Full Summary:
Nagito Komaeda believes his life to be nothing but a chain of bad luck.
Nagito lost his parents at a very young age. He is always targeted by the school bullies. He is considered, by many, as the island's loner. The only person who was ever close to him was his twin-sister Chiaki, but he feels their relationship can never be the same way like it used to be.
One night, Nagito witnesses a meteorite crashing on the ocean bed. He goes to investigate, but does not find anything out of the ordinary. Until the next day, he finds a brown-haired boy washed up on Jabberwock beach. Nagito suspects he had something to do with the meteorite crashing, and concludes him to be an extra terrestrial being.
Little does he know, the alien boy, that came crashing down into his life, will change it's course forever.
...
Chapter 1
Space Rock
...
If someone walked up to me and asked me on how my life was going, I would give them a smile and say "Perfect."
I enter my class. The clock's hands are right on the dot. Everyone stops what they're doing and their eyes are now set on me. I walk to my seat and each person I pass, greets me with a cheer and a look of admiration.
"Hey Nagito! How's it going?" one of them asks. I give him a smile and pause before giving my response. Beads of sweat runs down his face as he waits in anticipation for what I'm about to say. I finally part my lips and say "Same old." I notice he can't respond. An expression of awe was displayed across his face as if he just had a conversation with a god. I roll my eyes and leave.
Typical.
As I continue walking, I hear girls at the back of the classroom whisper to each other "Nagito looks extra hot today!" they twirl their hair with their fingers and I hear them giggle.
I see my empty chair and my boyfriend is seated right next to it. "You're finally here!, I've missed you!" he greets me with longing in his eyes. He stands up and I give him a little peck on the lips. I answer him back with an "I've missed you too Makoto." He smiles a goofy smile and sits back down with a dizzy and dreamy look to his eyes.
I can still feel him staring at me as I plop my book down on my armchair, and take a seat.
And just like always, our professor enters the classroom, right on cue.
He greets us with excitement and enthusiasm radiating from his voice.
He then proceeds to open the class with a question. "So now, who can tell me—" and before he finishes, I raise my hand.
"Yes Mr. Komaeda?" he says.
I stand up with oozing confidence. All my classmates's eyes are glued on me, and I answer without missing a beat, "The answer is 24."
The class erupts with amazement. I look around to see everyone's shock and now ecstatic mood. I fix my gaze back at our math professor, and I catch him wiping a tear from his eye. "That's impressive Mr. Komaeda. That is exactly right." he says.
"He isn't just a pretty face! He has brains too!"
"You did it again Nagito!"
"I wish I were you!"
"You've got it all, man!"I hear comments and praises coming from every corner of the room. Not a single soul was quiet. I sit back down like it's no big deal and wait for all the cheers to die down.
"Mr. Komaeda."
Yup, that's how my life goes every single day.
"Mr. Komaeda!"
Lady Luck has bestowed me with such a great life.
"Mr. Komaeda!"
I bet everyone else's life is dead-boring compared to mine.
"I said, Mr Komaeda!"
I snap out of my daydreaming and look to the person calling out my name. Our math professor, Mr Gozu (a.k.a The Great Gozu), is steaming in anger.
Literally.
Steam is coming out from his bull mask nostrils.
Yep… a bull mask—a bull mask that no one has dared to question why he bothers wearing it to class.
Sometimes I ask myself how he ended up as our math professor. With a body as hard as Monokuma Rock, and with the past record of a legendary, heavy-weight champion of the world in pro-wrestling, he should have been hired as our physical ed instructor instead of that lanky, lazy-ass, alcoholic, Mr. Kizakura who sips bourbon in class when he thinks no one is looking.
"Explain yourself! For the third time, you sit in my class with wet hair like you've just gone fresh out of a swimming session!" He booms. "We are in the middle of the island and we don't even have a swimming pool in this school!"
I flinch at the loudness of his voice.
"Not only that but you're getting your desk wet and you're distracting the rest of the class!" Mr Gozu's mask's eyes are glowing a dangerous bright red.
I continue sitting down and say nothing as I face my shoes in embarrassment. It's not like I can explain.
The people who have been bullying me the past years, dunked my head in the toilet, just moments ago before math class started, just because they though it was funny, just because I was an easy target, just because they know that I'm nothing special.
If I tell Mr. Gozu it was they who did it, then that would just backfire and they'd bully me even more.
Who the hell even knows what they would do next?
I hear snickers from some of my fellow classmates. Some of it I recognize-most of it were coming from the guys.
Mr Gozu shakes his head. "Just go to the principal's office." he points his finger to the door and I follow his order.
Yep… my life is just perfect… It's just one big story of how the universe - or whoever the person is in charge of bad luck - can possibly make my existence worse, as each day passes by.
I move through the halls leaving a trail of toilet water behind me like a crawling slimy slug on a hot day.
I peak in the Principal's office as soon as I reach it. I see the old man looking at an astronomy magazine with wide eyes and a blush on his cheeks like he's looking at a freshly printed piece of porno.
Well, it's common for him to be wearing an expression of euphoria while reading the latest printed issue of Space and Beyond Magazine. He's a man with a passion for space after all.
He flips through another page, eyes still goggling over the print.
I cough to grab his attention as I enter the familiar room. I sit on the chair in front of his desk and eye the gold plaque sitting on the expensive dark wood. It read, Headmaster. Kazuo Tengan, written in fancy jet-black calligraphy.
Looking around the room and at the old, but well maintained furniture gives me memories of when I was young. I've been hanging around here a lot since I was a kid.
I knew the old man since I was seven years old after all. He was the one who took care of my sister and I since our parent's couldn't be with us any longer. Up to this day he's been guiding us and providing for us with things that we can't provide yet for ourselves: giving us a place to stay, putting food on the table, and giving us an opportunity to study in his high school, the Island's only academy, Hope's Peak Academy.
Even though I'm grateful for everything he's been doing for my sister and I, I don't get along with him that much. Yeah, I mean, he respects me and I respect him, it's just that, I don't really open up to him. Well, I don't really open up to anyone. We just don't see eye to eye at times.
He puts his magazine down and looks at me with no surprise. He removes his glasses and wipes it with a piece of cloth while giving out a deep sigh.
"Nagito, if you are to never defend yourself, how do you expect things to change?" he says with a cool and relaxed reserve. He puts his glasses back on and looks at me with sympathy.
I hate it when he gives me that look. It gives me the feeling that I'm like a helpless puppy who can't fend for himself.
He may know what I've been through but he doesn't understand. He doesn't get what it's like to live in a constant state of bad-luck that can get worse with every move I make. He doesn't get how no one would ever want to be with someone like me.
If I'd try to do something to counter the bad luck, it would hit me back with a more powerful blow— probably a knockout punch if I'm not careful.
Instead of answering the old man, I choose to do, what I do best: I look at my feet and decide to ignore his question.
He stands and grabs a clean towel from his washroom and hands it to me. "You know, maybe if you tried to talk to people and put effort into making friends, then you wouldn't be constantly bullied by your peers." he adds to the long list of advices he's given me since the day he met me.
I just roll my eyes at the comment in my mind. I take the towel and wipe my face.
Believe me, I've tried making friends all my life but everyone I spoke to thought I was weird. I don't blame them though. I am nothing but a piece of trash after all.
"I'll tell Gozu, this is your last warning." he says. "If this happens again, I have no choice but to give you detention" He adds with strictness to his voice.
I say nothing, I continue to look down and just circle my right foot on the carpeted floor.
"If this is the only way for you to learn how to defend yourself, then so be it." He continues adding a tinge of care to his voice this time. He places a hand on my shoulder with concern in his eyes.
My shoulder automatically lowers from the touch to avoid contact.
He coughs. "Well, go along then, we can't have your grades drop." He picks the magazine back up and continues reading. I look at the cover of the magazine he's reading, I scan through the headers and something catches my eye. U.F.O. sightings around the world. It sounds interesting, but he would probably read the article for a good laugh. Anyway, he is probably reading about stars again.
He sure does love the stars.
I hate the stars!
I wash up in his washroom and leave the office without saying a single word.
—
My legs are dangling on the school rooftop's edge. I alternate on kicking each of my leg to the air as I look to the distance. The salty wind blows against my cheeks, my white hair dances with the breeze. I pop a lollipop into my mouth and my tastebuds rejoice to the heavens as the sweetness floods it.
Mmm. Strawberry.
I don't really care much for sweets but these strawberry flavored lollipops just hit the right spots for me.
Every time the school day ends, I sit here alone and spend the time watching the setting sun.
I enjoy moments like these. It feels like the bad luck can't reach me from up here. I feel safe, there's no one here to hurt me or ruin the rest of my day.
I hear the voices of students die down, and I look below me to see if it's safe enough for me to reach home without seeing anyone I know. When the path looks clear, I grab my backpack and walk to the doors and take the stairs to reach the school entrance.
Most of the time, I walk home alone, not waiting for Uncle Tengan. Yup. Uncle. Chiaki and I call him Uncle not because he is blood related, but because he is a close family friend. Our parents worked for him a long time ago; hence, the reason why he felt like he had the responsibility to take care of us when they left.
As my shoes touch the dirt road a past memory floods my mind. Nostalgia fills my entirety, a vivid vision plays in my mind like a 90's video tape being played on a fat, square television box. It's a vision of a seven year old me holding hands with my family, taking a family walk. Holding my left hand is my Dad, who has a proud look on his face and to my right is Chiaki. She is holding our Mom's hand with her right hand. I look at my sister with a wide grin on my face and she mirrors my joy back to me with her own smile.
I feel a hot tear running down my right cheek, causing me to pull back from the memory. I wipe it off with my thumb and look at the sky. The deep orange color is still bright. At any moment now the stars would show up and mock me, so I hurry my footsteps with my head hanging low, looking down as my shoes leave prints on the ground.
—
Hours pass, and the night has arrived. I'm sitting in my room, reading journal entries that I've written for the past years. The desk lamp illuminates the pages as I take in every word and smile at them. It's nice re-living the past.
My happy trail of thoughts are snatched away from me when I hear Uncle Tengan call my name. I go to our small dining room and I see him setting down a plate of steaming, hot curry.
"It's time for dinner." He announces. "Go call your sister."
I nod at him and walk back upstairs to call her. I knock lightly at her door and then proceed to open it. It is dark inside. I see her face, only because it's illuminated by a blue tint of light that the PSP is giving off. There are deep dark bags under her eyes. She looks pale and a little too skinny.
This gives me a jolt of sadness run through me. The very person who I'm looking at right now isn't the sister who I used to spend my life with. She was somehow replaced by someone who exactly looks like her. Now I only feel a mix of pity and anger every time I look at her.
"It's time for dinner Chiaki." I call.
She doesn't respond and only shifts her body to the side so I can't see her face. I close the door and head back down to eat.
I sigh. She always does that. She's always glued to any gaming device that she owns, whether it's her phone or the PS3 or the DS or whatever she can get her hands on.
"Chiaki's not joining us for dinner again?" Uncle Tengan asks me as he puts a spoonful of curry to his mouth.
I do the same and give of a nod as a response.
He sighs after he swallows the food. "I'm worried about the both of you." He looks at me in the eyes and he pauses for a bit.
I just swing my legs under the table and stare at my food as I continue chewing. I wait for whatever he is about to say next.
"You two can't keep living like this." He continues. "What would happen to both of you if you guys were to be all alone?"
Alone.
Alone? What did he mean? I've been alone my whole life. Everyone I cared about left me. My parents, our pet dog and now… Chiaki. People can be right beside me but they are never truly with me.
I grip my fork a little too hard and notice my knuckles getting paler. I can feel my whole arm shaking. The table shakes with me. I force myself to stop shaking with all my might.
He continues on eating dinner without saying another word and I do too. I'm thankful for that.
The room fills with a feeling of awkwardness but this isn't new. It happens a lot in this household.
I take another bite at my curry and I look to my side where Chiaki was supposed to be sitting.
When Uncle Tengan finishes he tells me to pack the food and put it in the refrigerator for Chiaki to heat up later, if she changes her mind. He doesn't say anything else as he enters his room.
I do what he says and wash the dishes and clean up. I bolt back up to my room as soon as I finish. I wash up and change with the speed of light.
I plop back down to my chair and open my journal to the next blank page. I start off by writing today's date, 24 September 2014. I continue on, by writing on how my day went with full on speed but being careful not to miss any important part or detail. I'm surprised the paper doesn't catch on fire.
As soon as I'm done, I stretch my body and lay back into the comfort of the chair with my face looking up to the ceiling, satisfied with my accomplishment. I close my eyes shut for a few seconds and rub my temples in the process as I try to forget the bad things of today.
Minutes later, my eyes blink open and I notice a bright green glow seeping through the curtains that is right beside my bed. I draw the curtains immediately, curious to what was causing the glow that disrupted my rest seconds ago.
I lean out my window and take a glimpse at the sky. There's a glowing green orb in the distance that's leaving a trail of green clouds. It looks like a green line drawn by the heavens to split the sky down the middle.
Is it a meteor?
It brightens up as it continues getting closer to the surface of the ocean, looking similar to the sun, only that it's shining down on the island in the night sky and only lasting for quite a few seconds. I watch in amazement, my fingers pressing against the wood of the window ledge.
I see it land far into the ocean and a big BOOM follows and echoes throughout the whole island. The whole ocean eats the orb.
No, it's a meteorite.
I could feel my bedroom's floor shake beneath my feet. I grip the sides of my window for support until the shaking stops.
I rush out of my room and head into the streets with only my pajamas on. I bolt towards the beach with wonder, and a sort of panic.
This is dangerous, it may be life threatening… But who cares? My life sucks anyways. I had nothing to live for.
I reach the sands and I watch the waves hit the shore. They're bigger than usual, but they are no near dangerous. A crash like that would have caused a huge tsunami by now that could engulf the whole island, but there's still no sign of a big one.
I wait, wait and wait for something to happen.
I hope that the ocean could eat this whole island away. I'm tired of how people treat me. I'm tired of what life had to give me.
Can't I just rest?
I sit on the sand hugging my knees, my eyes never leaving the ocean.
It seems too peaceful right now. With an explosion that shook the whole island like that, everyone should have been up and about. There should have been sirens going off on the island for tsunami warnings. There should have been panic and hysteria. But nothing of the sort is happening.
I look at my phone to check the time and messages from anyone who was wondering if I was okay — there were none. It's getting late so I head back home.
I wrap my own arms around me. I try to warm myself up as the night got more chilly.
"Well, that was boring." I mutter to myself. I thought the crash was finally going to end my misery: my existence. It would wash my life away along with the bad luck, and the people I hated as well.
That would have been a good bad luck end to my life.
But… If my life ended here as I wished, would it really be considered bad luck?
No, It would probably be good luck then?
So if the meteorite did nothing to destroy the island was it good luck then?
Bad luck or good luck?
I rub my head from the aching that was caused by pondering too deep into this. I sigh a deep sigh. Whatever the answer was to my question, the meteor could have killed me. But instead of brining me rest that I've been longing for, It brought me nothing.
Nothing.