.  .  .

"So, would you like to tell me more about your experience in the game?" The male asked me. He was supposedly my therapist, but honestly, Shuichi is the one who helps me the most, along with the others.

"It's still making my nightmares worse, just because of what they have put us all through. Tsumugi is the one who always is in my nightmares...taking Shuichi from my side and killing him..." I let the words drop from my lips like the heavy stones they felt like.

"I see..." He wrote more things in his notebook before his assistant opened the door and let me out of the room. God I hate coming here. They have been making me come here for months now and it's making everything honestly worse in some ways...because they only want to bring up the past over and over again.

I walked out of the white building with all the white walls and let myself open the door as the cool air surrounded me. The air was a little colder making me wish I had brought a jacket with me...but this morning I remember Shuichi reminding me about it...but I just told him I would be fine without it. Why didn't I just take his advice...

I sighed and saw Shuichi's car waiting for me in front of the building. I smiled to myself and moved towards the car feeling a warm feeling radiate through my chest. I love him so much, he waited for me while they kept me for an hour...even though that felt like forever.

"Koki!" He exclaimed with a smile just as I opened the door. The warmth of the heater of the car enveloped me as I sat into the seat. Shuichi even wrapped his jacket around me with a small laugh.

"You cold, I told you to bring a jacket," He sighed, making me huff. I folded my arms over my chest and looked to the side.

"Yeah, laugh it up," I said with an annoyed tone. Shuichi laughed for a brief moment making my cheeks threaten to reveal my stupid smile and the blush I felt coming to my face. This was partially because of the heat of the car and because of his teasing, sometimes I resent how well he knows me.

"Are you mad?" He asked in a teasing tone, but his eyes were more serious. I shook my head feeling the anger leave my shoulders almost immediately.

"No~ I could never stay mad at you~" I teased leaning into his chair. I rested my head on his arm for a moment. I nuzzled the side of my face with a smile. He is so warm~

I let my eyes move up to his face and his cheeks were red as they usually are because of my teasing~ But honestly I love him and all of his flaws and all of his hidden talents and hobbies~. After another moment passed I moved back into my seat allowing him to drive.

"T-Thank you," He whispered before he started driving the car back to our apartment. I smiled to myself and finally let myself relax for the first time since this morning when they called me to come into the office...I hate coming here so they can get information for their 'research' about the survivors of the game.

"So what have you been up to all day?" I asked, trying to get the conversation started. He smiled as his eyes studied the road.

"I was at work first thing in the morning, and I got let out early to pick you up--which reminds me, I got you something." I felt my eyebrows raise at this. He got me something~ but my birthday isn't coming up...so what would he want to get me?

"Oh~? My beloved shumai got me a gift~?" I said in a teasing tone. He blushed more before stuttering out an answer,

"Y-yeah...you're just going to have to wait until we get back though," I frowned and folded my arms across my chest.

"Fine~~," I said with a sigh before I was cut off by my phone buzzing. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw that Maki was calling me. I smiled and answered the phone.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked, putting the phone to my ear.

"I wanted to ask how the appointment went," She said, getting right to the point as usual.

"It was the same old stuff again and honestly it makes me feel so drained talking about it after all this time..." I sighed putting a hand to the bridge of my nose.

"I see...I hate that they keep calling us all back...it's better to be able to move on and not have to rehash what happened so often." She said with her normal monotone voice. I feel bad for her because-

"Anyway, I'll leave you to it, I'm sure you have some work to get to and I honestly got the information I needed," She said.

"Alright, have a good rest of your day sayonara~!" I said with a smile before hanging up the phone. Shuichi moved his hand to my thigh before he took my hand in his own.

"I'm glad you are still here, I love you," He said abruptly. I felt myself flinch at his words.

"That's a pretty random thing to say my beloved, why all of a sudden~?" I asked in a teasing tone. I felt his hand clench my own for a moment. I just gently rubbed the back of his hand.

"You feel it too, don't you..." I whispered looking up at the car ceiling. He gave me a small hum to indicate he was listening.

"It's like we're back there all over again..." My mind went back to the game for a moment before he kissed my hand bringing me back to the present moment.

"But we have each other and we aren't trapped there anymore." He said, pulling into the driveway. I didn't feel like talking at the moment so I just gave him a small smile and moved in to kiss him. We left the car after a small moment and walked into the house as the sky was getting darker.

"Welcome home," He said as chuoi came and circled around my legs. I picked Chuoi up and held him in my arms while petting him behind his ears.

"I'm glad to be home," I said with a genuine smile. This is where I am now and I need to enjoy this moment regardless of these meetings they are making the lot of us go to...

"So, what did they make you talk about this time?" Shuichi asked, patting the spot next to him on the couch. I could tell he was acting a little more serious than he usually would be...did something happen that I don't know about?

"They made me talk about the normal shit, making me bring up my nightmares again as well as the thought of losing you..." I whispered hating how much I wanted to cry. Shuichi slowly moved closer to me and moved his hand to grab my own. This cut all the tears that wanted to fall, because when I looked at him he was giving me a look that I haven't seen in a while. The look of pure love and devotion when he swore to love me forever all those years ago.

"I hate that they keep bringing that up..." He whispered gently, kissing the inside of my wrist. I blushed at the action because of how innocent it was, so pure.

"But we made it out of that game together, with the others as we promised." He said making me remember Kaito, Keebo, and Gonta's deaths...they shouldn't have had to die when we were getting out of the prison they put us into.

"You're right..." I whispered, still feeling guilty about it. Shuichi gently kissed my forehead before he slowly got up off the couch.

"I know you feel down after having to go to those meetings...so I wanted to watch a movie with you to lighten the mood." He said, reminding me that he promised a gift.

"Hey~ Shushu~ what gift did you get me~?" I asked in a teasing tone making him flinch as he wrapped a blanket around me before joining me on the couch again.

"Ah you remembered..." He whispered under his breath making me sarcastically gasp.

"You think I would forget?" I asked, offended. Shuichi laughed a bit under his breath before he got off of the couch. He moved to kneel in front of me before I could even react to the action.

"Shuichi-" I started to ask only to be cut off. He looked to the side seeming more nervous. What is going on- wait...the both of us are 20 years old now, and neither of us have asked the questions to one another. I was planning on asking him next month if he didn't beat me to it...but I think he yet again one upped me by being the most vigilant.

"Well, I have been wanting to ask you for some time-" He said letting his voice trail off. I tilted my head playfully trying to tell him I already knew what he was going to ask.

"Ah, what I'm trying to say is-" He said, pulling something out from behind his back. I watched curiously as he did this. "Will you marry me?" I felt some tears coming to my eyes. God I thought I wouldn't cry! Stiupid tears of happiness...

"Of course!" I exclaimed, pulling him into a kiss. I'm glad we both made it this far Shuichi. You make me happier than anything in the world...and knowing I'm going to be with you forever- it makes me the luckiest man in the world.

-Epilogue and intro to DayDreams-

||Acknowledgements||

I would like to thank Jordin for inspiring me to write this story. Even though you aren't here anymore, you helped me continue on with all of this. I would like to thank Yuuki-San for helping me while you were by my side as my best friend, even though we are starting over again, you are still my good friend. I would like to thank Hana-San as well as for being there to support me with my mental health and being able to make me feel more comfortable confronting my emotions. I would also like to thank all of the others who have commented on this story with positive comments as well as criticism it all helped me to feel motivated to keep going on with my writing as well as being able to improve in my writing <3 I would also like to thank my parents for keeping the roof over my head even though they have a hard time understanding me sometimes.

And I would like to thank Kokichi Ouma for helping me see that I don't have to be happy to be able to have a good time. Thank you Shuichi Saihara and Kokichi Ouma for being there when I felt the world was against me.

Thank you all for reading and I hope you are all able to read my other works as well as the sequel that will be coming out some time in the future <3

-Saichi Kohana-