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The fifth island might’ve been the strangest yet.
Black cranes and monotone skyscrapers towered over erratic intersecting elevated highways and bizarre buildings which looked like they were one slight breeze away from toppling over. There was a noticeable change in the air when he stepped foot onto the island, the sky a dark tumultuous violet. Huge screens projecting Monokuma loomed ominously, and Hajime couldn’t help but feel the bear’s beady eyes were watching his every move. With an uncomfortable chill running down his back he quickly headed right.
The harsh fluorescent light of the industrial buildings gives way to the warm glow of paper lanterns, and a savory smell fills the air. A dozen or so food stalls squeezed together on a narrow street, forming a small market of sorts. He spots a movement of blond hair out of the corner of his eye. “Fuyuhiko,” Hajime greets, exhaling a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding with relief when he recognizes who it is. The aforementioned blond turned to face Hajime from where he was crouched, inspecting one of the stalls with a curious look; when he realizes it’s Hajime his pursed-lip quirks into an easy smile. “I was expecting the smell of food to lure someone over here. I just thought it was gonna be Akane, not you,”. Hajime let out a slight chuckle.
“Isn’t it weird?” Fuyuhiko says, “there’s tons of food out, but no people.”. Hajime looked around and Fuyuhiko was right, all the stalls were furnished with plates of steaming food, but there was no one there to eat it, much less prepare it in the first place. “I think we’re just gonna have to chalk it up as another one of Monokuma’s many mysteries” Hajime concluded. Every day their situation seemed more and more farfetched; first the funhouse and now this? The fifth island seemed more befitting as the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic sci-fi story than a picturesque island getaway.
“This place is giving me the creeps,” Fuyuhiko grumbled, and Hajime couldn’t blame him. There seemed to be an almost palpable sense of dread looming over the island; like at any moment something sinister could happen.
“Me too,” Hajime said. “Do you wanna explore the rest of the island together? It wouldn’t be so bad to have someone with you right?” he proposed, sneaking a side glance at Fuyuhiko to judge his reaction. Fuyuhiko looked at him with an emotion he couldn’t quite discern, and then turned away from him. “Sure, can’t be any worse than being alone,” Fuyuhiko said, absentmindedly scratching the back of his ear, trying to feign indifference. Hajime smiled fondly, he’d gotten better at picking up on Fuyuhiko’s mannerisms. They’d become a lot closer since the second trial, being the only two who stayed to help Mikan with those afflicted by the despair disease while the others sequestered themselves to the motel. They had many conversations walking back from the hospital to their cabins together, and somewhere along the line, he found himself befriending the yakuza heir. “Right,” Hajime said, playing along. “C’mon, let’s go,”. He continued right, Fuyuhiko trailing behind him.
They pass by the factory, military base, and Sea King Industries building, but don’t linger for long because the others have already thoroughly investigated them. They’re waving goodbye to Sonia and Akane, hoping they don’t accidentally set off something explosive, when they stumble upon a peculiar-looking building that felt out of place on an already strange island. It's shady in a different way than the others; while all the other buildings are polished and futuristic this one looks a bit more modern and dilapidated: made of brick and concrete rather than metal. Its dysfunctional neon lights, which flicker on and off in an untrustworthy manner, don't do much to improve its atmosphere either.
“What is this...” Fuyuhiko asks, and before Hajime can even formulate a response something springs in front of them. “Why it’s the Hotel Kumasutra of course!” an all-to-familiar shrill voice says. “Monokuma…” Hajime sighs, the mechanic bear merely peers up at him with his same sinister smile. “Why are you here,” Fuyuhiko says with a scowl and Monokuma looks pitifully toward the ground. “Aw, why so mean Fuyuhiko? I just wanted to be helpful and answer your question” he sniffed, voice devoid of any real sadness. “Yea? Well then make yourself useful and tell us what this building’s for” Fuyuhiko scoffed. “I’m glad you asked!” Monokuma immediately perked up, his mood was always so capricious. “Hotel Kumasutra, otherwise known as the Love Hotel is where you little troublemakers can get to know each other a little more intimately,” Monokuma paused to wiggle his eyebrow suggestively and Fuyuhiko and Hajime grimaced.
“When you enter you’ll be in a dream-like state and play the role of another student’s ideal; they won’t remember what happens during your encounter, but if you fail to act along with their fantasy they’ll wake up unhappy, and we don’t want that, right?” Monokuma says, voice dripping with barely concealed sarcasm. “But of course I wouldn’t let you guys go in there whenever you want, that could be dangerous. That’s why I made it so that you can only get in once you have a special key, the Key of Love!” Monokuma began to laugh to himself for no apparent reason. “So where would we find this ‘key of love’” Fuyuhiko asks and Monokuma stops chuckling. “So straightforward Fuyuhiko, do you have someone in mind you’d like to see there?” Monokuma probes and Fuyuhiko’s eyes shoot open, blush spreading across his face like wildfire. “S-Shut up bastard. You don’t know what you’re talking about” Fuyuhiko fumed. Monokuma continued, “The Key of Love has been added to the prize pool of the MonoMono Machine. There’s only one so if you want it I suggest you snag it while you still can!” and with that Monokuma was gone just as quickly as he had appeared.
Hajime and Fuyuhiko stood there dumbfounded for a moment, still processing what they had heard. After some minutes Fuyuhiko turned to Hajime, a determined look in his eye “I have a plan.”
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“Come on... Come on..” Fuyuhiko urged, the machine whirred in front of them and they watched it expectantly. A capsule popped out and Fuyuhiko grabbed it, Hajime’s pulse began to quicken, his anticipation growing as Fuyuhiko pried off the plastic cap. “Dammnit” he scowled, “Just another mineral water”. The chill of the evening ocean breeze washed over them. Hajime and Fuyuhiko had been at the MonoMono Machine for hours, long after all the others had finished investigating the new island and turned in for the night. They were beginning to wish they had done the same. Fuyuhiko dug into his pocket for another coin but came out empty-handed.
“Crap, I’m out” he sighs with an edge of frustration.
“Here, lemme try,”
Hajime fishes a monocoin out of his pocket, pushing it into the slot. The MonoMono machine whirred to life once again. It began to clang, a noise they hadn’t ever heard it make before. Something that wasn’t a capsule tumbled out and onto the sand. It was a key. Fuyuhiko whistled, impressed “Wow Hajime, on the first try? Are you sure you’re not the ultimate lucky student?” he jokes and Hajime feels a soft swell of warmth.
“This must’ve been what Monokuma was talking about,” Hajime said. The key to the Love Suite. Hajime picked it up and turned it over in his hand. “What a sick bastard, to make something like this” Fuyuhiko seethed next to him. A key that let the owner see someone else’s desires; there was no way they could let it fall into the hands of a wild card like Nagito, who knows what he’d do with the personal information someone could’ve disclosed in their dream.
The key was cold in his hand, its luster glinting in the moonlight almost mockingly. “What should we do with it?” he asked, looking at Fuyuhiko. Fuyuhiko crossed his arms and stared silently at the key for a moment, deep in thought. “You should keep it,” he said after a beat. “Really?” Hajime asked, incredulous. “Yea,” Fuyuhiko says easily back “I trust you to keep it safe,”. Hajime looks at Fuyuhiko, gaze soft. As their friendship developed Hajime could sense a growing trust between them; they spent a lot of time talking about how and what they were feeling about their bizarre circumstances, and Fuyuhiko would come to him more often than any of their other classmates. It was one thing to know Fuyuhiko trusted him in some sense, but an entirely different thing to have him say it out loud. Something bloomed in his chest, a warmth that spread throughout his body. Fuyuhiko averts his eyes as if he's realized what he admitted as well and stares down at his shoe as if it had suddenly become very intriguing to him.
“We should probably head off to bed, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring,” Fuyuhiko said after a while. “Yea,” Hajime agreed, nodding his head. “Goodnight Fuyuhiko,” he says with a small smile. “‘Night Hajime,” the other says, waving a hand goodbye as they head off to their own cabins.
Back in his cabin, Hajime flops down on his cot with a sigh. He feels the cold metal of the key as it digs into his back. He pulls it out and holds it above his head, turning it thoughtfully, watching the moonlight glint off it. He brings his hand down on his chest, still clutching the key as he drifts off, determined to keep it safe.
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“Mm... Huh?”
Hajime is roused from his sleep by a strange feeling in his stomach. He blinks his eyes open wearily, ready to adjust himself into a more comfortable position on his cot and fall back asleep; but when he opens his eyes he realizes he isn’t in his cottage anymore, he’s not even laying down. Hajime rubs the sleep from his eyes, he must be still dreaming. The room comes into focus now. It’s garish and tacky with faux marble flooring and a big king-sized bed in the middle: its headboard in the shape of a heart. This must be the Love Suite. He’s so caught up in processing how he ended up there that he doesn’t notice there’s someone sitting on the bed 'til they move.
“Fuyuhiko?” Hajime questions and the other’s head perks up.
“Oh you’re here,” Fuyuhiko says “that means you got my message.”
“Message?”
What is Fuyuhiko talking about? “My message, I called for you to come down here so I could talk to you about something. I assume you got it cause you’re here now” Fuyuhiko explains like Hajime should know this. Wait, if I’m in the Love Hotel... Does that mean I’m in Fuyuhiko’s fantasy right now? It would explain the bizarre scenario. Hajime’s face feels hot. His confusion must be visible because Fuyuhiko looks at him strangely. Right, I gotta act like his ideal; but just who would Fuyuhiko’s ideal be anyway? “Anyways..” Fuyuhiko starts, some awkwardness lingering in his voice, “I wanted to talk about our job earlier today..”
“Ah,”
In his fantasy I must be part of the Kuzuryu Clan Hajime deduces. Fuyuhiko pats the spot next to him on the bed, signaling for him to sit; Hajime flushes again before joining Fuyuhiko on the cushy comforter. “I just wanted to thank you for earlier, for protecting me, you didn’t have to put yourself in harm’s way just for me, again,” Fuyuhiko says, shutting his eyes as if a little ashamed.
I see, Hajime thinks, I must be Peko and his heart traitorously twists a little painfully.
He straightens his posture and does his best to imitate Peko’s proper demeanor. “No need to thank me, I was just doing what anyone else would,” he says coolly. Fuyuhiko suddenly begins to frown.
“Why are you talking like that? Have you been spending too much time with Peko?”
“Oh- uh…”
So I’m not Peko? Then who am I? And who am I to Fuyuhiko?
“I guess I have been spending more time with Peko lately?” Hajime says but it comes out more like a question than the confident answer he was hoping for. Fuyuhiko glares to his side and Hajime thinks he spots a redness in Fuyuhiko’s cheeks that wasn’t there before, but it might be a trick of the scarlet overhead lights.
“I see. But still, don’t sell yourself short. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me”. Hajime smiles and tries to aim for a more sincere tone this time “No problem, that’s what friends are for right?”. “Right...” Fuyuhiko says shifting his left arm at his side; he winces. “Fuyuhiko are you alright?” Hajime goes to grab his arm but Fuyuhiko pulls away slightly.
“It’s nothing, I just got grazed by a bullet earlier while we were out, that’s all,”
“That’s not nothing!”
Hajime whips his head around the room and his eyes land on a conveniently placed table right next to them. There’s an unopened package of bandages and antiseptics on it that he grabs immediately, not wanting to think about how the Love Suite knew he would’ve needed it.
“Where does it hurt?” Hajime asks, trying to mask his panic. He didn’t know if the injury was real or made up as part of the scenario. “Hajime. I’m fine” Fuyuhiko tries to brush it off but Hajime knows him better than that. “Fuyuhiko..” Hajime meets his eyes, pleading. Fuyuhiko’s eyes widened before closing them with a small sigh. He started rolling up his left arm sleeve, holding his arm out for Hajime. Hajime breathes out a silent sigh of relief, there’s no injury, but he still had to go along with the scenario and act as if there was.
He took Fuyuhiko’s arm gingerly into his, dabbing the gauze in the antiseptic and beginning to brush lightly over the supposed injured area. Fuyuhiko stays quiet while Hajime concentrates on wrapping the bandage tight but not too tight.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve protected you better,” Hajime says, tugging the bandages one final time to make sure they were secure. Fuyuhiko laughs airly, “You did more than enough Hajime, I would’ve been way worse off without you.”. “In that case, I guess I just shouldn’t leave your side from now on. Right?”. Hajime was half-joking when he looked up at Fuyuhiko. Fuyuhiko was looking at him, eyes soft, and lips in a small smile.
“Right. Y’know Hajime I’m really glad I met you,” he says, a cocky grin. ‘Me too’ is on the tip of Hajime’s tongue when he pauses. Wait, did he just call me Hajime? He hadn’t realized Fuyuhiko didn’t call him by a name until just that moment, did that mean? Fuyuhiko lightly rested his left hand on Hajime’s thigh and leaned closer. His heart begins to race.
“Hajime..” Fuyuhiko trails off.
Hajime can’t look away from the hazel eyes boring into his. Fuyuhiko grabs Hajime’s tie, and in one swift motion pulls him into a kiss. Hajime freezes, brain working overtime. Fuyuhiko’s lips are soft against his and invitingly warm. His hand flies up to Fuyuhiko’s cheek, brushing faintly over the freckles he adored so much, while his other falls at his side gently over Fuyuhiko’s own on his thigh.
Fuyuhiko pulls away with a huff, but not far enough that their lips still don’t occasionally brush “I thought you’d never figure it out. I like you, Hajime. I mean why else would’ve I invited you to the clan? You-... You’re the closest person to me outside of the clan, I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side but you”. Hajime is left reeling, hitching as if he’d never quite regain his breath.
“Fuyuhiko… I-”.
This time it’s Hajime who initiates the kiss, leaning down to press Fuyuhiko’s lips against his once again. His heart trills when he feels Fuyuhiko’s eyelashes flutter closed against his, and the pressure of his lips as he kisses back in full. “I like you too” He mumbles against the other’s lips. Hajime knows Fuyuhiko won’t remember it in the morning and he might not either, but he wants to keep kissing Fuyuhiko, if only for a little while longer.
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Hajime wipes the lingering water droplets off his lips, holding his empty cup in his hand. Fuyuhiko stares proudly at the fragments of his, the glass scattered across the cabin floor. Their eyes meet and Fuyuhiko smiles, which Hajime returns in full. They stay like that for a while, content with just being in each other’s company; Hajime listens to the ocean waves lap against Fuyuhiko’s cabin, at peace.
“Oh… that’s right!”
Fuyuhiko breaks the silence.
“Do you wanna be my underling when we get out of here?”
Hajime stills. He had spent a lot of time thinking about their encounter in the Love Hotel; when he woke up the next morning he questioned if it had even really happened, but now that Fuyuhiko had asked him to join the clan in reality too, did that mean?
“Hey, why are you laughing?” Fuyuhiko asks, confused as a peal of laughter Hajime is unable to suppress rips out of him at the oddity of their situation. “It’s nothing,” Hajime wipes a joyful tear from his eye, preparing himself to answer Fuyuhiko’s question.
“Yes, Fuyuhiko. Of course I do.”