Notes

Time felt null as they walked, hand in hand. Passing by the barb wire windows, heels clacking on the hollow floor, not flinching in fear at that erratic music blasted from every television in the school- it all felt so empowering. While they had nothing, Kaede felt like she had everything. The blonde glanced over at the boy matching her strides, to see his head dipped, that shield blocking his teal eyes from view.

She stopped. Heart still singing in her chest.

He stopped. Heart suffocating in his chest.

Kaede pushed the tip of his hat up, revealing his sunken, sleep deprived gaze.

Shuichi's face erupted in red, and he flinched backwards, hiding his shame with shaking hands. She hadn't realized how much that'd embarrass him, but to lighten the mood, she smiled through it.

"Hey Shui... It's okay to feel things, you know?"

The girl slowly approached her nervous friend, ignoring the voices caving in her skull with their screeching. Follow your own advice, Kaede. You can't cherry pick what to feel when you carry everyone else's pain.

Grabbing his shoulders, she-

"Kaede, the camera!"

The detective boldly grabbed her wrist and yanked her. The girl almost tripped over herself, but a newfound adrenaline stopped her. They bolted down the halls with a vigor.

Running like this felt like freedom, for a moment, Shuichi and her were bounding away from this place. Any minute now, the flashy music and gory images would stop. The gates would open and it would be all over. They could all go home to their families, the people behind this would be arrested. She would play Clair De Lune at their celebration party. Everything could go back to normal.

Kaede's daydreams ended when Shuichi halted, and tightened his grip on her wrist to prevent her from tumbling down the stairs.

He mumbled a sheepish 'sorry' while she rubbed her sore wrist with a good-natured grin. The dizzy girl's ears were roaring with blood. The sound so strong that she hadn't noticed the lack of a murder anthem. Shifting her focus to the nearest monitor, the screen had frozen. On an image so vile, that Kaede almost heaved again.

The grass tickled at the blonde's ankles, and her exhausted stomach twisted into consecutive cramps.

Someone had died.

Kaito and the rest of the stubborn students had barreled down the shadowy staircase earlier, apparently plotting to fight off the exisals or something even more outlandish than that. Just because the music had stopped, didn't mean her plan had necessarily worked, maybe the mastermind had struck first. Maybe they were still on the prowl, bloody weapon in hand.

That possibility ignited a fire in Kaede's heaving chest, and she flew down the steps with ease, leaving a gasping Shuichi behind, and ready to rip apart the aggressor who would dare hurt a hair on any of her friends' heads.