Chapter Text
Kazuichi slowly blinked awake. When was the last time he had gotten so much sleep? He always felt so exhausted, but it seemed like he was never resting. Especially not on this horrid island.
He shot up in bed. Shit, he totally forgot to put the monitor back together last night—he missed the morning announcement completely.
Night was always hard for Kazuichi. He didn’t enjoy being alone with his thoughts, and so the only way to stop them was by focusing on the nearest machine. Disassemble, reassemble, over and over again. Focus on the inner workings of metal, not your mind. He had toyed with all the gadgets in his room by this point. Last night, his victim had been the monitor. How long had he stayed up?
He weaved through the tools and parts littering the floor. He could fix the monitor later. It wouldn’t take long, and it’s not like he had much else to do. He checked his e-Handbook for the time—he could still make it to the morning meeting. It wasn’t too late yet. They were probably still chatting and eating.
He blinked at his reflection: his hair stuck out in every direction. He had accepted defeat long ago, but he still tried to brush down the unruly sight. There was no saving it: his hair was totally fried. That’s what he got for bleaching and dying it so much. At least he had his beanie to cover the worst of it. He put in his contacts, squinting as his eyes adjusted. He leaned towards the mirror, thickly applying eyeliner.
The morning meetings weren’t the worst, but they were just so early. The best thing they offered were opportunities to chat with Sonia. Unfortunately, no matter how early he tried to arrive, Gundham was always sitting there beside her already. He was probably there right now, the two of them talking about how lazy Kazuichi was, even though he tried really hard all the time and barely got any sleep.
Gundham: with his stupid coat, and his stupid scarf, and his stupid hamsters. How was he even able to wear so many layers in this heat? He’d only seen him take his coat off once, and that was at the beach. Even then, he’d still had his scarf on. He remembered it clearly:
Kazuichi had left the ocean to grab an energy drink. He looked at one of his classmates who was stationed on the shore. He stood out as much as Kazuichi, just in the opposite sense. He was quiet and covered in darkness, while Kazuichi was loud and bright. He moved to sit beside him with a grin.
“Whatchu doin?”
He jumped, startled by either his presence or his conversation.
“I am constructing a base worthy of my devas.”
“Huh.. you mean the hamsters?” He pointed at one of the furry creatures that was sitting on the sand castle.
“They’re not hamsters, you fiend. They are my four dark devas of destruction.”
Kazuichi couldn’t help but to laugh. This guy spoke in pure nonsense, and yet it was oddly charming.
“You should come swimming, the water’s super nice!”
He shook his head. “I must attend to my beasts.”
“Some other time, then?”
He spoke noticeably softer at that. “..That would be nice.”
Kazuichi stayed beside him for a moment, looking closely at him. He had turned red at the remark, and was now hiding in his scarf. The sun highlighted his features. His cheeks, his eyes—
He slapped his face lightly. He had barely known him back then. Why was he thinking about this? Who cared about Gundham? It was clear that he was just a barrier to Kazuichi’s true goal: getting the perfect girlfriend. He redirected his thoughts to Sonia, where they should’ve been the whole time.
He pondered the topic as he left his cottage. Talking to girls—to anyone—was hard. Sonia was especially hard to read. He just needed to get her to like him. She was perfect. A stunning, smart, and kind woman. If Kazuichi had a girl like her it would mean he was doing something right. She was a princess and he just needed to prove that he could be her knight.
Today he would make real progress, he was sure of it.
Kazuichi spotted Gundham leaving his cottage at the same time as him. Their eyes met, and they both froze. Gundham’s mouth began to quirk up in a smirk.
Nope. Kazuichi spun on his heel and began to walk away. It was way too early for this. Gundham always managed to wiggle his way right back into Kazuichi’s mind somehow. He didn’t need a headache from this guy right now.
His wrist was tightly grabbed, forcing him to stop. He growled as he looked over his shoulder.
“My, my, Kazuichi! You shouldn’t traverse this realm alone! Allow me to accompany you,” Gundham proclaimed.
“What? Why would I do that!?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I am sure that the other lowly mortals seek to conquer what is mine. I cannot allow that.”
As if that was an explanation at all. Kazuichi scoffed, feeling hyper aware of the grip on his wrist. Gundham leaned closer, a serious expression on his face. His hand slipped into Kazuichi’s.
“I see it now: You are my destiny.”
“Huh!? Get away from me!” Kazuichi yelped. He shoved Gundham back and ran towards the hotel.
What the hell? This had to be the weirdest thing Gundham had ever said, and he said a lot of weird shit. His face felt like it was on fire. What was wrong with him? Was this some weird way of messing with him? Some new fucked up way to get into his head, as if he wasn’t already in there? He threw the door open, his heart pounding out of his chest. He spotted Hajime and ran to hide behind him.
“Hajime, help me!”
“Kazuichi? What’s going on?”
“There’s something seriously wrong with Gundham! You have to keep him away from me,” he pleaded, tugging on his beanie.
“What are you talking about?”
“He’s being really creepy! He’s freaking me out!”
“I suggest we tie Gundham up!” Nagito chirped from next to Hajime.
“You’re always so cruel to him! You should try to get along,” Sonia reprimanded, wagging her finger at Kazuichi.
“M-miss Sonia.. you don’t understand-“
“I demand it!”
He bit his tongue and continued clinging to Hajime.
“Geez! He’s such a pushover,” Hiyoko spat.
“Anyways, about the-“
The door slammed open once more as Gundham entered.
“Kazuichi!” He sounded desperate. “This realm weeps at our separation. The Thread of Fate that ties us together cannot be unwound so easily.” His eyes scanned the room until they found his target. He marched over and yanked Kazuichi away from Hajime, glaring. He held on to Kazuichi’s arm possessively.
“Do not part from me again.”
“AGHH!! Stop saying creepy stuff! Get off me!” Kazuichi cried as he tried to pull free. He looked to Hajime for help, who sighed in response.
“Stop bothering him, Gundham,” Hajime said flatly, reaching to pull him off. Gundham moved backwards, dragging Kazuichi with him.
“If you value your life, I suggest you stay back, fiend. Kazuichi is mine,” Gundham snarled, pulling Kazuichi closer. Everyone stared with wide eyes.
“How much did I miss while I was in the hospital..?” Fuyuhiko mumbled.
“Haha! No way! That highlighter bitch and lord dorkiness are the ugliest couple I’ve ever seen,” Hiyoko sneered. “They’re almost as ugly as Mikan.”
“W-w-why must you be s-so mean to me!?” she squeaked.
“H-Hey! We are NOT a couple! I only have eyes for miss Sonia!” Kazuichi tried to defend himself as the commotion grew. His face burned with embarrassment.
“Umm.. K-Kazuichi? C-c-can you feel his f-forehead for me?” Mikan nervously requested, tapping her fingers together.
“Why do I have to!? I don’t want to touch this jerk!”
“Eek! I-I-I’m s-sorry, it’s just that h-he might be s-sick!”She cowered, hiding behind her hands.
Sheesh, she needed to calm down for once—she really knew how to make people feel guilty. He grit his teeth and slapped the back of his hand onto Gundham’s forehead, who hummed happily in response.
“Woah! He’s burning up!”
“So, it’s just like the others, then..” Hajime said thoughtfully.
“Puhuhuhu…” Kazuichi jumped as Monokuma laughed. That creepy bear always managed to spring up out of nowhere.
Monokuma explained the situation to everyone. An illness known as the despair disease was the next motive. Three of their classmates had been infected with it already, including Gundham. Nagito has the liar disease, Ibuki has the gullible disease-
“And Gundham has.. some kind of love disease, I guess? Try to keep it PG-13, you two!” Monokuma jeered at them.
“Are you serious!?” Kazuichi whined, horrified. Gundham nestled his head on Kazuichi’s shoulder, clearly not caring about this absurd situation.
“Try to make the murder interesting this time! I’ll be counting on you all!” Monokuma left, leaving Kazuichi without answers.
The group began discussing the situation, but Kazuichi found it impossible to focus on whatever was being said. Gundham was exceedingly warm next to him. Kazuichi had quit fighting him a while ago, finding his efforts to be utterly futile.
How could his rival forget who he was so easily?
His situation was ironic. He’d surely laugh if he was anyone else right now.
Kazuichi was a very physically affectionate person. Hajime could surely attest to that. Yet he wasn’t used to others returning that affection. It was weird having someone that willingly wanted to be close to him. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. He felt strangely awkward. Their points of contact burned through his clothing, leaving his skin feeling marked. It was disgustingly vulnerable, especially in front of all their classmates. It was even more revolting that he liked this intimacy. He wondered if he was diseased too with how deprived he felt. It wasn’t his fault his body reacted the way it did. The warmth was comforting. He stayed very still.
A creeping guilt rooted itself in him. This was all entirely wrong, yet there was nothing he could do about it. He’d already caused enough of a scene. If he fought too hard, they might see him as fragile. If he didn’t fight enough, then they might think he likes this. If it was Sonia who had been infected instead, it would’ve been easier to know what to do. His mind wouldn’t be spinning as much. He wouldn’t be as nervous.
Kazuichi had always made sure to keep his distance from Gundham. He wasn’t entirely sure why, but he knew it was necessary. Yet now here he was, attached to Kazuichi like he was his lifeline. He should’ve enjoyed the idea of getting to taunt Gundham for this later, but it only made him feel as though he were in trouble for breaking an unspoken rule.
The world really was just playing one giant trick on him. Putting him so close to him. Close enough to touch, to feel. People aren’t supposed to listen to intrusive thoughts. Thoughts like those were a temptation, a trial that had to be pushed aside and overcome.
Love was something that appealed to girls, and it was a guy’s job to play into that. Keep a girl happy and you’re set for life, that’s what his dad always told him. It didn’t matter how well you got along. Relationships were just a game of pretend. A game that he needed to win.
“..Hey, are you listening?”
Kazuichi flinched as Chiaki poked him. The others were still conversing around him, although the atmosphere had generally calmed.
“Huh!?”
“You’re going to stay at the hospital, since you’ve…” Her eyes drifted over to Gundham, who was leaning on Kazuichi, before sliding back. “..made physical contact with the sick. We don’t want the disease to spread. Hajime and Mikan will also be there,” she stifled a yawn as she explained.
“No way! I don’t want to get sick too!”
“You’ll be fine… Plus, I don’t think we can separate Gundham from you.”
“Dammit.. This is the worst! Why does he have to be so obsessed with me?”
Chiaki stared at him. She always took her time, as if there was nothing crazy or insane going on around her. It made absolutely zero sense to him how she was always so calm.
“You were the first person he saw this morning, right? That might be why… I think.”
She was as unsure as always, but Kazuichi found the answer acceptable. Yeah, Gundham probably just ogled the first person he noticed. He was sick after all. It had nothing to do with Kazuichi himself.
“O-oh.. Yeah, you’re probably right. Thanks, Chiaki!”
She gave him a pleased thumbs up.
Kazuichi rummaged through different electronics. They were all junk—none of them looked promising at all. He had wanted to help everyone and prove his usefulness, but he found himself rethinking his choices. He had offered to build a communication device when they’d arrived at the hospital, but he wasn’t sure how feasible that plan actually was. A lot of the machines on this island lacked vital components that made them work, so he wasn’t sure if any of these devices would even be able to turn on.
He had known this when he had made his suggestion though. His thoughts had been scattered all day, and he wasn’t good at making sense of his brain—not when his thoughts were pointing and prodding in every direction. He didn’t want to think about any of it. None of it made any sense. Machines made sense. Machines were simple.
His real aim here was to distract himself from his worries. Unfortunately, his worries had tagged along with him. Gundham stood nearby, watching Kazuichi closely. He still wore his normal (normal?) clothes, but when he went back to the hospital he’d have to put on one of those hospital gowns, per Mikan’s request. He had really tried to convince Gundham to stay behind, but he insisted on staying with Kazuichi.
He tried to keep his gaze fixed on the electronics, blocking out the silhouette beside him. After a while, he managed to find a promising looking device. Bingo!
He grinned wide, cheering at his victory. Now to check out this baby’s functions! He sat on the ground, flipping the device around and inspecting its nooks and crannies before beginning to take it apart.
“Your skill is a spectacle to behold,” Gundham spoke up after a while of watching. From the corner of his vision he saw that Gundham had sat down across from him. He was grateful for the space put between them.
“Mm.. Can’t be that exciting,” he replied, focused on a wire.
“I assure you it is. I am honored to be a witness. I hope I can see the full extent of your power one day—your current object is far inferior to you,”he spoke softly, his usual gusto absent. Was it because they were alone?
“All machines are inferior to me. There’s not a single one I can’t figure out!”
“I don’t doubt the scope of your skill.”
“Good,” he hummed.
It was nice to have someone to chat with while working. Even if that someone was a bit deluded. It was amusing to be praised so much, but he knew none of it was truly genuine.
A comfortable silence settled between them. Gundham pulled out a journal, which he scribbled in occasionally. Kazuichi worked away, even as darkness began to fall.
“This is nice. Why don’t we convene like this more often?”
The sincerity snapped his attention. Gundham was looking at Kazuichi’s hands, but his eyes slowly moved up to meet his.
“Wh-what? You don’t know what you’re saying,” he scoffed, feeling weirdly defensive.
Gundham frowned. “Your presence deeply intrigues me. You’re unlike other mortals,” he spoke slowly, as if he were aware of the words coming out of his mouth. As if they held any real meaning. As if they weren’t the words of someone sick.
He stiffened, his eyes narrowing. His grip tightened on the screwdriver he was holding.
“You hate me—I hate you.”
“I have never once claimed that!”
“Well, you’re sick right now, so it doesn’t matter anyway!” He felt a little breathless.
“Then seek me out when I am not. However, I assure you that my stance will not change.”
“No way,” he bit out. He’d rather forget this whole ordeal ever happened.
“..Are you well? Your stamina is often depleted. You rely on your potions to keep you conscious.” Gundham paused, his eyes dipping to the energy drinks littered around Kazuichi. He felt lightheaded. “Most days you carry multiple on you.”
“Well, yeah, they’re good. And I’m fine.”
“Hmph.. if you insist.”
He felt his body grow tense. This disease was the worst. Why couldn’t he be more obviously sick? Gundham gestured and spoke like he was himself, it was just the words that were all wrong. Even though he knew it was just the disease, he couldn’t stop his words from haunting him.
Why couldn’t he just say things like, ‘wow Kazuichi you’re so awesome!’ instead of such specific stuff. It was too personal like this. Hearing words like that come from Gundham’s mouth. It flickered something inside him. He wasn’t going to entertain it, he couldn’t.
‘Seek me out when I am not..’ What did he think was going to happen? Did he really think that he could have feelings for Kazuichi? The thought made him feel embarrassed. This was all so nauseating and confusing. His hands shook—he clenched them tight.
He’s sick. You aren’t sick. Don’t listen to him.
Pressure, pounding and crushing his brain. Like a wind roaring in his ears, like there was no world outside of him and Gundham.
He desperately sought refuge, ripping his gaze away and desperately fiddling with the device. It was practically done, so he hastily screwed and unscrewed components, doing anything to feign the idea of being busy. He paused as he saw pink at the end of his screwdriver.
He winced as he registered the pain. Shit. He must have accidentally dug the screwdriver into his palm earlier, breaking the skin. He poked and prodded at the cut, trying to figure out how bad it was. It didn’t look that serious..? He was no doctor, but he’d cut himself worse before, so he should be fine.
Gundham reached over, grabbing his hand. Kazuichi was ready to yell at him and pull away, but he paused. Gundham moved carefully, wrapping a bandage around Kazuichi’s hand. Kazuichi watched quietly, not daring to move.
“The devas are fierce beasts. I carry bandages just in case,” he explained. He leaned back as he finished tying it. Kazuichi stared at his palm, examining Gundham’s handiwork.
“Wow.. We’re matching!” Kazuichi noted, unable to hide his excitement at the idea. He always wanted a friend he could match with. He had tried to get Hajime to match with him before, but he had refused.
“Everyone will know of our bond now.”
“Wait- I mean- N-Not that I want to match someone like you!”
Kazuichi and Gundham returned to the hospital with the finished devices with time to spare. Gundham was immediately ushered to his room by Mikan, who finally had the chance to evaluate him. Kazuichi happily explained how the machine worked to Hajime, who nodded along in confusion.
Then, he went and delivered the other device to Sonia, re-explaining it once more.
“...So that’s the gist! It’s pretty nice, don’t you think?” He beamed proudly. He wasn’t confident in much, but he could always count on his machinery. There was no way she wouldn’t be impressed. He built it from random junk, and in less than a day!
“Hmm.. I see.” She paused, taking in what he had told her. Her fingers hovered near the buttons, memorizing their functions. “How is Gundham doing? Is he okay?”
“S-seriously? Not even a thanks?” He sighed. He shouldn’t be that surprised. “He’s fine.. I finally managed to get away from him for five seconds.”
“I’m worried for him.. I was in the library earlier, and I couldn’t find any mentions of this ‘despair disease’ nor those small insects Monokuma mentioned at all.”
Kazuichi rocked back and forth on his heels, trying to figure out what he was supposed to say to her.
“What if it’s fatal? Or turns them into zombies!?” Her initial concern turned to excitement as she continued on. “It might mess with his mind forever, I’ve seen similar happen! Like in…”
She continued rambling about a show that he’d never heard of before, insisting that it must be based on reality. He awkwardly smiled as she spoke, unable to keep up. She went into detail about multiple diseases, their various side effects, and how they might be connected to the despair disease. He felt his skin prickle at her descriptions. Were girls really into diseases? He shifted uncomfortably. He hated thinking about stuff like that. It always reminded him of his own mortality. There were enough reminders of that around here already. She was at least talking to him so that had to count for something?
“Don’t worry, miss Sonia. Gundham’s, like, a demon or whatever, so I doubt he can die anyway.”
Her eyes lit up. “That’s right!”
“Yeah.. Um.. I’m gonna head back now. It was nice seeing you miss Sonia!” He flashed his best grin at her.
“Goodbye, Kazuichi.” She smiled politely and closed the door.
When he finally returned to the hospital, he saw Hajime nodding off at the front desk.
He sighed. He still felt freaked out by Sonia’s conversation. He figured he should probably check on Gundham, in case he had suddenly gotten worse. He walked down the hall and opened the door to his room.
Gundham was lying in bed, with Mikan crouched beside him. She turned as the door opened and quickly put a finger to her mouth, telling Kazuichi to be silent. He stiffened, afraid to move any closer. He wasn’t known for being quiet. He squinted at Gundham’s form, watching his chest rise and fall slowly beneath the blanket. Mikan walked over to him and ushered him into the hall. She turned the room’s light off and closed the door with a small sigh.
“How’s he doing?”
“I-I finally got him to calm down. H-He’s sleeping so t-try not to wake him.”
His gaze lingered on the door, itching to be more helpful than he currently was. He nodded, returning to the main room with her. Hajime was vaguely awake, and so the three of them started discussing the sleeping arrangements. That was, until Monokuma interrupted and told them that only one of them could stay in the hospital. It was decided that Mikan would stay, and so Hajime and Kazuichi were forced to walk all the way back to their cottages.
Geez, he was so tired.