✧ Chapter 9 ✧
[ There's No Way to Live ]
✧༺♥༻∞　　∞༺♥༻✧

Shuichi sat in class, his thoughts battling against each other as his classmates solved questions on the whiteboard.

He could faintly hear Korekiyo laughing as Himiko tried to cast some 'confusion spells' on the other students, and Angie challenging Ryoma to a drawing contest.

Should he? Or should he not?

Falling in love with someone..

He heard a scream from Tsumugi, who was running away from Gonta. Something about a bug, of course.

Anyway, falling in love was.. as dangerous as sticking your hand in a blender.

Shuichi smiled faintly at the memory. But then frowned. No, it has been one and a half years already.. how could he keep thinking about Kaito after so much time has passed?

Because..

Shuichi clenched his fist, crumpling a piece of paper in his hand and creasing it. He didn't want to admit it. He was too embarrassed..

Falling in love with a girl was one thing Shuichi could understand. But falling in love with a guy was a whole different story.

People here accepted the cases where girls falls in love with guys, and vice versa. But others think it's strange when two people of the same gender fall in love with each other.

This was how twisted their society is. Some people couldn't accept change. They just mindlessly followed others, just to not cause a scene. Because those who dared to protest for a change, were shut down almost immediately.

And living here on Dangan Island was ten times worse, where the government killed others just for falling in love.

Shuichi sighed, leaning against his chair and closing his eyes.

However, his eyes shot open the moment he heard a loud slam. He came face to face with Kokichi, who was grinning at him. "Hiya Saihara-chan."

Shuichi scowled, "Go away, Ouma. Can't you take the hint?"

"Nope," the other boy smirked and sat on his desk, "Anyway, its time for round three. You still haven't beat me, after all. We have to keep doing this forever till you win."

"I know the rules.." Shuichi mumbled, looking down at his math paper and crumpling it up.

He didn't know why was he being so.. angry. He was just angry with everyone and everything. And Kokichi wasn't helping at all.

"So.. let's play a card game. And it's based on luck." Kokichi held up a deck of cards. "Whoever manages to get a joker, wins."

Shuichi stared at Ouma's unmoving purple eyes. "And should I trust that you actually have the joker card in there?" he asked.

"Oh," Kokichi laughed, leaning away, "You got me, Saihara-chan. You're actually learning!" he reached into his pocket and held out a card with his fingers. "Here's the joker."

"You're the joker, you idiot." Shuichi muttered, the words accidentally slipping out.

Kokichi raised both eyebrows, "Duh, I'm the joker. Now, ready to begin?" he smiled, placing both hands on either side of the table and leaning forward. Shuichi took a deep breath, realising that he was merely inches away from the other boy's face.

"Y-Yeah.." Shuichi leaned away, feeling his face become a little warm. He didn't know why when Kokichi had leaned forward, he had a sudden urge to just reach over..

The purple haired boy grinned and shuffled the cards, Shuichi watching him closely. He must've done this a lot, to be able to shuffle the cards so rapidly.

"Alrighty." Kokichi sang, "Here you go." he placed down the cards on the table. Shuichi noticed that one of the cards was sticking out from the deck a little, as if Kokichi had done that on purpose.

Shuichi looked up at the smirking boy, his eyes full of mischief.

"You cheated didn't you?"

"Huh?" Kokichi dropped his smile, tilting his head a little. "Whatever do you mean, Saihara-chan?"

Shuichi pointed to the card, which was poking out. "Then tell me why that card is not like the others."

Suddenly, Kokichi tapped his finger against his own chin, "Weeeell, if you don't trust me.. go ahead and see for yourself. However."

Shuichi hesitated, his hand hovering over the deck of cards. "If you do check to see if I did anything to that card, you don't trust me. And that's sad." The purple haired boy twirled his hair around his finger.

"You do know I don't trust you, Ouma." Shuichi muttered, "You're not trustworthy."

"Ouch," Kokichi grinned, looking a little hurt, "It's bad that I have to hear it from you, Shuichi.. as if I don't hear it. Every. Damn. Day. Of. My. Life."

With each word, Kokichi pulled at the strands of his hair, focusing on them instead of Shuichi. "Anyway, back to the point." Kokichi shrugged, dropping his hand from his head.

"If you do check that card, and you find out that I've done nothing to it, you owe me a extra forfeit. If you trust me enough to not check the card, you don't have to play today's game. How's that?"

Shuichi looked at the smiling boy, wondering how could anyone be so.. scheming. How could anyone trust Ouma? "It's a matter of trust, Saihara." the other boy looked at his nails.

"So, I'll ask you again, do you trust me?"

Shuichi looked away from Kokichi's darkened eyes. He didn't trust anything.. he didn't trust anyone, for that matter. He didn't have the confidence to..

"Fine," Shuichi muttered, taking his hand away from the deck of cards and looking at the pile. "I trust that you didn't do anything to the deck."

Kokichi raised an eyebrow, "Really? Are you really really sure?"

Why.. why was Kokichi making him doubt himself? Why did he keep pressuring him about trust? Shuichi looked at the deck, focusing on that one card..

"Just start the game already." Shuichi said quietly, "I don't have time for this."

Kokichi raised both eyebrows, reaching out and taking the odd card from the deck. "Well, here's your answer."

He held out a joker card, handing it to Shuichi. "Looks like you managed to beat the game without doing anything. You won."

"I.. what?" Shuichi blinked, staring at the card in Kokichi's hand.

"You heard me."

"But I thought you said I had to pick the joker card to win?" Shuichi frowned, wondering if he had made a mistake.

Kokichi smirked, "Man, Saihara-chan. Clean your ears. I said, if you trust me enough, and not check the card, you don't have to play today's game."

With that, Kokichi reached over and grabbed Shuichi's hand, pressing the thin card onto his palm. "Here ya go."

Shuichi raised an eyebrow, "Why did you give this to me?" he asked skeptically.

"Does everything need a reason, Saihara-chan?" the other boy replied, "Just keep it. Because I'm already bored now that you don't have to play today's game."

Shuichi hesitated, his mind full of questions. Honestly..

He watched as Kokichi skipped off, joining the other students and leaving him. He actually wanted.. Kokichi.. to stay?

✧༺♥༻∞　　∞༺♥༻✧

Shuichi stared at the card in his hand, holding it up to the ceiling. He was lying on his bed after a while day of studying..

He narrowed his eyes, looking at the smiling face of the joker grinning back at him. Why did Kokichi give this to him?

He sighed, letting his hand drop to his side. One and a half years of having a room with no roommate.

Shuichi turned to face the wall, looking at the picture of him and Kaito together at the water fountain. A feeling pulled at his stomach, making Shuichi bury his head in his pillow.

He knew it. Even after one and a half years.. he still had feelings for Kaito Momota.. he finally accepted that he actually had a crush on his roommate. His missing roommate, that is.

Why did he fall in love so easily..?

Shuichi looked at the picture again, his vision blurring with tears. He had a crush on Kaito ever since they met at the fountain..

He sighed, rolling over to slide his bedside drawer open. A phone slid out, and he took it.

Music could help..

Shuichi pulled on his headphones and closed his eyes, listening to the music and wishing Kaito could actually return soon..

♥ End of Chapter Nine ♥