✧ Chapter 44 ✧
[ All Nerve Impulses Have Died ]
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[ Shuichi's PoV ] 

Ouma was resting the side of his head against the glass, looking visibly tired. However, he kept drawing little tic-tac-toe boxes across the glass. He seemed to be in a world of his own... the way he seemed to be holding back his tears as his fingers trembled slightly. I hated to see him like this. 

I was really worried about him, since he had struggled to say my name when he greeted me earlier. It took him a few minutes to recall something as simple as that.

Time was running out. But there was nothing I could do to save him from the serum. I could only watch helplessly as the boy I loved faded away from me. What was he thinking? Was he scared? Or was he too far gone to even remember me?

"Hey Ouma-kun," I tapped on the glass with my finger, making him turn to me wearily. But I watched him make a small smile, "Yeah, Shuichi?"

...

Shuichi. He never called me Shuichi unless he wasn't thinking. It was almost always Saihara-chan. A nickname I had grown to treasure with each day I woke up. Even though we were modified humans, we still needed to eat, sleep.. and do everything a normal human needed to do. Except love, of course.

"How much do you remember? So far?" I added, as the purple eyed boy's gaze shifted away from me. His eyes fixed on the box he had drawn, the shape fading away as the glass cleared. "I remember how we first met," he smiled, but that was an obvious lie, judging by the way his eyes avoided my gaze. "Or our first kiss," he continued, "I'm definitely not going to forget that."

"What do you remember about me?" I asked him quietly. A sudden flicker of doubt crossed his faded lilac eyes as there was a pause. "Everything.." he said quietly, so softly that I couldn't hear him at first.

"I love the way you talk to people so confidently, after you took that silly hat off, Shuichi. Or when you always seem to know when I'm lying and when I'm not. Or your face, even.." he pressed a finger against the glass. "You have very pretty eyes, Saihara-chan."

I blushed at the compliment, feeling my face heat. Was he actually being honest? Or maybe the medications he was taking were making him slightly disoriented.

Kokichi smiled knowingly, as if reading my mind, "I'm not crazy, Saihara-chan," he playfully stuck out his tongue, "I can tell that you're thinking of me that way! So insulting.." he pouted, folding his arms and leaning against the glass once more.

"Ah- I'm sorry Ouma-kun.." I felt guilty for making him upset, but was also very relieved that he could remember me. But how long would this last?

I watched the shorter teenager pick at the chain around his neck, swinging the metal links around like a skipping rope. He was so cute...

Suddenly the purple haired boy winced, dropping the chain. He held his head with one hand, his face tight with pain. I pressed my palm against the glass, "Ouma? Ouma! Are you-."

"Shuichi.. stop!" he suddenly coughed, covering his mouth and fixing me with a terrified look. He wrapped his arm around his stomach, kneeling as he squeezed his eyes shut. I froze, as I watched him try to steady his rapid breathing. "I figured it out.." he muttered after awhile, still kneeling over, "You're causing it."

"I- What?" I asked, withdrawing my hand away from the glass as he removed his hand away from his mouth. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be in as much pain as he was earlier. He looked at me, his hands shaking.

"You.. were you thinking about me?" he asked, his expression dazed. "I-I figured something out. Just tell me if you were thinking about me."

I didn't know what was he getting at, but I managed to stammer, "I was just thinking about how cute you were, Ouma-kun."

I expected him to smirk and laugh at my words, but to my surprise, he turned paler. Still holding his head, and kneeling on the floor, I could hear him mutter quietly to himself. Probably cursing the doctors again, by the sounds of it.

Those people.. were strange. They were emotionless men and women, who seemed like robots rather than people. They worked like how a normal human would be, but they showed no feelings while they gave Ouma his dosages of medicine and checked up on us.

Strangely, the people with more life seemed to be the Monokubs, Makoto Naegi (who I had found to be a traitor himself, much to my horror), and a boy named Jataro. That boy seemed to be a very soft spoken kid, but I saw the way he held a syringe...

I have yet to meet the man behind all this. Izuru Kamukura. I was very certain he was behind the whole project, since every time I brought him up as a topic, the Monokubs refused to say a word.

But of course, Monokuma had blown Monophanie to a thousand pieces.. so I could understand why they didn't want to tell me anything.

"The serum.." I heard Ouma muffled voice come from the other side, "It links us, I think. If you say something affectionate.. it hurts me."

I stared at him, my mind drifting. How.. how could the doctors invent such a powerful thing? Empathy links? The word came to my mind as I processed Ouma's words. "Alright," I looked at him straight in his pain-filled eyes, "I don't want to hurt you.. I won't say anything.."

I was being paranoid, sure. But this paranoia was going to keep Ouma alive. Right? I saw Ouma sigh and lie on the floor, staring at the ceiling. "..."

Did that mean I couldn't whisper those three words I say to him every morning, and every night?

I leaned back against the glass, feeling the coldness through the cloth of my hospital gown. Still thinking about Ouma, I fell into an uneasy sleep. Would he remember me the next day?

If he doesn't..

What would I do?

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"Saihara.."

"Saihara-channn! Wake UP!"

Someone pulled at my hair, making me gasp and lean back in my chair. Kokichi was standing beside me, looking playful. "Seriously, what took you so long.. have you been overworking again?"

Ouma looked younger, his purple hair tied back in a ponytail and he was wearing a pale grey hoodie under a white shirt. With black jeans and checkered shoes, he looked too casual in this setting.

I sighed tiredly, looking at the pile of papers I had been sorting through. "No.." I've been really tired after so much work.

Kokichi raised an eyebrow, "If you say so. But if you keep falling asleep at your desk, you should probably head to bed. I don't want my sweet Shuichi to tire himself out after all!" he smirked.

Feeling embarrassed, I retorted, "For the last time Ouma, we're not dating. I told you I hate the fact that I fall in love way too easily.."

As he listened, he took hold of the rim of my hat and pushed it aside so I could see him clearly. I swatted his hand away, but gently of course. Ouma chuckled before continuing.

"Which gives me more reason for me to love you, duh!" He waved a hand, picking at the hem of his shirt, "If you fall in love with anyone, it should be me, rightttt?"

I rolled my eyes, hoping he was half joking. "Yeahhh, no. I told you that I don't like you, Kokichi, remember? We pretty much established that on the first day here."

"Hmph," he pouted, puffing his cheeks out like a child, "Looks like I have to keep trying then. Now, are you gunna follow me and grab some food, or are you going to keep working?"

I glanced at my work once more, and at Ouma's outstretched hand. I shifted my gaze to look at his purple eyes, looking hopefully back at me. I wanted to continue with my work.. however, at the same time, I felt like hanging out with the guy.

I took his hand, letting the Ouma grin and pull me out of my chair. "C'mon Saihara-chan! I'll race you to the cafeteria! After all, you don't wanna be alone in this boring Hospital, do you?"

"..."

I stopped, suddenly pulling my hand back and away from him. Ouma stopped in his tracks as well, spinning around. "Hey! What happened?" he asked.

"This isn't real, is it?" I asked Kokichi, who blinked, confusion in his eyes. A twist in my stomach made me nearly feel sick, but I had to face reality. The Hospital was messing with me once more.

"What? Of course it's real. What are you talking about?" he tilted his head, placing a finger on his chin. "Are you running a fever? Jeez, maybe you're overworking again.."

I stepped backwards, only now noticing the room I was in. It was a empty white space, with wires hanging from the ceiling and my desk being the only object in the room.

I closed my eyes, ignoring Kokichi who was standing in front of me. "You're just a dream, Ouma. When I wake up, you'll be gone, won't you?"

Silence..

—

And a voice spoke up from around me.

"How do you like that scenario, Shuichi Saihara?" the voice resonated around the room, making me open my eyes slightly. Darkness now replaced the blinding white light I had been standing in. Ouma was gone, and instead, it was replaced by a water filled glass chamber with a man standing in front of it. Both the man and the object were quite a distance away from where I was standing.

The red glow from the lights around us made everything look rather sinister and slightly terrifying, but I chose not to acknowledge that fear. Instead, I looked right at Izuru once more.

"Why do you keep appearing in my nightmares?"

The long haired man regarded me with his emotionless red irises, not saying a word as I grew restless. I needed answers. I wanted answers.

"You'll find out eventually, Saihara." he finally spoke, "But now.. you need to wake up once more, and face your future." The roomed darkened, as I suddenly felt breathless and slightly claustrophobic. What was he trying to tell me?

"Face reality."

♥ End of Chapter Forty-Four ♥