Chapter Text
Seven of them were left.
Only seven remained from the original sixteen.
Shuichi didn’t know how he let it get this far. As the ultimate detective you’d think he would’ve been able to identify the mastermind before nine of his classmates, his friends, fell victim to the killing game and its horrors. What a great detective he was.
After the loss of Miu and Gonta, it was hard to look on the bright side. He hadn’t realized it until too late, but they both brought the type of energy, albeit differently, that somehow uplifted him and made being positive in a killing game bearable. Without them here, the energy all around dissipated and gave way to an emotion he knew all too well.
He at least had Kaito and Maki still by his side. The nightly training sessions they did together doing little to boost his morale, but the attempt was still appreciated. It was good to keep in shape in a place like this, he supposed.
Kaito was still a bit agitated at him for siding with Kokichi during the trial. He understood why but at the same time, couldn’t he see that Shuichi was agitated by the fact that he had to side with Kokichi as well? He would never forget the way that man had mocked Miu’s death and lied over and over and over to, not only Gonta, but to every person he had the opportunity to deceive.
Miu was going to kill Kokichi. Shuichi knew that. Kokichi knew that. It was a desperate attempt at survival that he couldn’t fault her for, although he wished she had come to him. Maybe then he could have talked her down. Knowing Miu, it was unlikely.
He wasn’t angry at her.
It was Kokichi he was pissed at.
What was his problem? Genuinely, he had to have something wrong with him. The way he laughed after Gonta’s execution would forever haunt his memory until the day his soul left the Earth. Kokichi could never be forgiven for his actions.
Kokichi was a menace. One Shuichi wasn’t sure he would ever understand, at least not completely. At one point he had made it his mission to uncover the truth hidden beneath the checkered bandana draped across his shoulders, but now? He could not care less.
Kaito knew he thought that, or at least Shuichi hoped he did. He didn’t want his interactions with Kaito to be as tense as they were now for the unforeseeable future. He needed to think of ways to mend-
The nighttime announcement interrupted his thoughts.
It’s that late already? Come to think of it, he couldn’t remember the morning announcement being played at all. What a waste of a day spent moping in his bedroom. He was such a great friend to Kaito. Staying in bed for hours totally made him feel much better.
Shuichi thought about going right back to sleep. He was no help the way he was now. His pillow whispered sweet nothings into his ear, lulled him down until his hair melted into the fabric and became one with his body. It was a comforting thought, one he bathed in and obeyed.
His eyes became heavy, his body weightless.
Drifting off, somewhere deep inside him was the hope of never returning.
BANG
…what.
BANG BANG
…someone was knocking.
BANG BANG BANG
They’d leave eventually.
BANG BANG BANG BANG
Any minute now.
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG
Any minute…
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG
…
BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG-
He couldn’t take it anymore!
Shuichi shoved himself out of bed, whined, and begrudgingly made his way to the door. Who could it be at this hour? His first thought was Kaito, but they were a bit tense at the moment so he couldn’t see him doing this right now. Some other time before Gonta’s execution, definitely, but not now.
Maki might if something terrible had occurred, but she usually had a less obnoxious knocking pattern.
Himiko was the same, including the knocking part. She had a specific ringtone to her knock; Shuichi could call it her own little song.
Keebo only knocked once so it couldn’t be them, and Tsumugi knocked twice so she was off the table.
That only left…
“Heyyy, Shuichi!”
Kokichi.
The last person he wanted to be at the door. Except maybe the mastermind, but Kokichi wasn’t wanted either!
“Soo, you just going to stand there all emo or are you gonna ask why I’m here?” Kokichi batted his eyelashes, hands bashfully placed behind his back.
Shuichi sighed. It was too late for him to deal with all of this, especially when he had almost been peacefully asleep. “Why are you here, Kokichi? I don’t want to talk to you.”
Kokichi decided, however, to ignore all of the painfully obvious signs Shuichi was giving to leave him alone, and so he continued on. “I’m glad you ask! You see, there’s this thing…” He stopped to side eye Shuichi.
“This thing?”
Kokichi nodded his head wildly. “And this place!”
“And this place..? You’re making no sense.”
“Just stay with me for a second!” He paused, waiting for Shuichi to tell him to go on. “This thing is in this place.”
Shuichi thought of his bed waiting for him. “Yeah, I gathered. Goodnight, Kokichi.”
Just as his door was about to close, Kokichi slammed it right back open with his surprisingly strong fist. They stared at each other; awkward silence hung in the air.
Shuichi spoke up. “I can’t do this right now, Kokichi. Not with you.”
Kokichi put on a hurt face, obviously mocking his pain. “Really, Shuichi? What do you mean not with me?” His eyebrows scrunched as crocodile tears rose up, threatening to fall. “I seriously cannot remember doing anything to you. So unfair!”
Shuichi shook his head and yanked on his door, trying and failing to close it. What god gave Kokichi a sleeper build?
As he pondered the strangeness of Kokichi’s unusual strength, he failed to notice the restlessness jumping around that same boy's entire body.
“I can’t wait any longer, you have to see it!”
Shuichi jumped at the energy. “See- see what? The thing in the place?” He was starting to get a bit worried. “I’m not going anywhere with you, Kokichi. It’s nighttime, so we shouldn’t be going out anyway.”
Kokichi huffed at that. “Don’t act like you follow that rule.”
Shuichi couldn’t even be mad at that, because it was true. He just couldn’t think of a better excuse to not follow Kokichi to this mysterious second location. They did say to never be taken to a second location and that it was always better to die where you stood- AGH.
Kokichi grabbed him!
He was being dragged, unwillingly might he add, somewhere to see something way too late at night because of course he was! Why should he get a good night's rest! Why not be dragged out of his room by Kokichi for absolutely no reason!
“Kokichi- Kokichi!” he tried to pry his hand off of his wrist, to no luck. “Please at least tell me where you’re taking me!”
The speed walking apparently took too much focus for Kokichi to be able to respond to his question with words, so he laughed instead. Of course.
It was at this moment that Shuichi remembered a very important thing. He was the Ultimate Detective! He should stop panicking and figure out where the hell they were going.
They were outside now, so still not far from their rooms. It didn’t seem like they were going to go inside the main building as Kokichi was fiercely headed towards the hotel. Why was there a hotel here anyway- stay focused, Shuichi!
“Why are we going towards the hotel?”
“Because Shuichi.” He abruptly stopped moving. “I found somethingggg..” His tone was proud and cheery, but Shuichi wasn’t naive. That could mean anything.
Kokichi let go of his wrist, seeming to trust that Shuichi wouldn’t immediately hightail it out of there.
And goddamn it, he was right. Shuichi’s detective instincts got the better of him. Could you really blame him though?
Kokichi sauntered over to the hotel entrance and looked back. “Well? Are you coming?”
Shuichi, dumbstruck, asked, “Is it inside?”
Kokichi giggled, so he took that as a yes and continued on. Shuichi put his hand on the knob to enter.
“It’s not in there, dummy!”
“Wh- but you said-”
“No, I didn’t. Look down.” So, he did, and what he saw was. Uh. Strange to say the least.
“You see it, right?” Kokichi asked.
Shuichi nodded slowly and crouched down to get a better look. It was a plant. One he’d never seen before, and one he was sure Kokichi had never seen before either given this whole ordeal. It was similar to a flytrap but had thicker leaves surrounding it and a much thicker head. Or, well, it wasn’t a head, but he wasn’t sure what else to call it. The closer he got, the more he could see the sharp, dangerous looking teeth- were they teeth? - that this unknown plant had. It was sitting in a brown pot that had a name carved into the edge. “Audrey II?”
Kokichi shrugged. “Yeah, wasn’t sure what that meant.”
Shuichi put his fingers on his chin, thinking. “Maybe it’s the name of the plant?”
“Booooooring! Some loser defiantly named it after his girlfriend.”
Shuichi stood up, looking down at the plant. “Maybe. What should we-”
“Or he named it after his coworker he had the hots for. HA! He sooo did that. Some lameass named like Sey-”
“Kokichi! Can you stop talking for one minute?” That was a little harsh, but they needed to figure out what to do with this thing, not fantasize about how it was named. “What should we do with it?”
“Rename it.”
“Can you be serious, please.”
“I am! Rename it ‘Ouma II.’ Nice ring to it right?”
Shuichi sighed for what felt like the thousandth time today. “I think we need to put it in mine or your room and show it to everyone else when they wake up. Collectively, we can decide what to do with it.”
“Whatever, fine.”
Finally, they were getting something done! “So, do you want it then? If not, I can-”
“No way! I found it so you have to keep it.” Kokichi crossed his arms and pouted.
“Okay, okay.” Then Shuichi wondered aloud, “How did you find it anyway?”
Kokichi’s eyes lit up, almost like he was waiting to be asked this exact question. Oh boy.
“I was walkin’ in the courtyard today, totally empty cause everyone’s like depressed and junk, and I passed by this place where this old Chinese man-”
“An old Chinese man?” Shuichi was lost already.
Kokichi giggled. “Kidding. Anyway, I walked by the hotel because I had a very boring day and realized I don’t come by here very often. There was nothing here, so I was about to, ya know, walk on by.” He was saying everything so… theatrical. “When suddenly, and without warning there was this…” He got close to Shuichi and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him to emphasize what he was about to say.
“Total eclipse of the sun.”
Wait, an eclipse? He slept through an eclipse that no one but Kokichi saw?!
He dramatically pushed Shuichi away. “It got very dark, and there was this strange humming sound like something from another world! And when the light came back this weird plant was just sitting there. Just, ya know, stuck in, among the zinnias.”
“Zinnias? Kokichi, it’s sitting on concrete-”
He was shushed. “I could’ve sworn it hadn’t been there before, but the old Chinese man sold it to me anyways.”
“Kokichi-”
“For a dollar ninety-five.”
…well, that made no sense. Kokichi looked very proud of himself, though, as he looked up at the sky with stars in his eyes.
Shuichi had one burning question. “How did no one else see the eclipse?”
Kokichi shook his head sadly. “You weren’t the only depressed one bed rotting today.”
“Sure, but still. Everyone but you? I can’t lie, Kokichi, it’s a bit hard to believe.”
After hearing that, Kokichi just stared at him. It was a bit unnerving. “I never said I didn’t believe you!” Shuichi tried, “Just that it’s a bit hard to believe. Until I ask the others, your testimony is the truth.”
He crouched down to pick up the plant, or ‘Audrey II’, and was surprised when Kokichi crouched down to meet him. “Do you think it’s a motive?”
Shuichi jerked back a little. “Wh- how? How could a plant be a motive?”
Kokichi stared at him as he scooped up Audrey II. “I don’t think we should tell anyone about it.”
Is he being serious right now? It’s a plant. A plant. So, he told him, “It’s just a plant. I think it would be better to tell the others, even if it turns out to be a motive, I guess…”
As they stood up in unison, Kokichi grinned. “But don’t motives inspire people to kill?”
Shuichi looked down at the plant, unsure. “Yes but…”
“You don’t want more people dead, do you Shuichi?” Kokichi asked innocently, stepping forward with puppy dog eyes. “I don’t see the harm in keeping it a secret. You should know why.”
He did. He knew. “You’re right, Kokichi.”
Kokichi took one large step back, hands behind his head. “Duh! What they don’t know won’t kill them, now will it?”
It still felt wrong to him. Especially when he wanted to fix his broken relationship with Kaito, adding a secret he shared with Kokichi did not seem like the best way to gain anything they had back. Even so, he agreed with Kokichi. Again…
If it somehow turned into a motive, the others not knowing would be a great benefit. If it never turned into one, then whatever. They have a cool plant for no reason. He hoped lying to Kaito would be easy, as terrible as that sounded.
Kokichi grinned. “It’s getting a bit late, huh? I think you should take little Ouma II-”
“Audrey II.”
“Whatever its name is, take it to your room and don’t get murdered on the way. Kay?”
Why did he have to be like that? Shuichi nodded and started walking away from the hotel with the strange plant in hand when he heard running from behind him that obviously came from Kokichi.
A hand planted itself on his shoulder, so he looked down and saw the mischievous face of Kokichi. “This is our little secret, alright?”
Shuichi grimaced and shoved the hand off of his shoulder. “Sure. I gotta go to bed, Kokichi,” he spat out before picking up his speed to make sure he didn’t hear the other boy's response.
The fast walk to his room was uneventful save for the quickening of his heartbeat as he thought of the secret Kokichi somehow got him to agree to.
The door slammed as he shut it, careless and very much awake now. Shuichi sat the plant down gently on the nightstand next to his bed. It looked harmless, save for the pointy teeth. Hardly motive worthy as Kokichi seemed to believe. Shuichi was curious about it, though. What exactly was it?
He leaned in towards the plant, observing as many details as he could. Carefully, he stuck out a hand and, almost as if it were a person, caressed it from the top of its jaw to the base where it was buried in dirt. It felt like any other plant would, though he hasn’t seen one in a while. Plants were scarce at the academy. As were bugs.
Hm...
If Gonta were here, would he know what this mysterious ‘Audrey II’ was? His talent was with bugs and insects, sure, but you would have to know a wide range of plants for that, right?
Damn. He was really missing Gonta.
Shuichi heard a shift.
Audrey II moved. Its leaves drooping down and around the outside of the pot. Its head fell deeper in the dirt, and the vibrant green color the plant had mere seconds ago seemed to seep out and leave the plant a muddled mess.
Shuichi stilled in shock. He had no idea what was happening. He wasn’t a plant expert!
Wait, don’t be an idiot, Shuichi. Plants droop when they’re dying.
Audrey II was wilting.