Voided Truth (Hollow Lies Sequel) (Danganronpa)

Chapter 17 ~ Tired and Traumatized

As the room grew quiet, followed by the sound of Shuichi running out the front door, Kokichi finally allowed himself to release all the tension in his body. He let himself cry, curling up into a ball on the floor. Maki stared down at him, sighing before getting on the ground next to him.

"Did he touch you," she asked bluntly.

He shook his head, replying, "N-Not like that... Most he did was h-hold me down."

She nodded her head. "That's good."

There was more silence, neither knowing what to say. Both wanted to just return to sleep but how could anyone sleep after all of that? Whose to say Shuichi wouldn't come back. This house was now even more unsafe, reminding her that the two needed to leave soon. However, she was struggling to get her body to move. She wasn't sure how long it had been since she got some good sleep. Driving in this condition wouldn't be smart and puts both her and Kokichi in danger. But she didn't feel like she was being given much of a choice. 

"Maki," Kokichi whispered.

"Yes, Kokichi," she asked, leaning back to lay on the floor.

"Shuichi said something i-interesting... He suggested I could get rid of all these memories. Start f-fresh..."

She didn't reply for a second, thinking on it. "Is that what you want? To forget it all?"

"I..." Honestly, he wasn't completely against the idea. Life would be easier that way. However, it could also put him in a vulnerable position. Shuichi would definitely use that to an advantage. The thought of dating Shuichi, even if he was completely unaware of anything from the past and if it was done in a healthy way, made him feel sick. Still, at least he'd be unaware. He wouldn't be clinging to Kaito or afraid of his own shadow. "I... Don't know. I just want to be at peace. I-Is that so much to ask for?"

"... I get it. I can't remember one moment of my life where I've had peace."

"To be fair, your memories are fake." He sucked in a breath. "Oh god... Y-Your memories are still fake... What if your m-memories get returned next? What if you end up just as bad as S-Shuichi and Kaito?"

"No. Past me was nothing like them."

"H-How can you be so sure?"

Maki turned her head to look at Kokichi, the two almost having a staring contest. When Maki didn't say anything, Kokichi eventually clued in to what she was implying. He gasped, sitting up.

"How long?"

She sighed. "The first night I showed up at Kaito's place. The argument with my parents? They were forcing me to get my memories back so they could use me as some celebrity. They assumed past me would want the fame that came from the game and that they could profit off of it." She scoffed, brushing her bangs out of her face. "I'm surprised you didn't clue in sooner."

"W-What do you mean?"

"Come on, the fake me wouldn't have spent this much energy helping you. That should also tell you that I'm nothing like Shuichi and Kaito. I could've done anything at any point, but all I've done is try to help you. Sorry I suck at it."

He shook his head. "Y-You saved me from the mess at Kiibo's house. A-And from Shuichi just now!"

"Yeah, but I also brought you into both of those messes... I should probably start filling you in on everything happening from now on. Obviously keeping you in the dark isn't a good idea."

Kokichi nodded. As the room filled with silence again, he began to lay back on the floor, facing her. The two stared at each other, both struggling to keep their eyes open while also struggling to allow themselves to sleep. Neither had even locked the door to make sure Shuichi couldn't come back and try something. Though, they knew Maki could take him in a fight regardless. He sighed, wiping some of the hair out of his face. It had grown a bit longer since the killing game, becoming abit of an annoyance now that he actually thought about it. He didn't even bother brushing or styling it anymore, making it become a rat's nest. Not to mention all the built up sweat from the constant fighting and running. This was the first time in a while that he realized just how much he let himself go. It made him feel sick being like this.