That monday went by slower than the entirety of the past week. Every free second Rantaro had was a failed attempt at trying to talk to Kokichi for one reason or another. It was nearing winter break, so the days had started to become more hectic. Combined with his concerned (and nosy) classmates constantly interrogating the supreme leader, there wasn't a rat's chance in hell Rantaro would get a chance to talk with Kokichi alone.

Not during the school day, at least. After school? Maybe he stood a chance. Of course, he'd still probably be around someone for a bit, (If Rantaro had to guess, it'd probably be Kiibo and Miu- those two had been with Kokichi the most. Seeing how much they cared for their friend made Rantaro smile.) but Rantaro was willing to hold through for a couple more minutes.

During those few minutes, he was approached by Ryoma, asking for his help in grabbing something out of his reach. Rantaro (obviously) complied, turning his attention away from Kokichi for a few seconds in order to help Ryoma.

The moment he looked away from Kokichi, however, was the moment his plans of catching him alone came crashing down. When he finished and turned his attention back towards where Kokichi was- the boy was no longer there. How convenient.

Rantarou looked around the room, a poker face hiding his anxiousness from the others still in the classroom. Kokichi had definitely left. But when? He hadn't even looked away for a minute.

A part of Rantaro wanted to give up already- perhaps he could talk to Kokichi tomorrow. But he only looked away for a minute- he couldn't have been that far, right? Rantaro was confident he could find Kokichi- he didn't get his title as Ultimate Adventurer for nothing.

Rantaro left the classroom with haste and determination, making his way through the hallway. The fastest route from here to the exit was past the nurse's office- if Kokichi took any other way he'd still be in the school and Rantaro could simply wait at the front for him.

He wasn't sure why he was thinking so hard about it. He wasn't sure why he was walking so fast to the point where he was almost jogging. Before he had time to ponder more about the subject, his feet had guided him to the nurse's office. He opened the door in a swift motion, sticking his head in. "Hey, has Ouma-kun stopped here?" He asked.

Mikan, who had squealed from the sudden entrance and accidentally dropped some bandages (to which Rantaro quickly apologized for), shook her head. "N-no, he dropped his n-note off in the morning!" She sniffled, kneeling to the ground. "I saw him pass by j-just now, though. I-I'm sorry!" She wailed as she picked up the bandages and stood back up."

"Thank you, Tsumiki-senpai!" He lets go of the door and allows it to close behind him, bursting out of the school. The chill that greeted him was refreshing, but his mind was on other things at the moment.

There were a few students scattered around the school grounds. Near the gates, Rantaro caught a glimpse of purple hair and a checkered scarf. He exhaled in relief, before inhaling sharply.

"Ouma-kun!" He yells. A few other students look in his direction- but only one actually stops in their tracks.

The boy turns his head at a tantalizing pace, the corners of his lips etching upwards into a smile. "Oh, hey, Amami-chan~!" Kokichi greets in a sing song voice. "Took you long enough,"

It's been a while since Kokichi's called him by his last name. Rantaro hesitates for a moment, taken aback slightly. "My bad," He scratches the back of his neck in a sheepish manner, approaching Kokichi with an unwavering stride. "I was waiting for a chance to speak with you alone." Despite his physical appearance coming off as collected, Rantaro felt as if he was going to explode at any moment. All this trouble and he didn't even know what he wanted to say to Kokichi. (Well, he did know what he wanted to say- he just didn't know how to say it and what order to say it in.)

Thankfully, Kokichi decided to give him a helping hand. "Alone?" He asked, fully turning around to face Rantaro. "Oooh, is this a confession?! Are you going to tell me something super personal?! Is this the climax of this story arc?!" He exclaimed, his eyes glinting excitedly.

Rantaro would be lying if he said he didn't blush slightly at the mention of a confession. "Sort of?" He set his bag down on the ground, kneeling down and rummaging through the contents. "It's not necessarily personal, I mean- I don't mind if others know about it..." He pulled out an envelope similar to the one Kokichi gave him a week ago. "I just wasn't sure if you wanted the others knowing that you stayed at my house for a bit." He stood back up, holding out the envelope for Kokichi to take.

"Wow, so you did keep quiet about it... No wonder Iruma didn't bug me about it," He hummed, taking the envelope and waving it between his forefinger and middle finger. "But more importantly, what's this?" He slid his other pointer finger across the edge, eyeing the D.I.C.E. stickers scattered across the surface before sinking his nail into the paper and tearing it open along the edge.

"It's a little something my sisters made." Rantaro asked, watching as Kokichi pulled the contents out. It was a letter, with a nice little colored family drawing that included him, and a few words written with expert penmanship from each person. He read the letter with an unreadable poker face.

I hope you feel better soon. I can't wait for you to come back over sometime. It was nice meeting you and getting to spend time with you.
- Best Wishes, Seiyama Itsuki

It's so boring without you here :( Kidding! This huge family never gets boring. But really, you're a very fun person. Add me on snap so I can send you more baby pics.
- Your future sis in law, Amami Hikari

Come back! D: We miss you so much! It was so fun to play dress up with you and watch The Little Mermaid! You're such a pretty singer, just like a prince! Visit us soon Kokichi-chan! Or else!
- D.I.C.E. Commanders, Airi and Eri

I only had a few conversations with you, but I can tell you're a very interesting person to be around. I'm really glad Rantaro found someone like you. Be sure to make him smile a lot. Get well soon.
- Sincerely, Fuyumisa

I'm a bit sad to see you go so suddenly, but you probably have your reasons. I really enjoyed spending the weekend with you. Maybe we could hang out again sometime?
- Amami Rantaro

Rantaro watched intently as Kokichi read the letter, searching for any telltale sign of how he felt.

Kokichi's grip on the paper tightened slightly. "You guys made this for me?" He asked. His voice sounded more quiet, more gentle than it normally did.

"Yeah," Rantaro nodded. "It was Airi and Eri's idea, Hikari made the drawing, and although we all said our own things it was Itsuki who wrote the messages. Her handwriting's the neatest. Oh, and I'm the messenger, I guess. As for Fuyumisa... She bought the supplies?" The last part came out more as a question than he had intended.

Kokichi said nothing, rereading the letter. The corners of his lips etched upwards into a smile. "And here I felt as if I didn't belong." He mumbled.

"Huh?" Rantaro tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"I've seen the way you guys interact with each other." Kokichi continued. "It seemed so natural and genuine- I felt like an odd one out."

Rantaro blinked. All was silent for a few minutes- until a small chuckle left his lips. "You really thought that?" He asked. "I thought the exact opposite."

"You did?" Kokichi asked.

"Yeah. I thought you fit in perfectly. Everyone loves you- I mean, all they could talk about this past week was you." He pointed at Kokichi with a smile on his face. "Those words in that letter are genuine. My sisters and Fuyumisa aren't the type of people to lie about that kind of stuff."

Kokichi sighed, running his thumb over the letter. "So that's how you really feel?" He asked.

The weight of Kokichi's earlier words sank in. The sudden realization prompted Rantaro to move, and before he knew it, he had wrapped his arms around Kokichi in a firm embrace. "Yeah," He answered, burying his nose into the crown of Kokichi's head. "I mean, you already know we're not all fully related. We're all different- there's no reason for you to not fit in."

Rantaro felt Kokichi tense up slightly, before pressing his face into his chest. His small hand gripped the sides of his blazer tightly. "Thank you," He mumbled.

A pleasant shiver ran down Rantaro's spine. He inhaled softly, taking in Kokichi's scent. "There's no need to thank me." He whispered, gingerly nuzzling his face into his hair.

The two stayed like that for a minute or so, both enjoying the other's warmth after so long without it. (Okay, it was only a week; So what if he was being a little over-dramatic about it?) Reluctantly, Rantaro pulled away. He watched the content look on Kokichi's face morph into one of confusion, and he felt his heart sink ever so slightly. "There's something else I have to say, too."

"I'm listening." Kokichi hummed, fluttering his eyelashes.

Sometime during their time outside, a light snow started to fall down around the two. The sunlight struck the snowflakes at just the right angle, casting a gentle glow upon their complexions. It was a picturesque scene straight from a work of fiction- a little snowflake falling on Kokichi's nose making Rantaro's face heat up just enough to make him forget about the newfound chill of the whispering winds floating around them.

Rantaro's heart was frozen in his chest- alongside the breath that was stuck in his throat and the words that had been caught on the tip of his tongue. The only indicator that time was moving was the falling snow starting to accumulate on the ground and the branches of the bare trees all around them.

He wanted this moment to last. He knew it wouldn't, yet he had never wished for something so badly in his life. He gulped for whatever reason, and before he knew it, Rantaro was outstretching his arm towards Kokichi. He tenderly placed his palm on the boy's cheek, running his thumb over the smooth, cold skin. "Would you like to come with me?" He asked, exhaling shakily.

Kokichi placed his hand, which was equally as cold as his face, atop of the hand on his cheek. He leaned into Rantaro's touch- the innocuous motion sweet enough to melt his heart. "Depends," He hummed, closing his eyes. "Where?"

"Ah," He was so nervous he forgot to elaborate. If Rantaro wasn't blushing earlier, he most definitely was now. "I was planning on going back to the Caribbean over the winter break..." His voice trailed off as he averted his gaze. "To look for Haruka."

"Sure!" Kokichi chirped.

"You don't have to if you don't-" Rantaro paused. "Huh?" He turned his gaze back to Kokichi. "Sure?"

"Sure!" Kokichi chirped. Again. "I'll help you look for Haruka."

"You-" His heart was pounding in his chest. "You actually believe she's out there?"

Kokichi nodded. "Yeah. You seemed like you didn't wanna get too into it so I changed the subject. But since you really wanna know my opinion, then yeah, I think she's out there." He answered. "Somewhere. She's probably looking for you too. Don't wanna keep her waiting, now, do we?"

Aside from his family (Fuyumisa included), Kokichi had been the first person to believe that Haruka was still alive and out there. Even after all the years had passed. A huge smile broke out onto his face. "Yeah," He brought his other hand to his face, rubbing his eye before tears could pour out of it. "But are you sure you want to come with me all the way to the Caribbean?" He asked. "Would your family even be okay with that?"

Kokichi shrugged. "I'll make it work. I've always wanted to visit another country. Maybe I'll recruit some more members from my secret organization..." He hummed.

"Sounds like a plan," Rantaro nodded, resting his hand on Kokichi's shoulder. "I look forward to it."

"Me too~!" Kokichi winked, slipping out of Rantaro's hold. Rantaro gave him a confused look. The hand that was on his cheek was now lingering awkwardly in the air. "The sun's starting to set, I've gotta get going." At the mention of the sun, Rantaro lifted his head up. Surely enough, the sky was filled with orange and pink as the sun started to dip out of sight.

"Alright," Rantaro lowered his head back down, his green eyes meeting Kokichi's purple ones. "See you tomorrow?" Realizing his hand was still in the air, he used it to wave slightly.

Kokichi snapped his fingers, pointing a finger gun at Rantaro and sticking his tongue out. "You know it!"

Rantaro had expected him to turn around and start walking away, but instead he watched as Kokichi stood there. "Is something wrong?" He prompted.

Kokichi shook his head, the playful smile from a few seconds ago gone without a trace. In it's place was a less discernible expression that Rantaro couldn't quite make out. He looked as if he were contemplating something. "No," His voice had gotten softer again, and Rantaro knew he was going to say something genuine. "It's just..." He hummed in thought, bringing a finger to his chin.

Rantaro wasn't quite sure what he was thinking about when it happened. After what felt like forever, Kokichi finally finished his thought from earlier. He raised his hands up and grabbed the collar of Rantaro's blazer, pulling him down to his height. The shorter of the two rose to his tippy toes, meeting the other halfway and bringing their lips together in a sweet kiss.

A shiver shot through Rantaro's spine. His breath hitched in his throat. The pounding of his heart in his chest intensified, roaring loudly in his ears. Rantaro allowed his eyes to flutter closed, his hands trailing down either side of Kokichi's waist.

He had forgotten how much he missed this feeling over the past week. Now, a calming warmth was coursing through every inch of his body, and there wasn't anywhere in the world he'd rather be then right here.

Those were some of the best few seconds of his life. A faint whine left his lips when Kokichi pulled away. "Thank you," Kokichi mumbled. "For everything."

"It's," Rantaro took a moment to collect his thoughts- still a little dazed from what transpired just a few seconds ago. He could still feel Kokichi's lips against his- a lingering feeling that he wished would last longer than it did. "There's no need to thank me."

Kokichi winked, the corners of his lips etching into a mischievous smile. "Bye bye, Rantaro-chan!" He sang. With that, he turned on his heel and walked off.

Rantaro was frozen in place. There was so much more he wanted to say, so much more he wanted to do, yet he found himself frozen in that moment- the only thing he was able to do was watch as Kokichi walked away. His heart was racing in his chest, his head was reeling with so many thoughts, and here he was, doing absolutely nothing.

Right as Rantaro was about to take another step forward, he heard a voice. "Thank you, Kokichi." Rantaro froze. That was him speaking. Yet, it wasn't. "I'm not gonna ask why you had to leave so suddenly, I assume that you have your reasons." He smiled, instantly realizing what that sound was. "Even if I did, you'd probably find some sneaky way to avoid it. Let me know if you need anything. I'll see you in a week."

Rantaro shook his head, a small chuckle escaping his lips as he watched Kokichi, who had stopped for a moment. He waved around the phone that was now in his hand.

So it was a voicemail. He should've known.

~2.8k Words

(Extra Long) Author's Note: Sorry this chapter came out kind of late. But hey, extra long chapter! Double the length of the average! Today was rather eventful- I had two surprises! One not-so-pleasant surprise in the morning when I found out five minutes before it began that my history final was today! It was actually pretty easy but I was so scared when I found out;; Another more pleasant surprise was that a book I had pre-ordered a month ago and forgot all about came in the mail today! Woohoo!

On top of normal stuff, today (5/4/21 to any future readers reading this) is the day I finally finished In Gentle Tones of Warmest White. The first multi-chapter fic I've finished. I've had so much fun working on this story- from creating cute scenes to reading the sweetest comments, I cannot thank everyone here enough. So, Thank you so much for reading this story through till the end. An even bigger thank you to all of those who commented. I want you to know that all of your words and thoughts hold a special place in my heart. They're what kept me motivated to see this story through to the end. I appreciate you guys so much- it's making this fic ending all the more sad knowing that I might not see some of your comments again. It's making me tear up :'( I'm going to start writing fics for my favorite ship, Saimatsu, and I know some of you guys don't ship that, which is totally valid! Your comments have moved me so much that maybe I'll write another Oumami work sometime, like a sequel, or something entirely different, perhaps. If I do, I look forward to all the comments I'll get. Maybe I'll see some of you guys in the comments section there! :D

From the bottom of my heart with the utmost sincerity, thank you so much for reading In Gentle Tones of Warmest White! I've attached a link to Glow by Eric Whitacre, the song where I took the title from. It's a very beautiful song, and if you don't have time to listen to it all then please listen to 1:06-1:13! It's not the lyric with the title (that's 0:48-0:56), but it's my favorite part! (I cried when I heard it first and I still cry sometimes LOL)

Total Word Count: ~28k Words

Fin.