Chapter Text
Shuichi made his way to the gymnasium, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He could still faintly hear the buzzing of dozens of insects in his ear. He hadn’t managed to get much sleep since Gokuhara’s rather disastrous meeting.
Maybe Kaito managed to get a full night of rest, considering he’d evaded Gokuhara entirely. It was probably because of all that training he did. Shuichi wasn’t sure how he was going to keep up with Kaito, but he’d try his best anyway. If Kaito really saw Shuichi as someone with potential to live up to Kaede’s wish, then he’d do anything to prove himself worthy. He’d prove himself as a worthy friend to Kaito. Kaito was so optimistic and determined, and Shuichi was already a bit in awe of him. He seemed unflappable, and it made Shuichi’s stomach turn to imagine himself confident and fighting alongside Kaito to combat the killing game. He wanted to be like Kaito. He wanted to be around Kaito, even if they’d just started training. His presence made Shuichi feel safer, and he made Shuichi feel a spark of hope that things would be okay. He’d extended a hand to Shuichi in his lowest moment, and Shuichi was grateful for it.
“Saihara, are you alright?” Tojo placed a hand on his shoulder. “Is everything alright? You look preoccupied.”
“Ah, it’s nothing,” Shuichi said quickly. “I’m just a bit tired. You heard about Gokuhara’s insect meet and greet, right?” Shuichi yawned.
Tojo nodded. “I did. However, I did not attend.”
Shuichi crossed his arms. He wondered how Tojo had managed to evade Gokuhara, when the only other two he knew hadn’t been caught, Kaito and Hoshi, were athletes. Speaking of Hoshi, he was next to Gokuhara, and they both looked rather sleep deprived. Gokuhara was smiling sleepily at Hoshi, who’d leaned on his shoulder. Shuichi never remembered them being close.
“Gokuhara and Hoshi are friends?”
Tojo shrugged. “I am not sure.” Tojo gestured towards them. “You can always ask.” Yonaga then waved Tojo over, and she gave Shuichi a polite bow before walking off.
Shuichi walked over to the two, and Hoshi gave him a small nod in greeting. “Hey, Saihara. It’s good to see you up and about. You look tired, though.”
“Yeah… but you look tired as well!”
“That’s fair. I had a long night,” Hoshi fiddled with his beanie. “No need to bother you with the details.”
Shuichi nodded. “Oh, uh, okay… how are you, Gokuhara?”
“Gonta’s a bit tired, but Gonta is happy to see Yumeno’s show!”
“Man, I’m not! Donkey-lips is probably going to bomb in front of everyone and waste my precious time. I want to get the fuck back in bed!” Iruma butted in from the seat behind them. “It’s your fault I lost so much of my beauty sleep, and now I’m only ninety percent gorgeous.”
“I believe you look rather washed out, Iruma,” Kiibo commented from the seat next to her. “Would you want me to help you back to your room so that you can sleep?”
“Fuck you, tin can! I look great! I’ve made inventions that’d make you fall to your knees with less sleep!” Iruma let out a loud yawn, and blinked a few times.
Before she could say anything else, her head fell down as if pulled by gravity. Her head hit Kiibo’s metallic shoulder with a resounding slam, but it didn’t phase her in the slightest. Instead, she began to snore, and scooted closer to Kiibo, whose face turned bright red.
“Um… Iruma?” Kiibo sat entirely still. “She’s um, asleep.” Kiibo whispered. “I don’t know what to do.”
“I’d suggest you don’t move, Kiibo,” Hoshi deadpanned. “She’ll probably be really upset if you do.”
“Got it.” Kiibo stood comically still, as if it was a matter of life and death. Considering Iruma, it may well be.
Shuichi turned away and headed toward the main stage. There was a giant water tank in the center, with a smaller tank of piranhas dangled precariously overhead. Shuichi thought the trick seemed a bit high risk for someone as sleepy and slow as Yumeno, and apparently he wasn’t alone in that sentiment, as he could see Chabashira fretting over the little magician.
“So, Saihara, what do you think?” Yonaga popped up behind him. Behind her, Tojo, Shirogane, and Shinguji also regarded him. “Quite divine, don’t you think?”
“Uh… it looks nice,” Shuichi managed. “It seems a bit dangerous.”
“What is a good show without a hint of danger, Saihara?” Shinguji said. “I admire the boldness. It’s quite a testament to humanity’s dedication to entertainment.”
“That’s not fair of you to say!” Chabashira interjected. “Himiko is putting her life on the line, and that’s too high a price! Himiko’s life is greater than the worth of any show!”
“Nyeh… stop it.” Yumeno muttered, shaking with nerves. She looked pale with fright. “You’re making me more nervous.”
“Oh, my,” Shinguji eyed Yumeno. “You look like a specter of death, Yumeno.”
“Remember what we do with nerves?” Yonaga said.
Yumeno clasped her hands in prayer. “We pray the nerves away with the help of Atua.” Yumeno took a breath, shaking slightly less than before. “Atua’s going to have my back. He’ll save me.”
“No!” Tenko cried. “Not Atua again! Himiko, please think about what you’re doing!”
“Chabashira,” Tojo said gently. “I don’t think you can talk her out of it. Besides, don’t you think that it’s nice that she’s doing something good for the class? It shows her kind heart.”
“Himiko doesn’t need to risk her life to prove she’s kind! I already knew that she had a pure heart from the moment I laid eyes on her adorable face!”
Yumeno blushed and shook her head. “Only Atua can know that about a person.”
Yonaga nodded. “Only Atua. Now then, let’s start the show!”
Chabashira began to whimper with fright as Yumeno ascended to the top of the tank. Shirogane placed a hand on her back. “Don’t worry,” the cosplayer said. “If we pray to Atua, she’ll be safe… or if we pray to Father, head of the Homunculi!”
“O-okay.”
Chabashira shakily went to her seat, clasping her hands in fervent prayer. She must be really desperate, Shuichi noted. She’d never even pray to Atua otherwise. Shuichi went to his seat, sitting in between Tojo and Hoshi in the front row.
Yonaga introduced the still-shaking Yumeno, and set a minute-long timer for her to escape the tank. Yumeno jumped in the tank, and Yonaga closed the curtains. The timer began to tick down. Shuichi looked around at the audience. Tojo’s eyes were glued to the stage, Gokuhara gripped Hoshi’s sleeve in nervousness, Iruma was still sleeping on Kiibo’s shoulder, and the robot was trying his best to watch the show and not disturb her at the same time. Shinguji studied the tank intensely from his seat as Shirogane and Chabashira clasped their hands in prayer. Shuichi’s eyes darted around. Kaito wasn’t in the audience. Neither were Harukawa or Ouma.
The timer hit thirty seconds.
“Where Yumeno? Gonta’s getting scared!”
“It’s okay, big guy,” Hoshi said. “It’s part of the show. She’ll come in at the last second.”
“Don’t ruin Himiko’s trick, you degenerate!” Tenko cried.
“Maybe the trick would be better if no one talked,” Shinguji quipped.
The timer went down to twenty.
“Hey, has anyone seen Ouma?” Shirogane looked around. “He isn’t here.”
“Who cares about that degenerate?!” Tenko snapped. “Himiko isn’t back yet. I knew Atua was a load of garbage!”
“Atua resents that remark, Chabashira,” Angie shook her head. “You have yet to see his work at hand. When your precious Yumeno emerges alive, you will see… probably.”
“PROBABLY?!”
The timer hit ten seconds.
“Yumeno’s still not here,” Tojo muttered. “This is planned, right?”
Hoshi bit his lip. “Hopefully.”
Shuichi looked around again. The audience hadn’t gained any new members.
He turned to Tojo and Hoshi. “Have any of you seen Kaito, Harukawa, or Ouma?”
They both shook their heads. Shuichi felt a sudden pang of dread in his stomach. He felt himself standing up.
“Um, Saihara, you’re blocking my view,” Kiibo said quietly.
Shuichi sat back down, but every instinct screamed at him to get up. Tojo and Hoshi both looked at him concernedly. Next to Hoshi, Gokuhara’s breathing became heavier.
Hoshi placed a hand on his arm. “Gonta?”
Gokuhara stood up even faster than Shuichi. “Gonta no can take this anymore! Yumeno! Gonta coming to save you!”
“Gokuhara, remain seated! Atua commands you!”
The entomologist ignored Angie’s cries and raced up to the top of the tank. Hoshi stood up to go after him, but Tojo grabbed him before he could. The timer hit zero, and the bucketload of piranhas was dropped into the tank. Shuichi could’ve sworn he saw something.
“H-huh?!” Gokuhara cried.
“HIMIKO!” Tenko shrieked.
Angie removed the curtain. Shuichi’s blood ran cold. Inside the tank, he saw Kaito, unmoving. His warm eyes were glazed over with lifelessness. Before Shuichi could utter a cry, the piranhas descended upon him, ripping his skin piece by piece.
Shuichi ran up to the tank. “KAITO!” He felt tears burning at his eyes as he pounded at the glass. He barely registered Tojo dragging him away, or the way his hand seared in pain.
It was no use. Unlike Kaito, he was weak. Shuichi dropped to his knees and let out a choked sob as the body discovery announcement chimed. Kaito Momota, the ultimate astronaut, the one person who’d given Shuichi a second wind after Kaede’s death, had been reduced to a pile of broken bones.