"I'm going to visit Chiaki." The words left his mouth before he realised what he was doing.

She piqued your curiosity then?

You can say that. She just seems so...familiar. And since you're not helpful at all, I'll just have to solve this mystery myself.

You're attempting to be productive already? I'm shocked to my core. I truly wasn't expecting this.

Why the hell are you so sarcastic? I thought you liked Chiaki? Why do I get stuck with the asshole hallucination?

Not that you'll understand my true meaning, but this is a novel experience for me personally, as well. Truly, to think you'd be able to stir actual irritation from me. Your existence just has that effect on me, I suppose. I'll be eager to observe it.

...I can't tell whether that was sarcasm. You sounded serious. Why were you serious? You know what, I don't care. More of your cryptic bullshit, I guess.

Pulling himself off the bed cover and smothering a yawn, Hajime made his way to the door of his cottage and tugged it open, wincing at the bright, tropical sunlight. He shove his hands in his pockets as he leaned left and right before exiting, sauntering down the wooden pathway.

If I was a sleepy gamer girl, where would I be…?

Do you have to ask?

Hajime grinned, and headed to the hotel lobby.

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Stepping into the air conditioned lobby, it didn't take long to spot the Ultimate Gamer. She stood to the side of one of the arcade machines, and was snoring softly.

Is...is she asleep?

It appears so.

What do I do? I don't want to disturb her. But, like, isn't it dangerous sleeping while standing like that?

Are you going to stand there all day, or make a decision? There are other students we can visit.

Or so you say.

Hajime bit his lip. Izuru acted nonchalant, but he could feel the anxiety and a burning curiosity that maybe even outweighed his own coiling in his stomach.

"Mhhmm…"

"A-Ah!" Hajime jumped as Chiaki suddenly mumbled sleepily.

"Ah...Hajime, you're here. Sorry, I was getting a little sleep," she muttered sleepily. She yawned, rubbing one eye half-heartedly.

"Have you not been sleeping well?" he probed.

"Hmm, when I'm gaming I tend to forget about sleeping. Sometimes I even forget to breathe."

What. That's. That's not good, in fact that's really really bad. Before he could get a word in, she continued.

"Plus, I keep having nightmares. I had a bad dream the other day so I've been a little scared."

"Can I ask what kind of dream you had?" Hajime asked cautiously.

"Well…" she hummed. "I guess it's okay. It was a dream about 'Trio the Punch'."

"...Huh?" Hajime couldn't help himself as the confused sound fell from his lips. Who is...who the hell is 'Trio the Punch'? Izuru?

Don't ask me. I am the embodiment of Talent, not useless trivia knowledge.

So there's not the Ultimate Trivia Master somewhere hidden in that list?

I am above your taunts. Knowledge doesn't simply appear from thin air.

Sure. If you say so.

Chiaki had continuing to speak. "...tatue at Jabberwock changed into a bald old man with a thin mustache. It's probably because that game also takes place on a tropical island.

The more I think about it, the more this situation feels like that bizarre action game. We might eventually end up turning into sheep.

...I have more questions than before.

"You really love games, right, Chiaki?" Hajime phrased it as a question, but already knew the answer. Of course, Chiaki was the Ultimate Gamer, which was part of it, but some part of him knew exactly how she was going to respond.

"Mhm. How should I put it? I like it, but gaming is my life. Or maybe life is just a game?" She pondered. "But anyway," she suddenly looked really serious. "That's all the more reason why killings shouldn't be allowed! It's not a game if you're not having fun. It doesn't mean anything if you just focus on winning or losing."

I think there's more to it than that. I mean killing people isn't right, but I think I understand where she's coming from.

"...You're right." Hajime eventually replied. "Using your logic, there is a silver lining though."

"...You think so?" she asked, curious.

"Yeah. I mean we're all trapped on this horrible island, being forced to play this twisted game. But at least we're with other people. Playing a game with others is way more fun than playing alone, yeah?"

Chiaki looked surprised, eyes wide, as if that wasn't the answer she had initially expected. She then relaxed, smiling. "Yeah. I think you're right. As long as we work together, I think we can beat this game. There's often more than one way to win, after all."

Hajime gave a grin, but felt something like sadness tugging at chest. He shook it off and looked over Chiaki's shoulder. "Still have that Zelda import?"

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Eventually parting from Chiaki several hours later, he wandered across the island, passing the market and the airport and hesitating in front of both before moving on. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, and he knew he should probably be eating lunch, but he felt so restless he couldn't help wanting to pace.

Eventually reaching the small sandy path that led down to the beach where he'd first awoken and met Izuru, he hesitated again. This time, though, he took the plunge, trotting down the path until the feeling of sand in his shoes compelled him to remove them and feel the grain between his toes.

A dip in the ocean in this wouldn't be so bad, would it? I mean, this is a summer resort destination. Probably, at least.

Finally stepping onto the beach, his initial observation that he was alone was quickly proven false. Sat beneath the limited shade of the palm trees was a familiar mop of white hair, along with an oversized jacket, still being worn despite the overwhelming summer heat.

God damn it. My eyes aren't playing tricks on me, are they? That's Nagito. And he's still wearing that jacket? He's going to get heatstroke one of this days, and he doesn't look well to begin with.

What should I do? Izuru said he was dangerous...But he doesn't seem like a bad guy. Izuru has been creepily accurate so far though.

"Oh Hajime!" Nagito had noticed his arrival, twisting to face him. He smiled sreenly, and waved lazily. "What a surprise!"

Well he's noticed me now.

"Uh, hey," he replied eloquently. "I'm surprised to find you on the beach for some reason. Aren't you hot? Being in a jacket like that while out in the heat will make you sick, you know."

Nagito laughed, smiling in a carefree way. If Izuru's words weren't dancing in the back of his mind, he would even say that being around Nagito was relaxing. There was something to be said for mob mentality after all.

"I'll be fine; I'm always been a little cold. What about you, though, Hajime? You look a little sick yourself."

"Me?" Hajime found himself answering, legs moving before he could think. Nagito shifted over and Hajime sat himself down next to him in the shade, watching the crashing waves. Nagito looked at him for a moment before nodding.

"I just thought you looked a little pale. Ah, but maybe you're just a little worried. It'd be weird if you weren't worried by something like this." Nagito's tone was lilting, but it dropped a little at the end, like a half-disguised accusation. Or perhaps Hajime was overly paranoid by the situation at hand.

"You'd be right," he found himself agreeing. "Although I've been told I'm handling it rather well considering my reaction earlier, on the beach," he watched Nagito out the corner of his eye, the latter staring at the waves. "I think it's because I've been so paranoid up until this point," he admitted. "When something happened, it was weird." The words began to tumble from his mouth. "It was like I'd been so tense , so paranoid, so worried that something was going to happen, that when it actually did, I felt somewhat relieved. But that sounds so stupid, right?"

Nagito looked surprised for a moment before relaxing into a smile. "That doesn't sound stupid. It sounds rather reasonable, actually. Perhaps it was the rest of us who were too relaxed."

Hajime chuckled bitterly. "Of course that doesn't mean I took the news last night very well. Just…" He waved aimlessly. "I guess I've adjusted. Not that I'm happy about it." He sighed.

"Anyway," Hajime quickly changed the subject. "You mentioned before you're a lucky student, right? How does that work?"

Nagito laughed. It was soft and quiet. "You're quite smooth Hajime," he hummed. "Changing the topic like that. Well, I guess I understand." He hummed for a moment. "To be awarded the title of Ultimate Lucky Student...you have to win a country-wide lottery hosted by Hope's Peak Academy. And obviously, that was me."

"..." Hajime waited for Nagito to continue but he remained quiet, staring resolutely ahead.

"That's it?" he queried, doubtful.

"I know, right?" Nagito laughed. "That's exactly the reaction I expected! Who would have thought that an average, talentless high school student like me would ever enter Hope's Peak Academy…"

Hajime suddenly felt uneasy, and rather sick.

"At first...I declined. I told them I didn't deserve it. But they told me they really wanted me to attend… Apparently this so-called luck of mine is a talent that even the school doesn't fully understand...To research it, the school picks the Ultimate Lucky Student every year through an annual lottery. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to be here. But on the other hand, I feel a little out of place you know?" He laughed lightly.

"I feel that," Hajime felt the words slip out unintentionally.

"Huh," Nagito blinked.

"I-I mean I can't remember my talent anyway," he smiled sadly "So even if I do belong here, I still kind of feel like an imposter, you know?"

"I guess we're more alike than we thought!" Nagito said. "Imposter, huh? Are you sure you don't have imposter syndrome, Hajime? Or maybe you really are an imposter." He spoke the words with a dead serious expression and Hajime hesitated in confusion. He paused a beat before snickering. "I'm just kidding with you! I can tell you're an Ultimate, just by looking. Or at least, you have to be, or Hope's Peak wouldn't have accepted you, right?"

"You have a point, I suppose…" The way he's speaking makes me think he might be right. And I mean, I have vague memories of attending Hope's Peak too, so it's not just a mix up either. Yeah, maybe I am meant to be here.

"Talents that suit you, Hajime. Hmm... Maybe the Ultimate Spiky Hair? Or the Ultimate Scatterbrain?"

"...What kind of talents are those?" Hajiem asked, exasperated. And you built me up like that too.

"Haha, sorry, sorry! I was mostly playing around. To be honest, Hajime, this is the first time we've properly spoken outside of those brief interactions we had before Monokuma arrived on the scene. It's hard to make a serious judgement just after meeting someone, you know!"

Izuru doesn't seem to have any problems with that…

"But I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually!" Nagito gave a final piece of encouragement.

"...Thanks."

"Oh? What for?"

"Just for talking to me, I guess." I feel like it's the first time someone's believed in me for a very long time…

"You don't need to thank me for that! You're an Ultimate after all. I should be the one thanking you!"

On that slightly pessimistic note, Hajime pulled himself from the sand and wandered from the beach.

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Omake:

"I shouldn't of skipped lunch," Hajime grumbled to himself.

Shouldn't have skipped lunch.

What?

It's have, not of.

What, so now you're a grammar nazi as well? Also, where the hell have you been the last few hours?

You're just that boring, I have to wring what little entertainment there is to be had by irritating you. And you had no need of me the last few hours. You were off making friends.

Oh shut up, Mr. High and Mighty. You wanted to visit Chiaki just as much as I did. And what was up with all that melancholy anyway?

Being around that person may cause me regret, but the melancholy is all yours, Hajime.

You're keeping things from me again, aren't you? Fine. What about Nagito? I was doing research! You said he was dangerous but decided to just vanish from the face of the earth when I'm talking to him? What the heck was up with that?

Hajime. No offense, but you are a truly terrible liar. Actors would weep if you ever tried to keep a secret. You already struggle not to speak to yourself. Did you really want to make all manner of odd facial expressions in front of someone already suspicious of us?

…

Hey, Izuru. Do I really have a talent?

...Perhaps.

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Authors Note:

Me to Me: Are you really just hiding the fact you don't know how to write Nagito/Izuru interactions

Me:...no

So anyway, I decided to separate Free Time from the main story line for labeling ease. As expected, Nagito got the most votes at 9 votes since this was the last time in a while he was available in canon. Chiaki came next at 8 votes. She was written first because she was leading when I started writing. Next came Kazuichi (underrated boy) at 4 votes. He was tied with the secret, unmentioned option, Izuru which some sneaky person over at AO3 noticed. I didn't even realise this was a loophole until it was too late. I'm not closing it though. But uh. Hajime and Izuru are sharing a body so that means Hajime is just gonna spend time annoying Izuru in hope of getting a hope shard. Which. Probably wont work. But you can vote for it anyway! Next came Gundham at 2 votes. Then, Peko, Mikan, Nekomaru, Sonia, Hiyoko, Byuakyua and Mahiru at 1 vote. Akane and Ibuku got no votes :(

These Free Time events were more relevant to canon and heavily edited from normal Free Time events than their canon counterparts. Nagito's was a mix of his introduction we didn't get normally, plus the first free time event. Also, I got told that I wrote a character that really dislike very well, to the point that they said I captured their good points. Which was like. Awkward, but also super high praise. I'm doing something right at least. You guys have no idea that your comments legitimately make me cry. Plot will be up soon! (Also Omake is like. Extra non-canonical extra scene that I didn't know whether to include)

I'm restarting the poll for the next Free Time events. Old votes not longer count.

Also, sorry for the long authors note, but I don't care whether your 'reviews' are legitimate criticism or like just. ' :) '. I'm starved for interaction and I love all of you and this story has more followers than it deserves by far. See you next time!