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[Fic] What had he done?
Friday, 28 March 2025 18:06Kokichi had to hold his breath as he stumbled back into the relative safety of his room, a hand pressed in an airtight seal over his mouth. He didn't even make it to the bathroom this time before a jarring sting tore through his chest. He collapsed to the ground as a wretched cough ripped from his lungs and sprayed a disgusting mess of blood and wisteria between his fingers.
What had he done? What had he done?
What hadn't he done was the better question.
In his negligence, not one but two members of the group had already died. The game had begun, despite everyone's insistence that it wouldn't.
He thought Akamatsu would be able to handle things. She had at least seemed competent in maintaining the focus of the class. He was happy to step back in light of his condition to let someone else take the reins. It was a lot easier to chime in on an as-needed basis and keep to himself to avoid any misunderstandings that would accelerate the growth. As long as everyone was passive and calm, things surely would have worked themselves out. That's what he'd told himself.
The scene when he entered the library quite nearly killed him. Blood was spattered across the bookcase, trailing down to the body collapsed on the floor in a gory red puddle. This couldn't be happening. Just this morning he had been as lively as anyone else. Kokichi had just bid him goodnight not two hours ago.
"W-what...? This is a lie, right...? My dearest Amami-chan is dea—"
A familiar tightness in his stomach made itself known as he was suddenly acutely aware of all the other eyes in the room.
"Oh, I mean... was killed!"
Another tightness in his lungs did not take kindly to the lie.
He couldn't keep this up. He needed to get away, away from the prying eyes and misunderstood lies. He needed to be alone, where he didn't have to fear his genuine feelings being understood or choke on the petals that proved they weren't. Away from the body, the investigation, the reality that he hadn't seen any of this coming.
Away from the consequences of his negligence.
Kokichi awkwardly wiped his bloody sleeve across his face to mop up the mess, leaving a sticky smear behind as he dragged himself back to his feet and into the bathroom.
The trial had been a disaster. Without the knowledge to contribute himself, it had been Saihara who stepped up and exposed Akamatsu's lie. Behind everyone's backs, she'd been plotting to kill for two whole days. She hadn't said a word to anyone about it. Of course she hadn't. If Kokichi had known, he would have done something. Stopped Amami from ever going to the library, maybe. Weaseled his way in with Saihara and Akamatsu to sabotage her plan. He wasn't sure. He hadn't known. He'd had no idea, so it was all wishful thinking now.
He should have dug into things more. Tried harder. Something. Anything.
But he didn't, and now there were two bodies to show for it. Two innocent lives lost.
By the end, Kokichi had barely been able to breathe through the stabbing pain in his lungs. He'd only barely been able to alleviate it some with his admission to his frustration over his own uselessness. That is, until...
"Kokichi... That's enough. I can see through your act."
Another misunderstanding which had resulted in another reflexive lie, feeding the blooms growing through his lungs. He'd escaped to his room soon after, before anything else could go wrong.
Which brought him back to now, where he was mourning over his bloodied scarf in an empty bathroom, hoping he'd find a spare in the drawers among his uniforms. He couldn't let this happen again. Too much was at stake, and it was frankly terrible for his condition.
He would just have to be more proactive from here on out to prevent any more deaths from happening. He couldn't just avoid everyone anymore. He was the Ultimate Supreme Leader. It was his responsibility. His hanahaki would have to take a backseat. And besides, the faster he got everyone out of here, the less time he would have to spend lying like this.
That's what he decided as he tiredly washed the blood from his hands.
What had he done? What had he done?
What hadn't he done was the better question.
In his negligence, not one but two members of the group had already died. The game had begun, despite everyone's insistence that it wouldn't.
He thought Akamatsu would be able to handle things. She had at least seemed competent in maintaining the focus of the class. He was happy to step back in light of his condition to let someone else take the reins. It was a lot easier to chime in on an as-needed basis and keep to himself to avoid any misunderstandings that would accelerate the growth. As long as everyone was passive and calm, things surely would have worked themselves out. That's what he'd told himself.
The scene when he entered the library quite nearly killed him. Blood was spattered across the bookcase, trailing down to the body collapsed on the floor in a gory red puddle. This couldn't be happening. Just this morning he had been as lively as anyone else. Kokichi had just bid him goodnight not two hours ago.
"W-what...? This is a lie, right...? My dearest Amami-chan is dea—"
A familiar tightness in his stomach made itself known as he was suddenly acutely aware of all the other eyes in the room.
"Oh, I mean... was killed!"
Another tightness in his lungs did not take kindly to the lie.
He couldn't keep this up. He needed to get away, away from the prying eyes and misunderstood lies. He needed to be alone, where he didn't have to fear his genuine feelings being understood or choke on the petals that proved they weren't. Away from the body, the investigation, the reality that he hadn't seen any of this coming.
Away from the consequences of his negligence.
Kokichi awkwardly wiped his bloody sleeve across his face to mop up the mess, leaving a sticky smear behind as he dragged himself back to his feet and into the bathroom.
The trial had been a disaster. Without the knowledge to contribute himself, it had been Saihara who stepped up and exposed Akamatsu's lie. Behind everyone's backs, she'd been plotting to kill for two whole days. She hadn't said a word to anyone about it. Of course she hadn't. If Kokichi had known, he would have done something. Stopped Amami from ever going to the library, maybe. Weaseled his way in with Saihara and Akamatsu to sabotage her plan. He wasn't sure. He hadn't known. He'd had no idea, so it was all wishful thinking now.
He should have dug into things more. Tried harder. Something. Anything.
But he didn't, and now there were two bodies to show for it. Two innocent lives lost.
By the end, Kokichi had barely been able to breathe through the stabbing pain in his lungs. He'd only barely been able to alleviate it some with his admission to his frustration over his own uselessness. That is, until...
"Kokichi... That's enough. I can see through your act."
Another misunderstanding which had resulted in another reflexive lie, feeding the blooms growing through his lungs. He'd escaped to his room soon after, before anything else could go wrong.
Which brought him back to now, where he was mourning over his bloodied scarf in an empty bathroom, hoping he'd find a spare in the drawers among his uniforms. He couldn't let this happen again. Too much was at stake, and it was frankly terrible for his condition.
He would just have to be more proactive from here on out to prevent any more deaths from happening. He couldn't just avoid everyone anymore. He was the Ultimate Supreme Leader. It was his responsibility. His hanahaki would have to take a backseat. And besides, the faster he got everyone out of here, the less time he would have to spend lying like this.
That's what he decided as he tiredly washed the blood from his hands.
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