𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 | 𝕠𝕦𝕞𝕒𝕤𝕒𝕚 𝕙𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕤𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕝 𝕒𝕦

Chapter 4

I'm putting a !TRIGGER WARNING: AB*SE, S*LF H*RM! for later context. You've been warned. Also, smol explanation at the end of the chapter uwu
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A month had passed since Shuichi had started at Hope's Peak. Nothing really changed except for the fact that the entire school really went all out for the month of October.

The hallways were decked out with all sorts of things. Bloody handprints were on every door, skeletons littered the hallways, and pumpkins were everywhere you looked. How the school board allowed this was a mystery to Shuichi.

Of course, he wasn't the only one suspicious of this. A few other Ultimate Detectives led by Kyoko Kirigiri, one of the first ultimate detectives, held an investigation to see whether or not the skeletons and blood was real. With a few Ultimate Hematologists and Osteologists roaming the school, Shuichi guessed it was probably her intuition to investigate...or something.

"Shuichi! What are your thoughts on the real-or-Fake props drama?" Mahiru Koizumi, the Ultimate Photographer and a person in his friend group asked. She was part of the school's newspaper club, so asking a detective was smart on her part. "O-Oh, I don't really have an opinion on it. I-If they are real, I'd imagine the city would do something about it..." He replied, messing with his sleeve.

She scribbled something down, then looked up at him again. "And why aren't you taking part in the investigation? Is there a personal reason for not participating?" "Wh-What!? N-No! I-I'm just too new to this school...I didn't know if they'd let me help them.."

"Hey Shuichi!" A voice called from behind. He turned around, seeing Kaede and Miu walking up to him holding hands. "Sorry we're late! I had something to do!" Kaede smiled, giggling nervously. "I'm something!" Miu yelled, releasing her hand from Kaede's and putting it on her hip, along with her other hand. "Oh my god, Miu...no...." Shuichi mumbled, embarrassed, but also confused on what Kaede meant by 'sorry we're late.' Mahiru smiled. "Haha! Miu, are you and Kaede doing something that wouldn't exactly be appropria-"

The bell rang, interrupting Mahiru.

"Sorry! We have to go! Bye, Koi-Chan!" Kaede yelled, grabbing Miu by the hand and Shuichi by the arm and running to a nearby hallway that seemed rather empty, considering the bell just rang. "I saw her interviewing you and saw you looked nervous. So, I persuaded Miu and came to your rescue!" Kaede smiled her usual smile, then looked at the clock. "Shit! Miu, I have to go! Have fun at first period!"

"Let's go, Shuichi. Mr. Satou won't be too pleased to know you, of all people, are late to Home Etc." A cold voice rung from behind. Shuichi turned around after waving goodbye to Miu, and was greeted by Maki. "R-Right, sorry....let's go."

x-•-x

His least favorite class. Gym.

At the start of the year, he had been punched just because he wanted to talk to a boy he, at the time, wanted to know more about.

Now, he loves him. That navy hair boy he tried to talk to and forced to sit with him at lunch wAs now his big fat crush. He wanted him so badly, but that was the clingy side of him. Shuichi was really the only person outside of his crackhead friend group that didn't treat him like shit. Over the past month, he tried to hang out with Shuichi as much as he could, and even made him smile once. That's when it hit him, that fateful day in Ms. Chidouin's math class, was when he fell for him.

"Hahaha! I stole your heart, mister Detective! I guess I've finally proven myself as a Phantom Thief! Morgana will finally think I'm useful now!" Kokichi smiled, twirling his pencil. Shuichi scoffed a bit, but smiled slightly, looking back up at the board. "You're going to have to try harder than that to steal my heart, Kokichi. I'll be counting on it."