Chapter Text
Tap. Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Her nails, red and sharp, made music on the table in between them. The cafeteria lights were bright, blinding, casting the room in blue. Junko Enoshima stared at her, studying her like a bug. Mikan Tsumiki shuffled.
“Um… Enoshima-san?”
She smiled, “Call me Junko.” Her nail hadn't stopped tapping.
“R-Right… Junko… Well… Junko, what's wrong?”
Junko Enoshima shook her head, still smiling. “I'm trying to figure out how to fix things for you,” she said. “With everything you've told me, it's clear your life sucks. I want to improve it. That way, you'll never feel like killing yourself again.”
Mikan flinched at the mention of her actions, just a mere hour ago. The cafeteria lights hum, and Junko finally stops tapping her fingers. Instead, she brings them to her lips.
“So.” Her nail traced her lip, considering. “Your main problems are this — your parents are abusive, your brother replaced you, and you're an easy target for bullies. Do I got that right?”
“U-Um… yes.” Mikan meekly responded, glancing down at her lap, where her hands intertwined. Fingers, interlocking.
“Well… First things first, we have to fix your relationship with your brother. He's at Hope's Peak, when your parents aren't, and he's what's causing you the most grief. If he's choosing someone over you, we just have to make him think twice about that choice and regret it. To do so, your relationship needs to improve. Hana Ouma has been there for him when you weren't, that's the sad reality. We can't change that, but we can circumvent it.”
“C-Circumvent it?”
Junko Enoshima grinned. “If the problem is that she's been there for him during a difficult time in his life, then it reasons that, to eventually replace her in his heart, you have to do the same.”
“B-But… would he even accept that from me?” Mikan's lips warbled. “I've… I've hurt him so much. He ran away from me. He- He abandoned me.”
“Hmmm.” Junko narrows her eyes in thought. “Well, it's not a guarantee he'll forgive you,” she admitted. “You did try to kill him before he left, right? But, well, he didn't run and scream when he saw you, so that's already a good sign.”
“H-He berated me,” Mikan protests.
“But not at first,” Junko contradicts. “It was only after you said something that upset him, right? That's a good sign , Mikan. Most people would scream and run from the start, but he gave you a chance.”
“And I blew it.”
“Even still, I wouldn't say it's unsalvageable,” Junko waved her hand vaguely. “It's simple, really. You just have to apologize to him.”
“W-Would… that really be enough?”
“Mikan.” Junko looked at her seriously. “You tried to kill him . Most normal, sane people would want nothing to do with you after that.”
“R-Right… You're right, it's hopeless, isn't it?”
Junko made a frustrated sound. “You're not listening . Come on, you're smarter than this. If Kokichi was a normal, sane person, and a classmate asked him if he was okay, would he reassure her and urge her to leave him alone with his would-be killer? Does that, Mikan, sound like the actions of a sane, rational person who justifiably hates you?”
“W-Wait…” Mikan's eyes widened. “Y-You're saying… he doesn't hate me?”
“There you go,” she smiled. “You're getting it. From everything you've told me, it sounds like he's just as insane as you. Those actions… those aren't the actions of someone who hates you, Mikan. Maybe he's angry, maybe he's hurt, maybe he's bitter, hell, he may even resent you. But hates you? No. I'm sure of it.”
“D-Do you really think I can… I can fix things?”
“It's not hopeless,” Junko confirmed. “Let's take it one step at a time. Apologize, and we'll go from there.”
Her eyes gleamed, and she grinned, “Eventually, I'm sure of it… You'll replace Hana Ouma in his heart, completely.”
And for the first time in years, Mikan Tsumiki felt real hope.
Chapter Text
“Kokichi.”
Kokichi Ouma twitched, at the address from Mikan. Quickly, Kaede Akamastu had interjected herself between them, glaring.
“Hey, I don't know who you are, but get lost!” Her eyes were brilliant and angry, and Mikan Tsumiki shrunk at them. “Last time I left you alone with Ouma-kun, you upset him!”
Kokichi twitched at the characterization, sighing and putting a hand on Kaede's arm. “Akamastu-chan, there's no need,” he denied, “I wasn't upset. Remember — a supreme leader of evil doesn't get upset!”
Kaede Akamastu bit her lips, glancing at Mikan and Kokichi, before saying, “No. I won't leave you alone with her again! Not unless you can give me a good reason to.”
Kokichi sighed, once more, shaking his head. “Akamastu-chan… Fine, fine. Listen up, because it's not like me to tell the truth like this, but… Mikan-chan is my sister, okay? I'm not in any danger from her. Not really . I… snapped at her, last time. I didn't mean to. It wasn't her fault, but mine.”
“Sister…?” Kaede cocked her head, studying them, “But… you have different last names.”
Kokichi snorts. “Well, I was basically adopted into the Ouma family, you know. Tsumiki is my original last name, I just decided to change it later,” he rolled his eyes, “And Akamastu-chan, please, look at her. Look how she's shaking, how there's tears in her eyes. Does she look like a threat to me? Isn't it more likely that I'm a threat to her ? I promise you, I'll be safe. Mikan-neechan wouldn't really hurt me. Not in any way that matters.”
Kaede hesitated, before finally, reluctantly, she nodded. “Be safe, then, Ouma-kun. I'll be sad if something happens to you,” with gentle hands, she pat him on the head with one final smile, before she turned to leave.
Kokichi's eyes widened, as he reached up to pat his head where she touched. He blushed, scowling, before he shook his head and faced Mikan.
“Mikan-chan,” he smiled, “Please don't make me a liar again, ‘kay? I promised Akamastu-chan that you wouldn't hurt me, so please don't make me wrong about that.”
“...Why?”
Mikan asked, her voice wavering and frightful.
“Hmm? Why what? You gotta be more specific, Mikan-chan.”
“Why are you trusting me so much?”
Kokichi blinked, and Mikan stepped forward, tears blurring her vision.
“I thought she might be wrong, you know,” her hands reached out for him, and Kokichi stilled, looking at her with wide eyes, and yet did not run away, “You're scared of me, right? I hurt you, right? So why aren't you running ?”
Her hands reached him, ghosting his throat like she did all those years ago. Hands in the same place, but with no force this time, gentle and soft. Kokichi only looked at her with hooded eyes, eyes bright with consideration.
Slowly, Mikan put the lightest force she could into her hands. Slow, and steady, with warning. Kokichi's lips parted, but he still didn't scream, didn't call for help. His eyes slipped shut.
Her hands went lax against him, moving quick to his shoulders as she leaned on him, leaned her weight on him, and sobbed. Kokichi's eyes opened, blinking as his hands numbly went to hold her. “Mikan-chan?”
“ Why don't you hate me ?”
Mikan Tsumiki can only sob.
“How… could I ever hate Mikan-chan?”
“Kokichi,” Mikan cried. “ Kokichi .” With shaking, trembling hands, Kokichi only ran his fingers through her hair, as she panted with her grief. “I am so sorry I pushed you away. That I hurt you. I was just so angry, and I wasn't allowed to be. Not at mom and dad. Not at my bullies. Not at the world. But… I was allowed to be angry at you. So I took it out on you. I h-hurt you, when I should have protected you. I knew they hurt you too, and yet, instead of helping you, I blamed you when I got in trouble. I… I wanted them to hurt you, so they'd stop hurting me. I wanted them to hurt you, so you'd need me to take care of you. And when you lashed out at me… when you called me all of those awful things, day after day, it was too much. I snapped. I tried to k-kill you. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, little brother. I drove you away. I-It was my fault you ran away, wasn't it?” She lifted her head, feeling strangely desperate. “You'd rather be on the streets than face me… right? I… I cannot express to you how much… how much I am sorry for that.”
“You're… apologizing,” Kokichi watched her with wide eyes. “You're really apologizing.”
"I… I am. I'm sorry, little brother." She choked on a pitiful sob. "I'm so, so sorry ."
“Mikan,” Kokichi said, a faint smile pulling on his lips. “You don't have to cry. You… didn't even really have to apologize, either. A part of me was angry, but... Even with that, I already forgave you.”
“What?” Mikan straighted up, pulling away from him to look at him in disbelief. “ How ? How can you forgive me for hurting you so e-easily? F-For trying to kill you? Do you, do you even realize what- what I was trying to do ?”
“But you didn't kill me.” Kokichi smiled. “Because Mikan-chan wouldn't do such a thing. She's more kindhearted than she knows. She's just been dealt a bad hand, that's all. I know you… and I know you didn't mean it. Because if you did, I'd have died that night. So… I forgive you. I forgave you immediately, Mikan-chan. You didn't need to apologize at all. Though… Maybe that's a lie. A part of me really wanted to hear you say that, neechan.” Kokichi wiped her tears away with that same smile. “No matter how far I was from you, I loved you. Even if Hana-nee acted like I shouldn't, even… surrounded by her love, that love could never replace yours. I love you, Mikan-chan. That never changed.”
“So then why did you run?” Mikan demands, her voice wavering. “If you didn't hate me, why did you leave me ?”
Kokichi looks sad. “Because I knew you were better off without me.”
“What? Kokichi, no!” Mikan cried. “Why would you say that?”
Kokichi crossed his arms and leaned his head on them; a nervous tick, not that anyone knows. Hidden behind his head, his fingers are free to twirl around his hair and pull; grounding him.
“Well, it was obvious.” Kokichi says casually. “I knew you resented me, Mikan-chan. You… never spent time with me anymore. That's why I kept insulting you; you only paid attention to me when you were angry.”
Mikan is struck with the feeling that Kokichi and her are more similar than she knew; after all, her mindset was the same. Negative attention was better than none.
“But… that was my mistake.” Kokichi laughs. “Insulting you only made you hate me more, right? I hurt you. I tainted you. I made you so angry , and you're not an angry person, Mikan. I ruined you! That's all. I was only good at playing the role of the villain, don't you know? But… you didn't need a villain. So I left.” His eye brows creased. “But… I kept thinking of you, this whole time… when I saw you got into Hope's Peak, I was happy for you. And when I got scouted… I knew that was my chance to see you again. I couldn't stay away from you, Mikan-nee. Even if you hurt me, I… I didn't care. I just wanted you to look at me.”
“Kokichi,” She pulled him back in, crushing him into a hug, “Oh, Kokichi, Kokichi, my darling little brother. How could I ever look away? I love you so, so much.”
Shutting his eyes and hoping it's not a lie, for just a moment, Kokichi Ouma let himself believe it.