✧ Chapter 67 ✧
[ I'm Feeling Like I Can't Breathe ]
▹⋇⋆*＊❀　❀＊* ⋆⋇◃
[ Shuichi's PoV ]

Ringggg~

Typical alarm clock ring..

I'm just going to let it drone on and on till someone else stops it for me. Because there's no way I'm getting out of bed. I found myself slowly drifting back to sleep, dreaming in darkness. The ringing eventually tuned out to fade into the background.

"Shuichi!" a woman's voice called out, but I didn't move. If I pretended to be asleep, maybe she'll go away. However, if my mom heard that alarm, there's no escaping from the first day of school..

"Come on, get up, you're going to be late!"

Once again, typical 'first day of school' sentence. I decided to ignore both her and the alarm, wanting to go back to my dream.

"Wake up!" the blanket around me was pulled away and I sighed, my eyes still closed. The alarm stopped with a hit of my hand on its flat button, but I continued to stay still, nearly falling back to sleep in the process but I managed to mumble a few words.

"Mom.. must you really do that? It's freezing.."

"Then hurry up and get up Shu, it's boarding school for heaven's sake! You don't want to be late! And besides, guess who's waiting for you?"

I opened an eye, instantly regretting it when the sun shone directly into my face as soon as my mother drew the curtains. I groaned at her, using my arm to block the light out, "I don't know. I don't care if the prime minister of Japan is waiting for me, I'm not getting out of bed."

She then hit me with a pillow, making me finally get up and sleepily head over to the bathroom to get ready for school. "Very funny, it's Kaito! He's been waiting since 7:00."

"Just like everyday." I called, changing into my Hope's Peak uniform. 'Uniform' meaning any clothes we wanted.

I heard my mom sigh loudly as soon as I exited the bathroom, her eyes looking at me up and down. "Every time you wear that, you remind me of your work-obsessed uncle."

"Detective in training, mom.. Hope's Peak accepted me because of that." I explained to her for the fifth time. The letter from the principal themselves was tacked on the refrigerator with a smiley faced magnet; though that felt like an exaggeration. I was anything but happy this morning.

"Just don't find corpses during your whole stay in that school, alright? I don't think I can handle the stress." she teased, before suddenly pausing, "Aren't you going to wear your hat? You never liked looking at people."

Sometimes, my mother can be quite blunt but there were also times which made me question how well she knew me. With my father in his own world half the time, she made sure to fuss over me as much as she could. Though sometimes it could be a bit overwhelming to the point where I wanted to move out to stay with my uncle. She was a great mother, no doubt about that, but way too overprotective.

And I realised I didn't answer her question.

My hand hovered over the cap which was sitting on my bedside table. It was a simple black cap, and sure, it's threads were coming loose here and there but it held a special significance to me..

I moved my hand away from the cap and sighed, "I don't think I'll be needing it today mom, thanks.."

"But your uncle gave that to you."

I wished she didn't have to say that, but I still managed a small smile in her direction, watching her fluff a pillow.

"I know, but can't I have a little bit of change?"

"If you say so, dear. Now-."

"Shuichi!" a loud voice called from downstairs, making us flinch. "How long do you want me to wait?"

I sighed, grabbing my bag of last minute stuff and giving my hair one last comb. It was slightly messy, but it'll do. Good first impressions weren't number one with Kaito and besides, he was probably messier than me.

Taking the stairs two at a time — and carefully trying not to slip and fall — I barged straight into a tall, muscular guy I acknowledged as my best childhood friend.

"Ugh- Kaito.." I rubbed my nose as he chuckled, but didn't apologise, "Must you really stand in the doorway of the kitchen?" Behind him, was my father reading the newspaper and giving me a thumbs up at the same time. His usual greeting for everyone; even to random strangers or his boss. It was a wonder how he hasn't been fired.

"That's your punishment for being an hour late, sidekick, now let's go! Say bye to your parents and cat."

"I don't have a cat."

"Just say bye!"

I waved to my mother who was standing at the top of the staircase, and to my father who had been mindlessly entertaining Kaito with cups of coffee and talking about 'acting and screenwriting.'

My parents were famous; though they were on a short break for the time being. I didn't really mind that they were famous.. it was what they've always wanted. But me? I just wanted to solve crimes, stay on the down-low, mind my own business. Totally unlike them.

Kaito and I settled for a brisk walk, since the school was about a few miles away from my house. We had a tour of the school earlier in the year, and sent in our books and clothes to prepare for our stay.

"Soooo?" Kaito grinned at me, his gelled purple hair waving in the wind as I clutched the strap of my bag, "Aren't you gonna ask me any questions? Thoughts? Feelings?"

Kaito was always a chatterbox, wanting to know about my personal life. But funny thing was that I barely kept track of anything 'personal' to me. I preferred it that way; the less I cared about those things, the better off I was.

Anyway, my friend seemed to be going for a different look than usual today.. as he was wearing a white shirt with two coats, one white and the other purple with a galaxy pattern layer. With purple pants and..

"Nice fashion sense." I decided to say as we passed by a bespectacled blue haired girl carrying tons of books, accompanied by a rather chubby male teenager with round glasses. Both were talking about some new 'anime' which had aired on TV last night.

"I know right?" Kaito laughed loudly, trying to make himself heard over the sound of the blue haired girl's shrieks of what seemed to be excitement, "I was thinking to myself last night, 'you know what would be a good first impression?' Slippers AND space coats. Fashionable and comfortable."

"I don't know if you're in the mood to study, or take a nap."

"Possibly both, sidekick," the purple haired teenager winked at me, "I can study and take a nap at the same time. Remember Chiaki Nanami? That cute upperclass gamer girl we saw at the orientation? She can play her games AND stay half awake. She almost ran into a wall if it wasn't for that brown haired guy's help."

"She's brilliant at multitasking." I admitted, looking around at the other students. I knew some of them who were seniors at the orientation.

There was a guy I recognised as Gundam Tanaka; who was herding a flock of ducklings across the street as Sonia and Kazuichi watched him. I didn't know if the mechanic seemed impressed, or jealous. I decided to go with the last option.

There was a couple of students making their way in the same direction as Kaito and I..

A rather short blond teenager with slightly narrowed eyes, complaining loudly and followed by a girl with braided silver-grey hair. Our eyes met as if she knew I was watching, making me quickly avert my gaze. Scary.

"-and now with 30% accuracy!" a guy walked past Kaito and I, nearly bumping into us as he seemed to be chatting to what looked like a simple glass orb. Did people usually talk to inanimate objects.. or-? Maybe I was imagining things.

I was so focused on the other students, I didn't hear Kaito shout my name.

I jolted out of my daydream, suddenly realising that I had stepped right into the path of an oncoming vehicle as we crossed the road.

A hand then grabbed my arm and pulled me back, making me fall backwards and onto the hard pavement. "Ow! Hey!" I pushed my hair away from my face, looking up at the person. Instead of Kaito, it was a person I have never seen before.

"I was expecting a 'thank you'. But it seems like your parents don't teach you manners." the sarcastic voice told me, the sun shining behind them and the figure's features darkened by shadows.

"Shuichi! Are you okay?" Kaito helped me up as the person moved back from us. My hands were slightly scrapped from where I had tried to break my fall, but other than that, I was fine.

It seemed like my friend had been paralysed with fear when I had stepped onto the road but I decided to not bring that up, since I knew he hated to be embarrassed.

"Hey kid-." Kaito began to say as I brushed my hair away from my face again, my heart still racing from my near death experience.

"Number one rule, never call me kid. I know I may look like one, but I can break your kneecaps if you call me that again." the stranger said, as I realised why Kaito called him a kid.

The short boy had pale skin, and purple eyes which held a look of mischief. His eyes then matched the colour of his hair, which was curled up at the ends and slightly touching his shoulders. With a white shirt and pants which suspiciously seemed to resemble a straightjacket, he suddenly looked more of a criminal than a kid.

Before I could process the guy's entire bizarre outfit, he had leaned forward and was peering into my eyes, "Hello? Hey weirdo, why are you looking at me like that? Are you checking me out? I'm flattered!"

A rush of heat to my face made me blurt out: "No! I'm just-."

"Just a lie," The boy placed a hand behind his head, messing up his hair with a casual swipe, "You know, 'cause I'm a liar, but.. just saying, you seem sorta familiar. Are you a criminal?"

I'm a what-? The nerve of this guy- he's the one who looks like a criminal instead.

Kaito raised an eyebrow, finally speaking up as he seemed to finish analysing the strange boy in front of us, "Maybe it's because my sidekick is a famous detective.!"

"Detective?" At those words, the purple haired boy looked amused, his purple eyes darting from Kaito and back to me, "My my, that's fun to hear.. now, let me guess, your name's Shuichi Saihara."

I blinked, "How did you-?"

"Silly Saihara.. surely you should know me in turn then. I'm Kokichi Ouma! Ultimate Supreme Leader of a super secret evil organisation! As a world renowned criminal, I take it upon my duty to know every enemy of mine." he winked, giving me a small smirk.

"Wait, we're enemies?" I asked as this new guy, Kokichi, then sighed, folding his arms as Kaito seemed to be struggling; trying to keep up with the conversation.

"Of course, silly. That's fun isn't it? Now I have to head on to boring ol' school, but I think I'll see you sometime, dear detective." with that said, Kokichi slipped away into an alleyway, leaving my childhood friend and I standing by the pavement. "And next time, watch where you're going!"

A moment of silence passed between us before Kaito finally spoke up. "Did we just meet one of those kidnapping clowns?" I frowned at him. "Because it sure felt like that guy was trying to flirt with you. And when that happens, he might possibly kidnap you."

"You're reading way too many ghost stories, Kaito."

"Wait- G-Ghost?!"

I chuckled, knowing his fear for the supernatural and punching his arm. "I'm just kidding." Maybe Kokichi's behaviour was infecting my brain and somehow making me sound happier than usual- wait, why would I? I just met him for god's sake.

Slowly rubbing the spot where Kokichi had pulled me away from that vehicle; we started walking again. Which reminded me, I didn't get to thank him.

He was somewhat familiar. The smug smile of his and the gesture of his hand behind his head. It gave me a flash of déjà vu, and I couldn't help but feel curious.

"Come on sidekick," Kaito's voice interrupted my thoughts, "Maybe we'll see some more interesting people than that weird clown along the way."

I sighed, mentally brushing away that thought of Kokichi from my mind and following my friend. Maybe when I step into Hope's Peak, I'll forget about this strange feeling of longing.

▹⋇⋆*＊❀　❀＊* ⋆⋇◃

"What's your first lesson?" Kaito asked as we hauled our stuff into our dorm room, it's cream coloured walls were bare and cracked but at least it gave us a great view of a garden and a field of green grass. We had made it here, after barging past tons of other students who seemed to look older than us, and others who appeared completely lost.

"We're studying together, Kaito, don't you remember?" I reminded him, taking out a timetable printed on a slip of pale pink paper. On the side of it was a line of numbers, followed by a picture of a smiling rabbit. I decided to leave that alone for now.

"A bit weird, if you'd ask me." he confessed, taking out what seemed to be a houseplant. A succulent, based on its thick 'plastic' type leaves and rocky soil. It was a small plant, though Kaito carried it as if it held some sort of importance to him.

"There's a whole lot of talent in one room, so.. shouldn't they have classes for each student?"

I managed a laugh, "Kaito. Think about it logically. Do you really think there's a teacher for each talent?"

"Hmm.. they should. But anyway," his face was slightly red due to embarrassment but he kept the piece of paper close to his face, "Who do you think our teacher is?" his eyes travelled across the paper.

Before I could reply, he let out a triumphant shout, "Got it! Don't worry about it sidekick."

This was what I was always rather slightly irritated about.. he liked to be in limelight as if he were on his own stage. He reminded me of my father, who was the actor of the family and thus, lived in his own world. But still, Kaito was my friend, so I decided not to dampen his enthusiasm.

"It's someone called.. Miss Yukizome Chisa? Sounds kinda strict if you asked me.." he continued before folding the paper into a neat square and placing it back into his pocket.

Another thing about him was.. he always liked to lead people, even when we were younger, he liked to tell me what games to play and what people to befriend.

But hey, it's fine. As long as I didn't get in other people's way, or get in trouble, I would do as he says.

"Let's just hope that clown guy isn't in our class.." he sighed, picking up a lollipop from his hidden stash of candy and sticking it into his mouth. "He sounds like a lot of trouble."

"We can't be too quick to judge," I replied, finding myself actually standing up for that 'kid'. "Maybe he'll be alright.."

"I mean, a evil supreme leader? Like, he sounds dangerous! But also. How can a tiny kid like him be as someone as influential as a 'leader'.?"

My eyes turned back to the window, watching the other students walking around and getting to know each other. I didn't know why, but.. everything felt strange. Like I've lived in a place like this before or experienced situations such as this.

Meeting new people was never an easy task for me, but since I had Kaito as a friend; I could breathe a little easier and let him do the talking. But that Kokichi guy.. he just felt familiar.. somehow.

"- lesson starts at ten tomorrow.. wow, they're pretty relaxed here aren't they? But thank god they're giving a day off to rest for today." my friend's voice jolted me out of my thoughts once more but I also found myself tuning out his constant babble to continue staring out the window.

Maybe I should leave this familiarity for some other time and enjoy myself at Hope's Peak.. and make my uncle proud.

"Shuichi!" I flinched when Kaito's hand rested against my shoulder. His expression was worried, concerned as to why I was spacing out like this.

"Sorry," I apologised under my breath, feeling like I've used the word so many times before, "What were you saying?"

"Man," the other student replied, running a hand through his spiked up hair, "It's unlike you to be all distant like this. C'mon. What's wrong?"

I shook my head, grabbing my bag and shoving a book into it. "It's alright Kaito," I muttered, trying to sound as calm as I could, "I'm just going to take a walk, I'll be back soon."

With that said, I trusted Kaito to leave me alone. Which he thankfully did. Right now, all I needed was to find out why did I feel so... edgy in this familiar setting.

Perhaps I needed to talk to someone about this.

Or take a trip to the library.. that is, if they had one.

♥ End of Chapter Sixty-Seven ♥