The fire destroyed our whole school so we ended up going to the old elementary school for classes.

I walked into the classroom to see empty desks and everyone in the corner talking excidetly around Kiibo.

I tried to hide my mood by talking to them, "hey what's going on?" I asked and Kiibo had a big grin on his face "I confessed to Otome at lunch yesteday! They accepted I'm so happy! I'm supposed to pick them up on Saturday we are going to the movies"

No...oh my god please don't make me be the one to tell him...not now...

Amami gave Kiibo a thumbs up "nice one Kiibo, didn't expect Otome but yeah wish you the best of luck" Kiibo nodded but looked down "but...they promised to text me later but...she never did, I even called her twice to see if she was in trouble or if I did something wrong but I got nothing"

Oh no...

"Kiibo I need to tell you something-" I started but the sound of footsteps cut me off as I noticed the headmaster walking in.

"Class take your seats I have some devastating news" they said in a cold voice as we all took our seats

"So as you all must be aware of yesterday the school was burnt to the ground" the headmaster said somberly "this however was no accident" they said.

"It is now known the culprits behind this event to be DICE or as you may know them to be the classmates who have not joined you today" everyone stared at him in shock as the headmaster continued.

"The intention was clear, they all planned to destroy the place that made them so unhappy and did a group suicide afterwards" they shook their head to the ground as if devastated.

Kiibo froze and I noticed covered their mouth before running out of the room. Poor Kiibo...he doesn't even know the actual truth though...he thinks she chose to die on him...

"It breaks my heart even more to say only one survived the attempt" the headmaster said somberly "Kokichi Ouma, and as I am informed he will more than likely die from the injuries he sustained and not return for graduation" I heard silence fill the room and Maki looked at me confused.

"Now let's choose to remember the ones who have left to the beyond at graduation but no live by the treacherous examples they left of hurting others and choosing to die fo escape the consequences" they spoke coldly.

"Your substitute however also died at the scene of trying to stop the group like a hero but died before he could" the headmaster shook his head "because of this news no classes today return home safely...and forget this ever happened"

-/-/-

"What was he talking about? It wasn't a suicide but a group murder attempt" Maki recounted- we were outside the city limits.

I nodded "someone's keeping the truth hushed up Maki Roll...even the police I bet are involved...even the hospital...they are all believing the lie...only a few like you and me know the truth...not even the parents know" I shook my head.

Maki looked down "let me guess there's a price if we tell the truth?" I nodded "our loved ones will get hurt...I don't know what to do Maki Roll" I told her and she sighed.

"Bide our time for now...wasn't Jin's father a detective? He can come...we can get him...and once Ouma wakes up he can tell everyone the truth...they can't use anyone but his Mom against him...because everyone else is dead" I looked down.

"Yeah...until then...we should play pretend...pretend till it's safe to tell the truth...safe when we can investigate..." Maki Roll stated, I didn't respond.

Is hiding really the only way?

-/-/-

I sat beside Ouma's bed. It's been three months since it happened. Three months since they died. Three months believing a false truth.

Jin's father had indeed come especially when it was clear Jin's mother or sensei couldn't function anymore.

I just stared at the teen still covered in casts ans bandages as an IV was in there arm along with the beeps reassuringly stating he was alive.

The doctors said he was out of the worst. He had survived multiple operations to replace the organs that were damaged, blood transfusions, and the test of time itself.

The doctor once said when we were alone that it looked like as if he was played with like a doll- toyed with and stabbed in areas where it wouldn't immediately kill him, but it would hurt. A lot.

They said he was poisoned and some liquids got into his eyes and that now he was blind because of the irreversible damage.

His leg had nearly fallen off- they barely managed to save it. They said if he got better perhaps he could learn how to walk again but for now it was clear his leg would never move again.

They sometimes told me...if it had been even five minutes later...he would have died. Then there really wouldn't have been any hope of the truth coming out left.

Now all we could do was wait. For him to finally wake up. Please...please wake up...

-/-/-

"HI MOMOTA!" Akamatsu called, we were in third grade and we were hanging out in our little group as ten others sat by themselves.

I grinned "Hi Akamatsu" she smiled as she brought out some candy, I still couldn't help looking at the ten loners.

"Should we talk to them?" I asked. Amami shook his head "nah we already have a big group" he said.

I continued looking at them "but those guys are all alone..." I mentioned and Harukawa shrugged.

"Maybe they just want to stay like that, Chabashira's group might take some in who knows" Harukawa stated.

-/-/-

Yet that never happened. We had known them since pre school and some of us since daycare but we never would talk to them. We never would play with them. We never would really acknowledge them.

But that all changed when Ouma came to school. He took these ten loners and made a group. He made them laugh and smile in ways I should have done...

And even when we could see they weren't loners...we still never talked to them. They then became just trouble makers. Kids you don't want to mess with.

Later they became the delinquents and we would never do anything but fight or ignore them.

I always wondered...if I had talked to them back then...if I had gone with what my gut was telling me.. how different would things be?

Now I'll never know.

But God please...if you let Ouma wake up...I promise this time wull be different...I won't make the same mistake I made with them...this time I will look after them...so please...Ouma...wake up.

My heart stopped as a pair of eyes opened.