Lies

Fifty seasons later Danganronpa is everywhere. What started as a social experiment, quickly snowballed out of control and is a national success now. Danganronpa hosts localized streams in twenty different countries simultaneously, and while not all of them openly approve of these killing games, viewers do, and TV ratings reflect that. Each season brings something new to the table, and everyone is excited just like, say, years ago people everywhere talked about new Doctor Who actors. While Kaede herself is not a huge fan, it’s hard not to pay any attention to literally every other classmate sharing their opinions during lunch breaks. She often finds herself disagreeing with them and, from what Akamatsu hears, with most of the fandom. For instance, one of the most popular characters in the latest installment is Rantaro Amami, Ultimate Rock Star. Kaede is fond of music herself, she takes piano classes and can get behind that, yet people seem to like Rantaro mostly for his appearance. They 'ship' him with other boys from the killing game, even those he doesn’t spend much time with and also those he openly hates, like the usual antagonistic boy. While there’s nothing wrong with same-sex relationships, he has never stated he likes boys and Kaede wonders where’d they even get the idea. One of those days when everyone eagerly anticipates a new killing happening, Kaede eats in silence outside the crowd. Few of the girls tried to get her into their debate, and she politely refused, telling them she had some homework to finish before the break ended. Not that they believed her of course, nobody believes anyone these days and Kaede’s sure Danganronpa played a solid part in that. Not that she cares. To her surprise, someone does join her quiet meal. A pale girl with black hair takes a seat beside Akamatsu, sighing at their loud classmates and rolling her eyes. She is not fond of Danganronpa apparently, which surprises Kaede even more. Being her cheerful self, Akamatsu smiles understandingly and tries her best to chat a little. “You’re not into DR, too?” She asks her newly found neighbor. Kaede remembers her from history classes; girl’s name is Maki. Harukawa Maki. She rarely speaks unless a teacher asks her directly, and when she says something, it’s always sharp and on-point. Kaede has never seen her with other girls (or boys for that matter), and she never stays after school, so there’s pretty much nothing Akamatsu knows about Harukawa. She’s curious though, staring at Maki with a sudden spark of interest. “Should I be?” Maki shrugs looking at her plate with a small frown. “I’ll never get to like killings, and killing games are even more absurd. Pretty boys are not my thing either,” she snorts quietly, and Kaede chuckles at her reaction. “What? Did I say something funny?” “No, it’s just you’re the only other person in this school to not like Danganronpa and pretty boys,” Kaede replies immediately, forgetting about her food getting cold. Maki doesn’t look like she wants to continue discussing the matter, and that only gets Kaede to be all more talkative. “I believe you’re the other person, then. Glad we’re on the same page,” Maki concludes and goes silent, stabbing a slice of chicken with a fork. Kaede notices that the way she eats is a tad strange; the girl looks so hungry that she swallows the meat without chewing. It’s a matter of seconds until her plate gets empty and Maki pouts at it. Kaede assumes she’s forgotten to bring a full lunch and doesn’t hesitate with offering her a hamburger she hasn’t even touched. “Here, take mine,” she suggests with a contented smile. “I’m on a strict diet, and I’ve had too many calories today anyway.” This is a lie, of course, but Kaede gets the feeling Maki would refuse her otherwise. Moments go by as the girl stares at the hamburger with her eyebrows slightly raised, then looks at Kaede, then at the plate again. Kaede doesn’t want to make it harder for her, so she pretends to check her phone for new messages. Maki doesn’t seem to buy the act, yet she hesitantly draws the hamburger closer with another sigh. “Thanks,” is what she says before swallowing the hamburger as fast as her previous meal; she does look happier, though. “Are you sick or what?” Maki asks when she’s finished. “Why?” “You said you’re on a strict diet. Are you allergic?” Harukawa explains, giving Kaede a long, cold stare. She’s not really interested in her answer, and Kaede understands she’s just trying to be polite. It’s so cute, and the blonde girl’s smile gets even wider. “Oh, no, I’m trying to lose some weight!” Akamatsu waves her hand like this is no big deal. She did take a few pounds lately, so this lie comes naturally. Maki’s eyebrows rise even higher, as she’s blinking seemingly wordless. “Why?” she asks in turn after a long pause. Kaede tilts her head to the side, scratching the back of it. It never really occurred to her why is weight so important to girls. It’s just a common thing, you know? This answer won’t satisfy Maki, Akamatsu realizes, so she takes a few moments to come up with something. “I think slender girls look cute, so I’m trying to be one!” Akamatsu states finally and giggles, glancing at her classmate. “Just look at you, Harukawa-san! You’re a cutie. Well, not that the other types aren’t beautiful in their own way, it’s a matter of personal preferences after all,” Kaede adds with a serious look, nodding to herself. Maki stares at her empty plate once again and then examines her pale hands before turning back to Akamatsu. “Looks like you’re not trying hard enough,” she states with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. If someone else told her this, Kaede could get offended, but somehow she knows that the girl means no offense. “Also, I am not cute,” Maki adds while looking away which is unsurprisingly even cuter. “Yes, you are!” Kaede disagrees with a smile, which earns her another long look. Maki sighs in the habit of hers and stands up just in time with a school bell ringing. “You’re a weird one,” Maki tells her before turning away. She then stops abruptly, and Kaede wonders if she did say something to upset the girl when Maki looks at her once again. “You seem to know me. Didn’t catch your name.” “Kaede. Akamatsu Kaede. Nice to meet you, by the way!” A moment later Kaede gets on her feet only to shake the girl’s hand, eyes still burning with interest. Maki doesn’t return the handshake; she does clench her fist though, so Kaede notices that despite her lookings Maki is incredibly strong! “Thank you for the food, Akamatsu,” Harukawa replies coldly, dropping the honorifics. They part their ways, yet Kaede is smiling for the rest of the day; even when her classmates finally get their new killing, she doesn’t care. For once, Kaede has something to think about besides Danganronpa.

***

Tomorrow morning their school is buzzing with excitement, as a new person gets killed in Danganronpa and a period they call the Deadly Life begins. Akamatsu is not shocked to learn how one’s life is nothing more than a plot point to her classmates; she’s got used to it over the last few years. The deceased doesn’t seem to be audience' favorite either, not unlike Rantaro Amami, so nobody acts sad or disappointed. They do however argue over who the blackened is, which is the main topic of any conversation Kaede decides not to join that day. Over the lunch, Akamatsu spots Maki sitting by the window, alone as usual. She is not eating, and Kaede is quick to assume she’s already done with her food, that is until Kaede realizes there isn’t a plate on her table. Out of curiosity and her constant efforts to make friends with people who have no friends, she drops on the seat at the opposite side of Harukawa. “Hey!” Kaede grins from ear to ear; Maki doesn’t. “Are you not hungry today, Harukawa-san?” she asks, sipping hot coffee from her mug. It tastes dirty, and Kaede takes a mental note not to try and be an adult with her choice of drink next time. “Why are you talking to me?” Maki closes her eyes, ignoring the first question entirely. She pauses until she shots Kaede a quick glance only to see she’s still here, destroying what’s left of her salad. Kaede only blinks at her, puzzled. “Why not?” She asks with a genuine confusion, making Maki wince at her talking with a mouth full. “I’d like to be friends with you! There’s no one else I can spend time with, all they talk about today is Danganronpa. Well, yesterday too, and the day before that-” “Cut it,” Maki snaps, not raising her voice. “If you were nice to me that one time, it doesn’t make us friends, nor do I want us to be, so leave me alone,” she declares and crosses her arms over her chest. She looks surprised when Kaede responds with a confident grin. “And what if I’ll be nice to you again?” “Wha-” Harukawa doesn’t get to finish, as Akamatsu leaves her mid-sentence only to return a few seconds later with an enormous plate of curry. All this time Maki watches her buying the meal with a confused expression, and Kaede is happy to see her reacting. “What is the meaning of this?” Harukawa questions after she manages to regain her composure. Kaede shrugs; the girl looks hungry, so she must be low on money and treating her to lunch is no big deal. When Harukawa hears that, she frowns even more, and with her face cast in shadow, she glares at Kaede, “I am not low on money, and if I were, I wouldn’t need your help anyway.” Kaede is silent, as she examines the girl’s clothes. Now that she thinks about it, Maki’s uniform looks a bit rough, with a few tiny patches of different color here and there. On top of that, with the way the girl’s mouth twitches painfully, Kaede knows she’s on the right track. “Look, it’s gonna get cold, so you’d better eat, and-” She gets cut by a loud sound of what could either be a whale dying or Maki’s stomach growling. Judging from an intense blush Harukawa receives in tone with her crimson eyes, it’s the latter. Kaede looks away feeling a sudden urge to sort things in her backpack and, more importantly, to hide a soft chuckle. They both pretend as if nothing happened, and when Akamatsu looks again, Maki is eating, her cheeks still burning furiously. Two minutes and an uttered “thanks” later they sit in silence, Maki examining Kaede in the same fashion the blonde girl did earlier. While they are at it, Akamatsu has a moment to reflect on herself. She appears to be drawn to Maki by a mysterious invisible force, maybe because of the said mystery surrounding the girl. Kaede can’t help wishing to know everything about her classmate; why is she so self-contained and why does she want to be alone all the time. When she has a question ready, however, Maki beats her to it. “Why are you doing this?” There’s not as much cold in her voice as an actual interest creeps into it. “If there’s something you need from me, spit it out. I can’t imagine anyone enjoying a company of someone like me.” Kaede takes her time pondering the answer with a stern expression, her eyes closed. Why, exactly? While her motives are still unclear even to herself, she knows for a fact that Maki is not as cold and distant as she wants to appear. “I don’t think you’re a bad person,” Kaede explains softly, and before Harukawa can object she adds, “Everyone needs a friend, and if some people avoid you, that’s all more reason for me not to.” Kaede half expects Maki to sneer at her, yet the girl doesn’t respond as if actually considering her offer. Harukawa plays with her hair, pouting quietly, and it takes all of Kaede’s patience not to break the silence. After what feels like half an hour but is less than a minute, Harukawa sighs. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,” Maki puts on a weak and uncharacteristically sad smile as she gets up and looks down at Kaede. “I need to go, Akamatsu. See you around, I guess,” she turns her head to the side and just as the day before she stops before going away. “I’ll think about it.” When Kaede realizes that by 'it' she means being friends, Maki’s already gone, and her only company is loud voices discussing an ongoing investigation. Despite everything Akamatsu grins, humming to herself, satisfied with today’s progress. She doesn’t know that that day Maki catches herself thinking about her, more than she could ever admit. Nor does she know that a girl with sharp blue eyes observed their conversation closely, taking notes and smiling knowingly.

***

Next time they meet, surprisingly, is not during the lunch, which Harukawa skipped to Kaede's disappointment, but after school. Said pianist has just finished a tedious math class and is ambling through the school grounds when she spots a familiar raven-haired girl sitting on a bench just outside the main entrance. Her eyes closed, Harukawa looks as though she's taking a nap, though Kaede knows her just enough at this point to say that can't be true. Akamatsu slows down to not startle the girl only to flinch herself when she calls her out. "Akamatsu," Maki sighs, and her voice lingers somewhere between relief and annoyance. Kaede didn't expect her to be happy, so she readily takes the response. "What do you want?" "How did you know it was me?" Maki doesn't give her an honor of opening her eyes, so Kaede has to wonder about the confidence Harukawa greets her with. It's at that time Maki finally glares at her with the same intense red eyes Kaede just can't get used to. She almost forgets to put on a smile. "Your footsteps," Harukawa tells with a tired expression of a parent explaining to a child what a footstep is. "They are quite distinct." "I... didn't know that" Kaede admits and adds expert hearing to a list of Maki's eccentricities. Harukawa raises her eyebrow slightly, and a moment later Akamatsu remembers she dodged her question. "Same as usual," she replies casually returning to her usual smiling self, "I want to spend some time with you, is all." "And what if I don't want to?" Harukawa asks calmly, and Kaede almost groans at how good she gets at predicting Maki's answers. She doesn't look exactly displeased though, like when others bother her with Danganronpa and her opinion on the best character. It almost seems as though Maki argues more out of habit than anything. "Don't you?" Kaede gives her a smug look and takes a seat beside the girl. Maki doesn't answer, staring at the brash pianist with an open mouth and not a word coming out. There's a barely visible flush on her cheeks, and Kaede tilts her head to the side with a grin. "Thought so!" "Don't get your hopes up," Maki huffs, looking away. "It's just that getting you off my back is more of a bother." Kaede lets herself relax a bit, stretching her hands and putting away her backpack. Their bench is just under the trees, so both girls are hidden from the sun blazing that day. A warm wind blows, and with a few tiny petals flying in the air, Kaede becomes conscious of a cherry tree blossoming right above them. She leans back and gazes at it in awe, suddenly aware that this is the beginning of her last year in middle school. "Will you go to another school next year?" She blurts without thinking and feels Maki shift uncomfortably. "I don't make such long-term plans. I may get hit by a car tomorrow, for all we know. Why?" "I see you're an optimist," Kaede chuckles, and Harukawa argues she's a realist. "Almost everyone switches schools at some point, getting into more prestigious ones, with competitive sports clubs and stuff. Do you go to any clubs?" "I don't care about schools and clubs," Maki pauses, and her stare pierces Kaede once again. "Though," she adds almost hesitantly, "I guess I do enjoy a game of volleyball at times. Sports teach you to always be on top, and that's what life is all about." Kaede nods as the girl speaks. Their school indeed has an ambitious volleyball club, and she remembers seeing Maki at PE classes giving the team a hard time. There's no way they don't recognize her potential, and there's no way Maki didn't refuse joining. "You don't look like a sports type of person," Maki frowns at her and Kaede quickly continues, "I mean, you're a lot stronger than you let on. Shame you don't use your talents, you could become the Ultimate Volleyball Star, you know." It's such a common thing to refer to a talented person as an Ultimate, that Kaede almost forgets Maki despises Danganronpa. To Kaede's astonishment, the girl only smiles wistfully. "I wish," she mutters, and her tone tells Kaede not to pursue this any further. "What about you?" "I don't have any talents," Akamatsu explains, "I like playing the piano, though I'm still a beginner. Can't say I have any other hobbies." "I see," Maki glances at her. "So we have nothing in common. Why do you still try to talk to me every time?" "It's not about sharing the same interests," Keede turns to her, eyes lighting up with passion. "It's hard to explain," she scratches the back of her head, "but I feel something strange when I'm around you. Strange as in... enjoyable but irrational. Like you're an old friend of mine from the previous life!" Maki, who followed her words keenly, now looks skeptical. "Or, um, maybe you're my soulmate," Kaede beams, her index finger raised. "Either way, I know I'll understand whatever is weighing your soul down. And I hope- I know you'll understand me, too!" When she says hope, she does notice a glimpse of it in Harukawa's eyes. With Danganronpa around, the word has almost lost its original meaning, and everyone understands it in their own way. What Kaede sees as hope is a clash between Harukawa's self-isolation and a reluctant desire to accept stranger's help. A tiny trail of sweat on her cheek serves as another evidence. "You're so stubborn, Akamatsu," Maki breaths out what feels like a compliment, and from that Kaede can guess her classmate prefers more of a passive role. "So full of yourself, assuming I won't refuse. What if I don't feel the same way as you do? What if," she goes on and on, and this is the longest sentence Kaede's got from her so far, "you're mistaken, and only my patience keeps me listening to your oh so inspiring speeches? Isn't that happening right now?" Kaede's lips turn into a straight line, as she accepts the challenge evident in Harukawa's maroon eyes. Maki would not possibly tolerate someone who genuinely annoys her. Therefore, this is another test to see if Kaede's true to her word. If she backs down now, when Maki's at her worst, it's all over. If she snaps back at the pessimistic girl, she'll prove all of their talks were a mistake. It all comes down to whether they actually can be friends or not. At least that's what Kaede thinks, while Harukawa observes her patiently, and Akamatsu does withstand her sharp words. She reaches inside herself to find any traces of anger and fatigue, yet sees no such things. Sensing a rush of confidence, Kaede shakes her head with conviction. "Sore wa chigau yo!" "Huh..?" "Today we didn't have any classes together, right?" Harukawa nods slowly. "And you skipped lunch, though I bet you're starving. Why, I wonder?" "There isn't any particular reason for that," Harukawa assures her, but she doesn't deny the rest of her claim. "No, that's wrong," Kaede repeats, as Maki's expression grows in confusion. "You still don't have any lunch money, and if we were to meet, I'd definitely buy you something. As you don't want to own me any favors, you had to skip." She watches Maki clench her teeth and lower her head, as she tries to hide a deep blush. What follows is a surprisingly calm glance she throws at Kaede. "Fascinating," Harukawa proclaims as her lips twitch in a tantalized smirk. "You sure love the main character act. I'll let you assume that what you said is true, however," her face draws if only an inch closer to Kaede's, "that only confirms the fact that I don't. Want. To see you," she finishes her rebuttal stressing every word. "And if you dare say that's wrong again, which I hope you do not unless you have a deathwish, better explain yourself." From Harukawa's speech she learns two things; one, Maki does watch Danganronpa and two, Kaede's been holding her breath the entire time. "I dare," her voice an octave lower, "and you do. Because every day after school you go straight home. No exceptions. I bet our classmates can attest to that," Kaede now whispers, "yet, here you are. Waiting for me." Maki's eyes grow wide as she burns with embarrassment, and for a moment Kaede thinks she'll slap her. Only now the pianist notices how they got so close, that their noses are almost touching. More surprising is the fact that Harukawa doesn't object. "Hmph," Maki scoffs and turns away, but Kaede manages to catch her smile and Maki's weak attempt to hide it. She reaches to wipe off a few of the petals caught up in the girl's hair; Harukawa shivers for a brief moment, yet says nothing. They sit in silence, Harukawa still looking in the opposite direction. Kaede smiles, her fingers moving subconsciously, tapping at the bench as if there were piano keys. She remembers a soothing melody and starts humming to herself. What she doesn't expect is Maki's head turning slightly to the side, the girl obviously listening. She keeps quiet, eyes half-closed until Kaede finishes. "I hope this is not what you meant by playing the piano," Maki comments, and before Kaede has a snarky remark, she gets on her feet. "My time is up, Akamatsu." There's a long pause when Harukawa watches her with an unreadable expression and Kaede wishes they could spend a little more time together. She stands up and now that they are this close Kaede realizes she's a tiny bit taller. That gets her smiling again, to Maki's fake annoyance. "Can anything make you sad?" she asks curiously, watching Kaede's wide grin. "A lot of things," Akamatsu pumps up her fists. "Like you skipping your lunch. Do tell me next time you want to eat, okay?" "No." "Thought so!" Kaede chuckles again, pulling Maki into a hug before the red-eyed girl could refuse. Akamatsu pretends to hold her tightly and affectionately, while Harukawa pretends she didn't notice a bunch of coins slipped into her pocket. Watching them, the girl in the shadows snickers. "...Upupupupu..."