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Tbh, I kinda see Nikei as like a final boss... since he's a journalist and journalists really want news scoops... he'd kinda act like the journalist in Yandere Simulator 1980s mode... he'd get really suspicious of Teruya's behavior, and a lot of people would also report to him about suspicious behavior to him... which he might try to warn Mikado about him... but since Nikei is a void... Mikado just ignores him because he sees Nikei as a disappointment him and the other voids
âŒïžIF YOU DON'T SUPPORT OR LIKE SANNOTORI, THEN PLEASE SCROLL OR IGNORE THIS POSTâŒïž
This is AU video a made, Void Teruya AU (This is my version)
Explanation
I got this idea when thinking about roleplays i did with Gachagal (a friend on youtube)
This Au Basically made Teruya join the void and be with the love of his life Mikado (Yuki Joins too) because basically the foundation was just really toxic to Teruya and He had enough. Mikado made Teruya happy so he joined him, even if it was an evil group. He didnât care if he was a âtraitorâ. All he cared about was his friends and his beloved Mikado
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It's the last day of June, at least where I am, which means it's time to post all the art I made for Pride Month! I had planned to make more but I was busy with a bunch of other stuff, like work, going on vacation (which wasn't all the great, oof), other drawing projects to keep myself from suffering burnout, and struggling to get into the flow of writing again. And I'm not going to push myself to do one more cause it's late at night so I'm probably not going to finish it, and my arm is starting to ache. That is a sign to stop for the day. That being said, I am quite happy with how many of these turned out.
Anyways, here's my LGBTQ+ headcanons for the couples we see here and happy Pride month!
Teruya Otori: Gay (or Homoflexible if I'm in the mood to ship him with one of the girl characters, but otherwise he's, like, 99% gay in my head).
Mikado Sannoji: Genderqueer & Bisexual
Setsuka Chiebukuro: Bisexual
Hibiki Otonokoji: Pansexual
Kiyoka Maki: Pansexual (usually more attracted to guys but would also date girls)
Mikako Kurokawa: Asexual Lesbian
Haruhiko Kobashikawa: Bisexual (did not realize this until much later cause he thought finding guys attractive was normal hetero behavior. It isn't.)
Satsuki Iranami: MtF Transgender & Pansexual
The poses were based off of this ship pose meme. The google link goes to an account that reposted this meme, and I can't find the original post due to the artist switching accounts and having their old one be completely blank. But I did find their new accounts through their old account: @/taffybuns (main blog) & @/taffybunnie (art blog). Please don't harass the person that reposted this meme. It's just unnecessary pain.
Me as my free time slowly gets absorbed by work and college: IRL Sannotori, save me. Save me, IRL Sannotori...
Blank shipping meme underneath cut:
(*I headcanon that IRL!Mikado didn't know how to cook to the point of burning his food or making it completely inedible. So Teruya usually had to cook for them at the start of their roommates arrangement, teaching IRL!Mikado what to do and NOT do when cooking. Eventually, he got the hang of it and cooking started becoming more of a hobby for him that he usually the one that did the most cooking in the house. Teruya does breakfast, though, since he's the one that gets up first thing in the morning.)
Disclaimer: While Sannotori is problematic, itâs a thing in this AU/fic and the dynamic is not the same as it is in canon. Â
The Protag Teruya AU was inspired by @/anotherprofessionalâs post! Beware of Void spoilers though! Â
Fic is under read more!
âHolyââ
âWhoa, step back!â
Teruya scrambles away from the Monocrow Machine as it violently shakes. Setsuka, who was doing her own shopping in the gift shop, helps him to his feet and they run to the other side of the store. They keep their distance from the machine as it struggles to function, before it finally spits out the gift. Or rather, gifts as multiple objects spill out from the vending machine. The noises from the Monocrow Machine eventually calmed down and went quiet. Certain that nothing else was going to pop out or explode, Teruya cautiously moved forward to examine the gifts.
â...Books?â Teruya said, dumbfounded as he kneels down to pick one up. The book didnât have a title on it, but the cover had fancy engravings in black and a symbol that was a triangle with an eyeball in the middle. He canât help but feel a little bit creeped out as he opens the book to try and read it. But he quickly realizes that he canât as it was filled with runes he did not understand at all. âWhat kind of books are these??â
âLet me seeâŠooo, looks like these books might be about magic!â Setsuka said, picking up a book and scanning through it. Her smile wanes a bit. â...Too bad I canât understand any of this.â
âOhâŠâ Teruya blinks. Honestly, with all these symbols and runes, itâd make the most sense that these were spell books. What else could they be just by the aesthetic alone? He starts stacking the books on top of each other and speaks as he thinks. âWhere does Monocrow even find this kind of stuffâŠ?â
âHonestly, itâs probably stuff from Hopeâs Peak.â Setsuka hands him the book she held. âI mean, theyâre a school made to study our talents and help us develop them. So itâd make sense theyâd find stuff for someone like MikadoâŠEven if heâs like, the first wizard Iâve ever heard of.â
âYeahâŠâ Teruya sets the book on top of the stack and starts to question how heâs going to move all of these books. Thereâs no way all of them will fit in his backpack and itâll be too heavy to carry even if he could. âI mean, I donât think Iâve ever seen magic even before I got amnesia. But even then, itâs weird that theyâre able to find all this stuff for a talent that felt soâŠobscure up to this point. Especially since itâs all about magic, somethingâŠsomething thatâs never been real. You know?â
âHmâŠthat is a good point.â Setsuka frownsâŠbefore shrugging her shoulders as she starts to grin again. âMaybe thereâs a secret society of magic users no one has heard of until now!â
âUmâŠâ Teruya hesitates. He didnât want to shoot down Setsukaâs enthusiasm, nor did he want to question her idea if it was actually plausible. He justâŠdidnât want to come off as incompetent. And yet, the reminder of his journal and the questions he had asked himself last night encouraged him to speak up. After all, Mikado did tell him to get used to asking questions if he wanted to improve his thinking. â...Why, uh, why do you think so?â
âHm? Oh, wellâŠit is a concept in fiction. And since Mikado seems like the real deal, it would make sense that magic would have to come from somewhere.â Setsuka said, crossing her arms and answering his question head on. âI donât know where or how he learned his magic, but he had to learn somehow if he were to become the Ultimate Wizard.â Her smile widens as she raises her index finger. âSooo if a secret society of magic users exists, then Hopeâs Peak couldâve found a way to contact them and asked for materials to help nurture his talent!â
âThatâŠI mean, it could be possible.â Teruya admits, even if he had his doubts. Thinking on it harder only strengthened them as Mikado said that he never had a mentor and was completely self-taught through a book he found by chance. And if there was a secret society of magic users, well, that only brought up more questions than answers. âBut, umâŠhow do I explain myselfâŠ? I donât think that would make much senseâŠ?â He rubs his forehead. Setsuka doesnât push him, simply waiting for him to gather his thoughts. Teruya appreciated her patience. âIf magic has existed for years, centuries evenâŠwhy are we only hearing this now? Why havenât magic users made themselves known before? I mean, I donât remember our history at all, but Iâm pretty sure some people would be interested in using magic to help or hurt others. And if there really is a secret society, uhâŠhow would Hopeâs Peak find them?â
â...That I donât know.â Setsuka admits, scratching the back of her head. She was still smiling but her expression was much more awkward now. âIâll admit, I was mostly spitballing the first idea that came to mind. And itâs not like Hopeâs Peak is able to grab their hands on information that shouldâve been hidden. Take Ruko or even Syobai as an example. Neither of them were trying to gain Hopeâs Peakâs attention but they were found out anyway and got scouted into the school. Iâm just saying, if it did exist and Hopeâs Peak Academy somehow got into contact with them, I wouldnât be surprised.â She then sighs and shrugs her shoulders. âBut who knows? The whole magic thing is pretty much new to everyone here and the only one whoâs even intimate with that knowledge is Mikado himselfâŠand he ainât really talking. So all we can really do is speculate!â
â...Yeah, thatâs all we really can do, huh?â Teruya stands up and stares down at the stack of spell books. He was tempted to mention that Mikado learned magic all on his own but decided against it. That was a part of Mikadoâs past, and it was something he had opened up to him about. Not anyone else. So he shouldnât spill it out to others willy-nilly as that was information only he was trusted with so far. âWe donât really have the evidence to speculate in the first place. And it wouldnât really be a secret society if we knew all about it anyways.â Setsuka nods but doesnât add anything else. With the topic officially dying out, Teruya looks around to figure out how heâs going to transport all of these books. When his eyes land on some strings, an idea forms in his head and he walks over to the shelf. He had to pay for them from his handbook but he didnât care as he had an abundance of Crow-Cards at this point. Taking a decent amount of string, he carefully lays them down on the floor before putting the stack of books on top. He then grabs the string and ties them together at the top, keeping the stack together in one piece. âThis should workâŠâ
âIâd say so.â Setsuka rubs her right eye, leaning over to stare at his handiwork. âYouâre really good at tying knots. I kinda just wing it and then Iâm stuck with a big tangle of strings instead.â
âI could teach you next time we hang out.â Teruya offered, testing the weight of the books before deciding to just pick them up from the bottom. With a huff, he manages to carry them with ease.
âMaybe next time! You look like you have places to be right now.â Setsuka said, not denying or accepting the request. Probably something they can talk about next time. âGonna hang out with Mikado now?â
âYep.â Teruya said, popping the âp.â âHeâs giving me lessons in the library and I donât want to be late for that.â
âOoo, lessons! What kind of lessons?â She grins mischievously, nudging her elbow against his side. Teruya blinks at her.
âUhâŠInvestigation lessons? Cause, you know, I, uh, kinda sucked at the fake class trial. So Mikado offered to help and I donât want to get left behind.â Teruya explained. He readjusts his grip, completely missing the slightly disappointed look Setsuka sends his way. âI better get going. See ya.â
âAh, sure. See ya, Teru!â Setsuka smiles back at him and leaves the gift shop first. The nickname made his heart both flutter and tighten. Teruya takes a deep breath. He should focus on whatâs important right now.
He walks down the halls of the Monocruise, slowly making his way towards the library. When he finally reached the double doors, he had to use his foot to push it open. Almost immediately, his eyes land on Mikado reading another book. It wouldâve been a nice, peaceful sight to witness if he hadnât noticed that the cover was another psychology book, reminding him of Kokoro's possible motivations again. Mikadoâs real eye glances up from the book, looks back down, and then does a double take.
âWhat are you carrying?â Mikado asked, lifting his face from his book. Teruya simply sends him a smile.
âSpell books, apparently.â He said. Mikado blinks his eyes, both real and mask, as Teruya sets down the stack on the table with a grunt. âMaybe I should spend more time in the gym. My arms are actually sore from carrying all of these.â He stretches, lifting his arms above his head until his spine makes a popping sound.
âI believe thatâs a sign you should rest, not over do it.â Mikado closes his book and it disappears into his cape. He then leans over to look at the stack of books. âIâm assuming that these are a gift?â
âYep!â Teruyaâs smile grew a little bit before he undid the tie. He hands Mikado the first book. âI donât know if youâve seen these books before, but I remember that you wanted to learn more about magic. And this stuff popped out of the Monocrow Machine earlier. So I thought youâd want something like this.â Mikado stares at the book before taking it. He flips it open and starts scanning the contents, his eyes glowing along with the words. Teruya leans in, wondering what Mikado could be doing with his magic.
âThisâŠThis isâŠâ Mikado suddenly shuts the book. Teruya flinched at the sudden sound, but the wizard was already taking the second book to look through it. The same glowing effect takes place and then he closes it. He stares at the cover intently. âTeruya, these booksâŠâ
âUhhh, yeah?â Teruya shifts on the ball of his feet. He hoped he didnât somehow offend Mikado. Were the books fake somehow? Or something far worse? He certainly starts to fear for the worse when Mikadoâs mask suddenly goes blank, just like the times when he would go into shock. His body breaks out in a sweat. âI, uh, Iâm-â
âIâve been looking for these books sinceâŠforever.â His voice cuts him off, quiet and restrained. Mikado lifts the book to his face before holding it close to his chest. âAnd youâre giving theseâŠto me?â
âUhhhh, yeah!â Teruya laughs awkwardly. âI mean, as long as you like them! If you donât-â
âLike them?â Mikado said, almost sounding baffled. And when he turned around, Teruya felt himself freeze. His mask was completely blank, but his faceâŠhis real face. It was giving him this big smile, his eye shining bright like gold. âI love them! I could never get my hands on the full set before and you justâŠYou got all of the books! And youâre giving them to me. YouâreâŠYouâre reallyâŠreally giving it to meâŠright?â
Teruya gulps.
âY-Yeah, of course I am! You love magic and youâd get the most out of this soâŠâ Teruya rubs his neck, averting his gaze. He tries to fight against the blush rising to his face. âSo itâs yours.â
It was then that Mikado got out of seat and took his hand.
âThank you!â Mikado said, jumping up and down with a squeal. âThank you, thank you, thank you!â And just as quickly as he had held his hand, he lets go and pulls the stack of books closer to his side of the table. âI canât wait to read all of these! Maybe I can squeeze some time in at nightâŠah, butâŠHmâŠI need to do some researchâŠBut the booksâŠ!â
âHehâŠâ Teruya couldnât help himself. Even as Mikadoâs gaze snaps back to him, he just keeps chuckling. âSorry, itâs justâŠItâs, uh, cute. To see you get all excited.â Teruya smiles at the wizard. âYou look great with a smile. A real smile.â
âRealâŠah!â Mikadoâs eye goes wide before turning away. He covers the mask with his hand. âIâŠdidnât mean to smile like that.â Teruya feels his heart sink a little. But only briefly as Mikadoâs ears slowly start to turn red. âButâŠthank you. For the compliment.â
âUh, heh, youâre welcome.â Teruya said, unable to keep himself from blushing any longer. He sits down with his hands in his lap. Mikado also sat back down. The two of them werenât able to look at each other until the blush on Mikadoâs ears went down. As soon as that happened, Mikado put his hand down and his mask went back to normal. It blinks its wide eye before going to its normal smile. He turns to him, his real face going back to its usual blank expression.
Teruya wished he could see that smile again.
âThank you for the books, Otori-san. I will be sure to put them to good use.â Mikado said, setting the two other books back on the stack. He waves his cape over it and just like that, the stack disappears underneath it. He then adjusts his cape behind himself. âI will find you a suitable gift later.â
âOh, no. You donât have to do something like that.â Teruya raises both of his hands to try and appease him, feeling the blush on his face start to cool. But Mikado was already shaking his head.
âI insist, Otori-san. Youâve been spoiling me with gifts since weâve been hanging out. Itâs only natural that I give you something in return.â Mikado rubs his thumbs together, clearly pleased. âEspecially after you gave me a wonderful gift.â
â...Youâre not gonna budge, no matter what I say, huh?â Teruya said, caving in with a chuckle. He sets his hands down on the table. âWellâŠI guess Iâll just look forward to it then.â
âPlease do.â Mikado then pulls out his handbook and sets it up on the table. âWith that out of the way, let us get into the lesson. Did you do the assignment I asked you to do yesterday?â
âYeah. Itâs all in my journal.â Teruya pulls it out from his coat. Flipping it to the most recent pages, he lays it flat on the table and adjusts it so Mikado can read it better from his side. He had tried his best to brainstorm any and all questions he could think of last night, mostly about himself, the killing game and Kokoroâs role as the mastermind. Most of it was stuff he already knew or discussed with others in the dining room. But itâs good to have it on record so he can reference it later. Honestly, it was something he probably shouldâve done from the start. âSo, uh, where should we start?â
âHow about the first pageâŠwhich is apparently about yourself.â Mikado said, tapping on the page in question. He scoots his chair closer so he can read it better. On the page, he had written down âMy Identityâ and circled it. After that, he made a few branching points and tried to keep the questions to one word or as short as possible to save space. He already listed his name since meeting Rei Mekaru and that woman was the closest people to be able to confirm that much. Unless they were lying, but heâd rather not think about that. They acted like they knew him, so they were probably the best people to trust when it comes to his missing identity.
Too bad theyâre dead. It would make things so much easier for him if he knew himself. Or at least, his name.
âHmâŠthereâs little notes about your name.â Mikado points at it. ââShining houseâ...â
âOh, I was just trying to see what kind of kanji spellings I can use for my name.â Teruya said, leaning closer. âI know my e-handbook already shows how itâs spelled. I just thought itâd be good to cover my bases, you know?â
âI seeâŠâ Mikadoâs finger traces the kanji before him. There werenât many spellings to his name, to be honest. His e-handbook spelled his name âTeruya Otoriâ with the âteruâ kanji meaning âto illuminateâ or âto shineâ and the âyaâ kanji meaning âshopâ, while âOtoriâ straight up meant âlarge bird'. Any other spellings were pretty similar if not the same. Teruya can also be written as âshining houseâ and some spellings with Otori can be spelled âPhoenixâ or something similar to âbig bird.â Not a lot of spellings when it comes to his name. But that clues him in that his parents had chosen a very specific name for him at least. âWhat is a âFenghuang?â Feels foreign.â
âAhâŠI think itâs a bird from Chinese mythology.â Teruya scratches his cheek with his finger. The information was once again flowing through his head, like it was the most natural thing for him to know. âAn immortal bird, like a phoenix, is an omen of good luckâŠI think. Itâs just another way to spell âOtori,â if Iâm doing this correctly.â
âYour kanji spelling makes sense, if thatâs what youâre asking.â Mikado lifts his hand up to mouth with a chuckle. âA phoenixâŠit would certainly explain the little drawing you made, huh?â Teruya glances at the drawing in question. It was of a bird, made of circles and swirls, three feathers on top of its head, two tails and its wing was in front of its body like it was in the middle of flying. He licks his lips before shrugging.
âIt just came to me, to be honest.â Teruya admits. The moment he had written down Fenghuang, the image just flowed into his brain and he couldnât help but draw it right that instant. Upon looking at the little doodle, his heart had started to ache. But of course, no memories came back to him. Just a vague feeling that simply made his chest hurt. He almost wanted to shut his journal then and there, but he pushed on. He wanted to explore every question he could think of, for the sake of completing Mikadoâs assignment. â...Itâs a cute drawing. I think the design made an impression on me, but I donât know whereâŠâ
â...Actually, I think I do recognize that specific doodle from somewhere.â Mikado speaks up and Teruya instantly straightens his posture.
âYou do?!â He gapes at him with wide eyes. âWhere??â
âCalm down.â Mikado puts his hand up to soothe him. Teruya shifts in his seat but calms his excitement. He probably shouldnât get his hopes up too much. That would only be setting himself up for disappointment. â...I believe itâs part of a logo. A business that dabbled in almost anything you could think of.â
âAnything you could think ofâŠâ Teruya felt his brain throb, a familiarity surfacing in his memory. But it doesnât break through, much to his disappointment. â...Do you remember what itâs called? If Iâm drawing the logo, it must be importantâŠor something.â
â...Donât freak out. But, wellâŠâ Mikado pauses before his real eye looks away. His words are blunt and straight to the point. âItâs called the âOtori Mart.ââ
â...Huh?â He stares at him, processing his words. âTheâŠOtori MartâŠâ His jaw was hanging before the pieces finally clicked in his head and he snapped his mouth shut. He stands from his seat and slams his hands against the table. Mikado jolts. âWhy didnât you mention this sooner?! ThatâsâŠThatâs my name! It has my name!â
âMy apologiesâŠI simply didnât want to confuse you.â Mikado said, cringing at his shrill voice. Teruya made his displeasure clear on his face by frowning deeply. The wizard gestures for him to sit down. âAllow me to explain, at least.â Teruya narrows his eyebrows but he slowly sits back down. Once he did, Mikado continued. â...I was not aware that you and the Otori Mart were possibly related. Just because you share a name with a business doesnât necessarily mean that there is a connection. The possibility of a coincidence is always there and nothing more. And because I lacked the evidence to connect you and the Otori Mart beyond just your name, I didnât want to bring it up as it would confuse you. Reality does not always coincide with imagination, and itâd be easy to build up an expectation of your past self when it could be farther from the truth. At best, youâd be disappointed. At worstâŠyou may end up trying to reject your past self. And I donât want you to do that to yourself. Regardless of what the truth is, that past is still a part of you. Even if you never remember it.â
â...So, in other wordsâŠyou were keeping quiet because you didnât want me to believe in something that might not be true.â Teruya slowly summed up. Mikado nods his head. âIâŠsee.â He looks away. Now he felt a little shameful. âThat, um, makes sense actuallyâŠâ
âIâm sorry I have kept quiet up till now. I just didnât want to make assumptions without the evidence to back it up.â Mikado said, looking back at the doodle of the bird. âItâsâŠa bit circumstantial as evidence. But if the logo made such a strong impression on you, perhaps there is a deeper connection.â
âDo youâŠknow if the Otori Mart has an heir? Someone to inherit the business?â Teruya asked. It felt natural to ask such a question. Mikado, however, was already shaking his head.
âIâm afraid thatâsâŠbeyond me. I wouldnât know how a business works behind the scenes.â Mikado scratches the back of his head, almost as if he was disappointed in himself. âUnless it was on the news, I donât know if the Otori Mart is a business that runs on family inheritance. And even then, I barely paid any attention to the news unless I noticed something very concerning.â
âAhâŠWell, I guess I shouldnât expect it to be that easy.â Teruya sighs and pulls out a pen. He adds the Otori Mart under a bubble labeled âpastâ with a question mark on the end. âBut itâs something. Thank you for speaking up on thisâŠand, um, Iâm sorry for snapping earlier.â
âDo not apologize for that. Itâs understandable that you would be upset as itâs a possible connection to your past.â Mikado waves his hand placatingly before setting it down on the table. âKeyword possible. We shouldnât jump to conclusions.â
âI understand.â Teruya then looks back at the page. âI think we should move on from my name. Itâs one of the few things I know for certain about myself.â
âVery well. HmmâŠâ Mikado points to another bubble. âI see you put your own age and talent in question marks. Your lack of an idea for a talent makes sense, as we could only speculate on it based on the skills and interests youâve shown so far.â His finger circles the talents he had listed out, some of which were the ones Mikado suggested in the past. Others were ones he came up with on his own, like bank teller, financier or advertiser to list a few. But none of them really clicked in his head so they all had question marks around them. âBut why are you questioning your age?â
âUhâŠI mean, I know Iâm a Hopeâs Peak Student. I wouldnât be here as your classmate if I wasnât.â Teruya runs his fingers through his hair. âBut, I donât know. When I saw Rei Mekaru and that woman, I feltâŠstrangely attached to them? I donât know, I justâŠI feel a bit more closer to Shinjiâs ageâŠor something.â
âI see.â Mikado was quiet for a while. He then shrugs. âItâs not unheard of for there to be older Hopeâs Peak Students. Shinji is a living example of that. And we should keep in mind that height does not necessarily equate to oneâs age.â
âYeah, I know.â Teruya props his hand on his chin. âYuri is short as hell but heâs the same age as everyone else. I guess I just feel a little weird about my age since I donât even remember the specific number. Let alone my own birthday.â
âIf we ever come across any evidence about yourself or get out of here, you will find out eventually.â Mikado assured, staring down at the journal. Teruya slowly nods his head. He supposed heâll just have to wait and see. Assuming he survives long enough to find out. If only Rei Mekaru and that woman were still around, they probably wouldâve given him the answers he seeks.
Speaking of whichâŠ
âDo you have any guesses about my relation to the Kisaragi Foundation?â Teruya points at the âpastâ bubble with the name of the organization written underneath. âLike, maybe I worked and developed my talent there?â
âPerhaps.â Mikado puts his finger up to his lips. âIt would certainly be an explanation for how they knew you. But itâs possible that there are other ways youâve gotten to know them. Ms. Mekaru was the Former Ultimate Professor, correct? Perhaps she tutored you.â
âHaha, maybe.â Teruya said with a chuckle. While it was an on the fly suggestion, it feels as though something like that had happened in the past. He couldnât remember it, but he definitely had that feeling. He looks down at the list again. The Kisaragi Foundation, the Otori Mart, his familiarity with Yuki Maeda and that guy from the portrait, his familyâŠHe clicks his tongue. âYuki isnât much help. If he doesnât remember me, thereâs no point in asking. The guy from the portrait is dead, according to Kokoro and as much as I donât trust her, I donât see why she would lie. She seemedâŠgenuine in her grief. And my familyâŠâ Teruya puts his hand over his chest. âWhen I try to think about my mother, I donât feel much. Maybe Iâm a little sad but itâs nothing I canât deal with. But when IâŠthink about my fatherâŠâ He swallows, trying to get rid of this lump in his throat.
But it doesnât go away.
Even as he tried not to think about it, it felt hard to breathe.
Like something was choking him, drowning him in a sea of sorrow.
He can see someone in his head, his back turned to him as he sits at his desk. Warm and comforting.
But no matter how he tries to reach out to him, he feels the memory sink deeper into the abyss. Never to be found again.
Like the days of being held were gone, gone, goneâ
âOtori-san. Otori-san.â
He feels a hand wrap around his. Teruya flinches as itâs pulled away from his neck, letting go of the scarf he held so tightly. He felt sweat cling to his skin, his chest felt like it was tight and in pain, and his heart kept rapidly pounding against his ribs. But Mikado uses his other hand to make Teruya face him, staring right into his eyes.
âItâs okay. You can get through this.â Mikado said gently, rubbing his thumb along his hand. âJust slow your breathing. Count to ten. I will help you so watch me.â
Mikado takes in a slow deep breath, holds, and then lets it out. Teruya focuses on him and follows his example. The wizard counts out loud for him, repeating with each breath he takes, stops, and lets out. They do this a couple of times until the pain in his chest slowly alleviates. He can feel himself calming down and once he does, his grip on Mikado starts to loosen.
âDo you need anything, Otori-san? I can go grab it right now.â Mikado asked, still rubbing his thumb along his hand. Teruya stares at their conjoined hands, quiet.
âWhatâŠWhat about our lessonâŠ?â Teruya looks up. Mikadoâs mask forms a small frown.
âYou canât learn if your body is shutting down on you. If youâre not up for it, we can always skip todayâs lesson and relax.â Mikado said, holding his hand tightly. When Teruya starts to frown, he slowly shakes his head. âI know youâre concerned about getting left behind. But you shouldnât push yourself. Youâll only get frustrated.â
â...OkayâŠâ He finally caves in. He just felt so tired right now that he canât bring himself to argue. âCan youâŠgrab me some water?â
âRight away.â Mikado lets go of his hand and in the blink of an eye, he disappears in a flash of fire. Teruya barely had to sit there for a minute before the wizard came back with a water bottle in hand. He twists the cap without him asking to. âHere you go, Otori-san.â
âThanksâŠâ Teruya murmured before lifting the drink to his lips. The cool water made him close his eyes at the refreshing taste. After downing a few gulps, he finally starts to relax a little and smacks his lips once heâs done. Teruya sets the water bottle on the table and leans against it with a sigh. âAh, that feels good.â
âIâm glad to hear that.â Mikado said, sitting back down on the chair. He pulls the journal over to his side of the table. âMoving on from yourselfâŠit seems youâve written down questions about our situation and Kokoro, although itâs stuff weâve already speculated about. Including her strange motivations about brains and memoriesâŠalthough I see youâve written down âRemnants of Despairâ as well.â
âI meanâŠRei Mekaru mentioned it before. Which means this group of people are very dangerous, not unlike Kokoro.â Teruya explains his thoughts. He rubs his forehead with a sigh. âI donât knowâŠor rather, I donât remember what they are. All I know is that theyâre bad. Bad enough that Rei Mekaru called Kokoro that on the day we all woke up in this killing game.â
âYesâŠshe has.â Mikado said slowly. His mask slowly smiles. âYouâre putting all of this together very nicely, Otori-san.â
âI-I am?â Teruya lifts his head, staring at him with wide eyes. Mikado nods his head.
âYes. While the answers arenât concrete, youâre speculating, which means youâre using your brain. Thatâs good.â Mikado slides his journal back over to him. âIt means youâre being curious and that means this assignment went very well. Keep it up, Otori-san.â
âUh, heheheâŠâ Teruya feels a smile grow on his face from the praise. He still wasnât feeling well, but the compliment cheered him up. If only a little bit.
â...Do you wish to continue the lesson, Otori-san?â Mikado tilts his head at him. âIf you feel like we can continue, we can go ahead with the plan.â
âUmâŠâ Teruya hesitates. He wanted to continue their lesson. He knows they should. He needed this if he wanted to be useful in a class trial. If there ever is another class trial. ButâŠhis brain felt completely fried right now. And his gut was telling him that there was no way he'd be absorbing any sort of knowledge tonight. Not after what just happened with his body just moments ago. â...To be honest, I donât think I can do this today. But I still want to learn something. Otherwise, I feel like we just wasted an entire day.â
â...How about this then?â Mikado starts putting away his handbook. âWe spend the rest of our time working on that jigsaw puzzle we havenât finished, and I give you an assignment to work on for later. Does this compromise work for you?â
âYeahâŠYeah, I think I like that idea.â Teruya smiles a little bit as he lifts his head. âAlthough I canât promise Iâll be able to finish it tonight.â
âThatâs fine. The best plans are the ones that are flexible, so I donât mind changing things up. Even if it is only our second day of starting these lessons.â Mikado said, pulling the jigsaw puzzle box out of his cape. âAnd even if you donât finish the assignment tonight, just think about it. Okay?â
âAlright.â Teruya replied, straightening his posture. â...Thank you, Mikado.â
Mikadoâs mask smiles at him before scooting his chair closer to him. He then sets the box down and carefully sets up their jigsaw puzzle. With his magic, it was very easy to keep the half completed puzzle together and set it down on the table, along with the piles of puzzle pieces they made last time. Both of them were quiet as they started picking up pieces and putting them together. But eventually, Mikado speaks up.
âDid you remember something?â He asks, his voice low but gentle. Teruya lifts his head just as he attaches another puzzle piece to the jigsaw. âAbout your father, I mean.â
âAhâŠnot really.â Teruya admits. He can feel the disappointment weighing down on his shoulders. âI saw him sitting at a desk, but I couldnât even remember what he looked like. But I did feelâŠhappy and comforted when I saw him. And yetâŠI feel as though my heart is broken in two.â
âSounds like something complicated happened between you and your father.â Mikado points out. Teruya shifts in his seat, staring at the puzzle apprehensively. â...Would you like to talk about something else?â
âPlease.â Teruya nods and he quickly thinks of a topic. â...Whatâs it like using magic? You seem to love it a lot.â
âUsing magic is exhilarating.â Mikadoâs answer was almost instantaneous. He can feel the excitement radiating off of him. âBeing able to change nature itself, create objects out of thin air, seeing things that the naked eye cannotâŠIt's a whole different world. Not to mention I get to fly through the air! I wasnât able to do that back in Japan.â
âBecause you wouldâve gotten into trouble if people saw you using magic, right?â Teruya said, remembering their conversation yesterday. Mikado nods his head with a sigh, connecting another puzzle piece.
âYesâŠAs Iâve said before, using magic is not only taxing but also dangerous to reveal. Back in Japan, I had to be careful when and how I should use my magic. But hereâŠI have so much freedom.â Mikado stares at his hand, a giant smile forming on his mask. âThereâs no one else around but our classmates and as the Ultimate Wizard, Iâm allowed to use my magic to my heartâs content. I was so excited to study more about magicâŠâ He then hangs his head with a sigh. âBut alasâŠWell, I donât have to explain any further, now do I?â
âNope. I imagine the killing game put a stop to almost everyoneâs plans for Hopeâs PeakâŠâ Teruya picks up a few puzzle pieces. A frown slowly forms on his face. âUnlessâŠsomeone decides to murderâŠâ
âHopefully not. Youâve been checking on everyone since we got hereâŠNo one has been doing anything suspicious, yes?â Mikado tilts his head at him. But Teruya shakes his head.
âNot that I noticed. Nothing has been taken or restocked in the gift shop. At least, nothing suspicious like the tasers. I, uh, check every day.â Teruya clears his throat awkwardly. He canât help but feel embarrassed for doing something thatâs probably considered weird. Even if it felt natural to do so. âIt seems Monocrow restocks everything in the gift shop after twenty-four hours.â
âWhich means, if someone takes something from the gift shop, youâll only have until the night time announcement to noticeâŠâ Mikado sighs, rubbing his forehead as he picks up another puzzle piece. âNot very useful since people can take things and use them for later. Perhaps if you keep an active record of who takes what, you could bypass that. But getting people to cooperate with that would be impossible, let alone put any sort of surveillance on the gift shop. And then thereâs the U-MartâŠâ
âYeah, anyone could go in there, too.â Teruya scratches his head. âI donât think thereâs a good way of keeping an eye on the stores, especially by myself. And even if there was only one store, Iâd have to camp out there almost twenty-four seven just to catch people coming in and out and make a record of what they buy. Which means I wouldnât be able to investigate or do anything else the whole day.â
âHmâŠâ Mikadoâs mask frowns as he lifts his finger to his lips. â...I might have an idea, actually.â
âYou do?â Teruya raised an eyebrow at that. He puts down a few puzzle pieces, staring at the picture that was slowly coming together.
âIâll talk to you about it later. I need to make sure I wonât be breaking any rules before committing to my idea.â Mikado said, attaching another puzzle piece to the jigsaw. âIf it goes through, Iâll update you during our lesson tomorrow. Alright?â
âOkay.â Teruyaâs fingers brush against his goggles. Its cool, worn surface made his heart calm down, even when thereâs a pang of hurt behind it as well. He then huffs upon realizing something. â...Geez, how did we get to talking about preventing possible murders when weâre supposed to be relaxing?â
âOops. Well, it happens when you get carried away onto another topic.â Mikado rubs the back of his head with an awkward frown. But the mask quickly cheers back up. âHow about we move onto a lighter topicâŠlike, what did you do this morning? You and Iroha seemed to have hit it off well.â
âOh, we have! Sheâs been trying to teach me how to draw and weâve also been talking about rainbowsâŠâ
âHahaha, what is with your obsession with rainbows? It's a strange interest.â Mikado chuckles and Teruya huffs, swatting his shoulder.
âBecause rainbows are awesome.â Teruya then points at the sun emblem clasp that keeps Mikadoâs cape together. âItâs not like you donât have a motif either. You seem to really like the sun.â
âOh ho, on the contrary, I love all sorts of celestial symbols. Moons, suns, starsâŠTheyâre connected to the wonders of magic.â Mikado smiles gleefully and Teruya feels himself smile back.
The two of them spent the rest of their time together, talking, teasing each other and putting together the puzzle before them. Teruya talked about his time with Iroha and the other students, his exploration of the island with those students, and the strange gifts he would find in the stores. Mikado would add in his own commentary, but he didnât have many stories to share himself. Despite working hard in researching ways to get out of the killing game, he hasnât interacted with the other students unless he absolutely had to. Teruya wanted him to make a few connections with his fellow students. But he also didnât want to force him to socialize when he didnât want to.
Heâll just have to come up with a plan later.
Teruya sets the final puzzle piece into place, completing the image of the jigsaw puzzle.
It was a beautiful image, made of blue and black. Pretty lights washed the forest with a glow, and trees without leaves pointed towards the dark sky. The flow of stars reached the ground and further and further up until it can no longer be seen on the jigsaw puzzle.
âItâs a really lovely picture.â Teruya said, if only because he couldnât think of anything else to say. Mikado nods his head.
âIâll be sure to give you another jigsaw puzzle to solve on your own later.â Mikado replied. His hand carefully runs over the picture. Teruya canât help but take out his handbook so he can take a picture of it. Once he did, the wizard pulled the box over and moved the completed picture back to where it belonged with the help of his magic. âSo, about your assignmentâŠâ
âRight. What is it?â Teruya gets up from his seat. Mikado puts the box away in his cape and stands up as well.
âWell, I came up with a âcaseâ for you to solve on your own.â Mikado starts and Teruya tenses a little. He gently pats his shoulder. âLike I said, you donât have to start it tonight. But if you do decide to take a look, just open the document I will send over via the e-handbook.â
âAlrightâŠIâll see if Iâm in a better mood later, then.â Teruya still felt a little stressed, despite taking a break with Mikado. Maybe he should relax in his room for a while. It would help with his fatigue. âIâll be going then.â
âWait.â Mikado raises his hand. Teruya stops in his tracks. âLet me go grab your gift. It might help you relax.â
âOh, sure.â Teruya nods his head and the wizard disappears in a flash of fire. After only a minute of waiting, Mikado returns with a small object. He barely had to take a look at it to realize that it was a candle with a black cap over it and was purple to match the scent labeled on it. âAâŠlavender scented candle?â
âI used to come across these candles a lot while working. AâŠfriend used to use these a lot.â Mikado admits, staring down at the candle in his hand. His mask even looked a littleâŠsad. And not in its exaggerated teary expression. But he keeps talking before Teruya could ask if heâs okay. âThe scent is quite comforting and has a calming and relaxing effect. If you light it by your bedside, it will help reduce anxiety, manage insomniaâŠand even help those with memory issues.â
âWow, how thoughtful.â The tease was light, but the words were genuine. Teruya wasnât expecting the candle to fix all of his memories. That would be one hell of a miracle if it did. But highly unlikely. Still, he appreciated the gift as Mikado clearly wanted to help him with his health. âIâll be sure to use it tonightâŠBut, a friend?â
â...Weâre no longer friends.â Mikado said, looking away. Teruya mutters a small âohâ before the wizard shakes his head. âBut itâs alright. As long as you enjoy the aromatic smell, I will be happy with that.âÂ
âOkayâŠThank you.â Teruya carefully puts the candle away in his bag. Maybe he should use it while he relaxes for the afternoon. âIâll see you later then?â
âYes. Iâll see you at dinner.â Mikado then disappears from the library.
Teruya yawns, his fatigue weighing down on him.
Heâs been working very hard or socializing a lot these past few days.
Maybe he deserves to have a break in his room for a while.
Your relationship rank with Mikado Sannoji has risen from 3 to 4!
Mikado Sannojiâs information has been recorded in the e-Handbook+âs profile page.