Chapter Text
The dormitory halls were eerily quiet, the only other sound being the ventilation systems clanking again the metal.
Oh, and it was the girl’s dorm hall. How could Komaeda forget?
Of course, he had a very good reason for being there. But he’s heard tales from Gundham when he tried visiting Sonia. Tales about Tenko charging at him in an Aikido stance, leaving him (and his four dark devas) scarred for a month or so.
He needed to be quick with his visit, but…
Fuck! Komaeda was nervous as hell! Tojo wasn’t even expecting him, and he looked creepy just standing in front of her door. But he really really needed to go through with this.
C’mon, Nagito. You got this! When have you ever let a nerve-wracking obstacle like this stop you? Huh? Huh!? Never! You can face Tojo! She’s your best friend! You can face Tenko’s wrath, too! Heck, you can even face Monosuke-Sensei’s tests! Because you have hope! And that prevails-
As Komaeda was hyping himself up, Tojo’s door opened, making his entire body flinch.
”Hello, Komaeda-kun,” Tojo said in her natural elegance. “What brings you to my room at two o-clock in the morning?”
He could sense the veiled irritation in Tojo’s tone, and felt a bristle in his chest.
”Aha… ha! Hey, Tojo-san.” Komaeda managed a smile. “May I come in… please?”
Tojo sidestepped, making way for Komaeda to enter.
He sat down on her bed, gripping the hem of his shirt. He had never been in a girl’s dorm late at night. No wonder Tenko always got the wrong idea.
”Would you like anything? I could heat up some tea for you,” Tojo suggested.
”No it’s fine.” Komaeda waved his hand and Tojo sat down next to him. “Is something the matter then?” she asked.
Now or never Nagito! You got this! YOU GOT THIS!
Silence filled the room, excluding the ticking of the clock on her nightstand. He took a deep breath. The air in her dorm wasn’t as stuffy as the air in his, but he didn’t have ventilation. So much for Ultimate Lucky Student.
”I… uh… agh,” Komaeda choked on his words, Tojo giving him a concerned look.
What are you doing Nagito!? You NEED this! LOCK IN woahh. My subconscious is starting to sound like Souda-kun.
”Are you sure you’re alright?“
”Tojo-san, I’m going to ask you a very important question, but please don’t think of it as a request. You can deny it if you want.”
At Tojo’s nod, he continued, “Please, date me.”
Komaeda shut his eyes tight, not wanting to see the reaction on Tojo’s face. He could feel his hands tremble as the clock ticked endlessly.
“Come again?”
“Would you please date me?” Komaeda repeated with a little more confidence, though it shredded instantly at the sight of Tojo’s expression souring.
”Ah… my apologies, Komaeda-kun, but I do not see you like that. You’re a great friend of mine, but I’ve no other feelings for you.”
Komaeda smiled brightly. “I know! And that’s why I’m asking you!”
”I’m not following.”
”I guess I should explain more clearly, huh,” Komaeda giggled. “You see, my parents keep asking me about relationships with girls, but I’m not into them. So the only way to get them off my back is to get a fake girlfriend!”
”Oh!” Tojo said, a smile of her own creeping onto her lips. “So you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend, correct?”
”Mhm! But you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
Tojo shook her head. “That’s silly, of course I’ll do it! It helps one of my peers, and that’s what matters.”
Komaeda’s eyes visibly brightened, tension he didn’t realize was building in his frame instantly releasing.
”Thank you thank you thank you!” Komaeda said, standing from Tojo’s bed and bowing repeatedly.
”It’s no problem, really. You’ve no need to thank me.”
Komaeda’s smile never left his face, even as he was leaving. “I’ll meet with you tomorrow to discuss this further. It’s getting quite late.” He nodded his head towards his clock, which read 3:08 am.
”Have a good night, Komaeda-kun!” Tojo said.
”Ah, you should probably call me Nagito from now on.”
Tojo smiled. “Have a good night, Nagito-kun!”
”You as well, Kirumi-san!” He closed the door behind him.
He stood there for a second before jumping in the air, celebrating as quietly as possible.
This is great! Amazing! Toj- Kirumi really is the best! I’m filled with so much hope that I could really just explode!
”…Komaeda-senpai?”
Komaeda immediately grounded himself, snapping his head to where the voice came from.
”…”
He stayed silent as he had a staredown with Angie Yonaga. She looked like a mess, really. Her eyebags were prominent enough for Komaeda to see in the dark.
”Why did you just come out of Tojo-chan’s room..?”
Yonaga looked extremely confused, though there was a hint of suspicion in her eye and in the way her forehead creased.
”…I am not real.”
”What?”
Komaeda started swaying his arms in the air as he slowly crept backwards. “I am a hallucination. You are hallucinating me. Komaeda is sleeping soundly in the senior dorms.”
”Oh!” Yonaga said. “I must be hallucinating then.”
”Yes… whooosh…” Komaeda said as he bolted down the hallway.
Yonaga was left standing there dumbfounded.
”Yeah, I must’ve been hallucinating. No way Komaeda-senpai can run that fast.”
”And then BAM! The ghost came charging at the girl with a machete in his hands.”
”AHHHH!” Momota screamed, jumping onto Harukawa’s desk and clutching onto her, smothering her in the process.
”Get off me!” Harukawa attempted to push Momota off of her but she had no luck.
”Your story doesn’t make sense, y’know?” Amami hummed. “Ghosts are penetrable, so it couldn’t have held the machete.”
”HAHA! Ya know what else is penetrable?” Iruma exclaimed, letting out a boisterous laugh much to Kiibo’s chagrin.
”It’s seven in the morning. How are still you making such vulgar jokes?” Hoshi muttered under his breath.
”Wasn’t the room a safe place from the ghosts?” Saihara pointed out. “How did the ghost enter the room?”
”Because ghosts have no weaknesses. The safe room was a sham,” Shinguji said.
”N-n-no weaknesses!?” Momota yelled.
”Stop scaring him with stupid lies,” Harukawa groaned. “Ghosts aren’t real.”
”Yes they are!” Shinguji defended, a creepy aura emanating from him, almost like Tanaka-senpai’s aura.
”I’ve summoned one before. If you keep denying the existence of such creatures, I’ll summon another and sic them on your precious boyfriend.”
”WHAAAAT!?”
”Can you get off of my desk!?”
”Wow, Shinguji-kun,” Amami chuckled, watching Momota try not to fall off of Harukawa’s desk. “Is there anything you’re scared of?”
”Kehehehe, of course not. Silly things such as fear would not allow me to be the Ultimate I am today, and I certainly wouldn’t be afraid of ghosts unlike Momota.”
As he said that, the door to their classroom burst open and a short girl with blonde hair emerged.
”Hey!” Saionji called out. “Was Komaeda ‘round here? He’s totally skipping out on our class.”
”Uhm, no?” Iruma raised an eyebrow. “Why would a senior be in our homeroom class?”
”I wasn’t talking to you, trashy whore!” Saionji’s expression morphed into a disgusted one.
”T-trashy whore..? Y-y-you’re ruder than O-Ouma-kun!”
”My insults are way better!” Ouma lifted his head from his desk, seemingly awakening only to defend his name.
”He’s not here, Saionji-senpai,” Saihara answered, sweating a little at the exchange.
”Ugh! If he’s not bailing for his little girlfriend, then where is that freak!?”
”Woah-woah-woah! Backtrack there!” Ouma grinned. “Our precious Komaeda has a girlfriend? And she’s in this class?”
”Uhm, yeah, duh,” Saionji said. “Didn’t you just hear me, you skank?”
”Don’t be shy to tell us who it is!” Iruma said.
”Uhhh,” Saionji stalled. “What was her name again? It was that girl in your class! Oh, she wears the school uniform.”
”Nyeh, don’t we all,” Yumeno murmured.
”Don’t rush me, bitch!”
”Don’t call Himiko-chan a bitch!” Chabashira shouted at Saionji.
”Ah! Don’t get all Tarzan on me, freak!” Saionji shouted back, though she couldn’t hide how her legs quivered at Chabashira’s warning.
”Oh, hello there! What are you doing in my class?” A voice called from behind Saionji, who turned around to see Monotaro. The students out of place immediately rushed back to their desks.
”I’m trying to find my own classmate! He totally ditched!” Saionji complained, making way for the teacher to enter.
”Could you tell me who? I could phone them into the front office.”
”The dumbass Komaeda.”
”Please don’t swear in here! It doesn’t help us get along!” Monotaro scolded. “But I did see him in the library with Tojo a few minutes ago. I’m sure he’s still there.”
”Oh, yeah! That’s who his girlfriend was. That maid girl Tojo!” Saionji brightened up, leaving the classroom, presumably on her way to the library.
Shinguji went pale.
”Woah, really?” Akamatsu smiled. “That’s great! They always seemed so close.”
”Yeah, Komaeda-senpai’s real cool too! He’s always helping her clean!” Momota agreed, rocking in his chair.
As the classroom burst into chatter, Amami faced Shinguji with a knowing look.
”So nothing scares you, right? Surely not even Tojo-san being in a relationship?”
Shinguji didn’t reply.