Chapter Text
“Makoto! Makoto! Look!”
Komaru leaned dangerously over the ships’ railing, pointing out across the sea to the island that had appeared on the horizon.
“Finally,” she groaned, “we’re almost there.”
While the trip from the mainland to Jabberwock Island wasn’t that long, the assembled crew that had embarked on this journey together was full of residual tensions, which made everything feel like it took much longer than it really did. A few weeks ago, Komaru had come to Makoto with the idea that she and Toko - the current guardians of the former warriors of hope - should do something special for their charges. After bringing this idea to his fellow alumni, Makoto and the others reached the agreement that a group field trip to Jabberwock island might be good for all of them. With things starting to calm down, the future foundation allowed him and his selected team an indefinite break, though they’d promised they’d return eventually and as soon as possible in the case of an emergency. They owed their heroes some rest after all, and a nice tropical getaway could be just what they need. Though the adults among them knew this was also one of Makoto’s attempts to help everyone gain closure.
“Er… Komaru…” Makoto sighed. “You do realize that…”
She jumped down from her spot on the railing and hurried towards her brother.
“Do I realize that the weirdo from Towa City is going to be there? Yeah,” she sighed.
“But it’s not me I’m worried about, it’s the kids.”
She glanced over her shoulder as though expecting Monaca or one of the others to be standing behind her, but the deck remained empty.
“I understand,” Makoto said. “But I wouldn’t have agreed to your idea if I didn’t think we could gain something from it. Besides, there are enough people here to help keep the kids safe and out of trouble. I think we’ll be fine.”
Komaru sighed, and glanced away from her brother, looking back out at the open sea.
It was still early in the morning, and she and Makoto were the only ones awake.
“I really hope you’re right…”
~
As the boat approached the dock, Komaru went below deck to rouse everyone who was still asleep. She began by quietly approaching Toko, who was still fast asleep. She paused, standing over her sleeping girlfriend for just a moment. She smiled slightly, feeling a sudden warmth spreading in her chest. When they’d first met, Toko had been a bit of a mess to say the very least. That was perfectly reasonable, given the circumstances. But Komaru had tried her best to help her out. And look at them now!
“What are you staring at?” a familiar, tired voice demanded, effectively snapping Komaru out of her lovestruck haze. Toko was glaring at her, her eyes peeking out from underneath the blankets.
“You~” Komaru teased, resting her hands on the side of the bed and leaning over to stare down at the woman below her. Toko remained silent, clearly not in the mood. Komaru sighed.
“We’re getting ready to dock, I need your help waking everyone up.”
She waited patiently as Toko dragged herself into a sitting position. “Not those little terrors…” she groaned, and Komaru giggled. The latter reached over and grabbed Toko’s glasses, brushing her hair out of her face and gently sliding them on before placing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
At this, the writer sighed.
“Alright. But you’re in charge of getting the little devil ready.”
~
Komaru gently knocked on the door to Monaca’s room.
“Monaca? Are you awake?” she called.
Met by only silence, she tried once more.
“Monacaaaa? Wakey-wakey!”
It wasn’t like Komaru couldn’t just barge in and shake the younger girl awake, but the one time she made that mistake, Monaca had woken up screaming and clawing at her. Since then, she had realized the former dictator was a bit more fragile than she let on. Though that was far from a problem. Komaru and Toko both had their own fair share of nightmares, the tragedy left everyone scared somehow.
When there was still no response from Monaca, her caretaker slowly and carefully opened the door to her room. To her surprise, Monaca was awake and sitting on the floor with her arms crossed.
“Oh…” Komaru paused, standing in the doorway. Monaca was still in her nightgown and her green hair was slightly disheveled. There was an unpleasant scowl on her face which only deepened when she saw who had entered her room.
“Oh!” Komaru said, her hand dropping from the doorknob to her side. “You’re already awake. Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt….”
Monaca put her hand up to stop her from speaking any further, and turned her head indignantly.
“Oh. Don’t worry. You didn’t interrupt Monaca. Monaca had already been awake for a while.”
Komaru looked her over quickly. “Is everything alright? Did you have a nightmare again or something?”
Monaca shook her head. “Monaca is just fine. Don’t worry about her! Although… is there a reason you couldn’t let Monaca sleep a little longer?” she asked, tilting her head curiously.
“O-oh-! Right!” Komaru said. She had temporarily forgotten why she was here. “We’re just about ready to dock, and since we can’t leave anyone on the boat we need all of you ready to disembark!”
She flashed a smile to the other girl, who sighed and said, “but Monaca doesn’t want to spend all day with demons.”
Komaru sighed, Li’l ultimate homeroom had been saying this for quite a while now. While she’d initially agreed to go on the trip, the closer and closer they got to their destination the more she began to complain and protest. No one planned on forcing Monaca to spend time around people who made her uncomfortable, but Makoto wanted her to try. Besides, Komaru (and everyone else) had a sneaking suspicion that Monaca just desperately wanted to avoid seeing her former servant. And no one could blame her. Komaru herself felt a little uneasy about seeing him again, though for reasons that weren’t quite the same as the ones held by the child sitting before her. Perhaps Monaca was afraid he’d be angry with her because of how she treated him, maybe she was guilty, or maybe she just knew that things were about to get very very awkward soon. Though whatever it was, Komaru still had a job to do.
Although…
“Monaca? Did you fall over?” she asked.
Before her, Monaca huffed. “Monaca didn’t fall over, she just decided to sit on the floor today.”
Komaru couldn’t tell if she meant it, or if her usual tone currently held an edge of sarcasm. Regardless, the older girl realized what had happened and her expression softened.
“Are you in pain?” she asked carefully.
Her ward sighed. “Some demon left Monaca’s crutches on the other side of the room, and she fell on her way to get them.”
Oh. That explained it. The warriors of hope were all often too stubborn to ask for help. But the way they grew up, no one could blame them. Komaru glanced over to the wall where Monaca’s crutches had been left, and walked over to get them.
“If you’re in pain, I can stay behind with you on the ship,” she said. “This is meant to be fun, big bro certainly wouldn’t want anyone to push themselves too hard.”
Monaca shook her head, signaling that she was okay, but her tone softened. “No. That’s alright. I wouldn’t want to be stuck in such a cramped space with a demon for any longer than I have to be.”
But behind Monaca’s words, Komaru could tell she secretly just wanted to spend the day with her friends.
“Alright,” the brown-haired girl said. “Just let me, or anyone else know if you need anything. And do you know who made sure you got to bed last night? I can make sure they know not to put your crutches so far away.”
The littlest Towa plastered on her signature sweet smile and said, “Oh. That’s not important. I don’t pay much attention to the faces of demons anyway.”
~
Once Komaru had Monaca situated, the two stepped out into the hall. The doors to the other rooms were empty, indicating that Toko had woken up the other kids and gotten them to the top deck in the time it had taken to get Monaca ready. That was hardly an issue, as Komaru had surprisingly begun to enjoy spending mornings with the other girl.
As they made their way into the open air, they heard a familiar voice squeal, “Monaca! You look soooo adorbs in that outfit!”
Kotoko was waving from the front of the ship. She ran over and tackled Monaca in a hug, grinning from ear to ear.
“Hey-! Kotoko-!” the latter protested, but the light blush on her cheeks betrayed her true feelings.
“Super, super adorbs!” Kotoko continued. “Much better than that other outfit you used to wear, but that was still super adorbs on you too!”
Monaca just sighed. Willfully resigning herself to her friend’s eager affections.
Komaru beamed as she watched them, before glancing over at the other three warriors. Huddled by the edge of the ship, Masaru, Jataro, and Nagisa formed an odd-looking group. While just slightly taller than the ship’s railing, Nagisa still seemed to tower over his fellow children. There was a stern expression on his face, and his hand rested on his chin. Jataro was sitting on the floor next to Masaru, who was watching his blonde friend hurriedly scribble with crayons on a piece of paper.
Komaru hummed happily as she made her way over to them. “Good morning you three!” she waved.
The two children on the floor looked up at her, both sparing her a smile and wave. Nagisa, however, remained lost in thought.
“Hey? Nagisa? You with us?” she waved her hand in front of his face.
“Ah…” he let out a quiet gasp before glancing at the floor and then back up to Komaru.
“My apologies,” he said, shaking his head.
“I was occupied by some rather… pressing matters.” There was an unfamiliar hesitation in his voice that caused something in Komaru’s stomach to twist.
“Is… everything okay?” she asked nervously.
The blue-haired boy nodded. “There’s no need for alarm, I was just thinking about how to best look after my fellow warriors- er- my friends.”
He smiled slightly at his own correction and glanced over at Monaca and Kotoko, who appeared to be pestering Kotoko about something.
“Especially those two.”
Komaru nodded, she too was concerned for how certain aspects of this trip would go for the two girls. Originally she’d mostly worried about Monaca’s new loss of mobility. But the girl had proven to still be plenty capable on her own, although there was a thin line between what she was able to do and what she pushed herself through while not wanting help from “demons.”
Her fears involving Kotoko, however, were a bit more complicated. She wasn’t sure how the little actress would handle being on an island with men she didn’t know. She had very gently approached this subject with the girl, but Kotoko had insisted on coming.
“Everyone else is going! Besides, Ms. Hina told me that there’s a farm! I bet the animals are super adorbs!”
Komaru still very much doubted that the ultimate drama was as okay with the idea of the trip as she had said, but she also knew that as of now there was nothing in the world capable of prying Kotoko away from her friends. Especially from Monaca. And she knew Nagisa understood that too.
She smiled at him gently. “I’m worried about them too. But they’re both safe. They have all of us. And you three. Besides, this trip isn’t really meant to be easy. I think that’s part of why Makoto agreed to let us go.”
The boy nodded in understanding. “Your brother wants to help us overcome our fears and gain closure. Especially with…” the ever-present calm on his face turned into something more sinister, for just a moment. “… with him.”
This caused an involuntary sigh to force its way out of Komaru’s mouth, even Nagisa felt troubled by the idea of seeing the servant again. And admittedly, so did she. But she was the adult here, so he had to be responsible.
She reached out and ruffled Nagisa’s hair. “That seems to be a pretty common sentiment, but you never know. Right? Perhaps you won’t even see him at all.”
The boy in front of her didn’t seem too impressed with her statement, obviously seeing right through her lies. He could tell that she was as nervous as he was, and that the chances that they wouldn’t once encounter the servant were somehow below zero. Still he didn’t call her out, and just nodded instead.
“Thank you, Komaru.”
This instantly brightened her mood, and her smile became one of pure joy once again.
Feeling as though someone was watching her, she turned around to see Makoto’s eye’s on her. Silently asking her to come over. He looked a little stressed, a dramatic difference from the uncharacteristically high spirits of the children surrounding them.
“I’ll be back later,” she said to Nagisa, now slightly distracted as she hurried towards her brother at the very front of the boat. She leaned her forearms on the railing and glanced up at him.
“Makoto, is everything alright?” she asked.
He nodded, but he still looked slightly tense. “Everything’s fine,” he said, “but we’re about ready to make landfall, and I’m just a little worried about how everything’s going to go.”
“Yeah. I think everyone feels that way,” Komaru said. “But there’s no need to worry, this is hardly the scariest thing any of us have faced.”
There was no denying the truth to that statement. This time, there was no apocalypse or killing game or platoon of robotic bears ready to kill on sight. Instead, there was simply tension that settled over the group like a thick blanket. Tension that was only due to worsen as soon as they joined up with the 77th class.
Makoto looked over at his sister, smiled, and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. This is nothing! We’ll be just fine.”
The two siblings exchanged a smile, just as they finally approached the island’s docks.
~
“Makoto! It’s good to see you!” Hajime called out. He and Mahiru comprised the tiny welcoming part of their visitors. It was common sense that being welcomed by a large group wouldn’t go over well with the passengers on board the ship, so he’d chosen the ultimate photographer as the most suitable person to tag along with him. Mahiru at least knew how to be mature and friendly around kids, which was more than he could say for some of his former classmates.
“Hajime! It’s always a pleasure,” Makoto chuckled as they shook hands. Due to Hajime’s work with the future foundation, the two often worked together. They got on well, Makoto serving as the public face of hope while Hajime worked to support him from the shadows.
Behind them, the others from Makoto’s class were helping their young companions off the ship. Hajime narrowed his eyes as he watched them, trying his best to get an initial read on the situation in order to stop any potential conflicts before they began. He needed to be a good host, after all. And these were far from your normal group of guests.
He went in order, starting with the people still closest to the ship. Aoi Asahina, who he recognized after working with her a few times on the mainland, was standing in the very back of the group with her arms crossed. There was a look somewhere between apprehension and regret on her face. Hajime thought back to the files he’d read in preparation for the visit. Members of the future foundation were required to keep extensive notes on the warrior’s of hope and their designated caretakers as an extra safety measure, someone in a different level of the organization believing it a way to potentially predict any future conflicts. Hajime couldn’t speak on the usefulness of the idea, he did find it useful having a way to read up on the incoming party in advance.
“... While Aoi Asahina shows no outward hostility to the warriors of hope, her mannerisms do indicate that she still holds some amount of resentment towards them. Likely to do with the death of her younger brother, Yuta Asahina, during the “Demon Hunting Game” hosted by the warriors of hope in Towa City. He was killed by a bracelet similar to the ones used during the killing game held in a Future Foundation building. Instead of being eliminated by one of the designated “hunters” during the game, his bracelet detonated as a way of preventing his escape when he tried to leave the city limits. Makoto Naegi has suggested she try and gain closure with even a single member or them, but she has reportedly rejected that idea.”
After reading through the notes for the first time, Hajime’s first thought had been about how rank-and-file members of the future foundation seemed to know everything about every small exchange between such esteemed members as the survivors of the 78th class. But he had learned not to question these things. The foundation was thriving under its new leadership, and by proxy, the rest of the world.
Regardless, Aoi’s discomfort around the children was made very visible, and while it didn’t appear to be their most pressing concern at the moment it still felt like something Hajime should keep in mind.
He moved his eyes to the rest of the group. He swifty identified Byakuya Togami, Kyoko Kigiri, and Yasuhiro Hagakure speaking with Mahiru. From the smiles on most of their faces (other than Byakuya, who Hajime knew from experience wasn’t one for casual smiles) he was able to discern that the conversation was going well. It seemed he had been correct about Mahiru being the best person to welcome everyone to the island. Although there was one person among his underclassmen that he had yet to see…
“Uhg… it’s so hot out! Everything’s going to get so sweaty!” a voice complained. Makoto turned around, looking slightly embarrassed. Toko Fukawa was throwing a mini-fit, while a girl Hajime had never seen before (though he inferred she was the other man’s sister) was hurriedly trying to calm her down.
“Toko! Toko! Shhh!” The one he’d identified as Komaru Naegi chided. “I want to make a good first impression! I’m sure there are cooler clothes you can change into!”
“F-first impression?!” Toko spluttered, she seemed absolutely appalled that Komaru would suggest such a thing. “Why would you care about that?! In case you forgot, Komaru, these people are responsible for the whole apocalypse!”
Hajime winced, hoping Mahiru hadn’t heard. He knew better than anyone that the Kamakura Project had been his choice, but the others had been forced to become one with despair. Makoto looked at him nervously, fighting with his hands. “H-Hajime-”
They were cut off by Komaru’s shouting. “You know that’s not true! Junko Enoshima caused the tragedy, and you should know that better than me because you actually met her!”
Toko was about to snap back at her when the two were suddenly shoved away from each other.
“It would benefit everyone here if Enoshima was not referenced so suddenly, and if you two could keep it down.”
The voice had a frustrated edge to it, and looking down helped Hajime figure out its source.
It was a young boy who he recognized as Nagisa Shingetsu, Li’l Ultimate Social Studies of the warriors of hope.
“...While all five of the children comprising the group are exceptionally intelligent for their age, Nagisa Shingetsu still remains miles ahead of his compatriots. (With the possible exception of Monaca Towa). Like the others, he displays unease around adults, but is much more adept at keeping his composure under most circumstances. He very obviously cares immensely for the other children, and has stated that he has previously acted as their ‘babysitter’ despite the five all being around the same age. Kotoko Utsugi has also reported that “Nagisa loves to overwork himself. You’d think he’d take a break once he started getting sick but he’s too stubborn for that.” Tread carefully.”
“Oh…” Komaru said, now looking increasingly embarrassed. “S-sorry Nagisa. I guess we just got a little carried away.”
She looked over at Toko as though expecting her to apologize as well, but the bespectacled girl just grumbled something and crossed her arms. Komaru just sighed.
As she continued to apologize to Nagisa, Makoto turned back to Hajime. He still looked nervous, and now somewhat guilty.
“W-well… that escalated quickly…” he said.
It was true, the boat had docked less than twenty minutes ago and there had already been an argument. Hajime pressed his hand to the scar on his forehead, trying to ground himself. The emotional part of him hoped that the next few weeks or so would be easier. But the logical part of his brain overrode that wish. Everyone, him included, knew this was far from the first argument that could or would arise.
“…it’s fine,” Hajime sighed, smiling awkwardly at Makoto. “I think we’re all prepared for this.”
“Yeah…” the ultimate lucky student mumbled. “I’m honestly shocked the trip here was so smooth.”
“Well, at least you got a moment of peace,” Hajime snorted, and Makoto sighed before speaking again.
“Like Komaru said earlier, this is hardly the scariest thing we’ve all been faced with.”
~
It took a while, but everyone was eventually settled in. Sleeping arrangements had to be prepared in advance. While things were usually flexible on the island, and the cottage assignments were more of suggestions and less of rules, things had to be a little stricter with how nervous their guests could get around adults.
Ibuki had happily agreed to double up with Mikan, who’s cottage she often slept in anyway. Komaru, Toko, Monaca, and Kotoko took her cottage. Originally it was just meant for the first three of them, but Kotoko had refused to sleep separately from her former leader. Nagisa had agreed to share with Byakuya, so they took Hajime’s cottage. (Which was usually vacant anyway, since he’d moved in with Nagito.) Ryota doubled up with Imposter to make space for Kyoko and Asahina. Nekomaru had volunteered to host Hiro and Kazuichi, who’d given up his cottage for Makoto to supervise Jataro and Masaru. While no one doubted that the children could manage staying by themselves, everyone had decided that it would be best if they at least had someone to watch them. For their safety, and maybe everyone else. Despite the fact that they had all agreed to go on the trip, everyone knew that the children felt far from safe around the former remnants of despair.
~
By the time everyone’s things were unpacked and the extra beds were set up in the cottages, the sun had already set. Hajime had notified everyone that once they were ready, there was dinner prepared in the hotel restaurant. “By the ultimate cook, I might add,” he’d said.
Komaru had asked her charges if they’d rather stay in and rest, but Monaca and Kotoko had both declared that they were hungry instead. Toko had decided to stay behind, wrapping herself up in the blankets and almost immediately falling asleep. Her girlfriend had just sighed and shaken her head, before escorting the two girls to the restaurant.
It was a beautiful, clear night. Despite it being close to summer, the air was still pleasantly cool. The lack of light pollution allowed Komaru to look up and see the stars. She found herself smiling at this. The sky was finally beginning to show itself again, after years of being smothered by smoke and ash. Glancing downwards, she caught Monaca and Kotoko staring as well. The first girl had the same passive smile on her face as always, though her eyes betrayed her. Similar to the other girl standing beside her, they held a look of childlike wonder.
It occurred to Komaru that growing up during the tragedy, these two had hardly known anything other than the haunting red sky. And even before, none of them had been granted the chance to just be children. Komaru knew that there was no undoing the horrors of their pasts, but if she could offer them even the smallest taste of what they had missed… she’d do anything to let them have that. Their smiles were endlessly precious to her.
When they reached the dining hall, however, they were all snapped out of their dreamy haze. Instead, the three of them were confronted by a tall staircase leading up to the second-floor restaurant. Komaru looked at Monaca, who hesitated, gripping the handles of her crutches. She probably could make it up the stairs, but Komaru knew she’d find being watched while doing it a humiliating experience.
As the older girl debated what to say, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder.
“Excuse me?” Hajime said. “We have an elevator inside…” he caught the way Monaca was looking at him “…someone here uses it sometimes, but you’re all free to take it as well. Kazuichi installed it, so I promise it’s safe.” He smiled awkwardly.
“Oh!” Komaru clapped her hands together. “That’s actually really helpful. Thank you for telling me.”
“Of course,” Hajime said. “It’s right across from you on the inside of the hotel. You’ll see it right away.”
She smiled, and thanked him again before he made his way up the stairs.
Komaru turned back to the two girls, and Monaca smiled and nodded.
“I guess maybe these demons aren’t so bad…” she said, as Kotoko grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door.
Just as Hajime had said, the elevator was directly across from the entrance to the hotel. The three of them entered, and Komaru hit the button that would take them to the top floor. Kotoko had now thrown her arms over Monaca’s shoulders, hugging her and grinning.
Ding
The elevator doors opened, revealing the hotel’s open-air restaurant.
“Look at this place!” Kotoko squealed.
The restaurant was buzzing with activity. The island’s residents moved between the tables, chatting with each other. There was a huge table to the far side of the restaurant, laden with any kind of food imaginable. A short man in a chef’s hat was standing next to it, puffing his chest proudly.
On a smaller side table, there were different drink dispensers laid out next to stacks of plastic cups. From the edge of the ceilings, numerous strings of small fairy lights illuminated the room.
A warm breeze blew in, ruffling Komaru’s hair.
The whole atmosphere was cozy and friendly. People were smiling, telling stories to each other accompanied by animated gestures and laughter.
Komaru smiled. All her anxiety from the trip seemed to melt away. There was soft music in the background. Everyone was happy. No one was arguing. She hadn’t felt so relaxed in a long, long, time.
“Hey! Komaru!”
It was Makoto. He was sitting at a table near the middle of the room. He waved at her, and Hajime, who was sitting across from him, smiled at her.
She looked down at Kotoko and Monaca.
“We’re going to sit over there,” Monaca told her before she could ask, nodding her head in the direction of a small table in the back that the other children were crowded around.
“Yeah. You adults can sit by yourselves,” Kotoko smirked, waving at Komaru over her shoulder as she and Monaca made their way to their friends.
Once she was sure they were situated, Komaru made her way to where her brother was sitting.
“Hey, Makoto,” she said, sliding into her seat.
“Everyone settled in okay?” he asked her, and she nodded.
“Fine, Toko decided to stay back and take a nap. But I think the kids are doing okay. How about on your end?”
Makoto nodded, taking a sip from his water glass before speaking.
“Everything’s okay, we’re all unpacked and anything. Honestly I’m shocked everything went so smoothly.”
“Yeah, same,” she sighed, resting her head in her hands and he laughed.
“I wouldn’t celebrate too soon, but we did make it through the first few hours. That’s worth something.”
She groaned, resting her head on the table as Makoto laughed.
“Just let me have this. The trip here was tiring enough,” she said.
Makoto smiled, before noticing the empty space in front of her. “Aren’t you going to get something to eat? It’s delicious. And there’s pretty much everything.”
Komaru sat up instantly. “Mhm! I forgot! Be right back.”
She jumped to her feet, suddenly filled with newfound determination. The stress of the arrival had made her forget how hungry she was. The food they’d brought with them on the ship had been sub-par, but whatever the ultimate cook had prepared smelled amazing. Komaru was practically drooling and she hadn’t even noticed.
Making her way over to the table, Komaru grabbed a plate and took a moment to survey the room. At the kid’s table, Monaca and Kotoko sat in the middle of everyone else. Kotoko had a huge smile on her face, talking enthusiastically to Masaru about something, who seemed just as excited about whatever they were discussing as she did. Monaca sat between them as they shouted to each other, but even she looked perfectly content. Komaru just hoped that she felt that way too.
Once she was satisfied with her portion of food, she made her way back to the table only to discover that Makoto had moved elsewhere so sit with Kyoko and the others. This left Komaru alone with Hajime. Her brother was probably discussing important foundation business, and while she didn’t want to interrupt…
To put it simply, Komaru was very much intimidated by Hajime Hinata. Him, and all the other ultimates. As was made clear by their titles, they were scarily talented. It had been nearly ten months since the official end of the tragedy, and while the rest of the world was still struggling to its feet, the island had been transformed - from the little bit Komaru had seen - to a virtual paradise. They had used their talents to cultivate a safe, stable, peaceful environment that during the past few years was something Komaru could only see in her dreams. Even now, a small part of her feared that she would wake up in a pile of rubble with the warm feeling in her body slowly fading away.
“Uhm… you okay?”
Komaru was brought back to reality by someone - Hajime - waving his hand in her face.
“Ah-!” she felt her face heat up in embarrassment, she had probably been staring at him the whole time she was zoned out.
“Sorry! Sorry!” She rushed to apologize, but Hajime just brushed her off.
“It’s fine. I was just making sure you were alright,” he said, “You’re Komaru, right? Makoto’s sister?”
She nodded, and he continued speaking.
“I’m surprised we haven’t met yet, considering how often I’m on the mainland.”
“Oh!” Komaru perked up. “Actually, I do most of my work in Towa City, since I spent plenty of time there during the tragedy. And I was designated as the best guardian for the warriors of hope…” she glanced over at the kids, who all still seemed to be having a perfectly nice time at dinner, “... it was supposed to just be temporary until we could find better homes for them. But it’s been nearly a year. They’ll probably wind up living with the other members of my brother’s class, since getting them comfortable around a whole new set of adults might be more time and trouble than it’s worth. Besides, I’ve really grown quite fond of them. Despite everything… ah-! Sorry! A-am I talking too much?”
While far from as timid and inexperienced as she had been during the early days of the Tragedy, something about sitting in front of the ultimate hope was a little nerve racking. Unfortunately, it seemed that Hajime had caught onto this almost immediately.
“You can relax, you know?” he said. “You’re not this nervous around your brother and the others, are you?”
Feeling somewhat humiliated, Komaru shook her head. “Well… no. But I guess it’s a little frustrating being the only talentless one here. Not that I mind not having a talent, but I really feel like the odd one out right now!” she threw her hands up in frustration.
Hajime looked at her strangely.
“You don’t have a talent?”
She shook her head. “No. I am, or was, just a normal high school girl. And I know that obviously that’s not exactly true now, but I was never an ultimate or anything like that.”
“I wasn’t one either,” the man across from her sighed.
She tilted her head in confusion. “No…?”
Hajime took a sip from a glass of what looked like orange juice, something Komaru found somewhat amusing, before answering her.
“I had always admired the ultimates, and the academy, but I wasn’t one of them. I was just an unknown from the reserve course.”
This only served to deepen Komaru’s confusion.
“I feel like I’m really out of the loop,” she said, a note of exasperation in her voice. “If you were just in the reserve course, then how did you get here? You’re supposed to be the most talented out of any of us. I mean, you clearly are. You pretty much built this place yourself from what Makoto told me, not that he also explained how you suddenly gained the power of a god or whatever. Although… Now that I think about it, we really haven’t spent much time together recently… hey? Are you okay?”
Komaru froze when she saw the look on Hajime’s face, pain and guilt and what almost looked like anger.
“Sorry… sensitive topic?” she said nervously.
He nodded, “I really am willing to tell you how I became the ultimate hope, but I don’t think it’s worth it to spoil the current mood.”
She glanced around, listening to the conversations and the laughter.
“Mhm..” she smiled, resting leaning on her hand as she observed everyone. If she tried, she could almost push the past out of her mind completely.
“If it’s fine, I’ll hear your story another day.”
~
The welcome dinner didn’t end until much later into the night, the younger ones among them already half-asleep by the time they left.
Once Komaru and Hajime finished talking, he introduced her to some of his other classmates. Including the red-head who had come with him when they had all first arrived. The people he introduced her to, Mahiru, Sonia, Peko, and Ibuki, had all been perfectly pleasant. She looked forward to spending more time with them during the trip, and to meeting the others. Hajime had tried to get the attention of more of his friends, but many were too immersed in their conversations or games to even notice he was calling their names. It was no big deal, however. There would be plenty of time to get to know the others later.
Komaru opened the door to their cottage and Kotoko instantly ran for the bed, letting herself fall onto it with a dramatic sigh. Monaca followed suit, setting her crutches down on the floor and settling in next to her friend. Kotoko yawned, her eyes slowly fluttering shut. Komaru probably would have reminded them to at least put on pajamas, but she doubted either of them were awake enough to do so.
Once she was sure the two girls were asleep, Komaru sat down on the cot that was brought in from the warehouse for her. Toko was wrapped in a blanket on the couch. The former pulled the cot closer so the two could be face-to-face.
“Hey. You awake?”
Komaru whispered to her girlfriend.
Toko shifted under the blankets. She looked pretty in the moonlight seeping in through the window, Komaru thought
“I’m awake now, what do you want?”
“Well..” the first girl said, “I just wanted to say goodnight to you. Monaca and Kotoko fell asleep right away.”
Toko nodded.
“And how was dinner?”
Komaru gave her a brief summary of the night. The atmosphere, the peace, the lack of noticeable conflicts.
“...I think it went perfectly!” she concluded finally, but paused when she caught how Toko was looking at her.
“Uhm… did I say something wrong?”
Toko sighed, rolling her eyes.
“Did you run into the freak?”
“Freak…?”
While the 77th class was certainly… eccentric. Komaru wouldn’t call any of them freaks, per se.
“You know,” Toko’s eyes flickered to the two sleeping girls, “-him.”
Komaru froze. Servant. The one she’d tried to be on the lookout for since they made landfall (if only to childishly avoid him) hadn’t appeared at dinner at all. She had surveyed the entire dining hall, she would’ve noticed if he was there. But it had completely skipped her mind that he wasn’t.
“He wasn’t there,” she said finally.
“Probably for the better,” Toko said, “maybe they kept him away to avoid any conflicts on the first night.”
“Yeah… maybe.”
But something about his absence made Komaru feel sick to her stomach.