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Still trying to wake up, Shuichi was walking around the school - completely aimlessly, but it was still nice… in a way. Everything was so peaceful, the plants around, the quietness - he could almost forget about this place. Oddly, the school didn’t look as threatening in the dark - because it looked just like that. A normal school, all its eccentricities hidden away enough that the faint light from his torch didn’t touch them. And nighttime was also nice, because of how quietly mournful it seemed.
Moving slowly through the corridors again, Shuichi suddenly tensed as he was light cascading out of an open door-way, into one of the corridors. His first instinct was to reach behind him, as if to grab a weapon that didn’t exist. His second instinct was to scold himself. It was just the dining hall’s door open; a very public place at that. No-one would be doing anything stupid in there; and he didn’t believe anyone left was capable of murder.
But none of the students should be able to get into the dining hall at night time either… Turning off the torch and pocketing it, Shuichi crept forward again - standing right outside the door and trying to take calming voices. Then, still silently, he sidestepped and peered into the open room. There was no-one there, but the light was definitely on. Looking around, Shuichi realised the kitchen door was slightly open as well.
Trying to be silent still, Shuichi moved across the dining hall - eventually standing right next to the door. Although, it was positioned in such a way that no-one could see inside it without opening it. Taking another breath, Shuichi pushed open the door - immediately looking around for what he could see.
The door swung open with a loud creak, instantly startling the boy inside. Kokichi jumped immediately, moving erratically - and taking the knife down on the tip of his finger in nervousness. Whipping around, knife still in hand - Kokichi held it up at Shuichi, before seeing who it was as he instantly relaxed. There was a second as the two stared at each other, Shuichi’s eyes drawn to the blood that was now pooling at Kokichi’s finger, dripping down onto the floor.
“Kokichi, I’m so sorry,” Shuichi said, instantly moving forwards towards the other boy, “I didn’t- I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t scare me,” Kokichi immediately said, “I’m too cool to be scared by stuff like that, y’know? I am the supreme leader of an evil organisation - so of course I get assassination attempts happening all the time, like, seriously! Loooads of-”
“How badly hurt are you?” Shuichi didn’t always like interrupting, but he also knew that Kokichi could ramble. Especially if he was hurt, or scared; Kokichi would often keep talking until the conversation had shifted away sufficiently. The others hadn’t noticed, but Shuichi did. He paid attention to Kokcihi.
“Pfft, like a knife could hurt me,” Kokichi was still grinning, “Hey, d'you wanna help me make a fake blood trail to scare everyone?”
“I want,” Shuichi said firmly, “To make sure your hand is ok. Are there any bandages in here?”
“Awww, is my Shuichi worried about me?”
“You're bleeding.”
“Yeah, but like I said - loooads of assassinations.”
“Sure.” He knew it was counter-productive, but Shuichi couldn’t help but smile. Looking around again, Shuichi took a clean cloth from one of the counters and lightly wrapped it around Kokichi’s hand, trying not to blush or look away at the contact. Surprisingly, Kokichi didn’t flinch at the contact; he just stayed there, patiently waiting. It was only when Shuichi removed his hand that Kokichi began to grin, “Y’know - I think you just wanted an excuse to touch me.”
“W-What?” Shuichi said immediately, voice slightly shaking, and his face blushing, “I just don’t want you to be hurt, that’s all.”
“Nishishi, Shuichi’s sooo embarrassed, and he’s doing allll these things for me-” Kokichi tilted his head slightly, thinking while wearing a smile “-maybe he really does care?”
Finally locating some band-aids, Shuichi took the box out, facing Kokichi again, “I do care.”
“Really?” Kokichi took a step forward, closing most of the distance between them, “Do you reeeally care?”
“Yes.” Shuichi said firmly, “Ok. Do you want an… off-skin-colour band-aid or a blue one?”
“Isn’t there a purple one?” Kokichi gestured to himself, a small droplet of blood flying to the floor as he motioned with his hand, “I have a brand, y’know.”
“Would you like a princess one?” Shuichi asked sarcastically, holding up the other box he found; one with band-aids that were pink, with some princess or another on.
“Oooh!” Kokichi’s eyes sparkled slightly, “Attend to my wound, Shumai!”
“With the princess one?” Shuichi asked, although he knew what the answer would be.
“Yup,” Kokichi held out his hand, “I don’t have all night, y’know?”
Staying silent, Shuichi wrapped the band-aid around Kokichi’s finger. “Be safe… please.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Kokichi returned to the knife, frowning at it, “You’ve ruined my dinner Shumai!”
“I’m… sorry?”
“Make it up to me!”
“How?”
“Here!” At an almost startling speed, Kokichi put the knife in Shuichi’s hand - somehow without any injuries. “You can chop my tofu for me!”
“Sure,” Shuichi said, moving closer to the counter, “How big, and in what shape?”
“You can do different shapes?” Kokichi’s eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas, “Can you do crowns, or hearts?”
“I can do triangles, cuboids, and stars,” Shuichi corrected, waiting to see what Kokichi would want.
“Make me stars!”
“Ok. How big do you want them?”
“How big d’you recommend for miso soup?” Kokichi asked, glancing at the other ingredients and preparation around, “Kirumi did it with a centimetre, so I’ve been doing that.”
“I can do one centimetre.” Shuichi confirmed, and for a few minutes the two worked in silence - Kokichi preparing a few other things, before giving up and rummaging in the cupboards to see if he could find any cool snacks. Every now and then he’d let out an ‘oooh’ or another noise of appreciation, before sticking whatever it was he found in one of his pockets. Eventually, Shuichi turned off the heat and got two bowls out, offering one to Kokichi. “How are you here?”
“Cause we’re trapped here, duh.”
“No, I mean in the kitchen.”
There was a second when Kokichi took a large mouthful of soup, trying to avoid the question with a smile, “Cause I was hungry.”
Shaking his head slightly, Shuichi continued to press, “I did mean the kitchen. We’re not allowed to be in here at nightime.”
“It’s the dining hall we’re not allowed to be in,” Kokichi pointed out slyly, “And Monokuma’s pretty slow, so you can just run across from the corridor to the kitchen.”
He had another spoonful of soup, before pointing out, “Besides, I’m, like, toooootally his favourite - this is just one of the perks!”
“Night-time miso soup?” Shuichi asked, even though he had to admit something about the food was comforting.
“Well, I have a bunch of other stuff as well, obviously.”
“Obviously.”
“Yup! But if I told you, I’d have to kill you, y’know?”
Shuichi let himself laugh a little as he had more of the soup, mulling the situation over as he swallowed a bite of tofu. It was late at night, and he was just sitting in a technically-not-out-of-bounds-but-should-be area, while having miso soup with Kokichi Oma - of all people. And he was enjoying it. There was something about Kokichi’s personality that just… cheered Shuichi up, helped him relax in a way. Especially when the two were just sitting together and eating, like they were now.
“Do you… come here often?” Shuichi ended up asking, turning a shade of pink as he realised only slightly too late what he had said.
“Neeheehee, are you flirting with me?” Kokichi teased, “And no, not really. Do you wander off a lot, mr detective?”
“No…” Shuichi answered, after a second of thinking about it. “I don’t usually eat late at night.”
The two sat together for slightly longer, before there was a faint rustling sound as Kokichi dug something from out of his pocket. Offering up sugar of some type, he smiled at Shuichi, “Here.”
“Thank you, Kokichi.”
“No problem, just don’t get used to it - kay?”