Chapter Text
Hajime was just a standard Reserve Course student at his university called Hope's Peak. It was upsetting being stuck in the reserve course while his friends are busy being the Ultimate Lucky Students in both their classes. He must admit — it's taken quite the toll on his mental health. But Nagito and Makoto still support him through the emotional anguish, and they never treat him like he's inferior to them just because he doesn't have special talent.
Today, Hajime decided to meet up with Makoto and Nagito again, this time at the busy and buzzing Shibuya Crossing so that they could rapidly empty their pockets on useless things and then complain about it later. Hajime stood by a nearby wall, a giant advertisement hovering behind him while he scrolls aimlessly on TikTok. He sent them a text 5 minutes ago, so where could they be?
"Hey, Hajjme!" A raspy voice calls out in the distance. It's Nagito! He shuffles between the passing people, mumbling apologies as he finally gets to his friend. "Sorry I took so long, Hajime! But don't worry~! I, The Ultimate Lucky Student and soon-to-be Ultimate Hope is finally here!"
Hajime giggles. Nagito's always rambling some nonsense about hope, and Hajime and Makoto just had to learn to live with it, even if he can get a bit bizzare at times. Nagito looks around, squinting his eyes in an attempt to look farther out. "Where's Makoto?" He asked while still looking around.
Hajime shrugs and sighs. "No idea. But should we be suprised? Makoto's always late!" Nagito laughs. "True! We really should have given him a meet time 30 minutes early or something. Now because of him, the shops will all be closed by the time he arrives."
Just as Nagito said that, Makoto shows up out of nowhere, nearly falling as he tries to bring a stop to his running. "I'm here, I'm here!" Makoto gasps as he tries to catch his breath. "Sorry about that, guys. Komaru just needed my help with something and it took a bit longer than expected. My bad!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Makoto," Hajime playfully rolls his eyes. "So what are we gonna do first? Ideas, guys!"
"I dunno, we could go eat something? There's a new spot that sells food from lots of places in Europe! Heard it's great!" Makoto proposed.
"Noooo...no more food, let's shop! I have money this time I swear!" Nagito pulls out his wallet, but it only has 5000 yen and a few euros.
"Clearly you don't have any money, Nagito," Makoto says while scanning the money like it was some kind of crime scene. "Nevermind, then. Let's just...talk!"
"So..." Makoto scratches his head trying to think of a conversation starter. "What if zombies suddenly popped up here? That'd be pretty bad, huh?"
"Oh, come on, Makoto! That'd never happen!" Nagito chuckled, trying to hold back his laughter.
"I'm serious!" Makoto shouted. "You never know!"
"Okay..." Nagito leans against the wall. "Well in that case, if there WERE to be a zombie apocalypse, I'd say....Hajime would survive out of the three of us."
Hajime looks up from his phone, his mouth slightly agape. "Huh? Me? Why?"
"Because..." Nagito turns to Hajime. "Even though you have no special talent, you're the biggest hope that the world has ever seen! You're strong will and strong hope will guide us all, Hajime! Better than me...better than him...the hope that will-"
"Alright, calm down. We've been over this whole hope craziness thing...." Hajime pats Nagito on the back. "Anyways...I'm glad you believe my hope would be able to overpower something as horrific as that...but I find that very hard to believe. I'm just a guy, after all. Besides! Your insane luck would almost guarantee your survival!" Hajime begins to lose the light in his eyes as he continues to speak.
"Don't say that, man!" Makoto reassures him. "You're so much more than "just a guy". You're an awesome leader, and our friend!"
"Yeah!" Nagito agrees. "I'm tired of seeing this inferiority complex, Hajime. Only talentless trash like me deserves to loathe like that! But regardless, consider today...your independence day!" Nagito grins as he cracks his knuckles.
"My independence day? What does that- HEY!" Hajime's heart skips a beat as Nagito lifts him off the ground and onto his shoulders. He grips his ankles tightly as he quickly moved onto the crossing, with Makoto trailing behind them.
It was initially quite a frightening experience, but as the seconds passed, Hajime began to feel free for the first time in his life. As Nagito ran by the crowd who definitely thought they were on some hard shit, the wind began to blow aggressively onto Hajime, making him feel like he was...flying? He wasn't sure, but this was certainly something he never wanted to end.
Below them, Makoto was taking a bunch of pictures and videos, laughing as he was cracking a bunch of inside jokes they made over the years. All of them felt as if the world just...belonged to them for the first time. That everything went on just so that they can bask in the light of hope and happiness. Until...
BEEEP!!
A car suddenly came their way, prompting Nagito to drop Hajime to the ground so they could run away. As if everything just chose to hit a 180 in less than 2 seconds, another one came by. So they ran the other way, just narrowly avoiding the cars...but having to watch as the they collided with one another.
Knowing that they'll definitely be blamed for this incident, the trio ran to a nearby building, mysterious fireworks going off in the distance. The fireworks are the least of their concerns, though. Now, they found themselves having to use the strength they didn't know they had as they spot the police in the distance. They spot a bathroom, file in, and shove themselves in the last but darkest stall before holding their breaths and awaiting their arrest.
...
FLICK!
The lights turn off, making the boys now more anxious than amused. Could this be the police's way of trying to weed them out? The chase felt like the most hilarious thing ever at the time, but now, it's crystal clear that this is no laughing matter.
After what felt like an eternity...
The lights turned back on. But something was...wrong.
There was a silence. Not the kind you hear while taking a test at school, but rather the eerie kind. The type where you swear you can hear your own blood flowing or something. Cautiously, Makoto slowly lifts the lock and opens the door, the creaking drawing out excruciatingly long like a haunted house. But when they leave the stall, nobody is there. And when they get to the main area, nobody is there. And when they get outside...
Nobody is there.
What the hell?
"Heyy! HEEEYYYYY!" Makoto yells at the top of his lungs "WHERE IS EVERYONE!!"
"More importantly...where are we...?" Hajime slowly paces around the empty crossing, trash blows beneath him like tumbleweed. "Everyone just...vanished!"
"This is truly freaky..." Nagito mumbles as he scans the area while using his hand to shield himself from the sun. "What do we even do? It seems as if someone's pulling a prank or something. But that's a stretch."
"You're right," Hajime agrees. "Let's look around the area, though. See if we find anything out of the ordinary. After we feel we've looked enough, we'll meet up at the spot we met at right before this mess started. Sound good?" Hajime looks at the duo with a newfound determination that they've never seen before, the determination filling them with slight confidence.
"Yeah!" The pair respond, beaming with the hope given to them by their friend. The trio then go their separate ways, all with the same desperation to figure out what the hell is going on.
Makoto visited an office building that he interns at part-time. All the lights were out and only the natural lighting of the sun was enough to guide him. As he walked through the messy room filled with papers and random coffee cups, he stumbles on a monitor. Makoto figures he could send out an email asking for help, but he finds that the both the wifi and signal bar is out.
Frustrated, he shuts off the monitor and stares off at the giant body of water behind him. It was vast, a layer of fog cutting off how much he could truly see. It really sent chills down his spine, like a reminder that nobody really knows what may happen here. Not wanting to feel such despair anymore, the brown haired boy rubbed his eyes and slowly walked out.
Meanwhile, Nagito had stopped by the bar he visited the night before. He was a regular, and even worked there at one point when he was freshly 18. He knew the environment all too well. That familiar alcoholic yet refreshing scent mixed with the smooth, dim lighting hit him with a wave of nostalgia. And that managed to force a small, genuine smile out of the normally eccentric Komaeda. He slowly stepped behind the bar, noting that as always, there wasn't a single speck of dust in sight.
The drinks on the shelf were ages away from reaching their expiration date. Nagito couldn't help but think it meant something. Even if it sounds mundane, he couldn't shake the feeling that these expiration dates could mean their days are numbered here. That they're not safe. Nagito felt the same wave of despair that Naegi felt at the office, and felt highly uncomfortable having to take in this foreign feeling. After briefly humming a few tunes to himself, the despair hadn't fully left, but it was fine. Regardless, he was now ready to go back to the group.
Hajime took a different approach in his search. He continued looking outdoors, taking a bunch of twists and turns that made the boy feel like he was just going around in circles. It was highly overwhelming, but he knew he couldn't give up. So he shouted. He shouted for help as loud as he could. But even after waiting around, nobody came. They were truly alone in this world – if they could even bother to call it THAT.
His voice just continued to echo until it slowly stopped, which gave him the feeling that he'll slowly lose what makes him himself until there's nothing left. It's a terrible comparison, but it was a feeling that he couldn't ignore. And while he was able to fight the despair, he just couldn't shake the discomfort that the moment gave him. Hinata decided it wasn't worth it trying to search for something that's impossible to be found, so he headed back towards the regular meeting spot.
They all came back relatively at the same time and reported their findings. All of their revelations were the same, though. So far they know that there's no internet, barely any power, and absolutely no sight of life. So they decided to just hang out for the rest of the day until the sun went to rest and the moon came to accompany them in its place.
"Looks like it's night time. That was fast.." Makoto says, voice a bit shaky. "Yeah..." Nagito runs his hands through his fluffy white hair. "Now we have to take care of sleeping arrangements. Anyone know a motel nearby?"
"No..." Hajime rests a hand on his chin. "Although I'm sure if we walk around for a bit, we can find one. If not...I suppose we can break into a house? There's nobody to punish us for it so it should be okay." He gets up, cracking his knuckles and does mini-stretches.
"Good idea," Nagito adds. "The supermarket may have some tools we can use, let's go there real qui-"
A blinding white light suddenly turns on, cutting Komaeda off. The trio look behind them, and a TV screen with the word "GAME" followed by a simple arrow giving them directions on where to go lies before them.
The group gives each other the same uncertain look, but Makoto is the first to speak up. "Are...we really going to go...?" He nervously mutters."It could be...you know...dangerous!" Nagito nods in agreement and shuffles closer to the shorter guy.
Hajime exhales and clutches his chest to prepare for what he wants to say. "Maybe...it'll give us answers? I dunno, perhaps if we follow the arrow, we'll finally have some kind of clue on what the heck's happening!
"I guess...Nagito fiddles with his sleeve. "Very well then Hajime. Let's go." The white haired boy gives himself a headstart, carefully following the arrow to wherever it wanted them to go. The other two trailed not too far behind him.
The trio traversed through the concrete jungle, and with minimal confusion, they finally made it to their final destination, the GM Building. Cars line the entrance, and unlike other the other buildings, the entrance for this one is brightly lit, confirming that this is indeed the place.
When the group go inside, they spot yet another sign telling them to go to the "game". And unknowingly, when they reach the venue...they've now signed their lives away for a dangerous game.
They take the phones on the table, and when Makoto tries to examine it, it turns on, almost as if it recognized him or something. The older guys do the same, and just like Makoto...
It turned on.
Hajime analyzes the contents of the phone, but the only two apps are the camera and the visa. "Visa...?" He whispers to himself, and tries to open the app. He aggressively taps on it several times before giving up, as it's clear that he can't open it.
"What could it mean?" Nagito asks, eyes still glued to the phone. "Does the visa really mean what I think it does?" Right as Makoto was going to add on to the exchange, a soft, yet serious voice cut them off.
"Your questions will more than likely be the least of your concerns here," the voice said. When the boys turn around, they see a young girl with choppy purple hair. She's wearing what appears to be a nurse's uniform, and bandages accessorize her outfit, however she walks just fine.
The lady passes through the threshold and casually grabs and unlocks the phone, almost as if she's played these games before.
"Who even are you?" Makoto asks, trying to keep his distance.
"Mikan...Mikan Tsumiki...I take it that...you three are new to this world...?" She mutters. "With the mentality you ha-have...you won't survive your first game.."
"Game?" Hajime's hands begin to tremble.
"All will be explained in due time," she answers casually. "But for now, just know that....since you've accepted the terms and conditions by coming here....you must play this game....I apologize...."
Game? What is this girl going on about...? They didn't accept anything...at least they don't think they did....
The group stood in silence, pondering the implications of this new situation. But their thoughts got cut short as a young high school girl also enters the venue.
"Oh, thank goodness! Finally, I've found people!" she exclaims. Makoto motions for her to not cross the threshold, but she does not get the hint. She, too, has now signed her life away to partake in this potentially deadly game.
Mikan mutters a dryly spoken apology, then shoves a phone in her face. The confused girl takes in everyone's appearance, then inches closer to the table of phones.
"What's your name?" Hajime asks, attempting to lighten the mood. The girl looks up and brushes some hair out of her face. "I'm...Minami...do you know anything about where we are?"
Nagito shakes his head and looks down. "No...we're all pretty puzzled like you. But don't worry!" He perks up. "The combined hope of us all will certainly be enough to help us overcome this game!"
Mikan looks at him up and down. "I wonder how long you'll keep that up," she says, looking him dead in the eyes.
The tension temporarily falls as their phones light up again. Unknown voices play from the voice, blending in as one, and announces that the game will now begin.
"Registration is now closed, the game will now begin."
"Game: Dead or Alive. Difficulty, Three of Clubs."
"Three of clubs..? Makoto looks up from the phone. Instead of answers, Mikan declares that it's "time to go", and steps inside the elevator. The other four follow behind her.
When they reach their stop, the group find themselves in a small room with only two doors. One says "live", the other says "die". It's clear that they're meant to pick one of the two doors, however when they prepare to ask questions, the phone decides that it's time for them to shut up. , The screen lights up, and it says they have 2 minutes to find the correct door. Finding the wrong one equals death.
Death....?
With that, the timer begins to count down, and it's now time to play. Rather than taking things seriously, Makoto pulls out the phone and starts to record everyone. "Hey, guys! This thing can record!" he exclaims.
"Are you sure we should focus on...that...?" Minami points at the phone. "Besides...We have bigger fish to fry...like these doors. Which one do we even enter?" Everyone looks back and forth between the two doors.
"Pick live." Mikan prompts one of us to go along with it. Instead, Nagito just asks: "Why?"
"Because, can't you see? Live is the obvious answer," Mikan leans towards Komaeda, her voice slowly loosing all its kindness. "This game is basically a free win. We just have to choose all the "Live" doors."
"Hold on!" Hajime speaks out loud enough for them to hear him. "We don't know for sure that the Live door is 100% correct. It may just be a trap!"
"Yeah...!" Minami's voice grows a hint of confidence. "We should think this through. But quickly! Since...we only have about 45 seconds..."
Hearing this, Mikan grows more panicked. "Pick live! Go now!!" She shouts.
After she says this, the room suddenly fills with smoke. Everyone panics, trying to think straight and catch their breath at the same time.
Minami finally cracks under the pressure. She dashes toward the "Live" door, opens it...
But there's nothing on the other side. A laser positions itself above her head, and before she can react, it pierces through her. Minami drops her phone and other belongings as she dies almost immediately.
The whole group is shocked by the scene. Mikan is quickest to recover, though. She just grabs the "Die" door open while Hajime and Nagito file in. But not Makoto. He's too stunned to move, and as the timer ticks down to zero, Hajime manages to grab him just in time before the room engulfs in flames.
The next round begins with one less person, as well as 10 seconds less to choose the correct door. Makoto drops to the floor, as the sight of seeing someone dying quite literally sickened him. Nagito turns to the stone-faced nurse, his face neutral looking but oozing with bits of anger.
"Wow, Tsumiki. I didn't take you for someone so...so cruel. To take someone's hope away and fill them with despair in their last moment is just....awful." Nagito gritted his teeth, neved breaking eye contact with her.
"Since you wanna take charge so badly, why don't you go next?" He inches closer and closer to Mikan, who anxiously clutches her apron. "Go on...the door's right there. Open it." Nagito grabs her shoulder and turns her around to face the "Live" door.
"Nagito. Chill. I know that watching Minami die is scary and Mikan shouldn't have been so manipulative, but don't stoop to her level. We only have so much time left." Hajime separates Nagito from Mikan and takes a breath.
"I think I have a plan. A pen, please?" Hajime turns to Mikan, who then rummages through her apron and hands him the green-eyed boy a red one. They exchange a very brief "thanks".
Hajime begins to scribble on the paper. "While you two were...arguing, I used my feet to calculate the length of the room. Given the cars out front, the fire map in the first room, and where Minami died, we can predict that there is a total of nine rooms, and the next one is..."
"Live!" Makoto lifts his head off the ground, still queasy from the sight he saw in the last room, but now with his hope slowly coming back.
"That's right!" Hajime says as the room begins to fill with that familiar smoke. "Nagito! Open the door! Do it quick!"
Komaeda adheres to the wishes of Hinata and opens the door. Seeing that he's come through the other side unharmed, the others follow in his footsteps as the room engulfs in flames like the previous one.
Using Hajime's strategy, they pass through the next four rooms in rapid succession. When they reach the seventh room, however, something happens.
They do pass through the correct door, the "Live" door. However, Makoto is too slow to pass through this time around, and the flames consume his leg up to the knee.
Everything has fallen apart.
As Makoto fights back the tears of having his leg badly burned, Nagito tries to use his own body to put it out. The exit isn't where Hajime expected it to be as unlike the others, this room has been split in half. Worst of all, the final room only gives them ten seconds to pick a door.
Mikan is pretty quick to choose the "Live" door, however Hajime manages to make her change her mind, as choosing "Live" is clearly a trap by whoever set up this twisted game. The group just barely make it out, as for the final time, the room erupts into flames.
On the other side, lies an alleyway. Hajime hadn't realized how much he missed the outdoors until he had to go through THAT.
Mikan walks up to the table and spots a playing card, the Three of Clubs. She examines it closely, almost as if she's seen it before. Just then, their phones light up and inform them that they have received three days on their visa. Mikan doesn't understand it either despite acting as if she's a seasoned player, so the trio can conclude that she's just as new as they are in these games.
As the group reflects on everything that happened back there, an older guy spots them. Unlike the shaken group, this guy looks like he's seen some things. A LOT of things.
"So you guys are victims of this game, too?" He asks. Nobody answers.
"You've made a deadly mistake coming here," he continues. "It'll just be an endless cycle of playing games. Game after game after game after game, I tell you."
"That's why...I forfeit my life. No longer will I subject myself to the anguish of these games. My visa ends tonight so this is perfect," he declares.
"Your visa...?" Hajime asks the man, not moving a muscle as part of him is still convinced that he's somehow trapped in a dream. It didn't matter, though. Hajime got his answer, but not in the way he was expecting. After the man declared his withdrawal from the game, the same laser that killed Minami pierces his skull, ending his life right then and there.
It was that moment that Hajime, Makoto, Nagito, and Mikan realized that if they want to live, playing more games is non-negotiable. And if they don't...their fate will be exactly like that of the man's.
Little do they know it wasn't just him who met this fate. In fact, many other lasers fall from the sky, executing people in the same quick but despair-inducing fashion.