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Cats aren't the only beings to have multiple lives. Once Kokichi had been told everything, that was one of his first coherent thoughts. He still remembered everything about his last moments in the ‘game’, and his first moments in the ‘real world’. Both worlds were real to him. Their so-called game had made him, shaped his life and personality and contained everything he loved and remembered. It made Rantaro, his Rantaro. It made Shuichi. It made everyone.
Kokichi still raised the issue of his death to Team Danganronpa, no matter how many times they would try and shame him for being petty. His main issue with it was that it had hurt. It had hurt. The feeling of bones breaking, and a small part of him glad he was dying because the pain was so bad. Kokichi raised the point they really didn’t need to make him feel that pain - he was already dying. They gave the excuse that Kaito might have saved him. Kokichi almost hit the person who said that, but Rantaro got there first.
Waking up was something Kokichi also remembered. Being in some darkened place, but without the pain. Well, there had been phantom pain for a few second - but then it went away. He felt pressure around his head, although it was barely pinching. He felt something in his arm as well, although that was more odd than painful. Yet it was the same black and oppressive darkness as the press, as his death, and Kokichi began to thrash around.
“Kokichi!” Keebo’s voice, ironically, made him too shocked to panic, “Do not worry, you are safe. You have a helmet on currently, can a friend take it off?”
Even though it was no less frightening, the presence of Keebo allowed Kokichi to gather himself. You can’t let anyone see you like this. He tried to speak loudly, cheerfully, but when he called out his voice broke, “Kee-”
Kokichi coughed, then pushed through, “Kee-boy, you reaalllly care about me? And you don’t need to lie - I know you don’t have friends!”
“That is not true! And robophobic!”
Keebo’s voice distracted Kokichi from the pain in his own, almost as if he hadn’t been talking for ages. But the pain didn’t distract him from hearing a low laugh in the background. He was just about to question it before Kee-boy spoke again, “Can I take the helmet off?”
Making sure his relief didn’t seep into his voice, Kokichi answered, “Yeah, sure. Whatevs. No big deal.”
Hands were placed by his helmet, and Kokichi shivered. The instructions came again, “This may hurt. And please do not panic!”
Kokichi remembered the helmet being pulled off, and then suddenly seeing Rantaro. Dropping the ugly thing and looking at him with eyes of love and concern. Kokichi tried to stumble out into his arms, but instead collapsed half way through - being caught by the green haired boy. A jolt of pain shot through him as he hit the floor, but it was mainly happiness. Weakly, he had looked up, “You’re… alive.”
“Yeah… hey ‘Kichi.”
“Love you.”
And on those momentous words, Kokichi had passed out. But it wasn’t all bad, Kokichi had started to recover. The group as a whole was getting better, and now they were getting matching tattoos. Or, almost matching tattoos. They had decided to get two circles, one coloured and one just an outline - to represent their lives. They had two, one was gone - but now they had a new one. Except the surviving trio, both of their circles would be silhouettes. Because they were pretty lame, surviving so long. Kokichi liked to tease them by calling them ‘try-hards’ and then hiding behind Rantaro when Maki glared at him.
Looking up, Kokichi smiles at Rantaro. His first words out of the simulation were an odd confession, but their relationship is working. And, as Kokichi squeezes his boyfriend’s hand, he wouldn’t have it any other way.