Saihara's POV:

I don't know what I was expecting from when I saw Akamatsu for the first time. I don't know what I would even do, cry? When I met Momota for the first time that's what I did. I couldn't help myself but cry, it was an uncontrollable action.

When I met Ouma for the real first time though...we argued, and I hurt him, so maybe this won't be a good meeting, maybe I'll mess up again, maybe I will do something wrong, I don't know what to do-

I took a deep breath as I opened the door.

She was already in there, her hair was also flattened like mine as I felt myself hold my breath as I walked into the room, when I saw her she smiled at me, and waved a little. I felt my heartbreaking.

Her hair was like mine and everyone else beforehand, unkept, and was cut into an uneven style, her hairpins were gone, I guess they didn't exist. Her eyes looked tired, even though she seemed to be putting a good effort at seeming happy or positive.

Her skin looked healthy at first, but then I saw the bandages that surrounded her neck, they were bloody the same with her nails they were also stained in the color, and I could see from her neck that it was covered in bruises from the small spots the bandages didn't cover-up.

"Hi Saihara" she greeted, her voice was raspy, it didn't matter to me though. I never thought I would hear that voice again months ago, I felt my tears brimming, "hello Akamatsu" I greeted. 

It was silent at first, thousands of conversations, of questions, passed through in my head, did I do it ok? Did I fulfill your wish? I'm so sorry I failed, will you forgive me? Do you know the truth about Amami? What happened? Do you hate me-

"How are you feeling?" Akamatsu asked I looked up, "I...I think I'm doing fine" I told her. She nodded to herself, "that's good, you should take care of yourself Saihara" she told me as if she was a doctor doing a required sentence and not an actual person.

"Akamatsu..." I mumbled, "yes?" she asked, "did...did I do it right...? I couldn't save anyone...they all died...I failed you...so...do you hate me for that? I couldn't save anyone, I couldn't even save you, I'm so sorry, I don't know if you could ever forgive me but-" I started but she silenced me quickly, "it's ok Saihara...it's ok...I know you tried, I know you tried to protect everyone...it's not your fault people died...it's Danganronpa's fault..." she told me.

It's not my fault...I felt tears as I looked at her, she closed her eyes as if she was about to go to sleep, "when I woke up I was so confused Saihara...I didn't understand anything that was going on...I was just by myself at that time...I woke up before Amami...and when I did wake up..." her voice stuttered as she opened her eyes, but she didn't look me in the eye instead her eyes were off as if she was ashamed of something.

"I tried to strangle myself," she told me, rubbing her bandages on her neck as if it was a nervous habit she had developed, "Akamatsu..." I tried, but she wasn't done "I was saved by a nurse who was checking on me...I couldn't control myself...I can't help it...sometimes I have hallucinations I'm on that piano again, I can still feel the stones being thrown at me, the piano playing in the distance...I still see you there Saihara...crying...I still see that no matter how many times I try to forget" she remarked somberly.

"I'm so sorry" I quickly said, "it's ok, it's not your fault that I ended up like this," she told me, "just like it's not your fault I died" she added, "but, but I didn't know it was Shirogane, hell even Shinguji suspected Shirogane but I shrugged it off, I could have discovered the real truth it was her that did it, but I didn't and because of that you DIED and the killing game went on! I could have saved you! I didn't save you! I didn't save anyone that entire game no matter what I did they just kept dying! Everyone kept getting betrayed! It didn't matter what I did, I couldn't help or save anyone!" I screamed.

"You saved someone Saihara," Akamatsu told me, her eyes dead serious, I looked at her confused, "you saved Yumeno and Harukawa from dying, you started something incredible in our game, you called out the world for everything it has done to us, you fought the world that demanded more and more death, who knows how many more killing games there would have been before someone stepped up, but you Saihara...you're saving hundreds of lives with your words about the games and what they are...the pain we went through...the sorrow...all the memories, how even though the people we are now might be fiction we still MATTER our lives matter just as much...you might have saved thousands of lives from giving themselves up to Danganronpa that day Saihara, you're a hero" she congratulated. 

"People still died..." I rebutted bitterly, "people still died..." she agreed, "but you tried, that's what matters, you tried, you reached out a hand Saihara...but we didn't take it" Akamatsu confessed sadly, "so please don't blame yourself for saving the others, you protected the many by having to take the burden of outting the blackened, of finding justice for Hoshi, Chabashira, Yonaga, and all the rest" Akamatsu assured.

I didn't know how to respond.

"You know...since the game I haven't been able to play the piano..." Akamatsu told me, my eyes widened, "I can't play a single note, my talent inside of the game was fake and the real me I discovered never learned how to play the piano, she was inspired by a friend who did and that's why she became the Ultimate Pianist..." she told me.

"But you know what..." she started, she smiled, "that means we can do those piano lessons together once we get out of here," she told me, I laughed a little, "we can can't we?" I joked. Akamatsu nodded.

"Thank you Saihara..." she told me, "for what?" I asked, "thank you for meeting me today...I was scared you wouldn't want to see me" she admitted, "Amami said no to seeing me, Shirogane was the same" she added.

"Why would you want to-" I started, Akamatsu just shrugged, "I need closure on what happened...I guess they don't feel the same" she guessed, she looked at me then with a wide smile, "but...I hope we can still be friends" she offered.

I nodded, smiling for the first time in a while, "yeah...we can be friends Akamatsu" I agreed.

We talked for the rest of the meeting of many things, none having to do with the game at all but the little guesses we had of our previous lives despite me not having even one complete memory of the person I used to be.

It was a lot of fun.

So why...why did my mind keep going back to Ouma?