Saihara's POV:

I could only stand in shock as Ouma tried his best to tell Kiibo what really happened, he had seemed to ve straining himself to force the words out.

Words using not even sign language but his own poorly used and fragile voice, and I couldn't help but he in awe of what small determination had been lit inside of him.

When I first met him I never expected this kind of strength from him, but maybe it had existed even back then. Like a small flame had grown into a roaring fire.

Kiibo could only look on petrified and I'm sure if his mechanical body could have allowed it he would have gone pale.

I couldn't help but empathize with hik though, we had been in the same boat with not having answers as to how our loved ones had died for years.

I hope he can take this nicely...or as best as he can...

"DICE..." Ouma mumbled to no one in particular when I realized his shaking frame had slown and his eyes glossed over as he fell back and slouched over in his chair.

"Ouma?!" I called out surprised, Kiibo quickly ran over to his side as if he had done this a thousand time and caught him as Ouma nearly fell off his chair, the leg restraints managed to pull him back.

"What's happened?" I asked, Kiibo then began undoing the restraints still holding the unconscious Ouma.

"Give me a hand? When Ouma gets really stressed this sometimes happens..." he explained.

"Stress?" I asked helping him and Kiibo nodded, "when Ouma pushes himself to much, or something really triggers him he ends up passing out sometimes if no one can get him to calm down..." he reflected somberly.

Guilt rushed over me as I quickly tried to apologize "I'm sorry...I should have stopped him then-"

"I'm glad...did you know...that was the first time I've heard his voice in years...unless you count crying or screaming in the middle of the night..." Kiibo said softly as he and I began picking up Ouma and placing him on the nearby bed, he seemed restless so I pressed my hand against his and he seemed to relax a little.

"I...I never even tried to believe I would ever hear his voice again...I don't think I've been this happy in years..." he said smiling widely.

"Happy?" I asked a bit shocked, he returned a sad smile, "happy and sad I guess...Otome...for years I believed she committed suicide...in a sense it was a relief? That she didn't want to kill herself?" He guessed his feelings must have been uncertain to him as well which I understood.

It was a mixed baggage.

"Otome and I...we met back in elementary school, before Ouma even came to our school...she was so shy back then...she wasn't well liked though, her family was very well off and ran a shrine in the area, and rumors circled around about her.

"I don't know where they started...but they called her a witch...they called her a witch because of the type of medicines she would make back then, she was more of a witch doctor actually...

"I didn't care as much back then and we would spend time together reading books, watching movies, and we tried making crafts one time but one thing led to another and I ended up ducktaped to a wall" Kiibo told me with a dry laugh.

I chuckled as well.

"You and Otome would have gotten along great I think. You two are alike in so many ways, book worms, shy...heh...she even gets flustered like you do...it's kind of funny you got her desk...out of all of them..." Kiibo told me.

I wasn't sure how to respond, "I wish I could have gotten to know her..." I told him, he nodded a little but his mind seemed far away.

"We...even when we fought...and even though we didn't have the same friend group...I thought we were close to one another...

"She confessed her feelings for me on the roof, we were about to head to high school at that time...I've never felt so nervous in my life...at the end we agreed to go on a date for that Saturday...

"I walked home after that, it was after school by that time. Some of us stayed behind because some of Ouma's friends were going to hold an end of the year party, but I didn't want to go because I had homework and a test the next day...

"After that was the fire...it was pure chaos, no one knew who went home or who was still at the school, teachers and staff were unorganized and had to call all the parents to see if their child made it home or who was on their way...

"It was maybe three hours till everyone realized DICE was missing...I remember my aunt came to our house begging to know if Ouma was here...my mom was the one who had to take care of her because she clearly couldn't take care of herself.

"When DICE were noted as missing...I didn't think of anything...I thought they were hanging out in some obscure part of town maybe, or had just left without telling anyone after the fire...

"I was so stupid. When I woke up the next day and my aunt was gone I assumed DICE just went home finally and he called her.

"I didn't think...when we arrived at the nearby elementary school for classes that day...that's when they told us who started the fire...that's when they told us how our substitute teacher had died...

"That's when I figured out Otome...committed suicide. Or I guess that was a horrible and cruel lie...

"I had to go home after that. It was the first and last time I ever ditched school.

"When I got home, my dad was waiting there for me...he knew...he knew but didn't stop me from going to school...that was the first time I ever yelled at him. Afterwards I begged him to install my crying feature.

"It ended up being completed a whole six months after Otome died. By then...any tears I wanted to shed, I didn't because...everyone needed to be strong...because if we didn't we would all start crying...

"I wish...I wish I could have cried back then...the feature is installed now but...I wish..." Kiibo stopped as he gripped his hand tightly.

"When DICE died they told us to forget. And I carried that momento with my everywhere...that was the only way I could function...

"Because it was ny fault Otome died. I must have done something, I must have hurt her in some way, I didn't do enough because if I had she wouldn't have died that day. She wouldn't have confessed her feelings only hours before she took her own life. It was my failt, I failed them all." Kiibo sobbed his hands over his eyes.

He...how long did he have to carry that burden? Of thinking he had contributed to the suicide of one of his friends? All of DICE?

Forget...what an awful thing to tell them...

"I told Ouma to forget because that's what I did. It worked for me so it should work for him, because as long as he wept, as long as he kept being the silent imposter of the once jovial and mischievous Ouma, as long as he continued to look at us with those blank emotionless eyes...I would never be able to forget her.

"I would never be able to stop retracing my memoties of her night after night wondering where everything went wrong!" Kiibo screamed.

"Kiibo..." I mumbled unsure how to comfort him-"thank you" he said suddenly out of nowhere.

My eyes widened.

"Thank you...and Ouma for telling me...what really happened...because now...I know she didn't die hating herself at the very least..." he said with a sad smile.

She probably didn't die hating you either...I looked down unsure of how to address the topic. The room falling into an almost serene peacefulness occasionally broken by Kiibo's occasional tears.

How do I...? I found myself looking at my bookbag and a silent lightbulb went off inside my head as I quickly digged around in the bag.

Forgive me for the intrusion...but he needs to know...

"Saihara? What are you doing?" Kiibo asked confused when I finally pulled the book out and showed it to him, before scanning the contents looking for some kind of entry.

"Dear Diary, or friend journal I guess, today I finally confessed my feelings to Kiibo, I was so shy about it. I think he was to, the experience was awkward in a good kind of way.

"I'm really glad he feels the same way, although I don't know why. He's such and kind and caring person compared to me. I'm so happy though, I even kissed him on the cheek. It wasn't cold like I expected it to be which was good because DICE told me if I kissed him we might have to recreate the pole scene in a Christmas Story.

"We agreed to have a date on Saturday. I might have to sneak out for that, can you guys give me some suggestions on where to go?

"Anyways party is today and I have to help prepare for that. Kiibo sadly isn't going D:

"Should be pretty fun though I can't wait. Welp gotta go, I'll write how the date went in here or the group chat :D

-Tsuki"

I closed off as Kiibo paused registering the words, "what...where did you get that?" He finally asked.

"It's a diary she had in her desk, she and the other girl members of DICE used it" I told him.

He looked down fiddling with his hands.

"Tsuki never stopped talking about you." Ouma said breaking the silence as we turned over in shock. He was wide awake.

"She was always talking you up among us and it used to get so annoying we would pay her to stop, but she really did...she really did care about you Kiibo.

"She never hated you. Never. So stop it...stop thinking she hated you...or Tsuki is gonna be really sad..." Ouma mumbled quietly.

Kiibo's tears returned as he nodded laughing pitifully, "she would...huh?" He asked.

"Thank...thank you...thank you so much Ouma....thank you Saihara...I think...I can let Otome rest in peace now..."

~-~-~

I waved goodbye to Kiibo as I began leaving the house when his eyes widened and he quickly ran up to me, quickly shoving two pieces of paper into my hand.

I looked at them curiously, "what is this?" I asked concerned, "letters...I don't know who left them, but one says it from Otome and the other some kind of organization...I was actually about to head to the meeting location but then I heard you and Ouma talking and decided to listen in..." Kiibo told me.

I looked over the letters.

Dear Kiibo,

I lie. I'm sorry, that's not a way to start these huh? To be honest I've been planning this for a while now.

And if your reading this...I couldn't stop myself. Forgive me. Life is horrible Kiibo, ever since I was born I wasn't wanted in this world.

Anyone who gets close to me is often hurt or just as damaged. You asked me why I joined DICE.

It's because I didn't have to pretend. I didn't have to pretend I was perfect. I didn't have to pretend that I was happy all the time. Because they made me happy.

They never called me a monster for my poisons. They never ignored me and even outstretched their hand towards me. Like you did once.

Only you betrayed me. Why else do you think I'm here? It must have meant we were no longer close. And if that's the case...if it was me who betrayed our friendship...

I'm sorry.

The truth is...I've always hated this world. I hated everything about it from the way everyone treated me and how no one ever seemed to be on my side.

The world would always bring me down and no matter how hard I kept going I would only get punished for my very will to live.

There's nothing for me here. I am just a waste of space for someone who is actually needed. Not a weed like me.

Honestly, I thought we were friends. But...you never got anything I tried to talk to you about.

Nothing.

So since your reading this you know what I did. You know that I'm probably burning in Hell.

But you probably will to.

So yeah. Your one of the reasons why Kiibo, hate to say it but it's true. You probably won't ever understand me.

Even now as my final testamony to you. So...for all it's worth...

This is the end.

I hated you for a long time. But...now thinking it really isn't hate that I feel now...

I love you.

Tsuki Otome

What the?! Is this some type of suicide note? Kiibo turned his eyes away from that one as I refolded it opening the second letter.

D

ear Kiibo,

Greetings. We are an allied force attempting to right a long forgotten wrong.

Trying to finally explain to the world the true reason why they jumped.

And we want you to come and say your story about you and the victim Tsuki Otome at the bridge.

The same one where they all jumped.

We believe we may have found evidence of them surviving the jump and want help in tracking them down.

Please meet us as soon as you read the suicide note.

An allied force...? Are there more who know about what really happened? No...it can't be because then they would have known Otome didn't commit suicide...

Finally my eyes widened as I reopened the diary "Kiibo...Otome didn't write that note" I told him, "what?" He asked, I showed him the diary.

"Look the handwriting is different, someone...someone lied to you with this note Kiibo, that wasn't written by her. And this organization...well if they really know the 'true' reason then they should know she never even jumped in the first place" I told him.

Kiibo's eyes widened, "someone...someone tried to lure you out...for what reason I don't know but...

"Kiibo...the substitute is still out there...and he might be trying to finish what he started..."