Chapter Text
Sunlight bathes a bustling city, where the stomping of feet combined with the honking of cars stuck in midday traffic gives way to plenty of apartments and stores and everything one could ever dream of, all within walking distance. Craving a spot of greenery? There's always a park sprinkled in somewhere. Need a boost of caffeine to get through the day? Well, so does Shuichi Saihara, who's heading to his favorite coffee shop, Sundays : Coffee & Brunch.
The door jingles to make Shuichi's presence known as he walks into the establishment. He doesn't have any intentions of ordering anything besides a coffee, but he lingers by a display case of pastries and sandwiches anyway, anxiously repeating his order in his head. Iced latte, three pumps of brown sugar syrup. It was a mouthful, even if the only addition to the original drink was the brown sugar syrup. Why did 'brown sugar syrup' have to be so long? Why couldn't it be simple, like 'vanilla'? These are the types of curses placed onto Shuichi Saihara, who is still working on his social and self confidence.
He's about to walk up to the counter to order a coffee when a hooded figure enters the shop, as well as the corner of Shuichi's vision. The person hidden underneath a dark hood snatches a tuna sandwich off of an open display — which, honestly, is such a safety hazard in Shuichi's opinion — before turning tail and darting out of the shop. It all happened so quickly that Shuichi probably could've convinced himself of the whole situation being something that occurred only in his head and not reality ... if it weren't for the cashier's yelling, something about a 'thief', and the other patrons of the coffee shop looking baffled at how suddenly that had unfolded.
Seriously though, there's a thief on the loose, and no time to let them get any further away than they already have. Shuichi pushes his plans of awkwardly ordering a coffee to the side, dashing out the door after the thief without a second of hesitation. He pursues the hooded figure through crowded streets, easily detectable by the dark outfit they're wearing. The chase only lasts a few minutes, but it feels like hours before the person takes a sharp turn into an alleyway that they camouflage perfectly into compared to the sunlight out in the open.
Shuichi doesn't act brashly ; Instead, he waits, observing the situation carefully. He couldn't deny that he was curious on why someone would steal in broad daylight, especially in such a stereotypical 'thief' outfit that was only an advantage in the dead of night. His curiosity is met with meows from further down in the alleyway, weak and pitiful in a way that tugs at his heart. Shuichi furrows his eyebrows and squints, reaching a hand up to adjust his hat against the sunlight in an attempt to see further down the alleyway.
His attempts are to no avail, leaving him with two options : Leave now and return to the coffee shop empty-handed, or stick his nose where it doesn't belong. As a law student, he chooses the latter.
The alleyway is damp and comforting in a way that Shuichi has never described an alleyway before. It looks almost lived in, as if someone had been hanging around here for a few days at most. The sort of scene you'd expect from someone who had stayed at a hotel for a few days, and despite the space not being permanent, it's been exposed to someone's life, and the space reflects that.
Shuichi creeps down the alleyway, closer and closer to the hooded figure. He stops in his tracks as the stranger looks up, their eyes meeting and a look of surprise flashes on the other boy's face before quickly hardening into an almost creepy smile. The transition of expression happened so fast that it could've easily been missed if Shuichi's eyes weren't wide and unblinking.
"Hello? Are you just going to keep staring?" The stranger's voice is playful and sounds like it's on the edge of being mocking. His eyes narrow as he smiles wider, and Shuichi can't quite grasp how he seems so undisturbed at the idea of being cornered in an alleyway after someone chased him here. Unless he's unaware that Shuichi had followed him to begin with..?
His thoughts are disturbed by kittens meowing, stumbling over each other as they all try to climb back and forth over the other boy's lap. Shuichi now attempts to formulate a response in his head, realizing that he was just about at the rear end of a reasonable response time. "I, uhhmmm, no?" So yeah, that response isn't going to cut it. "I mean, I'm not going to call the cops on you." This earns a confused look from the stranger, so innocent that Shuichi could've been fooled that this hooded boy was guilty of no crimes, if he hadn't seen the event unfold before his eyes.
"I mean, I saw you in the coffee shop." Shuichi clarifies.
"What? What coffee shop?" The boy responds.
Shuichi notes that he can't find any hint of a lie being told from observing his demeanor, which is something he should be good at, as a law student. Either he's a complete failure, or this guy is really good at lying ... or acting, or whatever it may be.
"Never mind," Shuichi decides that it isn't worth proving that the boy had in fact been in the coffee shop, because it was pointless anyway. " ... Are those your cats?" He continues his sentence, but it's honestly an embarrassingly stupid end to whatever he was trying to say. Making conversation isn't exactly a specialty of his, and this ... deep dark alleyway ... isn't exactly his usual social conditions.
In response, the boy laughs. Shuichi writes it off as 'weird, kind of creepy' in his head, but despite their current circumstances, Shuichi doesn't feel threatened by a hooded figure laughing at him while they sit alongside dumpsters.
"These are basically my cats!" He responds with a grin. One of the kittens swats up at a string of his hoodie. "This one is Galactic Destroyer 3000." He lifts the kitten up with both hands, letting the kit continue to attack the string without an ounce of mercy. Shuichi giggles under his breath at the sight.
He notices that the stranger's phone lights up in his pocket, and the kitten is gently set back onto the floor with the rest of their littermates. He seems to open his notifications, then checks the time, and finally slides his phone back into his pockets. "I've got to go." The other boy speaks, and Shuichi isn't entirely sure if he's speaking to him or the kittens.
Then it clicks in Shuichi's head. He has a phone. So does this mysterious boy.
"Wait! Can I get your ... socials?" Shuichi speaks without thinking. No smooth pickup line or anything ... Kaito would be disappointed ,, all of his training has gone to waste. He hadn't meant for that question to come out so weird, but 'weird' seemed to roll naturally off of his tongue.
Instead of the rejection Shuichi completely expects, the boy smiles instead. "Pretty gutsy of you to exchange contacts with a thief! Well, here!" He reaches a hand out like he's waiting for Shuichi's phone. Shuichi hands it over, and the other boy snatches it out of his grasp. "See, you JUST trusted a thief again!! I could totally steal this right now, but the last time I stole a phone, the guy went totally wacko and sent a hoard of hamsters after me! It was such an intense chase, that I've sworn never to steal a phone again! So, I'll let you off the hook this time!" By the time he had finished speaking, his username had been added to Shuichi's message list. Shuichi dismissed whatever tale the other boy had just spun from his mind, deciding to instead focus on reading the new username. "kittyclown69". It sounded so immature in a way that felt suitable for the stranger, which is odd to say about someone he doesn't know.
And with that, the other boy turns tail and darts away, leaving Shuichi with the stray kittens. He noticed that the stranger didn't have a backpack or anything, which was especially odd since he had previously assumed that he was experiencing homelessness or something of the sort, but that assumption seemed to have too many weak spots to be true.
( Investigation . )
Shuichi walked further into the alleyway, inspecting his surroundings with unmasked curiosity now that he was in solitude — aside from the kittens, of course, which were ravenously feasting on the tuna sandwich generously left by a thief. Shuichi tilts his head at the kittens, realizing that there was no mother in sight. They looked old enough to eat proper food, as they were now, but they couldn't fend for themselves, especially in the city. Was that guy acting as a caretaker?
His attention turns elsewhere, gaze dropping towards a blanket that looks ... not quite dirty, but not exactly clean either; It was in relatively good condition for being in an alleyway. One of the kittens trots over to the blanket, using their muzzle to lift a section of the blanket to crawl inside of it. It clicks in Shuichi's mind what the purpose of this blanket is : to act as a bed for the kittens, and perhaps a shelter from the cold. Maybe it was left by the same stranger from earlier ... ?
Now that Shuichi has gotten a better look at the contents of the alleyway, there isn't much broken glass or anything particularly dangerous along with the trash here. In fact, it was neater than any other alleyway he'd looked down, although he had very little experience with alleyways ... he didn't exactly make a hobby out of inspecting them, or going down them at all. It gave the impression that a certain someone might've cleaned up a bit to avoid the kittens getting injured, but that was a biased interpretation of things.
After all, Shuichi doesn't know this mysterious stranger he ran after. There could be other people taking care of these kittens too, although that seemed less likely. In all honesty, it could be true that he was simply trying to make this thief into a good person with intentions of taking care of helpless kittens rather than someone who had stolen and gotten off the hook with no repercussions.
With his search concluded, Shuichi gives a small wave to the kittens, which are now retreating to their blanket now that their bellies are full. As he walks to the entrance of the alleyway, his ears are met with the threat of police sirens that he hadn't even registered before. Walking out of a 'deep, dark alleyway' after a minor robbery wasn't exactly the behavior of a completely guilt-free individual.
He was immediately worried for the boy who had darted off before. It couldn't have been more than five minutes since he left, and their entire interaction couldn't have exceeded ten minutes, leaving about a fifteen minute window for police to be called and arrive. Maybe they were searching the surrounding area? No, that would be too far out of the way. Shuichi has done enough 'detective work' for today, so he decides to brush it off as a coincidence and continues to walk out of the alleyway as inconspicuously as possible.
Sure, Shuichi hadn't gotten the caffeine he usually ran off of to get through the day, but the thrill of running after the stranger that had stolen a sandwich for the sake of feeding stray kittens had left him feeling energized. He moves towards the subway station with a hint of bounce to his steps, his good mood making the walk feel shorter.
. . .
It doesn't feel like long until Shuichi reaches the subway. He takes a seat next to a tall man with long, messy dark green hair that reminds Shuichi of overgrown greenery. It wouldn't be his first choice of seating, but the subway is pretty crowded and his subway train should be here any minute. The green-haired stranger to his right is quick to make conversation, turning to face Shuichi and giving a gentle wave for someone who looks so intimidating.
"Hi! Gonta is Gonta's name. Gonta likes bugs!" He introduces himself with a wide smile, then looks at Shuichi like he's eagerly awaiting a response. He speaks in third person ..? Odd ...
"Hello, Gonta." Shuichi offers a nervous smile, shuffling to make himself look preoccupied with his phone. "I'm Shuichi." He adds, glancing from Gonta to his phone. Shuichi opens his messenger, looking to his new DM opened with 'kittyclown69'. He opens it and types out something short and considerate, to show that he's got the other boy ... on his mind ? Something of that sort, without being too sappy or weird, because he doesn't want 'kittyclown69' to get the wrong idea or anything. Maybe typing a message is harder than it sounds.
"Gonta has phone, too!" Gonta offers helpfully, spoken like it's akin to the joy of meeting someone with a shared favorite interest. Shuichi flashes another awkward smile accompanied by a nod, mumbling "That's very nice, Gonta," quietly. He looks back to his phone, spotting Gonta scroll through photos of bugs in his camera roll. Intrigued, Shuichi turns his head to get a better look. Although Gonta is just a friendly stranger, it's oddly endearing to meet someone so passionate about their interests. "Those are some very nice bugs." Shuichi comments, not actually believing a word of what he just said, but hoping the compliment was a kind enough thing to say.
This earns an extremely happy smile from Gonta, rays of sunlight and butterflies practically radiating off of him. "Gonta is so thankful! Thank you!" He turns his head back down to his phone, continuing to scroll through collections of bugs, and Shuichi copies the gesture. Back to trying to type out an interesting greeting.
Wait ... is this even guaranteed to be the guy in the alleyway?
Shuichi inspects his phone carefully, as if the username will give away some sort of hint. Well, with the story about battling hamsters or whatever, the username seemed fitting enough. This is awfully nerve-wracking, and it's just a stupid message.
His fingers move across the phone's keyboard to type a message.
shumai99 : hey, did you make it home safe?
Delete.
shumai99 : hi, is this the guy from the alleyway ? with the cats ??
That's even weirder ... delete.
shumai99 : hello! this is shuichi, i didn't catch your name. is this the right user ?? we met earlier today, outside the coffee shop! :)
This message was the longest, but it's good enough. Wait ... did he even tell the stranger his name? That might've been something he overlooked.
He clicks the 'send' button, but immediately feels like he said too much and too little all at once. Before he can talk himself out of it, he types another message.
shumai99 : did you make it home safe ?? there were a lot of officers out when i left
Yeah, okay, that's good. All of this texting comes to a close as the subway makes its way toward the station at a relatively convenient timing. Shuichi stands, giving a small wave to Gonta before getting lost in the crowd of people entering and exiting the subway.
He held onto the handrails of the train and watched the next destination change over time, until his phone buzzed in his pocket. He takes it out, hoping it's a reply from 'kittyclown69', but instead it's someone he was even happier to see a notification from : Kaede. She's the prettiest, most considerate person Shuichi has ever met, and he's had a bit of a hopeless crush on her for a few months. Kaito has been doing his best to hype him up, but Shuichi had a hard time telling the difference between thinking someone is really cool and actually having a crush on them, but that minor detail probably doesn't matter.
puppypiano11 : hiya shu!! are you down to go to rantaro's party this weekend ???!!!
Oh, huh. Kaede had mentioned Rantaro a few times before, and they were in the same social circle, so they were sort-of acquaintances.
shumai99 : hi, sure!
puppypiano11 : epic ! rantaro said to bring a plus one ! kaito and i don't count ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ,<)~✩
shumai : lol okay!
Shuichi internally cringes at himself. His responses were each two words long, while Kaede seemed to reply so naturally, striding through conversations with confidence. He could visualize Kaede's bright smile through the screen, probably hoping that she was doing Shuichi a favor by getting him to socialize in an environment with others their same age. He really admires her self confidence ,, it would be nice to have some in himself, especially if he continues down the path of a detective.
He blinks down at his phone, realizing that Kaede had sent another message.
puppypiano11 : it'll be at rantaro's place this weekend, 7:00 pm !! don't forget to clear your schedule !!! ^_^
shumai99 : i will, thanks kaede! :)
Does that mean he will forget to clear out his schedule?? Shuichi's phone fades to black, leaving him staring into his dark reflection. A 'low battery' icon flashes for a moment, then disappears, leaving the phone screen empty once more. He hadn't really planned to be out this late, which was a miscalculation on his part. Damn. Shuichi allows himself to focus on the noise of the train against the tracks and the people around him, the sound blending together as one until it abruptly stops as the train finally makes it to his stop.
He lets go of the handrails and slips his phone back into his pocket, merging together with the crowd of people exiting the train until he had made it off onto the other side. Shuichi heads towards Hope's Peak Academy, a prestigious school he was attending thanks to his Uncle for the sole purpose of becoming an amazing detective that will one day fill his Uncle's shoes.
Shuichi didn't particularly love the idea of becoming a detective, but it gave him a purpose to stride towards. He reflects upon this as he follows his usual route back towards the academy, his footsteps lead with the confidence of following a routine he knew by heart. Repetitive things are easier for Shuichi to grasp compared to complex, abstract ideas ; For example, infidelity cases are often what he helps his Uncle with. Those infidelity cases are known for having 'repeat offenders', where Shuichi naturally falls into a routine, sort of like a formula.
The thought of being a detective forever was daunting, but it was nowhere near as terrifying as going against what was lined up for him. If he wasn't going to be a detective, what would he be? No other careers seemed to interest him, and he doubted his uncle would support him in anything besides becoming a detective. The uncertainty of that future seemed bleak, and keeping his eyes on the path in front of him was the easy way out.
That wasn't to say that he didn't enjoy some aspects of being a detective, such as how it felt like putting the pieces of a puzzle together, and knowing the full picture was usually a satisfying feeling. What he doesn't like is the consequence that follows afterwards, because of his first case, and, well ...
Shuichi's eyes land on the entrance to the dorms. He had been on autopilot, so the sudden sight of his destination slightly startles him. Maybe he really did need that caffeine he missed out on earlier.
The movements it takes to get to his dorm are a blur, and before he knows it, Kaito is sitting on the couch and Shuichi has somehow both opened and closed the door behind him.
"Hey, sidekick!" Kaito smiles, a dazzlingly bright grin that wakes Shuichi out of his daze. "I thought you were going out for coffee? You seem really tired, man!" Kaito's face shifts into some form of concern as Shuichi blinks down at his empty hands. "Oh, yeah, I uhmm," Shuichi is no liar, but it's a bit weird to say 'I saw someone steal from a coffee shop to feed a sandwich to stray cats and also got his number along the way'. Which left him with no idea of what to say, and now he's paused for suspiciously long.
"I kind of met this guy, so I ended up not getting coffee." Shuichi says the words carefully, but it ends up sounding unnatural. Kaito looks curious at this response, his brows furrowing in consideration of Shuichi's response.
"Dude, that's crazy awesome!" His face brightens once more, placing his hands behind his head and leaning back comfortably against the couch. "I thought you were like, into Kaede, but it's great that you're moving on—"
"Wait, Kaito! It's not like that, I just saw him with some stray cats,," Shuichi interrupts, an awkward expression crossing over his face. Kaito looks genuinely apologetic in response. "Oh, sorry, man! Y'know, I'll be the ultimate wingman no matter who you're after!" Kaito moves his hands again to snap and point at Shuichi. "Thanks, Kaito, I know it." Shuichi nods, not quite bringing as much enthusiasm to the room in comparison to Kaito.
Shuichi feels a bit awkward just standing by the door, so he heads over to the couch to sit down on the opposite end of where Kaito was sitting. Kaito shifts to face Shuichi, opening his mouth to continue their conversation. "Kaede texted you about Rantaro's party, right? Who're you gonna bring?" He asks casually, but both of them know that it's because of the mutual unspoken understanding that Shuichi's social circle is very limited, and his first (and only) choice would've been to bring Kaito.
"Uhmm,, I'm not sure yet." Shuichi responds a moment later. Kaito gives him a knowing look of empathy. "Dude, I could totally find someone to go with you!" Kaito offers with a grin, but Shuichi knows that Kaito isn't much better off than he is. That's what made their friendship blossom in the beginning : their shared lack of friends.
It's not just that ; Shuichi really needs to be more independent. Kaito's offer seems a bit .. not-so-promising, but it's the best shot at going to Rantaro's party without looking like the total friendless loser he is. He definitely doesn't want to make a fool of himself in front of Kaede ... not that he doesn't do that on a regular basis, but he wants to do his best to avoid it anyway.
"Thanks, Kaito, I really appreciate it." Shuichi smiles, then tilts his head and brings a hand up to his mouth as he yawns. "No problem! It's my duty, since you're my sidekick! I can't have you going to a party by yourself, it'll affect my reputation, too!" Kaito winks, hinting at his words being said in a joking manner. Shuichi gives his best attempt at a smile, but it comes out awkwardly instead. So Shuichi wasn't just overthinking it ; he really would look like a loser if he showed up to Rantaro's party by himself. It was common sense, really, but it felt a bit different when that fact was acknowledged aloud.
Kaito seems to notice Shuichi's uncomfortable expression, because when Shuichi returns from his thoughts, Kaito is looking at him with brows furrowed in concern. "Hey, man, don't stress it! I'll have things handled. Put your trust in the Luminary of the Stars!" Kaito puts extra effort into giving an encouraging grin, Shuichi can tell. "Anyway, you should get some rest, dude. You look totally-super-tired." Kaito's voice is casual, but Shuichi picks up on a tone that hints at concern yet again. He really is a great friend.
"I will, Kaito. Thanks." Shuichi flashes another smile, genuine this time, before lifting himself off of the couch and walking over to his bedroom. One thing he appreciates about this school is how nice the dorms are, comfortably spacious despite being shared with another person. Shuichi locates his phone charger, plugging in his phone but not waiting around for it to turn on ; he'll check it tomorrow before class to see if he's gotten a reply back from 'kittyclown69' , or hopefully another message from Kaede.
Shuichi walks over to his bed and collapses onto it, allowing the blankets to consume him. It couldn't be much past 7:30, but the moon was out, and now Shuichi was asleep.
The first rays of sunlight shimmer across the campus of Hope's Peak Academy, the dawn bringing with it a new day full of possibility. The sun always seemed to shine a bit brighter on Fridays, as if encouraging the world to make it through one final day until the weekend.
This encouragement didn't seem to inspire Shuichi Saihara, who was currently reaching for his phone to turn off one of the several alarms he had left.
The ' Ring, Ring ' of Shuichi's alarm was suspiciously softer than usual. As it continues to ring, he awakens further, sliding a hand under his pillows to find ,, well .. nothing. His hand felt nothing but empty space beneath his pillow, accompanied by a firm mattress underneath.
As his thoughts began to organize themselves, Shuichi realized that the ringing of the alarm was further away because he had plugged his phone in before falling asleep last night, meaning that it was resting on his dresser a few feet away. He lays limp in his bed, dreading the thought of having to get up.
Shuichi quite literally rolls out of bed, dragging his blanket with him until his feet are firmly on the ground. He quickly makes his bed, using the mentality of 'the sooner this bed is made, the sooner the alarm will be turned off' until the bed is neat enough. He turns and walks the short distance to his dresser, turning off the alarm to reveal that he was awake earlier than he usually was.
He usually sets three alarms ; the first has the note 'way too early' when the alarm goes off, while the second is shortly before the third alarm, and the third is labeled 'time to wake up!'. This is a method advised by Kaede, who had been wearing the brightest smile on her face while she gave Shuichi tips on how to wake up feeling well-rested. 'It'll prepare you to wake up by alerting your brain that it's almost time to wake up! Maki told me it's sort of like telling a toddler that it's nearly time to leave, like, the park or something, so they put in more effort into having fun with the time they have left! Exactly like telling your brain to get better quality sleep, right?' Shuichi could still visualize Kaede's energetic explanation. She's always so helpful and considerate.
Shuichi shuts the alarm off, as well as the other two alarms he had set. He's awake now and his bed is made, so he might as well stay awake at this point. He takes his phone off of the charger, the phone's screen turning on to reveal notifications from ... 'kittyclown69'.
It felt as if Shuichi woke up a bit more, even though he hadn't had his morning cup of coffee yet. There was something so interesting about 'kittyclown69' that intrigued him, like a moth enchanted by the illuminating light of a flame. The mystery that surrounded everything about him, down to his name, really did pique his curiosity.
He opens the messenger app, squinting his eyes at the bright screen contrasting with the rest of his room. Blackout curtains firmly shut out any sunlight that attempted to seep through his window, creating a comfortably dark environment perfect for the long hours Shuichi liked to sleep, but didn't often get to sleep.
kittyclown69 : what coffee shop?
kittyclown69 : and yes, of course i did! i just asked my pet alicorn to fly me home, no biggie! the cops didn't even see me! not that i have a reason to hide anyway ;p
The messages were both sent two hours ago ,, meaning they were sent at five in the morning. Shuichi didn't know anyone who woke up as early as he did.
shumai99 : are you awake?
shumai99 : sorry, that actually sounded kind of weird. my friends don't wake up as early as i do, so i was just wondering.
'kittyclown69' went online, which was a bit surprising to Shuichi. He hadn't expected his message to be read so quickly.
kittyclown69 : youjust wokee UP??duuude im aboutta fall asleepzzzzzzz
shumai99 : oh ok
Well, maybe their sleep schedules weren't as similar as Shuichi had assumed. This interaction hadn't gathered any information other than 'kittyclown69' having a tendency to pull all-nighters, from what Shuichi could reason.
Maybe Shuichi could find some information on his profile? Shuichi taps on 'kittyclown69' 's profile, looking to his information.
"Birthday .. June twenty-first," Shuichi reads in a whisper to himself, careful not to wake his sleeping roommate a thin wall away. The rest he wouldn't read aloud.
' my hair is purple cuz i drink PAN-TA! !! ' Alongside it is a pan flag icon. His likes and dislikes are both left as blank, like he hasn't put in the effort of fully completing his profile. Or maybe it was left blank on purpose ...? Multiple conclusions could be drawn, but nothing was particularly promising.
He looks back to their messages like it'll reveal some sort of hidden clue, but turns up with nothing. While he stares at his screen, he thinks back to the party Kaede had invited him to, and his conversation with Kaito last night. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to invite 'kittyclown69' to the party with him ... A list of pros and cons would be necessary to further draw a decision.
The pros are that he knows for a fact that 'kittyclown69' is nearby, despite being an (almost) total stranger. Shuichi would get a chance to get to know him better, since they would both be at a social event where they know basically nobody else ,, besides Kaito and Kaede for Shuichi. Being able to speak in person for longer than five minutes would definitely help Shuichi learn a bit more about this mysterious person.
On the other hand, Shuichi had no way of knowing if he would accept, and rejection was something that Shuichi really tried to avoid. It was one of the biggest reasons he hadn't made much progress towards confessing to Kaede ... speaking of Kaede, Shuichi would still need to talk to her during the party, and taking on the task of trying to figure out 'kittyclown69' and talking to Kaede would be quite the task to take on.
Despite the cons, Shuichi would rather take his chance at inviting 'kittyclown69' than risk Kaito's plan falling through and having nobody to attend Rantaro's party with. Maybe he just needed to change his mindset on the possibility of rejection ; so what if someone with the username 'kittyclown69' rejects his invitation? It doesn't matter all that much in the big scheme of things, right? That's totally the optimism he needs. Kaito or Kaede would've done a better job at boosting his spirits, though.
shumai99 : are you free this weekend?
Okay, so he hadn't directly invited him to the party yet, but it was okay to spare some of his confidence, because he would definitely need it for this weekend.
Shuichi needed to get ready for class now, because he had somehow already spent fifteen minutes on his phone. With the stress of incoming schoolwork now resting on his shoulders, he dreaded the idea of getting dressed up for class, but his Uncle always insisted that he needed to be well-dressed to honor the Saihara name.
. . .
It took Shuichi about thirty minutes to put himself together before class, with a coffee break in-between putting on clothes and applying mascara. He headed off to class before Kaito even woke up ; for some strange reason, Shuichi had been cursed with morning classes most days, a schedule made by his Uncle for more 'structure' in his life. It really was nothing more than an inconvenience, but whatever pleases his Uncle is what he has to go by.
Shuichi's thoughts about his by-the-book lifestyle of what his Uncle decided would shape him into a great detective haunted him through the hallways on his way to class, only to be disturbed by the lone passerby around him every so often. The campus was fairly quiet at this hour, since most students preferred classes that didn't start at 7:45 AM.
He arrives at his classroom door, entering the class silently and slipping into the shadows of the back of the room so that it wouldn't be blatantly obvious if he fell asleep during the lecture he would spend the next few hours of his life listening to and comprehending hardly any of it. He sets his bag down on the ground beside him.
At some point, the lecture had started, but the words all blended together once they made it to Shuichi's ears. He places his arms on the table and rests his head against his arms, which act as a sort of makeshift pillow. His hat falls over his eyes, leading him off to a distant dreamland far more exciting than this boring classroom that was all about ... detective work of some sort? He honestly couldn't recall which class he was supposed to be attending right now. He was passionate about being a detective in theory, but actually taking the steps towards becoming a detective was something he wasn't nearly as interested in.
The only thing that jolted him awake was the buzz of his phone in his back pocket. Shuichi lifts his head from his arms, the sun now positioned higher in the sky than it had been when he shut his eyes. Shuichi couldn't remember falling asleep, but he also couldn't remember a single word the instructor had said ,, which is definitely a bad thing.
Shuichi reaches for his phone, which is only further adding to the stereotype of a student who sleeps all of class and texts when they aren't asleep. He really does make sure all of his work is turned in on time, but sitting through lectures that span across eons is really not his favorite way of spending his days. Shuichi's eyes adjust to his phone's light as he reads the message.
kittyclown69: yeah, no! i'm partyin it UPP this weekend, see me bustin moves on the dance floor baBAY!!
Disappointment bloomed in Shuichi's heart. Well, it seems that his final hope now is Kaito ... and Kaito usually comes through for him when Shuichi needs it, but their mutually small social circle wasn't promising. This party is more stressful than fun.
He contemplated whether or not he should text back now or respond after class. With one tired glance up at the instructor in the front of the class, that decision was made.
shumai99: aw ok. when are you free?
kittyclown69: NEVERR!! or like 10pm tmr prob?
kittyclown69: why? hooked already? ;)
Holy fucking cornball.
Shuichi thought about trying to actually pay attention to the lesson after that message, but whatever this lecture was about is far too lame. Yeah, maybe he'll just switch subjects.
shumai99 : do you have a lot of cats? they're in your username.
kittyclown69 : i have cats all across the lands at my disposal! theyre top secret agents who work for me. i pay them in tuna, since they obviously dont take yen.
shumai99 : i see
kittyclown69 : yeah! yknow, youre pretty interesting, shumai!
Him? Interesting? Shuichi was thinking the same of 'kittyclown69', but he hadn't expected the feeling to be reciprocated. He didn't find himself to be all that interesting, which left him wondering exactly what about him was worth the other boy's time.
Chairs squeaked as they were pushed out of place while students stood up around the classroom, gathering their belongings. Shuichi jolted up in his seat, realizing that the lecture was already over and he had taken notes on none of it. Well, it's a friday, his lack of attention could be excused.
Shuichi slides his phone back into his pocket before standing up and parroting the students around him, grabbing his bag from where he had previously set it on the ground. He blends in with the rest of the students exiting the classroom, now walking on his usual route to the coffee shop.
The halls of Hope’s Peak Academy are a bit fuller around this time of day, with people who had classes which Shuichi deemed ‘not super early, but not too late either’ currently filling the previously empty space.
He allows his mind to go on autopilot, mindlessly going through his usual bland routine. Walk through campus, walk to the subway, take the train, arrive in the heart of the city. All of it is like background noise, blurry and seemingly distant in Shuichi’s mind . . . up until his eyes land on a familiar alleyway. Shuichi feels a bit more awake at the sight, memories of yesterday’s encounter flooding back to him.
It’s unlikely that ‘kittyclown69’ could be found in the same place twice, but the alleyway lures Shuichi in nonetheless. He must look odd, entering an alleyway out of the blue, but he could really care less. One abrupt turn later, and he’s met with meowing kittens welcoming his return. They emerge from the purple blanket that Shuichi had inspected last time, which did in fact seem to be used as a sort of nest.
One of the kittens trots right up to Shuichi, walking in between his feet like they’re expecting a food delivery. Shuichi takes a step backwards and bends down to sit next to the kittens on the ground, petting them with little regard to the reality of how unsanitary this is.
“It looks like Banana Peel the III has taken a liking to you!” a cheery voice cuts through the silence, startling Shuichi terribly. Suddenly, hands are on his shoulders, and someone is sitting down behind him. He whips his head around to confront the stranger, fear trembling through his body at the sudden interaction. Whatever the other person had said was completely irrelevant to Shuichi, because he’s scared half to death of being ‘surprise-attacked’ in an alleyway. This could be the end for him.
Shuichi’s worst fears immediately melt away as he’s face-to-face with who he had hoped to encounter in the first place. A stranger’s familiar dark purple hair tickles his cheeks, allowing Shuichi to realize far too late that they are waaay too close.
The stranger backs away first, a swift movement that occurs in the blink of an eye and neither of them comment on it. “Nishishii! What, did you miss me?” He giggles, bringing his hands up to cup his own cheeks. Shuichi, again, doesn’t comprehend a word of it.
“Kittyclown sixtyni–” Shuichi is cut off midsentence, all whilst turning around to face the other boy. “Shumai!!!” He exclaims, grabbing hold of Shuichi’s hands as soon as he’s sitting in his direction. “It’s so flattering that you would seek me out like this!” He speaks, their fingers intertwining. The physical contact is so … unexpected , it takes Shuichi by surprise once more. “What?” Shuichi manages to say, his head tilted to the side. This is all moving too fast.
The stranger backs off immediately, dropping Shuichi’s hands. They fall onto his lap with a suddenness that snaps Shuichi back to reality, although they lacked the faint warmth that ‘kittyclown69’ had so generously provided. Right. He really needs to catch his name.
“Can you.. stop calling me by my gamer tag? It’s kind of odd.” Shuichi places a hand in his hair, nervously fiddling with dark blue strands. “I mean, we should know each other’s actual names.” He reasons, giving the other boy an awkward smile.
‘kittyclown69’ clicks his tongue, placing a finger on his chin like he’s deeply considering this exchange of information. Shuichi’s face feels like it’s burning — seriously, it should not be this difficult just to ask for somebody’s name. This guy is making it seem like a huge ask when it really isn’t.
“I don’t know if you’re trustworthy yet. You’ve got law-school written aaaall over you!” He shakes his head ‘no’, a wide grin spreading across his face as he gives his answer. Well, this is incredibly awkward and Shuichi kind of wishes he never left his dorm. At all. Ever.
Shuichi’s disappointment was clearly shown on his face. He looks down at the ground, thinking for a moment, when something suddenly doesn’t add up. His gaze rises to the other boy’s face again, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. “How did you know I’m studying to be a detective?” Shuichi questions. ‘kittyclown69’ stiffens for a moment, but quickly regains composure with a smug grin. “I just assumed! I mean, have you looked in a mirror recently? The way your hair is sticking up is telling me ‘no’, but I thought I’d ask anyway. I can just tell you’re a good egg, Shuichi!” He answers cheerfully, an honest-looking smile glued to his face.
He opens his mouth to speak again. “I love authority, of course! I’d just rather not be reported to them, y’know? They’re always throwing donut parties for me, and I’m like, guuuys, stawp ittt! Because I’m such great friends with all of them. I’m pretty much a micro-celebrity to the station … but don’t ask them about it. They’re embarrassed about being friends with someone so amazing, because it makes them look bland in comparison. I do try to spare their feelings.” He talks on and on, leaving Shuichi’s mind scrambling to catch up.
“Uhm.. okay.” Shuichi responds with something bland, unable to keep up with the stories weaved effortlessly with ‘kittyclown69’ ‘s words. They were so obviously lies, but they were spoken with such confidence that Shuichi almost felt that he needed to second-guess himself.
Dark purple hair seems to droop down with the boy’s mood, tears welling up in his eyes that appeared surprisingly quickly for what Shuichi could only hope was forced. “You’re so boring, Shumai! It must be since you’re bored of me, huh? That’s so lame!” He wails, bringing his hands up to his eyes to wipe the tears away. “Well, don’t worry! I’ve got a great idea. You should follow me around! Like, we’ll hang out together!” He proposes, suddenly shifting to a cheerfully bright grin in place of his frown from a few moments prior.
That was … really strange. Every sentence only further confused Shuichi, all while intriguing his curious nature to investigate this odd character. “But, if you don’t trust me, why should I follow you around? I don’t have a solid reason to trust you, either.” Shuichi reasons. “If you think I’m going to walk around with a stranger I met in the alleyway that I don’t know the name of, you’d be wrong.” He was honestly a little nervous to stand his ground like this, but in response, the strange boy just laughed.
“Nishishi! Okay, fine! My name is Kokichi.” He giggles, placing his hands behind his head casually. Shuichi hadn’t noticed before, but Kokichi’s smile had faltered before reappearing again. Did that happen often? Regardless, he felt a hint of satisfaction at discovering Kokichi’s name, like a detective uncovering a clue.
Shuichi reaches out his hand, as if formally accepting the offer to hang out. “Kokichi,” Shuichi repeats, acknowledging his name. It felt a little strange to say out loud, but it was oddly fitting for him. He watches as Kokichi hesitates for a moment, staring blankly at his outstretched hand before returning to his default grin. “Wow! This reminds me of the time my super secret evil organization went on vacation and had SO much fun! I’ll have to kill you if you tell anyone about my organization, though. Since it’s a secret, and…” Kokichi rambles on, the two of them walking down the alleyway with grounds to grow a newfound trust. Or even a friendship? Shuichi needed more of those, and it sort of seemed like Kokichi did too ... not to make assumptions about someone he just met, but it's kind of in his detective nature.
Sure, their meeting had been a bit strange, but Shuichi found himself holding back a smile nonetheless as he listened to Kokichi speak endlessly as they exit the alleyway. Curiosity held a firm grip on his decision-making, and right now, it seemed to be leading him along with Kokichi.