Work Text:
He realizes that it has started again.
It should have been obvious. Anytime something mysteriously new appears among his things, he should know it means Ouma is setting up another chase.
Perhaps the deviant could forgive him this time, considering the clue was discreet. The fact that he accidentally smashed it with a small paperback is proof enough. Shuichi carefully picks out the crushed present, taking note of the texture against his fingers.
Even in the darkness of his locker, it catches what little light there is and reflects a brilliant gold. Maybe if it hadn't been in the very back of his locker, he would have spotted it sooner. He can't help but take in all the details, his keen eye eager to try and figure out what it was supposed to be before he recklessly destroyed it.
The creases in the paper are strategic, and he begins to grasp what exactly it is.
He attempts to restore some structure, managing to make the flat oblong shape into something… recognizable ?
Before he can ponder on it more, he can already hear the menace fake crying behind him—
"Waaaaah! You're so mean ! I worked really hard on that, you know."
It's a lie. He knows that the water works are just a show.
But he can only sigh as a wave of guilt weighs on his heart as he confronts the situation. His earlier comment was nothing but a sad attempt at lying, not even a Kokichi-level lie could convince him otherwise.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to squish it. I'm sure it was very nice." He softly replies, wishing he had his hat to hide the blatant truth; that he indeed destroyed the next clue—
Kokichi is suddenly all smiles, eyes gleaming with nothing but mischief, "You really love to pull the lies outta me, huh? Of course, I didn't do much , just threw my trash into your locker!"
Shuichi glances at the crumpled paper, while the foil could be from some candy or snack, he finds the lack of branding implausible.
"What did this even come from anyway?"
"It's a custom-ordered snack bar that is manufactured for my organization! It's got all the nutrients that you will ever need in your entire life, all in a convenient eight ounce bar! But you can only order it if you're a member."
The detective locks eyes with him, listening to the fake sales pitch with slight amusement.
"Maybe if you signed your life over to me, I could give you a sample? What do you say?"
Shuichi laughs, his mind already reeling with the potential mystery at hand. "I think I'm fine with just the trash, thanks."
Kokichi rolls his eyes at the joke, "Your loss! If I find out you're doing something shady with it, I'll destroy you."
Even now, the Supreme Leader manages to be as menacing as ever, living up to his title once more.
"Next time I'm actually going to trash your locker, so don't get too excited about this one!" The saccharine promise comes from the liar, and Shuichi stays silent from the whiplash.
Ouma bounces away without another word, leaving Shuichi alone once more. He had to admit, the little surprise was nice, as delicate as it was.
Even after their conversation, he can't seem to shake the feeling that, somehow , it's important. Considering Kokichi's tactics and grandeur, it seems a little strange for him to simply toss something into his locker to simply be malicious.
As it glitters in his palm, he realizes that he might be able to find some answers sooner rather than later as he heads into the art room—
"Are you sure you'd like me to try to fix it? I think it is quite nice as is!"
"I just wanted to see what it was supposed to be, but really I don't know much about crafts…" He quietly admits, hoping to find more insight from the Ultimate Artist.
"I see, I see. Well, since Atua has supported your game, I cannot deny your request!"
"Our game?" Shuichi quietly comments, watching the young lady gently pull and massage the paper.
Her eyes are glued to her work, and she pulls out a small tool from her wares, prodding further at the mysterious paper. "Yes! You and Ouma are playing another game, no? Of puzzles and riddles, to see who can best the other!"
Shuichi nods, taking into account her perception of their… impromptu battle. “I guess that is the best way to describe it…”
“Atua has blessed your union, but it is so exciting to be able to see it all unfold in real time!”
“Huh? What do you mean?” he blurts out, wondering if perhaps she misunderstood the situation?
Angie simply laughs, her hands popping up to come together in prayer, “The great Atua has decided that you are both fit for one another! It must be absolutely divine to have met your future partner so soon!”
Before the detective can say anything, she shrugs, “Sadly, since you are not from the island, you both will not be able to share your union with anyone but each other. How unfortunate, it would have been fun to be able to share your newfound love with the whole town.”
Shuichi flushes, he had almost forgotten that she had mentioned something sounding strangely like polygamy in the past.
“It really isn’t like that at all…”
The detective considers correcting her, but he knows better than to reason with her unwavering faith.
He clears his throat, ignoring how hot his face feels at the thought of the implications of her statements, “I’m not quite convinced of that result, but I would really appreciate your help on the task at hand.”
“You shouldn’t be so dismissive of Atua’s decision! He has the power to damn you and your future offspring, so it is best to simply accept his judgements with grace.” She warns, stabbing the paper with a long and thin tool in what appears to be an opening.
In the short time they had been talking, the artist managed to restore the origami to its intended shape. With a nod she seems satisfied with her prodding, bringing the now rupee shape to her lips and blowing out—
Sure enough the golden paper fills with air, in the shape of a small little box. It is quite cute, as the rounded edges of the balloon origami still present, even with the overall damage inflicted. When he had squished the paper, he hadn't even considered it to be something three dimensional.
“Ya ha ha! It is restored to its former glory!”
She gently places it back into his extended palm, smiling brightly at his awe.
“Even though this is not a creation from Atua’s mind, his will is still carried through its existence.”
He figures he should show gratitude, and makes an awkward attempt—
“Thank you, Angie. And Atua, I suppose.”
Again, the young girl glows with reverence as she clasps her hands in joy, “Yes! Praise Atua for his divine message!”
“Nyeh, I can’t believe you made me get lunch for
both
of us... If you don’t hurry up, my MP is gonna run out.” The small mage suddenly calls out into the room, startling both parties with her sudden intrusion.
They both turn to the new visitor, and sure enough Himiko has a set of lunches for two.
“What divine timing! Now we can live to see another day.” She giggles and bounces over to the smaller girl in a yellow flash. “Bye bye Shuichi! Don’t forget to leave your blood sacrifice tonight!”
Shuichi waves as the pair leave him alone in the art room to his own inner thoughts. Again, he is drawn back to the innocuous origami in his hand.
Kokichi left behind such a strange paper, but was this all it was? Somehow, he doesn’t believe it for a moment. Not when the promise of more chase precluded this event.
Then again, Kokichi would be the type to lie to his face to see how gullible he could be. That promise from before could have simply been a bluff, that Kokichi was hoping to get Shuichi’s attention diverted onto something worthless.
If that was true, why would he call it trash? Wouldn’t convincing him that it was important be a more productive plan to waste his time?
Suddenly, he recalls Angie’s words from earlier—
She had called their chase a game. She hadn’t been wrong to call it that, and even Shuichi had naturally agreed to that notion. It’s then that he realizes something.
When it came to games Kokichi was never one to back down. It was actually one of the few times Kokichi was reliable, so to threaten him with more meant that this most likely wasn’t one of his average time-wasting pranks.
Sure, even if making an origami balloon wasn’t difficult or time-consuming, making a whole game around it
would
be.
He glances over at the tools left out, in her departure, Angie had neglected to put away anything she used.
The thought of borrowing some of her tools comes to the forefront of his mind, but he mulls over if he should go find her to ask her for more help—
Yet the promise of a mystery in his palm is much too
exciting
to ignore.
He couldn’t put this off, as the golden paper has been too alluring to take his eyes off of. He is sure she would forgive him for using her things without explicit permission, if she truly believed Atua’s so-called ‘plan’ for them.
Shuichi mentally promises to put them right back, once he is done with his investigation.
He chooses the one he had seen her use, a small wooden tool that was slender and tapered to a point. He pokes the tip of it with his finger, noting the blunt tip.
Shuichi inspects the paper once more, hoping that despite the fragile look that it can withstand more fiddling.
The detective gently grabs the paper, carefully pressing on it to see if anything pops out at him. It bends and warps under his fingers, but so far it just seems like a normal piece of paper.
He investigates the surface of the balloon, mentally noting the two sides that had the bulk of the folding, and one with a small opening...
The detective gently slides the tool into the opening, struggling to keep the origami piece from shifting in his hand. Once he manages to steady his grasp, he gently pushes the opening wider, trying to find any source of clue or hint to further their game—
He peers into the balloon and barely makes out writing.
At the signal of something new, he continues to push the limits of the paper, attempting to try and see what hidden message their was—
Only to cause the paper to begin to tear and fray.
Shuichi immediately stops, easing off the torn edge and removing the wooden stick from its place. He frowns, saddened by the fact that his eagerness resulted in a careless mistake.
Still, the damage was minor, but he needed to figure out another way to reveal the message safely.
Again, Angie comes to mind as he struggles to find a way to undo the folds, but he doesn't dare give that thought much credence. As much as her help was appreciated, Shuichi oh so desperately wanted to figure this out on his own.
He collects himself once more, returning the wooden tool to its rightful place before approaching the problem once more. Shuichi's lack of experience shines once more as he awkwardly presses and prods at the paper once more, but he tries to emulate the shape he recalled from before—
Slowly, he follows the creases of the paper with his fingers, feeling to see which parts give in easily versus those that rebel. The balloon collapses into that familiar rupee shape, and he can't help but smile at his progress.
Now, with only two sides to worry about, Shuichi awkwardly pulls on what appear to be tucked in flaps, his thumbs easily undoing them to reveal a more similar diamond shape.
As the origami continues to unfurl, his excitement grows—
He digs deep into his childhood memories, only vaguely aware of how to create a diamond from a square piece of paper. Shuichi once again moves the proper flaps down to reveal a larger triangle.
He wastes no time in running his fingers across the now open edge, careful to not rip the paper anymore as his efforts finally pay off—
We see their dead,
A live one nearer
Between them all,
You cannot hear
Seeking them would be bright but not clever—
You better not keep me waiting forever.
The message is completely confusing. He doesn't understand any of it but it's exactly what he is looking for.
This was the true game to be played, and thus the chase has begun once more.
It's that moment that he realizes the huge smile on his face, to which he is silently glad that he is alone. Although there won't be much that can get in the way of his wondering, the least he can do is not be so obvious.
Shuichi takes the crumpled paper back in his hands, folding it gently before tucking it away into his jacket.
Even without the words in front of him, he could swear it was printed on the back of his eyelids, as it burns into his mind.
What could you possibly mean this time, Kokichi?
***
To be completely honest, he's genuinely lost.
The riddle left for him was easy enough to read and begin wondering about… But it became clear that the answer was not going to be so simple.
He goes in circles with contradictions wondering— What can be dead and alive? Bright but not clever? And how proximity has anything to do with it…
He could almost rip his hair out with the ambiguity of it all.
Even when consulting his classmates, most of them are only left scratching their head.
Maki is one of the few that ends up providing an interesting insight—
"What about a light?" She suddenly speaks up.
The empty classroom had been silent before then, and her sudden announcement had ripped the others from their deep pondering.
Shuichi and Kaito turn to her, quietly startled by her sudden contribution. The detective is even more flabbergasted, despite them both being friends with the Luminary of the Stars, she usually wasn't the type to join in on their conversations.
To add on, when he had initially sought them out for help, she scoffed at the game that Kokichi had made, mentioning it to be
childish
and
a waste of time
. So to have her not only considering but contributing to his investigation—
He was genuinely grateful.
Kaito suddenly smiles, to the point where Shuichi could only describe it as glowing.
"You're on a roll , Maki-roll! " Kaito’s confident laugh is thunderous, "I have to agree, it's gotta be something that gives off light!"
Shuichi can't help but chuckle at the small pun, noticing how Maki puffs up in faux-anger at the nickname.
She grabs one of her ponytails and plays with it, her cheeks dusted red as she weakly threatens him, "Stop calling me that! Do you actually want to die?"
Kaito pays her empty threat no mind, meanwhile Shuichi pieces together the new insight as he continues to attempt to solve the riddle, "So, 'bright but not clever' is referring to some sort of light source? I suppose that fits…"
Kaito suddenly rises from his seat, bringing one foot onto the table as he digs a thumb into his chest in what looks to be a dramatic pose—
"If you're looking for lights that can be alive or dead, you can look no further but the stars themselves!"
Shuichi and Maki stare at him in shock, silent as they take in his suggestion.
Kaito falters for just a moment, before puffing up once more as he makes his argument.
"Cmon, it's not that crazy. The sky is full of dead stars that we can see every night! And stuff like the sun and other constellations are so clear to the naked eye because they are still alive!"
"Are you sure you aren't just forcing this answer? Or is this your way of making this all about space again?" Maki retorts, scrutinizing Kaito's best attempt yet.
"I'm totally serious. Look, he mentioned that you can't hear anything between them, right? If you're actually out in space, then there's no sound!" Kaito asserts once more, his brilliance shining with every word.
The reasoning was pretty solid, that much Shuichi had to admit.
"OK. Let's say that it is about stars. Why mention anything about lights then?"
"Wow Shuichi, did you just forget the last 5 minutes? The whole reason this case got cracked wide open was cause we started thinking about lights!"
Kaito smugly beams as he thumbs his nose, "At this rate, I'll end up becoming the next Ultimate Detective before you do!"
Truthfully, it doesn't answer his question.
If it was all signaling to stars that would work, but he would still be missing what to do or where to go.
Seeking them would be bright but not clever.
Maki suddenly punches Kaito in the arm, making him wince at the unexpected blow.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"You had it coming, idiot ." She simply states, ignoring the way he seems to deflate. "For someone so smart, you really are stupid."
Shuichi can't hold back his laughter as he realizes the final meaning left for him to find.
Bright but not clever, huh? Oh, if only Kaito knew that Kokichi was willing to insult him straight to his face.
At least this way, he can prevent Kaito from experiencing it.
"I told you that I am still in training, but I can't let you or Kokichi beat me." All attention returns to the detective, but he doesn’t mind at all at the moment—
The confidence in his deduction makes him eager to move forward.
Shuichi offers Kaito a kind smile, "I think I get the riddle now, but all I need to know is the best spot to go stargazing tonight."
***
"Huh, you actually made it."
Shuichi can barely catch his breath, the trek to the highest park in the area was quite a hike. Putting on an extra layer has also made the trip more grueling, but now that he is at the top he can at least open the zipper to ventilate.
Thankfully the air is cool as night has fallen over them, providing some relief to his discomfort.
"I almost didn't, with how tight you made the deadline." He barely wheezes out.
Kokichi smirks, his eyes becoming like crescent moons, "What can I say? I'm a busy guy! I can't just wait around for someone who might be a no-show!"
Shuichi smiles, glancing back up at the sky, "Well, I'm glad I did show up. The stars are really beautiful tonight."
Kokichi doesn't bother to look, instead he is much more focused on the bag that the detective has brought as well.
"Oh, I didn't know if you wanted to hang out or what, so I ended up bringing some stuff."
Shuichi puts down the bag, eager to finally get the load off his back as he digs into it to retrieve a blanket and a bag from the convenience store.
The detective quickly sets out the blanket, internally thankful that it laid down nicely without too much effort. He sits down and reaches over to the plastic bag this time, digging out some goodies to indulge in.
Shuichi pulls out a couple of options from the stash, offering it out.
"I know it probably isn't as good as your custom snack bar, but I figured you might want something anyways." He quietly jokes.
Kokichi eagerly takes the packet of cookies—
"I'm going to sue you if I get sick and die from this. My snack bar is highly experimental, so even I don't know the long-term effects of eating after it!" Kokichi warns, yet Shuichi detects not an ounce of concern as he rips open the packaging and begins snacking away.
"Ah, I see." Shuichi feels a teasing smile come on as he pulls out a specific grape flavored drink from his bag, "I guess I can just throw this away then, since your snack bar is all you need."
Before Shuichi can maintain the charade, Kokichi yanks the from the other, his hands ice cold as they brush against Shuichi's—
"Tch, as if! You're such a bully Shuichi, denying a man something as fundamental as soda!"
"Ah, so your threat doesn't apply to drinks?"
"Of course not, idiot. Humans still need to drink water and stay hydrated. You're such a doofus sometimes."
Shuichi can only laugh, but the earlier brush of skin has him both curious and concerned.
"How long have you been out here..?"
"Don't worry, I won't be here much longer if you talk like that." Kokichi glances at his bare wrist. "Invisible watch says my regularly scheduled break might be over soon."
Again, in dramatic fashion, Ouma has tossed his head back with the back of his hand on his forehead, “It’s tough being Supreme Leader of the world afterall.”
The usual avoidance is something Shuichi has grown accustomed to, but it doesn't relieve any of his prior concern.
But here comes the thing Shuichi consistently struggles with, speaking like a normal person to someone as intense as Kokichi—
"I uh, have a jacket?" He begins awkwardly, pausing to try and gather his words.
"I can see that." Kokichi replies, sass dripping off his every word.
Shuichi realizes his failure immediately, staving off the urge to facepalm. "No! I mean yes! I mean! UGH!"
He covers his face in embarrassment, wondering why his mind seems to jumble up the words around the liar. Sure, he might not be the most socially suave, but to have his speaking degrade so rapidly? Definitely not his greatest moment.
He took a deep breath— There was no need to panic. It's fine. It's not that big of a deal. It's just Kokichi.
"I meant, I brought an extra jacket… F-for you." It dawns on the detective, what if this was offering too much? Was that creepy?
Golden eyes meet lilac and he can feel his heart race in fear—
Oh no. It probably is weird. How does he make it not weird?!?
Kokichi simply looks at him, his expression surprisingly neutral as he finally speaks up, "As long as it doesn't clash with the uniform, I don't mind."
Shuichi blinks in shock at the response. It takes him a few moments to process the words. That Kokichi is , in fact, accepting it.
He searches for any kind of lie, and is surprised to see an annoyed expression instead, "So? Is the jacket thing a no go or what?"
"Just a moment." Shuichi mumbles, quickly retrieving the jacket from his bag only to earn a groan from Kokichi—
"Shumaiiiiii! I told you it had to match my uniform!"
"Blue goes with what you're wearing?" Shuichi weakly protests, incredibly confused as to why the sudden disapproval.
Kokichi scoffs, examining his nails in annoyance, "It's a black and white uniform, so that means I can only wear black or white! Adding blue would totally throw off my look."
"Oh. I didn't realize. Sorry." He doesn't really get it, but if the Supreme leader doesn't want the jacket anymore then it's fine.
"I want the other jacket."
"Huh?" Shuichi frowns, "I don't have another—"
"Sure you do!" Kokichi smiles as he leans into his personal bubble, grabbing onto the lapels of the clothing he is currently wearing.
"I-It's grey though? Didn't you say only white or—"
"Pah, I can make do with grey. It's just a lighter shade." Kokichi smirks again, tugging on his jacket with some sort of unusual glee, "Grey is nothing but a shade of black and white?"
Shuichi can feel the disconnect between his mouth and his mind, his thoughts racing with so much to say and question despite his jaw hanging open and slack.
The detective just wished he knew what it was exactly about Kokichi that made him this way. Totally unpredictable but not impossible. Saying suggestive things but never outright. How was he even supposed to take that as?
"Cmon! I'm reeeally cold out here!" Kokichi suddenly lets go of his sweater, eyes wide and expression in shock—
" Unless … You're saying that I have to do some sort of favor to get it?"
The sudden shift in tone makes it clear what's about to happen— more whining .
"You dirty dog! Making me do something so lewd, so salacious! For a basic need like warmth—"
"Stop, stop, stop ! Just take it!" He yells, peeling off his jacket as quickly as he can. Anything to get him to stop saying stuff like that.
The Supreme Leader of Evil wastes no time getting the jacket on, zipping it shut and taking in the warmth as he continues to relax under the stars.
As crazy as the whole thing has been, it has been equal amounts of fun. The detective slowly lays back, gazing up at the glittering night sky.
Kokichi follows suit, propping his hands behind his head as they fall into a comfortable silence.
"So… Did Kaito find out about that last line, or..?"
Shuichi laughs so hard that he can barely breath, and Kokichi forgets all about the stars above—
Kokichi is thankful for the cover of night, for he knows that he wouldn't be able to hide the way his heart flutters at the sight.