This is a sequel to my previous fanfic, "Finally in Love." This can be read as a one-shot, but I highly recommend you read Finally in Love first. It'll explain how the three got together and give you a better understanding of their relationship.
Though I guess if you really don't want to read it, then just think of this as Chapter 5 with an already established KomaHinaNami relationship going on. Enjoy!
"Please, don't forget... From the bottom of my heart... I am truly in love with the hope that sleeps inside you."
The entire day had seemed like a wild goose chase to Hajime. Hours ago Nagito had sent them on a frantic search to find the supposed deadly bombs he'd hidden somewhere on the island. Everyone was skeptic about the situation, but after laboriously searching for what seemed like forever, they'd finally found them.
Nearly in tears from both relief and panic, They'd all desperately tried to stop the bombs, only to find out the entire thing had been a lie. After they'd all spent so much time stressing out over the whole ordeal, it turned out to be nothing. Typical, he figured, for Nagito.
Was this some sort of joke to him? On the video recording he'd said he'd already found out who the traitor was, but was that really true? Could he really trust that it'd be that easy? If so, then what was this all for? For fun? Was this really just another way to mess with them?
After all those nights they'd spent together, just the three of them, slowly getting to know each other and eventually beginning to form something that resembled an actual relationship, Hajime marveled at how little he still knew about the other boy. When had Nagito gone from idolizing them, loving them even, to despising them?
Groaning in frustration, Hajime decided that he'd never understand the Ultimate Lucky Student no matter how much he tried, so he pushed these thoughts aside, and brought his mind back to the present.
Currently on the fifth island, the five remaining students, minus Nagito, were standing outside of the warehouse where the white haired boy had told them he'd be waiting.
"Huh? It's not opening?" Akane muttered as she rattled the door handle of the warehouse, ignoring the other's warnings that it'd be dangerous. "Is there...somethin' blockin' the door? I can barely open it..." She mused.
"I-I knew it! It's a trap! Seriously, just stop it okay?" Kazuichi voiced from the side, frantically waving his arms in an attempt to persuade her.
Despite Kazuichi's disapproval, Akane Grew even more determined and cracked her knuckles in order to ready herself for an impact. "Didn't I tell you it'd be fine?!" She exclaimed, causing Kazuichi to cower back in fear. "I just gotta use a little more force..."
"What happened to opening it slowly?!" Fuyuhiko growled, but Akane had no problem ignoring him as she took a step back and, ever so gently, kicked the door from it's hinges.
With a loud thud and a familiar screech of terror from Kazuichi, the door flew open and revealed what was waiting for them on the other side.
Hajime briefly wondered when his heart had began to beat so fast.
"Hm? What's this?" The gymnast asked, and Hajime leaned in closer to see.
"W-what happened...? He stuttered as he glanced from side to side, just now realizing how nervous he really was.
"Look inside." She said as she pointed, and they all did just that.
Hajime squinted his eyes, struggling to see through the thick darkness that dwelt inside the warehouse. "It sure is...dark." He said, feeling the need to state the obvious.
Due to their eyes being used to the bright sunlight from outside, the darkness of the warehouse was only amplified, causing it to seem even darker. But above that intense darkness, eerily playing from inside was a loud hymnal set to full volume.
No, this wasn't right. Where was Nagito?
"Looks like there aren't any lights on..." Chiaki said after a second, reminding him that she was here by his side, and he felt a little better knowing that. "Is Nagito really in here?" She asked, seeming to feel the same uneasiness as Hajime. It was only natural, seeing as the three of them were so protective of each other.
"Hey, do you guys hear somethin'?" Akane asked, and there was an uncharacteristic urgency in her voice, like she knew something wasn't quite right.
From her side, Fuyuhiko huffed in response. "Yeah, it's really damn loud... Does Nagito like listening to this depressing crap?" He barked loudly above the sound of the hymnal.
"No, I'm not talkin' about the music."
As if on cue, it suddenly started.
From the depths of the darkness, a firey blaze suddenly jumped out of no where, spreading it's flames quickly throughout the entirety of the warehouse. The heat was all Hajime needed to be sure that this was real, and he subconsciously took a step back, protectively shielding Chiaki with his right arm.
"I-It's on fire!"
"Woah!? Wh-What's going on!?"
In the midst of the panick, Sonia pushed her way to the front, calling for the other's attention in that regal way of her's. "F-For now, we must extinguish these flames! Let us hurry and put them out!" She commanded, and the other's were in no position to protest.
She didn't have to say it twice in order for Hajime to quickly agree, and after a brief explanation of where to find some fire extinguishing supplies, they were already quickly running towards the factory.
His heart pounding fast, Hajime wasted no time in finding a small collection of fire grenades in the break room. If Nagito really was in the warehouse, then they'd have to put out the fire fast. The door was blocked, so there would be no way out if they didn't hurry.
"You found it! Those are the fire grenades!" Sonia gasped from behind him, and he nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden loud voice. He was a lot jumpier than usual, he realized.
"But...this is strange." She continued, furrowing her brows in thought. "The last time I peeked inside this place, I recall seeing other fire extinguishing supplies too..."
What did she mean by that?
Before Hajime could even understand the significance of Sonia's words, Akane suddenly burst into the break room and began pulling the fire grenades from the high shelf. "This should be plenty!" She yelled in a panic. "Let's hurry up and go back to the warehouse!"
As soon as she finished her sentence, she was already out the door, the others in tow. Hajime did the same, grabbing what was left of the fire grenades and rushing to catch up with them.
"Hajime." A soft voice suddenly said from behind, and he gasped, once again startled. Spinning around on his heel, he found himself staring into the soft pink eyes that he'd grown so familiar with. Why was she stopping?
"C-Chiaki!" He stuttered, and he wondered if she could hear his heart pounding inside his chest.
"Nagito's fine." She said out of the blue, her eyebrows scrunched together with worry. It sounded like she was trying to reassure herself more than anything.
Hajime's eyes softened as he smiled in a way he hoped was comforting, and though it was a reassuring gesture, it seemed to have the opposite effect on Chiaki, because her grip only tightened on the single fire grenade she was holding, revealing how nervous she truly was. "I know." He said even though he didn't. He really hoped so, at least.
Walking over to her, he gently grabbed her hand, wishing Nagito was there to hold it too, and began to lead her out from the warehouse. "Come on, we have to hurry." He said, and he really hoped he sounded brave.
With no further objections from Chiaki, they hurried outside of the factory to meet up with the others, who were already crowded around the door of the warehouse, throwing the fire grenades inside.
Briefly exchanging a glance of shared determination, they both jogged over to join them. This was no time to be messing around. They had to hurry, they had to help, they had to find out what was going on.
"Here goes nothing!" Hajime yelled when they got to the door, immediately throwing in as many fire grenades as he could.
Chiaki did the same, and when he saw her lift the fire grenade above her head, for one reason or another, time seemed to slow. And as she swung her arm forward, letting the container spring off towards the fire, he couldn't help but feel a strong sense of dread.
What was going on?
Turning his attention back to the situation at hand, he noticed that the floor by the curtain was scattered with the remains of red casing, but the fire was hotter than ever. Was it not working?
"Hey... Is it just me, or does it feel like the fire's not goin' out at all?" Akane questioned, unknowingly confirming Hajime's suspicions.
As he threw in his last grenade, watching it hit the curtain and shatter on the floor, he heard Sonia's panicked voice from behind. "Does it not seem like the fire is intensifying!?" She asked, and Hajime's heart began to sink. "If the fire continues to rise, it will inflame the ceiling!"
This wasn't right, This wasn't right.
"Th-This is bad... We've already used up all the fire grenades!" Fuyuhiko yelled, taking note of their empty hands, and he sounded so small that it was hard to believe that he was the same guy as before.
"Wh-What are we gonna do?! All we can do now is pray for rain!" Akane wailed, her voice breaking in the middle of her sentence.
"D-Don't be stupid!" Kazuichi snapped, pointing an accusing finger in her direction. "There's no way it'll conveniently start raining if we pray for it..." Then suddenly, as if just to prove Kazuichi wrong, Hajime felt drops of water begin to hit the top of his head. "...It's raining?"
Holding his hand out to catch the cold drops that were falling from the ceiling, Hajime looked up. "That's not it... It looks like the sprinklers activated." He said when he noticed the sprinklers above them.
"Oh...the sprinklers..." Chiaki said, and to any other person it would have sounded just like her normal self, but Hajime could tell there was a great hint of relief in her tone. "They must have detected the smoke and turned on."
As the water from the sprinklers continued to vigorously pour onto the fire below, the flames began to die out and the smoke began to fade. And before long, the warehouse was completely extinguished.
"L-looks like the fire is out." Hajime confirmed, fearing what waited them inside. He couldn't shake this bad feeling he was getting.
"Th-That is a relief." Sonia said, baffled.
"Is...Nagito inside?" Asked Chiaki, her stone cold expression conveying little to no indication of what she was really feeling.
"He said he was in his video message, but he probably escaped by now..." Kazuichi replied, and Hajime really hoped that was true.
"But there's only one entrance to the warehouse, you know?" Chiaki reminded him with a sigh. "Did you see him leaving?"
Quickly searching for a contradiction, something, anything that would calm his nerves, Hajime spoke up. "But he could've escaped while we left to get the fire grenades!" He suggested, and it sounded a bit far fetched, even to him. "In fact, he might have been gone before the fire even started." He added.
Chiaki quickly adverted her gaze, crossing her arms self-consciously. "...That...might be true, but..." She cut herself off, her gaze never leaving the pavement below her. She wasn't acting like her usual self. Just minutes before this she was claiming that Nagito was fine, but now her attitude had completely changed. Was she feeling the same anxiety as he was?
Looking back towards the inside of the warehouse, he noticed that the smoke was almost completely cleared out by now, and he deemed it safe enough to begin searching further inside. But even so, he didn't take a step forward.
He was scared, he suddenly realized, and it was like a slap to the face. He didn't know what he was scared of, but his feet wouldn't budge, and his hands were shaking, and he was scared. Honestly scared. He felt hopeless, like he was too late.
Chiaki suddenly took a step forward, and they all looked to her, on edge. "Hey everyone... Did you know about that curtain?" She asked, pointing to the curtain in the back of the room. The one that was on fire. "I didn't notice it while the curtain was burning, but...there's a space on the other side of it, too."
Looking more closely to where Chiaki was pointing, Hajime noticed it. Just beyond the burned, tattered curtain was a small space, and after mustering all of his strength, he began to walk towards it with slow, methodical steps.
This wasn't right. This damned oppressive atmosphere mixed with this feelings of anxiety began to take it's toll on his mental health, and before he knew it, he was holding his breath. And as he reached towards the curtain, his shaking hand grabbing the scorched material and pulling it aside, his heart nearly stopped.
On the other side of the curtain was...
Was...
Nagito, covered in blood.
As the shock finally began to register within him, his eyes widened and he subconsciously took a step back. Nagito was...dead? No, that's not possible. He'd just talked with him yesterday, and a couple days ago they had been laughing together like usual, all three of them had.
From somewhere behind him he heard screams, shrill blood curdling screams, but he paid no mind to them. This had to be another one of his tricks, a joke. Any second now he'd get up and laugh at them all for being so stupid as to think that he'd actually die. Because there was no way he'd die, right? He always knew what was going on, this was Nagito he was talking about!
But with each passing moment the truth became clearer and clearer, and Hajime could feel his heart begin sink to the floor. How could this happen? His vision fogged, and a think lump formed in his throat, but he couldn't look away. Oh God, why couldn't he just look away?
Nagito's arms and legs were tightly bound at the wrists and ankles, preventing any movement or struggle or hope to escape this cruel fate. Multiple stab wounds covered each of his thighs, blood still oozing out of them and onto the floor below. In his stomach was a large spear, so large that Hajime wondered just how cruel the murderer was to be able to go out of their way just to find such an unnecessary weapon. And worst of all, Nagito's face was permanently skewed into one of pure agony and terror.
Who would do such a thing? His mind leapt from person to person. Sonia? Kuzuryu? Akane? Were any of them really capable of this?
In a sudden flash a rage, he briefly thought about killing whoever did this.
Oh God, what was wrong with him?
He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice the quiet footsteps that were slowly approaching him. "Hajijme." Chiaki suddenly said from behind, her concerned tone drawing him back to reality, and he quickly ripped his gaze away from Nagito to meet her's.
When his eyes, wide with shock and unshed tears, met her fearless calm ones, he realized that she was much more brave than he could ever hope to be. To endure such tragedies and maintain such a calm and determined attitude was what was keeping him alive. Hajime knew that was true because if she wasn't here right now he would have surely broken down long ago.
"We have to investigate." She then stated matter-of-factly, and Hajime felt his stomach lurch and his breathing hitch.
He couldn't do it. He knew he couldn't, because when he thought of Nagito he thought of those nights they'd all spent together. He thought of when he was alive and smiling and incredibly stupid but dreadfully hopeful.
He thought of when he'd teased him, when he'd hugged him, when his heart would speed up just from looking at him. He couldn't do it because now that Nagito was dead, he would never experience those things ever again.
Suddenly he felt Chiaki's hands wrap around his own, and he wondered when she'd gotten so close. Her hands were warm, and her grip was tight, reminding him that he wasn't alone, that he wasn't enduring this alone.
Chiaki loved Nagito just as much as he did. He knew that.
When she stood on the tips of her toes and placed a soft kiss to his cheek, his heart sped up in the same way it always did, and he marveled at how it could beat any faster than it already was.
Her lips were soft and plump, nothing like Nagito's thing and chapped ones, but he loved them both. He loved them both despite their flaws and imperfections, and now that one of them was gone, he wondered how they would ever move on, being so incomplete. Who would balance them out now?
"We can do it." She said as she pulled away, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "We have to do it." She corrected, shaking her head, and adding, "For Nagito's sake."
Hajime took a deep breath and closed his eyes. She was right, just like she always was. "Okay." He breathed, his hands squeezing her's back, and she sighed in relief.
"Thank you." She said, her tired eyes softening as she took a step away.
And as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his e-handbook, his hands trembled uncontrollably, but he didn't stop. Right now, more than anything, he had to be strong. For Nagito, for Chiaki, and for everyone else, he had to be strong.
"...Don't ever forget about me. Even after you get out of here..."
"...And that concludes my argument." Chiaki said after reviewing the case. "Nagito's plan was to make the traitor kill him... What are you gonna do? Are you guys gonna believe me?"
A couple hours ago, after they had found Nagito in the warehouse, Hajime and Chiaki had begun investigating together. As much as it hurt them to do so, they investigated Nagito's body, the scene of the crime, and even his room. It felt weird, investigating Nagito's murder. It was something he'd never thought he'd have to do.
It was just the two of them now, and Hajime was afraid that they'd never be able to make any progress without him, but somehow they'd managed. They'd declared the case a suicide, Nagito had planned it all, and part of Hajime hated him for it. The other part, the more reasonable part, told him that it wasn't his fault, it was this damn island. He was far too angry and confused to listen to that part.
So in the end, Nagito believed in his Ultimate luck more than anything else, and he used that luck to make the traitor unknowingly murder him. And now, in the final class trial, it was up to them to find out who that traitor was.
Was that really possible? Nagito relied on his luck to aim for a target, but he didn't even know who he was aiming for. That sounded way too unbelievable to have actually happened, but...
"The only thing we can do is believe." Hajime answered as he pushed any feelings he had for the other boy aside. He had to keep a clear mind right now, and the only way to do that was to just forget about everything that had happened between the three of them.
"If we don't, then we'd just be relyin' on our luck when we cast our votes..." Akane agreed.
"B-But even if we do believe...what should we do?" Kazuichi asked skeptically, still wary of this whole situation. "I mean, if we don't know who the target is, there's no way we can even vote..."
Sonia looked to the side, her pale skin seeming even paler than before. "You are absolutely right." She agreed, and Kazuichi perked up despite himself. "It is hard to think the traitor would reveal themselves now..."
Feeling hopeless, Hajime looked over to Chiaki. They'd worked so hard to solve this case, and it ended up being pointless. What would they do now?
But when Chiaki didn't return his gaze, that was when he noticed; her hands were shaking, and looking closely, so were her legs. Her wide eyes were staring intensely at the floor and, as if in thought, her mouth was hanging open ever so slightly.
"Chiaki?" He asked quietly while the others were still arguing.
The quivering girl didn't look up, didn't move, but instead began to speak in a tone that he'd never heard from her before. "If, by chance, the traitor revealed themselves...during that bomb scare...what would have happened?" She asked, and now the other's were listening too. "Would it have...stopped Nagito from acting so reckless?"
"Huh?" Hajime responded, not quite understanding what she meant.
"But...they couldn't help it..." She continued, "Even if they wanted to reveal themselves...they couldn't do it..." She slowly looked up towards Hajime, as if asking for forgiveness. "Because...they weren't created to do that."
Hajime nearly gasped when he caught sight of the heavy regret reflected in her eyes. "...Ch-Chiaki?" He asked again.
"That's why...I want you guys to guess."
"You want us...to guess?" He asked in disbelief, because he saw where this was going.
"Yeah, I want you to guess." She answered back, keeping her voice steady even though her heart felt like it was going to explode. This wasn't the time to have second thoughts, she'd already made up her mind.
"What...what does that mean?!" He nearly shouted, and Chiaki, all doubts forgotten, nodded her head.
"Who do you think it is, Hajime? Who do you think the future foundation sent to infiltrate your group as the traitor?"
"Why..." He whispered, and he didn't know what he was referring to. His whole body felt numb because he'd already lost someone dear to him today, and it seemed to be happening all over again.
"A traitor who's not allowed to think they're different from everyone else..." She continued, "A traitor who can only interact with everyone as a traitor."
"Why...?" He asked again, but louder.
"Because that's the nature of their existence. They can only exist as a traitor."
"Seriously why?!" He shouted even though she'd already answered. He'd run out of things to say.
"Who do you think...is the traitor?" She asked at last, then after a pause added, "Hajime...please." In the most sincere voice she could muster. She hated the thought of leaving him behind, but in the end it was inevitable, wasn't it? Ever since the beginning, there was no happy end for the three of them.
Because when it all came down to it, she was just a traitor, right?
The entire world seemed to still, and he stared at her in disbelief. "I-it's you." He stated, his voice barely above a whisper, and he really wished she would tell him he was wrong.
One final moment of doubt washed over her, where she briefly thought about doing just that, but to Hajime's dismay, it quickly passed and she smiled. "Aww, you totally guessed right!" She laughed despite the heavy atmosphere. "Just as expected. Yep, you're correct... I'm the traitor."
No, this wasn't possible. Because if it was, did that mean that every moment he spent with her was a lie? Every secret he'd told her, every hug he'd given her, every kiss they'd shared, all of it was a lie?
There's was no way he would accept that as reality. This was all nonsense, so why...why did it make so much sense!?
Murmurs and protests sprung up amongst the other's, but to Hajime, who was too lost in thought to listen, their voices were nothing more than static in his chaotic mind. But then somehow, despite how convoluted his thoughts were, he suddenly remembered something crucial to the case. He remembered the notebook he'd found.
"When we investigated Nagito's cottage," He spoke up, voice devoid of all emotion. "I discovered a notebook with an Usami logo on it..."
"Hajime!?" Sonia gasped, but he didn't even look up. This notebook proved that Chiaki was the traitor, at least, it did for him.
"It wasn't monomi's notebook. Monomi can't write." He explained, "Whoever wrote in this notebook was the traitor...and the only person that could be-"
"How could you know it is her just from that!?" Sonia cut him off, and Hajime grit his teeth.
"Because...there's an entry written that only me and one other person would know." He said, hating himself more and more with every word. "In the notebook there was an entry about how I tried to go into the final dead room. It's true, but the only one who knew that...is you." He finished as he turned to look at the girl in question.
Chiaki said nothing, only smiled at him with a sad, regretful, expression on her face that made him scowl. "Chiaki, how could you..?" He asked, betrayed. "Please, tell me your counter argument, anything!"
"No, I have nothing more to say." She told him, closing her eyes. There was a conclusive edge to her voice that almost felt nostalgic, but there was nothing playful about her words; she wasn't going to budge.
"Wh-Why..?" He asked a final time, and the tears in his eyes really threatened to spill.
"Cuz we already know the killer's true identity." She responded, her voice completely serious. "So the only thing left to do...is vote."
Hajime's eyes widened and he stared at her in disbelief. "Chiaki, don't you understand!? You're basically asking me to kill you!" He quickly turned away from her, clenching his fists. "Th-There's no was I can do that."
"Hey? Can you listen to me a little?" She requested, a faint smile on her lips. "There's nothing to be sad about, you know. Cuz...this is different from what happened before."
They were all staring at her with confused expressions, and Chiaki felt like she needed to explain herself further. She needed to let them know that this was her choice and that she was doing this for them. "Unlike before, you guys don't have to stay alive by doubting someone... You guys can stay alive by believing in me." She finished, her smile enough to light up a room, and Hajime stiffened in response.
"Ch-Chiaki!" Monomi wailed from the side.
"No...this isn't fair." He whispered, and it sounded childish, even to him. But he wouldn't let her die, he couldn't. She was the only thing he had left at this point, and he refused to acknowledge that her time was coming to an end.
Sonia let out a sob and wiped at her eyes, her emotions unfolding before them. "I do not want to believe Chiaki is the traitor either, but..."
"But if what she's saying is true, then we've got no choice!" Kazuichi finished for her, then after some thought added, "...Right?"
"Dammit..." Akane muttered.
Hajime went silent. This was really happening, wasn't it?
"It's voting time, right? You don't have to worry. Believe in me...and cast your vote."
The entire room was silent as everyone did as she said and cast their votes. Hajime had no choice, so he scornfully wrote Chiaki's name down and quickly tossed the paper away before he could change his mind.
Once all the votes were cast and everyone was quietly waiting for the results, Monokuma stood up on his podium and cleared his throat. "Man, I'm pooped. Let's go ahead and announce the result. The traitor from the future foundation, and Nagito Komaeda's killer is..." He paused momentarily, almost sadistically, and there was a moment where Hajime almost hoped they had gotten it wrong. "...Chiaki Nanami!" He announced.
Murmurs and shouts of disagreement or shock shot up among the others, but Hajime said nothing. There was no need to anymore; It was already over, it wouldn't help.
Chiaki looked at him in concern. There was so much she wanted to say to him before she left, but it looked like he wasn't in the right state of mind to hear it. She hoped he would understand.
She turned away from him and looked at the others, a sad smile still on her face. "Congratulations everyone." She said.
"Stupid...we're not celebratin' at all!" Akane snapped in return.
Monomi stood next to her friend, understanding that this was Chiaki's choice and that it may even be a miracle that she was able to decide for herself to do this. She said her goodbyes and Monokuma dismissed them as usual, but Hajime still wasn't listening.
"Bye everyone..." Chiaki said, waving a hand in their direction, and Monomi did the same. "it's okay. A shining future will always be waiting for you." She paused when realized they wouldn't know what she was talking about yet and added, "It's true...it's absolutely true. Cuz...I know."
Hajime still hadn't said a word. He continued to stare at the ground with a blank expression.
"Bye-Bye! Please don't forget about your teacher." Monomi requested at last, it was the least they could do.
"Then let's proceed with high spirits! This is the very last... Punishment Tiiiiiiiime!" Monokuma roared, and everyone flinched at the familiar words.
After hearing those chilling words that brought with them death and despair, Hajime's head snapped up just in time, and he and Chiaki's eyes just so happed to meet. They shared a single glance, a single beautiful second where time seemed to slow, and then she was gone in a blink of an eye.
He gasped and turned his head to look up at the screen.
The giant screen was blank for no more than a few seconds before it flickered to life and displayed Chiaki and Monomi's punishment for them all to see. This couldn't be happening. This was all a bad dream. He kept repeating those useless phrases in his head, hoping God would have mercy on him and make them come true.
The two traitors sat quietly on the floor of a dark and dusty old room. Everything was so calm that it was unsettling, and Hajime's heart sped up to the point of panic.
The calm atmosphere of the room was abruptly destroyed as a giant military tank burst it's way through the door and pointed its canon directly towards its two victims. Monokuma, who had his back to the screen, popped out of the top and a retro video game title suddenly appeared on the screen.
His eyes widening as he realized what was going to happen, Hajime continued to watch despite his entire body screaming at him to look away. And as the childish 8-bit music began to play in the background, huge missiles erupted out from the tank, one by one.
The noise they made as they made contact with Monomi's remaining bodies was sickening, and the suspense it provided as it ever so slowly made it's way to Chiaki was unbearable. Chiaki looked from side to side as the Monomi clones slowly began to disappear around her.
"Wait..." Hajime muttered helplessly as he stared up at the screen.
In the midst of the explosions Chiaki decided that she wouldn't just allow herself to sit there and calmly accept this as her fate, so she stood up and quickly grabbed Monomi's hand, rushing for the exit door to her side. She ran despite it's uselessness, and Hajime audibly gasped, wondering if her escape would just be too convenient.
He seemed to have thought right, because now Chiaki had stopped running, all but one Monomi destroyed, and the background of the display somehow changed, trapping her inside a small rectangular room.
"Stop..." He said a bit louder.
The Ultimate Gamer kneeled on her hands and knees, catching her breath from the chase. And as two large structures fell from the ceiling of the small room she was in, Hajime noticed he was screaming.
"STOP!" He yelled, practically begging for an end to this torture.
The bricks continued to fall though. Coming in from the right, then from the left, until they made their way to the center, where Chiaki and monomi sat.
Tears fell from his eyes, but he didn't care. He continued to desperately beg for this to stop, there was nothing else he could do.
Monomi's last copy was crushed, and everything went silent as Chiaki closed her eyes and waited. There was only one space left for it to fall now, and she'd lost all hope of escape long ago. The only thing she could do was wait. She subconsciously began to hold her breath, and Hajime did the same.
The last structure was held above her, and when it didn't imminently fall, she opened her eyes again. Her eyes were calm despite her fate that was drawing ever nearer, and Hajime could have sworn she was trying to tell him something in that last moment.
It seemed to last for years, and he almost wondered if perhaps it would never fall, but as soon as he let that thought come to mind the crane opened and fell as fast as light.
He quickly turned away and fell to his knees as a sickening sound made its way to his ears that he'd never forget. And all around him the others were staring, pity in their eyes, because they knew, and he knew they knew. About Chiaki and Nagito too. He didn't care.
A feeling of powerlessness spread throughout his body, and he knew that it was over. It was over and he hadn't even been able to ask what he needed to ask, say what he needed to say. Chiaki had vanished right before his eyes and he couldn't even tell her that he loved her. If he had just been able to say those three simple words, would she have been comforted a little?
He stared at the ground with little to no care about what was going on around him. As she was executed as the traitor...would she have been comforted a little? He didn't know. His chest hurt.
Monokuma rambled on about Chiaki and Nagito and how the cases were coming to an end. Was he really okay with that? After all this, after everything they'd gone through, he was going to end it just like that? It didn't make any sense. There were still two days left, not that it mattered.
The others demanded answers, but Monokuma provided nothing of the sort. He spoke in riddles that were hard to understand and quickly left as he laughed in that terrifying way of his. Hajime still hadn't gotten up.
The room was quiet now, heavy with an awkward silence as they all waited for someone to speak. Sonia glanced around, worried for her friends, and decided to shoulder the burden herself.
"Hajime...?" She asked cautiously, taking a small step closer in concern.
"Leave me alone!" He snapped, letting his emotions get the best of him, and she immediately recoiled.
"Hey, don't talk to Miss Sonia like that!" Kazuichi warned, but then Fuyuhiko smacked his arm, and he yelped and moved away.
"You Idiot. Give him some space." He said, a stern look on his face. He'd gone through the same thing, he knew what it was like.
After a while of waiting, they quietly filed out of the room, leaving Hajime to his thoughts. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or if it just made him more scared.
What now? His mind was all fuzzy and his body felt numb and there was nothing he could do, no one to help pick him up. He missed them. If Nagito had known that Chiaki was the traitor would he still have gone through with his plan? Nagito loved her too, it was hard to believe that he would have intentionally done something like that to hurt her, but what did he know?
He thought back to the times they'd spent together. When everything was much simpler and they were all much happier and they laughed and cried together. Would he never experience such bliss ever again? He missed those times already, because they felt far and distant now, almost like they never happened, like it was a dream. A good dream, he figured.
But now it somehow became a twisted nightmare, and he found himself wanting believe that they were still alive, still waiting for him in his cabin, where Nagito annoy him and he would argue about it and Chiaki would ignore them both.
Sure, it sounded bad, but he'd grown to love it, and he wondered how he could ever move on without that. Did he want to move on? What was the point? He had heard Monokuma, their actual lives were supposed to be even more hopeless than this. Was he telling the truth? Was he prepared to face that?
Then suddenly, as if she was right there with him, he remembered what Chiaki had said only hours ago, after they had just found Nagito's body. "We can do it. We have to do it. For Nagito's sake." she had said.
His eyes teared up and he held back a chocked sob. She wouldn't want him to give up, he knew that. Nagito wouldn't either he supposed. At least...not the Nagito he knew. The Nagito he knew would be cheering him on, cheering him on for the sake of hope, but cheering him on nonetheless.
But they weren't here now, and as he sat alone on the floor of the trial room he felt more alone than ever, but also more determined than ever. She had told him to stay strong, he had told him that once too, and right now that was all that he needed to do.
And as he wiped his tears and picked himself up he swore to live. For both of them. He would live for both of them because if he didn't, then who would? And in return he could only hope that they would remember him too.
Ahhhh thank you very much for reading! I know that was incredibly long and probably really hard to get through, so thank you for making it to the end! I didn't plan for it to be that long, my limit was around 4,000 words, but oh well.
As you can see, I took a ton of the dialog from the game and just added my own komahinanami moments here and there. I hope it wasn't too boring...I realize that it might have been since you all knew what was going to happen in the end. Next time I'll write something more original.
This took so long to write, but I really had fun with it. KomaHinaNami is just really fun to write cuz they're all such dynamic characters. I hope to write more KomaHinaNami in the future, but if I do it wont take place in the same universe as "Finally in Love". I'm almost sure that this is going to be the last installment of that fic. Ahhh, it's kinda sad.
Oh, and sorry for the wait! Wow, It's already been over a month since "Finally in Love" ended...when did that happen? heh..I remember saying this would be out in two weeks...sorry! I did it though!
Thanks again for reading, and feel free to tell me what you think. I always appreciate constructive criticism and help with typos, but nothing too mean please. I'll probably cry.