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The day after Ayame’s trial…
I didn’t particularly get to know her well. But she was still a friend of mine, as every classmate was. And to remember that we could be pushed to murder… That I could be pushed to murder… It wasn’t something I wanted to remember. It wasn’t something anyone wanted to remember. Having to watch your friend being executed, it’s something I never thought I would have to experience, certainly not in Hopes’ Peak.
I tried to push it to the back of my mind, still shaking with the novelty of having to watch her die. I wonder where Monokuma kept the corpses. Was she still in the building?
No… Thinking like that won’t help me any. Usually, Akane would be there to look me in the eye and tell me that it was all going to be okay, that we would get past this.
Akane was in her room. I tried, and some other people did, too, yet there was really no chance. There isn’t a possibility she could hurt herself, right? I shake and let out a little gasp. It sounds perverted, but I wish I could barge into her room. Because if Akane is despairing, then what’s the point? Even our strongest member has gone down.
She’s always so happy, and evil Monokuma has ruined her along with our other classmates. I just can’t imagine who will be killed next. What if it’s Akane? What if it’s me?
At that moment, I heard a loud bang. I sprang to my knees, color draining from my face. Was it true? Was another person dead?
Another bang, and another. I didn’t smell gunpowder. I didn’t taste it in the air. What.. was this? Was it a cruel prank by Monokuma? To get us to shock?
I balled my fist in anger, raising it to punch the wall. Stopping halfway, knowing I couldn’t harm school property. Tears fell from my eyes like raindrops.
Like… Raindrops.
The bangs kept coming. I realized they were coming from the windows. Errr… I guess “windows.” They were only iron plates, really, blocking us from seeing the outside. It really made everything gloomy, despite the bright lights in the hallway.
But this time, I put my hand to it. It was cold, and I swear I could feel it. Rain. I had been trapped in here so long that I forgot things outside were even happening outside anymore, despite it being most of what I thought about. When I turned around, I expected to see other people coming into the room. Maybe… smiling. Just anyone friendly.
No-one, unfortunately. It made me feel all the more alone. What was the point of celebrating rain if I didn’t have anyone to celebrate it with?
Is this it?
Do we give into despair now?
I couldn’t bring myself to cry anymore.. I just stared at the window sadly. It was too much effort. There wasn’t a point anymore.
Footsteps tore down the halls adjacent to mine. There was a school rule that said not to run in the halls, but I don’t think anyone cared anymore. Everyone had a purpose now, a place to be, a murder to commit. Half-expecting my own, I turned and saw Uehara stick his head out from behind the wall cautiously.
I don’t want to admit it, but he looked a little cute. Kind of like a puppy cocking its head in confusion. What was he doing, though?
His eyes surveyed the scene for a few moments before taking a full step outwards and towards me.
“Uhm.. Uehara, is there something wrong?” I asked nervously. A priest couldn’t kill someone, right? Even though I had just been thinking about it a few moments ago, death suddenly seemed all the more scary when you thought it was about to happen.
“I believe I heard gunshots.”
Ah, no wonder. The only reason people come out of their rooms nowadays is to investigate murder.
“It’s just some rain against the window,” My tone dropped. There wasn’t a point of keeping it so light and cheery anymore, when I knew he was just going to leave anyways.
Seemingly checking my statement, he pressed his head against the window. The way we were positioned made him stare at me while he tried to listen, so it quickly became awkward and he switched to the other side.
It kind of made me a little happy, in a way. It was something so normal, in a place that didn’t make sense.
After letting out a soft nod and returning to his original position, I was surprised to hear him make conversation.
“It’s been a while since we’ve heard rain.” It was a normal statement, but it was said so wistfully and nostalgically that it made me cringe.
Uehara was a nice, polite, if a bit honest, person by all means. Despite being regarded very highly for his conversation skills, he’s most certainly the quietest, if not for Kurokawa. It surprised me when we first met. He’s quite literally the definition of an introvert. My short few conversations with him have told me that he’s a wise person, but he doesn’t say anything related to himself, almost ever. And while what he said tried to include everyone, it was obvious it was talking mostly about himself.
“It’s sorta nice… It reminds me that there’s still a world out there.” I muse. Even saying something like that, gave me more hope than I had before.
Uehara paused, looking for the words to say. He’s such a mature person… compared to him, I look like a toddler. Blurting out words that have no meaning, it’s stupid.
“Y-…
Maeda…
Please do not give up hope.”
I really don’t think I've ever heard him stutter before. I feel like he wanted more to say… but, it didn't come out, apparently.
Awkwardness radiating from his body, Uehara spun around and began to speed walk down the hallway. I couldn’t stand to see him like that, after he said something so kind.
“Wait, please!”
Reaching out, I bound forward and found myself face-to-face with him. Well, as face-to-face as we can get, with our height difference. Putting my hands up nervously by my collar, I ask one question to him, hoping I can make up.
“Please, tell me more about you, Kinji.”
Uehara shows his taken-abackness, but goes back to his stony exterior and puts his hand to his face to think.
“I can’t think of words to say to you right now, Maeda. I promise to tell you after I’ve thought about it.” Putting his hand down, he seems ready to leave again.
It’s not that I want to keep him here just because I’m alone, it’s because he’s my friend. I appreciate his presence, so different from the others, and so comforting in its own way.
“Well, that’s alright. You don’t have to speak so formally. I just want to hear what you think.” The words come from my heart. It’s embarrassing to say, but relieving after I say it.
A long silence comes after. He seems really hesitant, but eventually… “If that’s what you want.”
Putting a smile onto my face to lighten the mood, we both slowly walk through the hall and arrive at the window. The tapping is more frequent. It must be raining pretty hard.
When we arrive, we both seem to wait for the other to say something first. I guess I am the one that forced him over here, so I should be the one to talk first.
“Like I was saying… Could I hear about the children at your church, Kinji?”
His posture relaxes a little, and it makes me feel relieved that I chose the right thing to talk about. Still awkward as ever, though, because it seems he doesn’t know how to be casual.
“The rain… M-me and the children at church camp would play over the summer.” I really hoped I wasn’t making him too uncomfortable, but it was still nice to hear a more raw side of him.
“Where we were located, it would rain a lot… it would rain often, and make large puddles in the pits in the ground. Often, it would soil their clothes, but they would sneak out to play anyway. I was in charge of them, and supposed to monitor behavior like that. It was nice to join them though, even if I got in trouble.”
Turning to face him in shock, I saw a very small, guilty smile. He hid his face as soon as I did, I still found it something nice, though.
It was already obvious, but he’s such a stoic person. Who ever thought, he could have a little bit of a mischievous side?
I let out a giggle at the thought of it. I swear he laughed a little, too.
We were both startled by the loud sound echoing across the speakers of Monokuma making his nightly announcement. Was it really that late, already?
Even though I was having fun with him, it was getting late. I couldn’t keep him here trapped that long.
But when he turned to face me, I think his expression was one of sorrow. Were we thinking the same thing?
Nodding to me with respect, he waved politely, but somewhat carelessly.. It showed his happiness.
I did the same.
“I’ll see you later, Kinji.”