To Heal (A private Danganronpa V3 RP)
 

(Place holder for RockyRhodes to start.)

With what felt like a jolt coming across his body, Shuichi Saihara had woken up in his bed in an instant, sweat and worry as he had looked across the setting he was in. Despite his frantic state of mind, it was quick enough for him to notice that he was in his familiar room setting, a apartment like room made just for him, one he had grown accustomed to after the ‘game’ he had participated in. Of course, this was the notorious killing game that he and fifteen other students had been involved in, which while feeling real as it played out, ended up being none other then a simulation, one to test the mind of people like him if they were to end up in such a situation. It was a cruel realization, one that he had hoped with after a month or two he would be able to move past like some of the others were making progress in doing, but making it further then others in the game proved it hard to do. Waking up from nightmares of the trauma he had experienced in the game just as he had done this morning was an unfortunate common occurrence.

Shuichi has shook his head, hoping to try and move past this familiar feeling as he sighed and got out of bed, making his way over to a mirror near a closet. It was here that he saw his morning appearance. Messy bed hair, a simple white t-shirt and blue shorts, and a stare that spoke volumes as to how he was feeling in the moment. He sighed, ‘the same old look as always’, he thought as he moved past the mirror and went to change into something better.

Eventually he had picked out his clothing of a tan shirt, gray hoodie, blue jeans, and black shoes. Casual clothing that he had gotten used to, anything to try and feel normal and alright in the current moment. Of course, his hair was still a bit messy, but it would have to do for now. He wasn’t in much of a mood to fix it besides pushing some of it down, leaving a strand or two standing up.

Feeling alright with his current look, as best as he could anyway, Shuichi made his way out of his room and walked down a nearby set of stairs, making his way to a nearby cafeteria. All of the participants in the killing game had been asked to stay in a building that would provide them resources of living until they were all recovered from what they had participated in. Good in theory, but Shuichi didn’t feel like much was done to help him out. Of course, he didn’t let others know of this as he wanted to deal with his feelings on the situation on his own, but to others it was apparent what was going on. As he walked into the Cafeteria with a contemplative look on his face, he had then heard a voice catch his attention.

Shuichi wouldn't be alone in his struggle. Kaito Momota, one of his closest friends and fellow classmates, had also participated in the game... A sick game, he would call it. He and many others were pushed to their limits, having to fear for their very lives as the main goal hung over their heads; kill, or be killed. Even though it ended up being fake, the scars (both mental and in some ways physical), were very much real.

Kaito did his best to keep everyone in a positive spirit, and swore that he would never stoop low enough to ever go out of his way to hurt them. At least, he tried to, but in the end the astronaut fell victim to the game's very desires. Granted, the person he killed told him to do so in an attempt to end it all, but even so... The image of the hydraulic press aftermath still haunted him to this day.

It didn't help that Kaito was cursed with this illness throughout the game, too, causing him to cough blood at random times and weaken him further and further. His fear of being caught at his most vulnerable, particularly by someone with less than good intentions, nearly drove him over the edge.

Despite so, Kaito couldn't show it. He couldn't let anyone see that side of him, no matter what it took. He had to be the hero for them, someone to rely on... Was that healthy? Absolutely not, but knowing Kaito, he was stubborn before he was honest about himself. With getting out of such tense environment though, Kaito slowly learned to open himself up. In private, moreso, and he still of course did his best to cheer his classmates up during times like this, but he's learned to take care of himself better, too. His illness was thankfully treated as well, so minus the occasional coughing fit, there was no blood in sight...

Dressed in some black pants and a purple long-sleeved shirt, Kaito made his way down to the cafeteria for some good ole morning chow. Waving to some of the others who mingled around, he simply chilled by one of the tables, swirling the straw in his juice around until he saw Shuichi come in. Shuichi... God, what a mess he looked. Even though he rarely talked about what was bothering him, it was clear he was feeling the effect of the game. Maybe talking with him could help.

"Yo, sidekick!" Kaito called to him in his usual cheerful tone.

Shuichi had seemingly been caught off guard by Kaito's call out to him as he had entered the cafeteria. Judging by the reactions of others in the room, they had seemingly been surprised by it as well as they looked up from what they were doing. He gave an embarrassed kind of laugh, meekly waving to some of the other students as he walked over to the table that Kaito was sitting at. He was hoping to get something to eat and drink to take back to his room, but that could wait for later he supposed. He didn't want to be rude to his friend that wanted to see him.

Despite the trauma of the killing game being a struggle to deal with, Shuichi did have to admit that Kaito's presence did help to alleviate some of what was on the boy's mind. It wasn't every day that he talked to Kaito and the others, as he did find it hard to separate what had happened in the game situation from real life, but in the moments where he did reach out, even if it only helped his mind break away from what he was dealing with for a small amount of time, it was appreciated.

"Hey, Kaito." Shuichi replied, sitting on the opposite side of the table from his friend as he offered a small smile. A yawn had then escaped his mouth as he also rubbed his eyes, looking down at the juice his friend had as he did so. "Anything good they're serving today? I, well, forgot to grab something to eat last night so I'm hoping it's something that can fill me up." He asked to make some small talk, knowing more-so that the reason he didn't get anything was due to him not feeling in the mood to go out, truthfully.

Kaito took little notice to the others' reactions, focusing in on just Shuichi and getting a good look at the detective (perhaps some volume control could be of use, though...). Ever since everyone made it out of the simulation, he didn't see Shuichi come out of his apartment room much, only occasionally when it was time to eat or for things like therapy. Normally Kaito would encourage him to be out more, but... He figured with their situation, some space and time would be needed.

He would love to get back into training, someday. Maybe if he could convince Shuichi and Maki once again...

"Hey Shuichi! Did ya sleep well?" Kaito asked smiling back. With a yawn coming from Shuichi, though, he can assume an answer was already given, which he lightly chuckled at. Hearing him say he missed dinner, however, Kaito pouted some.

"You gotta be careful with that, man. Skipping meals isn't good for you, know." He tutted with some worry. "But it looks like we got a pancake bar with a bunch of sides and what not. You could probably get a good plate of stuff made, I know I will!" Kaito laughed.

“I could have slept a little bit better,” Shuichi replied, frowning for a second before trying to regain some composure in order to not worry Kaito, “But it wasn’t too bad. If only they could make those mattresses more comfortable to sleep on, right?” He stated, trying to make some light of the situation despite knowing there was much more contributing to his lack of sleep.

“It was only one meal…” He simply responded to Kaito’s worry about his food, hoping to not make it seem like that much of a deal, but also knowing that his friend was right. It wasn’t good for him to miss out on getting food. “But I’ll take your word on that,” He acknowledged, showing a sign of agreement and a small nod as he looked to the pancakes they were serving up near the front of the cafeteria. “I’ll have to grab some of them on my way out.”

"Yeah, I get you... Wonder if we could get some of those mattress toppers or somethin'." Kaito nodded, understanding the feeling. By all means he was grateful to have his own fully furnished space, of course, but damn did it feel cheap at times.

"I know, I know, just don't want it to become a thing, ya know?" Kaito sighed. He tried not to be too overbearing with his worries, but it was hard... Shuichi was a wreck after the first trial, and if it wasn't for him coming to get he, Kaito has no idea just what may have happened to him. He didn't want to risk losing the detective, especially not now of all times. Kaito swallowed his nerves, though, coming back to the conversation.

"You're not gonna eat here? I mean, that's fine if you don't want to, but I figured a change of pace might be nice every now and then... You've been cooping up in your room a lot, I miss you man!" He spoke the last part with a sort of jokey tone, but almost sincerely, too.

"I understand," Shuichi nodded, noticing the care for himself that was apparent in Kaito's way of speaking, "I'll try not to have it become a recurring habit."

He was then going to answer to Kaito's statement on not eating at the table, but before he could do so, a rumble was heard from his stomach. The kind to signify that he was hungry, which elicited a bit of a nervous laughter from the detective. "Well, I suppose that I can eat here today." He responded, smiling for a second to keep up the amusement before waiting and sighing. A tinge of guilt being felt by the young detective as he sat and thought about what Kaito had said.

"I guess I have been in my room a lot, haven't I?" He thought out loud, staring at the open space of the cafeteria that surrounded him. "I know that I shouldn't be, because I do miss you, and the others... it's just been tough, you know?" He said, coming across as a bit more open then he had previously been. He supposed that it was something about Kaito that just, well, made it feel alright to talk about anything. Even though he didn't acknowledge what was tough, he knew that Kaito would understand what he was referring to given their situation.

"That's my bro, I know you can do it!" Kaito smiled. He could understand that feeling, slipping up on your routine only to fall into the habit of not doing stuff all together. However, he wanted to be sure at least no one else ended up falling down that path. Case in point, hearing Shuichi's stomach growl signaled to Kaito that it was definitely time to eat.

Hearing him express his struggle, abide only somewhat, Kaito nodded, though was curious to learn more. After all, if he could help Shuichi from it, then he's all ears for it.

"Yeah, I get that... I think a good few of us are still feelin' it to this day." He spoke softly. "But don't feel like you gotta bottle yourself up just because of that. If you wanna talk about it, or anything really, you know I'm here for you no matter what."

“Thank you, Kaito.” Shuichi responded back, feeling thankful that Kaito was there to talk to him. He knew that deep down inside it wasn’t wise of him to bottle up his emotions and thoughts like this, but up to this point it had seemed like it was the only easy option for himself to do. Not just for himself, but for others, as he didn’t want to elicit worry. In this moment, though, it did feel like some weight could have been lifted off his shoulders, that he could be more open then had had been the past few months.

“I suppose that for me, it’s just been tough coming to terms with things.” He stated, pausing for a moment as he looked around the Cafeteria and seeing the others that were eating and chatting. Not everyone that was in the game was currently present in the room, but there was enough to get him reflecting on the game. “I experienced more of the game then the others did, and through extension I played more of a role in determining the others fates. We’ll all fine now, but in the game? If it wasn’t for witnessing deaths, or voting for people to be punished, or aiding in cases, I saw a lot happen from beginning to end…” He reflected, sighing for a brief moment.

“We all saw a lot, but Maki, Himiko, and I all saw the most. I don’t know how them two are coming to terms with what happened, but it’s been hard for me to.” He said, frowning for a moment upon thinking again about the game. “I’ve tried the techniques and resources they supplied to us, honestly I have, but it does nothing. Talking about it a bit helps, but I know it won’t put away what happened, at-least in my mind.” He thought out loud to his friend, reflecting on the several nights that were hard to sleep through do the kind of thoughts he had on his mind.

Kaito set his drink aside, putting all of his focus onto Shuichi to let him talk things out. Kaito was a talker, that much was obvious, but during times like this he knew it was best to just listen. So he did, and nothing than giving a nod every now and then, Kaito didn't want to interject too much, at least at first.

"Yeah... It was a lot." Kaito replied. "It makes sense for you to feel that. Even though you didn't die or anything, you watched a lot of us die, which.. sure, someone could say it was your fault, but I don't think so." Kaito spoke with honesty, sitting up against his chair.

"The rules were clear; participate in the trials, or die with everyone else. If you weren't around to save our asses, we would've been dead from the start." He put bluntly. "I mean, we know now that we didn't really die, but back then? I don't think anyone had a clue about that being a simulation from the get-go. You didn't, Kaede didn't... Kokichi maybe, but you know how that little shit is." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"But... I feel you, man. Therapy helps and what not, but it's like.. a stain. Sure, you can wipe the mess off and be fine, but actually trying to scrub it off is just... Hard." Kaito sighed. Hearing how Shuichi tried a lot to get better, he pondered on his thoughts a bit, thinking of what to possibly help the detective out.

"Say... What all have you tried if ya don't mind me asking? Because I might have something that's actually been pretty useful for me that could work for you, too."

"I know that what went down in the simulation, as far as the killings and other behaviors, wasn't my fault, it was the way the game was set up that contributed to it all" Shuichi admitted, slumping a bit in his chair as he continued on, "But I still had a role and played into everything. Whether it was investigating cases, contributing to accusing a culprit, or not doing enough to prevent future deaths, it does feel like I had a fault in everything..."

He then sighed, crossing his arms as he sat and reflected upon Kaito's reasoning for what happened in the simulation not being his fault, and how he should look at things differently.

"I get that none of us knew what was going on, and that I did have moments where I helped, as we all did, it's just hard trying to move on from everything. It may have not physically played out, but mentally, the effects of it will always be there, and I'll always be reminded of it, no matter how much I try to push past it." He said with a frown as he recollected the many nights full of trauma he had, or his avoidance of others to try and minimize thinking about what had happened.

Upon hearing Kaito's sigh, Shuichi then tried getting back into a more stable position, hoping to not worry his friend too much after explaining everything to him. He was being much more open than he had been previously, but in a way it did feel needed, in a sense.

"Well, I have tried some of the simpler techniques the therapists have recommended, like taking short breaths, going for walks, writing down your thoughts...but they never seem to work. I try to get my mind off of the simulation thoughts, to try a technique that can hopefully take my mind off of things, but it always comes back to remembering what happened." He said solemnly, but hearing that Kaito did have something that appeared to help him out did lead to some intrigue. "What is it that you have been doing to deal with everything?"

"I mean... You aren't the only one." Kaito rubbed his neck. "If it wasn't for some of us going and turning against our classmates, you wouldn't have to go and find us out just so we wouldn't get away with it. I don't think it's fair to put the blame on all of you when you were just trying to survive like the rest of us." He said with sincerity, sitting up on his chair with a creak.

"Granted, I wouldn't really blame any of us for what happened. Yeah, killing is bad, no shit, but in a situation where that's your only means of escape and you couldn't really look elsewhere without punishment, I think it's safe to say there wasn't much rationality going on... If that makes any sense. Maybe i'm just talkin' out of my ass."

Kaito hoped to have alleviate some of Shuichi's worries with that. He knew getting over the guilt and overthinking wasn't a simple overnight process, but if he could at least get one step forward, that was a win in of itself. Hearing about what techniques he partook in, Kaito nodded, making note of them.

"Those are nice, but yeah, I can see how they're not the most useful for this." He said. "But if you're looking for something to help keep those thoughts away..."

Kaito glanced around the cafeteria, suddenly looking somewhat secretive and he leaned in some to get closer to Shuichi, speaking in a whisper almost.

"Listen, what I'm gonna suggest might sound weird or silly, so you gotta promise to not laugh at me about it, but... Do you know what age regression is?"

"I don't think that you're talking out of your ass, Kaito," Shuichi replied, nodding his head as he listened to his friend's rationality on the situation, "What you're saying does make sense as I can acknowledge we all had a lack of rationality, and I can see how that lead to certain behavior displayed in the situation we found ourselves in. I guess I just wish it was never a situation that had to happen..."

He sighed, looking down for a brief moment as if to recollect some of his thoughts and himself after voicing out more then he intended. It was tough, and in a way some of the tension weighing on his conscious did feel like it was lifted, even if by a small bit.

"I guess I just wish it could have all played out differently, or that it could stop looming over me so much... Just have to hope that things get better, right?" He said while still looking down, but after a few brief moments looked back up, showing a bit of a small smile, as if to show that there was some process being made, albeit being small process.

The smile on his face then turned to a look of curiosity by the mention of Kaito having something that could help him ease his mind. There was some initial confusion of seeing Kaito glance around in a secretive like manner, which didn't appear to be characteristic of his friend, but regardless he leaned in as well to hear his friend out.

"Age regression?" He responded, pondering for a moment as though to think about what his friend was referring to. "Well, I am familiar with it as a concept in novels I have read, but never have I heard of it as a therapy technique... why would I find it weird or silly?" He asked, seeming unaware of what it involved in this context, but also showing some interest due to the situation at hand.

"Yeah, I know..." Kaito sighed. It was true, at the end of the day if none of this happened in the first place, no one would've gotten hurt. Then again, that also meant that everyone would've never met, at least not so soon.

"Well, you know what they say; the only way out is through, you know? It's hard now, but all we can really do now is just take it a step at a time and see what each day brings us. Together." He smiled with reassurance. Kaito was curious about how such topic was presented in the detective's novels he read, though he scratched at his cheek.

"Well, I dunno if it's the same thing as what's in those books. But in this case, age regression is where you mentally regress to a younger age as a way to like, get your mind off of whatever trauma or stress you're strugglin' with. How young you go can depend, whether it's the age of a kid or straight to being a baby, but it's kinda like letting yourself be little again." Kaito explained. "My therapist recommended it to me after I talked about feeling disconnected from my childhood and... Having sleep issues-" He hesitated on that last bit. "so hearing you wanting to get your mind off of the game, I thought maybe that sounded like something that could work for you."

“I suppose that you’re right, Kaito. Thanks for saying all of that, I think that was something I really needed to hear at a time like this.” Shuichi acknowledged, nodding along as he sat up a bit more straight, as if to show he was regaining some hope. A conversation like this, while a first step, was a strong step, after all in the young detectives mind. He then focused and heard Kaito explain what age regression was to him as it related to relieving stress, which certainly had the boy thinking for a bit.

“Well, I would say that it’s loosely similar to what I have read in my books, though I am more familiar with the term in a magical sense.” He admitted, thinking of certain plots he had read where age regression was used as a way to regress the body of a individual, sometimes mentally, sometimes not. Regardless he shook his head and got back to the conversation at hand. “It…certainly sounds interesting. I have also been having some sleeping issues, with not getting much sleep, so if it can help with that I do think I would have an interest in it.” He acknowledged, though likely not being aware that him and Kaito had…differing sleep issues.

“I guess the only questions I have are, well, how far do you go with it? I understand the concept of going back to being a kid or a baby, but are you…well,”He paused for a second, looking around to make sure no one was hearing as he leaned forward, “Are you expected to dress and behave like one? You know, wearing diapers, playing?” He asked, showing a hint of embarrassment, but also some curiosity as he asked the genuine question.

Kaito was glad to hear their talk helped make Shuichi feel better. Bottling things up could only really do so much, but sometimes even just a conversation with another can do a lot to help alleviate feelings. With that out of the way, the astronaut focused in on the next topic: explaining his coping mechanism to the detective.

"Yeah, it's not really a common way of coping compared to the other stuff professionals would recommend. But it's something that more and more people are lookin' into." Kaito replied. He tried to keep his tone confident and casual, but as the question of things like diapers came up, he couldn't help but blush.

"I-I mean... I guess it depends on the person, but it's something that can help the process along.. 's what I do, at least." He said. "I find doing stuff like coloring, watching cartoons and playing with toys to help me get into that headspace, and... Diapers do, too." Kaito muttered, fidgeting with his goatee. He hated to be so embarrassed to say this, considering he didn't want Shuichi to feel like it was something to be ashamed of, but damn... This was harder than he thought.

“That explains why the professionals here didn’t bring the idea of regression up to me, seeing as it’s not common.” Shuichi responded, reflecting on some of the more common techniques that the people he met with gave him. He could imagine that a way of coping such as this one would be a tough one for people to accept. It certainly sounded…unique, that’s for sure, if also a bit embarrassing to the young detective.

At the same time, though, he also had to admit that not much else seemed to work out for the young detective in regards to coping and dealing with the stress. And from the way Kaito was explaining his way of using it to deal with everything, it did sound as if this method, even if it was one that would take some time getting used to, could be helpful. He sat in close thought as he took everything in, eventually looking at his friend as he decided on what was explained to him.

“Well, like I said, I do have an interest…even if it’s well, different. I think that I’d be willing to give it a try, though wearing clothing like diapers is certainly going to take some time getting used to…” He said with a pause before doing a bit of a nervous chuckle, followed by blushing a bit as the image of him in such clothing came to mind. He didn’t know if it was going to be a simple transition to make, at-least mentally compared to what he was used to, but he supposed there was no hurt in at-least trying it. Anything to help get his mind off of the current situation, he tried to rationalized in his mind.

“Anyway,” He then said, trying to get the image of himself in such a look out of his mind as he tried to keep some focus, “If I wanted to get a start in trying this out, what would I do? I’m assuming you would have everything needed for it in your room.” He thought out loud as he asked his friend, figuring that this was something he participated in on his own if he was being this secretive about it.

(I figure that this could be where Kaito reveals that Maki is involved with helping him cope/regress. Was thinking that Kaito is mainly being cared for in Maki’s room of the building, like maybe she has her own little nursery set up in her room for Kaito. Didn’t know if Maki should be brought into the cafeteria with them both, thought they could both make their way to her room so Kaito can ease him into stuff, etc, as long as that’s good with you.)

(If you wanna have her enter in that's fine, or we can just have the two make their way to her room and she comes in later.)

"Heh, yeah, it definitely took some time for me to get used to." Kaito laughed. "Sorta a mental and physical thing to work with, but once you get into it, it's actually pretty nice!" He assured. It was true, coping through regression did take time to get into, especially if it isn't something someone was familiar with at first. At the very least though, he hoped he could help Shuichi get somewhat adjusted to this bit of lifestyle.

"Oh uh, actually, I don't typically keep my stuff in my room. That's usually in Maki-Roll's." He added. "She's been the one to help take care of me once I brought it up to her, and she actually has a little nursery space in her room. Don't know why it was there.. but hey, we decided to put it to use and it's been useful for me!" Kaito nodded.

"I got a spare key for her place, so we should be good to just head in and I can show you what's there and all that."

(I’m cool with letting her come in later in that case, yeah. Letting Shuichi and Kaito enjoy some little space on their own, etc. Lemme know when you’d think it’d be a good point to bring Maki in and I can do that, also figure we could use Shuichi eating as a way to transition and cut a bit ahead to them getting to the room.)

“Well, as long as it can help keep my mind at ease and off of the game then I’m willing to give it a try with you, Kaito.” Shuichi reassured, giving his friend a smile. “You’ll just have to excuse me if I’m a bit nervous with it at first, is all.” He then said with a bit of a blush. Something like this was a new, different experience for the detective. He wasn’t sure how he would adjust to this kind of help, if at all, but he was open to giving it a go with all of the good his friend was saying about it. ‘What could go wrong’, he thought to himself.

“That’s certainly convenient that she has a nursery space in her room, it’s kind of like the people here knew that’s how you’d best cope with everything going on.” He said with a bit of a laugh. He was a bit worried with someone else knowing about him trying this out, adding a bit more to the small bit of embarrassment about it, but he also knew that Maki was one of the people that he made a great friendship with in the game. That was what gave him the reassurance in his head that he would not have to worry about her telling others, and just keeping it to the three of them.

“As long as she is alright with me giving it a try, then I would be good to heading to her room. We can probably go now as a matter-“ He was then interrupted by the rumbling of his stomach, which caused a bit of a embarrassed laughter to come out of him. “Well, maybe we can go after I eat some of those pancakes they made.” He said, smiling at his friend.

"No worries bro, I get ya. We don't gotta rush into anything if you don't want to." Kaito assured. It's not like either of them had much going on anyways, so it'll be helpful for them to ease into it together. Well, for Shuichi at least, while Kaito could help give him get started.

"Heh, it could be that! Never thought it would be somethin' I'd get myself into.. but hey, I'm not complaining. If anything, I'm curious if anyone else here also has a room like that in theirs..." Kaito pondered. Considering no one else really brought it up, perhaps not, but then again they could also just be keeping it to themselves. He hasn't visited all of his classmates at their spots yet, let alone got a good look around their rooms, but oh well.

Kaito snapped out of his curiosity hearing Shuichi's stomach rumble once more, and he chuckled as well. Pushing his chair out some, he got up ready to head over to the breakfast stations.

"I'm sure she'll have no issues with you joinin' in, too. Now c'mon, let's get something to eat!" He grinned, soon turning to make his way over.

"Well, I can tell you that I certainly do not have an area like that inside of my room. It doesn't look like I was quite as lucky as you were." Shuichi said as he then thought on the idea of the rooms of the others similarly having additional elements to help them out in coping. If that was the case, then what was in his room to help him, the young detective thought.

Shaking his head from the thought for now and nodding as heard Maki would be alright with him giving it a try, he then watched as Kaito got up and ready to get some food as he quickly did the same, pushing in his chair after getting up. "Thanks again, Kaito, for being willing to help me out with everything. It does mean a lot, more than you know, as a matter of fact. Of course, you can help me out some more by not hogging all the pancakes." He stated, following his friend to get some much needed food for himself to enjoy.

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After the two friends went and got some pancakes, and some morning drinks such as orange juice to enjoy, they spent the next hour sitting down and eating while also continuing to chat. It was with time that the young detective found himself opening up way more then he had been when he first came into the cafeteria. Of course, the thoughts about the game hadn't completely gone away, as they did enter into his thinking every now and then, but thanks to the conversation with his friend he was at-least able to take some of his mind off of it, which proved to be much appreciated.

After finishing up his last gulp of orange juice and wiping his face with a napkin, he sat his glass down on his plate and smiled. "That breakfast was definitely needed this morning, I'm glad I was able to snag some of it. Though, it would have been better if you didn't take close to all of the chocolate chip ones..." He said, making a light jab at his friend that was followed by a small laugh.

"Anyway, I know that I'm definitely done with eating. Those pancakes filled me up. What do you think, should we make our way on over to Maki's room?" He asked, the thought of what the therapeutic method entailed coming back to his mind as he blushed a bit.

"No promises~!" Kaito jested, waiting for Shuichi to catch up before they both went over.

With that, the two eventually grabbed some food and spent the rest of their time in the cafeteria chatting away. Slowly but surely, it seemed as if Shuichi was opening up to him more through their talks. Even though his anxieties may not have fully cleared, Kaito was just happy to see the detective coming out of his shell and bonding with others. Hopefully this new coping mechanism will help him adjust more, too.

With their breakfast done, Kaito took their plates to the wash bin and tosses any trash away, patting his stomach with satisfaction.

"Hehe, my bad bro, I'll be sure to leave ya some next time." Kaito laughed. "But yeah, definitely hit the spot... Since we're all done, then we can go ahead and make our way over now. Let's go!" He smiled, soon leading Shuichi out of the cafeteria and back up to where the rooms were.

Shuichi nodded as he let Kaito take both of their plates and trash as he went to put the two away. He smiled, knowing that his stomach would now be good for the next few hours. He was thankful for the good food, but also appreciative of Kaito sitting down to chat with him as the two ate away. He made a quick mental note to come down and do that more often, , to talk with the others in the building as well.

"Alright, I'll follow after you then." He acknowledged as he followed his friend out of the Cafeteria, which still had some people in it, but had seemed to be less empty now than opposed to when he came in earlier. He had chalked this up to most of the others getting ready to go about their days just as him and his friend were getting ready to do.

The path to get to the rooms was a familiar one to the young detective. After walking up a set of stairs with his friend the two were presented with a hallway of doors, eight doors on each side of the hallway, with each one corresponding to one of the sixteen teens that were in the building. There were a lot of rooms to keep track of, but thankfully it was easy enough to keep track of each of the rooms due to the name plate on each of the room's doors. As the young detective and his friend walked they passed by rooms belonging to Kaede, Tsumugi, Gonta, Kokichi, and much more, even their own rooms, before finally getting to Maki's room.

"It looks like we're here. Well, since you got the key." He stated, allowing himself to get out of the way of the door so that his friend could be able to open it.

The two made their way to the apartment rooms, walking down the main hall that acted as a path for them. While all condensed into one area, the rooms were more spread out compared to how the dorms in the simulation were formatted. Must have been from the extra space said rooms had.

Thankfully it didn't take long before they reached Maki's door near the end of the hall, noting the plate that held her name on it. With that, Kaito gave the door a quick knock first, just to see if Maki potentially was in there... Upon hearing no answer after some time, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little key, taking it to the doorknob and twisting it inside. With a click the door unlocked, and the astronaut gently pushed the door open, making his way inside and holding the door for Shuichi.

"Come on in, bro!" Kaito smiled, gesturing for him to follow.

"Thank you, Kaito." Shuichi responded to his friend as he followed after him and walked inside the room, while also giving him enough space to close the door after walking in.

Upon walking inside of the room the young detective was able to see that the lay out of the room was somewhat similar to his own room. There was space for a couch and television to the left, a kitchen area to the right, and further to the back right of the room a bedroom and closet. It was close enough to the layout of his room, with the one noticeable difference being that further to the back left was a door that led to another room inside of the room, which he had assumed to be the nursery that his friend had referred to earlier.

"It looks like Maki and I have the same set up going on. I'm guessing that room is where the nursery is located?" He asked, pointing to the door as he showed some interest in seeing what was inside since he knew it'd be smaller then the rest of the room, but maybe there was enough in there to make up for the smaller scope of size.

Once Shuichi entered in, Kaito took and key back and tucked it back into his pocket, closing the door behind them.

"That makes sense. Mine's a bit more spaced out as far as how the furniture it laid out and stuff. Wonder if it's split on how different everyone's rooms are compared to each other..." He thought on the idea. Given they wanted to keep an eye on both victims and blackened alike, they probably arranged their rooms to fit any necessary equipment or give enough room to move around, in case of an emergency. Kaito hasn't had one, personally, but it's what he assumed.

Getting back on track, Kaito nodded at Shuichi's assumption, making his way to the door in the back. This one didn't have a lock, so he was able to simply push the door open and reveal the nursery inside, doing the same he did with the first entrance and let the detective in after him.

"That would make sense if they split the rooms up like that. You'll have to show me your room another time." Shuichi replied, noting that this was the first time he had went out and saw what another room looked like compared to his own. The thought did not cross his mind that each of the rooms could be different per each person, but he supposed it would line up and be similar to the research labs each of them were given while in the situation. A different layout and fitting environment for each teenager to roam around in.

This was something that he may have to look into at another point, he thought, as he directed his attention to Kaito opening the door to the nursery and walking in it. He then followed after his friend, walking into the nursery to see what was inside.

Despite being a smaller space then the previous room, the young detective noticed immediately that the nursery had a fair amount of stuff within it. What caught his eye at first was the playful, childish wallpaper that surrounded the room, containing colorful drawings of bears, toys, suns, clouds, moons, and a lot more that would be appealing to a younger age. He had also noticed different parts of the room such as a mat next to a chest, what appeared to be a changing table next to an admittedly big crib, and some shelves and drawers next to a closet, which he assumed to be filled with youthful items that would aid in this coping process that his friend was involved in. It was a lot to take in all at once, but he did have to admit that it was fascinating.

"Wow. I know that this way of coping involves regression, but I didn't think it was going to be this detailed. You really got everything that you would need here to get in that youthful frame of mind, huh?" He admitted, taking the time to walk around the room and look into things some more. He knew what he was getting into, of course, he just wasn't expecting it to be this involved and capturing the experience.

"Right, I don't think I have yet... Will have to drag you over sometime, then!" Kaito laughed, mostly joking but the thought was nice to think of. At a later time though, of course. With Shuichi walking inside he followed in, leaving the door ajar since it didn't need to be fully closed before turning to look around himself.

"Yeah, pretty elaborate set up, huh? They must've done so to help ease whoever was regressing to into it better." Kaito replied. "But I like it! It makes the room feel comfy without it being too busy feelin'." He noted.

"But yeah, we got a crib in here, a changing table with all the diaper supplies, and that closet's got a bunch of shit in there. Clothes, blankets and sheets, I think some extra toys too, though those are mostly on these shelves and bins out here."

“I look forward to coming over, Kaito.” Shuichi replied, smiling at his friend. He was unsure of when he’d come over to give his room a look, but he knew it would be something he would look forward to.

“Well, there is certainly more going on in here then I was expecting, that is for sure. I can see how it’d serve to ease people into regression in a simple process, it looks like you got about everything that you need for getting into that younger frame of mind.” He stated, giving a further look at all of the additions of the room as his friend pointed them all out to him. It was like everything was fully thought out to take someone back to a simpler time with no issue, he thought.

“Well, with so much to use in this room, how should we get started?” He asked, curious to find out how his friend would start out in regressing, but as he wondered to himself he looked at the clothes he was wearing and seemingly blushed. “Oh…and I suppose that I would, well, have to change out of these clothes, wouldn't I?” He asked, a sense of embarrassment being heard as he realized he’d have to be undressed, if only for a short period of time, but still being a scary thought for the young detective.

"Hmm... Well, I usually change into some different clothes." Kaito replied. "I like getting into somethin' a little more comfy and simple, or I'll just stick to whatever t-shirt I got on. If you wanna keep the clothes you got on now, that's fine! Whatever helps you get ease into it better." He assured.

"But uh, yeah.. if you wanna do stuff with the diapers, we'll have to take any underwear and pants off, at least." The astronaut nodded with a blush. "You might be able to slip your pants over em if you want to, but I dunno. Some of these diapers are actually pretty thick, so maybe they'll fit, maybe not." He shrugged. "But I'm sure we can find you something new to wear! Even if you don't, don't be ashamed, yeah? It's just us two, and you know I'd never make fun of you for this.. I mean, how hypocritical would that be?" Kaito chuckled.

With that, he walked over to the changing station and looked over the diaper stash, grabbing one out at first before looking for another one.

"Speaking of which... You know what size you might be?"

“Well, the clothing that I have on right now is comfortable enough, but if you have anything in the closet that looks like it would be a better fit then I would not mind changing out of these.” Shuichi replied, beginning to take off his gray hoodie since he didn’t think that he would need that at the very least.

“Well, I probably would prefer to keep my jeans on, but if it will be difficult to keep them on over the diaper then I am fine doing without them.” He nodded. “I know you wouldn’t make fun of me, Kaito, it just is going to take some time getting used to this…having different clothing on, you know?” He said with a little laugh, removing his gray hoodie and putting it aside for now.

He then took his black shoes off, setting them down aside his gray hoodie before then, slowly, beginning to mess with taking his jeans off as he saw his friend walk over to the changing station.

“I would go with a large size. I could maybe fit into a medium, but I might be cutting it a bit too short."

"Large? You got it!" Kaito nodded, pulling out another diaper from the pack. Since they were similar in size, it made it easier for him to find what was needed. Placing the diapers on the table, he started to search for a bottle of powder to grab next.

"Hmm... Jeans might be a weird fit, but hey, we can always try it." Kaito said, putting the powder with the diapers. "But I'm sure there's a bunch of other clothes in there you can check out. Some of the onesies are pretty comfy.. or, y'know, you can get some shorts, too." He added.

"But anywho! Do you want me to help put the diaper on, or do you wanna do that yourself?" He asked. "I find it a little easier to have someone else help, but you're not gonna hurt my feelings either way."

Shuichi had caught a look at the diapers Kaito placed down on the table as he continued taking his jeans off. They were certainly thicker and bigger than he was expecting, which then caused another blush to appear as he knew he’d be wearing them around his waist at any second now.

“Shorts sound good enough to wear for me, maybe just to start out with. I’ll see what onesies you have in case I change my mind, though.” He replied, thinking in his mind that the more he had to cover up the better. He then got to completely taking off his jeans and setting them aside with his other clothes, now finishing with sliding his underwear off.

“I would probably put it on sloppily if I attempted to do it, so I’ll take your help with getting the diaper on.” He answered as he got his underwear off, adding another piece of clothing to the pile. He felt a bit embarrassed only having his shirt on at the current moment, but he tried his best to pay it no mind as he made his way over to the table. He tried to make himself comfy enough as he laid down on it, not knowing whether to have his feet bent up or laid down, but settled for laying them down. “This should be fine for getting it on, right?”

"Hehe, yeah, puttin' it one yourself can be tricky." Kaito chuckled. "I'll be glad to help you out, bro!"

With that, he let Shuichi finish undressing, watching him climb onto the changing table. The mat over top of it was flat with an easy-to-clean type of fabric over it, though it was cushioned enough to provide some comfort for whoever laid overtop of it. Once the detective was settled in, Kaito came closer to the table and took one of the diapers.

"That works!" Kaito gave a thumbs open, unfolding the padding and taking hold of the back end. "Here, 'm just gonna move your legs a bit to get this under... Just for a moment." He let Shuichi know before doing just that. Grabbing both his ankles together, he gently lifted the other's lower half up and slid the diaper underneath him, lowering Shuichi back down to make sure the padding was lined up properly.

“I appreciate the help, Kaito.” Shuichi replied to his friend as he gave a smile and continued to get comfy in his current position.

Lying down on the table proved to not be too bad for the young detective. The mat that he was currently laid on did bring some comfort to his bottom, and was more preferable than sitting on the cold top of the table if it did not have the mat over top of it. Being able to look up while laying down also showed some of the cartoon like weather drawings that decorated the ceiling, which brought some calmness to his current frame of mind.

While looking up at the ceiling of the room the young detective was caught a bit off guard as his ankles were grabbed and gently lifted up, with soon enough his bottom being planted back down on top of the diapered padding. Even though it wasn’t yet taped to his waist, he did have to admit that the padding did feel nice underneath his bottom. “Oh, sorry about that, I must have been too occupied with looking up at the ceiling to hear you say that you were going to do that.” He admitted, laughing a little bit as well as blushing due to carrying off in thought.

Seeing Shuichi snap out of his thoughts made Kaito giggle to himself. He wasn't sure if it may have been from him starting to relax or perhaps from the thoughts in his mind wondering, but seeing the detective blush was a sweet sight to see.

"Is that so? Haha, that's alright!" Kaito flashed a smiled to the other. "Just thought I'd let you know to be safe, it's what Maki-Roll did sometimes when we first started." He spoke, glancing up at the ceiling Shuichi was looking up at. "It is a pretty ceiling, ain't it? I wonder if they hand-painted it themselves or what..."

Continuing with the diapering, Kaito grabbed a bottle of powder and slid the lid open, tipping it over to sprinkle some of it out over Shuichi's midsection. Kaito didn't want to touch his private area much to not make the detective uncomfortable, so he focused on rubbing some out over his inner thigh area.

"For chafing," Kaito noted, closing the bottle up and putting it away. "and rash protection to, I think..."

With that, the astronaut folded the top half of the padding over Shuichi's waist to finish the change. He tucked the wings under his hips and started to pull the tapes out and over the front, doing one by one before all four tapes were secured. A snug fit, but not overly tight.

"Aaaand, there, all done sidekick!" Kaito beamed, stepping away so Shuichi could get up if he wanted. "How's it fit?"

“I’d say it’s a fair assumption to say that they likely hand-painted the ceiling design. It does fit the purpose of the room, after all, so it makes sense for them to go all out like they did with the furniture and supplies.” Shuichi thought out loud, a bit of his detective side coming out as he pondered on Kaito’s observation.

Shuichi had given it some more thought, but wandered off of the thought as he saw his friend grabbing the bottle of powder. He simply watched as his friend slid the lid open and started to sprinkle and apply it to his mid and inner thigh area, nodding along as he listened to what was happening. The powder itself did feel nice on his skin, having a smooth, yet also a bit of a chilly touch to it as it surrounded the lower part of his body.

With the powder being applied, and feeling more comfortable in the process, Shuichi continued to lay down in silence as his friend made the finishing touches. He thought that it would have taken a bit longer, but he had to admit, it was a quicker process then he was expecting it to be. Upon seeing that all the tapes were secured, and the diaper snugly fitted around his waist, he then sat up on the changing table, letting his feet dangle off the side.

The diaper itself wasn’t too tight on his waist, though that was given since it was thick and a bit poofy in design. His legs were a bit more spread out than usual while wearing it, but it wasn’t uncomfortable, he noted. “Thank you, Kaito. It’s actually not quite that bad, I’d say you did well. It kind of feels nice to sit down with it on, I’m not going to lie.” He said, liking how the padding felt against his bottom.

He then went to get up off of the changing table, but as he did so, he noticed that with his legs being a bit more spread out that his walk was more of a waddle. Walking was still not an issue, but it did feel like his walking was a bit more heavy. “Well, I can see that’s going to take some time to get used to.” He said with a small laugh.

"Huh, yeah, that makes sense..." Kaito nodded after thinking on Shuichi's thoughts. He found it a little amusing how the other seemed to channel his inner detective to figure it out. Reminded him of when they first met...

"Of course, Shuichi, anything for my bro!" He smiled, giving a hearty chuckle. "It is pretty comfy, ain't it? Like a pillow wrapped around your waist."

He watched as Shuichi got up and attempted to walk around, only for it to come off as more of a waddle instead. Kaito couldn't help up giggle, though in a lighthearted manner as he understood how that felt. When he first started getting into diapers, he had some struggle with getting used to walking in them, too.

"Hehe, yup... Don't worry though, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time!" He assured. With that, Kaito began to undress himself, putting his pants and underwear to the side before grabbing the second diaper to unfold, getting it ready to change into.