Chapter Text
It was late. It was far too late.
Maki opened the door to their dingy, small apartment and sighed when she saw Shuichi clicking away on his laptop.
"You should have gone to bed hours ago."
Shuichi started and looked up at her, rubbing his eyes. "I couldn't sleep. I was too busy."
"You have to go to work at nine tomorrow."
"I-I know." He closed his laptop and walked over to her. "At least since I'm still awake, I get to give you a welcome home kiss...?"
Maki leaned away from the touch. "Don't try to be smooth. You're terrible at it. What were you reading?"
"It was- It was some of the documents that got leaked a few weeks ago."
She shook her head. "I told you not to look at that. What could you possibly learn from that?"
"How many people have they done this to, how they found us, why it-"
"That's what it comes back to. Why. Right?"
He paused. "I guess, but-"
"Is there anything at all that could make what they did okay?"
"Of course not! Why are you even asking that?"
Maki sighed like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If you already know there's nothing that can make what they did okay, looking for why they did it isn't going to help. The "why" you're looking for doesn't exist."
Shuichi froze.
"Why did they have to die? They didn't. Some people with enough money, power, and sadism to make that show decided that it was worth kidnapping random people to make it work. Why did it happen to us? We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's all it is, and that's all it will ever be. Looking into it any further is just going to distress you more, and make it harder to heal. Why can't you accept that?"
Shuichi shook, tears burning his eyes as he searched for a way to refute her. "...Because it isn't fair..." He finally choked out, feeling like an immature child as they slid down his cheeks.
"...No, it wasn't fair. It will never be fair. ...All we can do now, is try and make sure it doesn't happen again."