Free Time Events: Sousuke Kagami
EVENT 1: Kagami-kun is a bit of an enigma, but he seems trustworthy.
Kagami-kun and I hung out together, although it was a bit awkward, since I didn't know of any conversation subjects that he would like to talk about. Most of the people I knew, from the Ultimates to my various schoolmates across the years, had fairly obvious interests, but there were still many things I didn't know about Kagami-kun.
"So, Miura-san, have you gotten to know the Ultimates here?" Kagami-kun said.
"I have," I said. "There are some I know better than others, but I can name everyone's talents and give a basic description of their personalities- or at least try to."
My mom had once told me that it wasn't possible to fully know someone. People were more complicated than they seemed at first glance, and it was possible for people that y had known for years-in my mom's case, some of her best friends, my dad and I- to surprise you.
"Most people, huh?" Kagami-kun said. "Looks like I'm not included."
"I didn't mean that," I said. "I'm just saying that it'd be a stretch to say that I know any of you very well at this point. I hope you're not offended."
"No, I understand," Kagami-kun said. "I don't really believe people can just become friends instantly- after all, it's possible for you to know someone for years, and still not know many things about them. Maybe the two of you aren't that close, or maybe that person has some secrets that they don't want anyone to know. It all depends on you, and on them."
"That's right," I said. "Of course, I think that people can gradually foster a sense of trust in one another by spending time with each other and deepening their bonds."
"Good plan," Kagami-kun said. "You can never be sure who you can trust in the killing game, but you won't last long without someone watching your back."
I nodded in agreement. While many self-professed lone-wolf types had good reason not to trust others, they couldn't do everything themselves, and not having someone to help you when you need it could be as deadly as being betrayed at a critical moment. Of course, it was still a bit soon to unconditionally trust Kagami-kun to that extent.
"Got it," I said. "I'd like to get to know you better, Kagami-kun, so let me know if I can help; you with anything."
"Will do, Miura-san," Kagami-kun said.
Kagami-kun and I parted ways for the moment. For now, our relationship was that of two strangers, trying to cooperate in a dangerous situation. Of course, despite the circumstances, I hoped our relationship could evolve beyond an alliance of convenience, and into genuine friendship.
EVENT 2: Kagami-kun has some things he's good at, but nothing on par with the others' Ultimate talents.
Kagami-kun began talking with me about various celebrity gossip. I'd always found the kind of journalism included in the tabloids to be too tawdry for my tastes, but Kagami-kun seemed to enjoy seeing famous people's uglier sides exposed, simply because it gave him a more complete understanding of them. Of course, he didn't claim to be an expert on that sort of thing, pointing out that there was an Ultimate Trivia Champion in the year ahead of us.
"I'm curious, Kagami-kun," I said. "Do you have any hobbies?"
"I do," Kagami-kun said. "Might you be trying to see if you can find clues to my real talent?"
"That's only part of it," I said. "Another part is that normal people have things they're good at and like to do. I enjoy writing and playing video games, and can do so at least fairly competently, even if I'm not Ultimate-caliber."
Kagami-kun scratched his head.
"Let's see..." Kagami-kun said. "Ironic as it may sound for someone who's forgotten his talent, I have a photographic memory. Out of curiosity, how well do you know pi?"
"I know a few digits," I said. "3.14159265..."
I trailed off. Since I wasn't confident in my knowledge of pi, I simply used the pi symbol when I wasn't using a calculator.
"I've memorized several dozen digits," Kagami-kun said. "3.14159265..."
Kagami-kun then recited as many digits of pi as he remembered. It was fairly amazing to hear, even if I had no way of verifying whether he was actually right.
"Wow, that's fairly impressive," I said.
"It's not all that special," Kagami-kun said. "There's a difference between the kind of thing you can do to impress someone at a party, and the kind of thing that can build a career. "
"True," I said. "Of course, my hobbies are strictly just hobbies. I can't possibly make a living off of them, but then again, I don't have to worry about doing them well, so it's easier to just have fun with them."
Kagami-kun nodded.
"True," Kagami-kun said. "Of course, when you do find a career, you'll have to work hard to become good at your job, and will have to compete with other people to get hired. Depending on your career, you might even need to sharpen your skills from time to time in order to keep them current. Because of that, I can understand why people want to be like the Ultimates."
"So do I," I said. "My parents often, albeit not unreasonably, stress that I have to keep my grades up and get every edge I can so I can get into a good college and get a good job. If they ask a lot of me, it's because they know the real world will, too."
"I see," Kagami-kun said. "I'm curious, though- wouldn't you rather have something you know you're the best at, rather than working hard just to be decent at something?"
"Probably," I said, "but at the same time, if that meant giving up the person I am, I'd rather not."
"So even if you're not an especially talented person, you still see that as part of who you are?" Kagami-kun said. "Interesting..."
Kagami-kun trailed off, and didn't elaborate on that thought, so we changed the subject. Still, I had to wonder- if Kagami-kun got his memory of his talent back, would he become someone who was fundamentally different from the young man I'd come to know? And if he did, would our relationship change accordingly?
EVENT 3: (Not available until Chapter III. Miura also must have completed at least one person's Free Time Events)
Kagami-kun and I talked some more about famous people, from the rumor that the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy was an illegitimate child to whispers about a rivalry between the Ultimate Pop Sensation and one of her bandmates.
"Is something wrong, Kagami-kun?" I said
"I've been thinking about what you said last time, Miura-san," Kagami-kun said. "It's possible that I do have an ultimate talent, but it's also possible that it's not very special or even good."
"Do you mean like mine?" I said. "It hardly counts as a talent."
"Not exactly," Kagami-kun said. "Even if we consider the others here to be 'real' Ultimates, there's a difference in how useful their talents are. For example, Katsura-san, with her talent as Ultimate Saleswoman, could easily get a job at a big company, or maybe even start her own, and have a long and prosperous career. By comparison, Sakuragi-kun's talent as Ultimate Sprinter brings him great success now, but eventually, he'll be past his prime- or suffer a debilitating injury- and no longer able to run competitively."
"That happens to professional athletes sooner or later," I said, "but at least they were famous for a while."
"True," Kagami-kun said. "Fifteen minutes of fame is better than none, but try telling that to washed up celebrities who can't hold down a job."
"A lot of people can say the same," I said. "I suppose that means the best of us aren't necessarily any different from the rest of us."
"You really think so?" Kagami-kun said.
"I do," I said. "Take away their Ultimate Talent- which most of them aren't using anyway while they're stuck in here- and you get a bunch of teenagers who have various personality types and problems that might be expected of boys and girls our age. All of them have struggled with various problems, but none of them were prepared to end up in a situation like this... except maybe the mastermind."
As I hastily added the sole exception, I had to wonder about the mastermind. They'd avoided being targeted for murder thus far, as well as being executed for failing to find the blackened, but they were as mortal as the rest of us. Did they fail to consider that when they posed as another participant in the killing game? Or were they that confident in their ability to avoid being found out by hiding in plain sight, and survive longer tan the others?
"So in other words, they aren't that different from us?" Kagami-kun said. "That makes sense, although they do have talents that we don't. In other words, they might have our weaknesses, but we don't have their strengths."
I sighed. Ever since the second murder, "weaknesses" had taken on a new significance, and I'd been forced to confront that many of us had dark secrets. While I still was in awe of the Ultimates' prowess in the fields of their choice, I no longer put them on a pedestal the same way I used to- not even Edogawa-san.
"I suppose so," I said, "but all the same, they're only human. Like I said, they have their share of problems, some of which might be things that come easily to 'normal' people, as well as some things they can't do, even with their impressive talents."
"You have a point," Kagami-kun said. "Maybe I don't understand because I don't remember being an Ultimate."
"You could be right," I said. "Of course, if you do remember, maybe your memories of the time when you'd lost your memories will help you gain additional perspective on what it means to be talented."
We parted ways once again. I remembered that my talent, ephemeral as it was, gave me a small taste of what it was like to be truly talented. Perhaps because of that, I had understanding of being an Ultimate and being an ordinary person. The latter had its disadvantages, but it wasn't as bad as many people thought, so I hoped Kagami-kun would remember that even if he rediscovered his Ultimate identity.
EVENT 4: Kagami-kun believes one's talent is part of one's identity.
Once again, Kagami-kun and I talked about famous people of all sorts, from high schoolers to .
"You know, Miura-san, I've been thinking," Kagami-kun said. "I agree that the Ultimates are normal people when you think about it, but I still want to remember what my talent is... even if I'm scared that it might not be something I'd want to remember."
"Why is that?" I said.
"To put it simply, it's a part of who I am," Kagami-kun said. "Your friend Edogawa-san isn't just an amazing writer- she's someone who has invested a large portion of her life into writing. That sort of time investment probably helped shape her as a person, and not just by making her a better writer."
"I know," I said. "I really have a hard time imagining what Edogawa-san would be like if she hadn't chosen to become a writer. If she'd forgotten that, she'd probably be like... like..."
"Like me?" Kagami-kun said.
"I guess," I said. "Probably an ordinary person who's good at various things, but most likely doesn't have much in the way of accomplishments or fame."
Kagami-kun chuckled.
"You hit the nail on the head," Kagami-kun said. "Most people are recognized by what they do for a living, and that's how they're usually remembered after they died. Like I said to Katsura-san, I'd like to be able to introduce myself as 'Sousuke Kagami, the very best at...' whatever my talent is."
I briefly imagined what would happen if Edogawa-san died- a morbid thought, but one we'd often had to think about now that we were in a killing game. The media would report about how a promising young author had died, and many of Edogawa-san's fans would be heartbroken, just like people would be if their favorite celebrity died.
Of course, since I had started thinking of Edogawa-san as a friend, not just my favorite writer, I also found it hard to accept that one's job was the full extent of one's identity. Dad saw his job as a businessman as only one part of who he was- he was also a husband, a father and many other things. He said that if he died tomorrow, the news would probably report that a businessman had died, but the funeral would mainly be attended by his friends, family and a few of his colleagues.
"What about me?" I said. "What does my so-called 'talent' say about me?"
"I'm not sure," Kagami-kun said, "but maybe it means that you have the potential to stand on your own feet and succeed by your own efforts, rather than merely due to talent. I'm honestly a bit jealous."
"The Ultimates work quite hard, too," I said. "Their talent is potential, which they realized through considerable effort and refining their skills. I suppose ordinary people can succeed, too, though- we just have to work that much harder for results that may not be as good."
"That may be so," Kagami-kun said. "Still, I can't rest easy knowing that I have a gift that I've forgotten."
"Fair enough," I said. "Even after everything that happened, my Beginner's Luck did get me here, and help me meet all of you, so I'm still thankful for it."
Kagami-kun paused, lost in thought for a moment. Being forced to think about what you're grateful for does help give some perspective, and forces you to reconsider what you're complaining about, so maybe he was grappling with that idea.
"I agree,' Kagami-kun said. "Talent High School clearly saw something in me, so I hope it's something good."
We parted ways for now. I'd always wondered why Talent High School chose the students it did, even before our admission turned out to be the reason why we were stuck in this deadly game. My dad, however, simply told me to "be worthy of" the opportunity I'd been given, so I hoped Kagami-kun would endeavor to do the same.
EVENT 5: Kagami-kun and I are kindred spirits.
I met up with Kagami-kun once again, and we decided to brainstorm what his talent might be. We had a few possible choices, such as the Ultimate Spy, the Ultimate Detective or the Ultimate Survivor, since Monokuma might have erased his talent if it had proved a threat, but none of them seemed all that convincing.
"So, Kagami-kun," I said. "Have you made any progress on remembering your talent?"
Kagami-kun chuckled and shook his head.
"You'd be the first to know if I did," Kagami-kun said. "That said, I've started to gain some appreciation for what you're doing. Rather than go down the road chosen for you, you blaze your own trail."
"I'm glad you think so," I said. "Of course, even if people like me are following our own paths, they don't always go where we hope they will."
"I guess not," Kagami-kun said. "Still, if you outdo a person with talent with only hard work, then maybe it's proof that you don't need an Ultimate talent to succeed, after all. Even if you end up somewhere you didn't intend to get, then I guess that's somewhere you got by your own efforts, for better or worse."
I nodded. The dark side of the freedom to choose is that while we could make our lives into what we wanted to be (at least in theory), we also had the potential to ruin our lives through bad choices or bad luck. All the same, I was starting to appreciate this freedom a bit more, even if some of the more desirable choices were out of my reach.
"Quite true," I said. "Let me know what you choose to do with your life, and I'll cheer you on all the way."
"I think we have a deal, Miura-san," Kagami-kun said, as we shook hands.
There were probably still many things I didn't know about Kagami-kun, since it hadn't been that long since we'd met (or rather, met each other once again). Still, I considered him a friend, and hoped that no matter what he remembered or what else happened to him, he felt the same way.
Author's Notes
Skill: Memory. Highlights previously chosen correct correct answers and weak spots.
Sousuke's Undergarments: A pair of briefs that somehow is reflective. Sousuke claims not to remember where he bought them.
This Free Time Event chain was intended to look at the differences between talented and non-talented individuals. While Danganronpa often shows how being an Ultimate isn't always everything it's cracked up to be, I also decided to show the alternative- working especially hard just to be average in your chosen field, and perhaps not even getting to do what you want for a living.
Sousuke Kagami
Talent: Unknown.
Birthday: May 25 (Gemini)
Height: 169 cm (5'6")
Likes: Celebrity gossip
Dislikes: Unknown.
Hobby: Memorizing things.
