Work Text:
The musty smell of the basement made Kaede’s nose wrinkle in disgust. The time she spent here earlier with Shuichi to prepare their set-up hadn’t been enough to make her used to it. She didn’t want to get used to it either, the entire point was to catch the mastermind and escape as soon as possible.
Truly, the only reason she came down here in the first place was to make sure everything still stood right. The time limit coming closer and closer nerved her. Was there any use to checking this far ahead of the timer? Probably not, but what else was she supposed to do?
She entered the library, aiming her eyes at the top of the shelves, but instead finding them drawn to the other person in the room.
Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid, stood hunched over a pile of forgotten books, organizing them one by one. It wasn’t an unusual idea for Kirumi wanting to take on the mess - seriously, why had so many books been tossed here in the first place? - as it surely must have been an eyesore to her. But it also brought a concern along.
“Kirumi?” she called out as she walked towards her.
Kirumi immediately perked up with a book still in her arms. Her back straightened, ready to receive a request. “Ah, Kaede, hello. Do you require my assistance with anything?”
“No. Just, uh… Wondering what you’re doing.”
“I am cleaning the library.”
So Kaede’s hunch was right. She felt her heart spike in her chest and she eyed the top of the shelves.
“However, I have not made much progress yet. None of these books are organized by genre, let alone title or author.”
A soft breath of relief escaped Kaede’s chest. She hadn’t been found out. Oh, and neither had her and Shuichi’s plan been. Still, if it were up to Kirumi she’d run into the cameras soon enough.
“I don’t think it has much use to get started on this anyway,” Kaede quickly argued. “Monokuma would probably just mess it all up again as soon as you turn your back.”
Now Kirumi was the one to sigh, her eyes closing. “I would expect as much as well. But to the very least I’d be able to occupy myself this way.”
Kaede tilted her head a bit, “Occupy yourself?”
“Due to the countdown I am not entirely sure what to do with myself anymore,” she admitted. “I have made some additional attempts to escape, such as checking the Road again-”
“Wait, you went down on your own-?”
“But I could not make it through. I fear there is nothing to do but await the countdown, as is everyone else doing, which has left my list of things-to-do near empty.”
The anxiety in Kirumi’s body was noticeable. While Kaede could never argue she was super close with Kirumi, with them only having known each other for a few days and all, she had taken a good notice of her body language. She tended to fidget her hands on her dress or on her gloves when nervous, or sho a purse in her lips. Right now, she was doing both.
She understood why. Despite having a plan ready, Kaede was extremely nervous herself. Technically speaking something could always go wrong, even if the chances were low.
But the plan would work, it had to for everyone’s sake. And until then, Kaede had to distract herself just as much as Kirumi had to.
In that case they might as well spend said time together, no?
“Hey, Kirumi, do you like to read?”
She blinked herself out of her milling thoughts and returned her attention to Kaede. “Yes, I enjoy a good detective novel.” She raised the novel in her hands, which turned out to be an old copy of a Sherlock Holmes novel Kaede didn’t know the name of. “Detectives were incredibly popular during the Victorian era, much like maids.”
Instead of wondering whether Kirumi started reading detectives for the sole purpose of solidifying her maid persona, Kaede’s thoughts had already raced somewhere completely else as soon as they processed the word ‘Yes’.
“What about romance books?” she chirped. “Like Pride and Prejudice?”
She stared at her for a bit, “... Pride and Prejudice released during the Georgian era, not the Victorian. Wuthering Heights would be another well-known novel you could refer to instead.”
“So you read romances?”
“Well-”
“That’s so sweet!”
“... Sweet?” Kirumi’s face began to twist in confusion.
“Yes! I mean, you don’t express your emotions much, so the image of you getting all glued to a romance story just looks so sweet.” She giggled a little, “Laying on your stomach in bed, kicking your legs as the characters finally kiss after a 200 page slow-burn.”
It wasn’t just that, admittedly. Kaede’s mind ran every which way someone may express being a total softie for romance. From being a secret sucker for Valentine’s Day to corny Christmas movies. She was rather intimated by Kirumi’s position as maid and her corresponding achievements, so to think of her being a typical girly teenager on the inside, just like most others, humanized the maid.
It was a version of her that apparently didn’t exist.
Sensing Kaede’s wild thoughts, Kirumi interrupted her with a bead of sweat rolling down her face. “I apologize, but that is not the case.” She put the book on a tower she had built earlier. “I do not generally read romance novels.”
“Whaaat?” Kaede whined at her bubble being burst. “How is that possible? It’s fun to imagine yourself being in the shoes of the woman and getting swooned.” For dramatic effect, she put a hand to her forehead and leaned backward a bit.
Kirumi wasn’t very impressed based on her blank stare.
She awkwardly set herself upright again, “Come on, Kirumi. Don’t you ever indulge in a romantic fantasy?”
Her head shook and her hands met by her lap, “It’s not befitting for a maid.”
… Huh?
Kaede’s expression twisted and turned. If anything, a maid falling in love with someone seemed like a pretty common romance plot. Cinderella, anyone? She staggered, “That’s nonsense, Kirumi! Love isn’t limited to social status.”
“I am aware.”
“Then what gives?” she crossed her arms now, an obvious sign of growing upset. Not because she was actually angry with Kirumi, mind you. She was simply upset with the general idea of Kirumi putting herself in a box.
Without answering, Kirumi returned to her books and took the next one in hand. A romance novel, judging by the lovers on the cover. She stared at it for a bit with a look Kaede couldn’t quite place. It appeared to be sadness, but why?
Did she think nobody could fall in love with her?
“Hey, I think you’re super pretty. Anybody would be happy to date you.”
Kirumi stopped her movement when putting the book on a different tower. Her face didn’t show and her voice lowered to a near whisper. “I… appreciate the compliment. The same counts for you.”
Well, that clearly wasn’t the problem either.
Kaede continued to ponder. She wasn’t going to let this go without coming to a solution for Kirumi.
Love wasn’t befitting for a maid, but it wasn’t about believing nobody could like her either…
“... Are you afraid you can’t love anyone?”
Kirumi continued organizing by building a new tower. She sounded somewhat annoyed, almost, “Kaede, please let it rest.”
“No, this is important!” she stepped up to Kirumi and put herself between the books, blocking the other from ignoring her. “Are you one of those people who doesn’t feel attraction? It’s totally cool if you are-!”
Her brow drew together, “I am not, but if I were, I do not see how such a thing must be shared with you.”
Kaede still wasn’t ready to back down, even though she should know better. Being nosy is a trait she knew herself to be notorious for, but at the same time she held very little control over her brakes. Her charms helped in not getting people upset with her - heck, she had been nosy with Kirumi before over coddling everyone and that ended perfectly fine.
But this subject proved to be far more personal.
“Then what’s the problem? You deserve to be loved just as much as anyone else, you-”
“Kaede,” Kirumi suddenly snapped.
The sudden counter made Kaede squeak in surprise. Said surprise only grew when she noticed how truly upset Kirumi looked. She had never made such a face before.
“It is, quite frankly, none of your business. Good day.”
With big steps Kirumi left the library, her pace hurrying as soon as she was out of sight.
Kaede stared at the exit for a bit. She grabbed onto her skirt, biting her lip.
Shit.
“Kirumi! Kirumi, where are you?!”
Kaede had been searching the Academy up and down for a while now. She realized the mistake she had made and had to apologize to Kirumi for it. But, no matter where she looked, the maid was nowhere to be seen. It’s as though she had vanished from the earth.
Feeling tired and disappointed in herself, Kaede shuffled towards the kitchen. She needed sugar to pep herself up again and get her out of the negativity. She dreaded being in a fight with people, and Kirumi being upset with her despite not seeming to have a bad bone in her body, made it all the worse.
“Me and my stupid nose, sticking it where it doesn’t belong…”
She entered the kitchen, only to find Kirumi standing right there by the kettle brewing tea.
Why hadn’t she thought to come here immediately? Stupid.
“Kirumi!” Kaede beamed.
“Can I help you?” She didn’t turn to look at Kaede. She expected the other to have returned to dig into her wound once more. The rollout of a very typical customer service voice proved that even more.
Kaede swallowed and kept herself from getting closer, choosing to remain by the entrance for now. “No, I-... I’ve been looking for you to apologize.”
She lightly turned to Kaede.
“You can fill in your life however you want. If that’s without romance, that’s your choice and your choice only. I’m sorry for making it seem otherwise. I just…”
“...”
“Well, you-…” Kaede focused her eyes on the woman in front of her. She knew Kirumi to be a maid through and through, devoting herself to selfless, well, devotion. But, even though it was not her business, said selfless devotion worried Kaede. She worried about Kirumi. “I’m just worried you’re… denying yourself experiences for the wrong reasons.”
The kettle sounded and Kirumi quickly turned the fire off to avoid it from further interrupting their conversation. “Do not fret. I am denying it for the right reasons.”
“... That doesn’t sound like the right combination of words…”
Maybe it was the calming aroma of the tea bag’s spices mixing with the water, maybe it was the thought that Monokuma may soon enough to proceed with his death ultimatum, but Kirumi began to look almost fragile. She parted her lips to answer, pressed them together, and continued doing so for a little while. She contemplated opening up.
Kaede slowly drew close and put a hand on her upper arm, lightly squeezing it. Her puppy eyes broke Kirumi to speak the truth.
“As a maid, it is my task to help my clients fulfill their destiny. My contacts are limited to said clients. I could not possibly fall in love with my customers.”
“That’s understandable, but not everyone is your customer, you know. I know you like to help everyone here, but none of us are your master or anything.”
She shook her head, “Even then, a problem remains… My feelings would get in the way. They would hinder the other from their destiny. My pride as a maid forces me to back down.”
So the problem wasn’t that Kirumi worried nobody could be into her, or that she could not be into someone else. She knew she could be, and that at its core was the problem; she saw her love for another unworthy, trouble, a bother.
A bad influence.
“Kirumi, that’s not at all what love is…!” Kaede took her by her other arm and turned her fully towards her. “The whole point of a relationship is that you grow together! You’re not holding someone back, if anything you can help them rise up.”
Her brow grew difficult. The logic didn’t add up to her.
How could it, a maid’s purpose was to serve, and that’s all she knew.
“Helping someone is not exclusive to being a maid… A friend, a family member, a lover. Anyone can do it. Look, I know you’ll never back down from your position as maid, but,” she squeezed her arms and searched for Kirumi’s emerald eyes, “I think it’s important for you to open yourself up to non-transactional connections.”
Kirumi held her breath. The intent stare of confident violet eyes was hard to break away from.
Kaede felt it too. This lock between them. By some miracle, she’d reached Kirumi.
Clearing her throat, Kaede carefully let go of her. “Do you… think you can do that?”
She pressed her lips together, looking away for a moment. “... I would like to try.”
“Good,” Kaede smiled. “That’s good.”
It became quiet between them.
“... Crap!” Kaede shouted. “I came to apologize for sticking my nose in yout business, and then I went ahead to do it again!”
A light giggle escaped Kirumi’s mouth. “Your persuasion is both your best and your worst quality.”
“So it seems,” she sighed. “I’m sorry, again.”
“It’s quite alright.” She filled a cup with tea and offered it to Kaede. “While I would not recommend pushing someone’s buttons at all times, I might be in need of someone doing so with me every now and then.”
Kaede happily took the cup and blew air into the hot water, “Every now and then you say?”
“Perhaps a little more often…”
She let out a snort and sipped her tea. After some time of the two drinking their tea, Kaede put her cup down and continued the earlier conversation, “So, who are you going to strike with Cupid’s bow?”
Kirumi, too, put her cup down. “... Excuse me?”
“You do have to go on a date now, you know!” she sang. “I want to see a deed. You also said you’d consider my comments about coddling the group, but I have yet to see a change in that.”
Her lips pursed. She didn’t enjoy being caught.
“Come on,” she tilted her head playfully, staring into Kirumi, “if you’re saying all these things, you must have your eyes on someone at least.”
She froze and her pale skin gained a noticeable colour. Her eyes wouldn’t leave Kaede.
Oh.
Oh.
Kaede felt her own body heat up and she quickly broke the gaze, nervously taking to her mug again to fidget. The room got so warm out of a sudden, why couldn’t she be holding a freezing milkshake instead?
And the air. Oh the air was so heavy.
Kirumi loathed it. Her composure fell, “I apologize… I didn’t-”
“Will you go out with me?”
“... Ah?”
Kaede found the confidence to look at Kirumi again. It took everything in her body to release the words, but she felt incredibly relieved to have finally done so. The compliments she gave Kirumi in the basement were genuine. “I’ll take you on a date when we get out of here. Is that… okay to you?”
Silence, again.
Kirumi’s voice barely raised above a whisper as her cheeks turned a complete rosy red, “I’d like that…”
“...” Kaede’s own cheeks bolted into a big smile and her body released a happy hop like a rabbit.
Kirumi blinked at the act.
“Yes, I’m looking forward to it! Maybe we can go to the aquarium- Oh, or, I once read about this cool museum date idea. So many options, I’m gonna have to think real hard about this.”
Kirumi’s eyes widened at the continued excitement displayed. Did she really become so happy simply because Kirumi agreed to a date? Oh how her heart began to ache, in a good kind of way. She couldn’t stop a smile from showing through, “Well, as long as we are trapped here, you’ll have plenty of time to think it over.”
Right, the kidnapping. They still had that time limit motive to deal with. But Kaede knew all too well it wouldn’t be long anymore. She was going to catch the mastermind, and more importantly, leave with Kirumi’s hand in hers.
“Don’t worry about all that,” Kaede pulled on the straps of her backpack and paraded to the exit, walking backwards and pointing a finger at Kirumi, “We’re going on a date when we escape. It’s a promise.”
Her smile lightly increased, “Yes… It’s a promise.