Chapter Text
When they were young, Hinata Hajime was often described as a ‘burning flame’. More hot-headed, rash and impulsive than calm and rational. But he was also described as passionate, stubborn, forgiving and a ‘free spirit’. He was social, liked by other kids because of his energetic tone and personality.
Kamukura Izuru was often described as the ‘first snowdrop’: indicating the beginning of Winter. Cold and solemn in nature, much more mature and had more traits that evened out everything his twin brother was not. He was talented, so very talented. Skilled in various activities, able to speak three languages fluently by the age of six and could solve every problem you threw at him within seconds.
The two siblings were always together, and while Hinata made up for whatever social skills that Kamukura lacked, his brother would help him with whatever problems he had.
Hinata (the older of the two) took to the front lines while Kamukura preferred the back seat, stepping in whenever he needed to.
Polar opposites, but somehow so very similar.
The younger of the two had always been very reluctant to look anyone in the eyes with his abnormal blood-coloured eyes, and although Kamukura was very quiet, Hinata had caught onto the fact that his brother wasn’t very pleased with the teasing of others.
(("Do you not care that they tease you and call you mean things?"
"...They are boring, and mean nothing to me." Izuru had hesitated, which meant that the insults really were bothering him.)
So, on their birthday, Hinata bought himself two red-coloured contacts with the money he had earned by walking dogs and taking out the trash from other neighbouring houses. He surprised his brother with a pair of red contacts in his eyes and gave another pair of hazel coloured ones to Kamukura, a ‘happy birthday’ cried out loudly.
It was the first time anyone had seen Izuru harbour such a big grin.
Izuru jokingly bought Hajime some hair gel. Said male smothered the gel everywhere, but his hair was still as spiky as ever.
(Both presents were greatly appreciated.)
It was really on Izuru’s 13th birthday when he gave up trying to somewhat please the general public, removing the hazel contacts and growing out his black hair.
(It was an awkward transition, but the end result was worth it.)
Strangers always preferred the older sibling when they were kids.
Hinata has a much more calming vibe to him, a lighter and happier atmosphere that separated him from the rest of his peers. The brunette was always the first to calm someone down and people often went to him for advice. He was level-headed in situations where it called for it and was sometimes more mature than Kamukura.
(He thanks Izuru for all the times he lashed out in anger and Hinata was the only one there to calm him down. That was the only reason why he was so good at comforting others.)
Yet although the older of the two was preferred, Kamukura wasn’t left out or neglected (in a sense). He was showered with just as much praise (if not more) for being smarter, truthful and competitive.
So, while one was nurtured for being a kid, the other was congratulated for growing up.
(Izuru didn’t mind, and if Izuru didn’t mind then Hajime wouldn’t either.)
Nanami Chiaki and Naegi Makoto were the first friends the two brothers ever had.
Nanami Chiaki: aloof and friendly, strawberry blonde hair that bounced and trailed into curls as they reached her shoulders. Her love for video games and friends stood out to Hajime, and she was introduced Izuru without a second thought.
Naegi Makoto: hopeful and optimistic, brown hair spiky and messy enough to rival Hajime himself. His tendency to hope and his caringness to other people drew both the brunet and the raven to him like moths to a light. Izuru was content with just walking by their side on the pathway while the other three bickered and joked.
He was fine being just on the sidelines, after all.
As the two grew older along with their friends, Hinata seemed almost non-existent to their parents.
Even though he was previously nurtured and cared by being what a child should be - happy, exciting, nicely-mannered etc. - he was now shunned for being too much of a child.
Kamukura turned into the star child, showered with praise and gifts and love, the attention of other adults and seemed to be more of a trophy than an actual human being. Whatever the raven brought home - whether it be awards, medals or report cards -, both parents pinned them onto the fridge or any other corkboards, showing him off to friends and family. Whatever Hinata brought home, however, was always later found in the rubbish, crinkled and abandoned.
That didn't make the brunette love his brother any less, and the same could be said for the raven. They were two sides of the same coin, destined to be with each other forever.
When Hajime came out as bisexual, his parents finally found a reason to kick him out.
The raven was given everything his brother had ever owned, and they had kicked out the older.
What they didn't realise is that - by kicking out the oldest brother - they had kicked out Kamukura as well, because he had left the next day, all of his belongings gone and a disappointed note had been left on his bed. Both Hinata and Kamukura had found residence at Naegi's house, his parents nice enough to allow them to sleep in Naegi's room.
It was no surprise when their parents didn't bother trying to find them.
The two brothers were accepted into Hope’s Peak Academy at the age of sixteen, having both attended the same high school with both Makoto and Chiaki.
Izuru had been accepted as the Ultimate Hope with a long detailed later as to why he was being accepted by said title, and Hinata had been accepted as the Ultimate Serenity.
“What do you mean Ultimate Serenity, why do I get such an ominous title? That’s bullshit.”
“Language,” Kamukura mutters, scanning his eyes across his three pages of text.
“Why are you the Ultimate Hope, Nanami the Ultimate Gamer and me -? Thr Ultimate Serenity?
He was more confused than anything else. Heck, Hinata was glad that he got to be accepted into the same school with his brother and all that, but why the title?
“…I think you deserve that title, Hinata-kun.” Nanami chimes in. “It’s fitting.”
“How?!” Hinata cries out in indignation, throwing his letter dramatically in the air. “…I just know, I think.”
Hinata drags his brother by the wrist everywhere he went during the first day of school.
“Hinata-kun, Kamukura-kun!” A soft voice cries out to the right of his, both brothers turning their head to see a distressed girl trying to push through the sea of students to get to them. “Over here!”
The brunette grins, reaching a hand to grab his friend’s hand and pulling her out of the sea of students. “Hey, Nanami! Where’ve you been?”
Nanami puffs out her cheeks, smoothing out the wrinkles on her uniform (which neither males were bothered to wear) and huffs in resentment. “…I just got dropped off.” She holds onto a GameGirl tightly, almost as though she was afraid someone would take it from her.
“When does the assembly start?” Kamukura asks, red eyes looking over at the front stage. “It’s been a while.”
“…I don’t know.” Nanami mutters, starting up her console.
Kamukura groans softly, eyebrows furrowed and lips turned into a frown.
“We can go out if you want, Izuru-” Hinata suggests but is cut off by a loud noise that directs everyone’s attention to the bottom corner of the hall.
It’s dead silent.
Everyone in that vicinity crowds together, packing into a small circle as everyone tries to see what was going on.
“…What-?”
“Let’s go check it out.”
As the trio walks over the gathering, audible whispers of ‘are they dead?’ and ‘that’s a cloud’ reach Hinata’s ears. He raises his eyebrows, pushing his way through the crowd apologetically (“sorry,” “Can I get through?”) until he reaches the middle, frustration boiling in his stomach as his mind comes to the conclusion that there as a living, breathing human being trapped under a bookshelf twice his size.
Obviously worried about said person’s well-being, the male rushes to the fallen figure and attempts to lift the bookshelf by himself.
(Oh no, Kamukura thinks as he watched his brother slowly lose his title of being the Ultimate Serenity.)
“What are you guys doing?” Hinata cries out. He lets out a small huff, trying to pick up the dark shelf once more. “Help me?!”
A large booming laugh sounds out throughout the crowd followed by a deep ‘of course!’. A tall man (he’s a high school student?!) looking like he could lift up a mountain steps out of the bunch of students. An iron chain is wrapped loosely around his neck, dark seafoam green hair gelled into a sharp point. Then - almost as though he had been granted superhuman powers - the man lifts up the heavy object without any effort.
Hinata rushes to the figure underneath the shelf with a quick thank you to the man who introduced himself as “Nekomaru Nidai!”
“Hey, hey are you okay? Can you hear me?”
The figure groans, shifting. “Yes, I’m alright. I’m-” They look up, forcing a smile as they duck their head. “I’m sorry that you had to worry about someone like me, I’m fine, thank you.”
“What are you talking about? Of course, I’m gonna worry, you look like your half-dead. Are you hurt?”
Smooth, Kamukura thinks, glaring at the crowd who seemed to think they still had the right to continue staring. His brother flushes, shaking his head.
“I am so sorry,” Hinata stammers, rubbing his temple. “I’m not saying you look bad, I just thought that you had fainted because of how pale you are- Christ I need to shut the fuck up.”
“Language,” Kamukura mutters, lightly tapping his brother on the head.
By now, the students had dispersed, seeing as there was nothing interesting happening.
“Again, I’m sorry. My name is Hinata Hajime, this is my brother, Kamukura Izuru.”
The figure laughs awkwardly. “It’s nice to meet you too, my name is Komaeda Nagito. Ah, I apologise that we had to meet like this, it makes someone like me look a lot worse.”
The brunette frowns, opening his mouth to speak, he’s cut off by a foreign voice that cuts through his words along with the shrieking of a microphone.
They all look to the stage, seeing that a couple of adults had already gathered up there with an arrangement of expressions, the most noticeable one dressed in a blue suit with dark purple hair sticking upwards in an almost tilted arrow shape.
He bears a proud (but stern) look on his face, in his hand, he holds a piece of paper that - probably - has all the names of the students on it.
He knocks on the microphone a few times, eyebrows upturned before bursting into a big smile.
“Welcome!” He says, voice surprisingly light and cheery for a man of such nature. “Class 77-A, B and C of Hope’s Peak Academy! My name is Jin Kirigiri, the principal of the school and I welcome you all to this amazing establishment where you are guaranteed to succeed. Here, You will put your talents to good use and bring hope to this world after you graduate!”