𝑴𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅-𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄 ✓

ᑕʰᵃᵖᵗᵉʳ ᑎⁱⁿᵉ

#9

' ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴏʟᴅ ʜᴀɴᴅs ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ
ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴠᴇ, ɪᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ʀᴇᴅᴜᴄᴇ ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟ
ᴘᴀɪɴ ᴀs ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴀs sᴛʀᴇss ᴀɴᴅ ғᴇᴀʀ . '

𑁍︎.𑁍︎.𑁍︎

Whenever Keebo passed by Kokichi in class or on lunch break, he wasn't as cold anymore. He was blunt, straight-forward, and not very compassionate with words as usual, but he wasn't as rude anymore.  So Kokichi took that as more than enough. It felt– in a way– after that night they talked and read, as silly as it sounded, that they felt more like classmates than just strangers around each other. It felt like they might have planted a seed of future potential friendship.

Over the next few days, Kokichi would quietly greet a good morning to Keebo. And after class ended, Kokichi bowed a polite, small goodbye to him. Keebo didn't really react much to him, but he didn't ignore him, either.

"Good morning, IIdabashi-kun," mumbled Kokichi, who always sounded tired in the morning. Keebo glanced up from his work at his desk, hummed slightly, and would mutter a good morning in return.

And that was how their relationship worked for awhile. It wasn't friendship, but it wasn't like being strangers like how they were before. Keebo never spoke even this much to a classmate of his in his life though. It was strange for him.

Of course, Shuichi noticed this. It wasn't much, but he definitely caught on. How Kokichi said good morning to Keebo before he would quickly run over and do the same for Shuichi. Why was Shuichi the last one to be told good morning or see you tomorrow by Oma? Instead it was always IIdabashi, and Shuichi felt the jealously start to fill to the brim inside him.
.
.
.

Shuichi watched as Kokichi was holding a small one-sided conversation with Keebo in the hallway. The blue-headed male stared at them. Then saw Kokichi wave to Keebo before dashing off somewhere. Saihara opened his mouth like he wanted to say something– call out to Kokichi, but Shuichi shut his mouth instead.

"Did you really think we were going to stay? You're even more dumb than you look, Saihara!"

"EvEryONe lEaVes yOu—"

Shuichi snapped out of his thoughts. He nearly collided with a passerby trying to get to class and apologized before he gripped his forehead. How long was he daydreaming for?
His head hurt. It felt like he had a migraine- pain throbbed in his skull. His ribcage felt like it might break his heart was pounding so hard. He leaned over, lightly panted a few times, then regained himself. Then when Shuichi looked back up, a dark overcast clouded his expression.

.
.
.

"You want me to-"

"To spy on IIdabashi-kun, yes," answered Shuichi like it was nothing odd or complimented in the slightest. He had  asked Maki Harukawa, a girl in his homeroom, to meet him after school. She looked nervous. "Why..?" she asked quietly, playing with her pigtails as she tried to hide behind the two bushy locks of hair.

Shuichi shot her a smile. "It's nothing you need to worry about..." Then he smirked a bit and pulled out his phone. "But if you do it, I'll give you Momota-kun's phone number.." he temptingly offered. He knew how sneaky Maki could be. He also knew of her feelings towards his friend.

Maki gulped and glanced down. She was quiet for a moment- hesitating, then she eventually nodded and agreed.

.
.
.

"Oma-kun!" Shuichi called out, running over to catch up to Kokichi who was about to walk home. "Haha...Don't leave without me," he playfully laughed. Kokichi frowned.

"Sorry.. I wasn't thinking–"

"I'm just teasing.." Shuichi interrupted. Then he grabbed Kokichi's hand quite suddenly and began walking. "We live in the same direction. Let's walk home together," he insisted under his breath, sending a glance over his shoulder. He could see Keebo leaving the school, and for a second, they both made eye-contact.

Shuichi was beyong pissed. He was trying to keep everything according to plan and not scare Kokichi away, but he was feeling impatient, threatened even by Keebo's presence in the picture now. 

Kokichi nodded with a weak smile. Though he held back a shudder. Were Shuichi's hands always this cold? It felt awkward to hold hands in public, because they never did it before. But Kokichi didn't feel any warmth or happiness holding Shuichi's hand.

"He doesn't feel warm at all.." Kokichi thought. He must've been making an out of place face, because Shuichi noticed and asked what was wrong.

"Oh,um.." Kokichi looked up at the other. "Your hand... it's cold."

Shuichi's eyes widened. He went silent. To him, Kokichi's hands were blissfully warm. Did Kokichi not find the same warmth with Shuichi's touch?....

"Sai..Saihara- A-Ah!" Kokichi winced as Shuichi squeezed his hand quite suddenly, and very tightly– enough it hurt. He looked up at Shuichi who, didn't look so friendly and nice anymore.

Shuichi's eyes were dark, hollow of any fake emotion he was wearing, his smile completely gone.

"Maybe... if I hold your hand a little tighter... my hand will feel warmer..." he muttered, his eyes focused to what was in front of them now. His yellow orbs seeming in a trance of...anger? Was he angry? At who? Kokichi? Kokichi was trying to figure out if he should ask if he did something and apologize, but Shuichi had already began dragging Kokichi away, farther and farther from the school and Keebo's line of view. Which was what Shuichi wanted to escape more than anything. The idea of Keebo even looking at Kokichi now made Shuichi want to strangle someone.

Keebo watched Shuichi and Kokichi until they were across the street and turned a corner to where he couldn't see them anymore. Kokichi seemed distressed by something by the look on his face, but Keebo was too far away to notice the un-gentle hand-holding between them.

Keebo lived the opposite direction of Kokichi and Shuichi, so he didn't run into them his walk home. Still, the painful expression on Kokichi's face... Why did it start to bother Keebo so much...

Did Shuichi say something? Or perhaps, do something?

Keebo unlocked his front door to his house with his keys. He was about to take a step inside when he paused. Strange. He felt like someone was watching him. Keebo glanced over his shoulder, but he didn't see anyone outside. Not even his neighbors. Keebo stood there for another moment, then went inside, locking the door behind.

Unfortunately, it unaware to Keebo that his address was being sent via text message from Maki to Shuichi. And now, Saihara knew where Keebo lived.

°°°·.°·..·°¯°·._.· . ·._.·°¯°·.·° .·°°°