#kaitos grieving for himself and kokichi and maki.

[templegate]

A moment of vulnerability

[spontaneousglitterbees]

v3 ch3

For an ask game.

Ooh, I have a lot of thoughts on v3-3, full spoilers ahead.

Hard mode: Honestly? Contains some of my favorite individual moments in v3. I think there's a reason so many fics take place somewhere during v3-3: you have some intrigue in the student council v rest-of-the-class dynamic, a cast that's lost its most down-to-earth members that helped keep the group as a whole grounded (Kaede may as well have been the class rep; Rantaro, for as little as we see of him he has a knack for getting even the most unruly of the class to calm down; Kirumi was team-mom (with complexity therein, of course, but she deliberately took up the role); Ryoma had this cool-headed temperament that could probably have helped counterbalance some of the emotional highs later in the game) and the reality of their situation is undeniable. Plus, the fact that this chapter had the stones to give Kokichi a concussion and everything the complete lack of response to it means for/around him as a character. That's its own rant, man.

Also Spirit, Praise, and Beauty slaps tbh. I got used to playing videos at 1.5-2x speed, try it with this song it sorta goes from jam to bop imo.

Easy mode: so much missed potential. It’s not exactly a hot take I don’t like what they ultimately did with Kiyo, but v3-3’s single biggest issue for me (besides poor taste) is that it brings up genuinely interesting new territory and proceeds to squander it for shock value.

I’m not the first and won’t be the last to posit 3-3 should have been our first instance of two isolated culprits going off at the same time. I would've loved to see Kiyo survive as just a weird, suspicious but ultimately benign anthropologist, but see. Even with all things as they currently are, someone else killing Angie would have offered us more opportunity to develop the theme of the chapter: ways of coping with grief. (I also really like that this chapter has such a well-defined theme, even if I wish it delivered it differently; the concept offers a lot for character development, and to not commit to taking it is a shame.)

Like, v3-3 gets flack for Tenko's death being nonsensical, but I think it's actually very poignant for those same reasons! Only, unfortunately, a lot of the nuance is left to subtext. Tenko's death has next-to nothing to do with Tenko herself: Himiko almost became the medium, after all, and Kiyo eventually admits any girl besides Maki or Miu would suffice. Her death is all about the elaborate mechanism. It's alarmingly impersonal, tailored to be a chronic killer's magnum opus. How else does one come up with something like the seesaw effect? It's posturing. He was showing off. And Kiyo doesn't exactly have an incredibly macho persona like Kaito, or anything, but that exact kind of insecurity gone out of control resulting in violence against a girl? Is EXACTLY something Tenko would abhor. It adds insult to injury! And if Kiyo hadnt killed Angie incidentally, he'd have gotten away with it. They would have to live with him, and he would have to live with himself and a very visibly grieving Himiko. Holy shit the drama there.

Kiyo did not care about getting caught, at that point. He could probably have gotten away with just killing Angie, honestly, his game-persona was written to have done this sorta thing a lot and the leads weren't clear enough to pin him beyond doubt as culprit without the second crime... but that second crime was important to him. More important than fulfilling his sister's order, more important than seeing another day beyond the game. "It was stupid of him to do!" yes, full of hubris, and-or just not giving a fuck anymore. There's even a moment where he's talking to himself toward the end of the trial where 'sister' chastises him for getting greedy; he knows and does not care. Which becomes even more interesting with what we learn in chapter 6, if we can believe what we're told, and the kids are functionally fabricated before the game... making this probably a case where 'actor does not fit character', so to speak, and the distress and pressure of coercion probably felt real, to him. It's a huge can of worms, and we dwell on none of them. As far as 'chapter 3 breakdowns' go, again wish they didn't feel a need to have one every time, but Kiyos... reads really sad, to me, in a way the previous ones weren't. Minding the subtext of familial abuse and analyzing it, it's just... seriously harrowing. I just really wish DR gave things the gravitas they deserve instead of clocking the audience in the face with them between jokes and telling us to figure it out. 

But I've been talking about Kiyo, because the crimes of the chapter really are just about Kiyo. Angie, a character the narrative had been building up to for a chapter plus by that point, is in the wrong place at the wrong time thinking she could easily outwit potential culprits working at night by manipulating the class. Tenko volunteers for what turns out to be a glorified Saw trap (both cruel and ironic!) to spare Himiko the emotional turmoil of potentially not speaking to her late close friend, because Tenko cares so much and so deeply. They're mirrors of one another, in many ways, mind vs. heart, brain v. brawn, etc. through their talents and actions, and it is a damn shame to lose them this unceremoniously. 

BUT. Here's the hot take:

That should have been the point.

The narrative should have lingered, through its text, on the tragedy of these two bright girls being slain as an afterthought. Not just as sacrifices for Himiko's development, but as prime examples in how damn cruel the game really is. Angie and Tenko both had trajectories to fulfill, and they did not get to. We don't see the student council again, really; we should. We don't see active mourning (or even struggling not to) for the person who was always eager to lend a hand to everyone else (even the menaces, which was a much better pun than the official translation and significantly less grating) from anyone but Himiko. We don't even do that much with Kokichi calling out Himiko for only starting to visibly give a shit after Angie and Tenko were gone, an incredibly salient point they bring up and just. Don't dig very deep into?? Not that Himiko is an awful character or anything, but the opportunities.

Wish they'd been more tactful, but I honestly kinda like v3-3. 

If nothing else we still have seesaw memes, right?

[kris-shinnie-pride]

OK KAITO MOMOTA ANALYSIS CAUSE YALL ARE CLOWNING ON HIM.

Kaito on the surface:

In the beginning Kaito is shown to be the "All Bark, No Bite" type of person. Always saying that he'll definitely find his way out but without having a plan on how to do so himself, or him saying something along the lines of "You read my mind! I was also gonna say that exact same thing too!" after Kaede's speeches. This makes Kaito out to be this overconfident, hyper optimistic, naive dude. Which to some extent, he kinda is.

However, there's a lot more to him.

Kaito's beliefs on trust:

Kaito believes in the good in each person. He feels like everyone deserves to have faith placed upon them. Like he himself says multiple times, he trusts his gut about people and believes in people just because he wants to believe in them (saying the phrase "I believe in them because I want to believe in them. Do I need any other reason other than that?"). This may put him out to seem naive but I don't think he is. He knows that the possibility of betrayal exists but he doesn't want to let that cloud his judgement. He wants to believe others are good until they prove otherwise. "If I end up getting betrayed it's on me for trusting the wrong person". This proves he isn't just naively assuming everyone is good, he just chooses to give others the benefit of the doubt. He even calls Kokichi naive for believing everyone has an ulterior motive with their secrets, commenting on how everyone has secrets they want to keep and how that doesn't mean the intention behind them is bad.

That's likely one of the reasons why he had such a hard time believing Gonta would kill someone. It wasn't just blind faith. It was understanding Gonta's character and knowing he could never have bad intentions. Gonta would never cave into any sort of selfish motive. He knew Gonta was despairing on the account of not being helpful to everyone. Kaito considers things based on emotion and so by Gonta's previous behaviour (and current behaviour in his trial, ever since he lost his memory,) it makes sense Kaito would doubt Gonta's guilt. There were other factors as to why he acted the way he did during that trial that I will talk about later.

Kaito's beliefs on vulnerability:

We barely learn anything about Kaito's family. We have no idea what happened to his parents. All we know is that he was raised by his grandparents. Being raised by his grandparents would mean that he was also raised with certain conservative ideas about males showing emotion. We see Kaito struggling with the idea of showing "weakness" aka negative emotions (ex. fear, sadness), especially in front of Monokuma. Which is why he punches Shuichi after Kaede's execution. He can't excuse Shuichi showing weakness in front of Monokuma. He doesn't have an issue with emotions in general since he advices Shuichi to stay by himself in order to grieve and also tells him to visit Kaede's Ultimate Lab. He also responds to Maki's love confession by congratulating her on opening up more and saying that since she fell for a guy like him, she can finally love herself. Kaito has a fair amount of emotional intelligence. He displays as much when he took on Shuichi and Maki and made them work on their "enemies" which he figured out fairly quickly. He can even read Kokichi in some moments, such as when he points out Kokichi's issues with trust and how that becomes a hindrance to him in the 4th trial. Kaito himself struggles with expressing his own emotions to others. He doesn't take his own advice. He tells Shuichi that he shouldn't shoulder everything on his own and yet Kaito never shares his illness with the others. He lets them live in ignorance, believing he's always happy and carefree. Why does he do that? Hero complex.

Kaito's hero complex:

Kaito has a severe hero complex which he developed in order to make himself feel needed and also to make others depend on him. He appears arrogant, flamboyant and maybe even toxically optimistic, almost unable to show any negative feelings (that aren't aggression/anger). That is due to his need to appear like the Reliable And Unshakeable Hero Who Fears No Enemy. He takes the negative emotions from within him that may make him seem weak and either completely discards them or masks them behind aggression (that's another conservative ideal he may have gotten from his grandparents). He allows others to idolise him and so he takes his own basic human right to feel less than ideal away from himself just so he isn't knocked off from the pedestal he has been placed upon. He hides behind a carefree, overly optimistic mask and he never lets it slip. Till chapter 4 that is.

Kaito's insecurities:

Insults and criticism:

Kaito is blatantly insecure when it comes to criticism and insults. It is extremely apparent especially in the second class trial where everyone comments on his intelligence and how he's an idiot. (A small parenthesis here: Kaito is The Ultimate Astronaut. He may have cheated on the exams and falsified papers to get in but he was allowed to stay not only cause they found him entertaining but also because they saw talent in him. So I'd love it if we could stop degrading his intelligence like he's actually unable to function. Yeah I call him a himbo but never did I genuinely doubt his intelligence, both emotional intelligence and his general knowledge. Is he dense sometimes? Yeah. But he's not useless or generally stupid. End of parenthesis.) He takes a lot of offense to that insult and even says it hurts his feelings. Meaning that perhaps the overconfidence he's been displaying isn't as authentic as he would've liked. He is very easily provoked, which Kokichi wonderfully displays in almost each interaction he has with Kaito. He is usually quick to point out when someone else gets insulted in a manner that doesn't ring true, but he seems to have a hard time defending himself in that way. He just gets very defensive and usually yells about it, but he can't refute it like he does for other people.

Threatening his ideals:

When his views and beliefs are questioned in the slightest manner he feels personally threatened. He gets very aggressive and even violent when it comes to that. We get to explore this a lot more during chapter 4. As chapter 4 progresses we get to see how his blind faith in others, which so far had only worked in his favour and was considered to be one of his most admirable traits, can be even more damaging than even Kokichi's lies. The idea that this part of him can be wrong in certain situations frustrates Kaito to no end since believing in everyone is pretty much his thing. To be told that THAT can be just as much, and maybe even MORE, of a burden to deal with as Kokichi's meddling probably really hurt his ego. Which is likely why he takes that out on both Kokichi, by attempting to resort to physical violence after the trial, and Shuichi by blaming him for his own shortcomings.

His relationship with Kokichi:

Kaito's relationship with Kokichi is an interesting one since they seem to share quite a few parallels. Kaito, The One Everyone Trusts, The One That Keeps The Group Together, The Hero Of The Story vs Kokichi, The One That Can't Be Trusted, The One That Constantly Lies, The Antagonist. Kaito is overly trusting, has seemingly baseless optimism and is, for the most part, very much a team player. Kokichi on the other hand is overly suspicious of everyone, has no faith in the other students and, for the most part, acts alone. They are almost perfect foils of eachother when it comes to personalities as well, on surface level. However when you look at them both from beginning to end you find many similarities between them. The first one would be how they both share the same goal. The goal of defeating the mastermind and ending the game. How they go about it is definitely different but their plans both do share the same end result. Another thing they have in common is lying. While Kokichi makes it more obvious, Kaito lies as well. He tries to conceal his illness and, again, his feelings that make him appear vulnerable. Kokichi even calls him out on this (and I believe he calls Kaito a hypocrite, then saying how Kaito is hiding something from the group). Then we have how they both try to fit themselves into specific boxes to fulfil their goals. Kaito models himself perfectly in order to fit The Hero Role, while Kokichi does everything in his power to take on The Villain Role. Assigning these roles to themselves is something they both deem necessary in order for the mastermind to be defeated. I have a fanart saved where Kokichi and Kaito play Chess and Shogi respectively against eachother at the same time. From Kaito's perspective, Kokichi has added chess pieces in a game of Shogi, while from Kokichi's point of view, it's Kaito who has the Shogi pieces for a game of chess. They both want to do something similar but they can't quite agree with eachother on how to get there.

Needing to be needed:

As mentioned before, Kaito, in order to satisfy his hero complex, requires people to rely on him. While originally that's not as apparent, it becomes very clear in chapter 4. Kaito not only feels threatened because his ideals are being characterised as wrong, by his own sidekick, but also because his own sidekick can even call those ideals wrong in the first place. I haven't mentioned his relationship to Shuichi almost at all so far so let's talk about that for a bit. Kaito takes Shuichi under his wing because of his hero complex and because his emotional intelligence revealed how much Shuichi needed a hero at that time. He could tell what was weighing Shuichi down and he was ready to try and lift that weight off of him so Shuichi could thrive. He gives him the title of his sidekick and says multiple times that "your discoveries are my discoveries" and "your mistakes are my mistakes, I'll take full responsibility for them!" Considering Shuichi's problem, with discovering a horrible truth and messing everything up, Kaito's words are genuinely comforting to him. Hearing that he won't have to take the heat for discovering some awful truth or hearing that he won't be blamed if he happens to make a mistake. These statements are what made Shuichi more comfortable with his talent and with utilising it. Kaito was the center of attention which means Shuichi as his sidekick could do his thing with almost no disturbance by others. Not to mention the training during night time, in order for Shuichi to relax and distract himself while everything else is chaotic. Kaito was able to read Shuichi and comprehend what he needs to get stronger. So then, when Shuichi started becoming increasingly confident in his abilities, and more independent in general, Kaito was scared. Kaito was scared that he was no longer needed. He was scared that he'd be discarded and that he'd no longer be idolised. He was also jealous of how his sidekick was becoming more and more reliable, more and more useful and needed. Moreso than Kaito himself. That is one of the things Kokichi tried to emphasise in chapter 4. Showing everyone, and especially Kaito, how they were over relying on Shuichi and how Kaito could be considered a hindrance instead of help to him (which he brought up in the trial of the chapter after Kaito questioned one of Shuichi's ideas). On one hand, Shuichi contradicting Kaito's statements meant that Shuichi was finally growing as a person and as a detective, becoming more independent. On the other hand, it meant that maybe Shuichi wouldn't need Kaito anymore. At least that's what Kaito thought at the time. Kaito develops jealousy over Shuichi's reliability, which he later admits in chapter 5. I'm assuming he felt a plethora of emotions after the fourth trial. Betrayal (cause Shuichi chose his own path), fear (of being discarded by everyone else) and embarrassment (from being shown up by his sidekick, for acting in such a pathetic manner and for showing such weakness in front of everyone). However he masks that all behind anger. After the trial he must've been thinking something along the lines of "The student had surpassed the teacher". I mean, if there's no one to save then there's no need for a hero, right?

Kaito's final moments and his collaboration with Kokichi:

Kaito is stubborn and very much so. However, he was able to recognise Kokichi's goal was similar to his own. He was willing to set their differences aside and he was prepared to work with him to end the killing game. While some think Kokichi manipulated Kaito into helping, which to a certain degree he did, Kaito actually wanted to help Kokichi the moment Kokichi said he had a plan to defeat the mastermind. Kaito was able to see through his distaste for Kokichi so they could both work on their common goal. After everything...Kaito is discovered anyway. He's about to be executed and he gets to say his final goodbyes. Kaito, even in his final moments, doesn't let himself feel his own emotions. He keeps a straight face. He keeps his hero facade. Till the very end. He doesn't cry. He doesn't let himself feel anything. All to make everyone around him feel better. He feels like Shuichi and Maki, and everyone else, would have an easier time moving on if he doesn't show any despair. He sacrifices his own needs for others. Again. The hero with the nerves of steel is how he would want to be remembered anyhow.

Then finally, he dies in a way that inspires retaliation. A way befitting of a hero. And a way that finally makes him succumb to the thing he's been working so hard to keep hidden. He dies because of his illness and he does so while smiling. He never lets his mask slip.

[natsumiheart]

im asking this out of genuine curiosity, and not to be rude or anything- could you explain what there is to like about oumasai, to someone who really doesnt like it? i played the whole game, free times and bonus modes included, and i dont get it. most posts about reasons to ship it are aimed at people who already like the ship, so they just dont make sense to me. i hope this wasnt too rudely phrased, and thank you in advance for your time

Oh no don’t worry about it! You were completely respectful, and I’m really touched you’d come to me about this! ;; I think you don’t need to force yourself to ship something you don’t get, your feelings are very valid and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! But honestly it’s so awesome how you’re open to hearing reasons from their fans instead of painting them all in a bad light like what a lot of people in the dr fandom usually do.

I actually have a couple posts where I rant about Saiouma so to list everything this will take forever XD 

I made a 100 reasons post which you can find here, it’s just me fangirling so you don’t have to read the full thing but the most important points are numbers 22 and 100.

22. In chapter 4 Kokichi referred to Shuichi with the phrase “Suki ni natta hito” “the person I fell in love with” while alone. and it’s not even a bonus scene or event, the line is 100% canon and the player will come across it no matter what.

100. Their relationship is very realistic, it is focused on how two characters try their best to understand each other, how even someone like Kokichi can come to trust in someone and want someone to trust in him, how he wants that someone to be able to understand him. Kokichi went from being interested in Shuichi to falling in love with him (literally referring to him as the person he fell in love with, using the same phrase that Maki says to Kaito later on), in a freaking killing game. he forced himself to cut their ties and died thinking the only person he cared about hated him. while Shuichi started off interested but wary of Kokichi, tried reaching out to him but failed due to Kokichi pushing him away, to getting mad from him for making Gonta a murderer and trash talking Kaito when he seemed in a really bad condition (after getting punched by Kokichi too) to hitting cold hard realization to what Kokichi has been trying to do the whole game after his death. and then appreciating his help, using the clues he left behind for him, clearing his name, calling him a friend, and grieving his death with the rest of his friends who died in the killing game. He then uses everything Kokichi gave to him and taught him, ends up understanding Kokichi and his lies, and uses the tactic he taught him where he said “sometimes you win a game by not playing it” to end danganronpa. then you’re left wondering how things could’ve been different if Shuichi didn’t already have so much on his back and tried harder to reach out to Kokichi. you start wondering what could’ve happened if Kokichi didn’t push him away, you start thinking about all these possibilities. and then salmon team comes along and wraps everything up with a ribbon. putting direct throwbacks to what happened in the killing game and the free time events, Kokichi BEING the one to reach out to Shuichi, asking him to stay by his side. Their relationship is like one huge arc that starts the moment they met to their graduation in salmon team, and it leaves you with the fact that after they graduate they will stay together and learn more about each other, just like both of them wanted but couldn’t do in the killing game. if this isn’t a beautiful realistic relationship, I don’t know what is. Honestly, everything about this ship is so very beautiful, and I will support it with my life.

About point number 22, a lot of people deny that Kokichi’s feelings even exist that’s why I ranted about it once in a post that you can find here!

I answered this ask about it being technically one sided in the main game, because the main story is just the worst outcome for their relationship in my opinion (due to Kokichi’s plan having Shuichi hate him after chapter 4, ouch) but Kokichi’s feelings are shown to be reciprocated in Salmon team.

Then there’s this ask where I just summarised all my favorite things about the ship XD

I’m not saying that everyone who supports the ship has a bunch of deep reasons, some might just ship it cause it’s cute, and some might just like the fanon pregame version of the ship only because it has a totally different dynamic. But this is just the case for me because not only have I been questioned my feelings for this ship multiple times, but I went from actively disliking it at first to having it as my otp! (Which led me to even questioning myself multiple times, why did I got from dislike to like?) As I played the game I just kept noticing things, it probably all started after Kokichi’s “I stole Saihara-chan’s heart so I don’t need to take his life anymore.” and then solidified after Kokichi saw a detective Shuichi chasing after him in the love hotel scene, and the “Man I fell in love with.” line in chapter 4, and then the entirety of Kokichi’s Salmon team route.

The main story had such a tragic outcome for their relationship, but in another reality where Kokichi didn’t have to make everyone hate him including Shuichi, where he didn’t have to die being hated by everyone, and where Shuichi didn’t have to discover his true intentions after Kokichi was dead and consider him a friend again after he was gone. They really could have the wholesomest relationship as friends or more! And many amazing well-written fanfictions I read really shows it ;;

They just complete each other, at least that’s just how I see it XD I love them so much to the point I’ve been shipping them for two years now and it’s still going strong, amazing writing like this really hooks me, they have so much potential that you can’t stop thinking about all the what if scenarios. To me I love their relationship even if it was just platonic, I just love seeing them interact.

Still I totally understand that not everyone will see their relationship the same way as I do! These two are just two characters that I’ve analysed to death and liked their dynamic. And I think it’s totally alright to ship them with other characters (Shuichi is so shippable istg), but when I see people attacking their fans and calling their ship one sided or unhealthy it seriously ruins my day considering all that has happened to me before, and how it’s blatantly not true. It’s not true to the point I ranted multiple times about it in those essays-

But yea this on top of all those essays pretty much summarises why I ended up shipping them, they have this dynamic where they can make each other develop as a person, and at the same understand each other’s problems and the anxiety of how they look like in other people’s eyes. They have so much angst and the same time so much fluff, and I think many people who are into the yin yang *together we balance each other* dynamic will really have fun shipping them! Hope this somehow showed what I saw in them!

[ultimate-angst]

Can you please do a scenario where Himiko’s the sole survivor of the killing game? Like Maki killed Kokichi, While Kaito lived long enough to rebel in trial six, but died after Kiibo destroys the place and Shuichi tried to save Tsumugi, but only to be crushed with her. Thus leading Himiko completely alone.

Ooh, what an interesting request! This probably won’t be super detailed in how the others die because I don’t want it to be too long, and this probably isn’t my best writing, but I hope you like it!

- Mod Hajime

TW: Major character death, emotional turmoil

Spoilers for V3 ahead!

Left Alone

The class trial room is tense. Nobody wanted to believe that Maki had really killed Kokichi, but how could anybody argue when Shuichi had laid it out so well?

Suddenly she’s confessing, upset but not remorseful, and nobody can speak against that. The voting ends, and Shuichi almost faints with relief when Kaito steps out of the Exisal unharmed. Shuichi spends Maki’s execution with Kaito’s arm around his shoulders, keeping the upset man steady.

It isn’t until afterwards that the real reason for his weakness is revealed. Shuichi recruits Kiibo to help him carry Kaito back to his room, forcing him to lay down and get some rest. It takes some effort; Kaito isn’t one to sit back and let others do the work, even if he is dying. Tsumugi offers to watch over him while the others work, stating that “it’s plain to see that she wouldn’t be much help out there.”

It’s hard to focus on finding information when he’s trying not to be destroyed by Kiibo and the Exisals, but Shuichi pushes on. Nobody seems to understand why he’s pushing so hard for a sixth trial, but Monokuma allows it nonetheless.

It doesn’t have the ending they expected, but it’s done. The game is over. But they don’t have time to celebrate, or grieve, or whatever it is they’re supposed to do now, because Kaito goes into another coughing fit, his knuckles white as he grips the podium to hold himself up. They try to help, to sit him down and offer him water, but they can’t stop the blood pooling from his lips. And it’s hard, watching him die and knowing that nothing they do can save him. There’s nothing Shuichi, his dearest sidekick, can do besides hold the astronaut against his chest, Himiko gripping his hand as they try to soothe him in his last moments.

Kiibo is already putting his gear in place, alerting the few survivors that he’s about to start.

When all is said and done, the air filled with dust and the ground covered in debris, the rubble shifts. A brick falls, rubble pushed to the side as a head of red hair rises from the dirt.

Himiko pushes herself up, coughing the dust from her lungs. She pushes her hair from her face and sits up fully. The sun is bright and her whole body aches. She scans her surroundings, trying to find someone, anyone. 

She starts to push rubble aside desperately, tears slipping down her cheeks as she begs for Shuichi to answer. Her hands find fabric, and tired arms pull him to the surface.

There’s blood caked on his head, fresh and warm. She pushes his matted hair aside, cups his face, sobs his name. The lack of a response tightens her chest, and she lowers him back down, her hands gentle despite their tremor. Her cheeks are wet, sobs tearing through her throat and shaking her shoulders. She buries her face in dirty hands, trying to block out the world around her. She doesn’t want to be awake, doesn’t want to acknowledge the fact that there’s nobody left.

She doesn’t want to be alone.

[truth-and-lies-drv3-imagines]

How about Kokichi, Shuichi, and Rantaro when they get in a rather heated argument with their s/o and slap her across the face when they’ve gotten too frustrated or refuse to admit their mistake?

I was super excited to write this once this popped up!

Slight spoilers for Rantaro’s backstory!

Mod Shuichi~

Shuichi Saihara

-”S/O can you please just go away? I’m trying to focus!” Your eyes widened with shock, if you could recall, Shuichi wasn’t the type to raise his voice in aggression. But here he was, doing exactly that.

-Shuichi was stressing himself way too much from his work, you tried comforting him but was given the cold shoulder instead. “Can you not understand what I just said? I told you to go away and let me do what I have to do. So if you can listen to simple instructions then leave!”

-The shouting was already loud enough but Shuichi had to add a slam with his fist onto his desk to make the situation worse. He walked over to you to try make his statement clearer. His mind was completely filled with negative thoughts. He was already poured with cases which made him stressed enough.

-”Can you just liste-” his sentence was cut off, the force pushed his head to the side while his hair covered half of his face. Moments later, the room was completely quiet, Shuichi’s hand was shaking with confusion and heartbreak while his hand made his way to where he was slapped. By you, not by anyone else.

-His eyes met with yours, it wasn’t a pleasant sight either, tears were streaming from your eyes, until you finally left the room in complete anger, the emotions clouded your mind and you didn’t answer Shuichi calling your name shortly after.

-Shuichi’s hand was still cupped onto his cheek, it wasn’t long after until tears started forming in his own eyes. He steadily made his way to his own desk and sat down. Re-thinking the entire situation all over again. His hands covered his face completely. 

-”It’s not S/O’s fault, it’s mine.”

Kokichi Ouma

-You’ll need a whole ton to make him angry, and when you do, it hits him like a ton of bricks. He doesn’t get angry much, surprisingly. He isn’t much of a fan of talking about his problems so he tends to avoid getting angry. 

-There are days where you tolerate his teasing with either sarcastic remarks or howls of laughter. But this particular day wasn’t one of those days where it was all happiness and unicorns. His insults reminded you about all your mistakes, things you wouldn’t want to remember and he kept pointing out your insecurities, which tipped you off the edge and soon, he would also.

-You were at the peak of lashing out your emotions which is what you did. He didn’t take this too well and he started getting aggressive as well. He only gets mad if something happened earlier that day, depending on what it was, it can affect him for the rest of the day.

-It felt like a dark shadow was casting over him, all his insults and extreme anger was too much for you. This time you were completely at the tip of your anger. Kokichi looked down, both of his hands covering his cheek while he was trying to gain his balance. He already started to cry, his vision was blurred from his tears.

-He tried to make out what expression you were making, tears were also forming in your eyes, your face showed pain and heart-break. Before his very eyes you stormed out of the room and Kokichi was there, thinking about everything that just happened.

-”S/o didn’t deserve that, they really didn’t, I’m crazy...”

Rantaro Amami

-This boi

-Him getting mad is less likely than Maki not calling Kaito an idiot for a day . This dude? Mad? Nah. There was one day where he was grieving over his sisters, you always tell him that maybe one day he’ll find them. He does calm down after but today. He gave off the cold shoulder.

-”You say that all the time, did they ever come back? No they didn’t so stop saying that..” He responded coldly which came as a shock to you, you tried to reason with him but he wasn’t buying it.

-And for once, you saw him getting up from his seating position, not calmly but aggressively.“S/O you’re not me, so stop trying to understand how I feel.” You also got up from the couch and this got into a heated argument. 

-So much shouting and it was almost headache worthy, you weren’t buying any of his nonsense and before he could raise his voice again for another statement, his head was forced to the side, he slowly placed his hand onto his cheek. 

-Did he really get slapped, by you? Someone he kept dear to his own heart? He turned to you, but you already started to get away. Usually he’d grab your hand and try calm you down but this time, he just looked down and put his hands into his pockets.

-When you were completely out of the room, he sat back onto the couch, “she was just trying to comfort me and make me feel better, I was in the wrong. Ha, I really am great.”

[kawaiikichi]

I’ll Always Return to You (Day 7: Hope)

@oumasaiweekblog

Here is Day 7 for Oumasai Week 2019!

The final prompt is hope. I’m going to be honest, this prompt was really hard to work with. It felt very vague to me, so it took me about a couple days and some hours before figuring what it was that I wanted to do for this one. The way I interpreted it is that even through extremely rough times (ex. Kokichi suddenly vanishing and being presumed dead because he didn’t turn up after a certain amount of time), Shuichi still has hope that he is alive and that he will come back to him no matter what.

This may seem a little similar to After The Storm Fades Away, but this one still has its differences and it’s compressed into  shorter one-shot rather than ATSFA, which is about 9k words in length XD

I hope you guys like it! :)

Title: I’ll Always Return to You

Prompt: Hope

Summary: After the simulation had ended and everyone was discharged from the hospital, Kokichi Ouma vanished. Four months passed before he was declared dead to the rest of the world. But, Shuichi knew better. He knew that somehow, Kokichi was still alive.

Continue reading under the cut!

“Yo, bro, did you hear the news?”

“Hear what news?”

Shuichi finished wiping down the table at the cafe he worked at as Kaito spoke.

“That little shit went missing.” he said.

“Little...huh?” Shuichi quirked a brow at Kaito’s statement. “Who in the world are you talking about?” he asked.

“Who else do you think I mean? I’m talking about Ouma.” Kaito replied.

Shuichi froze at Kaito’s words.

“Koki—I mean, Ouma-kun’s gone missing?” he asked.

“Yeah. Apparently, the last time anyone saw him, he said he was going for a walk. He never came back, so one of his friends ended up filing a missing person report. It’s been blowing up all morning on the news and social media.” Kaito explained.

“Oh...that’s probably why I didn’t hear about it. My TV’s been busted since Sunday and I don’t really have social media.” Shuichi said.

“Ah, I almost forgot you don’t have any social media accounts.” Kaito picked up some empty glasses and placed them on a tray. “Well, that’s what’s going on in the world right now.” he said as he picked up the tray and he headed over to another table.

Shuichi sighed as he followed suit, wiping down another table.

As he did, he kept thinking back to Kokichi’s sudden disappearance.

It’s weird that he just disappeared like that, he thought to himself.

He looked out the window.

Let’s just hope that they’re able to find him quickly and that nothing bad happened to him, he silently prayed.

💜💜💜💜

“Mister Shuichi Saihara, your uncle has come to get you.” the nurse called out.

Shuichi stood and he turned, locking eyes with Kokichi.

“Well...it looks like I’m going to have to go now.” he said.

“Ah...” Kokichi fiddled with his scarf. “Indeed, you do.” he replied.

Shuichi bit his lip.

“Are you sure you’ll you be okay by yourself? You’re sure that someone will come and get you, right?”

“Yes, yes, I am sure! Don’t worry about me, Saihara-chan!”

“If you say so...”

Shuichi sighed.

“Well...when things get settled, do you want to hang out sometime?” he asked.

“Oh? Could it be that you’re inviting me on a date, Saihara-chan?” Kokichi spoke teasingly.

Shuichi’s cheeks turned a rosy red.

“...Yes, I am.” he replied.

The teasing smile left Kokichi’s lips as a blank expression washed over his face. He stared at Shuichi as he continued.

“Will you promise me this, Ouma-kun?” he asked, extending his pinky finger out to him.

Kokichi looked at Shuichi’s pinky finger and then up at him before sighing.

“Alright, fine.” he hooked his pinky finger around Shuichi’s. “I promise.”

💜💜💜💜

The sound of plates shattering was heard as Shuichi stared at the television in the cafe in horror, tears welling up in his eyes.

Former Danganronpa V3 Contestant Found Dead After Four Month Search

“No...no way...” he choked out.

There’s no way this is possible.

Kokichi’s not dead.

He can’t possibly be dead.

He’s not dead, he’s not dead, he’s not—

“Shuichi? Is everything okay?”

Kaito’s voice seemed distant as it blurred with the sound of the news reporter talking on television. A distinct ringing sound struck his ears as nausea swept over him.

“No...this isn’t right...he’s not dead...” he staggered backwards. “He’s not dead...” he choked out.

He began to feel overwhelmed as he tipped backward.

The last thing he heard was Kaito shouting his name before he blacked out.

💜💜💜💜

“...I like you, Ouma-kun.”

Kokichi blinked at him, expression warping into one of confusion.

“You what now, Saihara-chan?” he asked.

“I said that I like you.” Shuichi replied.

It was silent between them in the hospital room for what seemed like hours before Kokichi burst into loud laughter.

“My, Saihara-chan, I didn’t think you had it in you to make such an amusing joke! That actually made me laugh, so kudos to you!” Kokichi wiped away at a stray tear. “There’s no way you like me—“ he stopped upon seeing how serious Shuichi looked.

His laughter ceased as a blank expression washed over him.

“Okay, so you’re not joking. You actually mean it.” Kokichi dropped his hands to his lap. “Tell me, Saihara-chan, what kind of like are you talking about when you say that you like me?” he asked.

“I like you romantically, Ouma-kun. I want to date you.” Shuichi replied.

“Do you really, though?”

“I do. I really do like you, Ouma-kun.”

“But why me? You could’ve chosen to fall in love with anyone, but you chose me. Why is that?”

Shuichi swallowed, fidgeting in his seat as he lowered his gaze.

“Well...you’re really smart. You’re cute, funny, and even with your lies, you’re a pleasure to be around. I like everything about you, whether you want me to or not.” he explained.

Kokichi furrowed his brows at him.

“Is that so...” he trailed off.

He propped his elbows up on his lap, resting his face in his hands as he began to think.

“Well, I like you too.” he said.

“You do?” Shuichi asked.

“Yes...but.”

“But?”

“But, I don’t think I’m worthy of someone like you. Someone like me pales in comparison to you. So, I feel that in order to become worthy of you, I need to improve myself, don’t you think?”

“But I—“

“Don’t lie, I’m sure you think that same way, as well.” Kokichi smiled. “So, once I’ve become worthy of you, we can begin to date. But until then, wait for me.”

He extended his pinky finger out to him.

“Will you wait for me, Saihara-chan?” he asked.

Shuichi nodded.

“Yes...yes, I’ll wait as long as you want me to.” he replied as he reached out and hooked his pinky finger around Kokichi’s.

Kokichi smiled and this time, it was a genuine smile.

“Alright, then. I’ll make sure I don’t have you wait too long for me, my beloved Saihara-chan.”

💜💜💜💜

“Shuichi, you need to stop this. It’s been a year and some days since he’s passed.” Maki rubbed her temples. “No matter what you think, Ouma is not alive, he is dead.” she stated.

“You don’t know that.” Shuichi replied.

“Yes, we do, actually. We saw his body at the funeral, Shuichi! There was no mistaking it, that was him! He is no more!” she reached up to brush her hair over her shoulder only to realize that she no longer had long hair. “Get over yourself and move on already! You can’t be stuck in denial forever, you know!” she shouted.

“Like I said, you don’t know that!” Shuichi stood, knocking a glass off of the table. “For all you know, that body in the casket could have been a fake! He could still be out there, trying to survive on his own and make a new life for himself!”

He walked up to Maki.

“We’ve been around him long enough to know that he could easily fake his own dear if he wanted to. That’s just how he is: he’ll find every opportunity to pull some sort of prank on us. I’m confident that this is just one of them.” he said.

Maki stared at him, eyes wide.

“You...you’ve lost your marbles...” she trailed off.

Shuichi let out a halfhearted chuckle as he took a few steps back.

“I guess that’s what happens when you’re in love.” he said, reaching up to run his hand through his hair.

Maki shook her head.

“You know, I really thought I would be able to get through to you, Shuichi. But, it seems that you’re long gone.” she turned. “I’m done trying to talk some sense into you. I’ll have Kaito take over.” she said before walking out of his apartment, slamming the door shut behind her.

Shuichi continued to laugh before dissolving into sobs, collapsing onto the floor as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Maybe he really lost it.

But, that didn’t change anything.

It didn’t change the fact that he still strongly believed and hoped that Kokichi was still alive.

💜💜💜💜

-Two Years Later-

The leaves crunched under Shuichi’s feet as he walked through the cemetery with a bouquet of white lilies in his hand.

After chatting with Angie in the chapel, he went to buy some lilies from the floral shop that Tenko and Himiko owned and he headed to the cemetery.

He stopped before a specific tombstone, a somber smile touching his lips.

“Kokichi...” he murmured.

He squatted down and he ran his hand along the smooth marble of his tombstone.

At this point, he had calmed down from his state of deliriousness. He still hadn’t given up on hoping that Kokichi was still alive, but the acceptance stage of the grieving process was starting to kick in.

He set the bouquet down by the tombstone as he spoke.

“I miss you, Kokichi. I miss you a whole lot.” he whispered.

He pressed his fingers to his lips and then pressed his fingers against the tombstone.

He stood as he heard a voice from behind him.

“Heh...I can’t believe I have such a shabby-looking grave.”

Shuichi tensed, his heart racing at the familiar voice.

“Like, for real, they could’ve chosen something a little better than that. Marble looks cool and all, but still. I didn’t fake my death for them to pull this kind of shit.”

Tears welled up in his eyes as he slowly turned to face the person that stood behind him.

Their appearance was slightly different, their hair a darker shade of purple without the tips dyed purple. One eye was purple and the other was hazel. They had on a long black parka with clips and pins on it over a black long sleeve shirt along with a pair of black plaid pants and black loafers.

Yes, the differences were subtle.

But, the person before Shuichi was indeed him.

He choked out a sob.

“K...Kokichi...” he breathed out.

Kokichi smiled, extending his arms out.

“Come, Shuichi.” he said.

Tears streamed down Shuichi’s cheeks as he ran up to Kokichi and pulled him into a tight hug, spinning him around a little. He sobbed as he ran his fingers through Kokichi’s hair.

“It really is you...you really are alive...” he trailed off.

“Yes, it is indeed me, my beloved.” Kokichi said.

They dropped to their knees on the ground as Shuichi pulled away, cupping Kokichi’s cheeks.

“But...how...?” he choked out.

“Soooooo, you remember how I said I wanted to become someone that was worthy of you?” Kokichi asked.

Shuichi slowly nodded.

“Yes...what about it?” he answered.

“This was all a part of that.” Kokichi cupped Shuichi’s cheeks, wiping his tears away with his thumbs. “In order to become someone who was worthy of standing by your side, I had to kill off the old me. So, I made arrangements with my organization and we staged it to make it look like I had fallen into a deep ditch while I was on my walk and died as a result. As soon as the whole world knew that Kokichi Ouma was dead, I hid out at my secret base in Europe and began to try and start over. I got a new look, new clothes, and I even changed my name.” he explained.

“You changed your name?” Shuichi asked.

“I did! My new name is Kichirou Seiichi.” Kokichi chirped.

“I see...but, I can still call you Kokichi, right?”

“Of course you can. Just not in public, alright?”

Shuichi nodded in response, causing Kokichi to smile.

“Good.” he said, leaning in to kiss Shuichi on the lips.

Shuichi kissed back, pulling Kokichi close to him.

How long had he been waiting for this moment?

How long had he been waiting to hold Kokichi in his arms, kiss him, and let him know just how much he loved him?

Too damn long, he realized.

They pulled away from the kiss moments later, pressing their foreheads together.

“I love you, Kokichi.” Shuichi said.

Kokichi smiled.

“Love you too, my beloved.” he replied as they kissed again.

Their second kiss was quick and chaste. Kokichi pulled away, stroking Shuichi’s cheek lovingly.

“So...that date you mentioned almost four years ago...are we still on for it?” he asked.

Shuichi smiled.

“Yes, we are.” he replied.

They stood and Shuichi slipped his hand into Kokichi’s. He brought their interlocked hands up and he kissed Kokichi’s knuckles.

“Shall we go?” he asked.

Kokichi giggled.

“Of course! Lead the way, my beloved!” he chirped.

“Alright.” he replied as they left the cemetery hand in hand, ready to embark on a new journey with their newly formed relationship.

[ryouverua]

Chapter 5 Investigation (1)

Oh, that’s just my heart breaking. Why, what’s going on with you?

Is that Komaeda’s bloody song playing right now??? I know you guys want to hammer home the comparison right now but really??? Really???

I get it, it is a horrifying song for a horrifying moment, I really do - but I want to distinguish this the last game and this whole set-up (as well as the two involved!) have me feeling all sorts of Umineko things, so I’m going to lend you some alternatives to go with the truth/lies theme I desperately want back while I read over everything again.

Golden slaughterer  |  Miragecoordinator

honestly they both fit well because goldenslaughterer literally played when a similar garage shutter was lifted and the horrifying sight was revealed while also having a harpsichord section Kaede would be proud of, while Kokichi would probably love the title ‘mirage coordinator’ so take your pick or look up the original ‘sing the empty truth’ song, it’s up to you .

And the rest of you are here -

I really don’t know how Shuichi’s heart can hold it together at this point. Aaah, Sweetcheeks...

Ow game, okay! No need to rub further salt in the wound! As if I wouldn’t be able to recognize his coat the second I saw it there smh...

I can’t even imagine how Maki is feeling right now.

FML we’re so in sync right now and under the most terrible of circumstances -

OH LEAVE US THE HELL ALONE YOU STUPID BEAR

If.... Monokuma is moving? If the killing game is continuing? I... don’t know about that...

I want to make a Saimouta joke here but I CAN’T THIS IS SO AWFUL EVERYTHING HURTS

AND SHUICHI IS ACTING SO NATURALLY, EXACTLY AS HE SHOULD IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS

Shit, dude. Still, this wasn’t just some stranger - right? Or... or have you been through something like this before?

Compartmentalizing, huh? I guess if you engage with the situation as the Ultimate Assassin rather than Kaito’s friend/potential love interest, you could move forward in the short term...

Aaaah, but just like Maki, Shuichi has another role he can slip into too - though I don’t know if he can do it as seamlessly as Maki has.

Oh??

I was about to make a comment on Shuichi clinging to a fragile shred of hope that Kaito wasn’t dead, purely for emotion’s sake the same way Kaito did last chapter with Gonta, but...

... Maki unintentionally brings up a good point, though completely flipped upside-down. When Kokichi was being the mastermind, Monokuma was gone - being guarded, I’m assuming, as shown earlier with the exisals - and now someone is dead and Monokuma/the killing game are both back on. So... why? Why show up now? Could this just be the case of the mastermind finally being able to create a new Monokuma, or does this mean....?

Yikes, I forgot - he wasn’t just sick, he was wounded. That... would make things extremely difficult....

Honestly, that’s true both ways. I just... I don’t know if I can see Kokichi killing Kaito. He has (had?) all the cards - there was no need to. He would be the obvious culprit - I mean, honestly, just look at everyone now - he is the obvious culprit - and if he just took temporary control of the game and lost it somehow, why would he risk making himself the blackened?

Could... no, this seems silly, but could this be a framing by the mastermind, to paint the troublemaker as the culprit? It would be an interesting callback to the first game, except with the victim being... well, not ~hidden~ in the same way. It’s a bit of an unlikely scenario, but no point in discounting it right out the gate.

YES SWEETCHEEKS SLAM THAT TIRED HOPE OR DESPAIR THEME BACK INTO SDR2 WHERE IT BELONGS

Somehow I don’t think that’ll be a problem with Monokuma back in the fray and also Maki who, let us all remember, has a hunting knife on her person.

Just so you know Tsumugi, the fact that you seem to know a lot about Junko is really making me side-eye you right now. still love you though

ALSO! ALSO, THIS COMPLETELY RUNS AGAINST WHAT YOU WERE ALL SAYING ABOUT KOKICHI GETTING BORED OF THE GAME AND THROWING IT AWAY! YOU CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS! Though I guess you could argue the illusion of taking the game away only to suddenly spring it upon everyone again would be despair-inducing and blah blah blah but that is still highly suspect -

Maki is seriously in ‘take no prisoners’ mode, huh? I... I guess we all have our own way of dealing with death...

I don’t know if I’d call it that? It seems more like tunnel vision to me.

Well, let’s take a look at the all-important Monokuma File...

Wait, you’re seriously not going to give us the victim’s identity? You, uh, you know we’ll know who it is once the other person comes to the trial, right? ... Didn’t this happen in the Kyouko/Mukuro case, now that I’m thinking back?

Maki?!?! Wait, really?!

I actually said, very softly, ‘oh, shit,’ out loud.

Shuichi’s just trying to pay tribute to him that’s all

No... no, despite how strange it might seem for Shuichi to not want to believe Kaito is in there, I think he’s making the right choice in exploring all the avenues. Maki should know by now that he’s willing to follow the path to the truth down to the bitter end - he’s done that with both Kaede and Gonta.

Seriously though, damn - you’re being seriously hostile? I understand grieving, but this seems a bit...???

the electrobomb

K1-b0, kiddo, it’s the electrobomb

Don’t stick around if you aren’t feeling well, K1-b0!!! This is a dire situation and you have nothing to prove right now!!!

HIMIKO STOP BULLYING K1-B0 THIS IS HIGHLY ILL-TIMED

I wonder what the equivalent feeling for him would be? Similar to nausea or dizziness or something? General fatigue or chest tightening? Fuzzy head, or a migraine? However it is, feel better K1-b0!

Aaah Himiko, you too huh? D: Man, everyone’s ditching us this investigation.

.... Tsumugi, you’re the last one standing. BE OUR INVESTIGATION PARTNER!

I guess??? It’s weird - she really seems convinced it was Kokichi. With that said, seeing Kaito - or who knows, maybe it is Kokichi under there - like that would shake anyone up. Himiko’s been through a lot this game, so seeing her resolve break down isn’t exactly abnormal.

Kokichi really left a huge impression on you. Every time she talks, Kokichi sounds like this impressive larger-than-life cackling villain from, well, one of her space epics she loves so much. It probably wasn’t nearly as much fun to go up against one of those types of characters in real life, was it?

Unless it was a locked room crime, which I don’t... know about yet. Eurgh. There’s only one confirmed entrance - the bathroom window has to be too small to fit anyone through, even Kokichi and Himiko. We could barely see Kaito’s whole face through it!

“Don’t neglect the heart!”

... Reasons to kill Kaito. Reasons to kill Kaito. If Kokichi was the mastermind, general ~despair~, sure. Fine. But if he wasn’t, which is what I’m 99% certain on now......

......... Self-Defence? Or did he die already? We haven’t had a chance to go over the safety feature of the press yet, but if Kaito was already dead.....

Wait Tsumugi too? She’s right there!

OI

SHUICHI!!!

TSUMUGI IS

RIGHT THERE

AND WILLING TO TALK TO US!!! YOU WERE LITERALLY CONVERSING WITH HER FOR THE LAST FIVE MINUTES! OI!!!

Shuichi: looks at Tsumugi, remembers love hotel scenario with her, resolves to investigate by himself

okay, harsh but fair tbh

I am so, so happy Shuichi’s focus is back on ‘truth’ and off of ‘hope’, you just have no idea.

I WASN’T READY FOR YOU TO SHOW UP AGAIN

You’re just mad you got sidelined for the last few days lmao

THAT’S WHAT YOU GET FOR MAKING THE MONOKUBS A THING

learn how to use EVA foam well and then get back to me, bear

I’M SORRY YOU CANNOT GET MAD ABOUT FALSE ADVERTISING WHEN KAEDE IS STILL PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED ON THE GAME COVER

So the body was moved... whatever happened, it wasn’t at the press along. Makes sense - no one would go in there without a fight or a reason (EYES K1-B0). Something must have happened to lead to this point.

Y-You’re braver than me, Shuichi... Aaaah jeez, I’m seriously not ready D:

!!!!!!

oh?!

.... I mean, thank goodness, but on the other hand.... we’re really sticking this through, huh? But to what end? The person still alive will have to come to the trial in the end, right?

That is some damn deliberate action. So someone doesn’t want us to lift the press... but there’s only one reason that would be, right? So we can’t ID the body, right?

Yeah!!! So why didn’t it work??

I... I have to wonder if the body was living when it went in there, and if it wasn’t... well, we have clear signs of something other than the press being a weapon (COUGH CROSSBOW THAT WE HAVEN’T FOUND YET BUT WAS TOTALLY SHOWN TO US EARLIER FOR A REASON), so that’s option 1, and then there’s Kaito’s illness which may have finally taken its toll. Are we going to have to determine what the real cause of death is, but without a body to look at? That... will be very tricky...

nngjsdklfngksldjf

D: D: D:

I don’t want to lose Kaito. I really, really don’t. I was preparing for it, but I was still going to flinch when the trigger was finally pulled.

But -

if - and that’s still a big if - Shuichi is somehow right, and it’s not Kaito - I really don’t want to lose Kokichi either, you know? He’s been such an incredible, interesting force during this entire game and especially with all the hints they’re dropping about the whole mastermind schtick of his being a coup as opposed to the actual truth, to have it end like this...

criiiiiiiiiinge now I really hope he was dead before he went in there

.... Oh shit, what if the crossbow was crushed with the body??? 

I said 10 seconds before finding out the bathroom was a MINE full of evidence, hot damn! I lost the screenshots for it, but what we found:

Crossbow

Bottle (poison from Shuichi’s lab??? so it finally comes into play...)

Black Case (so it wasn’t assembled before it reached the hangar)

Talk about a huge turnabout! So now there’s poison in play too? That means there’s a third method - or well, if you combine the poison with the crossbow bolts, a way for Kaito to completely incapacitate Kokichi. There’s no way for Kokichi to know how to assemble the crossbow, and the bloodstain pattern starts here, so if there was a body being ragged the original attack happened in the washroom. This is a pretty pyrrhic win for Shuichi regarding Kaito being alive - we now have evidence that Kokichi may be dead, but at the cost of Kaito being the culprit!

It also means Kaito had someone help him from the outside.... Maki.

Aaaw, Sweetcheeks actually is starting get attached to K1-b0! And it only took you what, four chapters? Better late than never, I suppose!

Did Kokichi call it back for some reason? I’m surprised it didn’t react to you, even if it is being accessed remotely. Maybe it needs a proper pilot to be alert to its surroundings.

Exisals, but not humans - unless the alarm is turned off. You’d be able to do that from the inside, right? In order to get Kaito in there he’d have to have one of the exisals carry him in and I don’t think he’d want the alarm blaring but he also wouldn’t want to autopilot it with Kaito in the pilot’s seat in case he woke up (I have a feeling if anyone could figure out how to use one in a pinch, it would probably be him), so Kokichi going in first to be able to disable the alarm and let the exisal carrying Kaito in would make sense. Not that this probably matters too much right now - this is just me wondering about the initial transport a few days ago.

I have a strong feeling that it was Maki - 

Wait, what?? Seriously?!

UH, HIMIKO, WHY DID YOU BRING A CROSSBOW TO THE HANGAR???

I... didn’t actually bother to cap that last post. I thought she was just nervous the way she usually is. That does explain her current behaviour! Is she blaming herself for what happened?

W... WHATEVER HELPS YOU RECHARGE AT NIGHT, K1-B0....

With... an exisal maybe?

okay I’m going to have to separate this because there is so much going on right now. I like how we started with a clear victim but now we’ve got a lot of uncertainty being thrown into the mix. Disappearing culprits and hidden victims, eh? not enough to soothe my broken heart but I’ll take it

[ryouverua]

I’m really joining this conversation long past the curtain call, huh. 8′D Fantastic post, btw! totally drafting it for a later reblog ~

I’m going to take on another angle, because I think you covered a lot of ground already and it’s directed at post-game content which, erm, I immediately have to admit I’m not super familiar with yet - but I can imagine, based on the in-game animosity they have towards each other. It also lets me give her a bit of space to struggle with her feelings and takes her grieving into account.

Maki should have been the one to bring up the idea that Kokichi couldn’t have been a Remnant, and we should have been able to V-consent with her. It would have been a fantastic end to her character arc, which right now seems to have ended the moment before the trial started.

The whole game, she’s struggled with a few things, some obvious, some less so: her talent and how her identity is tangled up in that, her past (as an extension of that), being vulnerable, and perfection. It’s literally one of the biggest reasons she admires Kaito, even if the game doesn’t outright frame it that way - he charges forward, always ready to trust, never afraid of making mistakes. He even says it himself, right? That if he trusts the wrong person, then that’s on him, and he’ll do better next time. He’s practically flippant about the idea of him making mistakes; he’s usually right, and if he’s wrong, he’ll fix what he screwed up. Why worry about it? Contrast that to Maki, who literally never uses a katana again after screwing up a mission with one, and berates Shuichi every time he makes a mistake or stumbles in the game - or hell, insults Kaito whenever he does something dumb. She doesn’t like being vulnerable - she can’t show weakness. And that means she can’t afford to make mistakes, because that shows vulnerability.

This was literally the perfect chance to show she had grown and learned something and had really defeated the ‘enemy’ Kaito had described. Even if she couldn’t bring herself to admit that Kokichi essentially saved her life - even if she couldn’t outright admit she placed Kaito into a terrible position where he was forced to compromise his morals - if she had been given the opportunity to say, ‘No, Kokichi Ouma was not a Remnant Despair and I made a mistake in targeting him’ - and owned that mistake, because realizing her initial assumption was wrong essentially weaponizes it and would act as (DID ACT AS!) another blow to the mastermind’s story - she would have truly shown that she had truly gained the ability to stare down her past without looking away and learn from it. And I want that for her! It’s not just the ability to trust in people and smile every now and then - it’s vulnerability itself, all sides of it, that she needed to learn from Kaito! It’s nice and all that we got the fun side of that - look at the ice cold tsundere, oh, she’s smiling now, oh, she’s letting people call her nicknames now, oh, she’s getting along with the protag - but the ugly side of that is just as important, and Maki deserved that. She deserved that ‘win’ in the trial, damn it!

minawakitten replied to your post: I think Maki had such a shocked face when Shuichi…

it was denial but also kodaka cant fcking write, he uses maki as a tool to keep kokichi in control and shows favoritism to her but never treats her like a character lmao

I’m just sorta mildly thrown off because it really seems like she was unexpectedly dumbed down here. She’s had a few exchanges where she’s been proactive and sort of trading off of/building on Shuichi but?? She literally saw the motive video too??? Surely she would have made this connection on her own?? It would be one thing if she hadn’t, or if she was making some moves to loudly protest/deny the truthfulness of it (y’know, just being affected by the aftermath of Chapter 5 and struggling through it along with everything else), but this is… eh. Hm.