Chapter Text
The weather was clear. The ground was wet with puddles from the prior day’s rain. The air smelled strongly of petrichor. Kaito left his dorm, his coat hanging on his shoulders and an apple in his hand. The sounds of chirping birds filled his ears and brought a smile to his face. He was tired, still not back in the swing of waking up early, but he walked to Shuichi’s dorm anyway, knocking on the door as hard as he could.
“Hey Shuichi!” He called through the door, taking a bite of his apple before continuing to speak. “You better be awake, It’s the first day of our third year so if you’re late I’ll have to kick your ass.”
A few minutes passed before the door swung open, revealing Shuichi. The detective looked up at Kaito, yawning and stretching his arms. His blue hair was messy, and he was wearing his school uniform. Unlike Kaito, he buttoned his shirt up all the way and wore the tie. “I’m up, I’m up,” He said sleepily, waving a hand in a dismissive gesture as he walked out of his dorm and shut the door, “I’m not about to be late, seriously. I’m not like you. I try to keep a normal sleep schedule in the summer.”
Kaito looked at him and raised a brow. “Yeah? If that’s the truth then why do you look even more tired than I do?” He asked, chuckling.
Shuichi’s face heated up and he looked away. “S-Shut up, I just... “ He bit his lip, tugging at his backpack straps, “Kaede was texting me all night, okay? I wanted to go to bed earlier, but I couldn’t stop talking to her. You know how I am.”
“Of course that’s what kept you up,” Kaito laughed. He slung an arm around Shuichi’s shoulders and started walking towards the school. Shuichi stumbled alongside him. “You’re, like, head over heels for her, man. You should really tell her how you feel. I know you two flirt all the time, but we’ll be graduating before you know it and then your chance might be gone.”
Frowning, Shuichi nodded. “I know I should, but I’m a little nervous. She’s perfect, Kaito. She could do better than me.”
“Well, yeah, maybe she could,” Kaito said. Shuichi jabbed him in the arm. “Hey! Look, I didn’t mean it in a bad way! God, at least let me finish before you do that. Damn…” He shook his head and sighed, still smiling. “What I was trying to say was that she could probably do better, but she’s flirting back with you, isn’t she? I don’t think she wants to do better. I’m basically one hundred percent sure she likes you back and, even if she doesn’t, you two are good enough friends that admitting you like her won’t ruin anything. So grow a pair already! Ask her out!”
“You know full well that I can’t grow a pair! I-It’s impossible!” Shuichi huffed, crossing his arms.
Kaito laughed again and took another bite out of his apple. He started to talk with his mouth still full. “Not a physical pair, dumbass. Balls are an emotional thing. Grow some emotional balls, Shuichi. Balls for your mind... Brain balls!”
Before Shuichi could respond, Maki walked over, cutting their conversation short. She gave a stiff wave. “What are you idiots talking about?” She asked in lieu of a hello.
Shuichi opened his mouth to answer, but Kaito ended up speaking before him. “We’re talking about how Shuichi needs a pair of brain balls so he can ask Kaede out!” He gestured to Shuichi with his apple.
“No we’re not! Kaito’s the only one talking about that!” Shuichi insisted, looking at Maki, “I was only talking about being nervous, I said nothing about brain balls.”
She rolled her eyes and continued walking forward slightly ahead of them. “You’d think that the two of you would be smarter now that you’re seniors, but the opposite is true.”
Kaito groaned and the three of them fell into silence as they finished their walk to school. Things felt peaceful and familiar. Summer might’ve been leaving, but the air was still warm and friendly. Kaito couldn’t shake the feeling that this would be his best year of high school yet. He felt like there were new and exciting things in store for him now that he was a senior, and he felt ready to take them on too.
When they made it to the classroom, he held the door open for his friends with a grin. Most of the class was already in their seats. Kaito waved. “Hey guys!” He greeted, tossing his apple core into the trashcan and walking over to his desk.
“Uh, hey everyone,” Shuichi said, waving too. He sat down at the desk next to Kaito and started getting his notebooks out. Maki didn’t greet anyone, but she did give a curt nod. She sat down in the back corner of the room, far away from the other two.
Kaito sat on his desk. “I feel like I haven’t seen you guys in ages,” He said, “Sorry for not hanging out with more of you over the break, I was real caught up in my hot girl summer. Didn’t have time to text the group chat much, y’know?”
Miu glared at him from where she sat, and she slammed her hands down on her desk. “Like hell you were!” She barked, “I would’ve been there if you had a hot girl summer! I’m a part of every man’s hot girl summer! Since you didn’t talk to me, you didn’t have a hot girl summer. You’re lying.”
“Plus, a degenerate male like you is more likely to have a hot girl bummer,” Tenko chimed in, glaring at Kaito too. Miu gave her a high five. “What were you really up to?”
Sighing, Kaito raised his hands in surrender. “Fine, you caught me,” He said, “I went to an astronaut training camp thing, but I forgot to take my phone so I couldn’t text anyone. The only reason I was able to call my sidekicks was ’cause the rooms had phones, but not ones you could text on. I don’t have everyone’s numbers memorized, so I couldn’t call you guys, and I had no other way to talk to the rest of you. Sorry ‘bout that.”
“No worry, Kaito. Gonta understand. Gonta visit forest family during break, and he not able to text also,” The entomologist said, pushing his glasses up. “But Gonta no understand texts anyway. They weird magic.”
Himiko put her hands on her hips. “For the last time, texting isn’t magic!”
Miu rolled her eyes. She leaned back in her chair, completely ignoring Gonta and Himiko. “Wow, sucks to be you. I knew you were a fucking moron but really? You forgot your phone? You must’ve been busy jackin’ off instead of making sure you packed everything,” She said, “Why’d you even lie, though? You being stupid and fucking off to an astronaut sex club is a lot more believable than you spending your break with hot women, you fucking virgin.”
“Having a hot girl summer just sounded cooler,” Kaito admitted, his shoulders slumped in defeat, “I wanted to seem cool.”
Tsumugi frowned. “Seem cool some other way. Lying makes you sound an awful lot like Ouma,” She said, twirling her hair in her fingers, “And I don’t think you want to be like him.”
As if on cue, Kokichi burst through the door. “Who sounds an awful lot like me?” He asked, tilting his head to the side with a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. He wore his weird straight jacket outfit like usual, and he had a checker print scarf tied on. “Was somebody trying to replace me?”
“Nobody sounded like you. Kaito just told a lie and, honestly, I think you’re rubbing off on him too much,” Tsumugi scowled, her face scrunching up. “I think we should ask the teacher to move your seat. You’re clearly too close to him.”
Kokichi brought a hand to his face and gasped. “What? Momota-chan told a lie?”
“Yes, that’s what I just told you,” Tsumgi said with a slight nod, glaring daggers at him. He blinked and stood still for a moment.
Then, in an instant, Kokichi dropped to his knees and clenched his fists at his sides. Fake tears bubbled up in his eyes and he let out an over-dramatic wail, openly sobbing on the classroom floor. “WHY? How could he do such a thing? How dare he try to replace everyone’s favorite supreme leader?” Tears rolled down on his cheeks as he continued to cry. He kicked his legs on the floor like he was having a tantrum. “Lying is my job! Momota-chan is taking the only thing I have! He- He might as well just kill me!”
Kaito covered his ears, looking more and more annoyed by the second. Christ, he couldn’t stand Kokichi. That brat was the only person he didn’t miss talking to over the summer. “Shut up already, Ouma!” He shouted, “I’m not stealing anything from you, I hate you too much for that. Quit crying!”
Kokichi stood up, his tears now gone. He grinned again. “Aw, you hate me? That’s so mean. You’re so not cool, Momota-chan.” He puffed his cheeks and pouted, stomping his feet like an angry child. “I’m in love with you! Can’t you tell? Love me back already, idiot!”
“Wha- No you’re not! Quit lying,” Kaito said, his face slightly flushed, “I don’t even think you’re capable of love. All you’ve done since you met us is be a dick to everyone.”
With a laugh, Kokichi started walking to the desk behind Kaito and took his seat. “You caught me!” He giggled, “I was lying, I don’t love you. I hate your guts too!” He made a peace sign, then paused and looked away with a frown on his face. He started shaking. “But to say I’m incapable of love? That’s going pretty far…” He looked down at his desk, sniffling as his eyes started to water again. His voice trembled. “Y-You really are mean, Momota-chan.”
Kaito faltered. “Wait, Ouma, I didn’t mean that,” He said, looking down at the and frowning. “That was taking it too far. I’m sorry-”
“Another lie!” Kokichi looked up, no trace of the previous sadness on his face. “Jeez, you should really learn to tell when I’m lying. You were right, you know! The doctors told me I’m incapable of love! They also said my arms are going to fall off later today, so you should be nicer to me.” He stuck his tongue out at Kaito and snickered. “You’re gonna feel real guilty when my arms are gone.”
Kaito’s face heated up from embarrassment, and he covered his mouth with one of his hands, his brows furrowing. He couldn’t believe he fell for Kokich’s bullshit. He hunched his shoulders, sitting down in his chair and turning away. He stared straight ahead at the front of the room, grumbling. Kokichi was insufferable. He hated him so much.
Normally, Kaito wasn’t the type to hate others. Hating people left a bad taste in his mouth. Kokichi seemed to be the only exception. As soon as Kokichi introduced himself in an annoying manner that raised more questions than it answered, Kaito was filled with a strong urge to deck him. It didn’t take long to act on that urge.
By now, the teacher had walked into class and was taking role, but Kaito was barely paying attention. He was too caught up in stewing in his own anger. He couldn’t help but recall all the times Kokichi pissed him off instead of tuning into class.
---
It was the second monday of their first year at Hope’s Peak. Nobody was close enough to be friends yet, but groups had been formed and every one was chatting amongst themselves while they waited for class to start. When the classroom door swung open, everybody quieted down and turned their attention to the teacher.
Except she wasn’t there.
At the front of the room stood none other than Kokichi Ouma, donning a tacky black cape and matching hat. He laughed and sat down on top of the teacher’s desk. “Good morning everyone!” He beamed, giving an over-animated wave. “I’m afraid Mrs. Tsukinose will be running late today. She’s a little… tied up at the moment. But no need to worry! Your local supreme leader has prepared a lesson plan, so you won’t be missing out on your important education.”
Tsumugi stood up. “Now, hold on a minute-” She said, raising her voice a bit, “That’s not what we’re worried about! What did you do to our teacher? I know you did something.”
Kokichi motioned for her to sit back down, glaring. “Don’t Interrupt me, Shirogane,” He spat. Once she was seated, he went back to smiling. “But, if you have to know, I did do something . I am evil, afterall. When people around me go missing it’s because I wanted them gone. So, to be completely honest...” He paused and clapped his hands together. “I had my goons kidnap her!”
The class exploded with gasps and shocked expressions, making Kokichi laugh again, even louder this time. “Calm down, calm down. I might be lying, afterall!” He giggled and adjusted his hat. Then his tone and expression grew cold. He seemed deathly serious all of the sudden. “Now shut up. I have something important to show you all. Next person to talk before I’m done will join Mrs. Tsukinose, got it?”
Most of everyone nodded nervously. Nobody dared speak.
“Thank you for understanding!” Kokichi chirped, back to being giddy. He got off of the desk and marched over to the blackboard, picking up a piece of chalk and starting to write. When he was done, he turned around to reveal the words ‘Maki Harukawa is the Ultimate Assassin’ followed by five exclamation points. His handwriting was messy and childish and made it nearly impossible to read. Kokichi gestured to it triumphantly. “See? Look at this important information I’ve dug up for everyone! I thought you guys would wanna know that there’s a killer among you, so I took the liberty of bringing it to light. You’re welcome!”
Kaito stood up this time, his hands balled into fists. “Shut up!” He yelled, “That’s not true, Harukawa would never do such a thing! You’re lying again!”
“Me, lying?” Kokichi gasped, putting a hand to his chest like he was hurt. “I would never! … Or maybe I would, who knows? I am a liar, afterall! Or maybe I’m not, hm?” He put his hands behind his head and shut his eyes, humming. “I could be lying about being a liar. Or I could be lying about lying about being a liar. ”
“I told you to shut up!” Kaito said, not caring for Kokichi’s antics at all. “I believe in Harukawa, so quit your bullshit! Nobody here thinks you’re telling the truth. Just give it up already!”
Kokichi rolled his eyes and scoffed. “My, how… heroic ,” He sneered, as if merely saying the word made him sick. “It’s just like you to stand up for somebody you barely know. But guess what, Momota-chan! I’m not lying at all! I know I lie all the time, but when it comes to things like killing I’m deadly serious.” His voice dragged on and he seemed to be genuinely disgusted with Kaito.
“Anywho, here’s my proof!” Kokichi reached into the neck of his cape and pulled out a stack of papers. He tossed them into the air with a flourish, scattering them around the classroom in the process. “Read em’ and weep!”
One of the papers landed on Kaito’s desk. He picked it up with shaky hands, and his blood went cold when he realized what it was. It was Maki’s admissions paperwork . Kokichi had blacked out important personal information, like her previous address and phone number, but he had also circled her talent in red ink. What it said was undeniable: Maki was the Ultimate Assassin.
Kokichi cackled. “See? Do you believe me now? I told you I was telling the truth!” He took a moment to fix his cape, then pointed at Kaito. “This is what you get for believing in strangers. You just defended a cold blooded killer, Mr. Hero! How do you feel now?” His tone was nothing short of mocking.
Kaito stared at him for a moment, completely dumbfounded, and then he turned to look at Maki. He wanted to tell her something inspirational and uplifting instead of wasting his breath on a bastard like Kokichi. He didn’t end up saying anything, though, because when he looked at Maki she was getting up from her desk and making her way to the front of the room, her expression unreadable.
When she got to the front of the room, she wrapped a hand around Kokichi’s throat without saying anything, lifting him into the air as she did so. Kokichi forced out a laugh.
“Gh- Y’know, this is an.. Interesting t-turn of events-” Kokichi managed to say, his voice raspy from the strangling, “B-But are you really going to kill me here? In front of everyone? … I- I, uh- I thought doing it from the shadows was more of your thing, you filthy murderer!”
Now, Kaito had to admit that it was very nice to see Kokichi lose his composure, but this was not the ideal situation. Maki could get in trouble if she got caught like this. He didn’t want that to happen. He rushed over to her side, a small frown on his face. “Hey, Harukawa, don’t do this. Calm down. He’s not worth it.”
Maki took a deep breath and grit her teeth. After a few seconds, she gave a nod and let go of Kokichi, still glaring at him. Kokichi fell onto the desk and panted. He brought a hand to his neck, and he just sat there for a moment, catching his breath and staring back at Maki. He grinned. “Wow! Maybe you’ve got some amount of empathy left after all!” He hummed, coughing. “But probably not, you monster.”
Before they could continue talking, the door opened up and their teacher walked in. She waved at Kokichi. “Hey Ouma! Sorry I’m late. There was a huge line at that coffee shop you told me about, but it was real good so it was worth it. Don’t snitch on me, okay?” She said with a wink, turning to the class, “But good morning students! I’m here now, so please take your seats.”
Kaito’s jaw dropped, and he turned to look at Kokichi. “I- You- Whatever happened to what you said? You told us your goons kidnapped her!”
“Oh, that? Silly Momota-chan, that was a lie! I was lying!” Kokichi giggled. He started walking back to his desk, his cape flowing behind him. At that moment, Kaito decided that there wasn’t a single person on earth he hated more than that prick.
---
“Hey, Kaito, are you listening to me?” Shuichi poked him, raising his voice and pulling Kaito out of his thoughts. “I told you it’s time for lunch. You’ve been spacing out all morning, are you feeling okay? Did you get enough sleep?” His eyebrows knitted together with concern and he cocked his head to the side.
Kaito blinked. Oh, right, class. He was in class. He shot Shuichi a goofy smile. “I’m fine, no worries. Just a bit spacey!” He chuckled. Briefly, he wondered what all he had missed. Hopefully nothing much. “You ready for lunch?”
Shuichi nodded, taking his packed lunch out of his bag and standing up. He waited for Kaito to follow him and then started walking out of the classroom. “Is Maki gonna be eating lunch with us?” Shuichi asked as they made their way to the cafeteria.
“Nah, she said she’d be eating with Kaede today,” Kaito said, “Something about wanting to catch up with her only friend that wasn’t an idiot. I didn’t get it. We’re not idiots!”
Humming, Shuichi brought a hand to his chin, pretending to think. Then he smirked. “Well, one of us isn’t an idiot.”
“And it’s me!” Kaito proclaimed with a wide grin, laughing when Shuichi jabbed him in the arm. “What, are you trying to say that you’re the smart one?
Shuichi shrugged. “Yeah, I think so. I mean, there’s no way you could be the smart one. Have you seen your grades?”
Kaito gasped, looking away dramatically and clutching his chest. “I’m hurt! That hurts, Shuichi. I’ll have you know that I have straight A’s right now.”
“Everyone does,” Shuichi shot back, “The school year just started. It’s impossible to be failing on the first day of school.”
“Or is it?” Kaito asked, raising a brow. He tried his best to keep a straight face for the sake of the joke, but it was obvious that he was holding in laughter. Both of them burst out laughing, and they walked into the cafeteria, all smiles and grins. “Go ahead and find us a table, I’m gonna get in line for food.” Shuichi nodded and walked off.
Kaito went and stood at the end of the line behind Korekiyo, waiting. Korekiyo was saying things to him, but Kaito wasn’t listening. He never listened to him. Honestly, the guy kinda creeped him out.
The line moved quickly enough, and Kaito had a tray of food in his hands sooner than later. He looked around the cafeteria to find Shuichi and walked over to his sidekick. “Is this seat taken?” He joked, sitting down next to him.
“Looks like it is now,” Shuichi snorted, opening up his lunchbox. “I thought I was reserving it for the headmaster, but you’ll make do, I guess.”
They went quiet as they started to eat. Kaito usually spoke more at lunch, but the only thing he had eaten today was an apple and he was starving , okay? There wasn’t any time to talk when he was busy inhaling his soup like his life depended on it.
After a few minutes, he glanced over at Shuichi and opened his mouth to say something, but he went silent when his eyes landed on Kokichi, who had just walked into the Cafeteria. His grip on his spoon got tighter and his mood soured. That motherfucker. Just seeing him made his blood boil all over again.
Shuichi frowned. He finished chewing the food in his mouth, swallowed, and then spoke. “Seriously, Kaito, are you feeling okay? You look like you’re plotting a murder, and you looked like that in class too. You can tell me if something’s bothering you.”
“Nothing’s bothering me just…” Kaito took an angry bite of his rice. “I can’t stop thinking about Kokichi. I forgot how much I hated that little freak and talking to him this morning just set me off, y’know?”
“Yeah, I get that. He bothers me too. Try not to let him get under your skin, alright? That’s exactly what he wants,” Shuichi advised.
Kaito nodded. “I’ll try,” He lied. He knew there was no way he’d be able to stop himself from getting pissed because of Ouma. “I’ve got better things to think about anyway.”
He did not. He went back to eating and, despite his best efforts, his mind drifted back to things Kokichi had done.
---
By the time their second year at Hope’s Peak had rolled around, everyone in the class knew that Kokichi’s cape and hat were bad omens. He didn’t wear them often, but when he did, he always ended up causing more trouble than usual. They were a uniform for his sadism.
So, when they walked into the classroom to see him standing on one of the desks, holding his hat and tying his cape on, the whole class was filled with a sense of dread. What was he going to do this time? Who was he going to expose? Who would get hurt?
Kokichi turned to grin at everyone once his hat was on. He pulled an index card out of his pocket. “Ahem,” he said, starting to read off of it, “Greetings fellow classmates! I have a very important and very special announcement for all of you! Th-” He was cut off by Kaito punching him square in the jaw. The action sent him toppling off of the desk, and he hit the ground with a thud. He hissed in pain.
“Spare us the lecture, Ouma. Nobody wants to listen to your bullshit!” Kaito yelled. He looked down at him with clenched fists and gritted teeth. “We’re tired of you hurting us! Cut it out!”
The boy in question curled up into a ball, rubbing his face and frowning. He sniffled pathetically and his eyes grew watery. “Jeez… M-Momota-chan, you’re such a bully...” He mumbled, voice wavering, “At least hear me out before you hit me, this wasn’t gonna be anything bad! I was just gonna invite you guys to my birthday party...”
Kaito raised a brow, hesitating for a moment. “No you weren’t?” He said slowly. He had meant to sound sure of himself, but it ended up coming out like a question. “You wouldn’t do something like that. All you do is fuck with people and make them feel bad.”
“Or invite them to my birthday!” Kokichi cried, sobs wracking his body. He trembled, bringing his hands to his face and covering his eyes. “I-I thought we were friends! All of us! We were supposed to close, and I wanted you guys to celebrate with me… But you just proved that we’re not friends, none of us. You’re so mean to me…”
For a moment, Kaito felt bad. He tried to push the feeling away. “You’re mean too, and you’re worse to us. Get up and drop the act! Quit lying, Ouma. Nobody believes you.”
“B-But it’s the truth!” Kokichi hiccuped out. It sounded like he was struggling to breathe. “I’m turning seventeen in a week, I was gonna have a big party and everything!”
Kaito couldn’t ignore the guilt anymore. Sure, he hated the guy, but that didn’t make him feel any less awful for making him cry like this. He sighed. “... Fine, I’m sorry. Tell us about your party.” He looked away as he spoke.
Kokichi rose to his feet, grinning. The tears were completely gone. “Thank you Momota-chan! I’m so glad you apologized to me!” He giggled and picked his index card back up. “But, here’s the thing…” He drawled, looking at the ceiling. “I lied! My birthday isn’t for a long time!”
The sense of dread washed over Kaito again, and he stared at Kokichi, furious. How did he manage to fall for that act again? Why did the tears always make him feel bad? He wished he could stop being so empathetic when it came to Kokichi. Nothing good would come from feeling bad for that little shit.
“What I actually wanted to announce before I was rudely punched, was that I recently found out that Momota-chan, our resident hero, Mr. Always-Honest, faked his paperwork in order to pass his astronaut exams! Who knows what else he could be faking. Maybe his shady acquaintance gave him a fake birth certificate or a fake ID!” Kokichi laughed, glancing at Kaito with a sinister look on his face. “I’d hate to be in a class with somebody so dishonest. Don’t you guys agree?”
Kaito got ready to throw another punch but, before he got the chance, Kokichi sprinted out of the room.
---
The lunch bell rang, forcing Kaito out of his thoughts once more. He stared down at his half finished food with a sigh. Looks like he got so absorbed in his anger that he forgot to finish eating. He turned to Shuichi. “You can go on ahead to class, I’m gonna speedrun eating this. I won’t be too late.”
Shuichi nodded and stood up. “Alright, I’ll let Mrs. Tsukinose know you’re running behind.” He closed his lunchbox and left the cafeteria. “You’re one of her favorite students so you probably won’t get in trouble.
Kaito laughed. “Yeah, I know. But you’re one of her favorites too! If you’re the one telling her, then I’m even less likely to get scolded. See you in a bit.” He waved goodbye to Shuichi, grinning, then turned back to his food. He scarfed it down as quickly as he could but made sure he didn’t choke.
When he was finished, he stood up and grabbed his trash, walking over to the side of the cafeteria where all the garbage cans were. Then he paused when he noticed someone out of the corner of his eye. All the students had filed out by now and gone to class, so he thought he was alone. Apparently not.
Kokichi was still on the other side of the Cafeteria. For a moment, Kaito was filled with the strong urge to leave. He hated that little shit. He didn’t want to be in the same room as him longer than he had to. Before he could leave, though, his head started to fill with questions. Why was Kokichi still here? What was he up to? Why didn’t he leave with everyone else?
Kaito pressed himself up against a wall, trying to blend in with his surroundings. He had no clue why, but he felt compelled to stay. He kept his gaze focused on Kokichi. Maybe catching him doing something wrong would make his rage feel more justified. Or maybe he just had a weird, morbid curiosity about everything that fucker did. Who knows.
He watched as Kokichi glanced around the cafeteria, checking for other students. Kaito was afraid he was going to be caught. Thankfully, though, Kokichi didn’t seem to notice him. What a relief. He let out a sigh.
Kokichi unzipped his backpack and walked over to where the staff stored the parts of lunch that were pre-packed and processed— things like yogurt, apple slices, juice, and milk. After a moment of hesitation, he started grabbing food by the handful, shoving it in his bag until he couldn’t fit anything else. He then zipped it up and slung it over his shoulders like nothing happened.
Kaito tossed his trash and ran out of the Cafeteria, not wanting to be seen. Once he was in the hall, even more questions ran through his mind, but it was mostly a loud chorus of what the fuck? He didn’t know how to make heads or tails of what he just saw. So he didn’t. He shouldn’t be spending so much time thinking about Kokichi, anyway. He started walking back to class.