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“oh. I’ve lost again.”
Muttered Chiaki, Placing her controller in her lap.
“Again? Would have thought you of all people would have won by now.”
Said Kazuichi from the other end of the room.
“Sorry, what did you loose exactly?”
Asked Sonia, looking up from the book she was reading.
“Oh, well I’ve been getting a bit bored lately, playing the same games over and over. Even the long ones. I know I can win them, so they get boring after a while. So, I’ve been trying new single-player games. I can beat most of them, but this one is different.”
Chiaki looked down at the controller in her lap.
“I just can’t seem to win this one.”
She said, her expression remaining neutral.
“A game that the ultimate gamer can’t beat? Impossible. I have hope that you’ll win soon Nanami.”
Said Nagito, smiling encouragingly.
“Thank you, Nagito. You’re right, I’m sure I’ll win soon enough.”
Chiaki smiled at the white haired boy, closing her eyes upward.
“Maybe you just need to take a break and come back.”
Suggested Hajime.
“We could play a game or something. Not another video game, like a game with all of us.”
He said.
Chiaki put her finger to her chin in thought.
“That’s a good idea Hajime, but do we have any games?”
She asked.
“We have this!”
Said Kazuichi, pulling a blank white box from a cabinet.
“What is it, Souda?”
Asked Gundham, suddenly taking part in the conversation.
“It says “lie detector test.”
Said Kazuichi, reading out the small label on the box.
Kazuichi opened the box, revealing a small circle-shaped machine, with a cord extending from it. At the end of the cord, there was a finger-sized clamp, with padded insides.
The only designs on the machine were a little speaker, and a drawing of monokuma.
Of course monokuma made this.
Kazuichi took directions out of the box, along with the machine.
“Okay, it says you take turns putting your finger in the clamp. If you tell a lie, the machine beeps, if you tell the truth, it stays silent.”
Said Kazuichi, summarizing the directions.
“Sounds simple enough.”
Said Gundham.
“Okay, well I’m in. Who else?”
Asked Kazuichi.
Everyone agreed, except one person.
“Well, if you ultimates are going to play a game, I should be going. I don’t want to intrude.”
Said Nagito, standing to leave.
“Hey, Nagito wait, you can play with us. You’re not intruding.”
Said Hajime.
“Oh that’s so nice of you Hajime! But really, trash like me shouldn’t be aloud to do anything social with ultimates like yourselves. I can’t say I’ve ever played a game with people before, but I’m sure I won’t be any good at it.”
Nagito smiled.
“I’m probably a sore looser anyways.”
He turned towards the door.
Hajime grabbed Nagito’s arm and pulled him back to sitting next to him.
“Stop that. You’re not trash, you’re not a sore looser, and you’re not inferior to any of us, alright? Just sit down and play the game.”
Said Hajime, a mixed tone of pity and annoyance in his voice.
“Okay, who wants to go first?”
Asked Kazuichi.
“I will!”
Sonia exclaimed.
She put the little padded clamp on her index finger.
“Okay, I’ll ask.”
Said Souda.
“Miss Sonia, which of Gundham’s hamsters is the cutest.”
He asked.
Gundham looked intrigued.
“um...”
Sonia thought for a few moments.
“I could never choose.”
She said finally.
No sound from the machine.
“Okay then.”
Said Souda.
“Who’s next?”
He asked.
A lot of questions were asked, mostly boring ones like favorite colors, and specifics of people’s talents, and that sort of thing.
Until finally, everyone had had their turn except Nagito, who had sort of waited out the whole thing.
“Nagito, I believe it is your turn.”
Said Sonia.
“Oh, right.”
Nagito attached the clamp to his finger.
“I haven’t asked yet, so I will this time.”
Said Sonia.
“Nagito, I apologize if this is too personal, but I really do have to wonder.”
She started.
“Have you ever liked someone? Romantically I mean. Or wait, no you wouldn’t remember if it happened before the game. Do you have one now then? Feel free not to answer if you aren’t comfortable.”
She said.
Nagito smiled again.
“No it’s perfectly fine. No, I don’t have a crush now.”
Nagito said.
The machine emitted a loud beeping sound.
Nagito’s face went red.
Everyone stared at him, wondering who in the world Nagito of all people could have a crush on.
Chiaki was the first to break the awkward silence.
“Well, do you plan on confessing any time soon?”
She asked.
Nagito laughed.
“No, of course not. I’m sure the person I like would want to let me down easily, and that is a difficult thing to do. I don’t want to put them through that.”
Nagito said.
“But what if they liked you back?”
Asked Chiaki.
Nagito thought for a moment.
“Not that someone as amazing as the person I like could ever love trash like me, but if they did, I would pity them. I would only be a bad influence, and a relationship with me could only be toxic.”
Nagito said, clearly attempting to conceal how much he had thought about this.
Everyone was silent again.
Eventually, everyone individually decided it was about time to part ways to their separate cottages.
But before Nagito could leave, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Nagito, could you meet me in my cottage?”
Asked Chiaki.
“um, sure.”
Said Nagito, following Chiaki hesitantly.
Once they were inside, Chiaki spoke immediately.
“Those reasons.”
She said.
Nagito looked confused.
“The reasons why you don’t want to confess to your crush. The ones you told us. They aren’t the only reasons, are they?”
It didn’t sound like a question, more of a statement. Possibly an observation.
“Maybe.”
Said Nagito.
“No, they aren’t.”
Said Chiaki.
“You also think another ultimate likes them, and you don’t want to hurt an ultimate, right?”
She said.
Nagito nodded, wanting to see just how much she had figured out.
“And that person is me, correct?”
She said, now looking Nagito dead in the eyes.
“Yes.”
Said Nagito.
He didn’t see any point in lying here.
“Well I know for a fact that our crushes aren’t the same. So you don’t have to worry about that anymore.”
Said Chiaki matter-of-factly.
“How can you be so sure?”
Asked Nagito, genuinely curious.
“Because you’re gay.”
She stated.
Nagito’s cheeks turned bright pink.
“Wha-“
Chiaki shushed him.
“And so am I.”
She said.
“Oh. But how did you know I was-“
Chiaki interrupted Nagito.
“I can tell.”
She said.
“So now you can confess to him, right?”
She asked.
Nagito laughed quietly.
“No. You forget the other reasons.”
He said.
Chiaki looked confused.
“But doesn’t he deserve to know?”
She asked after a slight pause.
“what?”
Nagito turned his head to face the pink-ish brown haired girl.
“Well, if you love him, doesn’t he have a right to know? You hate lying, and not telling the whole truth is basically the same thing. Even if he doesn’t love you back, he still has a right to know.”
Chiaki explained.
Nagito thought for a moment.
“You have a point...but how would I go about telling him? I don’t even know if he likes guys.”
Nagito looked at the floor.
“I have a plan.”
Chiaki whispered something to Nagito, who nodded in agreement.
The next day, Nagito sat next to Hajime and Chiaki.
“Um, Nagito?”
Hajime asked, his face turning a subtle shade of pink.
“Yes, Hajime?”
Asked Nagito.
He sounded so...polite.
“Sorry, it’s just...you never sit next to me. Do you need something? Is something wrong?”
Hajime rambled.
“No no, nothing like that.”
Said Nagito reassuringly.
“I just have a request.”
He said.
Hajime motioned for him to continue.
“Well...you see I have a plan to confess to my crush.”
Nagito said, looking down at his hands, fidgeting nervously in his lap. A subtle pink colored his cheeks and nose.
“Oh, that’s great Nagito.”
Hajime felt a little jealous.
He had liked Nagito for a while now, and the thought of him confessing to someone else was unnerving. I mean, who would say no to someone so...perfect?
“Well, someone told me that you have a crush as well.”
Said Nagito, looking back up at Hajime.
Hajime’s subtle pink color turned to full on red.
Before Hajime could object, Nagito continued
“Well, I had a thought. What if we both brought our crushes to the same place, and confessed together?”
Asked Nagito.
Hajime was about to answer with a flat out ‘no’, but then a thought crossed him mind.
“Yea, actually. That’s a really good plan.”
Hajime said.
“Great!”
Nagito smiled.
“How about tonight, at the fountain?”
He asked.
Hajime agreed, and then excused himself, beckoning Chiaki to come with him.
Hajime lead Chiaki to his cottage.
“What is it, Hajime?”
Asked Chiaki.
“Can I ask you a favor?”
Asked Hajime.
“Depends on the favor.”
Said Chiaki.
“Well, someone has sort of...planned a double confession with me.”
Hajime’s face went red.
“Okay. And?”
Chiaki asked.
“Well, I was wondering, could you pose as my crush? So that I don’t look like a weirdo not inviting anyone?”
He asked.
“What? Just bring your crush. I know you have one. You told me so.”
Chaiki sounded puzzled.
“I...I can’t.”
Hajime looked at his shoes.
“oh. I see.”
Chaiki figured it out.
“Your crush is the person who invited you to a double confession.”
Chaiki said.
Hajime nodded.
“No.”
Chiaki said, her expression remaining the same.
“What? Why?”
Asked Hajime, strong implications of worry carrying with his voice.
“I’m sorry, but you need to do this alone.”
Chiaki said.
She noticed how distraught Hajime looked.
“If their crush shows up, just say yours didn’t come.”
She said.
“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t their crush show up?”
Hajime’s expression shifted from worry to confusion.
“If...for example.”
Chiaki walked a little closer to Hajime, so that she had to look up at him to look him in the eyes. She squinted a little.
“Their crush is...you.”
Chiaki didn’t sound entirely sure, but she clearly believed this to be very probable.
“It’s not me.”
Hajime looked away from the shorter girl, who was still looking up at him.
His face was flushed.
“How would you know that?”
Chiaki asked.
“Well...this person. They don’t seem like the type to have a crush at all, but especially not someone like me.”
Hajime sighed.
Chiaki hesitated before speaking.
“...who is it.”
She asked.
She knew it was Nagito, of course. She had organized it after all.
But Chiaki wanted to see just how much Hajime was willing to admit to her.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Hajime muttered.
Chiaki shrugged.
“Well, what time is the confession?”
She asked.
“Oh, 8pm tonight.”
He said, relieved she had changed the subject.
Nagito had texted him after he left in a hurry, confirming the time.
“Bye then. Good luck, Hajime.”
Chaiki said, before swiftly leaving Hajime’s cottage.
Hajime was playing a game on his phone, when something at the top of the screen caught his eye.
“8:00pm”
Read the screen.
Hajime practically threw on his button-up and green tie and ran to the fountain.
“Crap crap crap I’m late I’m late I’m late”
Hajime huffed quietly as he ran.
Hajime arrived at the fountain, out of breath.
He put his hands on his knees and took a second to breath in the cold air.
After Hajime managed to catch his breath, he lifted his head to see Komeada sitting at the edge of the fountain.
He wasn’t looking at Hajime, but rather the water below him.
He had one hand in the fountain, poking at the little leaves and broken flower petals floating around in it.
His beautiful grey eyes twinkled in the light of the stars.
Hajime’s heart fluttered.
As if he could hear Hajime’s heart beginning to race, Nagito looked up from the fountain.
“Ah, hello Hajime.”
Nagito smiled at the sight of the brown haired boy staring at him.
Hajime snapped out of his little trance.
“Sorry I’m late, I-“
Hajime was interrupted.
“It’s fine. I wasn’t waiting long.”
Nagito patted the space beside him.
“we can talk while we wait for our crushes to get here.”
Nagito smiled again.
Hajime’s heart slowed down.
He had forgotten that Nagito would soon confess to someone.
Someone who definitely was not himself.
Someone who would probably say yes.
Who wouldn’t like someone like Nagito?
He was just so...perfect.
Hajime sat down next to the grey eyed boy, who went back to playing with the floating leaves in the fountain.
Hajime cleared his throat.
“Hey...Komeada?”
He said quietly.
“Hm?”
Nagito looked up from the fountain.
“If you don’t mind my asking...who is coming here?”
Hajime asked.
“I mean, who is your...your crush.”
Hajime looked embarrassed to be asking the question.
Nagito smiled, a tint of pink coloring his cheeks.
“I don’t think you would like the answer to that, Hajime. But I suppose you’ll find out soon enough.”
Komeada looked at the ground, still smiling, but sadly this time.
What did that mean?
Could Komeada tell that Hajime liked him?
Was that why he said Hajime ‘wouldn’t like that answer’???
Because he knew Hajime was jealous?
Hajime was just stressed and confused at this point.
His hands began scratching at each other in anticipation.
Hajime felt a warm hand in his, causing him to stop picking at them.
“Don’t do that, you could hurt yourself.”
Nagito said, not moving his hand from Hajime’s.
Hajime went red.
“U-uhm sorry. I-I’ll stop.”
Hajime sputtered.
He must look so stupid right now.
While Hajime scolded himself silently for being so awkward, Komeada released his hands, but didn’t look away from the green-eyed boy. He even sat on his knees, balancing on the rim of the fountain to face him directly.
A little time passed, though Hajime had no way of telling how much.
“What time did you ask your crush to come?”
Asked Hajime, desperate to break the silence.
“8:40.”
Replied Nagito.
Hajime checked his phone.
9:46pm.
It read.
“But that was an hour ago”
Hajime felt sorry for Komeada. It was rude of his crush to be so late.
“I guess it makes sense, that an ultimate like them wouldn’t trust trash like me.”
Komeada shrugged.
Hajime put his hand on Nagito’s cheek, turning the other’s face towards his own.
“You aren’t trash. They are. It’s really rude not to show up after you already agreed to.”
Hajime sounded serious.
Nagito placed his hand on Hajime’s, holding it against his cheek.
“What about yours then?”
Asked Komeada.
Hajime thought how to answer this.
He hated the idea of lying to Komeada.
And, he had planned to confess to him anyways, so...why couldn’t he bring himself to do it?
“Same. They’re not coming.”
Hajime said, lowering his hand from Komeada’s cheek.
Nagito looked straight forward.
“I’m sorry Hajime. I’ve told you a lie.”
He sighed.
Nagito looked ashamed.
“What lie?”
Asked Hajime, he was curious as to why he would bring that up in this particular situation.
“Well I implied that my crush didn’t come.”
Said Nagito, smiling at the ground.
Hajime was even more confused. He looked around, but they were the only ones outside.
“But there’s nobody here?”
Hajime said, looking back at Komeada.
Nagito turned to face Hajime, and looked him in the eyes.
The grey in them was lit up by the stars.
Nagito spoke.
“He’s here.”
Nagito smiled at Hajime.
“He?”
Asked Hajime, his confusion growing by the second.
Nagito leaned in a little closer, and placed his hand lightly on Hajime’s, so that they both rested comfortably in Hajime’s lap.
“U-uhm.”
Hajime blushed from the sudden touch.
Nagito whispered, clearly embarrassed.
“It’s you, dummy.”
He said.
Hajime must have heard wrong.
“Sorry, I didn’t quite hear that. Can you-“
Hajime was interrupted by Nagito’s free hand touching the back of his neck, pulling him into a soft kiss.
Hajime found himself frozen in place, unable to alert his body to kiss back.
Nagito noticed that the other boy wasn’t kissing back, and looked as though he was assuming the worst.
He pulled away and immediately began apologizing.
“I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know why I thought-“
Hajime shook his head, partially in disbelief of what just happened, and the other part in disbelief of what he himself did next.
He interrupted Nagito’s apologetic rambling by grabbing the collar of the other boy’s shirt, holding his hand with the other.
Hajime kissed Nagito, even more gently this time.
Komeada’s face grew warm.
He’s blushing.
Hajime thought.
Cute.
Hajime’s moved his hands upward, towards Komeada’s back.
He rested them there, sort of half-hugging the other boy.
After a few more seconds, Hajime pulled away. But he didn’t move his hands.
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it...”
Hajime said.
Nagito still seemed flustered and confused.
“I like you too, Komeada.”
Hajime said.
Nagito’s eyes widened, as if he hadn’t already been able to guess this by the kiss.
Nagito said nothing, but nuzzled his face into Hajime’s shoulder, sinking into the hug.
Hajime moved one hand to Komeada’s head, holding him close.
Hajime heard footsteps.
Wait...had Komeada actually invited someone else? No, it was just someone passing by, it had to be, right?
Nagito didn’t hear the footsteps, and remained nuzzled into Hajime’s shoulder.
“Cute.”
They heard from a little ways away.
Nagito jumped away from Hajime, very, *very* red at the thought of someone seeing them like this.
They looked over to see Chiaki, who was actually just passing by, on her way to her cottage.
She had just left from Sonia’s cottage, Hajime could see that from the direction she was coming from.
“If you don’t tell I won’t.”
She said, still walking back to her cottage.
“S-sure.”
Said Hajime, still quite flustered.
Hajime’s mind wondered to how the hell he had gotten here.
He had confessed to Komeada, he did it.
Komeada liked him back.
Hajime tried to remember why this all happened, before a realization hit him.
Oh.
Hajime looked over to admire the white haired boy beside him, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder.
Hajime whispered something to himself.
“Thank you, lie detector.”