Saihara's POV:

I couldn't stop smiling, it was probably one of the best days of my life- no today WAS the best day of my life.

Along with one of the most terrifying days of my life, still seeing his smile and knowing I'm going to be with Kokichi for the rest of my life made all the nerve-wracking weeks before worth it.

Oh gosh I have to call my Uncle! He'll finally be able to rest easy knowing I won't be single for the rest of my life-oh wait he already knows I wasn't single...well now he'll know that I'm getting married...

My Uncle and Kokichi had met a year after the phantom thief case ended and had died down in the public eye, at the time I was just trying to get him out of the house and try and see him smile. That first year...no these past few years have changed him and I was worried I would never be able to make him happy again.

But my Uncle has always been great at making people smile, or at least distracting them from whatever troubles they've been having in life.

I remember Kokichi being worried about meeting him, especially because my Uncle was one of the few people who knew his identity as the phantom thief. He probably thought he wouldn't have approved...boy was he wrong...

The first minute he saw Kokichi he actually picked him up and swung him around crying and screaming "THANK YOU GOD HE FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE!" it was actually embarassing and I was scared for a second he would drop Kokichi but Kokichi seemed pretty happy about it.

It was one of the first times I saw him smile in a long time. Made every single time my Uncle joked 'when's the wedding?' Worth it.

Uncle better not ask to be the flower girl...we don't need a repeat of cousin Aiko's wedding...I think I still need therapy for that incident...

Kokichi seemed to be happy as well, happier than he seemed to be for a long time, I can't blame him..he lost his friends and I know that kind of loss definitely won't be easy to move on from. If he ever even could. I'm just happy I can continue to support him and stay by his side.

I can't...I can't lose him again...

"Babe? I'm going to go put away the leftovers ok? Did you take your medication yet?" I called, looking around for Kokichi. He usually was in the living room but this time I saw him in our bedroom reading something...

His body was trembling as he read the letter and he had a hand over his mouth, he turned around to see me, I must have made noise coming in, he was crying...

I immediately dropped everything and hurried over to him, quickly hugging him as he quickly clung onto me, his breathing was irregular as he hyperventilated draining the blood from my face.

"Kokichi, love, I need you to calm down ok?" I told him gently, as I started drawing circles on his back trying to even out his breathing "please just take a deep breath in...and out..." I told him.

He kept shaking his head at me as he crumpled the letter tighter in his hands "shhh....just relax....shh..." I mumbled to him.

Eventually he started relaxing and his breathing seemed to even out making me sigh in relief as we sat on the floor against our bed I continued to hold him trying to comfort from whatever contents the letter held.

"Do you feel better Kokichi?" I asked him, he didn't respond and only looked down at the floor as he held on tightly to his knees.

"Kokichi please tell me...I need to know because you know what the doctor said about your lungs-" I started as he shoved the paper into me his hands trembling.

I hesitantly glanced down and took the paper opening the contents.

Phantom Thief,

Congrats on pulling off that escape three years ago, the media truly thought you had died that day with your members so I have to give you a round of applause for that stunt. However, I think you and I both know that you can't hide forever.

As a result of your debts, I have decided to take your members as payment, if you ever want to see them again, alive and well turn yourself in and dedicate yourself as part of my syndicate, if not then suffer the consequences.

I will get paid, one way or another.

Sincerely,

Ace

My eyes widened, his friends are being held ransom...but by who? And how do they even know who Kokichi is? Much less how do they know that it wasn't actually him who died?

"Kokichi do you know who this is...?" I asked hesitantly, desperate for answers but he only shook his head before he glanced over at the notebook on the bedside table...

I quickly got up and grabbed it handing it over to him and he quickly started writing.

I don't know who they are, I never heard of Ace before, but I think I have an idea.

"You do? Kokichi do you have any sorry of idea as to how this person knows how you're alive?" I asked.

He hesitated slightly before writing.

When DICE was still young, before we made the phantom thief group we got loans from a lot of shady people, people connected to the criminal underworld.

You already know how we coped with that, when we realized the shit we had gotten ourselves into, we made our group in order to pay back those loans...well that dragged us into part of that underworld.

"What do you mean you became part of the Underworld? To what extent? And why am I only hearing about this now Kokichi?" I asked him.

It means they knew us as the thieves, a small minority knew our real names and identities. And by our...I mean me and Chiasa.

For some clients we worked for we removed our masks, they did the same, so it's kind of like a mutual respect kind of thing?

We weren't a big part, just a small dog in that world, but my guess is one of our former clients is connected to Ace or is Ace.

They probably knew from the photos of Chiasa in the newspaper, they would know the difference between us even behind the makeup and hair dye job, and even the contacts she got that it wasn't me.

It's either that...or the alternative.

"You unmasked around others?! No wait what's the alternative?!" I asked worry washing over me.

They could know Chiasa from her....less than ideal methods to earn money.

You already know this, but Chiasa was a hitman for maybe a year before she died and they probably hired her through her connections as second in command meaning one of the people who knew her former targets or her previous employer could also know Ace.

If it is that case, that's really really bad.

"How bad are we talking here?" I asked.

It means it will be harder for me to figure out who Ace is, I didn't have time to ask Chiasa about all that before she died...I didn't have time to ask her about any of this so those she worked for and what she knew died with her.

He looked down as he finished and I noticed the tears returning to his eyes, shit, I pulled Kokichi closer as I did my best to comfort him.

His mind seemed to be thousands of miles away with a small group of pranksters who were in the clutches of god knows who.

"It's going to be fine ok Kokichi? And don't think I didn't see how you intended to take this on by yourself,  I'll be the one working on this ok? I'll protect them, I'll protect you ok? You can't reveal yourself to them it's to risky" I told him.

He shook his head as he started to sob as he reached for the notebook to rebut but I grabbed his hand.

"Trust me" I told him, "please...don't make me lose you...."I begged him, I felt my own tears coming as I thought back to the day he nearly died.

"I can't...I can't lose you...so please...please I beg of you...let me keep you safe..." I pleaded.

Kokichi looked hesitant but he reluctantly nodded as he looked down at his ring, it was shining from the low lighting the moon provided.

"I'll save them..." I repeated, but I don't know who I was saying it to that time.