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Life after the Neo World Program was difficult at first.
Of course, Hinata and the other survivors of the school trip killing game were the first to wake up from their comas. Even though Hinata was prepared to wake up looking like Izuru, he was still surprised when he felt the tendrils of long hair wrapped around him like a bunch of slimy snakes. He was the very first one to wake up from his coma, and it wasn't long before the other survivors awakened too.
Looking at his friends made Hinata realize just how different their actual selves were from their simulation counterparts. Akane looked like she had lost twenty pounds, Souda's clothes were completely tattered, Fuyuhiko had a huge gash over one of his eyes, and Sonia looked as elegant as ever, but her sickeningly white skin revealed that she was just as unhealthy as the rest of them. Hinata was sure he looked just as bad, if not even worse, since all of them were staring at him as if he was some sort of alien. Maybe it was just his hair? He'd need to get it cut later.
"Your eye..." Sonia whispered, so quietly that if it weren't for retaining Izuru's sharp hearing Hinata wouldn't have heard.
Hinata raised his hand to his eye in confusion. "Huh? What's wrong with my eye?"
"It's red. You're not Kamukura, are you?" Fuyuhiko spoke up sharply. His voice was neutral, but Hinata could detect the suspicion hiding underneath. The others were all staring at him through narrowed eyes, waiting for him to answer.
Hinata couldn't say he was surprised. He knew something like this would happen. After everything that happened, he couldn't blame them for suspecting that he was still Izuru.
"I'm not. I'm Hajime Hinata. Not Izuru," Hinata replied firmly, shaking his head.
The air cleared a little bit as the tension dissipated, but Hinata could tell they were still suspicious. Even Akane and Souda, who were both normally so friendly, watched Hinata carefully.
"Guys, I'm really not Izuru. You all know that he wouldn't bother lying about his identity. Didn't I tell you all that I was going to live as Hajime Hinata from now on?" Hinata asked. He hoped that this would finally convince all of them. He would never become Izuru again.
The rest of the survivors exchanged looks. They all seemed to still be a little wary of him, which he completely understood. He'd probably be wary too if he were in their position.
Akane was the first to break the uncomfortable silence. "Hey, I believe him. He doesn't sound like Kamukura, don't ya think?" she said, shrugging.
"She has a point..." Sonia agreed, looking at Fuyuhiko who was still staring hard at Hinata.
"Eh, let's just give him the benefit of the doubt, yeah? Wait, I know what to do!" Souda exclaimed, walking over to Hinata. "Sorry, buddy. This might sting a little."
"Wait, what are you- Ow, what the fuck!? That hurt!" Hinata said, rubbing his cheek which Souda had just slapped.
"See? I knew he wasn't Kamukura! Kamukura would never swear!" Souda said triumphantly, throwing his arm around Hinata cheerfully. Hinata vaguely thought that he could've at least said sorry.
But, it did seem to work. Fuyuhiko visibly loosened up and the tension in the air lifted. Hinata thought the other boy was still a little cautious, but his doubts were dashed when Fuyuhiko playfully punched his arm.
"It's good to have you back," Fuyuhiko said, giving Hinata a smile.
"Okay, well now that that's over, can we please get some grub? I'm fuckin' starving!" Akane announced, and as if on cue, her stomach let out a loud growl.
Hinata nodded. They all looked so skinny and malnourished, Akane especially. All of them definitely needed some food and water. "Yeah, let's go get something to eat. We all look horrible."
Fuyuhiko shook his head, glancing over at the pod that Hinata knew Peko was in. "I'm not in the mood to eat."
"Ah, unfortunately, I'm not too hungry either..." Sonia said, looking over at the pod Gundham was in.
"But Miss Sonia, you need to eat-!" Souda protested, but was interrupted by Hinata placing a hand on his shoulder.
"That's okay. We'll get you something to eat anyways. You guys can stay here," Hinata said, shooting Souda a look. The other boy visibly drooped, but said nothing.
"Thank you, Hinata. You really are a good friend," Sonia said, smiling warmly and sitting down next to Gundham's pod. Hinata didn't miss the grateful look Fuyuhiko shot him either as he sat down next to Peko's pod.
"C'mon guys. Let's go get something to eat," Hinata said, motioning for the other two to follow him.
"Hell yeah! Finally! I'm starving!" Akane yelled, rushing past Hinata to find whatever she could eat. Hinata hoped she would at least leave a few scraps for the rest of them, but when it came to her, he wouldn't be very surprised if she had eaten everything before they even caught up to her.
It wasn't long before Hinata and Souda reached the room where Akane was in, but the place looked like it had been turned inside out. Boxes were scattered along the floor, cabinets were hanging wide open, and Akane was in the middle of it all, triumphantly holding a pack of ramen in her hands.
Before Hinata could praise her for finding some food, Akane ripped open the ramen and started eating it.
With Souda's help, Hinata managed to pry the uncooked ramen away from Akane, even though she dodged and ran away from the two a lot. Hinata figured they didn't call her the Ultimate Gymnast for nothing. He silently thanked God that he still had all of Izuru's talents or else he probably never would've been able to catch her, even with Souda's help.
Promising that it'd taste much better if it was actually cooked, Hinata started to boil the noodles while Akane watched on with drool hanging from her mouth. Thankfully, the pack that Akane found wasn't the only one. Hinata didn't think Souda was the kind of person who would be a great chef, but he was at least able to cook something as simple as ramen. It only took about 5 minutes for everything to fully cook, and of course Akane was the first to dig in. Her insatiable appetite honestly scared Hinata a little bit.
"You know, I'm sure she'd appreciate it if you gave her some food," Hinata said, seeing how crestfallen Souda had looked the entire time they were eating. Meanwhile, Akane was on her fourth bowl of ramen and didn't seem to notice the conversation between the two boys.
Souda visibly brightened at Hinata's words, tugging at his arm excitedly like a little kid. "Really? You think so?"
Hinata nodded, moving his arm away from Souda's reach. "Yeah. I'm sure she's hungry and all. It's just tough when everyone is still..."
"Yeah, I get it! I'll go give her some then! Wish me luck!" Souda exclaimed, running off with a bowl of ramen for himself in one hand and a bowl of ramen for Sonia in the other. Hinata sighed. He figured he should probably get Fuyuhiko something to eat too. It was impossible for the other boy to not be hungry after all this time.
Holding two bowls, Hinata followed after Souda. He was sure that Akane would follow too after she had her fill, which would probably take a little while.
Walking over to Fuyuhiko's side, he saw Sonia and Souda talking out of the corner of his eye. Sonia was smiling and seemed to be thanking Souda, who was basically gushing over the words of thanks.
"That for me?" Fuyuhiko asked, drawing Hinata's attention away from the other two.
Hinata nodded and handed over the bowl to Fuyuhiko, who gratefully accepted it.
"Thanks. I really appreciate it, y'know. I would normally just do it myself, but..." he trailed off, staring at the pod which held Peko's comatose body.
"Yeah, I understand. It's fine," Hinata reassured, looking over at all of the fifteen pods. It should've been sixteen, but Chiaki was...
Hinata shook his head to clear his thoughts. This wasn't the time to be moping over things that couldn't be changed. He needed to focus on the present.
After Fuyuhiko thanked Hinata a second time, he decided that he really wanted to cut his hair. It was way too long, and it just felt suffocating. He wondered how the hell he could've put up with it before the simulation.
Hinata knew he could just cut his hair himself, but he wanted to strengthen the bonds he had with the survivors more. After all, now was the time where his classmates needed him the most.
The person he decided to ask to cut his hair was easy. Fuyuhiko and Souda didn't seem like the type to do something like cut hair, and Akane was...well, Akane. Hinata was certain she could probably do a decent job since she had so many siblings, but still. He didn't really like the thought of Akane with scissors.
Grabbing a pair of scissors he found in one of the rooms nearby, he walked over to where Sonia was, who was patiently listening to an excited Souda. Hinata had no clue what Souda was saying, but he figured he was just trying to impress the princess. It was actually a little refreshing to see something so normal.
Sonia was the first to notice Hinata approaching. Souda didn't even notice how the girl had stopped paying attention to him until Hinata stopped right next to him.
"Oh, hey Hinata! I didn't see you there. I was just in the middle of telling Miss Sonia about that time where we almost wore matching speedos-" Souda began, but was quickly cut off by Hinata coughing a little.
"Sorry, Souda. Is it okay if you finish your story a little later? I wanted to ask Sonia something." Hinata asked, desperately wanting to change the subject as fast as possible.
"What did you want to ask, Hinata?" Sonia said, not giving Souda a chance to reply. He looked a little hurt, but Hinata knew he'd get over it soon enough.
"Can you cut my hair for me? I have some scissors." Hinata held up the scissors for her to see. "I mean, I could do it myself if you really don't want to though-"
"Of course I'll cut your hair for you!" Sonia interrupted excitedly. "How could I call myself the Nosovelic Princess if I couldn't do such a simple task?"
Hinata smiled and thanked her as he sat down next to Gundham's pod. Unsurprisingly, Sonia wasted no time in getting to work. It wasn't long before Hinata could feel Sonia's hands delicately running through his hair accompanied by the occasional soft snips of the scissors. Honestly, Hinata never ceased to be amazed by how efficient and skillful Sonia was. Unfortunately for him, Souda continued on with his story. Hinata closed his eyes and just hoped that Sonia wasn't listening too closely. He didn't think he'd be able to look her in the eye if she knew that he was almost roped into wearing matching speedos with Souda.
Several minutes passed as Hinata tried his best to drone out Souda's incredibly embarrassing story, which was kind of hard to do since he was talking so loudly. It was almost like he was proud of the speedos, and knowing Souda, he probably was. Lost in thought over how he could make Souda stop talking, Hinata didn't even notice Sonia move until her face was just inches away from his own.
Realizing just how close she was, Hinata immediately pulled back, almost tripping over himself in the process. Thankfully, she didn't seem to care and instead pumped her fist in the air excitedly.
"I think the haircut was a success! You look just like how you used to look! Don't you think so, Souda?" Sonia said happily, staring at Hinata with sparkles in her eyes.
Souda nodded in agreement, but he was too busy staring at her to even glance at Hinata. Hinata made a mental note to talk to him and try to convince him to give up on pursuing the poor girl. He doubted that he would listen, though.
"Thanks, Sonia. I feel a lot better now. I'm sure you did an excellent job," Hinata said gratefully, tentatively feeling his hair. It felt normal enough, so he assumed she did a wonderful job. Not that he expected anything less though.
Sonia smiled in response. "If you ever need me to do anything else for you, don't hesitate to ask!"
Hinata nodded and said a quick thanks before heading over to where Akane and Fuyuhiko were to see what they were doing. He tried his best to ignore the jealous stare that Souda was obviously giving him.
Fuyuhiko was still sitting next to Peko's pod, hands clasped and elbows resting on his knees. He seemed to be deep in thought; eyebrows scrunched together, eyes narrowed, and mouth in a slight frown. On the other hand, Akane was up and about, kicking and punching...the air? Hinata didn't even want to ask. Even though it was probably just better to leave him alone, Hinata ignored his thoughts and decided to approach him. Only once did he sit down did the other boy look at him.
"Uh, hey...you looked kind of upset so I wanted to see what was up," Hinata explained when he saw the apprehensive look Fuyuhiko was giving him.
Fuyuhiko's eyes softened a little, and he let out a short laugh. "What, do I really look that pitiful? Actually, don't answer that."
Hinata closed his mouth before he could give an answer that would've earned him a death glare.
Fuyuhiko let out a long sigh before he began to talk again. When he did, his voice was barely audible and Hinata noticed that he had to still his hands from shaking. "It's just...do you think she's gonna wake up? I can't lose her." His breath hitched. "Not again."
Hinata couldn't really offer any consolation. He had a point after all; there was a chance that none of them would ever wake up. But they had to cling onto hope if nothing else.
"I'm sure she'll wake up," Hinata finally said, unsure of what else he could possibly say to ease Fuyuhiko's worries.
The other boy snorted. "Don't say stupid shit like that. Unless you have some sort of Ultimate Fortune Teller talent or something?"
Hinata thought for a moment. "I mean, I actually do, but my predictions aren't always right, so..."
"Jesus Christ, I only meant it as a joke. But...thanks anyways, I guess. For at least trying to help," Fuyuhiko said, cracking a small smile.
Hinata nodded, smiling back. "Anytime." Turning his attention to Akane, who was still fighting the air for some reason, Hinata said goodbye to Fuyuhiko and got up.
"Uh, Akane...what're you doing?" Hinata asked as soon as he was close enough.
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm sparring, duh! I've got so much energy now that I've eaten so much. Besides, I have to be in top shape once Nekomaru wakes up!" Akane answered, not even bothering to look at Hinata.
"You're sparring...with the air?"
"Well, yeah. No one else wants to spar with me, so I'm just gonna have to make do. What about you though? Wanna fight?"
"Um...not really."
"Wait," Akane said, pausing and finally looking at Hinata. As soon as he saw the gleeful look in her eyes, he knew he was going to have to do whatever she had come up with. "Since you're also Kamukura and he's the Ultimate Everything or whatever...then you must be super good at fighting, right?"
She was completely right, but that didn't mean he wanted to spar with her for God's sake. "Well, yeah, but- Hey, what the hell?!" Hinata didn't even have time to finish his sentence before Akane threw a punch at him, which he luckily dodged.
Grinning wildly, Akane slightly bent her knees and brought her fists up to her chest in a fighting stance. "That's all I need to hear!"
Hinata knew there was no changing her mind at that point. Copying her stance, he waited for her to make the first move. Before he knew it, Akane was inches away from his face, punching and kicking and basically moving like a fucking whirlwind. It honestly surprised Hinata how easily and how quickly he could dodge each and every one of her hits. He even countered when he could (but never making contact of course) which happened more than once since Akane had a lot of openings despite being such a good fighter. He never did try to actively attack her though; he was more than sure she could handle it, but he felt that it'd probably be better to just stick to acting defensively.
After a while, Hinata decided to call it quits. Akane's movements were predictable once enough time had passed (and honestly, he was getting maybe even a little, dare he say, bored?). He was impressed by her stamina though. She had spent a good amount of time intensely sparring, and she didn't even look the slightest bit tired.
"Ugh, but we were just getting started! Why'd ya have to stop now?" Akane whined, the fire in her eyes still burning as bright as ever.
"I wanted to stop and give you advice, actually. You have too many openings, and someone could easily hit you if you're not careful enough," Hinata replied, demonstrating the moves Akane had done before and explaining the openings he had seen. Akane genuinely seemed grateful for his advice, and she listened so intently and silently to what he had to say that Hinata began to worry that something was wrong.
"Huh. I never knew I had so much to work on. Well, Nekomaru had told me some of that stuff before, but thanks! Let's spar again sometime!" Akane said cheerfully, waving Hinata goodbye. And with that, she ran off. Hinata assumed she wanted to find something good to eat again after sparring so much.
Looking around, Hinata realized that everyone else seemed to be busy doing their own things. Sonia and Souda were talking once again, but it looked more like a one-sided conversation than anything else. Fuyuhiko was still dutifully sitting next to the pod where Peko laid, and Akane was most likely chowing down on some food. Hinata decided it would be best not to bother any of them. He wanted to be alone for a little while anyways - after all, he had a lot to think about. Looking at all of the pods where his classmates were sleeping in, possibly never going to wake up, Hinata had a strong feeling that it was going to be a long next couple of days.
And long it was.
As hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks, more and more of Hinata's classmates began to wake up. First it was the Ultimate Imposter, who looked exactly like Hinata remembered before they all entered the Neo World Program - that is to say, he wasn't impersonating anyone and was in fact his real self. Hinata was glad to see him that way. He liked his true identity and his true personality more than any of the other people he had impersonated in the past.
After the day that the Ultimate Imposter woke up, one classmate also awakened from their coma each following day. The second person to wake up was Teruteru, who wasted little time flirting with Akane and Sonia. Hinata thought it was actually kind of impressive how fast Teruteru recovered from his coma and returned to his normal self. Mahiru was the third to wake up, and she was actually the first one to look visibly shaken. Hinata couldn't blame her though, considering that she literally got murdered inside of the simulation.
Next was Peko. At that point, even the dumbest person could tell that there was a pattern to the people who had woken up; it all depended on the order of who had died in the Neo World Program. On that day, Fuyuhiko constantly sat by Peko's side, refusing to eat or even talk until she woke up. And when she finally did wake up, their reunion was something Hinata could never forget. Almost immediately, Fuyuhiko pulled Peko into a hug, saying something that Hinata couldn't hear because he was too far away. It was obvious that she was surprised at first, but it didn't take long for her to smile and return the hug. Once he pulled away, Hinata could see that he was openly crying. Feeling awkward, Hinata decided to look away and give them some privacy. He couldn't help but think about how glad he was that Fuyuhiko could finally rest easy now though.
The rest of class 77-B woke up without a hitch. Hinata had to admit that he missed having someone as energetic as Ibuki around, and he even kind of missed the way Gundham talked so cryptically. Although he knew that everyone would look different from their simulation counterparts, it was still jarring to see some of them. The most surprising person to see was definitely Hiyoko, who looked so much taller and so much more mature than how she looked in the simulation. Unfortunately, her rude attitude towards everyone but Mahiru didn’t change in the slightest though.
Once the supposed day where the final person would wake up came around, no one expected anything different. After all, everyone else had woken up without any problems, so why would Komaeda be any different?
Hinata forgot that it was Komaeda that they were dealing with.
Days passed, and Komaeda still wasn't waking up. Hinata was sure that some of his classmates wouldn't mind if he never woke up, and it was true that he caused trouble everywhere he went, but that didn't mean it'd be okay for him to stay comatose forever. As time passed, Hinata found himself staying by Komaeda's side more and more often. He would never admit it, but he was worried about him. Despite everything that he had done, Hinata still considered Komaeda a friend, and he could never live with himself if he just gave up on him. Was his luck to blame for all of this? It wouldn't surprise Hinata if it was. His luck cycle was still a mystery to him even after he had gained all of Izuru's talents.
Just as Hinata was beginning to lose hope, Komaeda finally woke up. It was subtle at first. It started with a twitch of his hand, and after a few seconds, he slowly opened his eyes. After blinking a few times, a familiar shape came into view.
"Hey, can you hear me?" Hinata asked, smiling a little bit in relief.
Komaeda stared at Hinata for a few seconds before his vision finally sharpened. "Ah...Kamukura? No...you're Hinata-kun, right?"
Hinata extended a hand to Komaeda, who gratefully accepted and stood up. "I'm kind of both of them actually. Also, uh...you can let go now."
Komaeda apologized before finally letting go of Hinata's hand. It was then that he realized he still had Junko's arm attached to him.
"Don't worry, we can get Souda to fix that for you," Hinata said, noticing the disgusted look on Komaeda's face. He knew how much he hated Junko, and he was worried that he'd take matters into his own hands unless Souda fixed it fast enough. "C'mon, let's go."
Although it took a long time and a lot of supplies, with help from both Mikan and Souda, Komaeda soon had a perfectly new arm. Hinata wasn't going to lie; the process had been messy. Besides Hinata, who thought the whole thing would be way too difficult for one person alone, no one else dared to watch what Mikan did. Luckily, with both Mikan's and Hinata's talents, everything went smoothly. Hinata had to admit it was kind of weird to see Komaeda with a robotic arm, but he was glad that he didn't have to suffer anymore.
After the whole thing with Komaeda was settled, Hinata decided to discuss what to do next with the others. Returning to their normal lives was impossible; everyone agreed that they couldn’t possibly go back to their families after their roles in The Tragedy, assuming they were even alive at that point. Honestly, it didn’t even seem like they could go anywhere. Who knows what else had happened during their time spent in the Neo World Program? In the end, mostly everyone thought that it would be best to simply remain on the island, with the exception of Hiyoko who called Hinata stupid when he suggested staying. It wasn’t like they could do anything else though, and besides, there was still plenty of food and other supplies for everyone to continue living on the island.
“Hey, Ibuki thinks we should throw a party! To celebrate everyone surviving!” Ibuki said suddenly, eyes glittering with excitement.
“Uh, don’t you remember what happened the last time we tried to throw a party? Someone died, idiot!” Hiyoko scowled, putting her hands on her hips. Hinata thought it was rude of her to call Ibuki an idiot, but she did have a point.
The Ultimate Imposter warily glanced at Komaeda before responding. “This situation is completely different. We’re not in a killing game anymore, remember? I think we can afford to celebrate without worrying.”
“Yeah, exactly! I’ve been craving Teruteru’s meat anyways, so let’s do it!” Akane cheered, visibly salivating.
Teruteru gave Akane a wink. “Oh, so you’ve been craving my meat, huh?”
“Shut up. You know she didn’t mean it like that,” Mahiru said, rolling her eyes. “Anyways, we should get to work. The party’s not gonna throw itself.”
With that, everyone began to make preparations for the party. Even Fuyuhiko chipped in, which was nice to see considering how he didn't even join the last time they had a party. Although Mikan had a few embarrassing accidents while trying to help, it didn't take long before the lodge looked eerily similar to how it did during the simulation. Noticing that the Ultimate Imposter was scanning the area like some sort of hawk, Hinata knew he was thinking the same exact thing.
When Hinata walked over to talk to him, the Ultimate Imposter was so focused on looking around that he didn't even seem to notice his presence. It was only when Hinata tapped him on the shoulder and he jumped that he realized that someone was with him.
"Oh, Hinata, sorry. I didn't see you there," the Ultimate Imposter said, his gaze flickering between Hinata and the room.
Hinata gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "It's fine. You know, you don't need to watch every little thing that happens. Like you said earlier, this situation is completely different than before, so why would anyone try anything funny?"
The Ultimate Imposter nodded and sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. It's just that I couldn't prevent a murder from occurring before, even though I promised I would, so-"
"So you think you need to keep an eye on everyone to fulfill that promise this time?" Hinata interrupted, already knowing the answer. "Don't be stupid. No one's going to do anything, I'm sure of it. Take it easy, you really need it."
The Ultimate Imposter hesitated for a moment, but eventually he nodded and spoke in a much more relaxed tone of voice. "Yeah, you're right. Thank you. You're much more of a leader than I could ever be."
Hinata shook his head, but not without smiling. It meant a lot to hear that from someone like the Ultimate Imposter. After saying goodbye, Hinata returned to his original spot and watched what everyone was doing.
Unsurprisingly, Akane was devouring everything in sight. It looked like the Ultimate Imposter took Hinata's words of taking it easy to heart, because soon enough, he joined in on the feast too. Mahiru and Hiyoko were together, Hiyoko saying something and snickering while Mahiru took out her camera and snapped photos of their unsuspecting classmates. Nekomaru was saying something about not being ashamed of going to the bathroom to Peko, who simply nodded and tried her best to walk away from the embarrassing conversation. Mikan and Ibuki were talking about something that Hinata couldn't hear, but whatever it was must've been funny because Mikan laughed while Ibuki made lots of hand gestures and sound effects. Sonia was marvelling at Gundham's Hell Hound Earring while Souda pointed and whispered something to Fuyuhiko, clearly jealous. Hinata thought the two made an odd pair, but even though Fuyuhiko rolled his eyes and said something that made Souda pout, it was obvious he was having fun.
Despite all of the fun everyone was having, Hinata could tell that participating in the killing game affected them all in different ways. For example, Mahiru and Peko seemed to be purposefully avoiding each other, but on the other hand, Ibuki didn’t seem to be acting any different at all. Hiyoko still insulted Mikan from time to time, but it was much less frequent and harsh. Like Ibuki, Nekomaru had no problems interacting with Gundham, even though the other boy had literally killed him in the simulation. The only person who Hinata couldn’t quite understand whether or not the killing game had any effects on him was Komaeda.
Besides Teruteru who was still busy cooking food in the kitchen, Komaeda was the only one alone in the whole room. Hinata felt bad for the guy; he knew that everyone still mistrusted him despite not being in the killing game anymore. It’s not like he couldn’t blame them though. After everything that he did, it was hard to fully trust him. Even Hinata had a hard time putting any faith in him, but still, that didn’t mean he should be alone at a party for God’s sake. Everyone was supposed to be having fun, and Hinata firmly believed that even Komaeda should have someone to talk to.
"Hey Komaeda," Hinata greeted, casually approaching the other boy.
"Ah, Hinata-kun. Why do you want to talk to someone like me when there are plenty of other talented people to talk to?" Komaeda asked, smiling at Hinata as if he didn't just degrade himself.
Hinata sighed. He didn't particularly like when Komaeda said those things about himself, but at that point, he was used to it. "Well, I was just wondering why you were alone."
Komaeda shook his head and grinned. There was something about his smile though that made Hinata doubt he was truly happy. "Don't you already know why? No one trusts me, of course! But who can blame them? After all, I'm just scum and nothing like any of you guys."
Before Hinata could tell him that that wasn't true, Komaeda continued talking. "Hey, Hinata-kun...answer me this. What do you think would've happened if Teruteru actually killed me instead of the Ultimate Imposter? Do you think I would've served as a good stepping stone to hope?"
Stunned, Hinata stayed silent for a few seconds before finally answering. "What are you talking about? Why does that even matter anyways? We're not in the killing game anymore."
But it was no use. Komaeda seemed like he was in some sort of feverish daze, mumbling and cradling himself. Knowing that trying to talk to him would be futile at that point, Hinata decided that the best thing to do would be to get him out of there as fast as possible. Having an episode was bad enough, but having an episode while being around a crowd was even worse. Grabbing Komaeda's wrist, Hinata weaved through the crowd as quickly as he could, smiling awkwardly and giving a thumbs up when his classmates gave him odd looks.
As Hinata dragged the other boy to his cottage, he hoped that the cool night air would help Komaeda come to his senses a little bit. He couldn't really tell though because he was strangely quiet. Honestly, Hinata didn't really know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but he figured he would find out soon enough.
Once Hinata went into his cottage and sat down on his bed, he finally let go of Komaeda, who sat down next to him. He didn't realize how tightly he was holding onto him until he started rubbing his wrist.
"Oh, uh...sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," Hinata apologized, looking at the other boy carefully. Thankfully, it seemed like he had snapped out of it. This wasn't a rare occurrence; Komaeda had several episodes like the one he just had even in the Neo World Program. They never lasted too long, but they could be a little intense sometimes.
Komaeda shook his head. "No, I should be the one sorry. For helping someone like me...thank you. You really are a good person."
Hinata nodded, although he was a little embarrassed of such high praise. "Are you okay now? Even if you are, I think you should stay here tonight. I don't mind."
"Ah, I couldn't possibly do that. I would just be a hindrance! I'm fine now, you don't need to worry about little old me."
"But I want you to stay here," Hinata said, more forcefully this time. "Just for tonight. You're my friend, Komaeda, and I'm worried about you. If this happened again, I wouldn't want you to deal with it alone."
At the sound of Hinata calling him his friend, Komaeda blinked. Then, after a short pause, he smiled and laughed. "Wow Hinata-kun, it's almost like you're confessing your love to me or something when you say it like that!"
Before Hinata could retort, Komaeda continued. "But...if you want me to stay that badly, then I will. Thank you."
Even though a moment ago he was scowling, Hinata's expression softened once Komaeda said that he would stay. He really was worried about the other boy, and he probably wouldn't have taken no as an answer if he kept refusing anyways. "Okay, good. You can take the bed-"
"Thanks, but no thanks Hinata-kun," Komaeda interrupted, getting up and plopping himself onto the couch. "A person like me could never even dream of sleeping in your bed."
Hinata sighed, but relented. He at least already agreed to staying, so that was enough of a win for him. "Okay, fine. But at least take a pillow."
After throwing a pillow at Komaeda and directly hitting him in the face, Hinata decided to call it a night. Turning the lights off, he crawled into bed while Komaeda shifted around on the couch to get into a comfortable position.
A moment of silence passed before Komaeda spoke.
"Goodnight, Hinata-kun."
"Goodnight."
Hinata must've been more exhausted than he thought because before he knew it, he was fast asleep and dreaming. In his dreams, memories of the Neo World Program and life before that kept resurfacing. First, he remembered the very first time he had met Chiaki, when she accidentally bumped into him because she was too focused on playing her game. Then he remembered all of the times after their first meeting where they played games together, especially how he could never manage to beat her. When he lamented about the fact that he was a Reserve Course Student, he remembered how she said that talent wasn't everything, and that being talentless was much better because, unlike her who was only good at video games, he could do and become anything. He remembered all of the time they spent together in the simulation, all of the games he watched her play, and how sweet and kind she was to everyone, even to people like Hiyoko and Komaeda. He remembered the shock and pain he felt when he found out that she was the traitor, and the overwhelming sadness of knowing what would come after the class trial. He remembered the horror he felt when he watched her execution, the despair he almost sunk into, but most of all, he remembered the determination he felt when she had appeared to him and told him not to fall into despair when he and the other survivors faced AI Junko.
Then, he remembered how her body was riddled with spears, how she told him that she didn't want to die, that she wanted to stay with her classmates and play games with him more. He remembered how she sobbed while she laid in her own pool of blood, how she told him that she loved him and her classmates. The last thing he remembered was how bloody her hair clip looked when he picked it up.
Suddenly, Hinata woke up with a gasp, sitting up and almost hitting the person in front of him.
"Hinata-kun! Are you okay?" Komaeda asked frantically, backing up a little to give Hinata some space. "You were having a nightmare, so I thought I should wake you up…"
Breathing heavily, Hinata took a moment to regain his composure. Wiping his face, he realized that he had been crying in his sleep. Actually, he was still crying.
"Yeah...yeah, I'm fine. Thanks Komaeda," Hinata said softly, trying his best to stifle the tears that threatened to spill over. Komaeda sat silently on the bed next to Hinata and waited until he got ahold of himself to speak.
"Did you dream about her?" Komaeda asked, so quietly that Hinata almost thought he imagined it.
"Yeah," Hinata admitted, looking down at his knees. "I miss her. A lot."
"Me too. She was a great person, and she was a wonderful friend," Komaeda agreed, standing up. "Do you think…? Ah, never mind."
"Huh? What were you going to say?"
Komaeda looked at him, a curious expression on his face. "Do you think it would've been better if I was the one who died and Chiaki was the one who lived?"
Hinata coughed, almost choking because he was so caught off guard. Did he really just say that?
"What? No, of course not. Don't say that."
Komaeda paced around the room, ignoring what Hinata had said. "I think it would've. After all, I'm worthless, and so is my talent. But she...she had an amazing talent, she was the class representative, and she had a hope that burned so brightly."
Hinata stood up. "Komaeda, stop-"
"I'm right though, aren't I?" Komaeda said suddenly, turning to face Hinata. "I'm sure everyone in our class would agree. None of them ever really liked me. But every one of them loved Chiaki. I wish I had died instead of her. I know everyone else would-"
Hinata put his hands on Komaeda's shoulders, surprising him so much that he stopped talking. "Komaeda, look at me."
Komaeda looked at Hinata, and Hinata looked back. "Please, stop fucking saying that. You're right. Everyone in our class loved Chiaki, including me. And yeah, some people may not trust you, but you're my friend for God's sake. It would've been just as bad if you were the one who died instead of Chiaki."
Komaeda paused for a moment, looked at Hinata's hands on his shoulders, and then he looked back at Hinata. "Still-"
Hinata didn't wait for him to finish his sentence. Instead, he pulled Komaeda in for a hug, who froze up instantly once Hinata's arms were wrapped around him.
"Just stop talking. I care about you. I don't want to think about what ifs. You and Chiaki both mean a lot to me, and it would've hurt me equally as much if you were the one who died. So please...shut up."
Komaeda didn't say a word; all he did was nod slightly. Hinata could feel the other boy's heart hammering in his chest, how it was fluttering like a butterfly, just like his own heart. He could feel Komaeda's gentle breath on his hair, and how his hair tickled his face. As Hinata squeezed just a little tighter, he felt Komaeda finally relaxen against him and wrap his arms around him too. They stayed like that for another second or two before Hinata realized just how embarrassing the whole situation was.
Flustered, Hinata pulled away and looked in the other direction, thanking God that it was still dark out because he could feel his cheeks quickly heating up. "Uh...anyways, yeah. Thanks for waking me up."
"Ah, it wasn't a problem. I'd do anything to be of use to you!" Komaeda said cheerfully, returning to the couch.
"Um…" Hinata started, staring at the way Komaeda's legs draped off of the couch. God, he couldn't believe he was seriously going to ask this. "Do you want to sleep on the bed? Sleeping on the couch looks uncomfortable."
Komaeda shook his head. "I've slept in far worse places, and honestly, being allowed to even sleep on your couch is a grand privilege for someone like me. Besides, where would you sleep if I slept in your bed?"
Oh Jesus Christ, Hinata thought. He's really going to make me come out and say it.
Hinata took a deep breath. "Well...I was going to sleep in my bed too."
Komaeda stared at him for a second. "Huh? So you're saying we should sleep together? Shouldn't you ask a girl that, and not me?"
Hinata took another deep breath, clenching his fist in annoyance. "You know I didn't mean it like that."
Komaeda smiled and got up. "Well...if you insist, I guess I'll come and sleep with you. But if you ever want me to get off of the bed, feel free to kick me off!"
Hinata rolled his eyes and climbed into bed, Komaeda eventually following suit. The bed wasn't exactly huge, but it was a whole lot better than sleeping on the couch. It was a tight squeeze, but somehow, the two of them managed to fit together. It was a little weird, especially since Hinata hadn't slept with someone in the same bed since he was very little, but it was oddly comforting to have someone else's presence next to him. Even if it was Komaeda.
With his back pressed lightly against Komaeda's, Hinata closed his eyes. It had been a long night, but he was somewhat glad he spent it with Komaeda. As frustrating as he was to deal with, Hinata truly cared about him and considered him to be a close friend. He hoped one day that would become clear to him. But for now, he’d just have to remind Komaeda every now and then that he was his friend.
Even though Hinata thought it would take a while for him to fall back asleep, he was proven wrong. Listening to the sounds of the water and the gentle ocean breeze lulled him to sleep much faster than he thought it would. Or maybe it was just the presence of a friend close by that helped him fall asleep so fast. In the end, it didn’t matter. What really mattered in that moment was that Hinata slept soundly, this time with no nightmares to plague him.