe at his poetic talent.

“Wait how did you know that? Not… whatever else you were saying but- that I’m-”

“Gayer than a three-dollar bill?” Kokichi offered. 

“What? No. Yes? Ugh… I mean, how did you know I *like boys*?” Shuichi was blushing furiously. Kokichi was the lying expert…did he have a tell? Would the others find out?

Suddenly Kokichi went silent. A heavy, grave atmosphere settled over them. Kokichi brought a finger to his lips and looked at Shuichi with a deathly serious expression. Shuichi gulped. 

“I can smell it. Your gayness.” Kokichi said, still looking at Shuichi with that piercing gaze. 

“You can...what?” Shuichi was puzzled. Speechless. 

“I can smell. Your. Gay.” Kokichi said.

“...seriously..?” Shuichi asked, breathing very lightly. 

“NO OF COURSE NOT SILLY!” Kokichi laughed hysterically. He was bent over and there were tears in his eyes. Shuichi wanted to smack him over the head.

Shuichi was exasperated. It was embarrassing to think he had believed Kokichi for even a second. Especially something so… ridiculous. He tried to fight off the anxiety creeping into his voice. 

“Then, how?” He asked, hoping this time Kokichi would give him a solid answer. The boy in question sighed. 

“I dunno, I can just tell. Ya know, since I’m…” Kokichi trailed off, clearly expecting Shuichi to know exactly what he was going to say. 

“A liar?” Shuichi finished unsuredly. 

“I’m gay.” Kokichi said.

“Oh.” Was all Shuichi said. He stood still, processing what he'd just heard. 

“Yeeahhhh...” Kokichi dragged out the word, looking somewhat bored. 

“That’s… cool.” This was awkward. Terrible. The worst thing ever… which was probably what Kokichi was going for.

“Not to doubt your awesome detective skills but… it’s pretty obvious Shuichi. It’s not something that I keep very private.” 

“It’s just, you’re always lying so…” he stopped. Shuichi wanted to end this conversation now. 

“Anywayyys… let’s chat later Shuichi! I need to go see if I can convince Gonta to give his Tarantula vodka!” Kokichi giggled mischievously then walked away toward another room. 

Shuichi sighed and his shoulders slumped. He could feel his previous anxiety coming back full force. Would Kokichi tell everyone? Tell Kaito? He’s weird and mean but he isn’t that cruel, right? He downed the rest of his drink and shook the thoughts away. It would be fine. Nobody would believe Kokichi anyways.

Despite that, there were still possibilities, Kokichi was anything but predictable. 

 The nervousness churned in his stomach. Keeping his head down, he headed back to the kitchen when he saw Kaito, a second too late. 

“Thanks Tsumugi-” Kaito walked out of the kitchen, bumping into Shuichi who was on the way in. 

“Ah- Kaito!” Shuichi yelped, knocking Kaito’s drink right onto Kaito and the floor. He flushed and apologized. “Sorry Kaito, I’ll clean that up.” 

Twice in one day?? Maybe he should pay more attention to his surroundings.

Kaito smiled and waved him off. “It’s fine Shuichi, don’t worry about it.” 

Tsumugi noticed the mess and offered Kaito a towel. “There might be some shirts big enough for you upstairs, though they might be a bit flashy since they’re for cosplay…” she said. “I’ll show you the way.” Kaito thanked her and followed her upstairs. 

Shuichi sighed, trying not to think about the way he’d crashed right into Kaitos firm chest… 

He poured himself another drink.

It was maybe an hour and about three drinks later that he heard it. 

A loud, shrill scream coming from the living room. 

The sound snapped Shuichi right out of his thoughts. He raced to the living room, only to find around a third of the party members swarmed around a specific spot on the floor near the fireplace. Other than the especially loud scream, there were several gasps of surprise and hushed whispers. Shuichi moved closer, trying to get a look at whatever was causing everyone so much distress. 

Then he saw it. 

Lying in a gooey puddle of its own internal organs and crushed limbs… was Gontas tarantula. 

“Who would do such a thing?” asked Kiibo.

“Kehehehe… How unsightly...yet captivating nonetheless.” was Korekiyo’s strange remark.

“Do not worry. I will clean it up immediately.” said Kirumi.

“No, don’t get rid of the evidence, we need to get to the bottom of this! Right Shuichi?”

Shuichi looked up from the corpse of the tarantula as the spotlight turned to him. 

“What?” He said, confused. What was Kaito talking about?

“We are gonna find out who murdered this tarantula! Like a murder mystery! Since we’ve got a detective right here with us!” Kaito beamed at him, and Shuichi noticed the slightly too tight Hunter X Hunter t-shirt he was wearing. 

He looked back up to meet Kaito’s eyes. “Um, sure?” he said. 

“Gonta is gonna be really upset about this.” Ryoma sighed. The short guy kept looking at the tarantula, his expression unreadable. It was true though, and it was inevitable that Gonta would find out. 

“You gotta do this like a real investigation, okay Shuichi? Now where to start…” Kaito trailed off, seemingly lost in thought. 

Shuichi sighed. Okay then, he should start by investigating the body. He went as close to it as he could stomach, taking note of the wounds and positioning of the body. It looked like it had been crushed, six of its legs were missing and it was leaking goo...gross. 

Although, there was something strange about it. None of the missing legs were on the floor around it, also none of the fluid had gotten on the floor either. So someone had either stolen the legs and cleaned the floor, or the body had been moved. 

Shuichi looked around the area, it was pretty close to the fireplace, which was still running, giving off a gentle heat. But not enough to disturb the crime scene or even affect the body.

That should be it for the body… next he should talk to the people in the room at the time. 

That was Kaito, Kiibo, Ryoma, Kirumi, Korekiyo, Tsumugi and himself, meaning the others must be spread out in the other rooms. 

He talked to Kiyo first. He had apparently been in the living room the whole night, and Kirumi confirmed it. 

“I have been all over the house tonight dropping off drinks and tidying whatever strange messes have been created and I can be sure Korekiyo was here the whole time.”

“But if you were in the living room the whole time… didn’t you notice the tarantula being stepped on? Or dropped off?” he asked Kiyo.

“Hm? Dropped off? Whatever could you mean? I was under the impression that the tarantula had been crushed on site.” Said Kiyo.

“Well, that could be it, but considering the surroundings and status of the body it’s likely that someone carried it in and dropped it near the fireplace. Had either of you seen anyone come through here in the past hour?” 

“Yes, of course. Many of us have come through here, especially since you mostly have to pass through here to get to the kitchen or the bathroom.” Kirumi told him as she sipped on her wine. Every now and then she would glance at the spider corpse with a hint of distaste, like she wanted to sweep it up and get it over with. 

He finished talking to them and moved on, keeping what they told him in mind. 

Next he talked to Kiibo, who had come to the living room a couple of minutes ago to escape from a very drunk Miu. He hadn’t seen the tarantula on his way in and didn't notice it until he heard someone scream and point it out. 

Ryoma and Kaito, like himself, had rushed into the living room after hearing the scream.

 Kaito said that after he got changed he had gone downstairs to the game room in the basement and played pool with Maki until he had to go to the bathroom. On his way back he heard the scream and ran the short distance from the bathroom to the living room. He had also bragged about his incredible pool skills. “Poor Maki Roll had no chance against me!” he had said, though Shuichi had some trouble believing that. 

Kaito had informed him that in the basement were Maki, Tenko, Himiko, Rantaro and Ryoma, though he wasn't keeping a close eye on them so they could have come and gone whenever. 

Ryoma was in the basement, but was on his way up when he heard the scream from the living room.

Tsumugi had helped Kaito then had come back downstairs to make more drinks, Shuichi could confirm that she was there since she had talked to him quite a bit. She went to go check on the people in the living room when she saw the tarantula. 

“Yeah it was me who screamed… I was so shocked! Poor Gonta is gonna be so upset about his tarantula, I feel really bad. I'm lucky I didn't drop what I was holding though, that would have been such a mess.” 

Tsumugi’s account checked out, and to be honest he already suspected she was the one who screamed. 

Well, that was everyone in the living room, time to go downstairs and see if anyone saw anything. If Kaito was right, it should be Maki, Tenko, Himiko and Rantaro down there, which leaves Kokichi, Gonta, Angie and Miu wherever. 

He made his way into the game room in the basement. But before he even finished getting down the steps he heard Tenko’s enthusiastic voice, “Wow Himiko! You keep winning!” 

Shuichi stepped into the room to see Tenko, Himiko, Maki and Rantaro sitting on the couch playing Mario Kart. After several attempts to get their attention, Tenko responded. 

“Hey degenerate male! Stop interrupting me and Himiko’s gaming sesh!” Tenko cried, mashing the buttons of her controller. He could faintly hear Maki sigh ‘me and Rantaro are here too’ but it went unnoticed by Tenko. 

“Um. Sorry?” Shuichi said, wondering how to break the news. Luckily, Maki had it under control. She got up, walked over to the tv, and yanked out the cord connecting the console to the tv. 

“HEY-” Tenko started, but a glare from Maki shut her up. She still looked upset though. 

“It’s okay Tenko, with my magic I was going to beat you all anyways, so it doesn't really matter.” Himiko said, placing a hand on Tenkos shoulder. Tenko blushed and muttered something incoherent. 

Maki ignored them. “So what is it Shuichi. Did something happen? Kaito said he was going to the bathroom but it’s been a long time, I got roped into playing this game while he was gone… did something happen?” She asked that twice… so she was worried about Kaito.

“It’s not a big deal, nobody’s hurt, well- I mean-” 

Maki’s eyes narrowed. 

“Just, come up and see.” Shuichi said, not sure how else to explain. 

The four followed him upstairs to the living room. Shuichi noticed Maki visibly relax once she saw Kaito was fine, but she quickly replaced that expression with her usual stone cold one. 

“Okay, so, as you can see, Gontas tarantula is... dead. I am going to be trying my hardest to figure out who the culprit is so... please cooperate with my investigation.” Shuichi said, trying his best not to shrink back from the gazes of his peers. 

“Investigation? What’s the point? Why does it matter who killed it, it’s just a spider.” Maki said. 

Shuichi flushed, it was true, there wasn’t really a point....

“Oh come on Maki Roll! We have a detective in our midst, it’s good practice for Shuichi!” And it’ll be fun!” Kaito smiled, putting an arm around her shoulder. 

Maki blushed deeply and muttered something that Shuichi couldn’t hear.

He felt a pang in his heart but he pushed it down quickly. 

“So if we’re doing this, then wouldn’t it be best to gather everyone who’s here? Since we’re all suspects.” Rantaro suggested. 

“Hmm, that’s a good idea, who else is missing?” Said Tsumugi. 

Shuichi counted them off in his head. 

“I think we are missing Miu, Kokichi, and Gonta. Oh, and Angie!” Shuichi answered after a second. 

“Not a very pleasant mix.” Added Ryoma. Shuichi couldn’t help but agree. He remembered what Kiibo had said earlier. 

“Oh, Kiibo, didn’t you say that you were with Miu earlier? Where was that? Were Kokichi and Gonta there?” Shuichi asked. 

Kiibos head snapped up. “Oh, Yes. We were all watching a movie in the tv room, me, Miu, Kokichi and Gonta. Though I don’t know where Angie is… Like I said earlier, I left a few minutes earlier because Miu was being...” he trailed off, blushing. 

Ignoring the last part of the statement, Shuichi spoke up. “Okay so, Kiibo, let’s go to the tv room and go get them, I’ll need their accounts if I’m going to solve this.” He left the room with a reluctant Kiibo trailing behind him. 

They walked down the hall until they reached the door, Shuichi could hear the loud muffled sounds from the other side and dreaded the fact that he would have to enter. 

Still, he turned the knob and stepped in the room. 

The tv room was quite glamorous, like a small theatre, with a large sound system and dramatic lighting. There was also a small bar at the back of the room that had clearly been raided. 

“HEY! KOKICHI KEEP YOUR DIRTY PAWS OUT OF MY BOWL YOU LITTLE TWINK!” 

“Miu?” Shuichi said, waving his hand a little from the doorway where he was still standing. He fought the urge to flee, feeling sympathy for Kiibo who was still waiting in the hallway. The black leather couch was huge and there sat Miu, Kokichi and Gonta.

Well, Kokichi was laying down, spread out across the couch taking up as much room as possible. His feet were rested a bit in Gonta’s lap, who was seated straight, hands on his knees with a smile on his face. 

Gonta was paying close attention to the screen that was playing... A Bug’s Life. Miu was clearly not paying attention, she was glaring rather intensely at Kokichis hand, that was dipping into her snack bowl and popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

“I don’t know why you're so mad! I’m saving you from getting even fatter! Nee hee hee!” Kokichi giggled.  

Shuichi sighed. 

“Hello?” He said, trying and failing to speak over their arguing. 

However, Kokichi seemed to have heard him, for his head popped up from the other side of the couch. 

“Shuuuuuiiiiiiiiichiiiiiii!!!!!!” He drawled, waving his arm. 

“Huh? Shuichi?” 

“Oh! Hello Shuichi! Have you come to watch bug movie with us?”

Shuichi shrunk back at Gonta’s voice. “Ah- A-Actually Gonta…” he didn’t know how to break the news to him.

He didn’t get the chance to even attempt to continue though because he was interrupted by a small impact on his forehead.

“Hey!” He started, but was once again interrupted by an onslaught of popcorn being thrown at him. 

Ow. That last one was a Dorito…  

“Shut up Shuichi! Can’t you see we’re trying to watch a movie?” Kokichi said, flipping back over the couch till he was facing the screen. 

You didn’t seem so interested in the movie earlier... he thought, but he didn't say anything. 

“Look Gonta, you should probably come to the living room… something happened…” He floundered, fidgeting with his hands and looking away. 

“Why is Shuichi nervous? Is someone hurt?” Gonta said, with worry in his voice. Kokichi looked displeased. Miu was now very into the movie, yelling some very creative insults at an animated bug. 

“Let’s just… all go to the living room” Shuichi said. They pried Miu away from the movie and headed out the door. As they left, Shuichi was very aware of the sharp glare Kokichi was giving him, though he was confused as to why. 

When they entered the living room, a loud gasp was heard.

“Oh no! What happened to Cyriopagopus Lividum?!” Gonta exclaimed, Tsumugi put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Shuichi noticed Kokichi standing in the doorway, looking somewhat distraught. 

Shuichi turned his attention back to Gonta. 

“I’m sorry Gonta, when we walked into the room, Cyrio… uh, your tarantula, was crushed. I'm trying to find out how it happened.” He said sympathetically. 

“Who did this? Gonta know it must be accident, so please, tell Shuichi!” He cried, but nobody spoke up. 

Shuichi sighed, time to continue the investigation. 

“So Gonta, I know it might be difficult, but could you tell me where your tarantula was?” He asked gently. 

“I brought her terrarium with me and she should've been in there. I would not let anyone else handle her! It not safe.” 

From the conversation he had with Gonta, Shuichi learned that the tarantula should've been in the terrarium the whole time, except when he was showing her to the others. So… the only person who could have taken her out would be Gonta. 

Miu didn't have anything very important to add, besides some remarks about the gross spider corpse. Nothing he didn't already know. 

“Hey Miu, did you notice Kokichi acting strange?” He asked. 

She seemed confused by the question. 

“That little prick is always strange, how the fuck would I know!” so, about the answer he expected. Shuichi sighed, time to talk to Kokichi.

He walked over to the door where Kokichi was standing. 

“Hey Shuichi, are you in love with me?” he asked, surprising Shuichi. 

“Wh- Huh? Why?” He asked, blushing.

“Well you keep coming over to talk to me… and look! You’re blubbering like an idiot now!” Kokichi pointed out. 

Shuichi huffed. 

“I’m talking to everyone, not just you. A-And that was only because you surprised me!” He stuttered out, before realizing that he had been totally led off topic. 

Regaining his composure, Shuichi began questioning Kokichi. 

“After we talked were you in the tv room the whole time? Did you ever get up to get drinks or use the bathroom?” He asked.

“Wow Shuichi, so you’re a pervert like Miu? No way I'm telling you when I piss! And no, since I have my lovely mother, and a snack bar behind me, I didn't need to ever leave the room.” Kokichi told him, inspecting his fingernails. 

Shuichi nodded, taking a mental note of this, keeping in mind that Kokichi could have gone to the bathroom. 

“Why do any of you care about some stupid, ugly, gross bug anyways? It’s better off dead ya know.” Kokichi said. 

Brushing off his harsh choice of words, Shuichi continued his questions. 

“Did Gonta take out the tarantula to show you? You said you were gonna go talk to him about it, right? Did he take it out of the terrarium?” He asked. 

“What’s a terrarium?” Kokichi asked him, a look of childish innocence on his face.

 Liar.

“So you won’t tell me?” Shuichi sighed. Well, if that’s all he’d get out of him then… 

“Okay, I guess I’ll go look around then. Thanks for your help” He thought he might've seen a slight blush from his peripheral but he was off towards the bathroom in a moment. 

Shuichi knocked lightly on the wood, making sure nobody was inside before he opened the door. 

He gasped loudly at the scene in front of him. 

Angie, lying on the floor in a pool of red. 

“A-Angie?!?” He yelped, immediately rushing over to her side quickly. 

He shook her shoulder, his heart pounding in his chest. 

Shuichi almost cried from the relief when the girl groaned and sat up. 

“Mmngh...Atua?” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes with her hand. When she pulled away there was a streak of red over her eye. 

“Ah, there is paint on me, a bottle must have tipped over during my nap!” She said cheerfully, clapping her hands together. 

“Paint? Nap?” Shuichi questioned. “Why were you napping on the bathroom floor? Why is there red paint everywhere?” 

“You see Shuichi, this bathroom is actually the perfect area for me to connect to Atua, and my artistic urges. And while I was painting, Atua called to me, told me how tired I was, and so I went to sleep!” She spoke as though it was a simple thing she was explaining to a child, as if it hadn't taken five years off his lifespan.

Then the door opened again. 

“Is everything okay Shuichi- AHHH ANGIE IS COVERED IN BLOOD!!” Kaito cried, Maki rushing to the door to stand in front of him. Himiko rushed in next, followed by Tenko. 

“Angie!” the usually quiet girl cried. 

Followed by, “WHAaa Angie!!??! Degenerate male! What did you do to Angie!?” 

Shuichi looked from person to person, then at himself and then at Angie, who was smiling serenely. 

“Guys, calm down, it’s just paint, she’s okay.” he told them.

“He’s right, that isn’t blood. And look, Angie's fine.” Maki said, once again helping him by relieving the tension. Shuichi sighed, the whole situation had caused him ungodly amounts of stress. 

The others helped Angie to her feet, collecting her art supplies too. Shuichi was so relieved he almost forgot why he had gone to the bathroom. 

He looked around, taking in everything in the room. 

The paint had spilled everywhere, staining the tiles red, but when looked over at the other side of the room, near the toilet, he noticed something peculiar.

The small trash can next to the toilet had been tipped over, probably sometime during the fuss about Angie. 

Shuichi moved closer to investigate when he saw a white napkin… with something dark sticking out of it. He unwrapped the napkin and discovered five spider legs.

He took a close look at the napkin and the peculiar stains on it. 

Doritos?

Shuichi considered this new piece of evidence.

Why would the culprit drop off only the legs? If they were trying to get rid of the body then wouldn't they dispose of the whole thing? It didn’t make sense.

At least this narrows down the list of suspects by a lot.

“Can I speak to Kiibo, Miu, Kokichi and Gonta in the TV room please?” He asked the group, which had once again split off around the room. 

“Shuichi, it’s getting kinda late… maybe you should drop it?” Kiibo said, quietly. 

“You heard him Shuichi, even robots are tired of your useless shenanigans. You should quit right now since it’s all super pointless and you’re only doing it for yourself.” Kokichi shouted, an accusatory finger pointed right at him.

“Why don’t you just can it, Kokichi? Stop being mean to Shuichi, he didn’t do anything wrong. It was my idea in the first place. Shuichi, you don’t have to if you don’t wanna.” Kaito defended him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 

“Ohhh so that’s why you’re doing this pointless crap? Cause it was Kaito’s idea?” Kokichi sneered. 

Shuichi froze. 

Oh god.

His mind raced, a nauseous feeling overtaking him.

 Was this it? Was Kokichi gonna tell Kaito? In front of everyone? 

Kokichi must have seen the look of pure horror on Shuichi’s face because he immediately backed off with a huff. 

“Fine. Do your stupid investigation.” He said, before storming off to the TV room. 

Shuichi followed him silently, Miu, Kiibo and Gonta making a ruckus behind him. 

Hopefully nobody had noticed anything, but that was unlikely. At least nobody brought it up?

“Hey is anyone else confused about what the fuck just happened?” Miu shouted. 

“It was kind of strange, how Kokichi just gave up, it seemed like he was going to say something. He left so quickly I didn’t have time to address his robophobic remark!” Kiibo was just as loud as Miu, it made Shuichi want to cover his ears. 

“Gonta happy that nobody upset!”

Shuichi ignored them and opened the door.

Kokichi was laying on the couch, not even looking up when Shuichi entered the room.

He was scrolling on his phone and Shuichi noticed that he was laying down on the other side of the couch, where his feet were before and where Gonta had been sitting.

It wasn’t unusual for him to have changed positions but he kept it in mind.

Shuichi looked around the room again, this time walking toward the snack bar. 

The empty terrarium was placed on the bar, the top was placed clumsily on a bar stool beside it. Right next to the terrarium was a small tupperware full of… live insects??

Gross, probably tarantula food. 

But why was this out? If someone had gone to feed the tarantula that could explain how it escaped.

There was a stack of napkins on the other side, they seemed to be the exact same type that the legs were wrapped in, and the Doritos in Miu’s snack bowl confirmed that the napkin was linked to this room. 

Shuichi walked over to the couch where Kokichi was sitting. He checked the coffee table, inspecting the cups and bowls that were sitting there. There was a red solo cup with the name of each person who was there. Gonta, Miu, Kokichi… well, none for Kiibo. 

The sharp smell of vodka was especially strong in someone's cup. 

How bizarre…?

“How long are you gonna sniff cups for?” Kokichi sighed. 

“This is sooooo boring.” He said, chewing on some chips. 

“I think I might be getting close, but I’m still missing something…”

Shuichi exhaled deeply, sitting down on the couch next to Kokichi’s legs.

“I-I just want to thank you for earlier, for not telling Kaito.” He said, staring down at his hands, folded on his knees.

“I really appreciate it…” He smiled and looked up to find Kokichi staring at him, a bright blush on his cheeks. 

Shuichi was taken aback. That wasn’t really the reaction he was expecting.

Kokichi jumped up then burst into tears.

“WAHHHH SHUICHI TH-THAT’S SO SWEET! OF COURSE I WOULDN’T BETRAY YOU!!! WAHHH!!!” Kokichi bawled dramatically. 

Shuichi found himself not annoyed by the overdone reaction, instead laughing softly. 

Kokichi was silent in a split second, his tears dry and that bashful expression back on his face. 

“I’m gonna go now? Bye Shuichi! Love you!” He hopped over the couch and sprinted out of the room. 

“Ah- Wait! I still had questions!” Shuichi shouted after him, but Kokichi was out the door. He slumped against the couch with a sigh before he stood up. 

I guess there’s nowhere else to check…? 

As he was about to move on to another area, he caught a glimpse of something in the corner of his eye. 

There was a slight stain underneath where Kokichi was sitting. 

It was probably from a spilled drink or something but there was still a chance… 

He checked around the couch some more, especially near the strange stain. 

As he was feeling around the couch cushion he felt something small and hairy. 

Shuichi yelped and tugged his hand out immediately, though his disgust was quickly forgotten as he searched for something he could use to remove what he assumed to be the last spider leg. 

With his fingers protected by a napkin, he fished the small black leg out of the crack in the cushions with his hand. 

Shuichi thought long and hard.

Putting it all together, the stain, body, napkin, and the final leg, the most likely theory would be that the culprit had accidentally sat on the spider, then used the napkin to wrap up the corpse and throw it in the trash can in the bathroom. 

There were still various questions that had yet to be answered, but for now, this hypothesis should lead him to the culprit. 

Whoever had been sitting there at the time was the accidental murderer. 

Shuichi had a creeping suspicion that he already knew who that was. 

“Okay, so, I’m pretty sure I’ve figured it out, but first I need to ask Miu a question.” Shuichi addressed the group, they had returned to the living room, and Shuichi was presenting what he had discovered. 

“Hah? Me? R-Right now? In front of everyone?” Miu squirmed, blushing profusely, drool dripping down her chin. 

“Yeah I need to ask if anyone in the tv changed seating positions or if you all sat in the same spot the whole time.” He scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“Oh yeah, we were all sitting pretty much the same, even when one of us got up, cause that little shit kept sitting all over us there was no chance to move around. Why do you wanna know, Pooichi?” Miu was back to normal, sticking his least favourite nickname to the end of her sentence. 

Shuichi’s heart sank. 

“O-Oh…” He said, as his suspicions were confirmed. 

Across the room, he made eye contact with Kokichi who was looking at him with a venomous expression. 

“So, Shuichi? Who was it?” Asked Kaito. 

“Weeeelp it doesn’t matter anyways! Let’s all just go home!” Kokichi interrupted.

“I mean if we’ve already gotten this far, we might as well listen to what he has to say.” Maki glared at Kokichi. 

“I bet it was Maki! She’s a people-killer. I bet she’d have no problemo killing a spider!” Kokichi said with a grin. 

“Kokichi!” Shuichi exclaimed, they were just getting along, why was he being so… 

“Don’t talk about her like that!” Kaito yelled, moving closer to Kokichi and grabbing his scarf. 

“Or what? You’ll sic your murderous girlfriend on me?” Kokichi spat, staring angrily up at Kaito.

“You little-” 

“Kaito!” Maki grabbed his arm as he raised it to punch Kokichi. 

“He deserves it Maki Roll! Look at his stupid face! It was probably him!” Kaito scowled at Kokichi who was sticking his tongue out at him. 

“I know.” She sighed. “But we were trying to listen to Shuichi, right?” Maki also looked like she wanted to skewer Kokichi, but she just took Kaitos hand and directed everyone's attention back towards Shuichi. 

Miu tried to talk to Kokichi but he just huffed and ignored her. 

“So what evidence have you collected that points to the killer?” Kirumi asked Shuichi.

Still shaken by the confrontation, Shuichi took a deep breath and started to tell the group about his findings. 

“So, starting from the beginning, it was around seven p.m. when we all arrived, including Gontas tarantula.” 

“Gonta was in the tv room with Miu, Kokichi, and Kiibo where they were watching a movie. It was sometime during the movie that someone went to feed the tarantula, but accidentally left the terrarium lid open.” 

There were a few gasps around the room, his friends trying to piece it together as he spoke. 

“I believe that the tarantula escaped, and made its way to the couch, where someone sat on it without realizing. I found a stain on one of the cushions, and a leg in between the pillows.” 

“Oh my,” Tsumugi exclaimed. 

“Poor tarantula, if only I had put a protection spell on it, my magic could’ve saved it… sorry Gonta.” 

“It ok, Himiko, it was accident. Gonta know they must be sorry, Gonta not mad!” Gonta looked around the room, but there was no confession. 

Shuichi knew why.

“Wait, then how did the body get to the living room?” Asked Ryoma.

“Not only the living room, but the bathroom as well, I found five of the missing legs in the trash bin that Angie knocked over.” Shuichi told him.

“This was an attempt to dispose of the corpse, obviously.” Said Korekiyo.

“I think so too,”Shuichi replied. “Although…” 

“Although?” Kiyo questioned. 

“I don’t think that the person who killed the spider is the one who tried to hide it.” Shuichi placed a thoughtful finger on his chin. 

“How come?” Asked Rantaro.

“Wouldn’t the person who sat on the spider be alarmed? And if they were, wouldn’t the people sitting around them notice?” 

“That’s true, if my ass touched some gross spider I’d freak out… the hairy tendrils on my sensitive flesh…” Miu moaned. 

Everyone ignored her. 

“So you think somebody else tried to clean it up without anyone noticing?” 

“Yes, and it’s either Kokichi or Miu.” Shuichi stated. 

“Me? No way! Who says! I didn’t even see the damn thing out of its box!” Miu growled.

Kokichi was silent. 

“The other possible option was Kirumi, but the napkin that I found the legs wrapped in in the trash can had residue from the snacks that only you and Kokichi were eating.” Shuichi explained. 

“Well it wasn’t me.” She grumbled. 

“Kokichi?” 

The boy in question was snoring loudly. 

“Huh? Oh, I fell asleep cause this is so boring!” Kokichi said, sitting upright from where he had been “passed out” on Rantaros shoulder.

“Well can you answer the question?!” Kaito exclaimed, clearly still upset. 

Kokichi said nothing. 

“Oh come on Shuichi, that’s so suspicious! It’s obviously him!” Kaito cried. 

Kokichi sighed. 

“Fine, you caught me. I killed the spider and hid its body.” Kokichi said.

“Ha! See?” Kaito cheered. “I solved it! You’re going to jail for a long time, Kokichi!”

Tears welled in Kokichis eyes. 

“Lock me up Kirumi, take me to jail, I’ll miss you all!” He exclaimed, crying so much Shuichi was afraid he’d be unable to breathe. 

“You’re not going to jail, Kokichi. And you didn’t kill the spider, you just hid it. Didn’t you?” Shuichi questioned firmly. 

“No, I killed it.” 

“You didn’t.”

“Yes I did.”

“No-”

“Just give it up Shuichi, if he says he did it, then that’s a confession.” Kaito said, crossing his arms. 

“But it wasn’t him… I know who killed it…” 

“Who was it?” 

“Yeah, who?”

He could just lie, say he doesn’t know who, let Kirumi take Kokichi to “jail” and let Kaito pat him on the back. 

But he was a detective. He needed to find the truth.

“So?” 

Shuichi exhaled deeply. 

“The person who accidentally sat on the tarantula is Gonta Gokuhara.” 

Several shocked gasps and exclamations filled the air. 

“Gonta?!?” 

“Huh? Shuichi, what are you saying??”

“No way Gonta killed his own tarantula, you’re nuts, Pooichi!”

“Gonta…? Gonta kill Cyriopagopus Lividum??”

“No offense buddy but there’s seriously no way! Gonta is the Ultimate Entomologist, how would he be clumsy enough to accidentally sit on his own tarantula?!” Kaito demanded. 

“It’s because he was drunk on vodka, so when he went to feed it he misplaced the top of the terrarium and it escaped. He didn’t notice it when he sat down because he’s so… large.” Shuichi explained. 

Gonta was becoming more and more upset as Shuichi explained. 

“Gonta kill Cyriopagopus Lividum? Gonta kill bug friend?!?” He exclaimed, standing up from his chair. His distraught expression hurt Shuichi's heart.

“No, Gonta, of course you didn’t. Shuichi must have made some mistake! Right?” Kaito looked at him with desperate eyes. When Shuichi said nothing, he grit his teeth.

“Why would he be drunk? He’s not the type to drink a lot! Plus, he’s massive! How much vodka would he have to drink?” Kaito asked. 

“I have to estimate ten shots were in that cup… and he drank it all.” Shuichi said, cringing. 

“What the…? He drank it all?”

Everyone turned to Gonta.

“Drink? Tsumugi gave Gonta drink so he drank it, like gentleman. Even though it attack Gonta’s mouth and make him dizzy…”

“O-Oh no Gonta, I’m so sorry… I thought by labelling the cups I could avoid a mix up… but I must’ve poured the vodka into the wrong cup. I’m sorry, that’s such a stupid, plain mistake!” Tsumugi cried. 

Kaito still refused to believe it.

“Then what about Kokichi?! Why would he go to the trouble of hiding the body?” Kaito asked. 

It was probably because he didn’t want Gonta to find out and feel guilty, but he had a feeling Kaito wouldn’t be very accepting of that theory.

Shuichi glanced at Kokichi, who was watching them silently. 

“I’m not sure, but the evidence-” 

“It’s not possible, Shuichi. Look how upset Gonta is, it couldn’t be him!” 

Gonta was staring at his hands with a look full of despair. Himiko and Tenko patted him on the back while Tsumugi hugged him, tears streaming down her face. 

Shuichi stepped back in shock. 

“I-I don’t want to accuse him, that’s just what happened! It was just an accident!” He said. He knew it was sad and hard to believe, but he knew what happened.

“Kokichi admitted-” 

“It wasn’t Kokichi! He’s a liar!” Shuichi shouted, fists clenched at his sides. 

His exclamation didn’t make Kaito back down one bit. 

“Why do you keep defending Kokichi? Why are you on his side?!” Kaito yelled in his face. 

“I’m not on anyone's side, Kaito, I’m just trying to solve it.|” 

“Well, you went too far. Again.” Kaito spat, turning away from Shuichi. 

It was like a bucket of ice cold water had been dumped on his head.

He grabbed Kaitos arm.

“W-Wait Kaito-”

But he just shook him off. 

“I’m leaving.” Kaito mumbled, walking over to the front hall and slipping into his shoes.

Maki followed him, giving Shuichi a sympathetic smile that did little to quell his inner turmoil. 

Everyone was silent, the only sound being the harsh slam of the door behind him. 

Shuichi stood in front of them, and his previous confidence was forgotten. 

Everyone was sad because of him. 

Again.

He didn’t need to tell the truth, but he did, and had hurt everyone in the process. 

Again.

Even Gonta was upset, and it had been a completely innocent accident. 

Shuichi felt sick, he couldn’t bring himself to meet their gaze, muttering an apology before rushing to the bathroom.

He shut the door behind him and slid down the wall till he was sitting on the floor. 

He wrapped his arms around his legs and hugged his knees to his chest, burying his face in them. 

Kaito was right.

This was just like all those years ago. 

This was just like Kaede. 

He thought about her caring, gentle aura. 

He thought about her kind, strong hands dancing across piano keys. 

He thought about how she always tried to help everyone, and about how that had eventually been her downfall. 

It was all his fault she’d been expelled and her dreams had been crushed. 

It was all his fault, and he had done it again.  

Before he could try to stop them, tears were streaming down his cheeks. 

Shuichi squeezed his arms tighter around himself, starting to sob quietly into his knees. 

Not long after, he was fully crying on the bathroom floor, curled up in a ball of shame, fear, and regret.     

Would Kaito be mad forever? Would Maki hate him too? 

He cried louder, trying not to hyperventilate. 

He heard a knock at the door and he clamped a hand over his mouth in an attempt to stop crying.

“Shuichi?” 

Another knock. Then seventeen more.

Kokichi?

He sniffed, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

“H-Hello?” He sounded awful and he knew it. 

“I’m coming in, Shuichi!” Kokichi chirped and the door swung open.

Shuichi looked up with foggy eyes at the boy standing in front of him. 

Before he could make eye contact he quickly hid his face in his hands. He wanted to run but Kokichi was blocking the doorway. 

“...are you okay?..” 

Shuichi peeked through his fingers and saw that Kokichi had crouched down beside him, and was staring at him rather intensely. 

“Huh? Uh, y-yes.” He said quietly. 

Kokichi snorted. 

“Really Shuichi? I’m an evil, master liar. It takes a lot more to fool me, not that you ever could.” He said, snickering.

Shuichi retracted his hands from his face completely, watching anxiously as Kokichi observed his expression. 

“Your face is all red, your eyes are glassy, and you look like you could keel over any second! Though after such a brutal shouting match with Kaito-” 

Shuichi let out a wet sob, tears once again flowing from his eyes. 

“S-Shuichi?! Uh-”

“I- hhgh- ghh” He tried to say it was fine, but with the memory of Kaitos harsh voice and the way he completely turned his back on him now freshly rejuvenated, it was difficult to stop crying. 

Kokichi was clearly uncomfortable and awkward and it made Shuichi feel even worse. 

Kokichi had been trying to protect Gontas' feelings, and Shuichi had trampled all over that. Now Gonta was crushed and Kaito hated him and everyone was upset with him and Kokichi was- 

Kokichi had slowly wrapped his arms around Shuichi's shaking shoulders, squeezing him gently. 

He was jokingly affectionate with his friends, but this felt more sincere. 

Shuichi found himself melting into the hug, his hands coming up to lightly grip at the edge of Kokichis shirt, sobbing into his shoulder.

“I-If you wreck my scarf, my evil organisation’s gonna come kill you, so be careful…” He trailed off, hesitantly resting his hands on Shuichi's back. 

Kokichi was warm, and though it was kinda awkward, it was comforting. 

He let his thoughts drift away from the events earlier and focus in the shallow breaths of the boy around him.

After a minute, Shuichi calmed down a bit and stopped sniveling.

Kokichi pulled away slightly, his face right next to Shuichis. 

He tucked a strand of hair that had stuck to Shuichi's cheek behind his ear. 

His hand lingered next to his face, though it was shaking slightly. 

Shuichi stared at Kokichi, his bright violet eyes were full of fondness that Shuichi hadn’t noticed before. 

Their foreheads were practically touching already, and Shuichi found himself leaning in closer.

Even closer.

His lips brushed against Kokichis, who remained still for a moment, eyes wide, before he was kissing him back slowly. 

After maybe five seconds, they pulled away.

“W-Why did you do that…?” Kokichi asked, a hush in his voice. His cheeks were flushed and he looked at Shuichi in shock. 

Shuichi slumped his forehead against Kokichi’s shoulder. 

“I… don’t know…I’m sorry…”

Kokichi stilled, before exhaling deeply. 

“Welp! If you’re feeling well enough to put your gross lips on mine then maybe you should get going!” Kokichi exclaimed, the pink tinge still visible on his cheeks. 

Shuichi got up, his knees aching from being on the ground for so long. 

Everything was still weighing heavy on his mind, but it was more fuzzy and unfocused, he was tired and drained, and he wanted to go home. 

He followed Kokichi out of the bathroom and back towards the door, passing through the living room… where Kaito was standing. 

Shuichi's heart lurched, and his eyes widened. 

“K-Kaito?? You came back?!” Shuichi yelped, feeling heat rush to his cheeks. 

Oh god, he can totally tell I was crying…

Kaito still looked upset, but he seemed less angry and more regretful. 

“Hey Shuichi… I realized that what I said wasn’t fair to you at all. This, all of this, none of it is your fault. You were just trying to figure out what happened, so, I’m sorry.” 

Shuichi was speechless, but Kaito wasn’t done.

“And I still don’t like-” He jerked his thumb toward Kokichi, who was standing close behind Shuichi. 

“ Him , but I trust you, and if you say he’s innocent, then I believe you.” he sighed, hands on his hips. 

Shuichi could feel his body sag with relief.

“I’m… I’m sorry Kaito, thank you.” 

“It’s all good buddy, c’mere.”

He holds out his hand and Shuichi takes it. 

He lightly gasps when Kaito pulls him into a side hug, giving him a firm pat on the back. 

Shuichi smiled and let his friend soothe his worries.

It’s all okay. This is okay.

And he meant it. 

Then he felt a slim arm snake its way around his waist, and he tried to stifle a chuckle as Kokichi wriggled his way into the hug, squeezing them both tightly.

“Aww this is so touching!” Kokichi cheered as Kaito shook him off. 

The three broke away, Kokichi bouncing on his toes while Kaito yelled at him. 

“Don’t interrupt me and Shuichi's touching bro hug, you little shit!” 

“WAHHHHH KAITO TH-THAT’S SO MEAN!! STOP HOGGING SHUICHI!!” Kokichi bawled.

They all went home pretty late that night, the group had gathered in the basement for games and they’d played until they were ready to pass out. 

Himiko had fallen asleep immediately after she’d sat down on the couch, and with her gone, Kokichi had won most of the Mario Kart rounds. 

Tenko might've been able to pull ahead if she hadn't been distracted by a snoring Himiko leaning heavily against her.

Miu had suggested they play twister so many times that everyone was too tired to deny her any longer. 

By the end of the night, Himiko, Tenko, Miu, Angie and Kiibo had all fallen asleep, either on the couch or on the floor. 

Shuichi had been on the verge of sleep for the past two hours, making the most effort to stay awake as he chatted with Gonta, who was still very upset about the tarantula. Shuichi had told him not to blame himself, that it was an accident and he didn’t know. They had ended up agreeing that Gonta would take good care of his next tarantula, and for now, he wouldn’t be bringing any more bugs to Tsumugi’s house parties.

After Shuichi nearly passed out during charades, they had all decided it was time to go. 

Things hadn’t been very awkward with Kokichi for the rest of the night, but something told Shuichi that he wouldn’t be forgetting about that kiss for a long time.