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𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘬𝘺 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴.
"... ought that according to the pattern, Miu will..."
𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘮 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴.
"... gree, maybe we should start looking here first..."
𝘓𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦.
"... ink she could be in Hino too?"
𝘝𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴.
"... you think?"
𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵.
"... ichi?"
𝘒𝘢𝘦𝘥𝘦.
"... uichi!"
"Shuichi! Snap out of it!"
The sight of Maki's unchanging solemn face and Himiko's usual inert expression overlaying the vague scene of what seemed to be a roadside café gained focus before his eyes like a camera lens. Gradually, the sounds of passing vehicles passing rapidly past his ears began to increase in clarity, as well as the strong scent of caffeine emanating from the white ceramic cup sitting below his chest on the table in front of him. His drumming heartbeat resonated soundly from within his chest as he slowly escaped the tranquil trance he subconsciously drugged himself into before.
"Shuichi, are you okay?" Concern underlined Maki's tone as she reached for Shuichi's arm to soothe him. He drew a sharp breath before giving her a tired gaze.
"Yeah... Just a little out there for a bit, I guess." He mustered the same melancholic smile he had been showing the past few months, it in itself an act of trust to his survivor friends.
Himiko, sitting to his right, followed Maki's gesture in suit, though she had to raise her head to meet his eyes. "Are you thinking about Kaede again?" She asked.
At this point, they just knew it without having to question him. Hell, it was already apparent from the first place. The one who showed the most unwillingness to let Kaede go when the metal ring gripped on her neck and forcefully dragged her to the execution grounds, the one drowned in the most agonizing grief after her brutal death, was Shuichi. It was his despair to watch the mastermind take his beacon of hope from him, then snatch away her life like it meant nothing. And nothing it meant for the rest of the world either. How generous life would be, had his Kaede be returned in his embrace for eternity.
And generous life is.
With the deceased players now appearing in the reverse order they died, there was the utmost hope that he would meet her again and tell her how much she meant to him. The three survivors had already rejoiced with Keebo, Kokichi, Kaito and Gonta after just three months. Maki and Kaito's reunion was especially unforgettable; it was far more than tearful, it symbolized just how blessed they were to be able to meet again under a different circumstance that wasn't a killing game. Even though their memories before the game had been lost forever, at least they could still be grateful for having been met with each other.
The thing was, Shuichi was definitely longing for Kaede, but would she feel the same way towards him? It was the only mystery he couldn't solve thus far, and making up fake scenarios where she leaves and never sees him after they met wasn't making it any better.
Shuichi looked down at his redheaded friend with a nod. "Yeah, I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“I understand,” Responded Maki, her expression softening. “It’ll take a while, I’m sure. But she’ll retu--"
“No, not that.” Shuichi frantically cut off. “I’m afraid she won’t want to see me, or loathe me even! My detective work was the thing that set everything off… I know she wasn’t the one who really killed Rantaro, but she still died in a lot of pain and I still can’t entirely move on from that.”
“But you don’t know that, do you? Even your deductions can’t accurately predict the outcome." Maki heaved a sigh before releasing Shuichi's arm to roll the map stretched across the glass table dividing the three friends. "You know what? Let's just call it a day for now. We already have a vague idea on where to find Miu, we might as well head back."
"Nyeh... You're right. We also need to talk to the boys too, right?"
"O... Okay. Let's go."
***
He couldn't give a damn about the heavy rain that showered atop his hair roughly, or the curious eyes that observed the absence of an umbrella shielding his head. His steps were quick but firm, knowing exactly where they were headed, making each raindrop that missed his walking form pass by like bullets in the air. When the news came, impulse took over and didn't stop to wear a coat or grab an umbrella before heading out. Essentially, Shuichi's steps were as quick as the heartbeat throbbing against his chest.
As he turned around the corner, the sign to the usual coffee shop that became he, Maki and Himiko's hangout spot greeted his eyesight. The moderately dim yellow lights from inside spilled out the window to softly illuminate the pavement sidewalk under the shed of a black canopy that sharply resonated against jet-speed dropping raindrops. The sounds emerging from within indicated there had to be quite a lot of people occupying the place. And he knew exactly why.
The closer he was to the door, the more intensely he felt his hand tremble. Envisioning what lied behind it dragged Shuichi through all 7 layers of hell at once; the sudden anxiety that assumed control over his body was overwhelming, to say the least. Though it seemed merry inside, the scenario of everybody going silent the moment he walked in wouldn't leave his head and instead left him in a messier mental state.
He imagined Kaede sitting on a table, most likely chatting. Pressing his ear against the piece of wood, he attempted to listen in to make sure she was inside, as where his deduction led earlier. Digging further into the voices, he could distinguish Kaito's lively laughter, Keebo's robotic voice bank, Kiyo's soft speech and Tenko's bold and confident tone. And then, they went silent to another voice happily chiming in on the conversation.
It was her.
"I can't do this..." Shuichi thought to himself, ultimately stepping away from the doorknob and entering the showering rain once more. How cold he felt no longer mattered when he didn't know what to do with his miserable self, contrary to when he faced the last trial by his own will. All the insecurities that plagued his mind before and after the game came rushing back like the wind, among them the memory of one deduction that led to 𝘩𝘦𝘳 execution. It was as if the only fault he couldn't and refused to forgive himself for doing, regardless of whether or not he knew the outcome beforehand. 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥.
Before this, the thought of Kaede refusing to see him was only that, a mere thought, a 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. But now it had morphed into a certainty rooted under irrational reasoning that humiliated Shuichi just from realizing the fact. His feet began to move as though they had their own brain, trotting down the sidewalk half-limping. The water around him, had it been contained, would've been enough to drown him yet he was already drowned in his own guilt.
"... ichi..."
He could only wish he was held in a real trial where he could finally be officially charged guilty and get locked away in the most rotten corner of some prison. He wasn't expecting anybody to come visit him, anyway.
"... uichi!"
Face, skin, head, all numb. Soon enough, the freezing wet weather became home to him to the point he had to question himself: did he even deserve to return to a warm space anymore? One filled with love and care and hope, how would it make him feel any blessed being the person that he was? Surely, the prison would be much more fitting.
"Shuichi!"
Suddenly, he felt a pair of arms wrap him from behind, somehow managing the entire width of his body plus a thick layer of coat in them. Said arms felt smaller than his, but harnessed a lot more force, especially in its slim fingers. He was stopped in his tracks yet due to the state his mind was in, it wouldn't let him feel anything; his arms unresponsive, dangling aside the other pair.
"Shuichi, please, talk to me!" The voice sounded so distant behind him compared to the deafening raindrops speeding towards the ground. Yet, like an anchor, it slowly etched into his head and helped him gain focus on the world around him.
The embracing arms shifted upwards and now around his as their owner turned to face him from the front. And slowly but surely, a face began to take form: silky blonde locks, kind plum eyes, with a lulling melodious voice coming out of those plump lips and velvety pale fingers clutching onto his arms. His sweetheart, calling out to him and even battling the heavy rain to look into his eyes. Though this time, on her angelic frame, a worried frown took place.
"Shuichi, hey, are you okay? Can you hear me?"
Then, like a light switch, he awakened to his senses urging him to do one thing.
"Kaede..." He mumbled, pulling her into a tight hug. Unlike him before, she returned the embrace twice the strength she managed before. It was less like the room temperature type of warmth, but more of an emotional closure type of warmth that they shared at the slightest touch. Without thinking any longer, tears spilled onto her coat by the blue-haired boy.
"Shuichi..." She replied, returning the same, if not more tears gushing onto his already soaked coat.
They stayed that way under the pouring rain for a few moments before taking a good look at each other's faces. In Shuichi's eyes, the one true love he came to know in the form of Kaede's mesmerizing features mustering a relieved smile. In her eyes, the concerningly exhausted look of a veteran trying to survive after all the things he had seen, desolate enough to make her heart clench but astonishing enough to make her proud.
"You've grown..." Kaede was the first to speak with nothing but longingness in her eyes for the other. "I'm... so proud of you."
"I..." Shuichi found himself failing to say anything, any words he thought of concealed shut behind his tongue due to being dazed by the impact the moment had on the two of them. The fact that Kaede—as a matter of fact—understood without needing any explanations was amazing enough.
"It's fine. I understand. I don't even know how I can continue speaking like this..." She began, dragging him away from the rain and under the shed of some store they hardly had energy to recognize. "Hey, why did you walk away?"
"Excuse me?"
"I saw you approaching the entrance, why did you turn away?"
"Y-You saw?!"
A giggle escaped Kaede's lips, contrary to Shuichi whose features bore a shocked expression. "Believe me, I had my eyes on the door the entire time. I was waiting for you to show up, but I got worried when you left. Just... I feel that this is important. Please answer me, truthfully."
He found himself more speechless than before. The very question he dreaded had been spouted, and he had to answer it somehow. The guilt washing him all over earlier made it harder to give an adequate response, but deep down he knew no matter what his answer wasn't going to worsen the way everything was. Because 𝘒𝘢𝘦𝘥𝘦 had returned, and was speaking to him at that very moment.
Shuichi hated the answer he was about to give.
"I was... um..." He was visibly struggling to get the words out of his mouth. Not wanting to disappoint Kaede, he trudged through. Sc--"
"Scared? That I wouldn't want to see you?"
Before a full sentence even got to be arranged in his head, another embrace pulled him closer to her. And without any forenotice, she raised his heels until their lips softly met. Lightning struck the distant sky, but none of them cared to stop and be frightened, instead indulging in the moment until Kaede broke it apart.
"Shuichi, listen." She raised her hands to cup Shuichi's face and aimed a gentle stare into his grey eyes, widened in a daze of awe. "I don't blame you on what fate befell me. I did it on behalf of my own conscious decision, and I don't ever plan on convincing myself it wasn't. Sure, it stemmed off of your deduction, but in the end it was my own doing. So don't blame yourself, okay? I'll always accept you in my heart and in my arms."
At this point, Shuichi didn't know whether the wetness on his face was from getting drenched in the rain or from crying. His inconsistent breathing pattern became the sole indicator that it was the latter. Two gentle thumbs caressed his face and to him, also soothed the aching heart he had been suppressing for so long. Getting over the personal guilt from letting his deduction determine Kaede's death was a sure grand feat, but seeing and hearing her accept his presence by her side wasn't what he had expected earlier. Raising his hands to hold hers, he planted on her right palm a tender kiss.
"I never thought... you'd accept me." His eyes shot a loving gaze into hers, painting her cheeks red. "I can't express how much your words mean to me. Are-- Are you telling the truth...?"
She faked a pout, pretending to be offended. "Of course I am! I-- I know I've lied, it'll probably take a lot for you and the others to start trusting me again, but I'm being sincere about this. That's why I need you to be confident about yourself."
From the corner of her eyes, the rain seemed to have abated as they spoke. The lack of roaring thunder convinced her it was the perfect time, even if they couldn't care less about getting wet since their coats already were soaked. "Hey Shuichi, I think the rain's going away... Are you ready to head back? We can talk while we're inside, our friends are probably waiting."
"Ah, you're right." He replied after taking a quick glance of the weather around him. "Let's go."
And with that, the pair headed back to the café, hands intertwined.