Chapter Text
Nagito Komaeda walked into class, ready to start the new semester with a hopeful smile across his face. The sunlight poured into the classroom from the open curtains and illuminated the otherwise dark room, everyone was already in class and had begun to catch up with each other, discussing what they'd done over the winter break. Pondering for a moment as to why the lights were off, Nagito flipped the switch only to hear groans calling his name from the entire class.
"Sorry, Sorry.." He said with a giggle, flipping the switch once more. He walked further into the room, sitting down in his desk and listening in on Kuzuryu, Pekoyama, Sonia and Soda's conversation, they too were talking about their winter breaks, Soda in the midst of retelling a vacation he'd taken when Sonia chimed in, interrupting him. (Not that Soda seemed to mind.)
"Oh! Have you heard the news yet?" She clapped her hands together gently with a look of excitement on her face while she spoke, "We are to be getting a new classmate this semester!" She announced loud enough for those in conversations around them to turn toward her.
"Really? This late into the school year?" Kuzuryu questioned, raising an eyebrow. "How do you know it's true?"
"Hey! Are you doubting Miss Sonia?" Soda frowned slightly and squinted a little at Kuzuryu.
"Oh yes! I am most sure, after all I heard it from Miss Yukizome herself." Sonia cut in, ignoring Soda and turning slightly to Kuzuryu.
"Did you hear their name?" Owari called out, pausing her attack on Nidai for a moment to listen in.
"Ah, no, I'm afraid not, I only happened to overhear Miss Yukisome on the phone through the classroom doors yesterday." Sonia replied, smiling. "Though I think they are be arriving today!"
Nagito couldn't help but smile at that, he wondered, what talent would this new student hold? What hope could they bring with them to add to his classmates who were already brimming with hope? Perhaps he would even be able to become their stepping stone towards bettering and further improving their talent. After all, to be accepted so late into the year, they must have quite the talent!
Everyone had continued talking about the new student, suggesting talents they may have and expressing their excitement when the lights suddenly shone down on everyone, causing loud groans to erupt from the entire class, including Nagito himself this time round.
Miss Yukizome clapped her hands together once and smiled, "Goodmorning class!" She said with a joyous tone as she stepped to the front and everyone took their seats. After the shuffling of seats and feet quieted down, she spoke again.
"I overheard your little chat before class, it's not polite to eavesdrop, Sonia." Though there was no real scolding to her tone and it was more of a passing comment than anything else.
"Since you all know, I suppose I shall just have your new classmate introduce himself!"
Only now did everyone seem to notice the spikey haired boy hovering by the classroom door. He stood up a little straighter upon hearing Miss Yukizome address him and walked towards the board. Nagito watched him, looking at him from head to toe, he looked...Plain? Yet rather pretty, he supposed. The boy had a plain white shirt on, with a green tie which had some print of a lighter green on it, He stood about as tall as Nagito, no a little shorter than him. His face was rather round, with wide Hazel coloured eyes. He stood there for a moment before speaking.
"Hello, I am Hajime Hinata. Pleased to be joining your class, I hope we can become friends." He announced, then stood awkwardly for a moment longer, seemingly confused as to why everyone was still looking at him so expectedly, glancing back at Yukizome.
"Your Talent, Hinata." She hissed at him.
Hinata's face flushed as he realised. "O-oh, right, uhm...They said I was the Ultimate Hope, if that's what you mean..." He seemed embarrassed, laughing nervously before going to sit down.
The Ultimate...Hope? Nagito's eyes lit up the moment he heard it, oh how blessed he felt to be in a classroom with someone called the Ultimate Hope, someone as insignificant and scummy as him gets to bask in the presence of the worlds shining hope? It felt surreal.
~
Class passed almost the exact same way as it had in the reserve course, the main difference being that the two hours of studying going by much faster than previous days. It had taken Hajime almost three weeks to fully adapt well to having Izuru Kamakura’s talents and mind merge with his, at first both consciousnesses fought for dominance over their shared body, trying to repress the other. Eventually though, they had come to an agreement, Izuru would use his talents during classes or when something was needed of Hajime but would stay in the back of Hajime’s mind otherwise.
Now that it had been 3 weeks, it was no longer that they were entirely different people, it was more of a change in the way Hajime used his brain. He had finally gotten used to being able to tap into the plethora of talents he possessed and he wasn’t entirely either consciousness anymore. It felt refreshing in an odd sense.
As soon as recess rolled around, the class pounced on Hajime and surrounded his desk; everyone excluding Nanami who was already friends with him, and the white haired boy a few desks away, who seemed quite happy to watch from afar.
Questions popped up all around him, people introducing themselves and talking over one another. Hajime tried his best to answer them all, with little success.
“What exactly does being the Ultimate Hope mean?” Owari asked, a confused look on her face.
“Ah, Well-“ Hajime began but was cut off by the blonde girl with a kimono on, Saionji, was it?
“It’s probably something like what Komaeda always rants on about!” She announced, making sure everyone heard her as she continued, pulling an innocent face as she spoke, “Hinata might be just like him, a weirdo!”
Hajime blinked silently, looking at all of them. Which one was Komaeda..? Everyone had quieted down a little, until the redhead with a Camera spoke up.
“Hiyoko! You shouldn’t say that,” She poked Saionji in the shoulder, then turned back to Hajime. “It’s not like Komaeda is crazy or anything, she’s just joking.”
Hajime just smiled a little awkwardly, hoping someone would pipe up and introduce him to this Komaeda, before he had to ask.
Then someone spoke up, “To be fair, I’m kinda curious why Komaeda wasn’t like, the first to introduce himself.” It was Soda, the boy with a bright green jumpsuit and bright pink hair down to his shoulders. “Afterall Komaeda, You’re always going on about hope and stuff, right?”
Soda and everyone else had turned to face the White haired boy a few desk down, who seemed to flush a faint pink for a second before speaking up.
“Ah, You see, I’m not worthy of even an introduction to someone as Hopeful and Bright as to be called the Ultimate Hope!” He said with a small laugh and a smile. “Seeing all you Ultimates together fills me with enough Hope than i could ever have dreamt of!”
So...This was Komaeda...He understood what saionji had meant by Weirdo.
“Erm, You don’t have to be like that. I’m a normal guy, really, i’m quite plain.” Hajime protested, feeling a little uncomfortable with such odd and strange praise.
“Well, if it would please you, i suppose i can introduce myself.” Komaeda said with a smile once more, he stood up and walked over to Hajime.
“Hello, I’m Nagito Komaeda, the Ultimate Lucky Student.” Hajime nodded and smiled politely.
“It’s nice to meet you Komaeda.” The interaction was weird, it felt quite forced and even more so with everyone watching them quite so silently.
“I’ll leave you and everyone else be, i hardly deserve to take up so much of your time when there’s such talent and hope in front of you!”
“What’d you mean by that?”
“Ah, just that unlike everyone else, my talent can barely be called that. I‘m merely a stepping stone for you all. Trash like me doesn’t deserve the attention from someone as Hopeful as yourself!” Komaeda stated cheerily, as if it were a fact.
“Komaeda, you’re in the class just like everyone else, right? I don’t really get what you’re saying..” Hajime had never been more confused by a person. This guy...he spoke so negatively about himself with such a cheery attitude.
“Hinata, i’m certain you and you’re amazing talent of hope will only ever make this class shine even brighter! I’m positive that now you’re here, there is no despair possible that this class can’t overcome and I’m just great full scum such as me is able to see it up close.” Komaeda said, ending the conversation and sitting down at his desk once more.
Hajime turned back around, a puzzled look written all over his face. It didn’t take long before everyone either dispersed into groups or began to talk to Hajime again.
Later on, when Hajime asked, Nanami had told him that Komaeda has always been a little odd and obsessed with hope.