Nyanotic here, the chapter was getting pretty long so I split it into two. The next chapter will focus on Hinata as well and then it will shift back to Otonashi (Unless anyone wants me to introduce any of the other characters a little early, in that case leave your request in a review).

p.s: apologies for the wait :P

Angel Beats After Story: A Second Chance

Chapter 4: A Pleasant Distraction

All of his surroundings were bathed in a brilliant mixture of golds and reds as the sun neared the end of its circadian journey across the heavens. From his vantage point on the crest of the hill, he could see the trees and mountains that lined the horizon like paintings in a gallery, painted a pale blue by the very distance that separated them. It was a peaceful moment for him; a pleasant break from the stress of recent events. When he walked this path, absorbing the sheer beauty of his surroundings as the sunset set standards of elegance for his very eyes, he could do nothing but appreciate the small things. It was a habit of his, it seemed, ever since he arrived at this timeless place; a habit he never granted himself the pleasure of experiencing before his arrival. However, that was the past; something he tried not to concern himself with anymore. Being concerned by such trivial matters here served no purpose but to elevate the melancholy brought about by the knowledge that there is nowhere to go from here; that this is the end of the line. It was for this reason alone that he was able to appreciate the cool evening breeze as it gently caressed his skin, rustling the leaves on the trees he passed as he slowly made his way along the crude dirt path; gravel crunching beneath his loafers as he moved forward with no burden on his mind to distract him. He could hear the birds as they sang their songs to the forest; gentle chirps slipping from their beaks as they gave the evening's ambience life. He looked up at the sky, the small number of clouds that did hang in the air were painted radiant shades of ochre as the sky's blazing red ball of light continued to sink beyond the horizon's insurmountable depths.

He continued his stroll along the grounds unperturbed as he reflected. How long had he been taking these walks? How many times had he followed this sinuous path? It had been a long time since he picked up such a habit as this; but then again, it is easy to lose track of time in a place like this. Everything here is timeless; immortal. Just how many times has he seen the sun rise and set? If he had to guess, he would say that he has spent years in this place, if not decades, and in all of this time, however, he had not aged a day; nobody has. He can no longer even count on one hand how many times it was that he had perished; yet every single time, he would open his eyes again as if nothing happened. He could say all of this from experience, wisdom even; he was, after all, one of the first to arrive in this place. How many people has he seen come and go; how many people stayed? He could not help but reflect upon all of these things as he walked; it was, after all, a habit of his.

He could clearly remember the first time he opened his eyes here; the day that he arrived. Perhaps it wasn't his fault that this is where he ended up, but the work of a higher power that brought him here. If it truly was the latter, he would not be angry; that would be completely unlike him. Either way, even if he didn't wish for this outcome, there is absolutely nothing that could be done about it; that was one of the many lessons that this place had taught him.

Hinata was abruptly roused from this reverie as the sound of voices reached his ears. While it was not out of the ordinary for others to be outside at this hour, hardly anyone would wander this far from the grounds. The origin of the voices, he realized, was the baseball diamond not too far from where he stood. As he focused upon it, two figures caught his eyes but they only fixated themselves on one: the girl. Even without the voice, there would be no mistaking her. The slender silhouette of her petite frame; it had a playful yet enticing allure. Her vivacious attitude; it was childlike but emitted an aura of innocence that captivated every one of his senses. Her rose tresses that cascaded down the full length of her lean back, pooled on her svelte shoulders, and framed the youthful features of her face; dyed crimson by the light of the setting sun. She was clad in loose clothing and a black baseball helmet. A wooden bat hung lazily from her bandage cloaked fingers. He reprimanded himself for, once again, staring but then took the time to analyze the situation and ask himself: Just what is she doing out here at this hour, with a boy nonetheless? They were the questions that he would have attempted to answer had he not paid closer attention to the girl's expression. Her eyes, her beautiful magenta eyes, where threatening to force thick tears to spill from their corners as they fixated their gaze at the ground beneath her feet. The edges of her lips tugged themselves into a bitter, pitiful smile as she spoke. Why does she look so depressed, like she could break down into tears at any moment? Distracted by his own inquiries, Hinata failed to notice that he was now moving; his legs were propelling him forwards one step at a time of their own volition. He realized that, without even thinking, he was moving towards the scene; towards her. He could not comprehend it; why was he aiming to intervene, albeit subconsciously? Her problems were her own, not his. He didn't need to burden himself with other people's issues, especially here. Perhaps it was a habit of his that he had instilled in himself long before his arrival here, but to what degree was he willing to step out of his way for something such as the scene currently playing before him? Then suddenly, apprehension dawned on him. Perhaps it wasn't his willingness to help out others but some other, stronger, more compelling emotion. He would not step so far out of his way for anyone, except her. What was it about her, specifically, that compelled him so vigorously; why was she special? He pondered the thought as his legs carried him ever closer to her; he was almost within earshot. Why did this girl affect him so strongly; what did she do to warrant this kind of hold on him. After all, she was just an annoying brat that caused him nothing but headaches. They always argued and never saw eye to eye. She was reckless, she lived in the moment, she never looked back; she was the polar opposite of him. So what, pray tell, could she have possibly done for him to stir such emotion? Was there anything, in all the time that they've spent together, that she had done for his sake? For the longest time, he was gripped by a darkness; a cold, hideous thing that clung to his back wherever he went, whatever he did. It whispered incessant imprecations into his ears; profane obscenities that pierced his very soul. It was a vile fiend that suffocated his very being. This girl was, however, the outright antipode of him; she shone brightly, like a star burning with all of its might in the dark night's sky. Could it be; was this why she affected him so? The scales fell from his eyes as the answer became clear as day. She was a beacon, he realized; a beacon of light and warmth in this cold, dark world. Whenever he felt himself sinking too deep into the sea of despair, she would shine upon him, with all of her brilliance. Whenever his demons threatened to snuff out the resilient fire that burned in his soul, she would be the fuel that gave the flame life once more.

No longer were Hinata's legs moving themselves, it was he that took each stride, determination visible in his eyes. This girl had helped him so many times before without either one of them ever realizing it; it was time for Hinata to return the favor. This time, it would be him who reached out with a helping hand.

"There's one more thing."

"What is it?"

"To get married."

So that is why she appears so distressed. She has had enough of this place; it is her time to move on. But is that what she really desires; her wish that was never granted? Is that her regret? It shouldn't be a difficult one to fulfill, in his opinion.

"Worse yet, I couldn't do anything alone. I was such a dead weight."

What do you mean dead weight? Is that really how you would define yourself? That's bullshit; you're not dead weight at all! You're an amazing person. You're energetic, funny, and constantly flashing that contagious grin. You help others when they are in need, you value the people close to you, and you're a genuinely kind soul. You can always lighten the mood and strive to pick people up when they're down. After all this time, how can you still call yourself a burden?

"God is so mean; he took all my happiness away."

So what if he did? You can always find more; it's abundant. I'm sure that if you searched for it, if you tried hard enough, you'd find it. And if you can't, there will always be somebody there to help you look. The 'you' that I've come to know would never give up that easily.

"I wonder who would ever marry me."

How can you possibly say that! There are several billion people in this world; how can you possibly say that nobody would ever marry you, that's a lie! I'm sure that there's at least somebody out there who would. And if there wasn't, I'd do it myself; I'd marry you.

"I'd marry you!"

Hinata's eyes shot open as he sucked in one rapid breath after another. His eyes focused upon the poster pinned to the ceiling above his bed. After a moment, he realized he was in his own bedroom, not the dormitory he'd spent monotonous decades in- if only he could remember so much. The bright morning sunlight slipped through the cracks in his blinds, painting brilliant white streaks across the opposing wall. A small shiver ran down his spine as the sweat-soaked sheets clung to his bare back. It isn't that hot in my room, thought Hinata as he emerged from his sleep-induced drowsiness, did I have a nightmare or something? I can't remember anything? I think there was a sunset.. and a baseball diamond, the hell is so nightmarish about that? Deciding to drop the line of thought and prepare for yet another day of school, he dragged himself out of his bed and stalked lethargically towards the bathroom, the cold floor sending shivers through his feet with every step.

This particular morning was no different than any other. After freshening up, he made his way down to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and eat it. During this time, his father would brew coffee, collect his documents, and then leave for work. They never talked to each other in the mornings simply because neither of them had anything to say. This was what all the mornings were like for them, and this was the reason why Hinata tried to leave as soon as he could. The atmosphere was awkward and stifling, and he hated it.

An uninspiring morning greeted Hinata as he stepped out the door. A cool breeze caressed his skin as the early sun peaked it head over the city's horizon. The grass was still damp with dew as the hazy air hung loosely in the sky. He didn't live very far from the school so he often walked. This morning however, as he walked, he found himself lost in thought. A recollection of yesterday's events passed through his mind. He knew he was most likely overthinking it, but something about yesterday didn't sit well with him. He felt as though he was missing something; something important. He remembered passing out on the street but couldn't remember what had happened before. It was only yesterday but it felt like yesterday was an eternity ago. He dared say that it was like a dream, and he could barely remember any of it. I should probably try to forget this whole ordeal as soon as I can. I don't need to distract myself with anything other than baseball, after all I...

"Hinacchi!"

It was just then that Hinata heard somebody call him out, and by that ridiculous nickname nonetheless. There were only a handful of people he knew who called him that and he recognized the voice almost immediately. He turned to see his best friend, Hiroaki Yamada, jogging towards him.

"What's up, Hiro-chan?" Hinata replied as he closed the distance to his friend.

"For fuck's sake, enough with the Hiro-chan, you're really starting to piss me off."

Hinata chuckled at his friend's irritated countenance. Addressing him strangely was one of his few antics that never got old, at least in his eyes.

"So tell me," Hinata inquired as they started to walk, "what has you so pumped up this morning."

"Come on Hinacchi, you know I'm always pumped up in the mornings," Hiroaki joked as he flashed a grin.

They ran into each other on the way to school quite often. Hiroaki didn't live far away from him so it wasn't unsual. They both welcomed it as well; it gave them the chance to talk in the mornings without skipping the first few minutes of class, and Hiroaki always had something to say. He had long since accepted that his friend just enjoyed talking. He was also just as social with others and as a result, Hinata knew just about everything that happed in school and within his social circle. While mentally sorting through the last few bits of news Hiroaki shared with him, he realized just why his friend was more excited than usual today.

"Wait, don't you have a date or something with that girl from 1-B after practice today," hinata asked as he reflected on their last few conversations.

"Shut up, it isn't a date," hiroaki replied, slightly flustered, "We're just getting coffee together."

"That's called a date, Hiroaki," Hinata said, turning to give his friend a humble look, "stop being so nervous about it.

"I guess you're right," Hiroaki spoke after a short pause, "our team could go to the tournament tomorrow and I wouldn't break a sweat, yet here I am getting all flustered over a girl."

"That's more like it," Hinata exclaimed as gave his friend a firm pat on the back. As he looked up, he noticed they were already upon the school's gates.

"Well, I'll catch you later Hinacchi," Hiroaki stated as he sauntered off.

Hiroaki and he were quite similar, Hinata thought as he walked towards the school's main entrance. They were both second years, both of them were on the school's baseball team, and both of them enjoyed occasionally flirting with the cute first years; as a matter of fact, he didn't have any friends who didn't. They had been friends for a very long time; they met each other in grade school, when they were both still little brats. They didn't share many interests except one; they both enjoyed sports. After all, it was Hiroaki who first introduced him to baseball when he began looking for a distraction from the monotony of life. They essentially grew up together. Both of them made their way through the rest of grade school as well as junior high together. Now they were here, trudging through their academics with mediocre grades, and playing for one of the city's best high school baseball teams. However, one of their only, and most notable, differences was their luck with the opposite gender. Hinata had been in a few relationships in the past; once in his last year of junior high, and two just in the last year. None of those three had ever grown very serious, but all of them ended on good terms; he still talked with two of the three girls occasionally, only because he lost the number of the third. Hiroaki, however, was quite the opposite. He had faced rejection at least four times and Hinata could never understand why. Were they out of his league? His friend had good looks and was an athlete just like him. It just seemed like he could never find an answer to that question, no matter how hard the thought about. Could it be that I'm dense? He let his thoughts wander as he made his way to the main entrance.

Hinata took a glance at his watch as he walked, the time read eight fifty-two; class would be starting soon. He picked up his pace as he made his way to class. The first period class for him today is mathematics; he hated having mathematics in the morning, especially on Mondays. Luckily for him today was Friday. After entering the classroom, he walked straight towards his desk and took a seat. He absorbed the ambience of the class as he leaned back in his seat and stretched his arms. A group of four girls stood surrounding the desk immediately to his right. He could hear them discussing the selection of shirts in a women's clothing store he believed was in the nearest shopping centre. He heard them discussing several brands that he wasn't familiar with. In front of him were two of his male classmates discussing what he assumed were anime. He had watched some of the popular titles in the past but wasn't a particular fan of the lifeblood of the otaku culture. He decided to tune out the sounds of his peers in favor of looking out the window to his left as he rested his head in his arms. He watched the trickle of cars flow freely down the street, the odd student running for the entrance to make it to class before the bell. The events of yesterday slowly pushed their way back up to the surface of his thoughts. He knew he was forgetting something. He could feel it, and that was what annoyed him but confused him as well. He couldn't forget about it; sweep it under the rug like a matter no longer relevant. As he sat in thought, he realized that he couldn't wait for baseball practice after school today; After all, it was a pleasant distraction.

Next Time: Shattered Glass and Chance Encounters/This chapter part 2