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School at Hope's Peak Academy was supposed to be a dream. Hajime Hinata had dreamed of it, dreamed of being an Ultimate with talent so prodigious that people treated him like a celebrity.
People said he was smart, that being his parents and other relatives really. Ha. Smart his ass. Instead he had paid his way into the Reserve Course, forced to be reminded of his talentless inferiority everyday. Everyday he had to face the main-course Ultimates whose stares reinforced the messages that played in loop in his mind.
I don't deserve to be here. I'm nothing compared to everyone else. Even in the Reserve Course I'm the dumbest one.
Although his friends made school slightly less unbearable, even the class he had befriended in the main course, he still couldn't help having those self-deprecating thoughts everyday.
But what Hinata found worst of all was that guy, who really liked to remind him about his status in the academy, and in life.
Nagito Komaeda.
For one, the guy was actually insane. Straight up crazy. He had some sort of fetish for hope, and spoke in some weird cryptic way. His relentless self-deprecating statements sort of hit too close to home, but Hajime would never admit that.
He was constantly a mess, his wild white hair puffing up in all directions (Hajime sometimes wondered what it felt like.) Sometimes he would come to school late, with the craziest excuses that turned out to be true.
"Sorry guys, I unfortunately got into a car accident on my way to school. That's just the life of a lucky student, haha!"
But what Hinata hated the most was the way Reserves were treated by that lunatic. Somehow hating himself wasn't enough, so he decided that anyone from the Reserve Course was the scum of the earth.
Hajime got it the worst though, since he had so many Ultimate friends in Komaeda's class. Any encounter, any conversation, any glance in the hallway resulted in an insult.
"Hinata-kun, do they have adequate literature in the Reserve Course? Because I'm sure that the sign in the hallway says Main Course wing."
"Ah, just as expected. My day gets ruined with the sight of the talentless one."
"You guys seriously aren't actually friends with Hinata-kun right? I mean, he must be like dirt beneath your shoes!"
Being the stubborn idiot that he was, Hajime just couldn't stop himself from arguing back. He just couldn't control it. He saw red every time Komaeda spewed nonsense about the "lowly Reserve Course."
However, deep down he also knew that he got so angry so often because he was scared that what Komaeda said was true. That Komaeda was just stating what everyone was too scared to say. That he truly was worthless.
One day at lunch, Hinata sat with Chiaki, one of his closest friends from the Main Course. Many kids from Class 77 were also at the table, including him.
Komaeda sat opposite from him, next to Chiaki, and he was conversing with Ibuki who seemed very animated. Ugh, how could anyone even stand him?
Hajime chose to ignore him and talk to Nanami, who had recently bought a nee video game and explained the rules to him excitedly.
"Yeah, it's multiplayer too! You should come round and play with me sometime Hajime."
Before he even had the chance to reply, he was cut off by a loud voice.
"Oooh! Ibuki hears about a hangout! Can Ibuki play too!!!"
"Sure Ibuki, and Nagito, you could come too if you want. We could play 2v2!"
Curse Chiaki's kindness. Komaeda snapped out of whatever crazed daze he was in, seemingly thinking on the offer.
"Oh, I do feel honoured Nanami-San, however I wouldn't want to ruin the Ultimates hangout with my horrific presence."
"Hey Nagito, you wouldn't ruin it! You're super awesomesauce!"
Ibuki swung an arm around his shoulder, causing even more disgust to swirl in Hajime's stomach. But he didn't say anything, simply observing the conversation and praying that it would turn out in his favor.
"Hmm, I suppose I could. I guess it would be ruined anyway if Hinata-kun was there, so there's not much I can do to make it worse!"
Hajime couldn't do anything but stare at him. How could he say that!? With such a cheery look on his face. Like he didn't even care about how his words caused a fiery feeling in his brain and horrible drop in his stomach.
What made it worse was Mioda's loud laugh, like the whole thing was a joke. Chiaki didn't say anything, nothing to defend him which made him feel even worse.
Eventually after a few moments, he leaned in, still staring at the white-haired boy with a quiet tone of rage.
"Yeah, well at least I actually got an invite instead of being invited out of pity. Because everyone knows you don't have anyone to hang out with after school."
Komaeda doubled down.
"Oh, but I'm not the one who cried himself to sleep every night because I have to face the fact that I'm useless, do I?"
"Hah! That's big talk coming from you."
It was only getting worse and worse and Hajime could feel the ice-hot anger running through his veins until-
"Okay, can you guys come to my dorm after school then?"
Both of them snapped their heads towards Chiaki, who looked very concerned (in Chiaki expressions this was a look of mild discomfort.) It was also then that they realized that they had been inching closer over the table, and their faces were very close together. Hajime could feel Nagito's breath.
They sat back quicker than their friend could blink, with Hajime turning red and Komaeda turning a pretty shade of pink. Pretty?! Hinata almost smacked himself.
It didn't help that Mioda had a look of awe on her face and other people on the table had been side-eyeing them the whole time.
This always happened, Hinata and Komaeda would have a small argument that escalated quickly, and before they knew it people were staring and they were inches apart, about to swing at each other. Well, Hajime didn't really know if Komaeda would swing at him. He was pretty weak and skinny. But he didn't look bad. He looked nice and slender. No he didn't.
After the fights or even any ordeal, Hajime always felt so angry and embarrassed, his face always turner so red and his heart always hammered. He just couldn't stand Komaeda. The way he sneered with his disgusting mouth, the way his green eyes narrowed, those foul words that spilled out of his mouth. He hated him.
He really did. And yet, he always had to be around him. Always seeing him after school, in the hallways, during hangouts, everywhere!
The Ultimate Lucky Student was a constant presence in his life, and it was the unluckiest thing ever.
Everyone knew about it, not just in Class 77 but in the other Main Course classes and even in some of the Reserve Course too.
Hajime was decently popular and got along with most people, so once he was seen in different situations with Komaeda, word spread like wildfire.
He never heard any of the gossip directly, and no one talked about it either, but in the hallways he would hear his name and that guys name in the same sentence frequently. So everyone knew that they were enemies, and it was humiliating.
When people stared or even glanced at them when they were together in school, he felt that deep embarrassment that he couldn't shake.
Once one of his friends asked if him and Komaeda were actually friends, and he had laughed, saying something along the lines of "God, no!"
Which turned a few heads.
So he knew he needed a way to solve his problem. He didn't want people to think he had some petty feud with a loser from the Main Course. But even more than that, he hated the words that Komaeda said to him, and wished that he would receive the level of praise that he gave other Ultimates.
He decided the best thing to do was to talk to Chiaki about it.
In her dorm as they sat doing homework and eating snacks, he brought it up.
"Hey Chiaki... can I talk to you about something?"
She looked up, tilting her head inquiringly but her expression was warm and at ease.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Uhh, well it's about Komaeda." He could already feel the blush blooming on his face as he mentioned that name.
"Oh,"
Chiaki's face seemed to drop a bit which only served to make Hajime more nervous.
"I wanted to talk about him too."
"Oh um you can tell me first then,"
Hajime replied, feeling more curious now about what she had to say about him.
But nothing could prepare him for what left her mouth next.
"Are you and Nagito dating?"