Chapter Text
Hinata really didn't get much sleep that night. Knowing that he hadn't killed his parents was a breath of fresh air for him, but at the same time, he was worried about what would happen if they ever met again. He knew that he had definitely injured them, but he didn't know how severely. When he finally managed to fall asleep, he had a dream, and then he regretted sleeping that night.
In the dream, he held a knife, noticeably coated with wet blood. He stood in front of his parents, and they seemed to be severely bleeding.
"Wh-what happened to you!?" he heard his father say. "We raised you to be so kind, so nice."
"Now… Now you're a monster!" his mother yelled.
Hinata opened his mouth to try to protest, but no words came out, no matter how hard he tried. This must be a memory, he thought to himself. Hinata felt himself raising the knife again, ready to deliver the final blow when someone called his name, or rather, Izuru's name. He then put his arms down and dropped the knife in front of his parents and he stormed out. When he walked out his door, the scene changed. He saw a familiar girl with a cat hoodie on.
"Chiaki?" Hinata said in surprise. The area they were in reminded Hinata of the simulation and how he had seen Chiaki before it had all ended. "What are you doing here?" Hinata asked her, but it made no sense to him. What was he doing there?
"I wanted to show you something," she said. It had been a long time since Hinata had heard her voice. "None of the others know yet."
"Know what?"
As if on cue, a screen that reminded Hinata of a movie theater screen lit up. The screen showed Hinata and Chiaki meeting for the first time, but they weren't on the island. They were in a courtyard with a fountain and trees. The next image showed Hinata and Chiaki playing games together. The third was Hinata denying Chiaki of spending time with him, before they had a rather sentimental conversation.
"What… What is this?" Hinata asked in disbelief.
"…"
"Chiaki, what is this?! Why are you showing me these fake images?!"
"They aren't fake," Chiaki said simply.
"What do you mean?" Hinata asked. Chiaki didn't answer. Instead, she pointed at the screen again. Hinata watched the same images flash across the screen again before everything came flooding back.
"You-" Hinata started. "You were real! Those images are… They're memories aren't they?!"
Chiaki nodded.
"That means you're still alive then!"
Chiaki's face darkened.
"…Right?"
"That's a discussion for another time," Chiaki said. "I've told you all I can for now. I'm sorry Hinata, but I can't say anything more."
Chiaki took Hinata's hand gently.
"What do you mean you can't tell me?"
"It's not my place."
"Huh?"
"Give it some time, and when the Future Foundation tells you, then I'll explain it to you. I don't think you're ready to hear the truth yet."
"Chiaki-"
"Give it time, Hinata," she said.
"How are you even here, Chiaki?"
"You're memories," Chiaki said. "You're deciding to remember this now, but it's a dream this time around."
Hinata looked back up at the screen, which kept changing between those three scenarios.
"Chiaki," Hinata said.
"Hm?"
"Thank you."
Hinata bolted up in bed. He tried to catch his breath, but it was hard for him. Chiaki had been real? They had actually spent time together outside of the simulation? The Future Foundation had let them believe that she was a computer program. Why did they hide this?
Hinata felt something on his cheek, and when he reached up to feel it, he realized he was crying. Maybe that's why I can't calm myself down, Hinata thought. Hinata stared at the hand that had wiped his tears for a moment before it started shaking. Hinata put his head in his hands and sobbed. Everything was so much for him and there was only so much he could take. He tried to process everything that had just happened. Now he knew how he, or rather Izuru, had tried to kill his parents. He also knew now that Chiaki was real and not just a part of the Neo World Program. He was stunned and upset and he was having a hard time processing it. At that point, Hinata was reminded of all of the other stress he was trying to deal with. Creating the world for themselves, trying to keep everyone in line and alive, the stress of seeing his parents again, the stress of remembering everything he didn't want to remember, and the biggest thing was his decision to become Izuru Kamukura.
It was a choice that would haunt him forever. He hated the people who came up with the idea, he hated the people who ultimately led to his decision (which he no doubt thought he would remember soon), but most of all, he hated himself for making that choice. He felt that he didn't deserve to be happy anymore.
It hit Hinata like a train. He remembered why he did it. He remembered why he decided to become Izuru Kamukura, and he was sure everyone else knew the series of events themselves. He remembered Natsumi Kuzuryuu and how all she wanted was to be with her big brother. He remembered how she never wanted to be left behind in the midst of everything. He remembered how she had shared Hinata's interest in moving up to the Main Course. He remembered how Sato reacted when he accused her of murdering Natsumi. And he remembered denying Chiaki of playing games shortly after. That was when he made the decision. It was the decision that changed everything. He had wanted to become everyone's hope, but it didn't turn out right.
Hinata hated himself for denying Chiaki. He hated himself for all the lives lost at his own hands. He hated himself for letting his lack of talent go to his head. He hated himself for becoming Izuru Kamukura. He hated himself for just about everything.
Hinata continued sobbing, but he quieted down so not to wake Souda or any of his other neighbors. He didn't want them to see him crying like this. In between sobs, he looked at the time. It was around 5 am, and he knew he wasn't getting back to sleep any time soon. Hinata wiped the tears from his cheeks and went to wash his face with cold water.
Hinata looked at himself in the mirror, half expecting to see the long-haired red-eyed demon that he hated so much, but it was just himself in all his brown hair grey eye glory. He remembered how simulation Chiaki had seen so much hope in him, but he wasn't so sure he believed it anymore. He helped cause the Tragedy, there was no way that hope was left in him.
As Hinata looked at the mirror, his mind wandered off to the Future Foundation. Last he had heard, the higher ups wanted him dead. Maybe they still did. If they ever want me, Hinata thought, I'll let them have me.
After rinsing his face, he considered going for a walk on to the beach, but he was quickly reminded of the moments him and Chiaki spent there in the simulation, and diminished the idea. He laid back down in his bed and stared at the ceiling. He continued to get lost in his own thoughts. He remembered everyone who had died back in the simulation. He knew they were all coming back, and he was grateful, but he reminded himself that they never would have been in the simulation if he had never become Izuru in the first place. None of them would have suffered that much had it not been for him. He blamed himself for it all. I don't deserve my friends, Hinata thought to himself. I'm not an Ultimate, I've never had talent, he continued. I wanted to have talent, but I destroyed the world because of it, he thought to himself finally.
After remembering these moments he spent with Chiaki and the other reserve course students, he knew he was going to be remembering more shortly. His head was already starting to hurt, and he didn't want to think about it anymore.
Hinata wanted to run as fast as he could to the hospital. He wanted to barge in and yell and Naegi and the others for not telling him what had happened to Chiaki. He wanted to demand to know if she was still alive or not. But he didn't. He wouldn't let himself. Not after everything Naegi and the crew had done for him. They'd saved him when he didn't deserve it. They took the heat for everything, and Hinata wished he could tell them to stop and let himself take the credit and the blame for everything. He knew he was going to cry if he confronted them as well, so he didn't let himself go.
The clock struck 5:15 and Hinata wasn't really sure what he could do. He wasn't going to fall asleep soon and he didn't want to wake anyone else up. Walking around could calm him down, but he wasn't sure if he'd make it back without breaking down again. He didn't want what had happened to Akane within the first couple days to happen to him. It also looked like it might rain, and he didn't want to venture out in a storm.
But he did anyways. He had nothing better to do so he walked around for a while, making it a point not to go near the third or fifth islands. Instead he ventured off to the second island. He hadn't been there for a while. No one really was. Everyone usually seemed to stick to either the first, central, or third islands. They were the most important islands, and no one ever really needed to go anywhere else. Especially not the fourth or fifth islands. The rides on the fourth island weren't working well and the fifth island was mainly warehouses they didn't use.
The first thing Hinata saw was the Future Foundation building he forgot was there. It was in better shape than the last time he was there, but it didn't seem like anyone was using it. He kept walking and found himself at the diner. He smiled a little. They had a few fun times at the diner before everything had happened. He remembered meeting up with the girls and Souda at the diner after he was forced into it by Souda. Those were the memories he loved to relive.
After that, he walked back to the beach, but he forgot the beach house was there until he saw it. He remembered seeing Koizumi's dead body and he remembered how awful he had felt seeing the second murder. He then recollected the trial and how tragic the outcome had been for Fuyuhiko. Peko, his childhood friend, had murdered Koizumi to save him, but Peko only realized then the error of her ways. That was the same time that Peko and Fuyuhiko had finally come clean to each other about everything, and if Hinata remembered correctly, it was the only time Hinata had seen Fuyuhiko cry. It was apparently the first time he'd cried since second grade.
Hinata opened the door to the beach house, the door that Koizumi's body had been laying up against. He half expected to see the crime scene again, but all he saw was the regular beach house. Nothing had been changed except the sign about the shower not working. He curiously walked in and turned it on, and miraculously, water did come out. He turned it off and walked back into the main part of the beach house. He looked around for a moment, reminiscing the awful death that had occurred there, and walked outside to the beach. He sat down in the sand and looked up, hoping to see stars. He saw a few stars through the dark clouds above him. Back then, those stars had given him hope, but now Hinata didn't know what to think of them. He hadn't known what he had done to humanity back then, but now he did. He was reminded of a song he had a heard a while ago. "The stars are black and cold." He couldn't remember the name of the song, but he remembered it was from a show. He remembered how the stars were originally friendly to the man singing about them, but towards the end of his life, they were cold and frightening. Hinata almost seemed to sympathize with this fictional character, because it reminded him of how he felt at that moment.
After sitting on the beach for a while, he stood up and decided to go back to his cottage. Thunder then boomed above him, startling him. The rain the began to pour, but Hinata made no effort to escape it. He left the rain consume him as he sulked back home. His mind kept wandering back to Chiaki and Izuru, and eventually, Hinata started to tear up again. There was a flash of lightning ahead of him which made him falter for a moment. Hinata tried to wipe the rain and tears from his face, but the rain kept falling. Hinata had just made it to the central island when thunder echoed around him. At this, he took off running. He just wanted to escape his thoughts and the thunderstorm above him. Hinata was frightened of storms as a child, but he outgrew that a while ago, so why was he so scared of it now?
His mind was racing despite the fact that it was just a thunderstorm. Something was wrong, and he needed to get back to his cottage. Hinata made it to the ranch before another burst of light, shortly followed by more thunder sounded. He immediately broke down on the spot, and he knew he had to stop running or things would get worse. He quickly found shelter in the farmhouse with a few other animals. Their food supply was full, so he guessed the Future Foundation took care of them. He looked over and saw a cow close by and he immediately remembered the time Monomi/Usami had made a chicken turn into a cow. He started crying again at this thought. It seemed to him that everything was just coming back to haunt him at once. The entire situation had suddenly decided to make itself a true reality to Hinata, and he really didn't understand why. The guilt racked through his body and he sobbed. He thought that taking a walk would clear his head, but obviously not. He tried to clear his mind of everything long enough so he could get back to the cottage. Once he got back to his cottage, he shut the door and slumped against it. He had never cried so much in his life, but he knew there was no turning back now.
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Hinata had only fallen asleep for maybe another hour before waking up again. He gave up on trying to sleep, and soon enough, it was time for everyone to meet up and have breakfast together. Hinata sadly sulked out of his cottage, trying to keep his composure the best he could. Everyone would know that something was wrong, but he tried to put on a happy face and ignore it.
He thankfully hadn't run into anyone on the way to the hotel, so he avoided any conversations like that. He quietly went into the hotel, fixed himself breakfast, and sat down with the others, all while keeping how he was actually feeling hidden. Everyone was gathered, as usual. Their numbers were increasing, unlike in the simulation when they would always see how their numbers were decreasing. The Future Foundation had also made an appearance. This was becoming a bit more common for them to show their faces at breakfast now a days.
"Everyone, we have a few things to say, so if you could all sit down please," Naegi said calmly.
Everyone sat in their seats as instructed.
"The first order of business is Mikan's condition," Naegi continued. "She will be let out of the hospital and back to live with you guys on Sunday. She is as stable as we can get her to be now, so please treat her well and be patient with her. As stable as she can be is not completely stable. Mentioning how she killed two people isn't ideal for the first couple of days with her back. We'll work on getting her back on track the best she can, and she'll still sleep at the hospital for a week until she can definitely come back."
"The next order of business will deal with the next few days," Kirigiri said. "Tomorrow, Naegi, Togami, Asahina, Hagakure, Fukawa, and I will be accompanying Gundam and Sonia on a sort of… business trip per se."
"What kind of business trip?" Fuyuhiko asked.
"Gundam is visiting his mother. We hope that his presence can help her current state, as she is… slipping a bit. Sonia is simply coming along," Kirigiri explained.
"When will you guys get back?" Nekomaru asked.
"Saturday at the latest, but we will probably be back on Friday," Naegi said.
"What should we be doing then while you are all away?" Komaeda asked.
"Doing what you usually do, and staying out of trouble," Togami said. "The same nurses that helped Nekomaru are going to stay with Mikan until we come back. You are not allowed in Mikan's room. Fix the pod room shifts as needed. From 11 at night until 6 in the morning the nurses will cover the various shifts. The rest is up to you guys."
"I can try and fix the schedule myself if you'd like," Fuyuhiko offered. Togami handed him the paper and a pen, and Fuyuhiko promised he would start after breakfast.
"Is there anything you guys feel the need to talk about?" Naegi asked. Then he noticed that Hinata wasn't acting like himself. "Hinata? Are you alright?"
Crap, Hinata thought. Keep it together, keep it together.
"I… I just…" he faltered. "Rough night?"
"Do you… Wanna talk about it?" Souda asked.
Hinata really didn't. "I… I just have a question… For the Future Foundation…"
"What's wrong?" Naegi asked.
Hinata took a deep breath before asking. "Why didn't you tell me Chiaki was real?"
The entire table reacted. A few of them gasped, and Fuyuhiko, who had his legs up on the table, promptly took them down and looked at the Future Foundation.
"Chiaki was real?!" Sonia cried.
"But that's impossible," Souda said.
"Yeah," Fuyuhiko said. "She told us herself, she was a part of the game."
"She didn't… Used to be…" Naegi said hesitantly.
So it was true, Hinata thought. He had even wondered if he had just been confused that night, if his dreams were misleading, but obviously not.
Hinata couldn't help it. He put his hand over his eyes and the tears fell. He really didn't want to cry in front of his friends, especially about this, but he couldn't help it. Not after everything that had happened.
"Hinata!" Sonia cried, noticing his anguish. Everyone looked over and noticed him crying, so they all stood up and came over to him. Nekomaru put his hand on Hinata's shoulder, and Sonia crouched down next to him with Gundam and Souda standing behind her. Everyone else stood behind his chair, trying to comfort him the best they could while the Future Foundation was on the other side of the table trying to figure out what to do next.
"I'm sure he learned more than the fact that Chiaki was a real person last night," Togami hissed at Naegi.
"What should we do?" Naegi said.
"This is your call," Kirigiri said.
"Hinata, what's wrong?" Nekomaru asked.
"You don't have to tell us, but we want to help you," Sonia said.
Hinata couldn't form a sentence in between all of his crying. He hated crying in front of his friends.
"Hey Hinata?" Naegi said from across the table. "Can you at least tell us if you remembered anything else?"
Hinata nodded.
"Can you tell us what that is?" he asked hesitantly. "You don't have to though!"
Hinata took a deep breath. "It was… It was why I decided to go through with the experiment."
Naegi looked at Togami and Kirigiri. She whispered something to Naegi, and he nodded.
"Hey, Hinata," Naegi said. "Do you want to come to the hospital and calm down a bit? We can talk a little there."
Hinata agreed, only because he didn't have anything to lose. They wanted to help him, at least.
"Gundam and Sonia," Kirigiri started. "Pack your things and meet us at the hospital after lunch. We'll discuss tomorrow, go to dinner as a group, and then you can sleep at the hospital. We leave at five tomorrow morning. Fuyuhiko, plan the pod room schedule accordingly."
Fuyuhiko nodded, and everyone helped Hinata stand. A few of them gave him side hugs before walking out. Akane had the first shift, so she gave Hinata a huge hug, and left.
The Future Foundation escorted him to the hospital, and he calmed down a bit on the way there. He was still embarrassed about said crying though.
They all sat down in the waiting room together to discuss everything.
"So what exactly did you remember last night?" Togami asked.
"Well," Hinata said with a shakier breath than he would have liked. "First, I remembered how I attempted to kill my parents, and why I never actually did. Then, all of a sudden Chiaki appeared in front of a screen of some sort. The screen showed images of she and I playing games together and talking together when we both attended Hope's Peak. Then I woke up when she refused to tell me what happened to her. Then, after trying to process everything, I remembered why I chose to become Izuru in the first place."
"First off, why didn't you kill your parents like most of the others?" Togami asked.
"Someone called me… or rather they called Izuru."
"Also, why did you become Izuru?" Naegi asked.
"After Natsumi Kuzuryuu died, I felt like I wanted to become everyone's hope, which is exactly what this experiment was supposed to do, but it obviously didn't work."
The members took this in for a moment.
"Mind if I ask something?" Hinata said.
"Go ahead," Asahina said.
"What happened to Chiaki?" Hinata finally said.
No one said anything for a moment.
"We…" Naegi started. "Now, just isn't a good time with everything going on. I'm sorry, but we'll tell you soon."
Hinata nodded. I guess I understand, he thought. I'll ask them another time.
Hinata was in the waiting room for most of the day. He offered to help around the hospital with whatever they needed, so Hinata mainly sorted papers for the day. He kept his mind off of everything the best he could.
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Sonia was in her room packing for this short trip. She was a bit nervous, for Gundam's sake of course, but he was a wreck. Though he wouldn't admit it, she knew how distraught he's been. He's been pacing a bit more than usual. He hasn't been thinking straight, and any thoughts he can keep in order have been consumed by this upcoming visit. Sonia's been there to console him, something she knew he needed. Sometimes, he would refuse her comfort, but she never took it personally; sometimes he needed time to himself. Lots of times, however, he would let her in and talk to her. He would confide in her and her in him.
The two had packed and met up at around 2:45 and arrived at the hospital by 3:00. They were leaving very early, but she was alright with early mornings. When the two walked into the hospital, they both saw Hinata sorting through some papers with Asahina.
"Hey Hinata!" Sonia said cheerfully. "Are you feeling any better?"
Hinata nodded. "A little bit."
"Don't let the demons of the night scare you from rest," Gundam said.
Hinata stifled a small laugh. "Will do. Good luck with everything on your trip."
Gundam nodded and Sonia gave Hinata a small hug.
"Kirigiri and Togami are in the back office on the second floor," Asahina said.
Sonia and Gundam thanked Asahina, said their goodbyes to Hinata, and went to the office. They knocked on the door, to which Togami promptly answered. He let them in, but they left their bags outside the room.
When they walked in, there were five seats at a round table, but only two of the seats were filled by Kirigiri and Togami. Gundam and Sonia sat in the additional two, while one was left over.
"Naegi was on a business call, but he should be back shortly," Kirigiri said.
"Business?" Gundam asked. Naegi did work for the Future Foundation, but would that qualify as a business call?
"He's talking with Future Foundation higher ups," Togami explained. "Giving them an update and confirming tomorrow's visit."
"Until he gets back, we'll explain to you how tomorrow will work," Kirigiri said. "We'll arrive around seven am and eat breakfast around eight am. Around nine, you will be given a tour of the building, and from ten to twelve, you have free time. Free time is basically you two talking and us talking to you. There won't be very many places you can go by yourselves at this point. From twelve to one you have lunch and from one to two you will be talking with some higher ups so they can understand what is happening on the island at this point. It won't be much, just a simple discussion. You tell them about daily life and make sure you get the point across that you will be "eternally sorry for your grave mistakes," as Togami puts it. You have a half hour to prepare and then at two thirty Gundam will go see his mom. We will all accompany him, but we will not interfere unless force is needed. We are not sure how long this will take but dinner is at six and we can return to talk to your mother afterwards if we see fit. We will spend the night and leave at nine am, if possible. If needed, we will stay a little while longer, but we will not stay over another night, no matter the circumstances. Is all understood?"
Gundam and Sonia nodded. Naegi soon came into the room after.
He smiled sheepishly, a cellphone still in his hand. "We’re still on for tomorrow."
The two both nodded again. Sonia gave Naegi a small smile, but Gundam was obviously still tense. Sonia took his hand from under the table. She gave him a small smile, and he smirked back at her.
"I assume Kirigiri told you guys what tomorrow is going to be like?" Naegi asked, almost hesitantly.
Everyone nodded.
"Okay!" Naegi said cheerfully. "We're going to go eat with the other in about two or three hours. Until then, you guys can talk a bit, you can talk with Hinata a little, and if we need you guys, then we'll call you. If you need to talk to us about anything, we should be free."
They said their thank yous and walked upstairs to the rooms they would be sleeping in that night. The two put their bags in the room and they were all set for the night. Sonia was worried about Gundam. He seemed very nervous, but she wasn't totally sure how to help. She decided to go talk to him in his cottage.
She walked over to his room. The door was open, and he was sitting on the bed. She knocked on the door frame, to which he looked up.
"Sonia?" Gundam said. "Is everything alright? You look a bit worried."
"I could be saying the same about you," Sonia laughed nervously. "May I come in?"
"Of course," Gundam said. "Close the door if the matter is serious enough."
Sonia closed the door over, but not all the way. She came in and sat down on the bed next to Gundam.
"Are you worried about tomorrow?" she asked.
Gundam dryly laughed. "A little bit," he admitted. "It's a bit undesiring that I may be the reason my mother goes insane or not."
"Try not to think about that," Sonia said. "Just do your best to clear the air with your mom."
"I also must convince her that food, drink, and sleep are a necessity."
"I have no doubt that you can do that."
Gundam didn't reply. He simply looked down at his hands. Sonia took one in her own. He looked up at her, and she gave him a reassuring look.
"Besides," Sonia started. "You get to talk to her more than once, and I'm always here for encouragement, okay?"
Gundam gave her a small smile. "Thank you."
The two then talked about other things to try and get Gundam's mind off of things. They talked about the Four Devas, the beauty of Novoselic, and even the fun moments everyone shared together, even in the simulation. It seemed to get Gundam's mind off of things a lot, and Sonia was glad she could help. They all went to dinner with the others, and then they all came back and hung out around the hospital. Naegi, Kirigiri, and Togami decided that it would be best if Hinata stayed at the hospital for the night. He agreed and Hinata, Sonia, and Gundam all hung around in the waiting room. Sonia and Gundam were trying to get Hinata's mind off of everything, as requested by Naegi and Kirigiri. They were trying to get everything sorted out for tomorrow, and they wanted to make sure Hinata was alright. Gundam told stories of his "encounters with the dark knights" and Sonia told them old Novoselic tales. She also told them about Novoselic itself and how gorgeous it was. Sonia was mainly telling this to Hinata, because Gundam had already heard most of what she was saying.
"Wow, Sonia," Hinata said, impressed. "Novoselic sounds beautiful."
"It's absolutely gorgeous!" Sonia said, excitedly. "I'll have to show you guys pictures some time."
Naegi and Kirigiri opened the door to the waiting room and walked in. Naegi looked a bit worried but Kirigiri had her same calm composure.
"Hey guys," Naegi said nervously. "Hinata, can we talk to you for a sec?"
"Sure," Hinata said, starting to get up.
"Wait!" Naegi said. "Stay there. This kinda concerns Sonia and Gundam too."
They all looked skeptically at each other and Naegi began explaining.
"The Future Foundation higher ups called," Naegi started. "They wanted to check in on how things were going here, mainly with you Hinata."
"Lying to a higher up can be considered treason unless you are ordered by a higher up to do so," Kirigiri explained. "So we had to tell them about the current problem."
"After that, they decided that they wanted to talk to you too," Naegi said. "And not through phone call…"
Realization hit all of them like a truck. "So I have to come with you guys tomorrow?" Hinata said, surprised.
"Unfortunately, yeah," Naegi said.
"The higher ups will discuss things with you privately and while Sonia and Gundam are in the room," Kirigiri explained. "It's going to mainly be basic stuff, but the questions may get a bit more pressing as the interrogation goes on. Togami will be in the room with you when Sonia and Gundam aren't."
Hinata didn't say anything for a moment. "Fine," he finally said. "I have no choice right? I have to come?"
Naegi and Kirigiri didn't say anything.
"Why don't you three all go to Hinata's cottage and help pack?" Kirigiri suggested. The three nodded and stood up. They made their way out of the hospital. They really didn't say anything. The atmosphere was a bit tense. Sonia then broke a bit of the tension and gave Hinata a small side hug as they walked.
"It's going to be okay," she said. "They won't let anything bad happen."
Hinata gave a small dry laugh. "I'm sure they won't, but it really doesn't make me any less nervous for this. I'm worried about the questions they might ask."
"I'm sure it won't be much," Gundam said. "The most they will probably ask you is if you're that cursed demon again."
"But I'm not."
"Then you'll be fine."
"Besides," Sonia said. "you've got us friends by your side."
"… Thanks guys," Hinata said with a small smile.
They made their way to Hinata's cottage and he packed for the short trip. As the three were about to leave, Fuyuhiko and Souda saw them leaving.
"Hey Hinata!" Fuyuhiko called. "How are you doing?"
"And what's with the bag?" Souda asked.
"I… have to go with the two of them tomorrow," Hinata said.
"Why?" Souda asked.
"The Future Foundation just wants to talk to me about something," he said calmly.
"Even after all this?" Fuyuhiko said, obviously talking about the whole event from this morning. "They can't just trust Naegi's word on it."
"Maybe it's just an excuse for them to keep an eye on you while they're away," Souda said.
"That's one of the most intelligent things you've ever said," Fuyuhiko joked.
"Hey!" Souda argued.
"Whatever," Fuyuhiko laughed. "Anyways, good luck to you three, and feel better Hinata."
"Thanks guys," Hinata said. Sonia smiled at them, and the three walked back to the hospital. Hinata put his stuff in his room and they went back downstairs to talk for a little while longer. Around ten, Togami shut them down and they had to go to bed. They had to get up at three thirty that morning to leave. Sonia had a bit of trouble falling asleep that night. She was worried about both Gundam and Hinata. What if things became too unbearable for the both of them? She wanted to be there for them, but she wasn't sure if she knew how to properly comfort them. She wanted to tell them that everything would be fine, even if they were completely distraught, but she sometimes felt like a liar for saying that. Sometimes it wasn't true, and things took a turn for the worse. Sonia thought about this until she suddenly drifted off into a short lived sleep. Kirigiri woke her up at 3:30 in the morning, just as they said they would. Sonia quickly got ready and grabbed her stuff. When she walked into the waiting room, she only found the Future Foundation there, but no Hinata or Gundam.
"Where are-" Sonia started.
"Not sure," Togami cut her off. "We thought you might have known."
"I can go check on them," she said. Togami sent her off and she ran back up to the second floor to find them. She knocked on Hinata's door first.
"Hinata?" she called. "Is everything okay? Everyone's waiting downstairs."
The door opened and a groggy Hinata greeted Sonia.
"Sorry," he yawned. "Little slow today."
"It's okay," she smiled. "I need to go get Gundam anyways."
"I thought you said everyone was waiting downstairs?" Hinata asked, emphasizing the word everyone.
"Everyone except Gundam is waiting downstairs," she corrected herself. The two laughed and Sonia stopped at Gundam's room. She knocked on his door, expecting him to do what Hinata did and simply open the door groggy eyed and sleep deprived. That didn't happen though.
"Gundam?" She called. There was no answer. "Hey, Gundam?" She was beginning to get worried. She opened the door slightly. "Can I come in?" she asked through the crack in the door.
She heard Gundam mumble something, but it wasn't a no, so Sonia went in. She saw Gundam examining something in his hand. Maybe a picture. But didn't he know they had to leave?
"Gundam," Sonia started. "I think it's time to go."
He looked up from the picture and nodded. He picked up his bag and the two walked down to the waiting room, where Togami promptly scolded Gundam for holding them up. Gundam didn't seem phased though as they walked to the airport where large helicopter looking thing was waiting for them. It was slightly bigger than an ordinary helicopter, and it had numerous seats besides the pilot's seat. Sonia, Gundam, and Hinata all sat next to each other while Naegi, Kirigiri, and Asahina were across. Behind Naegi, Kirigiri, and Asahina were Hagakure and Fukawa, who were both arguing over something, but Sonia wasn't paying much attention. Togami was seated next to the pilot up front. The helicopter lifted off of the ground and they were off. Gundam took out the picture he had been looking at before. Sonia peaked over (Gundam didn't seem to mind) and saw a young boy and an older woman.
The boy had dark hair that was only slightly slicked back. Loose pieces of his hair that weren't slicked back were sticking up a little bit. The boy looked young, and he was missing one of his bottom teeth. There was a hamster sitting on his head.
The woman had dark hair as well, but she had all of her teeth. Her dark hair fell lightly on her shoulders as she smiled with the young boy. She looked like she was in her early to mid thirties. She smiled brightly showing off her teeth, which aforementioned were all there.
"It’s me and my mother," Gundam said quietly. "I was about seven at the time. My mother was being her cheerful self, but she was mainly trying to distract me. She was terribly upset, because her father was at his wits end, and he was in the hospital. They were doing all they could for him, but it didn't look good. My mother would always try and make me happy and enjoy the happy moments rather than be sad. The hamster isn't one of my Devas, by the way. That one was my third hamster, Springer. I don’t remember where I got that name," he laughed. "Naegi gave this to me this morning. Right before you came to get me."
Sonia looked at the boy in the picture, then back up at Gundam. She could see some small resemblances, besides little Gundam's missing teeth. Sonia gave Gundam a small reassuring smile, and he returned a small smile back.
"You should try and get some sleep," Sonia said softly. "We still have at least another three hours before we arrive."
"It looks like Hinata's already taken advantage of his right to slumber," Gundam said, motioning to Hinata. He was already passed out in his seat. The two of them laughed lightly. "I'll try and get sleep. It may get my mind off of things."
Sonia nodded. She was going to try and sleep a bit more herself. She leaned up against Gundam, who lightly wrapped an arm around her. The two of them fell asleep and didn't wake up until six o'clock. They then quietly talked with each other until they landed. Hinata hadn't woken up until the jolt of the helicopter landing sprung him awake.
Naegi looked at the three of them. "Ready?"
They looked at each other, and then they nodded and left the helicopter, their thoughts scattered and their minds worried.