A Dɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ Kɪɴᴅ Oғ Lᴏᴠᴇ

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Kaito and Shuichi wait outside. Kaito is murmuring optimistic and encouraging words to Shuichi, who is just tapping his foot against the ground anxiously.

"Hi there. I'm assuming your his friends?" A nurse walks out of the room Kokichi is in. Shuichi nods, and Kaito tells her they are. "Well, I assume you want to visit him, but there are a few things you should know."

"First of all, don't expect conversation. He hasn't spoken since he got there. Second of all, he refuses to acknowledge anyone. We assume he's waiting for the Kai and Shu he talked about previously. Third of all, don't touch his collar. He seems to insist his mother is going to pick him up and he needs it on. Finally, he seems to think his name is Kurai Enoshima. You shouldn't indulge in these fantasies. We believe using the name he had before will help him heal faster. Got that?"

The two boys nod, then they are let into Kokichi's room. There is nothing that could have prepared them for the sight they saw.

The boy is staring out the window blankly. The way the hospital gown ties at the front reveals how skinny he is; they can count is rib bones. The collar lies around his neck, and he plays with the chain in an absent-minded eay. But the worst part is his eyes.

His eyes always had a bright spark in them, even after the execution. But now, they are dull, the life sucked out of them. Shuichi has to lean heavily against Kaito to stop him from falling over in shock and horror. The astronaut lies one arm around Shuichi, then begins to talk to him in a calm tone.

"Hi there. I'm Kaito Oowada, and this here is Shuichi Kirigiri." He introduces, smiling softly. The boy looks over at them, his gaze clear and intense. It scared Shuichi more than the creepy faces he pulled in the game.

"Shu? Kai?" He asks. The astronaut nods, guessing that was how he remembered them.

"I think there was something I was supposed to tell you... Mother is going to be angry, isn't she?" His face turns into one of worry.

"She asked these people to take care of you. She says that she wants you to go back to the life you had before." Kaito lies quickly. He must have spent a while around Kokichi.

"O-oh..." He nods, and stares out the window again. The other two boys understand this is conversation over, and leave. Kurai can hear one of them crying in the hallway, but he couldn't really care about that at the moment.

Did Mother decide I was just as worthless as Mukuro? Or did they lie...

Surely Kai wouldn't lie to me!

But what do I really know about him...

He sighs. Mother had chosen to throw him away, there was nothing he could do about it now.

Silently, a few tears fall down his face, which he wipe away quickly. They'd given him a method of how to deal when life gets confusing.

I am Kurai Enoshima. I am seventeen years old. I have met Kai and Shu, though they make no sense to me yet. Kai claims that Mother wants me to go back to the life I had before. I can't remember what that is, but... I feel like I can trust Kai... I'll have to decide with Shu later on.

The boy feels calmer now. He knows that maybe he'll be safe.

Still. Soon the "therapist" will come with his questions and his calm air and his stupid advice and reassurances...

The purple haired boy huffs out an annoyed breath, and begins to wait.

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