Haru stares down at the pool from his spot in the stands and shifts uncomfortably. It’s not that he doesn’t want to be here. He just doesn’t really want to be here. It’s just not really his thing. Especially not when he could be at home right now watching amateur chefs try not to utterly fail at cooking weird shit.
But he’s here. Staring down at a pool he can’t even swim in. Surrounded by dozens of strangers.
The event he came to watch has been over for almost half an hour and he’s about three minutes from getting up and sweet talking his way into the locker room somehow to see what the holdup is when a warm weight settles against his back and a chin hooks over his shoulder.
“I’m gonna marry you one day,” Momo says softly. Not quite a whisper but a gentle murmur that reminds Haru of late nights sitting on the beach and hikes through the woods and late afternoon meals on the porch.
“Is that so?” Haru replies, just as soft.
“Yep.”
The next event starts and Momo tenses as he watches his teammate. Haru has no idea why he’s so tense. His teammate is clearly going to win. He’s shooting through the water with an ease that reminds Haru of his own time spent in the pool.
“Why do you say that?” Momo hums, eyes on his teammate until he slaps the wall and pops out of the water with a grin on his face. Then he leans against Haru’s back a little more so he can give Haru a questioning look. “Why do you say you’re gonna marry me one day?”
Momo smiles at him. “’cause I am.”
“Okay then.”
-
“I’m going to marry you someday,” Momo says later that night when they’re sprawled on the porch looking up at the stars. Picking up conversations that are hours and days and weeks old is a thing that he does. A thing that Haru had found frustrating at first, until he realized that Momo didn’t care if Haru knew what he was talking about, didn’t care if Haru had forgotten the topic entirely so long as Haru listened to him in the moment. “Because you come to my races even though you hate watching people swim. Because you listen when I talk and when I don’t. Because you let me track dirt into your house and let me cook food in your kitchen. Because you have a blanket in your closet that’s just for me. Because you gave me a key to your house and you let me call it home. Because you let me be me. Because when I told you I was gonna marry you all you did was look at me with that little sparkle in your eyes and say ‘okay’ like it’s that simple.”
Haru shrugs. “It is that simple.”
“And that’s why I’m gonna marry you one day.”
Haru reaches out and tangles their fingers together. “Okay.”
Ouma tossed and turned restlessly in bed, finding himself unable to fall back asleep after his body decided to rudely awaken him for no good reason at all. Insomnia had always been rather common for him during the killing game, and waking up from the simulation did nothing to alleviate this problem. At the very least, not being able to sleep meant that he would be able to avoid whatever nightmares his mind had maliciously decided to subject him to. But after having experienced night after night of fitful slumbers, Ouma’s sleep deprived mind had betrayed him and craved nothing more than a few hours of peaceful shut-eye.
Taking note of how it was half past four in the morning, Ouma belatedly wondered if it was even worth it to try and get any more sleep. Soon enough, alarms would be ringing throughout the entire apartment complex, signaling the start of the day long before the sun had even risen.
The girls had apparently set up a whole entire camping trip for themselves, even going so far as to contact Team Danganronpa for transportation and such. Last night, Tojo had so graciously decided to inform the boys of said trip, asking if they wanted to tag along. Having nothing better to do and nowhere else to go, they accepted, not knowing that it would require them being ready to go this early. But despite the obvious inconvenience to their sleeping schedules, the boys did as they were told, preparing to wake up bright and early.
Not only was Ouma not a fan of waking up so early, but he was not necessarily too fond of the outdoors either. After the “insect meet and greet” during the simulation, he never wanted to see another bug ever again. But unfortunately for him, he didn’t have much say on this matter as it was already decided that everyone would be attending the getaway. Although Ouma could hypothetically refuse to go on said trip, he would be left alone in the apartment complex all by himself for who knows how long… It was a lose-lose situation, but at least by going on the trip he could spend more time with Saihara instead of being bored and lonely.
Ouma allowed himself to recollect the events of the past few weeks, the memories of his first official date with Saihara still fresh in his mind. After they had arrived at the apartment complex, soaking wet and shivering, they couldn’t help but laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of what their first date had been. It may have been silly, and nonetheless chaotic, but Ouma wouldn’t have it any other way.
Saihara felt the same way, enjoying the other boy’s company regardless of how hectic it may be at times. The whirlwind and mystery that was Kokichi Ouma was ever so intriguing to Saihara, luring him in with every word he spoke and every lie he told. He wanted to be the one to uncover that mystery, to understand the reasoning behind Ouma’s each and every action, regardless of how minor or major said action was. But above all, he wanted to protect the other boy from any sadness or harm that might come his way, even if it meant putting himself in danger.
Although they were as far away from danger as they could possibly be, that didn’t eliminate the trauma of being put through a killing game simulation where the excruciating pain of death and losing the ones you care for was as real as ever. Saihara was acutely aware of the fact that Ouma intended on hiding his suffering, smiling through the pain as if nothing was wrong. But he knew better than to believe Ouma’s lies by now, instead offering him a shoulder to cry on in any time of need.
Normally, Ouma wasn’t too fond of the idea of someone being able to see through all of his lies, but he could make an exception for Saihara. In fact, when it came to Saihara, he was actually glad that he could see through a majority of his lies. It led to a playful banter between the two, creating a never-ending game of cat-and-mouse in which both participants were eager to participate. While Saihara’s ability to see through his lies had led to some situations in which he was uncomfortably vulnerable and had to face his emotions, Ouma still found himself craving to be closer and closer to the other boy, slowly taking off his mask of fake smiles and presenting to him his true feelings. The thought of doing so may have been scary, but having Saihara by his side made him feel like he could do anything.
Although he would probably never voice these thoughts aloud, Saihara would be smart enough to eventually figure all of this out, had he not done so already. Not only was he incredibly observant, but his knack for figuring out the truth behind Ouma’s lies led to an unspoken understanding between them; Ouma felt comfortable displaying vulnerability in front of Saihara, and both of them knew this.
Mulling around these thoughts in his head, Ouma decided to rest his eyes for a few moments. It couldn’t hurt to sleep for a little while longer, he supposed…
~~~~~~~~~~
Just as he had settled into a peaceful slumber, the sound of an obnoxiously loud alarm blaring sounded throughout the bedroom. Being a light sleeper, Ouma woke up immediately, cursing the universe for its awful timing. He felt Saihara stir besides him, a surprising feat given how heavy of a sleeper he was. The movement then ceased, Saihara once more curling up under the covers as Ouma observed him, sitting upright.
“You two slept in the same bed again?”
Glancing over his shoulder, Ouma witnessed a groggy-looking Momota eyeing him suspiciously as he made his bed.
“Duh! It’s easier to kill someone in their sleep, after all!” Ouma tried to sound as chipper as possible, but he couldn’t help the edge of tiredness that crept into his voice as he spoke. “Figures I would have to spell that out to somebody as stupid as you, Momota-chan!”
“Hey, I’m not stupid!” Momota protested, defending himself. “And I’m not an idiot, either! I know you were lying about trying to kill Shuichi just now... Something’s going on between you two and I’m gonna get to the bottom of it!” He asserted his statement confidently, pointing an accusing finger at Ouma.
“Nishishi, good luck with that!” Ouma taunted, sticking his tongue out at Momota.
“What are you two yelling about…?” Saihara spoke quietly, his voice laced with drowsiness as he now sat up in bed and looked at the other two boys.
There was a slight frown prominent on Saihara’s face, making him look even more adorable than usual when coupled with the fact that his normally tame hair was sticking up in random directions. Realizing he was staring at Saihara just a bit too much, Ouma abruptly looked away. Momota looked away as well, feeling guilty for waking up Saihara in such a rude manner.
“S-Sorry, Shuichi… Didn’t mean to wake you up there…” Momota apologized sheepishly.
Saihara hummed softly, followed by a quick yawn. “It’s okay… I would’ve had to get up sooner or later anyway.” He offered a quick smile in reassurance.
“Well if my sidekick is okay with it then I’m okay with it!” Momota grinned, before glancing at the clock. “We should probably get going soon… Don’t wanna keep the others waiting for too long!”
Saihara nodded in agreement, “Yeah… We better get ready soon, then.”
“Dibs on the bathroom!” Momota declared, running off to go get ready first while Saihara and Ouma got ready to pack their belongings.
At least, that’s what Saihara intended to do before he felt a pair of thin arms wrap around him from behind.
“Ouma-kun…?” Saihara was almost completely out of bed until Ouma pulled him back in, causing him to land on the mattress with a soft thud.
Regaining his bearings, Saihara opened his mouth to chastise Ouma but froze when he saw the look on the other boy’s face.
Rather than wearing an expression of mischief, Ouma’s face was blank as he snuggled up next to Saihara, wasting no time in getting comfortable in bed once more.
“Stay with meeeee…” Ouma mumbled into Saihara’s shoulder, warm breath tickling pale skin.
Saihara absent-mindedly ran his fingers through Ouma’s tousled locks, sighing softly to himself.
“You know I’d much rather stay in bed with you, but we made a promise to the girls and I don’t want to keep them waiting-”
“Then let them wait.” Ouma said firmly, pouting.
Saihara chuckled, peering down at Ouma. “You know we can’t do that…” He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “I promise I’ll cuddle with you while we’re on the bus.”
Ouma immediately perked up, trying to hide his excitement as he looked up at Saihara with big puppy dog eyes. “Promise?”
“Of course.” Saihara slowly sat up, pulling Ouma up with him. “Now let’s go get ready, okay?”
“Fiiine…” Ouma pretended to pout, but Saihara could still see the warmth dusting his cheeks.
~~~~~~~~~~
The bus was already ready and waiting for them outside of the apartment complex, the tired boys and girls slowly approaching from a distance. As they all walked together, the boys unmistakably noticed Chabashira glaring at them, presumably for ruining their original plan of having this be a trip for the girls only.
“Stupid degenerate males…” Chabashira mumbled under her breath, which went unheard by the boys.
Akamatsu approached her, a tentative smile gracing her lips. “Lighten up, Chabashira-san!” She encouraged, though Chabashira’s mind seemed to be elsewhere.
“Nyeh… There’s no use trying to cheer her up when she’s like this…” Yumeno emerged from Chabashira’s other side, weakly reasoning with Akamatsu.
“I-I see…” She frowned, as being unable to remedy the situation disheartened her. Nonetheless, she kept a bright spirit. “Well if there’s anything I can do to help don’t hesitate to ask, alright?” Akamatsu gave a firm smile, more confident in her efforts this time.
Much to her surprise, Chabashira nodded, flashing her a half-smile. “Mhm! Thank you, Akamatsu-san! I apologize for worrying you!”
“No worries!” Akamatsu grinned, feeling satisfied at last.
After a few more moments of walking, they arrived at and boarded the large bus. The interior of the bus was furnished with fuzzy and comfortable looking cushions, as well as air conditioners lined along the ceiling. It wasn’t particularly hot where they were currently located, but as they drove south the weather would continue to grow warmer, warranting the use of the air conditioners.
The bus was large enough so that everyone could occupy their own seat if they wanted to, though the students that were romantically involved with one another chose to sit with each other, Ouma and Saihara being no exception. The smaller of the two had practically draped himself over the other, succeeding in flustering him.
“O-Ouma-kun, cut it out! People are starting to stare…” Saihara pointed out as he noticed Harukawa glaring at them from over Momota’s shoulder. Their eyes locked, and said glare was replaced by a softer expression, presumably one of sympathy for Saihara as he had his chaotic boyfriend to deal with.
“But you promised you would cuddle with me!” Ouma practically wailed, drawing even more attention to them.
“I will! Just… hush. Please. You’re causing a scene.” Saihara whispered, trying to de-escalate the situation.
Wordlessly, Ouma proceeded to give Saihara his personal space back, even if it was only a little bit.
~~~~~~~~~~
The next few hours passed by at a decent pace, most people opting to sleep to pass the time. Despite claiming that he would never fall asleep and miss out on snuggling with his beloved, Ouma dozed off soon enough, though Saihara didn’t mind. But as they began to approach their destination, Ouma awoke, half-heartedly chastising Saihara for letting him break his promise.
Currently, the two were enjoying the peaceful silence that existed on the bus before the chaos of what this trip entailed would erupt. Saihara pulled out his phone, trying to check the weather in their location after wondering how hot it would be where they were. Unfortunately for him, the weather app wouldn’t load due to poor connection.
“Want me to try?” Ouma offered, taking out his phone as well. Without waiting for an answer, he went ahead and opened up the weather app on his own phone.
“Wait… What was that?” Saihara asked confusedly.
“Hmm? What was what?” Ouma responded, pausing his movements.
Saihara pressed the home button on Ouma’s phone, scrolling past the apps so that he could get a clear view of his lock screen.
“Your lock screen…” Saihara wondered aloud, “What is that?”
Noticing the puzzled expression on Saihara’s face, Ouma immediately burst out laughing.
“It’s a meme, Saihara-chan!” Ouma explained, though the perplexed look on Saihara’s face persisted.
“A meme?” Saihara repeated.
“Oh my god…” Ouma replied in awe, “Don’t tell me that you don’t know what a meme is!”
After making a bold declaration to help Saihara become “more cultured”, Ouma spent the next few minutes showing him a variety of memes to broaden his understanding of the term. Although Saihara couldn’t say that he understood them, he had to admit that Ouma’s tenacity was admirable.
Looking out the windows of the vehicle, Saihara noticed that the area they were in was densely packed with trees and sparsely populated with other people. Suddenly the bus drove into a large lot, coming to a stop after parking. After being nudged by Amami, a tired Akamatsu stood up and announced to everyone that they had arrived at their destination. A collective groan from a majority of the bus signaled the group’s displeasure at having to wake up from their naps, but they otherwise cooperated. Gathering up their belongings, they one by one stepped off the bus and into the unwelcoming heat.
Uncomfortable with the unusually hot weather, Ouma began fanning himself rapidly with his free hand in a feeble attempt to fend off some of the heat. Though it did help to cool him down momentarily, the long term benefits were nonexistent, especially as he began to walk and carry his bag with him.
Observing his surroundings, Ouma noticed that the area seemed notably empty, almost as if they were in the middle of nowhere. It was a mystery how the girls even managed to find this place. As the bus began to drive away, the reality that they would be stuck here in the overwhelming heat practically indefinitely was beginning to settle in.
“Saihara-chaaan…” Ouma complained loudly, grabbing the attention of a few others around him as well. “It’s too hot… I can’t go on anymore…” While it was true that he was being dramatic, there was a hint of truth in his words as his pace began to slow down, leaving him trailing slightly behind Saihara and the others.
Saihara gave a fond smile, mildly amused by Ouma’s theatrics. “Here.” He pulled a water bottle out from the side of his bag and handed it to him. “Make sure you stay hydrated. Our campsite should be nearby, so you can rest soon.”
“You want me to drink water?” He gave a disgusted look, but accepted the drink regardless. “Who do you think I am?” After taking a quick sip, he handed it back to Saihara. “I would never drink something as plain and boring as water.”
“Right…” Playfully rolling his eyes, Saihara accepted the water bottle and placed it back in his bag. “Just try to keep going a little bit more, okay?” He gave Ouma a soft yet encouraging look, a gentle expression that was only reserved for him dressed on his face.
“Yup! I feel totally better now that Saihara-chan took care of me! What a doting boyfriend!” Ouma exclaimed, causing Saihara to flush bright red as well as attracting Momota’s attention.
“What are you yelling about, Ouma?” Momota questioned suspiciously before noticing Saihara’s flushed face, causing him to worry. “Woah, Shuichi, your face is really red! Do you need some water or something?”
Saihara stole a glance at Ouma, who was smiling innocently while he was being fussed over by Momota. He sighed.
“I’ll be fine…”
~~~~~~~~~~
A few moments later they arrived at their designated campsite, taking the time to set up their tents and set down their belongings. The tents were large enough to fit two or three people, allowing everyone to keep the same sleeping arrangements that they maintained back at their apartments. Naturally, Ouma slipped off to go explore rather than helping to set up the tents, given that physical effort, or effort in general, was not necessarily something he enjoyed.
He didn’t stray too far from the campsite, keeping it vaguely in his sight to ensure that he did not get lost. Aside from the obvious fact that there were many trees, bushes and rivers, Ouma unfortunately noticed that there were a lot of bugs. A quick shiver ran up his spine as he noticed a particularly large spider crawling dangerously close to him on the side of a tree, loosely triggering his fight or flight response as he jumped away.
Ouma had never liked bugs, plain and simple. Especially not after the “insect meet and greet” during the simulation. Although it had been his idea in the first place, he never actually intended to get trapped in Gokuhara’s lab with a plethora of bugs, ultimately causing him to go unconscious. Shaking off the unpleasant memories and deciding that he had explored enough, Ouma turned to return to the campsite when he bumped into something tall and solid.
That’s weird… I would’ve remembered if there was a tree right behind me.
Rubbing his head and blinking wearily, Ouma hardly registered what was right in front of him.
“Gon- I’m so sorry!” Gokuhara’s voice sounded from in front of him, distinct and unmistakable. “Is Ouma-kun okay?!”
“Gonta…?” Ouma lifted his head to look at Gokuhara, but all he registered was a fuzzy image of said boy. “I’m fine… Geez, what were you even doing there anyway?”
“I saw Ouma-kun looking at bug friend and wanted to join! Ouma-kun really does love bugs!” Gokuhara stated excitedly, eyes sparkling.
“Uh, sure… That’s one way to put it.” Ouma grimaced, trying but failing to fake a smile. “So I’m guessing you came out here to look for bugs?”
A flash of sadness flickered across Gokuhara’s face, brief yet still tangible.
“Gonta was told his memories were fake…” He stared at the ground, expression faraway and unreadable. “But bugs make Gonta so happy! And-”
“Yeah, yeah, big guy. I didn’t ask for a sob story.” Ouma cut him off, dismissing his emotions. He knew where this conversation was going; One thing would lead to another and before they knew it they would be pouring out their emotions to one another, which was certainly not a conversation he wanted to have. Being semi-honest around Saihara was enough, but Gokuhara too? Ouma wasn’t sure he could handle that as well.
Not after what he did to him.
No, he didn’t deserve a happy ending with Gokuhara. Having Saihara accept him and forgive him was enough, he couldn’t burden another human being with his true intentions and emotions.
“Hello? Ouma-kun?” Gokuhara’s surprisingly gentle voice brought him back to reality, Ouma not even realizing that he spaced out.
“Well, that’s enough nature for me today! Guess I’d better head back now! See ya, Gonta!” Ouma tried excusing himself, but found himself being ignored as Gokuhara stared off into the distance with a determined expression on his face. “...Gonta?”
Much to Ouma’s surprise, Gokuhara took off into the woods, most likely running after a bug of some sort. He contemplated whether or not to leave him, but his worry got the better of him and he decided to chase after Gokuhara and bring him back to the campsite.
After running for much longer than he thought he would have to, Ouma finally found Gokuhara, who had the palms of his hands cupped together and was intently observing whatever he was holding. Just as Ouma was about to speak, a red dragonfly fluttered out of Gokuhara’s hands who, rather than giving chase, said his goodbyes to his new friend.
“Oh, Ouma-kun! You came!” Gokuhara cheered excitedly. “Did you see-”
“Yes, I saw your new bug friend.” Ouma stated after catching his breath. “Come on, let’s…”
Ouma cut himself off this time, staring into the expanse of the area around them. He must’ve ran farther than he thought, having found himself on the edge of the woods. Looking past the last few trees and bushes, he saw...
“Ouma-kun? Is everything okay?” Gokuhara tried to grab his attention, to no avail.
Snapping out of his daze, Ouma turned his attention back to Gokuhara, who was anxiously hovering over him. Rather than responding, he simply smiled to himself.
