Saihara's POV:

In the two months, we had been slowly recovering from the killing game, I had thought by now I would have been stronger. That the aching fear that was hanging on me wouldn't be here, that I would feel like I was in control of what was happening.

It seemed that way at first, the schedule and structures kept me sane along with occasional meetings with Momota, who seemed to be getting stronger by the day. It was uplifting seeing him almost back to himself in the game.

Should I be rooting for that?

My mind and body had grown stronger, I felt myself getting at least a bit more beat in my step, I no longer had to panic every single day I woke up thinking I was back in the game...or at least not as often.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised I wasn't ready for this. I don't think I could ever be ready for this. But...it's not like I have much of a choice.

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

Sitting already inside was Ouma.

He was sitting in the same wheelchair I had seen him in last time, the blue hospital gown, and mandated slippers. It was all the same in that regard, his hair seemed to have grown past his shoulders, he didn't seem to be taking care of it due to oily nature. It just fell like a waterfall of purple locks.

His skin was paler than it was then, and seemed sullen, sinking in and clinging to the bones that made themselves apparent, I could count his ribs and the hospital gown which was made of a light material seemed to hang down on him as if weighing hundreds of pounds. 

Underneath his eyes were heavy black bags, he wasn't sleeping, but one thing had changed. Maybe for the worst, because like how he was back in the game he sat in the wheelchair as if it was a throne, his eyes had an intense analytical look about them, as if trying to figure out how to best use me as an asset, along with a little grin promising mischief. He looked like Ouma, and that strangely made me feel more uncomfortable.

"Aww looks like Saihara chan finally decided to show up, you know how to keep someone waiting don't you?" Ouma asked, it was the same playful words he would say back in the game but his tone showed his annoyance without any sort of holding back as he rolled his tired eyes at me.

"Hello, Ouma" I greeted, my voice barely carried any power, I slowly made my way to sitting on the white couch opposite of Ouma's chair. He didn't say anything, his eyes just followed me.

What do I say? What can I say? 

"Wow Saihara, you look terrified, are you scared of me?" Ouma asked, as if proud, I glared back at him, "oh no it's hate, my bad...oh no back to fear again, man you must have practiced your murder glares after I died huh?" Ouma asked, a wide cheeky grin on his face.

I get it now. Ouma knew the power dynamic we carried, so he didn't have to visibly show his discomfort I know he also shared, instead he was trying to steer the conversation and stall for time, or maybe he would try and get me to confess to something?

All I wanted was for him to explain what he said when we met the first time, why he had said that. I doubt that he would ever steer the conversation that way, regardless I wasn't going to let him hold power over me.

Not if I could help it.

"Do we have to talk?" I asked Ouma looked at me curiously and started feigning heartbreak, "aww my beloved Shumai-" he started when I gritted my teeth, "quit that already! Don't call me that anymore! Not after everything! How can you just sit there and pretend nothing has happened?!" I shouted, I felt the emotions I was trying, lord knows I was trying, so hard to keep in control held the reigns.

Ouma didn't respond for a while, casting his eyes to the floor. A thing I had never seen him do before, right until he cocked his head up tilting it to his side playfully, "if you don't want to talk that's all fine with me but Maiko is gonna nag me if we don't 'connect' or whatever crap she is trying to force into my head" Ouma reminded.

"Do you see that mirror over there?" I asked Ouma nodded not casting his attention over to the mirror that covered part of the wall to the right of us, "every time we have a meeting Maiko goes into a door down the hall, the door is the room behind the mirror which is a one-way glass, there are no microphones here that I have noticed so she can't hear what we are saying, my guess is patient confidentiality, so as long as she doesn't see us fighting we both can get out of this" I explained.

Ouma paused, taking in the information, "so what fake conversation and healing session are we going to have today Saihara?" he asked, dead serious, "anything that doesn't have to do with the game or either of our actions, believe it or not, I don't want to fight you" I told him, rolling my eyes.

Ouma took that, before glancing at me, "you lost your eyeliner Saihara, or was it mascara?" he asked, "haha, really funny" I said rolling my eyes, "I'm serious you used to look like an emo detective, now...you look like a shaggy hippie" Ouma joked.

"What happened to the weird hair thing?" he added, "I don't know, I guess it just was there for the game" I admitted, "that's a shame it was cute" Ouma complained whimpering, I rolled my eyes again.

"So no flirting either?" Ouma asked, "we both know neither of us feels the same" I noted, "point taken, do you know what the outside world is like?" Ouma asked, "not a clue, to be honest, I hear tiny hints in the conversations I have with Maiko and the physical therapist, Akio, have you met him? The outside world is honestly still a complete mystery to me" I admitted.

"I thought you were supposed to be a detective, not now and not then either" Ouma groaned, he barely hid his disgust, "we said we wouldn't discuss that" I reminded, getting slightly agitated, "sorry, I can't help but remember how you took my death and made it pointless, really makes me want to be friends with you, you know?" Ouma responded sarcastically.

"What if that didn't even work? Your so-called 'master plan' that made Momota die, what if Monokuma had just executed us all anyway? Why did you even need to manipulate everyone like that in the game Ouma? The outside world, you knew it wasn't destroyed, you KNEW and yet you said nothing" I chastised.

"I didn't see Mr. detective here doing anything, oh wait yes I do, crying over Akamatsu the whole damn game and moaning every single time he had to get off his fat ass and actually try and help us out, face it you would still be in there if it wasn't for me" Ouma snarked.

"Don't you DARE bring Akamatsu up" I yelled, "at least she made her death mean something, unlike you, you let the rest of us DIE so you and Momota could play friends and pretend along with the rest of those idiots that we could all be friends and never kill again, well NEWS FLASH! Everyone kept dying anyway and your 'let's be friends' bullcrap didn't do anything!" Ouma screamed.

"At least I didn't shut myself off and manipulate everyone! I tried to stop the killing game, I tried to help Momota stop the killing game, but what did you do? Hide valuable information from us, lie to us, you manipulated Gokuhara that whole game, you made him your goon and what did you do to him? To the nicest person in the whole fucking game, the only person who could even STAND you and you KILLED him, just so you could play your whole mastermind plan!" I yelled.

"You take that back," Ouma said, his voice invoking his fury without even having to raise his voice, "I won't, because that's exactly what you did Ouma, you murdered Gokuhara, you didn't have to make him a murderer! You could have told us what Iruma was planning! You could have saved them but instead, you decided that it was ok to let Iruma and Gokuhara die as long as it advanced your sick plans! Go ahead and blame me for things I didn't do, but at least I was a lying selfish and stuck up jackass!" I screamed.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW? I'm sorry, would you even believe everything I had to do to get us out of that hellhole?! DO you think for even a SECOND that you would have believed me if I had told you the truth? Hm let's think, no instead little Mr detective here would rather sit and pretend everything will somehow work itself out, that I should have been another one of you and Momota's little friends and bend over backward to please you and your stupid little ass!" Ouma screamed.

"WHY? WHY DO YOU HAVE SO MANY WALLS AND TRUST ISSUES?! If I can at least get an explanation of why you never could help us, do you even see us as humans Ouma?! Or am I even now just a pawn to you?!" I screeched.

"AT LEAST MOMOTA WAS A GOOD PAWN! Unlike you, he didn't need to leech off others to have fucking self-esteem and a spine to work for something! YOU'RE A HYPOCRITE! Do you know that Saihara? I don't know why I even had hope in you for that fucking game cause you just are PATHETIC!" Ouma screamed.

I couldn't control myself before I knew it I had stood up and slapped Ouma right across the face. His eyes widened in surprise, as I stepped back clenching my fist trying to keep myself from doing worse. I bit my tongue so hard I felt it start bleeding, Ouma just chuckled softly as we heard a pair of heels clicking towards our door.

"So typical of guys like you..." Ouma muttered, he looked up at me, I could see his mouth was trickling with some blood, "I wish you died instead of Akamatsu" Ouma muttered. I turned to the door, "I do to"