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“I hoped I would never have to see you again,” Kaede admitted, pulling her coat more tightly around herself to ward off the chill. “After getting out of the hospital, I was ready to try and move on with my life, away from all the horrible things that happened. I’m sure most of the others felt the same way.” She shook her head, jaw clenching. All she could see behind her eyelids were bright splatters of blood and gore, Rantaro’s skull cracked open as easily as an egg. The fact that he was now alive and well did little to dispel it.
“How rude.” Tsumugi clicked her tongue, taking a few steps closer to lean against the brick wall beside her. At such close range, Kaede could make out the dark circles under her eyes, dulled by a thick layer of concealer. “Chance meetings are fate—they shouldn’t be dismissed. Even plain old me is familiar with tropes like that.”
“We’re outside the Team Danganronpa building on the day everyone from our season was told to come. Not much of a chance meeting. Look, just...you get that we’re being forced into this, right? You’re the only one who still wants to be involved in all this, so just keep your distance and stop pretending you don’t have anything to answer for.” The gray, blustery winter afternoon hadn’t changed one bit, but she felt warmer, fueled by the passion bubbling up within her.
Just as Kaede was pushing off from the wall, about to head back into the building and resume negotiations, Tsumugi said, “Harukawa-san was far more accepting. She even protected me from some awful thugs recently, you know.” She giggled, winding a lock of deep blue hair around and around her finger. “Who would’ve imagined her being the kinder one between the two of you?”
Kaede froze in place, lips slightly parted in surprise. The sky began to spit out wet snowflakes, spiraling down endlessly from the thick sheet of cloud cover. They melted upon contact with the sidewalk in front of her, leaving behind tiny spots of dampness. They were getting caught in the loose waves of Tsumugi’s hair too, adorning her like some kind of ice princess. Kaede’s lungs were burning. Sometimes she still forgot how to breathe.
“You’re lying,” she said. “There’s no way Maki’s been seeing you.”
“Hmm, are you jealous? There’s really no need to be. I’m happy to share. I bet she would be too, not that anything’s official just yet. You and I have always had chemistry, don’t you think?”
She scoffed, already feeling the heat rising to her cheeks unbidden. “You won’t get away with making things up to provoke me. I’ll be checking with Maki. She’ll tell me the truth.”
“Go ahead.” Tsumugi shrugged. Exhaling a frozen cloud of water vapor, she sauntered closer, raising a hand to Kaede’s face. She stiffened at the touch, acutely aware of each finger cupping her cheek. “I notice you have nothing to say about our chemistry. Can’t deny it, can you?”
“Maybe there was something.” Each word was forced out through gritted teeth. A crazed, mortified part of her wanted to turn her head and bite Tsumugi’s hand. “But that was before I knew who you really were.”
“Is that so? Mm, suit yourself then. I know you’ll be back.” Tsumugi smiled, looking as if she was about to retreat. Instead, she just leaned in closer, pressing cold, gloss-slicked lips to Kaede’s own. The pale hand fell from her face, offering a playful wave once they parted.
Tsumugi strolled back to the building’s entrance, leaving Kaede alone in the swirling snow.