The Boy With The Blank Stare: Punishment Time

Chapter Twenty Five: What Do You Wish?

I should have seen this coming. Saihara has become a magnet. Just hanging ouf with me and tagging along with whatever I have planned.

He asks but I kind of already guessed what would happen if I said no. Nothing. He would still follow.

"What is the formula for area of a cylinder?" Saihara asked and I groaned, "I don't know, I haven't paid attention in class for the last four years Saihara" I reminded him.

"How did you even move on in the year?" Saihara asked I could hear him closing the book he was trying to teach me.

"Luck, and a lot of sympathy from some staff" I admitted, "well you're going to have to keep studying I guess in order to make sure you can go to college" Saihara enforced.

"Saihara I don't even know what I want to do with my life" I complained.

"Is there anything you want to do?" He asked and I paused.

'I was thinking' she paused taking a deep breath 'if no one else had an idea that we could start a joke shop or be party entertainers' she quickly signed and covered her face in embarrassment.

"One time I wanted to run a joke shop with DICE...probably wouldn't have happened anyway everyone wanted to do different things after high school" I admitted.

Saihara didn't answer for a while, "what do you want?" I asked him to buy time.

"Hmm...well everyone expects me to take over the family buisness one day" Saihara mumbled.

"I said what you want not what your family wants" I restated and Saihara laughed.

"I guess I'm on the same page as you then" he admitted, "you're not helping" I groaned.

"Well...even if I had a choice I think I would still want to be a detective" Saihara admitted, "why? So you can meet other weird teens with broken limbs? Are you planning on replacing me?" I joked.

"No! Well...your case is actually my first...and after figuring out all this stuff about Themis...I don't know it gives me a goal. I want to make sure no one has to end up like you again Ouma" Saihara told me.

I paused for a second, "just for next time know that stalking isn't how you get people to confess" I advised him.

I could only chuckle as I heard Saihata getting flustered.

"Ouma...if DICE was still around what would you want to do?" Saihara asked, "like if it was back then what would you want to do?" He clarified.

"Ask Chiasa to let me meet her potentially cute cousin" I teased him.

"Ouma I'm being serious" Saihara said in a serious tone and I stopped joking.

All I wanted was to have them to hang out with...that's all I needed...

"I don't know" I admitted, "but they're not here...so I guess I shouldn't bother trying to come up with what ifs"

I guess I can live to a hundred. At least avoid a scolding when I see them next. If I'm not burning in Hell. Probably will be. If that's the case I guess I really won't see them again...

-/-/-/-

"I got a list of incidents and towns similar to what happened here" Harukawa told me.

"How many in the country?" I asked, "around two hundred in the past two decade" she admitted.

"Survivors?" I asked but I already knew. Harukawa sighed, "none" she told me.

"Had a feeling..." I mumbled, "Momota is..." Harukawa started but stopped. I could connect the dots.

"Is he gone?" I asked, "not yet...they're thinking of pulling a plug on him..." Harukawa admitted.

"Can we see him?" I asked, "I'm trying...they won't let anyone who isn't family go in..." she stuttered.

I want to go back Saihara. I would even leave you behind if I had to just to see their smiles again.

Just to play again with them...but I don't think I can have what I want. I want to go back and make that idiot get checked out sooner.

I want to meet you again somehow in that world. I want to be with Chi even when she would eventually die in that world too.

Or somehow we all live to a hundred. A happy ending.

Does this story even get to have a happy ending?