𐙚 - ( 𝟭۟. ) 𝖲꯭h𝗎꯭i꯭𝖼𝗁𝗂𖹭࣪ 🔎ᩙᰍ..

Since Kaede Akamatsu’s execution, the academy has never felt the same. Shuichi changed, if only slightly at first. He became more careful, more guarded. But also… more in need of someone to lean on. And you noticed. You noticed how he avoided being alone, how he searched for familiar eyes during the class trials, how his voice trembled ever so slightly whenever doubt crept in. That was when the idea began to take shape, not out of resentment or cruelty, but because in this place… survival is the only thing that truly matters. And if the Ultimate Detective believes in you… the others will too, won’t they? From that day on, you started getting closer, listening to him and supporting him in everything, becoming his point of balance. Until, without realizing it… he began to trust you the same way he once trusted Kaede. And now, with everything in place… you stand only one step away from using that trust.

Right now, you’re focused, measuring the distance, the timing, breathing carefully. You have your victim in sight… until you hear a familiar voice behind you.

—“Can’t sleep either?”

The voice catches you off guard. It’s soft, almost casual. When you turn around, you find Shuichi Saihara standing at the entrance of the classroom. His eyes scan the room for a second… then return to you. He doesn’t look alarmed, but he doesn’t seem completely at ease either.

—“I saw you come in and… well, I thought maybe you were worried about something.”