Work Text:
Operating table
Needles
Knives
Lab coats
Scalpels
Drills
…
Whispering
Footsteps
…
Cold
Scared
…
Blood
Cuts
Piercing
Headache
Pain
…
…
…
Lost
Lonely
…
…
…
…
Can’t remember anything else
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
Why?
0000
“Hajime! Look!”
“Gah!”
Hajime Hinata, the boy in question, jolted upwards, having been in the midst of a nap.
He turned to the one who woke him up. Said person, Sonia Nevermind, was eagerly pointing outside the window of the plane they were flying in, unaware that she nearly gave her companion a heart attack.
“We’re almost there!”
Hinata glanced out the window. Doing so, he was able to clearly see their destination, Japan.
He switched his gaze back to the girl next to him. Her eyes were sparking and she had a huge grin on her face. Seeing her so excited immediately removed the feelings of annoyance he had about her startling him.
The boy smiled, happy to see his companion in such high spirits.
“Seems like you’re excited.”
The sparkles in her eyes grew bigger.
“Of course I am! You know how I’ve always wanted to visit Japan.”
‘That’s true…’
For as long as he’s known her, the girl had always wanted to make this trip. However, despite her being… rich to put it lightly, she and her family had been far too busy to go.
However, six months ago, something special happened and she was now able to achieve her dream.
The special thing in question?
“…Hajime, can you believe it? In one week, you and I will be attending the prestigious Hope’s Peak Academy.”
It was as Sonia said, the two had been invited to attend Hope’s Peak Academy.
Now, what was so special about Hope’s Peak?
Well, it’s arguably the most esteemed school to ever exist. Receiving their funding from the Japanese government, the school prepared their students for the future with state of the art facilities and faculty members who have specialized experience with the subjects they teach.
How does one get accepted to such an elite school? Well, there were two requirements one must meet. First, all potential students must be entering high school. Second, they must be the best at what they do. These talented kids, known as 'Ultimates,' were whom society saw as the future leaders of the world...though some of them were a bit eccentric. After all, Hope's Peak acknowledged various talents, ranging from the simple to the completely bizarre.
And six months ago, Sonia was invited to attend as the ‘Ultimate Princess’.
Yes, Sonia’s royalty.
She’s the princess of the Novoselic Kingdom, a small country in Europe that was quickly growing in both power and influence.
Some might think that the only reason she was scouted was because she happened to be ‘a’ princess.
But those who know her knew better.
Sure, her title was given to her due to her bloodline, but there were other princesses in the world too. The reason she was chosen instead of the others was because of who she is as a person.
Sonia is a multitalented individual. She’s academically gifted, athletic, and charismatic. The girl has knowledge of all kinds of political matters, including intentional politics. She had extensive military training, arguably more-so than the average Novoselic soldier.
And if all that wasn’t enough, she also knew 30 different languages. Of those 30, 10 of them she could speak at an advanced level and 15 of them she could at an intermediate level.
However, most importantly, Sonia has a huge heart and truly cares about her country. No other member of royalty, both in her home country and abroad, works harder than her to prepare for when it’s their time to take the throne. She was talented because of the countless hours she’s spent honing her skills. Even in the areas she was innately gifted in, she was only at the level she was because of her efforts. Her drive to improve herself was unmatched.
‘No one deserves the title of Ultimate Princess more than her.’
Hinata turned to his friend.
“Well, I’ve said this before, but it’s not surprising that you were scouted.”
Sonia gave him a small smile. “Oh please, no need to flatter me right now.”
The boy shrugged. “Is it considered flattery if you’re telling the truth?”
The girl placed a hand on her chin, pondering the question.
“Perhaps not…”
She suddenly pointed at him.
“So what about yourself?”
“What about me?"
“Are you surprised that you were selected as well?” The princess asked. “Personally, I am not. With all the talent that you possess, Hope’s Peak would be foolish if they had overlooked you.”
Hinata scratched the back of his head, not knowing how to answer.
“Uh, er…”
His behavior caused his companion to giggle.
“After all these years, the fact that you still struggle with receiving compliments amuses me.”
The boy rolled his eyes.
“Geeze, glad to know that my liege loves it when I’m suffering…”
His words only made the girl giggle more.
As she did so, she took a quick glance at the boy.
‘It’s true though. I’ve never met anyone as extraordinary as you, and I know that I never will…’
Ultimates were considered to be the apex of humanity.
Yet somehow, Hinata was something further beyond.
‘A true superhuman is what he is…’
“The title of ‘Ultimate Retainer’ doesn’t do you justice…” she mumbled.
The boy simply shrugged in response, knowing that if he tried contesting her words, they’d just end up talking in circles.
The girl looked out the window once more.
“Seeing Japan in the distance… are you feeling any sense of nostalgia?”
From his name to his appearance, Hajime Hinata was clearly Japanese.
So how did he wind up in the Novoselic Kingdom?
Nobody knows.
Not even Hinata himself.
Though, that’s to be expected seeing as the poor boy was suffering from amnesia. His life from when he was born to when he was taken in by the royal family, all of that was one big mystery.
Hinata took a look out the window himself. Seeing his homeland in person for the first time…
“…I feel nothing.”
Seeing his friend frown, the boy began explaining himself.
“Guess it’s because I've been in the Novoselic Kingdom for so long…”
Sonia nodded.
“I see…”
The two have known each other for most of their lives, first meeting at the young age of five.
As princess of the, Sonia had little time to socialize with others. For her education, her family hired the best minds in the kingdom to tutor her, so she had never stepped foot inside a school.
This came with an unfortunate side effect though. She ended up becoming lonely. Very, very lonely.
So one day, as any kid would, she turned to her family for a solution.
“I want a friend.”
Five year old Sonia Nevermind didn’t know how such a simple request would change her life.
The next day, her parents had a boy her age in their custody.
“Sonia, this is Hajime Hinata. He’ll be here to keep you company and help you out. Be good to him, alright?”
Hearing this, the girl beamed with joy.
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you. I hope we get along.”
The boy in question simply nodded in response.
It was then that Sonia really got the chance to take in his appearance. What immediately stood out to her was the blank expression he had on his face.
That and his piercing red eyes. Somehow they had crosshair patterns in them, but what she was more concerned with was how they were completely devoid of life.
‘I want to help him…’
She didn’t know exactly what Hinata had been through, but even at a young age, she could tell that he needed someone by his side, just like her.
And from that day onwards, the two became inseparable.
Hinata was brought in to serve as a vassal and confidant for the young princess. He would follow a similar form of training as her so that he could support her throughout her endeavors.
What nobody expected was for him to completely blow their expectations away.
His intellect, insight, physical abilities… he was second to none.
At the young age of six, he had mastered all forms of martial arts and was somehow strong enough to beat groups of fully grown adults on his own.
At the age of nine, his analytical prowess was unrivaled even by the greatest minds of their homeland.
Hinata had the special ability to immediately pick up anything he was taught.
(Well, almost anything, but that’s a story for later).
Whatever Sonia needed, he was there to support her when no one else could.
A memory that clearly stood out to the princess was when she was kidnapped by unknown insurgents at the age of eight. Even though she was guarded by some of the kingdom’s best soldiers, they were no match for the criminals, ones who were being aided by mercenaries from Fenrir, a group known for producing the strongest soldiers.
Yet somehow, Hinata had managed to track her down, and…
Well, she couldn’t say it was a fight.
No.
It was a massacre.
For the royal family, they couldn’t ask for a better retainer for their daughter. Hope’s Peak giving him the title of ‘Ultimate Retainer’ was proof of his loyalty and skill.
‘He really is amazing…’
Sonia valued her friend so much.
However, it wasn’t just for his abilities. It was, above all else, his heart.
He was the kind of person who couldn’t ignore someone in need. Sure, he may complain or throw out a cynical remark or two, but he would always help out.
‘It did take him a bit to get there though.’
For a while, he was akin to a robot, mechanically doing what he was told. But the more time the two spent together, the more he changed. Even his eyes somehow turned from red to green as if to reflect this.
‘Still…’
Despite how far he’s come, Sonia knew that her friend still had his own demons he was fighting.
Simply put, Hajime Hinata was a lost soul. He had no idea who he was or what he wanted to do in life.
Sometimes, for a brief second, his eyes would return to the same empty voids they were when the two first met.
She hated seeing him so lifeless.
Hinata was more than a retainer to her. She didn’t know how to describe it, but their bond was beyond that of ‘best friends’…
‘I’ll help him…’
The princess knew that his lost memories were troubling him, which is why she hoped that going to Japan might cause some of them to come back.
If not, then perhaps he too will experience a spark while at Hope’s Peak, one similar to her desire to be the possible version of herself for the Novoselic Kingdom.
‘I hope that’s the case…’
Even though she’d love it if he remained by her side, if he winds up going down a different path, then she’d give him her unconditional support.
“Sonia?”
The voice of her friend snapped the girl in question back to reality. Judging by the look on his face, it seemed her retainer had tried to tell her something.
“Ah, my apologies. Can you repeat what you said?”
“The plane’s landing,” Hinata informed her. “Guess you didn’t hear the announcement.”
He gave her a concerned look.
“Are you okay?"
“I am,” Sonia assured him. “I was just preoccupied with my thoughts.”
She decided to change the subject.
“…I’m quite eager to live a normal life these next three years. It’ll be a nice change of pace for the both of us.”
“I guess…”
Hinata personally had no opinions on the matter. However, he knew that this would be an important experience for the princess.
‘And it’s one she’s been looking forward to as well…’
Of course, Hope’s Peak wasn’t a normal school by any means, but compared to living as a royal, the school life they would be entering was definitely going to be closer to what was considered to be a normal high school experience.
Making friends, engaging in festivities, being able to enjoy her youth without her royal duties interfering…
Most wouldn’t give such things much thought. However, for a girl who has been craving such basic experiences, this was heaven.
‘I’m happy for her…’
Especially now that she’s going to have a shot at making some new friends.
Currently, the princess only had one friend, and that was him.
It was no fault of her own though.
Back at the Novoselic Kingdom, due to her special circumstances, her options for friends were limited to those her age from other royal families.
Male friends were unfortunately out of the question. Due to Sonia’s personality and status, the boys her age only went after her in the hopes of marriage. Thankfully, the Novoselic Kingdom was progressive when it came to arranged marriages and the princess had the right to choose her partner, so each time she received a proposal, it was swiftly rejected in the same manner.
“I’m honored you feel this way about me, but I cannot return your feelings. I know very little about you, and even if I did, I am in the midst of sorting out my feelings for someone else. Until I do, I am not ready to consider being in a romantic relationship.”
Despite all his talents and his knowledge of Sonia herself, Hinata had no idea who the mystery person she was talking about was.
Somehow.
Each time he’d ask, he’d get the same response.
“It’s a secret.”
Apparently the other servants knew who it was because sometimes he’d hear them giggling whenever they heard their liege had rejected a marriage proposal.
“She’s only got eyes for him” and the like is what they’d say whenever Hinata was in the break room with them.
As for why Sonia hasn’t made any female friends, it was a matter of her not being able to connect with her peers.
From an outsider’s perspective, the princess was the perfect example of what someone of royalty should be like. However, those who truly knew her understood that the way she conducted herself in public was somewhat of a facade. The girl was completely different behind closed doors. She had some… eccentric hobbies and interests to say the least.
Sonia was the type of girl to laugh during the gruesome scenes in horror movies. She had a strange fascination with serial killers and the occult, so much so that Hinata would catch her in the middle of the night developing conspiracy theories about these subjects.
If she were to share her hobbies with someone else, eyebrows would surely be raised, and there was a certain level of decorum that the princess was meant to maintain, one which clashed with her true self. With such a barrier, developing any sort of emotional intimacy with someone else was tough for Sonia.
Hinata was the only one who she’s been able to have such a relationship with, and it was a big reason why the two were so close.
Were her hobbies weird? Yes. But they made her happy and she wasn’t hurting anyone with them. As such, the boy didn’t mind watching a marathon of scary movies with her or listening to his friend ramble about her latest theories about serial killer Genocider Jack’s identity.
With Hinata, she didn’t have to be careful of her manners or hold back regarding anything. His presence was a safe zone for her to be herself without worries.
Sonia knew that it was his duty to entertain her whims within reason, but she also knew that he engaged with her hobbies via his own volition. He genuinely valued her for her, and that wasn’t something that could be replaced.
‘She’ll finally be able to find others like that too…’
In Japan, she would be able to act more freely, so perhaps she could find someone else with similar interests, even if such a thing was unlikely.
Hinata was happy for her, although he couldn’t help but feel a ping of jealousy spike through his body whenever he thought about the girl making new friends.
‘Guess that’s what happens when you’ve only got one friend…’
Being Sonia’s retainer, the boy never bothered to connect with others, no matter how much the princess insisted he do so. He saw no reason to make new friends, or even interact with anyone else unless it concerned his duties. His liege was his only friend.
‘That’ll probably change though…’
If the girl makes new friends, he’ll most likely be hanging around them as well, so it’d be in his best interest to get along with whoever Sonia befriends.
‘Shouldn’t be too hard…’
No one’s better at adapting to new situations than him
“We are now landing in Tokyo, Japan.”
Upon hearing the announcement via intercom, Sonia’s eyes began beaming with excitement whereas Hinata mentally prepared himself to go into ‘work mode’.
“Hajime, it’s time!”
As per usual, seeing his friend in such good spirits boosted his own mood.
The boy smiled at her.
“Yeah…”
0000
“Welcome to Japan. As Prime Minister, I speak for everyone when I say we’re honored to have you as our esteemed guest. We hope you enjoy your stay.”
Upon exiting the plane the two teens were greeted with a welcoming party led by none other than the Prime Minister of Japan.
Seeing as Sonia’s an important person to say the least, Hinata expected something like this to happen. The Novoselic Kingdom and Japan didn’t have much of a relationship with one another, but both countries knew that the princess’s stay opens up the possibility of numerous opportunities for an alliance to be formed. As such, the Japanese government clearly wanted to make sure that they put their best foot forward.
The girl in question bowed.
“Thank you for having us.”
The two began to exchange pleasantries. As they did so, Hinata quietly stood behind his charge.
To outsiders, it looked as if he was standing by idly.
In reality, he was working.
‘Looks like nothing’s out of the ordinary…’
As Sonia’s retainer and sole guard, it was his job to make sure that his friend was safe at all times. Because of this, he was always analyzing his surroundings, ready to act in case of a threat.
Under normal circumstances, it wasn’t wise for there to be only one person protecting someone as important as Sonia.
However, Hinata wasn’t an ordinary guard. Even a whole team of elite guards couldn’t do a better job than him.
With him around, the royal family can rest easy knowing that their daughter was safe.
After a few minutes went by, Sonia and the Prime Minister finished their conversation and the latter guided them towards a limousine that was prepared for them, one that would take them to Hope’s Peak.
As the vehicle moved, the princess eagerly took in the sights they passed by, like a child browsing through a candy store.
“Hajime, there it is!”
It didn’t take long for them to arrive at Hope’s Peak.
Hinata took a glance at the large school campus they were approaching.
“The Kamakura proj-“
“Gah!”
For some reason, his head started to pound, and for a brief second, his vision disappeared.
‘That voice…’
He had no idea who it belonged to, but for some reason, it seemed awfully familiar.
“Hajime? Are you alright?”
The boy glanced at his companion, whose concern was written all over her face.
“Yeah, I am.”
With his headache dying down, he decided to take another glance at Hope’s Peak.
“Hey, remember when you asked me if I was feeling nostalgic about being back in Japan?”
Sonia nodded.
“Yes, what about it?”
Hinata’s eyes never left the campus as he continued to speak.
“For some reason… I’m feeling it now…”