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Shuichi’s body felt weightless as he wandered through the ruined city. Somehow, he’d been separated from Maki and Himiko, yet he was unbothered. A strange, cloudy feeling filled his head as he walked aimlessly.
“Why are you here?” Shuichi heard his own voice from somewhere behind him. Turning back he saw… himself, but not himself. The other boy was wearing an unfamiliar uniform, and his cold eyes were shaded over by the hat that Shuichi had long since discarded.
“Who are you?” Shuichi asked instead of answering him.
“Shouldn’t you already know?” The boy— Kagehara, somewhere in Shuichi’s brain supplied— said with a sneer.
“If you're here, then this isn’t real.” Shuichi sighed. In the end, this was just another pointless nightmare.
“Real or fake, there’s no difference. You know that better than anyone. And I’m much more than a figment of your imagination.”
“Then what are you?”
“I dunno.” Kagehara shrugged and stepped closer to Shuichi. “But forget all that. You’re so boring, y’know? Shouldn’t you be begging me for answers about your old life? Or at least asking why I signed my life away to Team Danganronpa?”
“I don’t want to know details about a life I never lived. My own memories are enough, even if they were fabricated.” Shuichi’s head spun, he felt as if he might collapse any second. Despite that, he acted unbothered by it.
“I could’ve guessed that, but I was hoping otherwise.” Kagehara got closer to Shuichi again, not stopping until their faces were only inches apart. “Y’know… I can’t stand you.”
“What?” That certainly caught Shuichi off guard.
“You’re exactly who I always wanted to be. Loved, a genius, a hero, yet still humble. You’re the whole package. I wanted my life to be worth something, that’s why I chose to become you. But instead I’m still around, forced to see you fulfill all my dreams while I’m left to rot.” Kagehara’s eyes glared into Shuichi’s. However, his gaze didn’t carry the pure hate that his words implied. They seemed only frustrated and desperate.
Shuichi wondered what Kagehara expected him to say. He got the impression that there was no ‘correct’ reply.
“Forget it.” Kagehara suddenly turned away from him.
As he began to walk away, Shuichi’s hand shot forward and grabbed his wrist. “Wait!”
“Spare me your pity.” Kagehara spat out.
“That’s not it.” Shuichi forced back his fear, looking directly into Kagehara's eyes. “If you really hate me so much, why did you come here?”
“I…” Kagehara grimaced slightly. “Fine. It’s ‘cause, as much as you piss me off, I wanna be better than you. If I had even a single thing over someone as perfect as you, my life would have some value. But even more than that…”
Kagehara’s mouth clamped shut, he refused to meet Shuichi’s gaze. Shuichi gently took one of his hands into his own, rubbing his thumb against the back of it in a gentle encouragement.
“I wanted you to acknowledge me.” He admitted, still looking away.
“You don’t need to prove your life has worth.” Shuichi said gently. “And you don’t need to struggle for my acknowledgement.”
Kagehara said nothing. His hands tightened into fists and he bit his lip, clearly holding something back. Finally, he admitted, “I feel like such an idiot. I shouldn’t be so desperate for your attention. I don’t even know you.”
Shuichi hummed softly. “I get it. It felt so nice to be acknowledged by Kaede and Kaito even when I barely knew them. It’s no different for you to feel like that too.”
“You’re so…” Kagehara trailed off. Although he couldn’t get his thoughts out, Shuichi could tell it wasn’t hostile like before.
The two sat in silence for a moment after that. It wasn’t uncomfortable per say, but the atmosphere was heavy.
“Can I… hug you?” Shuichi suddenly asked.
Kagehara looked surprised but nodded hesitantly. Shuichi gently wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. Kagehara was tense for most of it, seemingly not used to the feeling.
“I dunno what to do in situations like this.” Kagehara admitted. “Nobody’s ever wanted me around long enough to do stuff like this.”
“I want you around.” Shuichi reassured him. Kagehara’s eyes started watering, and he pressed his face into Shuichi’s shoulder.
“I don’t believe you.” He said between quiet sobs. “I want to, but I don’t.”
Shuichi said nothing, knowing there wasn’t anything that could change Kagehara’s mind. Instead, he gently ran his fingers through his hair in a silent attempt at comfort. The two sat like that in silence until Kagehara’s crying began to cease.
“I hate how jealous of you I am.” Kagehara mumbled, wiping the remaining tears from his eyes.
“It’s okay to feel like that.” Shuichi responded gently, though Kagehara still looked unconvinced. Even if his insecurities couldn’t be erased with simple words, Shuichi would say them anyway.
Shuichi wasn’t sure exactly how long the two sat there for, simply existing in each other’s presence. It could’ve been anywhere from a minute to several hours. The silence was comfortable though. There was no need for forced conversation, they simply let themselves have peace. Eventually though, Kagehara pulled away from the embrace.
“Go home.” He suddenly said, to Shuichi’s surprise. He started to panic, wondering if he’d done something wrong. Kagehara must’ve realized this since he grabbed Shuichi’s hands, mimicking the way he’d been comforted earlier. “It’s almost sunrise. Your friends will panic if you don’t wake up.”
“Oh…” Shuichi’s heart settled back down. “Ah, but… Will you be okay? It’s kinda sudden for me to up and leave while you’re still—”
“It’s fine. I’ve managed on my own for longer. Besides, it’s not like we’ll never see each other again. I’ll be here tomorrow night as well. And probably every night after. I don’t exactly have other places to be.”
Shuichi nodded hesitantly. He let go of Kagehara and shakily waved before letting himself wake up. It was a strange sensation, as if the clouds in his mind fully took over and forced him elsewhere.
When he awoke, he still felt somewhat dazed, but was more able to get a grasp on his surroundings. He was back in the temporary camp he, Maki and Himiko had set up. They were still asleep which meant Shuichi was alone for now.
Strangely though, he felt like someone else was there too.