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It all started on his sixteenth birthday.
Kokichi was spending the evening the way he always did - sitting around a table with his underlings, a deck of cards in his hands, and a grin on his face as he took their money one game at a time.
Halfway through one round of poker his phone started buzzing.
Again
And then again.
Mizuki, his closest friend in DICE, glanced towards it after folding and raised an eyebrow.
“You gonna get that, boss?”
Kokichi barely looked up as he shuffled his cards. “Nah. Probably just some spam call. They can wait.”
And so, the rounds continued until the early hours of the morning.
Kokichi won. Again. And again.
By the time everyone had finally left, and the room had gone quiet, the notifications had completely slipped his mind. It was only when he picked up his phone before bed that he noticed them.
A message request on Instagram from an account called astromomota.
astromomota: hey man, it’s me Momota
Kokichi’s curiosity was piqued; the name sounded familiar.
astromomota: you might not remember me, but we were best friends when we were kids and I just wanted to reach out to see how you’re doing. I think it’s your birthday?
astromomota: if so, happy birthday man!
The little leader stared at the screen as the pieces finally fell into place.
Momota.
Momota Kaito.
The name belonged to the boy with unruly hair who used to spend entire afternoons chasing Kokichi around the playground back in Osaka.
Of course, they hadn’t exactly played normal games.
Kokichi had always been a swashbuckling pirate attempting to raid a ship full of innocent passengers, and Momota had always been the hero who stood in his way, determined to save them.
A small, genuine smile tugged at Kokichi’s face.
It was a rare thing - the kind of smile he usually reserved for stray animals or little kids who stared at him and his cronies when they went out to eat or shop.
He typed out his reply.
diceprince: it is indeed I, Ouma Kokichi - the Shadow Prince
diceprince: how good of you to seek me out, Momota-chan. I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me.
And with that, Kokichi tossed his phone aside and went to sleep, not thinking about the matter any further.
--
When he woke up, the first thing he saw was a reply from Momota.
Sent at seven in the morning.
Kokichi stared at the timestamp in disbelief.
Morning people truly were the worst.
astromomota: you’re still the same old Ouma huh? I can’t remember the last time I was called Momota-chan.
astromomota: and nice try, I see that you avoided my question - all smoke and mirrors. If you don’t want to tell me what you’ve been up to then fine, I’ll go first.
astromomota: me and my grandparents moved to a homestead in Ini, in Hiroshima Prefecture. I’m self-studying right now for the JAXA entry exam and I do the physical side of my training by helping around the farm. you should come check it out sometime maybe?
Kokichi rolled his eyes.
diceprince: of course you’re homeschooled.
diceprince: and how do I know your farm isn’t a front for some sketchy shit? I don’t want my organs being sold on some black market in Shanghai.
Momota replied instantly.
astromomota: hey! what’s that supposed to mean?
astromomota: also, I can confirm we’re not selling anybody’s organs lol
astromomota: anyways you avoided my questions AGAIN and I’m not gonna stop bringing it up, until you answer them
Kokichi set his phone down with a roll of his eyes. He would reply to Momota after cooking breakfast, during which time he would formulate an evasive response that would just about satisfy the other boy’s curiosity.
--
“Morning, Kichi!” Mizuki greeted him, her legs swinging from her seat at the makeshift kitchen counter.
Turns out setting up your headquarters in an abandoned warehouse didn’t make for the best real estate - but thanks to Kenji’s older brother, who was an electrician, they had managed to set up a small kitchen consisting of a stove, a fridge, and a toaster oven.
“Good morrow, mi amour,” Kokichi replied, walking over to the stove and turning it on.
The blue-haired girl simply watched him, stopping her swinging and leaning forward with her face propped up in her hands.
“Sooo, who texted you last night?” She smiled innocently, but Kokichi could see right through her act and knew he was walking into a mine field. “Emi was panicking, thinking it was a loan shark or something, but I told her she’s been watching too many True Crime dramas.”
“Uh huh,” Kokichi said nonchalantly, ignoring her as he cracked two eggs into a pan and began scrambling them.
“You’re boring.”
“Don’t scowl, you almost look pretty when your face is normal,” Kokichi teased, sticking his tongue out and earning a deserved whack from the girl. “Okay fair enough, I’m sorry sis. I’ll give you extra eggs to make up for-“
He was cut off by his phone buzzing on the kitchen counter.
Mizuki pounced on it like a lioness, snatching it up before he could react.
For a brief moment, Kokichi prayed to whatever deity would accept a gremlin like him as a follower that it wasn't Momota messaging him.
No such luck.
“Oooh, so this is the guy who’s been messaging my little brother?”
“Mizuki,” he groaned. Stuck at the stove while breakfast was still cooking, there was little he could do to stop her. As irresponsible as he was, even he drew the line at risking DICE’s headquarters being burnt down just to retrieve his phone.
So, with a cackle, Mizuki unlocked his phone and started typing Kokichi could already tell that whatever she'd written wasn't going to make his morning any better.
“You’re a crook, y'know that, right?”
“You love me anyway.”
“That can change.”
Kokichi sighed as he plated the eggs and reached for the loaf of bread he'd left in the cupboard beside the fridge. He pulled out four slices and slid them into the toaster oven. While they toasted, he grabbed the butter from the fridge and shot Mizuki an expectant look.
Reluctantly, she handed over his phone.
Kokichi unlocked it and immediately began assessing the damage.
astromomota: still waiting.
astromomota: Ouma.
astromomota: Ouma.
diceprince: fine - I live with my super cool sister and a bunch of our friends in an abandoned warehouse in Tokyo.
diceprince: wow that's the first time I've told someone about how cool Mizuki is - I am deathly jealous of her!
“Wow real subtle,” Kokichi murmured, his thumb hovering above the screen.
He was about to reply to Momota - to clarify that his demon-spawn of an adopted sister had held his phone hostage in an attempt to psychologically torment him - but then he noticed that Momota was active and typing.
Kokichi immediately slammed the phone back down on the counter and turned his attention to the toaster oven.
His was odd behaviour was not lost on Mizuki who quirked an eyebrow up.
“What was that about?”
“Huh?” Kokichi replied dumbly, picking up the toast when the toaster oven chimed.
He began buttering all four slices, refusing to look up at Mizuki, who was watching him with an increasingly suspicious expression.
“You’re acting weird, and I’m going to get to the bottom of it,” she said, leaning backward to get a better look at him.
“Good luck with that.”
Kokichi shot back, sliding the now-completed plate of scrambled eggs on toast in her direction.
“Eat.”
“Aye aye, captain.”
Mizuki gave a mock salute and started eating, and Kokichi took this opportunity to check his phone again.
astromomota: you live with friends, huh? I didn’t know you had a sister. you never mentioned her when we were younger.
diceprince: she’s my VERY ANNOYING adopted sister. thank god I’m not biologically related to her.
astromomota: takes one to know one.
astromomota: joking obviously.
Kokichi mentally facepalmed.
diceprince: has anyone ever told you how funny you are?
astromomota: many times.
diceprince: well, those people lied to you several times and told you that you were hilarious, witty, and amusing. when you’re nothing like that. nothing of the sort.
astromomota: *surprised Pikachu face*
astromomota: you wound me, knave.
diceprince: what are you, the Bard?
astromomota: something like that.
Kokichi chuckled under his breath and was about to reply when he flinched instinctively.
Mizuki had snuck up behind him while he was distracted, trying to read their messages from over his shoulder. Kokichi immediately pulled the phone away, blocking the screen from her line of sight.
“Sorry, I was distracted.”
“I know,” Mizuki replied smugly.
She spun around dramatically.
“Momota and Kichi sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a golden carriage.”
“Enough.”
Kokichi huffed, placing his hands on his hips with way more frustration than he felt.
“C’mon let’s eat - last one to finish has to wash up!”
--
After that morning, the two became inseparable.
They texted constantly - in the morning, in the afternoon, and late into the evening, even when both of them were supposed to be asleep.
Granted, they weren’t actually together in person, but it felt like a miniature version of Kaito (as Momota had insisted Kokichi call him) had somehow wormed its way into his head.
Kokichi thought about what Kaito would buy whenever he went to the convenience store. He thought about what Kaito would think of the movie he was watching. He found himself viewing his own life through Kaito’s eyes.
And while it was wonderful in some ways, other times he just wanted to lobotomise himself.
DICE had taken great pleasure in teasing their usually ice-cold leader over this rare lapse in composure.
It had started small.
The first time Momota texted during a meeting, Kokichi had barely reacted - only glancing at his phone a little too quickly and hiding the tiny smile that had appeared on his face.
Unfortunately for him, DICE noticed everything.
After that, every single notification became an opportunity.
Whenever Momota texted, they would immediately start swooning around him, dramatically clutching their chests and humming love songs.
“Oh, the prince has received a message from his beloved,” Ryuko would sing.
“Wonder what romantic confession it is this time,” Yaeko would add.
Kokichi would threaten them, insult them, and occasionally throw whatever was closest to him at them, but nothing worked.
The more he denied it, the more entertained they became.
Emi, the honorary mother of the group, had tried to put an end to it after watching Kokichi endure an entire afternoon of teasing.
“Leave him alone,” she’d scolded. “You’re all acting like children.”
Unfortunately, her attempt at defending him only made things worse.
Because now they knew Emi had noticed too.
“Even Emi thinks it’s obvious,” Mizuki teased.
“It’s not obvious,” Kokichi had insisted.
Nobody believed him.
And despite his complaints, despite the eye rolls and threats, he never actually told them to stop for good because it never annoyed Kokichi that much, who was a fan of light hearted teasing, nor did it interfere with DICE’S activities as a group.
Until it did – one night during a heist.
DICE were stealing food from the cafeteria of a corrupt company to donate to a food bank, and Kokichi kept glancing down at his phone.
Kaito hadn’t replied in a few hours.
Which was completely fine.
Definitely not something that was sending Kokichi into a spiral, even though the aspiring astronaut had literally told him he was busy studying and the fact he apologised every time he took longer than an hour to reply.
Noticing his distress, Mizuki pulled him aside and nodded towards the others, who were gathered around a computer trying to erase themselves from the company’s CCTV footage.
“Just a sec, guys. Kichi needs a moment.”
She wrapped an arm around him and led him a ways away, until they had adequate privacy, then with a tilt of her head she prompted him.
“So. What’s going on, Kichi?”
Kokichi looked away.
“Nothing.”
“Kichi.”
“...”
A sigh escaped him.
“I think I’m going crazy.”
Mizuki blinked.
“Wow. Dramatic.”
“I’m serious!” Kokichi snapped, though there was no real bite behind it. “I just-” He gestured vaguely at his phone. “I keep thinking about him. Constantly. What he’s doing, what he’d say, what he’d think. It’s like he’s taken over my brain.”
For once, Mizuki didn’t tease him.
Instead, she smiled softly.
“Kichi, you’re not going crazy.”
“I’m not?”
“No.” She shrugged. “You just really like Momota.”
Kokichi froze.
Then his face heated up.
“I do not.”
Mizuki raised an eyebrow.
“You’re blushing.”
“I am not.”
“And you call each other by your first names - that’s a sign of a pretty close friendship.”
“It’s different. We’re childhood friends.”
She only smiled wider; the kind of smile that told him she absolutely did not believe him.
Kokichi huffed and crossed his arms.
“Whatever.”
Mizuki leaned back against the wall.
“Why don’t you invite him to stay with us when he comes here for his JAXA exam?”
Kokichi looked at her.
“What?”
“He’s going to be in Tokyo anyway, right? It makes sense.”
“I don’t know,” Kokichi muttered. “What if I’m being annoying? Or pushy?”
“Kichi.”
“What?”
“You’ve been talking every day for weeks.”
“That’s doesn’t mean anything.”
“How? I want you to explain what it means then.”
Kokichi opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Mizuki smiled.
“Exactly.”
He looked down at his phone.
“I don’t know if he’d want to.”
“I’m almost completely sure he does.”
“Almost?”
She shrugged.
“If I’m wrong, you can stab all of my Sanrio plushies.”
Kokichi stared at her.
“That’s an oddly specific punishment.”
“Because you’d do it.”
A pause.
Then, slowly, Kokichi pulled out his phone.
“Fine.”
Mizuki grinned.
“Are you actually listening to me?”
“Don’t get used to it.”
He opened their messages and typed.
diceprince: hey, when you come to Tokyo for your JAXA exam, do you want to stay with us? It’ll save you money and also give you the opportunity to witness the miracle of my leadership.
For a moment, there was nothing but the screen staring back at him.
He thought for a moment that he took the wrong turn, ruined everything forever.
Then-
A reply.
astromomota: that would be great
Mizuki hopped over to him, read the message, and her smile slowly transformed into something unbearably smug.
“Told you.”
Kokichi ignored her.
But he couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on his face.
--
The night before Kaito’s arrival, Kokichi found himself lying awake far later than he intended, scrolling through TikTok.
Not because he was nervous.
Definitely not.
He was simply awake.
That was all.
His phone buzzed in his hands, and he immediately swiped down on the notification. His face lit up when he saw it was from Kaito. He almost couldn’t believe his luck.
astromomota: you still awake?
Kokichi stared at the message.
Of course he was.
Kaito knew his unfortunate sleeping patterns far too well by now.
diceprince: yes.
diceprince: my beauty sleep has been tragically interrupted by your message.
astromomota: pretty sure you were already awake.
diceprince: that’s slanderous.
A few seconds passed - Kokichi’s stomach churned as Kaito typed something out, only to delete it moments later. Again and again, he watched the same cycle repeat until, finally, Kaito sent whatever message he had spent so long debating over.
astromomota: hey, can I ask you something?
Kokichi tilted his head in curiosity.
diceprince: depends.
astromomota: on what?
diceprince: whether I like the question.
astromomota: you’re impossible.
diceprince: and yet you keep talking to me.
astromomota: do you believe everything happens for a reason?
Kokichi blinked at the screen.
It was not what he had expected but he tried not to let it throw him off.
He stared up at the ceiling, thinking.
diceprince: hmm.
diceprince: I think people like to believe there’s some big plan controlling everything because it makes them feel better about how uncertain everything is.
diceprince: but I don’t think we’re just characters being moved around by fate – we all have freewill.
Kokichi paused before continuing.
diceprince: but...
diceprince: maybe the universe sets certain paths in front of us.
diceprince: and we’re the ones who decide which one we take.
The typing bubble appeared almost immediately.
astromomota: that sounds like something you’d say.
Kokichi smiled faintly.
diceprince: I’ll take that as a compliment.
astromomota: it is.
A few seconds passed.
astromomota: I think I messaged you for a reason.
Kokichi’s fingers hovered over the keyboard.
His chest tightened slightly, and he immediately hated that it did.
There were so many things he could say.
A joke.
A deflection.
A ridiculous gif to lighten the mood.
Instead, he went with the bluntest option.
diceprince: yeah.
diceprince: to wish me a happy birthday.
The reply came quickly.
astromomota: I mean, yeah but I think there was more to it than that.
Kokichi’s heart began hammering in his chest.
astromomota: I don’t know.
astromomota: maybe it’s because I kept thinking about you and the friendship, we had as kids even after all these years.
astromomota: but I think we’re supposed to be in each other’s lives.
For once, Kokichi didn’t know what to say.
He felt like he was having an out-of-body experience - his fingers hovering over the keyboard, dancing across the screen without ever committing to pressing a single letter.
A small part of him wanted to answer Kaito honestly. To say: yes, I think we’re meant to be in each other’s lives too.
But the walls he’d built around himself - the ones that had kept him safe after his parents’ divorce and their subsequent abandonment - wouldn’t let him say it. Not even through a screen.
diceprince: you’re really cheesy, you know.
A beat.
astromomota: wow.
astromomota: I say something meaningful and that’s your response?
Kokichi laughed quietly.
diceprince: yes.
diceprince: but...
Fuck it. He thought, giving in.
diceprince: I’m glad you messaged me.
astromomota: good.
astromomota: because I’m glad I did.
Kokichi looked at the message for a long time before glancing at the clock.
It was far too late for them to both be awake, especially since Kaito had a very early train to catch tomorrow.
diceprince: you should sleep.
astromomota: you first.
diceprince: I’m your senior. you should listen to me.
astromomota: you’re literally two months younger than me.
diceprince: details.
Kaito sent a laughing emoji.
astromomota: okay, seriously though – imma hit the hay.
astromomota: just remember for tomorrow though that I’m arriving on platform 16 at 11:42am
diceprince: I know.
astromomota: don’t be late.
diceprince: I’m never late.
astromomota: I find that hard to believe
astromomota: you’re definitely the type of guy who is late for cartoonish shit like “my apologies Yamada-Sensei my train was delayed because a punch of penguins broke onto the train tracks and started throwing eggs at commuters.”
Kokichi chuckled at the comment, thinking over Kaito’s hypothesis. Annoyingly, he had to concede that it summed him up pretty well.
diceprince: ugh, fine. you got me there.
astromomota: go to sleep ya doofus.
diceprince: charming.
diceprince: good night, Kai-chan.
astromomota: goodnight, Kichi.
Kokichi stared at the screen one last time, pressing it briefly against his chest with a poorly concealed squeal before finally plugging it in to charge.
Tomorrow.
Kaito would be here.
He wouldn’t be just a name lighting up his phone anymore.
He would be here in the flesh.
Close enough to touch, hug - and, if Mizuki’s words had any merit to them, maybe even kiss...
--
The platform was crowded, filled with people coming and going, announcements echoing overhead as trains arrived and departed. Kokichi stood among them, hands in his pockets, pretending he wasn’t watching every single person who stepped off the train.
Then he saw him.
For a moment, everything else seemed to fade.
Kaito.
Kokichi had spent so long imagining what it would be like to see him again that reality felt strangely unreal.
It felt like he was watching himself from outside of his own body.
Kaito looked older, of course. Taller. More grown up.
But he was still unmistakably Kaito.
The same messy hair.
The same bright expression.
Their eyes met.
And Kaito smiled.
“Kokichi.”
Hearing his name spoken aloud - by him - sent a strange rush through Kokichi’s chest.
Before he could make some clever remark, Kaito had already stepped forward.
And hugged him.
For once, Kokichi didn’t complain about being touched, he just stood there, caught off guard by how familiar it felt.
Then, because he was still Kokichi, he recovered.
“Wow,” he said, pulling back slightly. “So, this is how you greet people now? Attacking them without warning?”
Kaito laughed.
“You’re still the same.”
“Obviously.”
“I mean, you really haven’t changed much since we were kids.”
Kokichi narrowed his eyes.
“Excuse me?”
Kaito grinned.
“You’re still short.”
A pause.
Then Kokichi looked offended.
“You travelled all the way to Tokyo just to insult me?”
“I’m just saying.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“And you have the intellect of a child.”
“Hey!”
“See? A child.”
Kaito opened his mouth to argue, but Kokichi’s smug expression made it clear he had already decided he’d won.
Some things really hadn’t changed.
And strangely, Kokichi found that comforting.
After a moment, he glanced around.
“So,” he said. “What do you want to do?”
Kaito looked thoughtful.
“Well, I was thinking I could study a little more before my exam.”
Kokichi stared at him.
“Wow.”
Kaito blinked.
“What?”
“You’re so boring.”
“I’m boring?”
“Extremely.”
“I’m trying to become an astronaut!”
“And yet somehow you still manage to be boring.”
Kaito crossed his arms.
“You asked what I wanted to do.”
“And I’ve decided your answer was unacceptable.”
Before Kaito could respond, Kokichi grabbed his hand and started pulling him away from the platform.
Kaito stumbled slightly.
“Kokichi?”
“We’re getting ice cream.”
“What?”
“Then you’re coming back to my evil lair.”
“Your what?”
“My evil lair.”
Kaito stared at him.
“The abandoned warehouse where you live with your family?”
Kokichi smiled.
“Exactly.”
“That is not a lair.”
“It has a cult living in it, I think that qualifies it as a lair. Now c’mon - we’ve got to go before global warming melts all the ice cream!”
Kaito let out an exasperated sigh but smiled internally, letting himself be dragged along.
--
Kokichi had ordered bubblegum.
Kaito had ordered peppermint.
And since Kaito had made the terrible mistake of leaving him unattended, Kokichi had naturally decided that his ice cream was now also Kokichi’s ice cream.
He carefully scooped another bite from Kaito’s cup, nodding to himself.
Perfect.
The fool would never notice.
The sound of the bathroom door opening made Kokichi quickly straighten up, placing the spoon back in his own cup.
“Kaito,” he greeted casually.
Then he paused.
Something was wrong.
Kaito looked the same as before, but his eyes were red.
Kokichi immediately narrowed his eyes.
“Did you smoke pot in the bathroom?”
Kaito blinked.
“What?”
“You were gone for suspiciously long.”
“I was not smoking.”
“Hmm.”
Kaito shook his head.
“No. I promise.”
Kokichi watched him carefully.
Usually, Kaito would have argued more, or he would have laughed and called Kokichi weird.
But instead, he just sat down uncharacteristically quiet.
His reaction made Kokichi instantly nervous.
“What happened?”
Kaito looked down at his ice cream.
For a moment, he didn’t answer.
Then he sighed.
“My grandma called.”
Kokichi waited.
“She said my grandpa’s sick. He’s in the hospital.”
The joking expression slipped from Kokichi’s face.
“Oh.”
He didn’t know what to say.
So, he said the only thing that felt right.
“I’m sorry.”
Kaito gave a small smile.
“It’s okay.”
But he didn’t look okay – the older boy picked up his spoon and moved the ice cream around absentmindedly.
Kokichi watched him.
Then glanced down at Kaito’s cup.
A tiny part of him was disappointed that Kaito hadn’t noticed his frozen heist.
“Hey.”
Kaito looked up.
“You know, now that I think about it... why do you live with your grandparents anyway?”
Kaito blinked.
“What?”
“I remember your parents from when we were kids.”
“Oh.”
He looked back down.
“My mum died when I was ten – and my dad left after that.”
Kokichi went quiet.
“I’m sorry.”
Kaito gave him a small smile.
“It’s fine.”
A moment of silence passed. Then Kaito met his eyes, and Kokichi already knew exactly what the other boy was going to ask before he even said it.
“What about you?”
Kokichi raised an eyebrow, trying to play dumb.
“What about me?”
“You don’t live with your parents either.”
Kokichi silently considered his options. Kaito had handed him the perfect opportunity to lie on a silver platter, but there was something about the other boy that made Kokichi want to tell the truth. It was like the prospective astronaut had cast a spell on him.
“My parents divorced shortly after we moved to Tokyo, and I stayed with my mum in the aftermath of everything.”
Kaito nodded quietly, prompting Kokichi to continue.
“I stayed with my mum.”
He paused.
“She wasn’t exactly great at taking care of me. She started… drinking a lot.”
The words felt strange leaving his mouth – it had been years since he had told anyone this story.
“And when I was fourteen, she kicked me out.”
Kaito’s expression changed immediately.
“Kokichi...”
“It’s old news,” Kokichi said with a shrug. “Besides, if that hadn’t happened, I never would’ve met Mizuki. I still remember the day we met outside a convenience store - she practically adopted me on the spot.”
Kokichi smiled nostalgically as the memory washed over him.
“For a while it was just the two of us, but over the years we slowly collected strays - or they found us, I guess. Eventually we found our current place.”
The table fell quiet. It wasn’t an awkward silence, but the comfortable kind two people share while they absorb new information about each other, quietly adding it to the growing mosaic of the person in their mind.
Kaito eventually broke it.
“It’s kinda funny, isn’t it… how quickly things change?”
Kokichi mulled over the question. He had never liked change, but he supposed it was what kept life interesting.
“I suppose…” he trailed off.
Thankfully, Kaito picked up the thread.
“When I’m with you, though, I feel like nothing has changed,” Kaito said softly. “You feel like an extension of home… you really do. Thank you, Kichi.”
“Thank you,” Kokichi said quietly, cringing at how pathetic he must have sounded.
But Kaito didn’t seem to notice. He simply flashed Kokichi a bright smile and a thumbs-up before returning to his ice cream, as if he hadn’t just made a confession which made the other boy grow even more infatuated with him.
--
The whole evening had gone better than expected.
Fortunately, Mizuki and the others had shown some restraint.
Mostly.
Mizuki had, of course, taken the opportunity to announce that Kokichi “talked about Kaito constantly,” but Kokichi had managed to brush it off with a laugh and claim that she was simply exaggerating for attention.
Nobody believed him.
Still, it could have been worse.
They’d eaten dinner with the entirety of DICE before turning in for the night.
Initially, Kokichi was thinking he would be sleeping on the sofa – which was completely fine, it was comfy enough and Kokichi could compact his body to sleep almost anywhere but to his surprise, Kaito insisted on the two of them sharing the bed.
So, feeling like the luckiest boy in the whole of Tokyo, Kokichi had ended up here.
Lying beside Kaito, as they scrolled through his beaten-up TV trying to find something to watch – with some limitations - Kaito had refused to watch anything scary.
“You’re telling me a future astronaut is scared of horror movies?”
“I’m not scared.”
“You’re scared.”
“I just don’t want nightmares.”
“Which is being scared.”
After arguing for several minutes, they eventually settled on Project Hail Mary.
Now, with the lights off and the room quiet, the only sound was the faint noise of the city outside and the film.
They watched most of the movie in comfortable silence, save for a few occasional comments. Once the credits finished and the lights came back on though, Kaito turned to him with that thoughtful gaze Kokichi had quickly learned to recognise over the course of their day together that meant he wanted to talk about something meaningful.
“So.”
Kaito’s voice broke the silence.
“Do you ever think about what you’re life’s going to look like in five years?
Kokichi looked over.
“Five years?”
“Yeah.”
Kokichi shifted slightly, looking up at the ceiling.
It was strange.
He’d spent years planning things. Scheming. Thinking five steps ahead.
But all of his efforts were never really concentrated on himself.
“I don’t know.”
Kaito glanced at him.
“You don’t?”
“Nope.”
“That’s surprising.”
Kokichi shrugged.
“I like keeping my options open.”
Kaito smiled.
“I think I’ve always known what I’ve wanted to be.”
“It’s a little obvious when it’s literally your Instagram handle.”
Kaito laughed quietly.
“I want to be the first Japanese astronaut to set foot on the moon. I want to see things nobody else has seen.”
Kokichi listened, almost hypnotised.
There was almost something reverent about hearing Kaito talk about his dreams – strangely it made Kokichi want to take his own life more seriously. It imbued him with hope that he too could make something of himself.
“And you?”
Kokichi startled, he had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts he almost forgot about Kaito being in the room.
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
He smiled faintly.
“I think I’ll conquer the world.”
Kaito snorted.
“Seriously?”
“What? It’s a good plan.”
A pause.
Then Kaito’s expression softened.
“I’m sure you’ll figure it – whatever it is you decide to do.”
The sincerity in Kaito’s voice made Kokichi turn away, unable to meet his eyes. Even then, he could barely force the question past his lips - the one that had been sitting on the tip of his tongue all evening.
“Why did you message me? I mean, the birthday thing was nice, and I know you wanted to reconnect, but…”
He paused.
“But you could’ve just left it there.”
A long silence.
Then Kaito answered.
“Because I never stopped thinking about you.”
Kokichi froze.
Kaito continued, his voice quiet.
“I know that sounds weird.”
“It does.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Kaito laughed softly.
“But it’s true. Not a single day went by where I didn’t think about you at least once. I always felt like we were destined to meet again… like somehow, no matter how much time passed or how far apart we ended up, we were meant to find our way back to each other. Like we were always supposed to be part of each other’s lives.”
Kaito turned his head, staring at an indeterminate spot across the room.
Kokichi didn’t answer.
He couldn’t.
Because his face was burning. Kokichi was immensely grateful for the fact that the room was dark, which prevented Kaito from getting a clear view of his face – how easily his words had slipped past every defence he’d spent years building.
“You’re such a loser,” Kokichi said, the words coming out almost breathless.
Kaito smiled absently.
“Wow. Way to ruin the moment.”
“I’m just saying.”
“Sure, you are.”
Kaito shifted beneath the duvet, turning onto his side before reaching over to switch off the light on his side of the room.
“Goodnight, Kokichi.”
Kaito saying his name would never lose its novelty.
“Goodnight, Kaito.”
It didn’t take long for Kaito to fall asleep. The human embodiment of a golden retriever was probably the kind of person who could sleep anywhere, completely unaware of the world around him.
Kokichi, however, stayed awake.
He turned his head, watching him in the darkness.
Kaito looked completely at ease with the fact that he had a huge exam waiting for him tomorrow. He looked like he had no worries, no pressure, no impossible expectations weighing down on him.
He was just... asleep.
Kokichi stared for longer than he meant to, letting the silence settle around them.
Then he quietly sighed.
“Hopeless loser,” he whispered.
He didn’t specify whether he meant Kaito or himself.
Eventually, his eyes grew heavy, and he closed them, forcing himself to sleep.
--
Kokichi woke slowly.
At first, he wasn’t sure what had pulled him from sleep.
Then he heard movement.
His eyes cracked open slightly - just enough to see what was happening.
Kaito was awake.
And he was exercising.
Shirtless.
Kokichi froze instantly.
His brain took a moment to process the sight before his face erupted into a violent blush.
No.
Absolutely not.
He was not letting Kaito know he had woken up to this.
So Kokichi did the only logical thing.
He closed his eyes again and pretended to be asleep.
How convincing was his performance?
Kokichi had no idea, but if he kept his breathing steady, he was pretty sure he could pull it off.
The problem was that staying perfectly still was much harder than he expected.
Every sound threatened to give him away - drawers opening, clothes being moved around, a bag being packed.
Until eventually the room fell quiet again.
For a moment, Kokichi wondered if Kaito had left without saying anything.
Then-
“Kokichi?”
He almost jumped out of his skin.
It felt like every thought in his head disappeared at once.
“You’re awake, aren’t you?”
Kokichi nearly gave himself away.
Nearly.
But he held firm.
After a few seconds, he felt Kaito step closer.
And if he had been close to a nervous collapse before, what happened next nearly pushed him over the edge.
A light kiss landed on his cheek.
Every part of him wanted to open his eyes immediately and make some dramatic comment about how Kaito’s “true love kiss” had revived him like some princess from the Muggle fairytale his mother had once read to him.
Instead, he stayed perfectly still.
The door opened.
Then closed.
Kaito was gone.
Only then did Kokichi finally open his eyes.
He immediately grabbed his pillow and screamed into it.
He was never telling anyone about this.
Especially not Mizuki.
--
So naturally the first thing he did when he got out of bed was tell Mizuki what happened.
He found her exactly where he expected.
Sitting at the kitchen counter, drinking something that was probably far too sweet for it to count as coffee, looking far too awake for that early in the morning.
“Kichi.”
“Mizuki.”
She looked at him.
Then she looked at his expression.
And immediately smiled.
“Oh no – you have the face.”
“What face?”
“The face you wear when you have something ridiculous to tell me.”
Kokichi scoffed.
“I don’t have a ridiculous face.”
“You do.”
He ignored her and sat down.
“Kaito kissed me.”
Mizuki nearly choked on her drink.
“Excuse me?”
“On the cheek.”
A slow grin spread across her face.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Kichi.”
“What?”
“I knew it.”
“No, you didn’t, it was just speculation.”
“An informed guess then.”
“I’m leaving.”
“No you’re not.”
Mizuki leaned against the counter, watching him with amusement.
“So.”
“So?”
“How are we feeling?”
Kokichi stared at her.
“We?”
“Yes. We.”
“There is no we.”
“Sure.”
Kokichi sighed.
“It’s just...”
He trailed off.
Mizuki waited.
Which was rare enough that he actually continued.
“I don’t know what’s happening.”
“You like him.”
“I know that.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Kokichi frowned.
“The problem is that I keep thinking about him.”
Mizuki raised an eyebrow.
“How is that different to the last several months?”
“Because now he’s here.”
He looked down.
“And he’s real.”
For once, Mizuki didn’t tease him.
She just smiled.
Kokichi leaned back in his chair.
“I can’t stop thinking about him. Everything is Kaito, Kaito, Kaito.”
“Mhm.”
“And it’s annoying.”
“Mhm.”
“I need a lobotomy.”
Mizuki tilted her head.
“You could just tell me how you feel.”
Kokichi looked horrified.
“That’s a terrible idea.”
“Why?”
“Because feelings are inconvenient.”
“So are you.”
“Rude.”
“Accurate.”
Kokichi ignored her.
“I mean, what if this is some kind of psychological issue?”
“Kokichi.”
“What?”
“You’re experiencing a crush – it’s normal to feel a little thrown off."
“I am not.”
“You are.”
“I’m not.”
“You literally woke up and immediately told me he kissed you.”
“It’s important for an underling to know everything her boss gets up to.”
Mizuki smiled.
“Sure.”
Kokichi groaned and dropped his head onto the table.
“Please hit my head with a rock and put me out of my misery.”
“And the Oscar for Most Dramatic Performance goes to…”
“Mizuki.”
“Kichi.”
He lifted his head again.
“This is horrible.”
“You’ll survive.”
“Will I?”
“Yes.”
“What if I don’t?”
“You’re being dramatic.”
“What if I’m not?”
Mizuki sighed.
“Kokichi.”
He didn’t answer her again, instead he rattled off the first thought that came to mind.”
“Does it make me a terrible person to want to be diagnosed with an incurable disease so Kaito can stay here forever and reassure me ‘don’t worry, I’ll take care of you-’”
His phone rang.
The sudden sound cut him off completely.
Both of them looked down.
It was Kaito.
Mizuki immediately grinned.
“Answer it.”
“I was in the middle of something.”
“You were being insane.”
“Same thing.”
The phone kept ringing.
Kokichi grabbed it before Mizuki could intercept it.
“Hello?”
“Kokichi?”
His stomach did a flip immediately.
“Kaito.”
“How are you?”
“Good.”
He paused.
“Actually, no. I’m offended that you woke me up.”
A quiet laugh came through the phone.
“You’re such a liar.”
Kokichi smiled.
Then he remembered the real reason behind Kaito’s visit.
“How did the exam go?”
There was a small pause.
Then Kaito answered.
“As good as it could have.”
Kokichi relaxed slightly.
“See? I knew you’d do fine.”
“Yeah.”
But something about his voice sounded off.
Kokichi noticed immediately.
“What’s wrong?”
Silence.
Then Kaito sighed.
“My grandma called.”
Kokichi sat up straighter.
“Is your grandpa okay?”
“He’s okay.”
Kaito quickly added.
“It’s just... he needs an operation.”
Kokichi went quiet.
“It’s a routine procedure, apparently.”
“Apparently?”
Kaito laughed weakly.
“I know. I know. It’s just scary.”
Kokichi looked down.
Of course it was.
“Are you going home?”
“Yeah - I’m taking the next train back.”
There was a strange feeling in Kokichi’s chest.
A tiny, selfish disappointment.
He hated it immediately.
Because Kaito was worried about his grandfather.
Of course he should go home.
“Okay.”
“You’re not mad, right?”
Kokichi blinked.
“What?”
“I mean, I was supposed to stay another night.”
His grip tightened slightly around the phone.
“No of course not.”
A pause.
“You sure?”
Kokichi smiled faintly.
“Go see your grandpa, Kaito.”
“Thanks.”
They talked for a little longer about nothing important until Kaito began wrapping up their conversation.
“I’ll message you when I get back.”
“Okay.”
“Goodbye, Kokichi.”
“Bye bye.”
The call ended.
Kokichi stared blankly at the phone and sighed.
“Lame.”
He looked up.
Mizuki was staring at him.
“What?”
She crossed her arms.
“You are not saying goodbye to him over a phone call.”
Kokichi blinked.
“What?”
“He’s leaving.”
“Yes.”
“You like him.”
“Unfortunately.”
“Then go say goodbye properly.”
Kokichi stared.
“Mizuki, the station is-”
“I’ll pay for the taxi.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I can’t accept that.”
“You can.”
“I can’t.”
“You will.”
Before Kokichi could argue further, Mizuki was already grabbing her phone.
“Kichi.”
“What?”
“Go.”
And begrudgingly...
A few minutes later, Kokichi was outside, hailing a taxi.
--
The moment the taxi door shut behind him, Kokichi realised that he had absolutely no plan.
His mind, usually full of strategies, tricks, and carefully constructed lies, had completely abandoned him.
All he could think about was Kaito leaving.
Which was ridiculous.
Because Kaito wasn’t leaving forever.
He was going home because his grandfather needed him.
That was a good thing.
The right thing for a loving Grandson to do.
And yet Kokichi was sitting in the back of a taxi like he was on some kind of emergency mission.
The driver noticed his trepidation and glanced at him through the mirror.
“Long day?”
“Hm?”
Kokichi looked up.
The driver smiled.
“Long day?”
“Oh.”
Kokichi nodded.
“Yeah.”
The driver seemed to realise he wasn’t getting much conversation out of him and focused on the road.
Kokichi barely noticed.
His thoughts were everywhere.
What was he supposed to say?
Don’t leave.
Too honest.
Come back soon.
Too needy.
Have a safe trip.
Too mundane.
Kokichi groaned quietly and covered his face with his hands.
This was pathetic.
He was Kokichi Ouma.
The leader of DICE.
Why was one boy from his childhood making his brain stop working?
The taxi finally pulled up outside Tokyo Station and before the driver had even stopped fully, Kokichi was already opening the door.
“Thanks!”
He jumped out.
The driver blinked.
“Hey, kid you left your wallet!”
Kokichi didn’t even turn back to look at him.
“Keep it.”
And before the man could argue, Kokichi was running into the packed station.
People were everywhere – acting like it was their first day on earth apparently.
He parted through crowd after crowd, checking the signs, heart pounding.
With a cursory look at an electronic information board Kokichi realised he only had five minutes until Kaito’s train would be leaving.
“Come on...”
He ran faster.
And then-
There he was.
Kaito.
Standing on the platform with his bag beside him.
For a second, Kokichi just stood there.
The same feeling from yesterday returned.
That strange, unreal sensation.
Like this was some scene from a story that couldn’t possibly be his life.
Then Kaito saw him.
His eyes widened in confusion.
“Kokichi?”
That was enough.
Kokichi crossed the remaining distance between them and without thinking he grabbed the front of Kaito’s jacket and pulled him down.
And kissed him.
For a moment, Kaito seemed surprised.
Then he relaxed.
And kissed him back.
The noise of the station faded.
The announcements.
The people.
The approaching train.
Everything.
When they finally pulled apart, both for desperately needed air, Kaito was smiling.
“I was waiting for you to do that.”
Kokichi blinked
Then narrowed his eyes.
“You were?”
Kaito laughed softly.
“Yeah.”
Kokichi huffed, leaning against his chest.
“Then why didn’t you?”
Kaito looked down at him.
“Because whenever I think about you, my brain goes to mush.”
Kokichi stared.
Then he started laughed – it was a cathartic release after so many weeks of build up, after so many weeks of tiptoeing around an razor thin edge.
“Wow.”
“What?”
“I can’t believe you just admitted that.”
Kaito shrugged earnestly.
“It’s true.”
Kokichi shook his head, still smiling.
“Unbelievable…. I feel the exact same way.”
Neither of them said anything for a moment.
They didn’t need to do anything except soak up the feeling of the bodies pressed together.
Unfortunately, real life tended to catch up to them and an announcement overhead was heard.
“The departing train to Hiroshima will be leaving shortly. Passengers are asked to board.”
Kaito glanced towards the train and reluctantly picked up his bag.
“I should go.”
Kokichi looked away.
“Yeah, your grandfather needs you.”
Kaito nodded.
“Thank you for this impromptu visit. It meant a lot.”
Kokichi shrugged.
“Don’t make it sound like I did something nice.”
“You ran across Tokyo to bid me goodbye – that’s pretty romantic.”
Kokichi’s face heated up and he buried it inside Kato’s jacket.
“You’re annoying.”
Kaito laughed, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy, almost shielding him from view.
“I’ll message you when I get home.”
“You better.”
“I will. Catch you soon, diceprince.”
Kokichi rolled his eyes, detaching himself from Kaito’s chest and sticking out his tongue.
“Smell ya later, astromomota.”
Kaito laughed as he stepped onto the train.
And as the doors closed, Kokichi remained on the platform grinning like an idiot.
Which was, frankly, embarrassing.
But for once...
He couldn’t bring himself to care.
The only things that registered in his mind were the overwhelming relief that Kaito reciprocated his feelings, and the quiet realisation that at last, he felt like a normal, functioning human being again.