A/N: Gaaaah, I'm sorry this took so long! School got in the way, and this chapter ended up being much longer than I'd expected. I'd also been hit with a massive writer's block and had a hard time figuring out how to write and pace this chapter. Spring break's coming up soon, so hopefully you all won't have to wait as long for the next chapter!
Chapter 3: Identity
Makoto Naegi zips up his duffel bag, heaving it off his bed with a huff. Their stay had taken longer than expected, but Makoto wanted to be absolutely sure that Hinata and his friends were strong enough, mentally and emotionally, to be able to take care of themselves and their comatose friends before his departure.
Knock knock
"Come in!"
The door creaked open, revealing the pale face of one Kyoko Kirigiri.
"Are you all set?"
"Yeah…"
"You don't seem like you are."
Makoto scratched his right cheek, smiling sheepishly.
"I guess not…"
Kirigiri strode in, taking a seat at the edge of Makoto's bed. She pat the space next to him, motioning the shorter teen to sit. Makoto obeyed, eyes still downcast.
"Naegi-kun, we've done all we can. We've stalled for as long as possible, but the Future Foundation still needs us."
Makoto nodded. He knew Kirigiri was right. He knew it, but…
"Hinata-kun and the others will be fine, so stop worrying. You've been worrying so much, I fear that it may separate from you and become a separate entity. Then we'd have another troublesome task to deal with."
Makoto let out a chuckle at that. It had taken nearly a year, but in her own awkward way, Kirigiri had learned how to comfort others and make jokes. Togami often commented that Kirigiri's attempts at comedy were about as humorous as Hagakure's puns, but the detective's jokes never failed to bring a smile to Makoto's face. And to Kirigiri, that was all that really mattered.
"I guess your right…But, if possible, I'd still like to check up on them from time to time. J-just to make sure that they're getting along fine."
Kirigri smirked. "You sound like you're their mother."
"Eh hehe, Togami-kun said that too."
Makoto felt comforting arms wrap around his shoulders.
"Well then, let me worry for you. Let me worry for the worrier that never starts worrying."
Makoto leans in, pressing his head against Kirigiri's chest as a content smile spreads across his face.
"And in case of emergencies-"
"I know, I know. You went over this 50 times yesterday, and no, I'm not exaggerating. I kept count."
Naegi smiles sheepishly before extending a hand out for Hajime to shake. Hajime obliges, somehow able to firmly grasp the younger teen's hand without letting any of his nervousness show (at least, he hopes so.)
"Do you have any more questions before we leave?"
Hajime anxiously racks his brain for any missing information. Ah, right! The-
"The kitchen has a hidden pantry door in case supplies don't make it in time."
"O-oh. Yeah, thanks! Uh, how did you know what I was going to ask?"
A wistful smile plays on Naegi's lips. "I'm an esper."
What. Super High School Level Hope, Luck, and an esper?!
Naegi takes in Hajime's incredulous look and finds himself chuckling good naturedly. "I'm kidding. I just have good intuition."
"Naegi, hurry up or we're leaving you behind!"
"Hey, skinny Togami! Be sure to eat more while you're gone and-"
"Hurry up, please!"
"He's using the manners we taught him now, I'd better get going. Take care Hinata-kun!"
"Yeah, you too!"
Hajime watches the boat sail away until it completely disappears from view, trying to ignore the concerned looks that his friends cast on his back. He clenched and unclenched his fists, worrying his lower lip and trembling slightly.
"Um, Hinata-san?"
Hajime looked, back, finally snapping away from his depressing thoughts. Sonia and his friends all wore comforting smiles.
"There is still some cake left from your welcome back party. Why don't we all go together and finish it up? It will be like a second party!"
"So I get two welcome back parties?"
Souda flashed him a toothy grin, "Hey, we're just really glad to have you back!"
-Elsewhere-
"Kamakura-kun, would you like to eat some cake as well?"
"..No."
"…You hesitated."
"…"
—
Their daily activities hadn't changed much from the time they spent in the virtual world. Well, minus the whole "murder your friends to get off the island" part. There were chores assigned and schedules kept, with the occasional tweaking since certain carnivores couldn't be trusted alone in a room full of food. Hajime idly swept the empty hall of what used to be Hotel Mirai. While the hotel turned secret base had been mostly transformed, the sofa he often found Nanami asleep on was still intact.
He let out a sigh, wondering when Naegi and Alter Ego would finally reconstruct Nanami's damaged data, butwas drawn out of his thoughts at the sound of hurried running. He turned to the doorway to find an out of breath Kuzuryuu, leaning against the door for support as he gasped for air.
"Kuzuryuu, what's wrong?!"
"Hinata", he began, still gasping for air, "You have to come quick. It's Togami. The other one."
The broom clattered to the floor.
A man…or woman? Person? This person…had spent so much time masquerading as someone else that they no longer knew what to identify as. This person assumed that they were a he, it felt right to them…almost nostalgic…Maybe they - he - masqueraded as a male the most…Yes, that was probably why.
He looked carefully at his surroundings, taking in the shocked faces of three teenagers.
A bespectacled boy with sharp teeth and loud, pink hair cowered behind a tall, buxom girl wearing a frown that was equal parts confused and cautious. Next to her stood a pretty blonde, who wore a worried frown and had both arms in the air, as if unsure what to do with them.
Before he could open his mouth to speak, the door burst open and two more teens rushed in. A boy with a pointed cowlick, and a shorter boy sporting an eyepatch. The taller boy skidded to a stop and looked at him with wide eyes. The surprise quickly turned to relief as a wide smile stretched across his face.
"Togami-kun, you're awake!"
Togami? Was that his name? His real name?
He stared blankly at the brunet, unsure how to respond. He struggled for words, but then the headaches started. He gripped his head tightly, ignoring the worried shouts from the gathered teens as he struggled to numb the pain. Images of splattered blood, black and white masks, and a gyaru wearing a twisted smile flashed through his mind in quick succession, and each time he looked in the mirror, he never recognized the face staring back at him.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"
His pained cries pierced the room as he struggled to be freed of his bonds, banging his head against the coffin-like bed that held his body. "Get away! Where is she?! Where is she?!"
His yells soon turned to guffaws, his mouth twisting into a maniacal grin. Yes, everything was coming back to him now. Everything was starting to make sense. The memories of acceptance, of the writhing excitement at watching families being torn apart…The memories of his classmates…Of his earnestness in keeping them alive…Of his own death…That's right…he shouldn't be…
He felt a sudden sharp pain on his right arm before sleep overcame him once again.
Kuzuryuu nervously pulled the syringe out of Toga - the fake Togami's arm.
"Du-dude! Where did you get that?!"
"In that drawer over there. Kirigiri told me to use it in case of emergencies."
"Wait, she told you?! Out of all of us, she trusts that kind of information with a yak-"
Kuzuryuu's glare shut Souda up before he could dig himself in deeper.
Hajime stared at their friend's unconscious form, now wishing more than ever that Naegi and his friends had remained on the island with them. He didn't know what to do when their former classmate woke up again. He didn't know how to address them, taking in the former's attire that concealed his entire body. He didn't know what he was going to do when the others woke up and just thinking about having to repeat this process nine more times was giving him a major migraine.
"It's alright."
Hajime blinked, looking around him. The others were too focused on the impostor, probably sharing the same concerns as Hajime. He closed his eyes, wondering if he was finally going insane…again.
"Hinata-kun, can you hear me?"
Okay, he definitely heared a voice this time. Hajime turned around and was faced with a giant monitor that held a familiar face framed by light pink hair.
"…Nanami."
"It's been a while, Hinata-kun."
A pause. Tears. A smile. "Nanami! When- how?!"
"Oh, yeah. What with the other Togami waking up, I totally forgot to tell you about Nanami."
Souda came up next to Hajime, flashing him a sheepish grin.
"Souda! Did you do this?!"
"Well…not completely. Alter Ego, Naegi, and Kirigiri all pitched in. But even with the four of us working together, it took a while. I bet that if the Super High School Level Programmer were still around, Nanami probably would've been revived sooner." Souda founded frustrated at that, but the tone quickly turned apologetic.
"Sorry for the wait, man. Ugh, and we had this big surprise set up, too! I was going to call you in, saying Naegi had an emergency call, then Alter Ego was going to blast Guess Who's Back on loudspeakers, and Nanami was going to appear through a smoke screen and-"
"I get it." Hajime held up a hand, motioning for his friend to stop. "Thanks a lot, Souda. You too, Alter Ego."
The aforementioned AI appeared on the screen behind Nanami, wearing a wide grin. "I'm just glad to have my sister back."
The ruckus caused by the pair of teens and AI's caught the attention of the remaining three occupants in the room. Sonia gasped in disappointment. "Oh my goodness, that elaborate performance we had planned has been compromised!"
"So you guys were in on it too…"
A chorus of laughter echoed through the room, replacing the tension that suffocated it mere seconds ago.
"Hinata-kun…I meant what I said earlier. It'll be alright."
Hajime smiled back. "Yeah…"
-12 hours later-
They would have had to deal with him sooner or later (and the effects of the drug would have to wear off at some point) but this time, Hajime and his friends were prepared. Armed with syringes, Future Foundation pamphlets that advocated hope, and one of Naegi's rousing speeches recorded in Alter Ego's audio data, the group of survivors entered the room, ready to face whatever Despair had to throw at them.
The group cautiously made their way through the room, clustering close together. The large monitor that used to display the virtual world their class was trapped in crackled to life. Nanami appeared on screen, gesturing for them to approach quietly, as if approaching a small, frightened animal. The group came close enough to take in their former classmate's appearance. Because of his mask, they were unable to determine which direction he was facing or what expression he wore, but the most notable change in his real appearance was how much skinnier he had gotten. Hajime supposed that this was another form of despair. To the impostor, who's sole comfort in a world where he owned nothing was consuming comfort food, the greatest despair he could ever experience would be to deny that same food.
"Instead of ogling at me like some kind of zoo animal…"
The group jumped in surprise at his voice. He let out a tired sigh. "Could you remove my mask?"
After a long pause, Hajime felt four pairs of hands push him forward. "What are you guys doing?!" Hajime hissed, turning to his turning to his traitorous friends.
"Well, you are kind of our leader here"; Kuzuryuu offered, scratching his right cheek awkwardly.
"Well?" the impostor asked impatiently.
Hajime let out a defeated sigh before moving closer and carefully removing his friend's mask. Underneath…Was his own reflection.
"…Me?"
The fake Hajime looked at him dully, and it was strange, seeing such a foreign expression on his own face. When it felt like the silence would swallow up the entire room, the super high school level impostor finally spoke.
"When you became Izuru Kamakura, you discarded your previous identity. Hajime Hinata. And since you no longer claimed it, I decided to take it as my own."
"…" Hajime was at a loss for words. How was he supposed to respond to that? None of this was in the hopeful pamphlet that Naegi had given him!
"Um…" Owari began, breaking another awkward silence, "So what are we supposed to call you? Green Eyes? Green Hinata? Fake Hinata?"
"You may call me whatever you want."
"Then, how about The Skinnier Hinata That Needs to Eat More Meat Because Now He Looks Even Skinnier Than Togami?"
"Except that."
"Why don't we ignore Owari for now ("Hey!") and keep our focus on what to do about your appearance." Kuzuryuu shot the impostor a look that was somehow both threatening and concerned at the same time. Or maybe Kuzuryuu was trying to look concerned, but spent so much time frowning, that the final result ended up looking like an angry rabbit offering to console a friend with freshly grown carrots.
"My appearance?"
"Y-yeah", Souda agreed reluctantly, not quite meeting the fake in the eye, "even if your eye colors are different, it''s still going to be pretty confusing to have two Hinatas. I mean, you don't have to do it right away…But maybe consider changing your appearance?"
"Yes!" Sonia agreed excitedly. "I would very much like to see your true appearance as well!"
"True appearance…I'm afraid I don't have one."
Hajime finally found his voice as he spoke; "That's right. You told me that in the simulator, too. But I never really understood what you meant. How can you not have a 'true appearance'? There's got to be a face underneath all that make up, right?"
"Make up? Ah, that's right. This face…it's artificial…And all the lives I've ever lived…They were artificial as well…"
"You've got that wrong!"
Hajime surprised himself at how loud he yelled, and everyone around him was staring at him with equally surprised faces. Everyone but Nanami, who looked at him with an all-knowing smile. The words she'd told him earlier, It'll be alright, echoed in his mind. Yeah…Everything, all of us…We'll be alright.
"Shinjitsu!"*
"Shinjitsu?!"
"You don't have a name, right? So until you come up with a better one, that's going to be your placeholder name. And as for your last name…You can use mine. Hinata's a pretty common surname anyway."
"W-wait, what do you think your doing?!"
"I'm giving you a name. Duh."
"No, that's not what-"
"You said that all of the lives you've ever lived were artificial. But you're wrong. The time we all spent together in the virtual world…It was real. I met you. And even if it was for a short time, I became friends with you. And that's why, as your friend, I'm giving you what you need the most. An identity."
"Identity?"
"Yep. You don't have to show us your real face now, but when you're ready, don't be afraid. We'll accept you."
The impostor stared at Hajime, dumbfounded before bursting in a fit of laughter. Until today, Hajime never knew that his smile could go so wide. The others joined in as well, clapping Hajime proudly in the back.
"I knew we could leave it to our leader!" Souda exclaimed excitedly.
Nanami spoke up for the first time since they entered the room; "But don't you think Nisemono is too long? How about Shinji? Shinji Hinata."
The newly christened Nise nodded. "Yes…I quite like that. Thank you." He looked around the room, taking in each of their grinning faces. "All of you."
Hajime smiled back, no longer feeling as though he were looking at a twisted reflection of himself. They would be alright. All of them.
-Elsewhere-
"Ill be leaving for a while…Will you be alright?"
"…."
"Don't worry, I'll come back again."
"…When?"
"Whenever you need me."
Omake
"Oh, there you are Mom!"
Hajime froze, watching Naegi's face cloud with confusion. "Hinata-kun…what did you just call me?"
"N-no! What I meant was-"
Hajime felt his face flare up with embarrassment as the ongoing commotion drew the attention of his other friends.
"I-I- I'm so sorry A-and-"
A bump. Hajime looked down, noticing Kirigiri behind him. He wasn't sure how, but he could feel his cheeks burning even brighter.
"A-ah! I'm sorry Dad!"
Silence.
Togami entered the room.
"So I hear that Naegi and Kirigiri finally settled on adopting one of you."
*Shinjitsu literally means truth. Shinji is the name of a certain mecha pilot that shares of voice actress with two certain lucksters.