test drive 1

[brain_empty]

[Ryoko Otonashi, Ultimate Forgetful Girl (maybe?) was walking through Hope's Peak Academy open square. Dorms, class buildings, and cafeteria and convenience store all accessible. She didn't particularly stand out at all except...]

...Why am I walking here?

[She checked her notebook, nodded, then kept going, for about another minute before...]

...Why am I walking here?

[She peeked down again. Some students nearby tried to wave, but they were ignored. She had a problem and any distractions would delay her more than what was already happening.

Unfortunately for Ryoko, it was a terrible problem that was stopping the traffic more than it reasonably should've, and soon people learned just not to walk behind her or around her at all.]

Comments

[lieindespair]

[ Well, maybe most people wouldn't, but Kokichi absolutely would. He couldn't remember the last time he had a target so ripe for pranks! Was it cruel? Probably, but with any luck, she would soon forget anyway, or at least that's what his homework was telling him anyway. ]

Big sis! You're late! AGAIN! How could you do this to me?!

[ He pops up shortly in front of her, eyes full of tears, looking just... frankly pathetic. ]

Y-you promised! You promised and you FORGOT! AGAIN!

[brain_empty]

Waah!

[she recoils back, practically falling down. It's not helped by the fact she has to keep her hands on her notebook instead of using them to balance herself.]

I-I'm sorry! I'm really sorry...

...Um.

[She starts to flip through her notes, unable to find anything about 'promises'.]

What did I forget? Again...?

[lieindespair]

[ He sniffles and wipes his eyes on his sleeve. It's not hard to pass as someone's younger brother a lot of the time, and he's hoping she's just dense enough to buy it. ]

AGAIN with the notebook?! I... I don't mean enough to you to actually remember?! I...I knew there was something wrong but this... [ Sniff] This.. This just takes the cake!

You said you were gonna pick me up after school but you never came! I waited for hours for you! By myself! D-do you really think that's safe for me?

[brain_empty]

I... huh?!

[Oh, no. At any other time she would've checked her notebook, or looked up who this character was or listen to her heart telling her he was giving off 'bad vibes' but the crocodile tears were working too easily on her.]

Hey, don't cry... I'm sorry I forgot. I have a memory problem. I forget everything after about five or ten minutes!

[That was one of the things she did remember. Though she couldn't remember who she had explained it to.]

Wait, you're literally my brother? You're not just... calling me Big Sis?

[lieindespair]

[ There was a frankly offended look on his face when she questions their relationship. He took a moment to look her up and down and choke out a huff. ]

O-oh. REAL funny! That... That's got to be your cruelest joke yet! I can't believe this. See, this is what happens when you're out all night! Partying! You can't even remember your own flesh and blood!

1/2

[brain_empty]

[she gasps, backing away in true horror]

Oh no... oh no... oh no, no, no...!

[brain_empty]

[...Then, abruptly, it stops. She blinks and her face goes back to neutral, before confused.]

Wait... who are you? Why are you crying?

[lieindespair]

[ He was not surprised that she'd forgotten so soon, but it was always very jarring when it did happen so suddenly. Even his brain has problems shifting gears quite that fast, and he could swear he could feel his brain making the sound of an angry car transmission when he was forced to. ]

I... r-really? I just... poured my heart out to you and you have the nerve to ask me that...?

[brain_empty]

... [After the initial shock of the crying drained out of her mind, the bad vibes from her heart creeped back in... this was someone she knew, wasn't it? Someone who had done this before. Though she had no idea what the circumstances were, it's what her heart was telling her. "This boy... this boy is a liar."]

[She flipped through her notebook looking for sketches and names... finding a big one that said KOKICHI OUMA.]

Oh, Kokichi! You're doing this to me, yet again!

[she adds a tally mark. This was happening a lot.]

[lieindespair]

[ Ah, so she did remember! He couldn't help the full belly laugh that came out of him as she put down a mark. Apparently she had a score going. Delightful. ]

Oooh! Let me see, let me see! I wanna know what I'm up to now!

[ He hops up and down, trying to peek around the edges of the notebook of the taller girl to see his score. ]

Is it high? Am I better than anyone else?!

[brain_empty]

[she holds it out of his reach, but less protective than maybe she should be.]

Hold on, hold on! First, tell me. How long did you have me going for? Five minutes? Two?

[lieindespair]

Huh? This time? Oh... only just a few minutes. [ He snickers and grins. ]

You shoulda seen it the other day. I had you going for almost an hour before you caught on!! Oh I'd never had so much fun with one person for that long before!

[brain_empty]

An hour?? Now that's definitely a lie

[It was hard for her to remember over five minutes. Not without help. ...Or was he talking about a long drawn out session before she finally picked it up? That said, she records it anyway.]

Hm. I don't know if that means my condition is better or worse...

[a soft sigh...]

...wait, who are you?

[Her eyes had fallen on a passage: "There's many ways to deal with Kokichi. Try bluffing him!"]

[lieindespair]

A lie? My good lady I never lie! [ He lied. ] I dunno, but it definitely seems like it's not getting better if that's what you mean.

[ Ah, and she'd forgotten again. ]

Uh, hello? I can't say it here. Duh. Come on, where is it? Where's my money? You said you'd have it today.

[brain_empty]

...

[She started to crack up.]

Got you! Two can play this game, Kokichi.

[In opposition to the startled waif she'd started out as, now she was smiling and laughing.]

[lieindespair]

w-What?

[ Aw shit, no way! She actually got HIM?! Impossible! Still... he couldn't help the somewhat warm feeling he got when she started laughing and the smile suited her. ]

Well, I guess even you deserve a win now and then. So that's... what, one for you and... how many for me again?

1/3

[brain_empty]

Hm... let's just say the answer is a qualitative "a lot." I'm keeping the quantitative one a secret.

But you really shouldn't underestimate me, Kokichi. My hand never tires, and I have plenty of notebook. As long as I have that, you can only win for so long against...

[2/3]

[brain_empty]

...

[her answer stopped dead mid-word, the visible loss of steam plain on her face from how her expression changed.

There was no mistaking this moment was genuine. A glimpse into just how much her condition was a 'condition'.]

[3/3]

[brain_empty]

[But, then there's a flip of her notebook and she's staring at the title.]

...Ryoko Otonashi!

[lieindespair]

[ He stared at her for a moment and then down to the book in her hands. A cruel person would take it from her and hide it. It had been tempting many, many times for many, many reasons to do so, but this time still, he refrained. ]

Kokichi Ouma. Nice to meet you.

[brain_empty]

[That got a tongue stick-out from her.]

You don't need to introduce yourself.

[...As long as they kept talking and she kept staring at her notebook. Which she quickly flipped back to where she had held the page.

It was a good thing he never had. It was, in a way, her entire life. At the very least, it would rob the trust she held for him in her heart.]

Though... if you do want to help. Which way am I pointing? Am I going to eat, or am I going to neurology again?

[Her eyes had glanced: "He may have caught on you can use this as a test, but see if what he tells you matches what you were doing. Ask him where you were going and then check the map and your last entry in the "to do" list."]

[lieindespair]

Hm? Where were you going?

[ He took a moment to look around. She was definitely heading to somewhere on campus, and considering her proximity to the dining hall, she was probably looking to get something to eat. ]

How should I know? Probably on your way to get your head checked. You seem to need a lot of that lately. That's what they do in Neurology, right?

[brain_empty]

You want to come watch? It's kind of boring, unless Yasuke makes it fun.

[The Ultimate Neurologist. Her neurologist. And the one who made her heart dokidoki just thinking about. The one person she never, ever forgot.

She follows a line in her notebook: Kokichi didn't give you a real answer? He either doesn't know or is testing you. Just go with what your to do list said.]

Well... the empty feeling in my stomach is telling me it was probably lunch. ...Want to join me? If you're not hungry, you can get a Fanta.

[Somehow, somewhere, her notes held that information.]

[lieindespair]

Huh? You want me to join you?

[ Hardly anyone ever asked him to do anything with them. He couldn't help but to feel immediately suspicious but... considering who he was talking to, the threat level was painfully minimal. Almost boring, even. Still, he could eat. ]

Well you did promise you'd buy me lunch sometime, so I'm cashing in on that now.

[brain_empty]

What?! I did??

[oh no... did she need to repay him? She starts searching for any note of having gone to lunch with Kokichi before, or...

She followed it back down to another underlined sentence: don't forget, he lies!]

--Hey! No I didn't.