Chapter Text
Nightmares had become a common plague to his sleep. How many times would he have to listen to other people’s screams and see the blood on his hands? How long until he would stop waking up hearing his own screams?
That’s what was going through Hajime Hinata’s head that morning as he clutched the sheets close to him calming himself down because it was just a dream goddamit. Although in reality it was probably a memory.
He shook it off. He wasn’t that person anymore. He was Hajime Hinata. He would live on as Hajime Hinata.
He took a deep breath in and out, and looked at the time.
“Shit. I’m gonna be late.”
And so he began to dress himself, in the same fashion he always did. The real life cottages on Jabberwock Island weren’t as prestigious as the ones in the simulation. They smelled musty, and were always a little stuffy, and he’d often find bugs crawling around. But they were home.
With a few final touches to make sure he was ready, and an avoidance of the mirror, he stepped outside to see a girl covered in battle scars.
“Akane!” He waved to her “Hey!”
“Huh? Oh. Hey Hajime.” She smiled. It was still a little weird hearing her have his name right. “What’s up?”
“Just thought we could walk to the meeting together.” He began walking alongside her “You do tend to be a good person to spend the morning with.”
“Yeah! Just don’t act weird or out of yourself. Or else I’m gonna punch you!”
“Yes you’ve said that several times since we were done with the simulation.”
“That’s ‘cause I mean it!”
“And yet you still haven’t done it.”
“Want me to do it now?”
“Ah... no thanks.” He continued walking along “Anyways, I wonder what Kazuichi wanted us for.”
“It’s a wonder I’m coming seeing as he’s the one who called us out.”
“Ah-“ Hajime turned around at the voice “Sonia...”
Well, she didn’t exactly have a good opinion of him at any point during the simulation, and waking up... just seemed to worsen things. He had no idea what happened back in their school days. Actually he couldn’t remember any of his school memories before becoming... him.
See that was the thing. They woke up with mixed memories of the simulation and the time that was erased. But Hajime already had a set of memories that had been erased.
So he remembered that person’s memories. He remembered the simulation. He remembered everything up until coming to Hope’s Peak. But those memories of in between? Lost forever.
At least he still had more Hajime Hinata memories. He had decided it. He would live on as Hajime Hinata and nobody else.
“Goodness. I’m getting ahead of myself. I haven’t even wished you two good morning.” Sonia laughed “Ah... I do need to work on my manners a bit more.”
“You’re doing far better than before.” Akane encouraged “If you weren’t I’d punch you!”
“Oh... I’d like to see you try.” Sonia smirked.
“Fine. I’ll fight you anytime you want. In fact let’s fight right now!”
“Don’t start a fight before breakfast.” Fuyuhiko walked up to them “At least let everyone settle into their routine before you start shit.”
“Very well.” Sonia grinned “Let us have tea time instead.”
“Actually, let’s go to the meeting because Kazuichi’s been up working all night.” Fuyuhiko declared “Alright?”
“I suppose...”
Hajime sighed and scratched the back of his neck. But a look at their banter had him smiling. What did he do to deserve friends like this group of idiots?
“And, there’s the restaurant.” Akane smiled “Let’s get some food!”
She ran ahead.
“Wait a minute Akane!” Sonia went after her.
“I guess we better move ahead.” Fuyuhiko shrugged “Cmon.”
“Oh, before we go...” Hajime stopped him in his tracks with his hand “How’s your eye?”
“... Which one?”
“You know which one.”
Fuyuhiko sighed and rubbed at his eyepatch. Underneath it was the eye of the Ultimate Despair, plucked from the corpse to be implanted in place of his damaged one.
“I’ve gotta remove it sometime. That shit is gross.” He muttered “But I don’t wanna see what happens if I try it myself. Where’s Peko or Mahiru to remove the thing when I need it?”
Hajime cringed.
“... Sorry. Wanted to lighten the mood with a little dark humor. You know I wouldn’t wanna talk badly about those two right?”
“Akane would kick your ass before you could.”
“Yeah... but anyways. About your eye...”
“Huh?” Hajime tensed up “Oh that’s nothing, I mean-“
“Don’t fucking lie to me Hajime. I’m pretty sure that’s the reason you asked in the first place.”
Hajime sighed and self-consciously bought his hand to his own eye. The one that was the color red.
“... I hate it. So much.” He himself wanted to gouge it out, but unlike Fuyuhiko, he actually could see out of it, and he was fond of having depth perception. “I wish it’d just go away and go back to being green. Like my other eye.”
“It’s a part of you.” Fuyuhiko told him “You’ll have to accept it. Sooner or later.”
Hajime frowned as Fuyuhiko went up the steps. He followed after being greeted with the girls crowded around Kazuichi. Weird. What made Sonia decide to go within 50 feet of Kazuichi?
“Oh good. You guys are here.” Kazuichi muttered “What took you so long?”
“We have our own matters to deal with.” Fuyuhiko stated “I don’t imagine you’d take issue with that?”
Kazuichi didn’t shoot back with his usual (lack of) wit. Just rubbed the back of his neck. He... hadn’t exactly been talkative since they had woken up from the virtual world. Hajime actually kinda found it creepier than the guys usual... charm let’s say. He just went silent.
“Hajime!” Sonia suddenly burst up and grabbed his hand “It’s wonderful! We’re one step closer to all coming together!”
“Wait a second wait a second.” Hajime corked an eyebrow “What could possibly have you so sure?”
“It seems Kazuichi has done something right for once.” Sonia smiled, and Hajime didn’t miss how he avoided her gaze. “Hajime. I’m sure you’ll be the happiest of us to see this.”
“Happiest to see… what?”
A voice came from the computer.
“I’m glad you’re all making your own futures.”
No. No fucking way.
“We got her back Hajime.”
Hajime looked at the screen to see a familiar face, framed by chub and a genuine smile on her face. He walked up to it, and bent down, to see her, looking as though she had never been gone in the first place.
“Chiaki...?”