Here's, um, part of a oneshot that I'm currently writing. Or maybe it'll be the first part of a two-shot thing? I'm not sure to be honest. The word count at the bottom was in my draft just to separate that section in case I wanted to split the whole thing in half (it's already longer than I expected). Why am I posting this? I guess I just wanted to know if it was decent so far, and maybe to prove that I'm still writing something. I may post the entire thing on A03, but I may also post the whole thing here, so... I dunno. Either way, here's a preview, for the few of you all reading this.

Shuichi Saihara: The Ultimate Seducer

"Shuichi!"

"What?"

"You aren't even looking at me?"

"Sorry."

Shuichi marked his place in his book and closed it to look up at his friend, Kaede. She was standing above him as he lounged comfortably on the couch. "Now, what did you want?"

"Look, I mean this in the kindest way possible, but..." Kaede looked over to the side with a nervous smile on her face. "You're kind of... lame."

Shuichi looked up at her with a slightly disheartened expression. "W-What do you mean by that?"

The girl jumped back a bit and put her hands up. "Ah, sorry! I didn't want you to feel about it! It's just that, well... You don't do much. Aside from the stuff that you do for your job, all I ever see you do is read. The only way that you get out of the house is if either Kaito or I drag you out!"

Shuichi just looked back down, staring at the book in his hands. "Well... What's so wrong with that?" He started to draw shapes and patterns on the book's cover with his index finger, feeling the smooth texture.

"Not to mention that you're so old and you still manage to be single!"

Shuichi looked back up at Kaede, who was now pouting at him and crossing her arms. "Oh come on, I'm not that old... I'm only 25. I have plenty of time to get someone before it's too late."

"It's never too early to try, though! Besides, you need someone besides me and Kaito to talk to."

"I have other friends, you know..."

"Sure, but that's not what we're talking about." She smiled widely and balled her hands into fists, looking down at him with a determined glint in her eye. "That's it! My mission is to get you... a girlfriend!!!"

Shuichi cringed. He thought about multiple times in the past where Kaede had set him up on blind dates that he was never warned about up until that evening. They always ended on an awkward note. The poor guy hoped that Kaede would have learned her lesson at this point, that it was no point in helping him in the field of romance.

But no, here she goes again... he groaned mentally.

"You may be cringing now," Kaede spoke, cutting off his thoughts, "but I'm going to turn you into a love machine! Girls will be all over you in no time, Shuichi!"

Shuichi let out a sigh and gave her an exasperated smile. "I thought you remembered the last times you tried to help me? Besides, I'd feel almost like a player if I had so many girls... falling for me." He had to force himself to say the last part. Someone falling for him? Let alone a pretty and nice girl? Ha, yeah right.

"W-Well, this time will be different! I swear!" She suddenly grabbed a book out from nowhere and shoved it in Shuichi's face. "See? I've studied the art of seduction for a while now, and now I feel that I'm finally qualified to help you!"

Shuichi stayed silent for a while before curling in on himself and hiding his head. He let out a muffled grunt.

"So let's take this away--!" Kaede suddenly pulled the book out of Shuichi's hands, causing him to flinch and immediately look up. "And now this is what you should be reading! There's no escaping it this time. I will help you to get a hot girlfriend!" She winked at him before leaving the room.

"H-Hey! You can't just leave with that...!"

She huffed. "Don't worry about it. I'll give it back once I'm successful with my mission. You can expect me to be back at around noon tomorrow!" With that being said, she promptly turned and marched out of the door.

Shuichi just sighed. He hung his head over the arm of the couch, now seeing the world upside down. He stayed like that for a while until all of the blood rushing to his head was just too much. He sat back up.

I guess there really is no stopping her this time...

He looked down at the new book in his hands. Seduction for Dummies. "Isn't this just great... I guess I should just go along with it. Who knows, I might actually find someone nice this time." There was a long pause. "...Yeah, right..."

Nevertheless, he opened up the book. The book wasn't too long, but it was longer than Shuichi would have expected. I'll only read some...

***

Ding dong!

Shuichi looked up from his book. "Eh? I wonder who that could..." He looked over at the time. "Oh." He got up from his bed and walked into the living room, opening up the front door.

"Hey! How was the book that I lent you?"

Shuichi paled a bit. He had only read to about the second page before going to find another book from his bookshelf.

Kaede sighed. "With that look, I'm guessing that you didn't read much, huh?" The boy in front of her just shook his head. "...Well then, I guess I just gotta teach you myself! So come on, let me in!"

"O-Oh! Right, sorry..." He stepped aside and let her in.

Kaede walked in and sat down on the couch. "Alright then! Come over here and sit down, we're gonna be here a while."

Shuichi winced inside of his head and reluctantly sat down on a chair across from his love coach.

"So one big thing that will always help you is confidence! That means that we have to work on your confidence levels..."

"I mean... Wouldn't you say that I've gotten better since high school?"

She grimaced. "Well... yeah... but I'm not sure if that's just enough. What I'm talking about is that you see a cute looking girl walking down the street? You straight up go up to her, stop her, and introduce yourself!"

"B-But what if she's busy? What if she needs to go somewhere?"

Kaede waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, I'm sure that you'd be fine. If she is going somewhere then you can just ask for her number!"

"Right after I meet her!?" Shuichi had already been gripping tightly onto his knees out of nerves, but it only got worse. His knuckles turned white and he was surprised that he wasn't breaking the fabric just yet.

"Well..." The blonde in front of him just huffed. "Fine! Okay then... but let's just pretend that this girl isn't busy. Say that she's just going on a casual walk because it's a nice day outside. Pretend that I am that girl. How do you approach me?"

"Huh, wh-what? Oh, um..." He cleared his throat. He looked at Kaede and pretended that she was some random girl. "H... Hello there. I-I'm ShuIChi Saihara." He blushed once his voice cracked and bashfully looked away.

Kaede just started laughing.

"S-Stop..." Shuichi grumbled, face red.

The girl just kept laughing, starting to wipe away tears. "Ah-haha, oh my god... O-Okay, haha, well..." She paused for a few moments in order to calm herself down. "Alright then... First of all, more confidence! Second of all... try not to let your voice crack."

"I can't control that!"

"But also, eye contact. Maintaining eye contact with a girl will display confidence and dominance!"

"Are you sure that they'll like that? I mean, I'm literally just some random guy who just approached her on the street..." A shocked expression came across his face. "I-I don't wanna be called a p-pervert!!"

"You're not a pervert, Shuichi!" Kaede reassured him. "You have a successful job, have an amazing income, and a sweet personality! Not to mention your looks. I can't imagine a girl not liking at least your looks... Although, I probably could do a makeover..."

"W... What's that supposed to mean? About my looks?" he deadpanned while squinting his eyes at her. "But also... were you hitting on me just now?"

Kaede didn't even seem to register the question until a few seconds later. "Oh, no! Sorry if it came across that way. I will admit, I used to have a crush on you back in high school, but that's in the past. Don't worry about me!"

Shuichi sighed. "Oh, okay. Good..."

"Anyway! For your looks, I'll probably have to change some things on your first date, but that can wait for now!"

"Date!?"

"Next topic is: conversation!" Shuichi deemed that the blonde was much too excited about this than she probably should have. "If you have made it to this stage than congratulations! It means that you haven't absolutely bombed it yet! Now, once you get to this stage, things will start to become a bit more difficult. Ask some simple questions, alright? And then, once you hear something interesting about her, question her about it! She'll really appreciate it if she thinks that you care about something that she's into."

Shuichi nodded his head slowly. "I see..."

Kaede frowned. "You should be taking notes!"

"Ah, s-sorry..."

"Well then, let's practice. Pretend that I'm the girl again. Initiate the conversation and ask questions."

"Alright then, well..." Shuichi cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing around the room until he could find something to say.

"...Time's up!" Kaede suddenly shouted.

"Wha-!? What do you mean, 'time's up'!? I didn't think that I was timed!"

"Well too bad. You see, if you take up this much time to say something during a conversation than you most likely won't go anywhere after this stage." Kaede just shook her head and placed it in her hand. "I guess that we'll just have to continue practicing all day."

On the inside, Shuichi felt like crying. What mess did she rope me into? Why me!? Instead of saying this out loud, all he did was just hide his face with his hands, waiting until Kaede told him what to do.

"This is what I said about being confident! You can't just hide around all the time like that!"

Shuichi slowly and reluctantly uncovered his face.

"Good!" she smiled. "Let's try this scenario again, except this time, I'll start with something just to help you. Try your best to follow along and implement your own dialogue, okay? Let's start!"

And so, many attempts of conversation followed after that. The failures just kept piling on top of each other. Shuichi felt that the way Kaede wanted him to talk was a bit too forward for his taste, so of course, he'd feel uncomfortable speaking like a cocky bastard. When he tried to speak up about it, all he received was:

"Oh, you'll get used to it. Remember to stay confident. Also, remember to retain eye contact! That shows that you're actually into someone, and are willing to pursue them in an epic chase for true love!"

"I think that... that's a bit of a weird way to put it--"

"It maybe, but we've only just barely scratched the tip of the iceberg!"

Shuichi felt himself wilt in his seat. "...What else is there?"

"Pick up lines!" Kaede answered, still too cheerful for her own good. Shuichi just grumbled. "Oh come on. If you can't simply tell a girl 'hello' then you might have a chance of starting the conversation with a pick up line. Now, pretend that I'm the girl you're trying to seduce. What pick up line do you use?"

"Um..." Shuichi thought about it for a bit. "D-Did it hurt when you, um, fall from heaven?"

"Sorry, I'm lactose intolerant."

"Wait, what?"

Kaede sighed, quickly facepalming before looking back at Shuichi with a disappointed expression. "Come on, everyone's heard that one by now. You gotta think of something unique, and... you know, not cheesy."

"Well, if you've been paying attention, then you'd know that I'm not the best at flirting!" Shuichi snapped.

"Calm down, calm down..." She paused. "Look, I'm sorry. We can practice this some other time."

"Kaede, I'd rather just call of this thing and do it at another time. Preferably never."

"Okay, now you know that we can't just do that." This caused the boy to groan. "Look, this should be simple. Once you've got a girl interested, you'll want to have a nice conversation with her. During that conversation, teases and light touches will really add some... flare to the whole thing! You get me? She'll think that you're even more intriguing!"

"What do you even mean by 'light touches'..."

"Oh, maybe just a playful push of the shoulder. That's good for starters. You could also even mess around with their hair a bit, if the circumstances seem fit. Now, do you want to practice with me or would that make you too uncomfortable?"

"This entire thing is making me uncomfortable."

"...You'll get used to it. The important thing is just to find someone who will be into you. I don't want to see you all alone forever!"

Shuichi gave her a slightly disheartened expression. "You don't think that I'd be able to find someone on my own?"

"Th-That's not it! That's not it, I swear!" She raised her hands up defensively. "I'm just trying to... enhance your skills. Now let's continue, sh-shall we?"

With much reluctance, Shuichi agreed to continue.

"...Ugh," the boy groaned after what seemed to be hours of "love practice". "Kaede... Look, I know that you want to help me find someone, which I'm grateful for and all, but... can't you just see that this isn't doing it? I'm sure that I could get a girlfriend all on my own, anyway..."

Kaede pouted. "No you can't. You're never out of the house enough, for one thing." She sighed before pulling out her phone and turning it on, glancing at the screen. "I need to be somewhere soon. We'll continue this tomorrow, okay? And make sure to read more of that book that I gave you, alright? See you later!"

Shuichi watched as she stood up from her spot and walked out of his house. He waved after her before closing the door shut behind her. Once she was gone, he just slid down the door and sat on the floor.

What if she is right? I may never find someone...

Shuichi just sighed to himself. Ah, I really shouldn't be thinking this negatively, should I? I've had worse problems before. Still, he couldn't help but to wonder if that was the case. Then, just for the amusement and curiosity's sake, he started to imagine what it would be like to be with another man. It was a bit of a strange idea to him. He wasn't against homosexuality, it was just that he couldn't imagine him having that type of relationship with another guy.

He shook the thought out of his head and looked at the time. "Geez, Kaede. You sure were here for a long time..." he muttered to himself, finally willing himself to get up from the floor. He had to admit, he was a bit anxious about what Kaede was planning for him tomorrow. Shuichi decided to distract himself with a shower, and then he would go read his books or something like that.

Kaede's words resounded in his head. Perhaps I do read too much...? He sighed once more. Stop it, Shuichi. Just drop it. Before he could think about it any further, he walked into his bathroom and started the water.

***

About a week passed by. Kaede claimed that Shuichi had been getting better, despite how much the male thought against it. Their practice sessions typically involved lectures and playing a dating simulator. Well, on this particular day, Kaede had planned out a new practice procedure.

Knock! Knock!

Shuichi sighed once more, but he didn't hesitate in opening the door once more. He was immediately greeted with the bright face of Kaede.

"Heya, Shuichi! Come on, go get yourself straightened out, we're doing something new today! Hurry!"

Shuichi was more than surprised when he heard her words and was pushed farther back into his house. "H-Hey! What's with this...? And what do you mean by straighten myself out? I-I look perfectly fine!"

Kaede squinted at him. "...Uh-huh, sure. Whatever. As long as you're confident with yourself, then... I guess that's fine! I want you to hurry up with this anyway."

All of a sudden, the blonde pulled the boy out of his house. He just barely got to close the door before being completely dragged away. The next thing that he knew, he was standing out on the sidewalk. He looked over at his friend with a confused and curious look. She, however, just seemed to be looking around.

No one else was out at that time. Well, except for one person. A girl coming over their way. She had glasses and long, flowing blue hair. Kaede immediately brightened up upon spotting her and pointed over to her. "That one! Yes! Go up to her and make your move!"

"What!?"

"This is a test of skill! C'mon, Shuichi, don't worry. I'll be hiding in these bushes if I'm needed."

"You're gonna hide in the bushes!?" Shuichi whisper-yelled, as the girl was getting closer. It was too late. Kaede had already ducked down. Well if that isn't creepy enough...

He let out a sigh and approached the girl. Now that he was standing right in front of her, he noticed that she was taller than him by at least two inches...

Shuichi cleared his throat. He opened up his mouth to say something, but the words got caught on his tongue.

"...Um? Sir, are you alright?" The girl spoke with such a high-pitched and breathy voice... it was unnatural, to say the least. Shuichi would be lying if he said that he found it entirely pleasant, but of course, admitting this to Kaede would probably earn him a playful smack on the shoulder.

"Y-Yes! Sorry, I was just..." Think, Shuichi... Confidence? Pick-up lines? Gah, what do I do...? Shuichi felt like he was sweating bullets at this point, so he decided to go all out. "I was just... distracted with how pretty you are."

The girl looked down at herself. She was in a simple blue dress. Then she looked back up. "Thanks, but... I actually hate this dress."

"O-Oh, I'm sorry! Well, y-you're, uh... you're still very pretty."

The girl gave him a strange look. "Thanks..." she said skeptically.

Shuichi glanced at the bushes. There was no movement, causing him to just sigh.

"Hey, um... what are you doing? What are you looking at?"

Shuichi jumped a bit. "Ah! It -- It's nothing, don't worry about it!"

The girl started to fidget with her hands. "Well, alright then... You seem..." she tried to find a good word, "...nice and all, but I really should get going. I have an important meeting with someone."

Shuichi opened his mouth to at least say goodbye, but she had already hurried off. He felt like crying from embarrassment.

"Hey... are you okay?" Kaede emerged from the bushes.

"No..." The boy looked down at the ground, dejected.

"...She wasn't even that great, anyway..." She tried to smile at him. "But hey! That was just your first try, y'know... Hey! There's someone else over there! Wow, she looks... pretty cute..." She started to blush as she pointed over to a girl who just started to walk down the street. She had brown hair that was styled into twin tails.

"Go for her...! I have a feeling that you'll be more successful this time."

Shuichi gave his friend a reluctant look, but she just kept pushing across to the other side of the street where she was walking. Eventually, Kaede pushed him out close enough to her and hid once more.

The new girl instantly turned to him and eyed him up and down judgmentally.

"H... Hey--"

The girl slapped him across the face and glared at him. "Don't even try. I saw how you handled Tsumugi. Now you better get away from me before I gouge your eyes out so you won't be able to goggle at another girl again." She then turned away and started walking once more.

Shuichi, terrified out of his wits, ran back to where Kaede was hiding.

"Oh, uh... oh geez," she mumbled. "Sorry... I guess that I should've given you a break. I didn't think that it would go that badly -- but it's not your fault!"

"How can you say that?" Shuichi asked her, hiding his face in his hands. "Surely, you were close enough to hear what she said..."

"Oh come on, Shuichi! Don't listen to her! You're one of the best guys that I know, you're just a tad behind on social communication, that's all. Don't let her words get to you, okay?"

"..."

"Shuichi..." Kaede repeated again, softer this time.

"Stop. Please..." Shuichi sighed, finally uncovering his face. "I just need some time alone, okay? I'll text you once I'm back..."

"Where are you going?"

"Somewhere. I'll just have to see where the world takes me."

Kaede opened her mouth, ready to say something before she thought it over. By the time that she had decided on the words that she wanted to say, Shuichi was gone.

***

Shuichi was just wondering around the streets, finding himself at the nearby town. There were a few shops set up, as well as a small cafe. He had been there a few times before in the past, but he hadn't been there in a while. He decided that that would be the way to calm him down.

He opened the doors and walked in. Immediately, he was hit with the strong scent of coffee. The boy walked up to the counter and looked at the menu before deciding on ordering a simple coffee.

"Alright! Your order will be here soon, just wait around over here for me, please!"

Shuichi did as told and stepped over to the side, watching as the people formerly behind him started to order their own drinks and small snacks. Without much else to do, he let his thoughts wander. His eyes mindlessly wandered around the small cafe.

Then, there was a tap on his shoulder. "Is this yours?" the girl behind the counter asked him. He looked at her and nodded, gratefully taking his drink and turning away once more to go find a seat. He only managed to take about five steps before a burly man ran into him.

"Hey! Watch where you're going," the man grunted, shoving him back a fair distance away from him.

Shuichi simply yelped a bit, finding himself to be falling back into a (thankfully) empty seat. He noticed that he just barely got out of spilling his drink all over himself. He glared angrily at the man as he disappeared into the small crowd. Well, Shuichi could still see him, but he didn't want to waste anymore time on him.

Shuichi sighed exasperatedly, placing his cup down and running a hand through his hair. "Geez, what's his problem..." This just isn't my day, huh...

"Tough luck," he heard someone say right next to him.

Shuichi jumped a bit and turned around to sit properly in his seat. Now he could see the boy that was sitting in front of him, calmly drawing in some sort of sketchbook. "A-Ah! I-I'm sorry, I -- I didn't mean to, I swear!" he sputtered. "I just kinda, um--"

"Yeah, I know," the boy replied, eyes fixated on his sketchbook.

"I-I'll leave you, now... and I won't bother you a-again, promise!" Shuichi started to stand before a hand reached out to him and grabbed his wrist, paralyzing him.

"No, you're fine. Just stay here." He motioned around the room. "This place is filling up pretty quickly. If you stand up now, you most likely won't find another seat."

Shuichi looked around. The stranger was right. Somehow, ever since he had sat down, practically every seat was taken up.

"Well... if it's okay with you, then..."

"Geez, you've gotta stop worrying!" the boy said, a lilt suddenly in his voice. He pulled back his hood, revealing his face. He also pulled out the earbuds in his ears. "So tell me, what's your name?"

"Sh--" Shuichi lifted his eyes to the boy. The boy had curly dark purple hair that seemed to perfectly frame his face, hair of which contrasted his decently pale complexion. His large and round purple eyes seemed to sparkle with energy. He wore a lilac hoodie, and Shuichi didn't fail to notice the dice earrings that he wore.

After Shuichi was done eyeing the stranger before him, he realized that he still didn't finish giving his answer. "U-Um, Shuichi Saihara. Yours...?"

"Kokichi Ouma, and don't forget it!" Kokichi exclaimed with a playful wink.

Shuichi reached out a hand to shake. "A handshake, huh? Awfully formal, I see..." Shuichi's hand started to lightly tremble out of nervousness until Kokichi took it. "Well, I'll accept it. But where I come from, we greet each other by headbutting one another!" They finally shook hands.

Shuichi pulled back and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Ahaha... Nice to meet you too, Kokichi..."

"So, 'Shuichi'..." Kokichi stored his sketchbook in a bag of his that had been hanging from his chair. With that out of the way, he placed his elbows on the table and rested his head on the palms of his hands. "Tell me. What's got you in such a grumpy mood?"

Shuichi wheezed a bit. "It's a bit... awkward. I'm sure that you wouldn't want to hear--"

"Non! Do tell me!" Kokichi frowned. "Pwease tell me? Maybe Kokichi can help you?"

The troubled boy thought over it all. Kokichi was just a stranger, he didn't have to tell him anything. Yet, he felt that he wanted to. "...Well, I basically have this friend who's been trying to help me... get a girlfriend..."

Kokichi simply nodded his head and smirked a bit. "Ah, I see. So that must be where the slap mark came from."

All of a sudden, Shuichi remembered the pain he had felt back when he had been slapped, and felt a faint stinging sensation still on his cheek.

"I-I'm not a pervert, if that's what you're thinking!" he stammered, bashfully rubbing his cheek.

"Nishishi, are you sure about that?" Kokichi's smirk widened. "I mean, I swear that I saw you checking me out earlier. Hm, did my eyes just happen to mistake me?"

Shuichi felt color spreading across his cheeks and all over his face. His mouth was stuck open, preparing to defend himself, but no words came out.

"Ah-haha! Oh my god!" The boy in front of him just started laughing like crazy.

"Stop..." he begged. "I bet that people are staring..."

Kokichi laughed for a few more seconds before finally calming himself down. "These people don't give a flying fuck about what's going on over here. Seriously, you're adorable and all, but you gotta stop being so nervous!"

Shuichi whimpered, hiding his face in his hands.

Kokichi sighed. "I'm just teasing you, y'know? I didn't think that you would react that badly. I'm sorry."

Shuichi sighed as well. "It's fine..."

"Obviously it's not fine! You aren't acting like you're fine!" Kokichi pouted and tapped on his chin a few times. "Hey, is there anyway for me to make it up to you?"

"I don't think so..."

"Hm... Oh! I got it! I'll be back, okay?"

Shuichi listened as he got up out of his seat to go somewhere else. His time at the cafe was going pretty terrible, he would say, and he was just given the opportunity to leave and never see Kokichi again. That seemed reasonable enough for someone who had gone through all of the stuff Shuichi had been through. So why wasn't he moving?

Come on, Shuichi, it isn't that hard. Just convince yourself... Your day has been terrible. You deserve to go home. Kokichi doesn't care about you, he's just going to let you amuse him and then forget all about you--

"Oh, wow...! I'm surprised that you're still here. I would've expected you to leave by now..." It may have been Shuichi's imagination, but he thought that he could hear some softness in his tone.

Immediately, any and all relatively negative thoughts about Kokichi flipped around and turned into guilt.

Shuichi lifted his head to look at the boy. In one hand he carried a coffee cup, and in the other a small paper bag. He was surprised when the cup was set down in front of you.

"I assumed that your drink has gotten cold by now, so I just bought you another one," Kokichi answered his unspoken question. He sat down and opened the paper bag, pulling out a small pastry for himself.

"...But why?"

Kokichi raised an eyebrow at him. He had already bitten into his treat, so he had to wait a bit until he could respond, "What do you mean?"

"I'm just a stranger that accidentally found himself at your table..." he mumbled. "So why would you buy something for a stranger who inconvenienced you?"

The boy in front of him waved his hand. "Stop being so negative. You didn't inconvenience me. I was actually supposed to meet someone here, but he never showed up." He sighed, taking another small bite. "What a shame. As for the other part, hm... I guess you're just interesting."

"Interesting...?" Shuichi repeated, taking a sip of his new coffee.

"Yep! I mean, you didn't ditch me, an annoying little prick... so that was nice." He turned his head to look out the window, taking another bite.

"...I wouldn't say that you're annoying."

"Hah, oh really?"

"I'd say that you're more interesting than me, actually." This perked Kokichi's interest, causing him to look back at Shuichi. "Tell me more about yourself. I'd like to know more about you." Shuichi didn't know how, but he was able to say that while directly staring into Kokichi's eyes.

A faint red was dusted on Kokichi's cheeks. "I -- uh..."

Shuichi tilted his head. "Eh? What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing, don't worry about me! Nishishi..." He shook his head and smiled once more. "So! What is it that you wanted to know about me?"

"Maybe things like hobbies? Anything, really."

"Well, I've found a liking to drawing. I was perhaps the worst artist in all of my classes during high school, but then I guess that I started to draw a bit more during college, and it's kinda stuck with me."

"Yeah, I noticed that you were drawing in a sketchbook before we started talking."

"Ah, but my drawings still suck," Kokichi sighed with a heavily exaggerated distraught expression.

"I'm sure that they don't. Here, I'll show you my skills." Shuichi looked around and found a napkin. Then he looked around for a pencil, only to find Kokichi holding one out for him. "Thanks," he muttered before getting to work. Every once in a while, he would glance up at the boy. Sometimes, Kokichi would be staring intensely at him, and other times he would be completely distracted.

"D-Done," Shuichi said after a while. "See? Mine is... ugh, terrible, hehe."

"I'll be the judge of that! Yoink!" He snatched the napkin and held it up to his face. "Hm... Aw, it's me! You need to stop doubting yourself, Shuichi, this is actually pretty cute. Cuter than I'll ever be in real life."

Shuichi shrugged casually. "I could probably argue against that."

"Haha, ah, um, what?"

"S-Sorry, did I say something weird?"

"No, not at all! Not at all... Anyway, what else would you like to know?"

"Hmm... What do you do for a living?"

Kokichi snapped his fingers. "Ah, reverting to questions like this, huh?" He watched Shuichi sputter for a few seconds, trying to find his words before cutting him off. "Man, I thought that you'd be more comfortable around me!"

"I-I am!"

"Sh-Shumai, I'm... heartbroken!" Tears quickly started to flow out of his eyes.

"W-Wait--!"

"Nishishi, you sure are gullible, huh?" Kokichi wiped the tears away from his eyes. "Here's another thing about me: I love messing around with people! Lies are fun."

Shuichi's mouth hung open for a few seconds before he realized that he most likely looked like an idiot and closed it. "I... see..."

Kokichi smirked at him. "Well, to answer your question, I work for the mafia! That's how I make a living."

"That's a lie, right?"

"Yeah. Oh, that was such a terrible lie! I'm actually an infamous phantom thief..."

"If you really were then why would you be telling me this...?"

"True, you caught me..." He sighed and casually added, "I'm actually just a stripper that works downtown."

"That h-has to be a lie!" Shuichi snapped, his face a dark red.

"Well, you never know! You seem like the smart type, why don't you try to figure it out? Ooh, like a cool detective!!"

"Actually, I am a detective."

Kokichi gasped. "Really!? Ooh, what's it like, what's it like!?"

All of a sudden, the two of them heard a ringing noise. Shuichi took his phone out from his pocket, but it wasn't his phone that was ringing. He looked up and found Kokichi pulling his own phone out and looking at the caller ID.

"Damn, I forgot that I had to be somewhere right now. Sorry, Shumai. It's been real nice meeting you, but I gotta go! Any last words, Mr. Detective?"

"Y-Yes, actually... Um... What's your phone number?"

The question seemed to surprise Kokichi a bit judging by how his eyes widened by just a bit. "Oh... Give me your phone, I'll put it in for you."

Shuichi did as told, giving the boy his phone. He typed in a few things before handing it back. "There ya go! Text me whenever you want, okay? Don't be afraid, I won't bite! Well, not unless you want me to." He winked, watching Shuichi blush as he stood up and walked out the door.

Once Kokichi was gone, Shuichi sighed. "This day turned out to be a bit better than I thought it was, I guess." He chuckled a bit to himself. He really wanted to talk to Kokichi some more, but if he was supposed to be somewhere at the moment, then he really didn't want to interrupt anything. He decided that he would just have to wait until later.

***

Shuichi: I just got back

Kaede: Where did u go? Why were u out for so long? How are u feeling?

Shuichi: I'm feeling much better, actually! I met someone really nice... I even got their number

Kaede: OMG really!? Shuichi, I'm so happy for u!! What's her name!?

Shuichi: Actually...they're a guy

Kaede: oh... so you're still looking around then huh

Kaede: well, don't worry! I'll just have to do more to help you!

Shuichi sighed as he stared down at his phone. He thought over it for a second before typing a response.

Shuichi: I think that I'm fine. Can't you just acknowledge that I at least made a new friend today? You and Kaito are always nagging me about that

Kaede: Well, yeah, you got a friend

Kaede: but we're looking for you a GIRLfriend!!

Shuichi: It's getting too late to do this. I'm leaving now, bye.

Without waiting for a response, Shuichi turned his phone on silent and turned it off, setting it beside his bed. While at the cafe, he hadn't realized just how much time he had spent talking with Kokichi. At that point, it was late in the evening.

Shuichi decided to get ready for bed early tonight, so he went to brush his teeth and quickly changed out of his clothes. Once all of that was done, he headed back to his bedroom to pick up a random book to read. This time, he was reading about a detective chasing a phantom thief.

His mind started to wander back to Kokichi. Focus, Shuichi. He tried his best to continue reading, but with nearly every page he turned, he remembered the jokes that Kokichi had made during his time at the cafe.

He groaned. "Fine! You win!" he spoke to no one. Anxiously, he grabbed his phone, clicked on his contacts, and started scrolling. Well, it didn't really take a long time to find Kokichi's contact, seeing as Shuichi didn't have many contacts in the first place.

He clicked to text Kokichi before he started to think. What should I say? Just a simple 'hi'? Shuichi knew that he had a problem of overthinking, but he just couldn't help himself. After a while, though, he finally decided on something generic that would never fail. Unless you were just a complete idiot.

Shuichi: Hey...! This is Shuichi from the cafe you went to earlier today.

Shuichi sighed as if that was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. He then set his phone down once more. Perhaps I can read some more before going to bed... yeah... So that's just what he did. He continued to read his book, even if he was a bit distracted by looking back at his phone every five seconds.

"I just need to give it a rest. Why am I so eager to talk to him, anyway? We just met!" He groaned at himself, tempted to throw his phone across the room. "You know what? I'll just... I'll just go to sleep early..."

Frustrated, Shuichi turned the lights off. He glanced one more time at his phone before deciding that it would be best to set it on the desk that was across the room, far away from his bed. Maybe that would keep him from getting any urges to check it in the middle of the night.

Finally, he slipped under the covers, willing himself to sleep.

~6342