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It’s been a while since Naegi has been this excited about something.
These days, things feel too easy for him, too natural, and even if this current situation is no exception, it still makes him eager all the same. Any time now—any time now, Hinata will probably come and approach him. Sending anonymous messages sounds childish, but hey, it worked for him. He's not going to complain about that.
And if he were to be painfully honest, he actually enjoyed it. Having to behave all nice and angelic all the time causes some negative feelings to accumulate inside him—even telling Komaeda not to talk to anyone else besides him that time was done with great care so that his perfect image won’t be shattered.
The only person he’ll allow to witness his true behavior is probably Enoshima, but despite that, he still doesn’t trust her fully. Her presence itself doesn’t really make him comfortable too… not to say that he's actually perturbed about something, of course not, not at all.
Naegi just gets the feeling that she can run off and do whatever she wants whenever, even if it puts him in a bad position. And of course, he wouldn’t want something like that occurring no matter what the context is. But anyway…
To be fair, aside from not-too-discreetly referencing some… things to Komaeda, she hasn’t really done anything too elaborate anyway.
Hah, who's he kidding, he can’t just set that aside.
But hey, at least, that one time…
She did something really important that one time.
--
“I mentioned the Reserve Course to Komaeda-kun already.” Naegi starts. “And I think he's going to go to the library to look it up.”
“Of course, of course!” Enoshima twirls a part of her hair with her fingers. “He's the type who likes reading a lot, isn’t he? That’s just so cute and attractive!”
“That’s not why I brought that up, Enoshima-san.” Naegi gestures to her. “Have you brought Matsuda-kun’s book about the Reserve Course?”
“Of course! I can’t be a letdown to the master of the world!” Enoshima giggles and Naegi resists the urge to cringe. “Would you like to take a look at it? Inspect it, maybe? It hurts so, so much, but I know that Naegi-kun doubts me, so you should do that!”
“Hey, now, don’t say things like that, Enoshima-san…” Naegi refutes it anyway even if he doesn’t want to. “As I said, it’s not that I doubt you.”
Enoshima laughs out loud, boisterously even. “Of fucking course you don’t! I'm damn great! But enough about that!” She takes out the small black book from her bag and practically pushes it to Naegi’s hands. “Read it well!”
Naegi gives her one last look before scanning the book’s pages. He wonders if he's being unreasonable. What bad thing can Enoshima put in the book anyway?
‘As the academy also is a research facility for talent, immense funds will be needed to continue the gathering of data.’
He skims through the words, looking for something improper, but he didn’t really find anything. He decides to hand it back to Enoshima, letting a small smile spread across his face. “I trust you, Enoshima-san. You should hurry up and place this somewhere in the library. Komaeda-kun will be getting there soon.”
Enoshima retrieves the book from his hand, flashing him a thumbs-up.
As she walks away, she lets out another too loud laugh, and Naegi wonders if he made the right choice of letting her take care of that by herself. Who knows what she can do when unattended…
But she didn’t do anything.
He doesn’t know why and what she's actually thinking, but she didn’t.
She seems to have put it in the library rather peacefully, altering nothing, and that—that was the important thing that she did.
That step was a huge one for Naegi’s plan.
--
That brings Naegi’s thoughts to the current time—the current time where he's just playing the waiting game with Hinata. He knows that Hinata will talk to him soon, but he doesn’t know when exactly ‘soon’ is. He also knows that with the power of anonymity, he can always change ‘soon’ to ‘now’, but despite his impatience, he also wants to relish in the feeling of excitement.
He can’t even remember the last time he was this eager. It actually feels great to look forward to something this much.
He walks around the school just like he usually does during dismissal time. That’s the only time he gets the chance to meet Hinata, after all. During break times, he goes straight to the rooftop with Komaeda, and he just knows that Hinata wouldn’t even try to approach him when he's with no one but Komaeda.
He continues walking towards the hallway where he usually meets Hinata by chance. Who knows, maybe Hinata has business that he has to take care of in the faculty room again. Naegi finds himself lingering in that certain corridor, even going as far as to lean by the window casually.
Any moment now…
He repeatedly taps his foot on the floor. The feeling that something will certainly happen but not knowing when exactly it would—it does give him excitement, but now that he thinks about it harder, it also gives him a feeling of… discomfort, maybe?
Discomfort—not in the sense of nervousness, but in the sense of having to put up with someone deliberately scratching beside an itchy part of his body. Just beside—not exactly where it itches. The mere thought of the metaphor made Naegi feel even more uncomfortable.
He puts his hand on his pocket, feeling his phone through the fabric of his pants. Maybe he should text Hinata a short message of hurrying it up, after all. Being excited is cool and everything, but Naegi really does hate waiting, now that he thinks about it. He didn’t know he hated waiting this much until now.
And to think he was the person who talks about how important things shouldn’t be rushed…
How hypocritical, but does he even care?
He looks at the faculty room that Hinata usually comes out from one more time before deciding to just walk towards the end of the hall.
Maybe not today.
Maybe Hinata doesn’t have business here today.
He puts both of his hands in his pockets as he walks and thinks of the unpleasant possibility that Hinata might have chosen someone else to tell about his secret. There might be other people who like unpredictability, but Naegi isn’t one of those people. Some pleasant twist of events might happen at times, but generally, Naegi doesn’t like things that don’t go according to his anticipations.
What if Hinata decides to tell someone from his own class? What if he somehow was able to find the courage to tell Komaeda?
Naegi’s eyebrows furrow at the thought. If that happens, all his efforts will be for nothing. After all, there's a reason why he finds the need to hear the secret from Hinata himself even if he already actually knows about it. He finds the need to make Hinata trust him as much as possible, and while he prefers to have the new Hinata of Project Hope in his side, he gets the feeling that trying to get him as early as now will be beneficial too. Besides, one of his main goals is to make sure Hinata agrees to that project no matter what, and Naegi knows that he’ll have a wider array of possible actions if he's close to Hinata…
“Naegi!” He hears a familiar voice when he gets to the end of the hallway. He really was about to turn right, but the sound of someone calling him made him stop on his tracks. He didn’t even need to turn around to know whose voice that is.
This is it.
One step closer to his goal.
He doesn’t even bother stopping himself from smiling as he faces Hinata. He knows it’s Hinata. He doesn’t know anyone who else sounds that way, and Hinata’s the only one who stays around these parts until this time. Naegi waves at him, and Hinata looks like he had to force himself to return the simple gesture.
“Hello, Hinata-kun.” Naegi speaks softly. “How are you?”
For some reason, Naegi found his question really funny. He restrains himself from laughing out loud. “Well… About that, uh… if it’s okay, can I bother you again?”
“Come on, Hinata-kun. I already said you're not a bother at all.” Naegi gives off the best sympathetic smile that he can manage. “To the benches in the courtyard again? Or would you prefer somewhere else?”
Hinata lightly scratches the back of his head. “I kinda prefer a more private place… This story might get lengthy, so if you're busy, I really can wait for another day, I swear.”
“Ah, I'm not really going to do anything though. Our class just had two quizzes, so the teachers are kind of lenient recently, haha.” Naegi pauses. “Unless Hinata-kun is the one busy tonight? Are you guys going to have quizzes too? But wait, Komaeda-kun didn’t mention anything…”
“No… No quizzes at all.” Hinata replies quickly. The sudden mention of Komaeda evidently surprised him a bit, but Naegi’s not going to comment. “Do you know a private place? The matter I’d like to discuss is really important…”
“I’d suggest the rooftop, but I guess it’s closed by now.” Naegi lets out a nervous chuckle. “…Ah, right. Would you like to try the dorms? Kuwata-kun—my roommate, I don’t know if you know him, haha—he doesn’t usually go home until eleven PM or so… or maybe a restaurant somewhere? I'm okay with wherever Hinata-kun picks.”
“I get worried about the dorms, to be honest… Sometimes, I wonder if some people overhear when I'm talking to Komaeda about things.” Hinata clears his throat. “Sorry if I'm being too troublesome. This is just a really important matter to me, so…”
“No, it’s alright, I understand.” Naegi equips his signature smile. “If it really is important to you, it’s alright to be as precautious as much as you want, I think. I really am at loss now though, haha…”
“Sorry about that.” Hinata bites his lower lip. “This hallway kinda makes me nervous too, actually. It’s silent, so… our voices kinda reverberate. Do you hear it?”
“I wasn’t going to comment on it, but yes, I noticed too.” Naegi chuckles. “The rooftop really is the best idea, after all, huh? Maybe we should at least check it out? But then again, it’s going to suck a lot if it turns out to be closed after climbing all the way up there…”
“Yeah, and I wouldn’t bother you with that. I’d feel bad to make you walk all the way there.”
“If that’s the only concern, then I should say that I don’t really mind, Hinata-kun. Komaeda-kun and I usually go there anyway, so I'm used to climbing up all the way to the rooftop.” Naegi makes sure to smile. “Let’s give it a try?”
Naegi’s going to trust his luck.
He might not be as lucky as to receive an immense inheritance or win three hundred million yen, but as he once thought before, he knows that he's fairly lucky himself.
--
Hinata has his hands rested on his thighs when they reached the door leading to the rooftop. Naegi can remember doing the same gesture as an effort to comfort his legs during his first time going here with Komaeda, but he's glad to see that eating here every day had beneficial side effects.
“So…” Hinata speaks, still softly massaging his thighs with his fingers. “Wanna give the door a try?”
“Here goes nothing.” Naegi utters before turning the knob of the door. It doesn’t resist his action, and he turns to Hinata with another smile. “Looks like we were lucky, after all. Let’s go, Hinata-kun.”
Hinata stands up straight, stretching a bit, before walking towards Naegi. “Maybe it’s just you. I'm not really a lucky person.”
“Hey, if Komaeda-kun is here, wouldn’t he say…” Naegi clears his throat. “’Hinata-kun, shouldn’t you have more hope than that?’… or something?”
Hinata slightly, just slightly, flinches. “…Wouldn’t he say something like how ‘someone great’ like me wouldn’t have to rely on luck anyway? He actually said that to me a few weeks ago… not to say that I agree with his comment of me being great, of course. Not at all.”
Interesting reaction. Naegi didn’t quite expect that. “Well, I can imagine Komaeda-kun saying that too. Both can work, I guess! It probably just depends on his mood! Or maybe he can say them one after the other.”
They enter the rooftop, and Hinata closes the door behind him. It’s Naegi’s first time to be here at this hour, and the breeze was cooler than he expected. Good thing he was wearing thick clothing like he usually does. That particular characteristic was actually something that he shared with Komaeda. He turns to observe Hinata and wonders why he doesn’t seem to be feeling cold at all.
“Just let me repeat this.” Hinata speaks after a while, sitting on the cold floor. Naegi had to think for a while if he should follow suit. He did anyway despite the reservations in his head. “I'm, uh, really, really sorry for bothering you and asking you to go all the way here just to listen to me whine. I just… have something really important to talk with you, and I can’t think of anyone else to tell.”
Naegi nods. “Let me just repeat too that you're not bothering me at all, Hinata-kun. While I am flattered that you trust me enough for this, I admit that I'm kind of worried why you can’t tell Komaeda-kun instead… or is this matter about your Super High School Level Talent?”
Hinata nods, almost as if he were ashamed. “You're right… This is about that.”
“Oh, if this is because I asked that one time, I should say that there's no pressure, Hinata-kun! Please don’t feel compelled to tell me if doing so will make you uncomfortable!”
“It’s not that. I, uh…” Hinata scratches the back of his head. “I kinda have to tell you, and I do want to tell you too. As I said before… I'm also tired of no one knowing—well, no one that I told myself, at least. See, there's someone who found out, and they were, well, taunting me about it…”
Oh, Naegi doesn’t know what he's talking about at all. Of course not. Pfft. “Taunting you? Why would anyone do that?”
“Because my Super High School Level Talent is…” Hinata pauses in a way that makes it seem like his mouth stopped on its own. Naegi patiently waits, but he admittedly feels more excited than ever before. Just a bit more, just a little bit more— “…Sorry. Give me a moment, please?”
“Of course, of course.” Or so Naegi says, but he just knows that he felt a twinge of annoyance then and there. It felt like someone scratched the itch just once, exactly just once, and proceeded to scratch beside it again. “It’s okay, take your time, Hinata-kun. I don’t mind waiting.”
Hinata takes a deep breath, biting his lower lip. The fact that he's having second thoughts looks so obvious in his face that Naegi briefly considers sending a follow-up message using his anonymous number. Maybe a time limit or something—his patience really is about to reach its peak.
Hinata lets out a chuckle so tired-sounding that Naegi almost felt sorry for him.
Hah, Naegi has always found that word funny.
“Sorry for taking so long…” Hinata runs a hand on his face. “Honestly, I didn’t plan this at all… I just thought I should do it, but now I guess I really should have practiced at least...”
“No pressure. Just relax, Hinata-kun.” Naegi takes a deep breath as a way to tell Hinata to do the same. “You did say that this is an important matter, so I understand. Really.”
“Look, I'm sorry to be demanding things from you, but…” Hinata takes a deep breath, following Naegi’s indirect instruction. “…Can you promise me that you'd never ever tell Komaeda? He really can’t know about this.”
Naegi nods. “I already promised last time, didn’t I? I promise I’ll never tell Komaeda-kun… I do believe that you shouldn’t hide things from him since you guys are best friends, but I do trust you, Hinata-kun. I'm sure you have a good reason for your actions.”
Hinata closes his eyes. While Naegi’s words might sound comforting, he knows that they will just make Hinata feel even guiltier than he already is. It’s amusing how guilt was straightforwardly etched all over Hinata’s features as he speaks. “Thank you so much… You're a really good guy, but look. I think that’s wrong. I don’t have a good reason for hiding this from him at all. It’s just me being selfish.”
“That might be.” Naegi nods. “But despite that, one thing I'm sure about is that Hinata-kun doesn’t mean harm. I know that you care about Komaeda-kun a lot, so I'm pretty certain that your intentions are nothing horrible… or is that still wrong?”
Hinata covers his face and shakes his head, letting a sigh escape him. “No, it isn’t.” His voice sounds muffled as he speaks. “I really don’t mean harm. I’ll never think of something like that, god. Especially not about Komaeda.”
“I know, Hinata-kun. I know.” Naegi tentatively pats Hinata on the back. “You're not a bad person. That’s something that I know too. So whatever your reason for hiding this secret from Komaeda-kun, I know I’ll understand.”
Hinata removes his hand from his face and just looks at Naegi. He almost looks like he's asking for help as he stares, his eyes even going as far as to slightly quiver. “…I don’t know how to start talking about it.”
“Let’s see…” Naegi lightly scratches his chin to make himself seem like he's actually contemplating this issue hardly. “How about we approach it simply? Hinata-kun can start by telling me what his Super High School Level Talent is, and maybe we can proceed from there?”
“That’s…” Hinata bites his lower lip, absentmindedly scratching the back of his head. “That’s way, uh… more difficult than it sounds.”
“Oh… I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to be pushy, Hinata-kun.” Naegi lets out a nervous laugh. “But see… I think it’s important that we start there. From what I heard from you, it seems that that information is the most crucial…”
“Right… It’s actually ideal if I start there.” Hinata looks like he wants to hide. “Before that… Have you ever heard of, uh, the Reserve Course Department?”
“Well, Komaeda-kun showed me this certain book that he found in the library...” To be fair, that’s not a lie. “…What about the Reserve Course?”
Hinata doesn’t respond.
“…Hinata-kun?”
“I'm really sorry, Naegi, but I, uh…” Hinata almost looks like he's pleading. “…You're smart, right? You can put two and two together?”
Naegi makes sure to look confused. “I don’t think I understand…”
Hinata closes his eyes and massages his temples. “…Can you try guessing? Please?”
If Naegi would be guessing for real, letters would probably float all across his mind right now—letters that will form the words that Hinata wants him to guess, letters that will finally uncover the secret that Hinata seems to be trying so hard to hide.
If Naegi would be guessing for real, he’d probably do his best to piece together an image from the clues that Hinata had been giving him—Hinata’s sudden mention of the Reserve Course now of all times, the fact that he's trying so hard to hide his secret, the fact that someone taunted him for it, his insistence of not telling Komaeda in fear of being looked down on, his frequent visits to the faculty room, lying about the reason of his visit that one time…
And if Naegi would be guessing for real, these clues will form the image of—“Hinata-kun… Please correct me if I'm wrong, but… are you from the Reserve Course?”
Hinata lets out a sigh. Truth to be told, he actually sounds relieved. “That’s it. Thank you. You're right.”
“But…” Naegi decides to look confused again. “The book mentioned that the Reserve Course is in another building… No offense, but why is Hinata-kun here then…?”
“I'm full of potential, and because of that, I can possibly get a talent and transfer to the main course… or at least that’s what those researchers said.” Hinata bitterly chuckles. “I know I'm just persistent. The most persistent among the Reserve Course, even. Honestly, I think this whole thing is just an experiment.”
“The researchers…” Naegi slowly nods, as if only realizing things now. “I see. So that’s why they're trying their best to hide your secret too… Is that also why I frequently see Hinata-kun in the faculty room?”
Hinata nods. His agreement might seem straightforward, but there actually is a hint of shame in his actions. “I have to maintain a certain average, so they find the need to check on my grades regularly.”
“Hinata-kun, I can see why this secret is so important to you, so if you just told me because I pressured you into it, then I'm really, really—”
“No, no.” Hinata holds up a hand. “No, don’t worry, it’s my choice. As I said, I'm also tired of not having someone I told about it myself. Look, I mentioned that someone was taunting me about it, right? They're actually, uh… an anonymous number. I don’t know how they found out at all, but they did.”
Naegi makes a face. “That’s horrible… Why would they do something like that?”
“They said it’s because I'm a disgusting Reserve Course Student who did nothing but buy the name of the academy.” Hinata bitterly smiles. “I understand where they're coming from, really. I also understand if even someone as nice as you will think I'm disgusting. It’s okay.”
“Disgusting? Why would I think of something like that?” Naegi makes a face. “Because you guys paid a rather costly tuition fee? Is that really so bad? I mean, I don’t know, I think you guys are just making the most of what you have, right? Instead of disgusting, if anything, I think it’s actually admirable… you guys are working so hard, doing your best, and as you mentioned, even trying to learn a talent… I don’t think anyone should ridicule a person who's trying their best.”
“Naegi…” Hinata actually looks surprised. “…I don’t know what to say.”
“Hinata-kun… You really shouldn’t put yourself down so much.”
“But see… Komaeda… He, uh…” Hinata bites his lower lip. “…You know how his opinion regarding this is totally different from yours, right?”
Naegi sadly nods. “That’s also why he keeps on putting himself down.”
“Yeah… Always calling himself an incompetent fool who can’t do anything right…” Hinata frowns. “…I feel like he insults me by extension every time he insults himself. But uh, wait, that sounded so self-centered… I also just don’t want him insulting himself because, uh, personally, I think he's… amazing.”
“That’s right. Komaeda-kun is indeed amazing.”
Naegi didn’t miss the look of discomfort in Hinata’s face. “Anyway… It’s just that we had a conversation about the Reserve Course too, and uh… It’s just that his words, uh, hurt… so much. I'm being really too whiny, huh? I'm so sorry that you had to put up with this, Naegi.”
“Hinata-kun, it’s no trouble at all. But anyway, I can imagine what Komaeda-kun has said, and I also understand why it’d hurt so much for you.” Naegi nods sympathetically. “I mean, he's your best friend… I'm sure that he's really very important to you, so him saying those words—it’s okay, Hinata-kun. I understand.”
“Yeah, but as I said… I don’t blame him or even the anonymous asshole who was texting me.” Hinata replies. “They have every right to think that way.”
“I don’t blame Komaeda-kun either because that really is just how he views things, but as for the person who was texting you, I couldn’t say the same.” Naegi bites his lower lip. “I mean, did they really have to do that kind of approach? It’s not like the Reserve Course is doing anything harmful to the main course anyway. I think what the anonymous person did was horrible.”
“Horrible, yes, but the things that they were saying aren’t really wrong… They promised me that they wouldn’t bother me again anyway if I told someone, so…” Hinata forces a smile. “But hey, don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t tell you just because I was forced into it, okay? I admit that it’s why I told it as early as now, but don’t worry, I know I’ll tell you sooner or later anyway.”
“I see… I'm flattered then. That Hinata-kun chose to tell me of all people, I mean.” Naegi returns the smile. “I'm glad that you trust me.”
“You're trustworthy, Naegi. Don’t sound like I'm the one who did you a favor now.” Hinata softly pats Naegi on the back. “I know that you can be trusted and that you would understand… still, I'm really, really thankful. I already said this before, but please, please tell me if you need anything. I mean it. I’ll do my best to help you at least.”
“You don’t have to feel indebted, Hinata-kun.” Naegi’s smile doesn’t leave his face. If anything, it might even have widened. “I just listened to you. And I'm just doing what I think should be done.”
“Hey, finding someone who'll listen is actually harder than it sounds, you know.” Hinata replies. “That’s why I'm really thankful in the first place… Ah, right, do you want my number? It’s so you can contact me if you need something.”
“Oh, right, I don’t have Hinata-kun’s number yet.” Naegi pulls out his phone from his pocket. “You can start dictating. I’ll type.”
Hinata recites the digits of his number one by one, and Naegi almost laughs at the fact that this number is already familiar to him. Well, of course Hinata doesn’t know that. Nor will Naegi let him know in the first place. “I sent you an empty message so you can save my number faster, Hinata-kun.”
Hinata nods at his own phone’s screen as he sees Naegi’s message. “Thanks again. Contact me, okay? You’ve done so much for me already.”
“Hinata-kun, you really should stop sounding like a stranger now.” Naegi lets out a giggle. “You're Komaeda-kun’s best friend, so I want to be of help to you. Thank you for caring so much about Komaeda-kun. I think I'm the one who should be feeling indebted.”
Naegi keeps a close look at Hinata so as to not miss just exactly how fast his eyes dimmed even more. “…No problem, Naegi. It’s my pleasure.”
--
“Komaeda-kun?” Naegi pats his own lap, and Komaeda automatically rests his head on it. “Is there anything that you'd like to talk about?”
Komaeda makes a confused expression as he looks up at Naegi. “Nothing in particular… Why do you ask, Naegi-kun?”
“Nothing, it’s just that I wanted you to sleep on my lap too as a way to return the favor that you did for me. I had a really comfortable sleep last time, see…” Naegi smiles as he runs his fingers through Komaeda’s hair. “I just thought that I should make sure that you have nothing pressing to talk about before I suggest that.”
Komaeda returns the smile, a light blush dusting his cheeks. “That’s really kind of you, Naegi-kun… but it really is my pleasure to be at least a decent pillow to you. I actually honestly thought that I was inadequate, so I'm really happy that you seem to be pleased… You don’t have to repay me or anything, I promise.”
Naegi dips down to softly press his lips against Komaeda’s forehead. “I insist, Komaeda-kun. Please? I want you to take a good rest too.”
The blush on Komaeda’s cheeks gets more visible. “Well, if that’s what Naegi-kun wants…”
“Oh, wait, I'm not forcing you, Komaeda-kun.” Naegi smiles apologetically. “Sorry if I made you feel compelled…”
It was funny how fast Komaeda went from embarrassed to alarmed. “No, it’s not that at all, Naegi-kun! It’s just that… I wonder if I deserve such honor… but really, I do want to, no matter how impertinent that is!”
“It’s not impertinent at all, you know.” Naegi smiles again. “Still, I'm glad. I thought I made you feel uncomfortable.”
Komaeda giggles. “Naegi-kun’s too kind to be my source of discomfort.”
“Thank you.” Naegi moves his hand from Komaeda’s hair to his cheek. “You should close your eyes now, Komaeda-kun.”
Komaeda smiles before doing as he was told. Looking at him like this, Naegi gets the brief thought that Komaeda almost looks beautiful somehow. He then realizes that Komaeda is beautiful, but the main reason for that is because he does what Naegi wants.
That’s beautiful, the most beautiful of all.
--
Naegi actually misses texting Hinata using his anonymous number. He didn’t realize that doing so would have been a great stress reliever and pastime. Too bad he promised stopping once Hinata tells someone… What a shame.
Now that he thinks about it, maybe he shouldn’t have rushed Hinata, after all. That way, he could have savored the power of his anonymity for a little bit longer. He safely tucks the sim cards in a small compartment of his wallet anyway just in case he needs them again.
--
It was their usual setting in their classroom—Fukawa eyeing Togami and uttering praises under her breath, Togami minding his own business and doing his best to ignore Fukawa’s increasingly loud words, Kuwata talking about music with Maizono and Maizono politely putting in her opinions too, Oowada and Ishimaru passionately talking about their brotherhood, Celes graciously conversing with Yamada despite her obvious disinterest, Oogami and Asahina talking about working out and protein, Hagakure expressing his theories about conspiracies and Kirigiri silently judging, Enoshima and Ikusaba in one corner—
Wait, someone’s missing.
Before Naegi can pinpoint who was absent that time, a familiar black-and-white stuffed bear enters the room. Everyone immediately stops their chatter to curiously look at it, each of them with their own way of expressing confusion.
Well, except Enoshima.
She happily scoops up the stuffed bear to her arms, grinning at Naegi. “Hey, hey, Naegi-kun! Isn’t this the bear that you had Fujisaki-san make? Designed by yours truly, everyone!”
He was the one missing.
The stuffed bear lifts its foot, as if attempting a walking motion, but Enoshima doesn’t let it go. Its feet continue moving, and it felt funny watching it continue with its movements. The bear almost looks like it’s asking for help as Enoshima continues holding it that way.
Just when Naegi thought that he could get lost by the almost hypnotic and continuous movement of the bear’s feet, Fujisaki barges in the door with a triumphant expression. That’s possibly the most energetic mood that Naegi has seen from him so far.
“Ah, everyone is here already…” He spoke, and his eyes stop at the bear that Enoshima still hasn’t released. “So Enoshima-san and Naegi-kun already saw it. I just tried to increase the parameter of the remote’s control to the stuffed animal, and I succeeded.”
Everyone started to sound like they finally realized why a creepy-looking and moving stuffed animal, not to mention with a rather peculiar design, just randomly entered their classroom. Of course—their class has the Super High School Level Programmer and the Super High School Level Fashionista. They shouldn’t have been surprised in the first place.
The chatter that was interrupted started to spring back to life, and Fujisaki walks towards Enoshima and Naegi. “Naegi-kun, as I was saying, we can now finally control the bear from a farther location.” He looks like a proud child showing his perfect test scores to his parents. His completely innocent expression was almost refreshing. “And Enoshima-san, I didn’t get the chance to show you last time, but I followed your design. I hope I did your design justice…”
“Aw, aw, it was really great, you know!” Enoshima lifts the bear’s arm and tentatively copies a waving gesture with it. “I'm sure Naegi-kun liked it very much too! Right, right?”
Naegi nods, smiling at Fujisaki. “I think you did really well on this, Fujisaki-san. Good job.”
Fujisaki’s happy expression strengthens as he nods. “I'm really glad… but just like last time, I know I can still improve its features. I’ll show it to you guys again once I add something new to it…”
“Awww, you're so sweet, Fujisaki-san!” Enoshima hands the stuffed bear to Fujisaki. “Oh, well, I'm sure Naegi-kun would say something like ‘don’t tire yourself out’ or something, so I’ll say that too! Don’t tire yourself out, okay?”
Naegi doesn’t know why he gets offended whenever someone tries to anticipate his responses… or actions in general, actually. He decides to just ignore the annoyance that he's feeling as he nods, still with a smile. “Enoshima-san’s right. It’s just like what I said last time. Please don’t overwork yourself, Fujisaki-san.”
“I won’t…” Fujisaki sincerely looks flattered. “Thank you, Enoshima-san, Naegi-kun… but right, I forgot to ask you guys something. Is there a particular feature that you'd like added to the stuffed animal?”
“Do you think you can find a way to make it extend its body?” Enoshima eagerly asks. Naegi gets the thought that if Fujisaki were someone else, he would have been creeped out at how excited Enoshima looks like. “I really, really want that feature! It sounds sooooo cool!”
Fujisaki pauses for a while, as if in deep thought. “I think I can make that work, Enoshima-san… but maybe it will take kind of long…”
“Aww, it’s okay! I don’t mind waiting! I'm sure Naegi-kun doesn’t, too! Right, right, Naegi-kun?”
Naegi resists the urge to glare. Something about Enoshima just really ticks him off. “Enoshima-san is right again. There's no need to rush, Fujisaki-san. I'm alright with waiting no matter how long… As for the particular feature that I want, I think I'm okay with whatever you add to it. I trust you, Fujisaki-san. I'm sure your additions will be really useful.”
“Thanks a lot, the both of you…” Fujisaki almost looks like he's about to cry in flattery. “…Please look forward to the next time I’ll show it to you again. I promise I’ll improve it even more.”
“There's no pressure, Fujisaki-san.” Naegi smiles again and ruffles Fujisaki’s hair. “Don’t rush too much.”
“We shouldn’t rush important things.” Enoshima says, and she turns to Naegi. “Is that what you're going to say again, Naegi-kun?”
“No.” Naegi smiles anyway despite the growing irritation in him. “That’s not what I'm going to say at all, Enoshima-san.”
“If so…” Enoshima smiles back. “Then shouldn’t we be trying to get things started?”