A/N : Hey there, so school has been absolutely frantic lately, I'm having major tests every other day in all of my subjects.. I've had way too much homework for any human being to put up with and home life is almost intolerable at the moment.. but I know that's not an excuse! So, yeah, here's the chapter! Just give me a little slack okay, tuesday is chapter day but the chapters could come out at any time on the day. *smiles*

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Monomi pouted anxiously, rubbing her paws together. She had obviously said something that she didn't want Kokichi to know.

"Forget you heard anything! Just.. get someone to make sure that Shuichi is okay!"

Thats_Crushing did this and I just love the main panel (the one in yellow) as Kokichi has a normal 'meh' face whereas Monomi is the complete opposite, it's just so amazing to me! Sooooooo, please go follow them and comment!

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"NO." He snapped loudly, the burst of anger clearly unintentional. "Just give me the answers!~" Kokichi tried to laugh at the end of the sentence, not comfortable with showing this amount of anger.

"Calm down Kokichi! I'll explain it later but right now, you need to help Shuichi!" Monomi instructed happily, yet slightly forcefully, pointing towards the detective.

The smaller boy opened his mouth to protest but remembered how terrified he was when he thought that Shuichi had actually died. He could never live through that again.

He felt Shuichi's faint but steady heartbeat again, exhaling another sigh of relief. It was definitely due to Monomi breaking his fall that he survived in the first place.. she almost acted as an air bag, so he didn't break his neck as he landed.

Kokichi looked up, a smile of fake confidence gracing his lips as he saw Maki running back to him, Monokuma slowly waddling afterwards.

"Nishishi~"

The assassin stared him down, her eyes gleaming with frustration, "What are you so cheerful about?! Shuichi is dead, shouldn't you be more upset? I thought you cared about him, loved him even." Her eyes twitched as she clenched her hands into fists, "Or was that one of your lies?!"

That hurt. Kokichi couldn't deny that those words hurt, but he couldn't show it. He knew that he had to be strong for both himself and Shuichi now. "Shuichi's alive, if you even bothered to check!~"

Maki's eyes widened but as she tried to speak, Monokuma suddenly reached them, muttering something under his breath in a low growl. "Phuhuhu! Didn't you kids hear the announcement? He's dead! Now, start your investigation before you run outta time!"

The liar's fake smirk widened, pointing back at Shuichi's body. "He's breathing, and I thought you'd checked Monokuma, you're slipping~"

The black and white bear growled in anger, bearing his claws at the smaller, purple haired boy. "He's dead, didn't you hear the announcement?!"

Kokichi was starting to get agitated. Something about Monokuma, except for the usual oddness of him being a talking bear and all, wasn't sitting right with him about how he was saying it.

He wasn't a detective.. he wasn't Shuichi.. he didn't have his talent.. but he had his own. And a part of that was that he could detect lies from anyone.

And that included Monokuma. He was so desperate to confirm Shuichi as dead when he wasn't, he knew that something was out of place. "He's breathing, that's like, supeeerrrrr obvious, why'd you want to try and lie?~"

"Don't test me! Phuhuhu! You won't like me when I'm angry!" Monokuma waddled forward, waving his paws around dramatically.

Kokichi smirked widely, not remembering that Shuichi was still dying. "I don't like you even when you're not angry~"

Maki elbowed him sharply before taking over the conversation with Monokuma herself. "Listen here, nothing is happening with you two idiots arguing back and forth. Face it Monokuma, Shuichi is alive and there will be no trial."

Monokuma narrowed his button eyes with a scowl, opting to say silent this time. Kokichi was watching the assassin take over but he couldn't help but feel like he was letting Shuichi down.. especially because Shuichi had managed to save him before. "I-If you don't do something, he'll actually die, everyone will vote it as a suicide and the trial will be boring!~"

Maki was completely speechless but she didn't let it be shown on her face. Those words.. she knew that they weren't the exact same words, but they were freakishly similar to the exact words that Shuichi had said before, when he was persuading Monokuma to save Kokichi.

"Nope, sorry I'm afraid. I'm not falling for that one again!" Monokuma bared his teeth into some sort of crooked smile.

Maki stepped forward, staring Monokuma down once again. "This goes against the school rules directly. Rule number two, 'When a murder is committed in the academy, a class trial will be conducted. Participation in this trial is mandatory for all surviving students'."

The black and white bear tilted his head to the side with an expression half of anger, half of confusion. "Are you questioning the headmaster of this school about the very school rules themselves?! Phuhuhu! Watch what you're saying young lady! I know these rules like the back of my paw!"

The assassin crossed her arms, knowing that acting violently would achieve absolutely nothing. "Shuichi wasn't murdered as he isn't dead, and therefore he is still a surviving student, and will therefore have to attend his own class trial. And because it seemed to be a suicid-"

Kokichi cut her off, realising where she was going with this. "There shouldn't be a trial~ Unless he really was murdered! That explains why you want him to die so much! Oh, oh, oh! Because I bet you're covering it up for someone! Aww~ I thought you were meant to be impartial!"

He skipped forward past Maki and spoke down to Monokuma in a patronising fashion. "So, because you aren't allowed to get involved in the murders, you have to save him! You have no choice!~ Please, correct me if I'm wrong!"

Only another low growl escaped out of the bears mouth, unable to make anymore excuses for himself. Kokichi didn't back away, instead he kept walking towards him, closer and closer until he looking down at him directly. "Unless you've got something to tell us Monokuma?~"

This obviously struck a nerve within the bear as he swiftly skipped over to Shuichi's body and reached over to check his pulse. The smaller boy observed him closely, with an angry expression on his face.

Just seeing the black and white bear anywhere near to his detective.. he hated it. He wanted to be the only one to help him, yet he was helpless.

Kokichi wanted to scream as loud as he could, not caring who heard him.. but instead.. only a pathetic plead came out of his mouth. "W-Where are you taking him?!"

"Grrrr.. just, you kids follow me!"

~

The bear lead them to a secret room which they had never seen before. It was beneath the gymnasium and could only be opened using a unique code which the bear had typed in far too quickly for Kokichi or Maki to remember.

The assassin was holding Shuichi bridal style, much to Kokichi's own jealousy. As much as he wished that he was the one carrying him, he knew deep down that he couldn't carry him because he was too weak.

But that didn't stop him from staring intensely at Maki, a furrowed frown on his face.

Monokuma then opened another door and turned a swift corner, muttering inaudible nonsense under his breath as he waddled in; Kokichi and Maki following him. The assassin used her common sense and began to lay down Shuichi's body onto the hospital bed and hook him up to the appropriate equipment.

But Kokichi on the other hand, he was staring in disbelief at the state of the room. It wasn't the messiest place on Earth, it had a small wooden shelf on one wall with a small pot of wilting flowers.. but it still wasn't enough for Shuichi..

It wasn't good enough for his detective.

He deserved to be treated like a prince.. not like this.. He deserved so much more than this..

Kokichi knew that he had to be strong, sure, he could lie about being strong, he could fake a smile and strap on his mask, but really.. honestly, he didn't have enough will power.

Shuichi was his rock.

The liar shook his head from side to side, strengthening his resolve. He couldn't be selfish now, there wasn't a point in dwelling in self pity.

He was the Ultimate Supreme Leader for gods sake and he was going to be the strongest person he could be. He knew that he couldn't crumble now.. not when him and Shuichi had come so far together.

oofmyroof is the artist behind this amazing handrawn piece of artwork. Why does every artist always do Kokichi's facial expressions so goddamn well! I never get tired of seeing all his expressions and this one is the perfect sad Kokichi! Go follow them and comment what you think!

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He was never going to crumble or feel this helpless ever again.

No matter what he had to do, no matter what lies he had to tell or who he had to betray, he was going to find out the truth of why Shuichi had really fell.. and what had driven him to it.