"Core of Petals" // SaiOma (REMAKE)

Discoveries Aren't Finished

This chapter includes spoilers to Danganronpa V3 Chapter 2.

A yell was let out beside Kokichi and he dropped the voting screen out of mere fear and surprise. Who did Kokichi want to vote out?

Himself.

But Angie had stopped him right before he clicked the confirmation button.
"It's not you, Shuichi explained that with clear proof. Don't vote yourself out for nothing."

His eyes widened in surprise, "how did you—"

"An artist notices every mistake." Angie said, smiling softly before switching her mood to a serious look.

She quickly pressed 'Kirumi' before throwing the monitor. Angie nodded to Monokuma as a sign to continue. 

The votes rerolled.
5- Kokichi
6- Kirumi

Kirumi has been found Guilty. Punishment time!

The screaming from the individual echoed across the room as she continued to climb the stalk, thorns impaling her former soft skin and razors cutting into her thighs and waist. She kept climbing, until at last, she fell to her death, mistaking the top rock for sunlight.

Another murder solved. Another execution made. 

The cackling of the bear distorted. Guilt was filling his lungs more than the flowers at that moment in time.

It should've been me.

But keeping his happy and liar reputation, he laughed.

The door to the dorm opened, creaking as the pressure was pushed onto it. "Hey, Kokichi, we have—" Miu trailed off and froze in her place, having conveniently walked in on the wrong time to see Kokichi in a mess of hot pink blood, severe chest pain and sunshine flower petals.

"K—Kokichi??" She gasped, "were—were you attacked for real this time??"

"Leave Miu." Kokichi snapped quietly, gripping his shirt and squinting out of pain.

She quickly tried to understand what she saw, piecing the puzzle parts together, before concluding fairly quickly. "You... have hanahaki?? For who?" She questioned gently.

"Miu. Leave. And don't tell anyone about what you've seen." Kokichi yelled, echoing it as it bounced off the musty walls.

"What about Shuichi—"

"He knows." Kokichi answered, obviously annoyed with the conversation.

Miu dropped her hands to her side, gripped the wall beside her and ran off. The footsteps she gave off became quieter as she distanced. 

Shit. This is unexpected.

Kokichi hadn't seen sunlight in what seemed like forever. His memories were wiped when this killing game started, and sadly, it hadn't yet ended. He had forgotten what the feeling of grass felt like or the rough texture of bark against a tree. The chirping of birds played on repeat in the back of his mind, being the only memory from his childhood. How it avoided the memory wipe? Unknown. But he was surely grateful for it.

An audible sound left Kokichi's gut and tears gathered in his eyes like a newly-started party at a popular kid's house. His face became blotchy and red, his eyes puffing up.

Unable to control it, he let out a wail and bit back his bottom lip until the point where pink blood leaked out of it.

Shuichi darted into the room, catching himself on the wall as he fell against it.

It was evident that Miu had alerted him.

"You were ready to tell me, so do so," he gasped, gaining back his breath from running, "it's important and needed."

It was time.