Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Danganronpa series. I only own Hikari Seishin and her family. I also do not own any video games I mention in this fanfic.
Note: I try to make the story as canon as I can with obvious creative liberties. Please let me know if any of the original cast is OOC and I will do my best to fix it.
A/N: I'm sorry that it took long to update! Life got busy for me these past couple of months and I think this is my 2nd longest chapter so far. This is also a completely original chapter! Please enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-Six
Making Contact
"Thanks for walking with me, Nanami. I'm okay. I'm just going to lay down and hopefully get some sleep," Hikari reassured Chiaki, the Spirit Medium standing inside the doorway of her cottage with the door open halfway.
"All right," the Gamer nodded, her hands on her backpack straps as she stood outside her friend's cottage. "If your head feels any worse, let me know, okay?"
"I will. I promise." Hikari waved to Chiaki once the pale mauve-haired girl was heading to her own cottage. Hikari watched her close friend yawn as she rounded the corner towards the girls' cottages. The bespectacled girl let out a tired sigh after she closed the door. "This day might be the worst day here…or is at least one of them." She kicked off her shoes next to the door before she strolled across the room, taking out the elastic that kept her hair in a ponytail, her long black hair flowing down to her midback. "Ahh…maybe my head hurt more because I had my hair up too tight…" Hikari theorized half-heartedly as she unceremoniously sat on her bed, taking off her knee-high socks. "Nah… It didn't feel that tight. At least the pain is going away. I just hope I don't have a concussion…" She frowned as she stared down at nothing in particular. "And the person who could have known if it was a concussion or not was the person who gave me the injury in the first place… Tsumiki…why did you turn out like that…?"
"What I did…was for the sake of my beloved."
Hikari gripped her hands against the bed's edges as she remembered Mikan's words after the Nurse was found guilty of murdering Ibuki and Hiyoko. "Just…who is your beloved, Tsumiki…?" The Spirit Medium stayed in that position for a while, trying to see if she could sense Mikan's ghost. "Tsumiki…please let me know that you're here… I want to know if I'm the traitor or not…" Yet, all Hikari could hear was the distant crashing of the ocean's waves from her cracked open windows. The blue-eyed teen closed her eyes, focusing on Mikan's image. If she won't show up in front of me, maybe she will through spirit channeling… "Tsumiki Mikan," Hikari called forth, waiting for any indication of Mikan responding to the summons, but still nothing happened.
The ebony-haired teen exhaled loudly as she let herself fall back onto the mattress, her hair splayed around her head. She laid there staring blankly at the ceiling as a gentle breeze caressed the bed's sheer canopy curtains. Hikari felt her eyes grow heavy while her anxious thoughts plagued her mind.
Could I be the traitor among the group…? Does the traitor know that they are the traitor or could they not remember just like how everyone can't remember their school lives…? Hikari wondered, moving a hand lazily to cover a yawn. Why would our memories about school be taken from us…? Why would the Future Foundation do that to us…? What does the Future Foundation want from us…? The Spirit Medium felt her eyes close as she let herself lie idly on the bed with her glasses on, listening to the soft clatter of her blinds bumping against the sills of her windows when the wind gently pushed against the shades. Then, as if out of nowhere, a thought crept into Hikari's mind, causing her to open her eyes.
"What if…" she murmured as she sat back up, feeling hopeful but expecting nothing. The girl licked her lips apprehensively, sitting cross-legged on her bed before she took a deep breath. "Tsumiki's beloved…please give me a sign… Let me know you are here…" She waited quietly, her eyes carefully searching the room while trying to listen for anything out of the ordinary. Like before, there was no response to Hikari's call.
"If I had the person's full name…I might have a better chance at summoning their spirit here…" Hikari conjectured with a disappointed frown. "There's no way I could channel them… I don't have an image of them or their name…" Her deep-blue eyes scanned the room once again, the incense, candles, and channeling crystals on the coffee table catching her attention more than a couple of times since her attempt to talk to Mikan's beloved. Hikari stared at the items hesitantly.
"What if…" she repeated almost inaudibly, uncrossing her legs to let them hang over the edge of the bed. The Spirit Medium shook her head slowly, closing her eyes. "No…there's no way that it would work…" As the words trailed off, Hikari couldn't help but stare at the incantation circle on her floor in front of her. Before she even realized what she was doing, Hikari was walking over to the table and started to take the white candles of varying sizes and place them on the outer ring of the incantation circle. The bespectacled girl made sure that the candles were safely spaced out before she began to light the candles as well as a couple of incense sticks that were next to some matches on the table. Hikari looked around to make sure that an accidental fire wouldn't happen during her experiment, going over to both windows to open them up more.
"I didn't realize burning incense could smell this strong…" the teenager remarked to herself as she waved a wisp of incense smoke away from her face after she opened the window that was located next to the table with the incense. "Okay… Let's see if this works…" Hikari said doubtfully after she flipped off the light switch in the room, the only illumination in the room coming from the eight white candles and faint moonlight from the back window. She walked over to the middle of the incantation circle and sat down cross-legged, feeling slightly unnerved by all the occult that was actually being used and was currently surrounding her no less. Despite her hesitancy, the Spirit Medium slowly closed her eyes and took a long and deep breath before she began the seance.
"Tsumiki's beloved…this is Seishin Hikari," Hikari introduced herself to the empty room as the candlelight flickered in the darkness, the girl pausing in between sentences to listen for any response. "I am a spirit medium and I want to meet you… There are many questions I want to ask you… Please, manifest yourself in some way so that we may talk…" Hikari wasn't sure if she lit too much incense or if it was all in her head but all she could see was dense fog forming all around her with black outlines of trees beyond the mist.
"Am I in a park…or a forest…?" the teen girl wondered, looking around before she saw a shadowy figure beyond the haze in the distance. "Huh…? Someone's there…" Hikari said out loud and started to walk towards the mysterious silhouette. "Hello…?" she called out cautiously, squinting her eyes as if that would help her see better in the fog. The mist gradually started to glitch around Hikari as she continued to approach the shadow, a static sound starting to buzz in her ears. She winced a little as the throbbing pain returned to her head, a hand automatically going to her wound.
"Please…go back…" a faraway voice begged the Spirit Medium from behind. Hikari blinked in surprise and twirled around only to see the thick whitish-grey fog behind her.
"That voice…sounded so familiar…" Hikari whispered as she looked around again. "I feel like I should know who it belongs to, but…I can't seem to remember…" She frowned and turned back towards her original destination. "But…I'm almost there… I feel like…it is calling me…" The black-haired girl took a step forward, grimacing a bit when another wave of dull pain coursed through her head. However, she narrowed her eyes and took another step and then another, ignoring the pain, the glitching fog, and the buzzing in her ears.
"Just keep going…" Hikari said to herself in order to keep her motivation up even though her body was pleading for her to stop. "Maybe…this person has all the answers to our questions… Maybe we…can find a way to get off th7468i69s73 i69sl73c6and616e64…" The Spirit Medium gasped in agony after speaking, her last couple of words sounding distorted. Hikari held her head with her eyes squeezed shut. She felt as if hundreds of needles were stabbing into her brain, her body bent over in almost crippling pain. She whimpered in discomfort as she gripped her black tresses of hair in an effort to divert the pain somewhere else, yet the pain's intensity inside her head remained constant.
After what seemed like ages, Hikari managed to open one eye through the pain and then the other once she realized she was standing before what appeared to be the shadow she was pursuing. Hikari leaned up from her hunched position to get a better look at the entity in front of her, vaguely noticing that the silvery mist was now just surrounding them like a circular wall. Is this Tsumiki's beloved…? Hikari thought with suspicion, her eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement as her deep blue eyes travelled upwards to the mysterious and silent figure's face. Once the being made eye contact with the Spirit Medium, the bespectacled girl felt her whole body become immobilized, her mouth dropping open slightly and her eyes widened, her pupils shrinking. The world around the two started to fall to pieces around them, glitching as the fog-filled forest morphed into complete darkness which also mirrored what was going on in Hikari's mind, images and thoughts speeding through her head, immediately becoming distorted before they got instantly erased. However, one thought in Hikari's head had the opposite reaction, two words becoming clearer and sharper in her mind's eye until it was impossible to be ignored.
"Say it…" a voice from what seemed to be coming from the person said to Hikari although the person's mouth remained closed, their lips curved upwards.
"No…! Don't…!" the familiar voice pleaded distantly. "Don't say it…!"
Hikari's skin felt cold, forming goosebumps as she didn't take her eyes away from the being in front of her. Hikari couldn't look away even if she wanted to since her whole body was unable to move. Then, her mouth moved on its own accord, saying two words almost soundlessly. Once the words left her mouth, a sudden burst of wind blew into the cottage, extinguishing all of the candles around the incantation circle in the Spirit Medium's cottage. Hikari remained sitting cross-legged in the center of the circle, not moving a muscle, her bangs covering her eyes before her mouth began to crack a tiny smirk.
^o^ ^o^
Hajime let out a deep breath after finishing a bottle of Ramune he bought from the MonoMono Yachine a couple days ago before the whole Despair Disease incident happened. "…Aaah," Hajime sighed in relief as he placed the empty bottle in the wastebasket in his room. "Eating definitely made me feel better… I'm glad I kept some snacks here so I didn't have to stop at the supermarket like Kuzuryuu and some others…" he said to himself as he gazed at the wrappings of some cod roe baguettes and Gugelhupf cakes. "Not sure if I'll regret eating all that when morning comes, but that was all I had." The ahoged boy loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt before he pulled the green tie off, tossing it onto the bed. "I should remember to go back to the MonoMono Yachine and spend those Monocoins…" Hajime yawned before he dropped his weary body onto the soft and inviting mattress. Even though his body welcomed the longed-for prospect of relaxation, Hajime's mind was unable to rest.
"Why does Monokuma leave Monocoins in our cottages after every class trial anyway? Is he rewarding us for surviving so far or for catching the blackened?" he thought out loud, looking at the windowsill that was currently in his line of vision with a deadpan stare, the boy feeling annoyed at Monokuma as well as feeling mocked at by the evil bear's actions in general. Hajime wasn't sure how long he laid in that position until he had this nagging feeling that he needed to go outside for some reason. He closed his eyes and groaned in complaint, his body feeling heavy, warm, and ready for sleep. The plain teen wouldn't be surprised if he had fallen asleep already and had just woken up. This must be what it's like to be obsessive-compulsive… Needing to check on some pointless thing in order to completely relax… Hajime thought with mild irritation as he forced himself up from his tempting bed, the persistent feeling to step outside still present in his mind. He ran a hand through his spiky brown hair before he half-heartedly slipped on his sneakers and opened his door.
Hajime shivered a little from the chilly night air when he stepped out of his cottage to find only silence and a dark sky littered with stars. "Huh? The moon looks so big right now…" he murmured, blinking at the full moon curiously. The ahoged teen lowered his head and scanned his surroundings, hoping to sate the feeling he was having. Just when Hajime was about to turn around to head back inside, his heart almost stopped. In the corner of his eye, he saw Hikari's cottage door was open halfway with no lights on inside. Hajime stared at the sight in a paralyzed state as he remembered the conversation he had with Chiaki when the two talked in her room.
^o^ ^o^
"Well… Seishin might be prone to sleepwalking."
Hajime tilted his head to the side, not quite sure why it was alarming to Chiaki. "Really? Is it really serious to worry about that? Can people open doors if they are sleepwalking?"
Chiaki nodded solemnly. "She did it before."
^o^ ^o^
Hajime slowly neared the Spirit Medium's cottage, not taking him too long to get there since Hikari's cottage was just behind Mikan's. Why do I have a really bad feeling about this…? Hajime thought as he reached the cottage, placing a hand on the edge of the opened door. The plain teen felt all the muscles in his body tense up, his hand clenching the wooden door anxiously once he saw the state of Hikari's room. The windows were opened, allowing a breeze sway the sheer canopy curtains around Hikari's empty and almost untouched bed. Wisps of smoke drifted with the gentle wind from the incense sticks held on top of the coffee table in addition to the thin smoke trailing from the white candles around the ominous looking black incantation circle which created an unnerving mist-like atmosphere inside. Lying slightly off center on the magic circle were Hikari's red glasses folded neatly on the ground. Hajime felt his blood run cold as Chiaki's request concerning their friend echoed in his mind.
"Can you help me keep an eye on Seishin whenever you have the chance? You don't have to do much…just watch for any alarming behaviors from her. They usually show up after a trial so hopefully we won't have to worry about that."
Damnit… I forgot all about keeping an eye on Seishin after the trial… Hajime swore, the all too familiar feeling of dread starting to spread throughout his body. I wasn't really thinking about it because of everything happening all at once and Seishin has been close with Kuzuryuu, so I thought… Aaarrgh! I'm such an idiot! He pivoted to his right and propelled himself away from the area, running off as the door creaked further open.
^o^ ^o^
Chiaki frowned while she stared at her handheld console's screen, sitting on her pink floor chair. Monomi sat across from her, weeping quietly with her paws covering her eyes. "It is getting worse, Chiaki… The virus keeps spreading and Alter Ego can't do anything to stop it…" Monomi babbled in between sobs. "Oh, if only I had my magic stick! I surely would be able to protect everyone with it!"
"Onii-san and the others are doing all that they can to stop it…" Chiaki whispered, her grip on her handheld tightened slightly. "I'm just worried Monokuma will break through all the security measures before you are able to get your authority back… I think he is currently trying to bypass those especially pertaining to Seishin." The Gamer sighed in annoyance as she continued to press the buttons on her console. "It's frustrating whenever I try to send messages to Onii-san…some go through and others fail to send. Have you heard from the others on your end?"
"Not lately…" Monomi whimpered, her ears flopping forward sadly. "I'm sure they're doing everything that they can think of, including shutting it down… But it'll be very bad if Monokuma can get to Hikari! If that happens-!" The stuffed rabbit shook in terror at the thought.
Chiaki's frown deepened, her eyebrows furrowing in steadfastness. "That is why we cannot give up hope. We have to do our part as well. I'll keep watching over Seishin and the rest of the class. Are you going to fight the Monobeast tonight?"
Monomi rubbed her button eyes with her paws before standing up and nodding dramatically. "Y-Yes, of course! I'll give it all I got to defeat the Eagle Monobeast so everyone can gain access to the fourth island."
Before the pale pink-eyed girl could respond, there was a rapid series of knocks against her cottage door. Both AIs stiffened up and stared at the door warily, both knowing something was wrong based on the desperate banging on the door.
"N-Nanami! It's me, Hinata!" the voice on the other side called out frantically. "Please open the door!" Chiaki glanced at Monomi before getting up, the stuffed rabbit scampering across the floor before crawling underneath the Gamer's bed. Once Chiaki knew that Monomi was gone, she opened the door to an anxious Hajime.
"What's going on Hinata?" the girl asked with a hint of apprehension.
"It's Seishin…" he said, looking rattled, his clothes slightly disheveled. "She's missing… Can you help me find her?"
Chiaki nodded, wearing a serious expression. "Yes. Let's go." The two swiftly ran back to the Spirit Medium's cottage on the off chance that she returned, yet luck was not on their side.
"I'm sorry, Nanami… I should have made sure she was okay before I went into my cottage…" Hajime apologized, rambling on in a panic. "I thought she would be okay since she seemed to be close with Kuzuryuu…so I-I thought that he was giving her better support…"
Chiaki inspected inside Hikari's cottage, Hajime's words deaf on the AI who was feeling very troubled about the situation herself. This isn't good… The Gamer stepped though the doorway and glanced to her right to look through the glass wall into the bathroom to make sure that Hikari wasn't in there. Chiaki's pale pink eyes moved downwards to the incantation circle, staring at her friend's glasses. This isn't good at all… She spun around to her remorseful companion. "Hinata, let's split up. The candles appeared to have been recently put out so she must not have gotten far…I think. I'm going to check around the hotel complex first. Can you see if she left the area?" Chiaki asked, her hands gripping the straps of her kitty backpack.
"U-Uh, sure…" Hajime murmured as Chiaki walked past him towards both hotel buildings, the boy blinking in slight surprise to see his usual sleepyhead friend acting so resolute. He also couldn't help but feel relieved to see her in this light since he felt useless without a direction to go on at that moment. Hajime turned to the complex's entrance and was just about to run out until Chiaki called out to him.
"Hey, hey!" Hajime stopped and faced the Gamer once more to find her standing next to the pool.
"What is it, Nanami?" he asked, worried. She was staring into the pool's calm water before looking up at the ahoged teen.
"Just make sure you're looking everywhere carefully," Chiaki advised, raising a finger in the air as a matter-of-factly. "I've never seen Seishin swim…so she might not know how to swim…I think. It's just a thought that crossed my mind as I passed by the pool."
Hajime smiled weakly and nodded. "All right. Thanks for the advice." With that, Hajime ran off as fast as he could in the hopes to find Hikari before anything bad happened. Chiaki watched silently after him before Monomi crawled out from underneath a poolside lounge chair.
"Chiaki…! What do we do!? What if Monokuma got to her?" Monomi fretted when she approached the girl.
The Gamer frowned, a hand resting over her heart while staring at the entrance of the hotel complex. "We'll decide what to do when we cross over that bridge…or so they say. She might be taken over by a spirit based on what I have seen in her cottage, but I am not entirely certain…" Then, she slowly tore her gaze away to look at her short-statured partner. "Just stay focused on the fight with the Monobeast. You're the only one who can defeat them. But…in case you do come across Seishin, can you snap her out of the trance if she really is possessed?"
"O-Okay! I-I'll do anything to help my dear students!" the stuffed rabbit stammered, trying to sound confident despite shaking in trepidation before she disappeared into the night.
Chiaki clenched her hand, looking up at the glowing full moon. "Please, Hinata… Find her in time if I'm unable to… If you don't…I'm not sure what would happen…"
^o^ ^o^
Hajime stopped right outside the opened doors leading to the hotel site, the boy feeling slightly winded as he looked around. "Sh-She can't have gone far… H-Huh? W-Wait, what the-?" he said breathlessly, looking to his left. In the distance, Hajime saw a figure moving further away. "Is that…Seishin? Where is she heading…?" he wondered, squinting his eyes to try to find out if it was actually Hikari, but the person appeared to be getting smaller as they had already passed by the animal ranch. Hajime took a deep breath and began to run after the figure. I hope this really is Seishin…
When Hajime neared the first island beach, he slowed down to a halt to catch his breath. I still feel exhausted from everything that happened earlier… he realized as he panted heavily, his body bent forward with his hands on his knees. The teen tilted his head up to survey the area to make sure he didn't lose the person he was following. Hajime quickly straightened himself up when he caught sight of them. "There…! It is Seishin!" he exclaimed, feeling a weight lifting from his chest as he started to walk after Hikari. By that point, the Spirit Medium was almost halfway across the bridge, stumbling on her bare feet somewhat as if she was indeed sleepwalking. "Hey, Seishin! Where are you going!? Wake u-" Hajime began shouting to her until all of a sudden she stopped walking. He watched as Hikari headed to the bridge's right side and stood between two of the wooden poles that held up the top wooden beam that spanned the entire length of the bridge to the central island. "H-Huh…? Seishin…? Wha-?" Hajime inhaled deeply in absolute shock when Hikari turned her head to the right to make eye contact with him.
S-Seishin…? the plain teen thought weakly as he stared at the girl before him. The young woman blankly stared back at Hajime with light-blue eyes before she smirked and gave the dumbstruck boy a mock salute. Hajime's eyes widened in horror, watching the black-haired teenaged girl lean forward and fall off the bridge, a splash faintly reaching his ears. "Seishin! No!" Hajime yelled in despair, kicking off his sneakers and socks just before he sprinted as quickly as he could to where Hikari fell off on the bridge.
"I've never seen Seishin swim…so she might not know how to swim…"
"Sh-Shit…! Shit, shit, shit!" Hajime swore as he skidded to a stop, his light-brown eyes searching desperately in the water for any sign of Hikari surfacing for air. He clenched his fists tightly, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. After suffering a long moment of waiting and not seeing the Spirit Medium, Hajime narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath, jumping off the bridge and diving into the cold ocean water.
^o^ ^o^
Where am I…!? I-I can't breathe…! Hikari thought desperately as she struggled in the deep ocean water, gaining consciousness from the spirit possession once she hit the surface of the water. Why am I here…? Why am I underwater…!? The distressed girl had no idea which way was up or down because she was so disoriented. Bubbles swarmed around her face as water invaded her orifices. I need to get air! The Spirit Medium's panic escalated since she also couldn't see due to her blindness, everything around her appearing as a blur. Her long hair floated and swirled around her as she was thrashing about, trying to escape her life-threatening predicament. The air bubbles gradually faded away as Hikari's lungs felt heavy inside her chest, looking upwards as her body started to sink very slowly further into the ocean's dark depths. I-Is…this how I'm going to die…? she thought weakly as her vision was slowly fading to black. The drowning girl saw a huge glowing orb looking down at her from a distance as the last of the bubbles disappeared. In front of the yellowish-white light, an outline of a person was trying to make their way to her. K-Kotone…? Are you…taking me to heaven…? Hikari wondered as she slowly reached her right hand out to the person who also stretched out their hand towards the Spirit Medium.
^o^ ^o^
Monomi waddled speedily onto the first island's beach and looked around anxiously, her ears flopping about. The scene appeared normal, the ocean's waves washing up onto the shore being the only noise that was interrupting the eerily silent night. "Still no sign of Hikari… Maybe I should just go to the central island…H-Huh!?" Monomi jumped in shock when she saw someone come up to the ocean's surface, the stuffed bunny scurrying over to a palm tree to hide.
Hajime gasped for air once he broke through the water's surface, his body shaking in the cold salty water. He used what strength he still had to bring Hikari above the water, using his legs to steer them to shore. I got you, Seishin…I got you… he thought, tightening an arm around the unconscious girl's waist. "Almost…there… Almost…there… Almost…there…" Hajime kept repeating to himself, looking at the shore with frequent glances back at his friend to make sure her head was above water. His pace was sluggish since he could only use both of his legs and occasionally an arm to swim. After what seemed like hours but was in actuality only minutes, the ahoged teen finally managed to reach the beach.
Hajime dragged Hikari a few feet on the damp sand before he collapsed to his hands and knees out of sheer exhaustion. He coughed in between his gasps for air as the low-level of water kept the front of Hajime's pants constantly soaked with the continuous coming and going of the gentle waves. Hajime turned his head to the left to check on Hikari's status, feeling his heart climb up his throat. "S-Seishin…?" he whispered hoarsely, staring at Hikari whose skin and lips had a bluish hue. The Spirit Medium was laying on her back, the couple centimeters of water that surrounded her giving her the appearance of her floating on its surface. Hajime crawled over to her and tried checking for a pulse on her neck with a shaky hand.
I-I don't feel a pulse…! Hajime thought in a panic, feeling all the blood drain from his face. Wh-What do I do…!? Tsumiki is gone and she was probably the only one who would have known what to do! The distraught boy felt his throat start to close up, his hands running through his hair anxiously. He looked around helplessly, hoping that Chiaki made her way here but knew that was wishful thinking. I need help, but if I leave to go find help… Hajime squeezed his eyes shut in regret, remembering what happened just that morning when he was presented with the same scenario. No…I can't leave her this time… If I leave, she might really end up dead. There must be something I can do to help her now! He racked his brain on what he should do when he realized that there was one thing he could do. Hajime opened his eyes and stared at Hikari with a slight tinge of red to his cheeks before he shook his head vigorously.
"I-I have to do it to save her," he told himself before he knelt over the unconscious young woman, placing his hands one on top of another over the middle of her chest. "Please let this work…" Hajime prayed out loud as he started to do chest compressions on Hikari, pushing hard and fast to try to revive her. "Please Seishin…" he pleaded right before he pinched her nose and leaned his head to hers, covering her mouth with his and blowing air into her mouth. This pattern of chest compressions and rescue breaths continued as Hajime tried to get Hikari to come around.
"Come on, Seishin…" Hajime begged in between chest compressions. "We lost three of our friends today… None of us can bear to lose another friend so soon… You went through all that this morning…just to die like this…? P-Please…open your eyes, Seishin… I-I still haven't learned what my talent is… I told you that you'd be the first one to know, so…you can't go…" He felt his chest tighten as minutes passed by, his body trembling and freezing from being exposed to the icy water. Seeing not much progress, Hajime's confidence in his attempts to resuscitate the Spirit Medium dwindled fast. Nevertheless, Hajime persisted despite his fatigue and hopelessness, still doing rapid chest compressions and giving her his breath every couple of minutes.
"Please…d-don't leave us, Seishin…" Hajime continued to talk to her motionless body, his voice cracking as his efforts were gradually slowing down, his hands shaking the whole time. "W-We all need you… K-Kuzuryuu needs you… Nanami n-needs you… I-I need you…I need you here, Hikari!" he shouted desperately right before he closed his eyes and placed his lips on hers one more time. This time, Hajime felt liquid enter his mouth to which he pulled away from Hikari and spit out onto the sand beside him. He wiped his mouth with his forearm and glanced over to his friend. Water was trickling out of Hikari's mouth as she emitted choking gurgles, causing Hajime to swiftly lift her upper body and turn her to her right side. He kept a hand on her back as he let Hikari vomit up the saline liquid that was inside her.
Sh-She's alive… She's alive… Hajime thought in disbelief, his eyes watering as he suddenly felt emotionally overwhelmed. At last, we have something genuinely good happen…without Monokuma messing it up… He watched Hikari regurgitate clear fluid onto the sand which was washed away by the oncoming ocean waves. It's not a surprise… Seishin only had water all day to my knowledge… I'm just glad there's no blood… I hope I wasn't too hard on her ribs and sternum…
Hikari's body shook violently in the meantime, tears flowing from her eyes while the girl gasped and coughed up water, her eyes shut tight. Ugh…Hate this gagging feeling… she whined in her head. The revived teen stayed in that position for a couple of minutes after the vomiting stopped, waiting to see if she was really done, her hands set firmly on the wet sand. What happened…? Where…am I? Am I dead…? Hikari thought in a daze, wincing when she took a deep breath, letting out a wheezing cough instead. My chest hurts…so I'm still alive… She placed a hand on her chest gently, feeling an ache in the middle of her chest.
"Are you okay now, Seishin…?" a male voice behind her softly asked, causing Hikari to stiffen up in fear, her eyes wide as the girl felt a hand rubbing her back. She spun around to face the person behind her to see a very fuzzy outline of someone kneeling beside her. "Wh-Whoa, be careful! You just regained consciousness…!" he said with a worried tone, holding onto her upper arms to keep her steady.
"Wh-Who…are you…!?" the Spirit Medium croaked before she let out another cough, struggling to get out of the person's hold. "L-Let…go…!"
"S-Seishin…! It's me, Hinata!" Once she heard the person say their name, Hikari slowly stopped resisting, allowing Hajime's hands relax before he unhurriedly moved his hands away.
"H-Hinata…?"
Hajime nodded. "Yeah… You were drowning so I jumped in to save you…" The drenched girl blinked and looked to her right to find that she was at the beach, feet away from the shallow waters of the blue ocean. "Seishin, what happened? Why did you jump off the bridge into the water? You really didn't seem like yourself… W-Were you trying to kill yourself?"
Wh-What happened to me…? The last thing I remember was being in a fog…looking for…someone… Hikari recounted mentally, closing her eyes in an attempt to recollect more. I don't know…after that it was a blur… Wait… She opened her eyes in shock and felt her body shake even more. I-I jumped off a bridge…into the water!? W-Was I…? At that point, Hikari remembered what she did in her room right before she blacked out. D-Did my talent come back…from using those things…? I was calling for… Tears started to well up in her deep-blue eyes, making her sight even more blurry. W-Was Tsumiki's beloved…that evil…?
"Seishin?" Hikari blinked when she heard Hajime's voice, causing the tears to drop from her glassy eyes as she turned to look at the boy's blurry figure.
"I…" the Spirit Medium began to speak, her bottom lip quivering before she fell onto Hajime's chest, completely breaking down. "I was…s-so…s-scared!"
Taken aback, Hajime stared down at the fragile girl. However, it didn't take long for him to wrap his arms around her as she cried against him. "Seishin…"
"I-I d-don't want to d-die…! I want to live… I want to live…" Hikari bawled, hot tears flowing down her face, her hands gripping the front of the boy's damp shirt.
"I-It's okay…" Hajime tried to comfort her, but fell silent. He didn't know if words could help someone who just almost died. He had no idea what to do or say except to simply stay with her and hold her as she let everything out. The two remained in that position for a while, not minding being in a couple of centimeters of water…not minding that their drenched bodies were shaking from the cold night air… The only sounds one could hear were the ocean's waves against the shore and the Spirit Medium's broken cries.
It was when Hikari's heart wrenching sobs grew quiet that Hajime realized that they were outside in soaking wet clothes. The ahoged teen shivered as he felt a chill run through his body. "Hey, Seishin…" he whispered, looking down to stare at the top of her head. He paused briefly for a response but couldn't tell if Hikari fell asleep or not since her face was buried against his chest. Hajime decided to continue speaking as if she was awake. "It's getting a bit cold… We really need to get out of these clothes and into dry ones… So let's go back to the cot-"
"N-No…! I can't…I can't go back there…!" Hikari cried out in fright, her voice raising an octave. The terrified Spirit Medium looked up at her savior with bloodshot eyes, her hands making a death grip onto his soaked white shirt. "I don't want…it to happen again… P-Please…don't make me go there…" Hajime could only gawk at Hikari's actions.
Don't want it to happen again…? What exactly happened in her cottage? Did she try to use her talent and succeeded? the boy speculated, his eyebrows furrowing. Well, whatever it was that happened really got to Seishin… I have never really seen her act like this… He took a deep breath before he focused his gaze on Hikari. "We have to go back. We need to change into dry clothes or we'll get sick. We also need to sleep…we've had a long day…" Hajime sweatdropped slightly when Hikari shook her head like a defiant child.
"N-No… Please…I'm too scared…" Hikari whimpered as fresh tears formed in her eyes. She started sobbing again when the boy ignored her pleas and started to scoop her up princess-style. The Spirit Medium could only cry and curl into herself to become as small as possible, the girl feeling too weak to fight out of Hajime's arms.
Hajime frowned sympathetically at the delicate girl in his arms. "We're just going to get your glasses… You don't have to stay there…" he said gently as he stood up to leave. Hikari continued to cry, yet her sobs grew softer after hearing Hajime's words. The ahoged boy sighed slightly in relief seeing that Hikari was not going to fight him on this. I'm just glad that she's small and not that heavy… I think I can manage carrying her to the hotel complex even though I'm exhausted. Maybe Nanami can take her in tonight. He began walking across the beach but blinked at the MonoMono Yachine when he spotted something pink and white hiding behind the palm tree. Is that…Monomi? Hajime couldn't help but feel anger coil hotly inside his stomach as he drew closer and saw the stuffed rabbit trembling behind the tree while staring at him. How long was she there? And why was she hiding…? If she saw everything…why the hell didn't she help me revive Seishin!? No wonder Kuzuryuu got pissed off with her…she's freaking useless. He gritted his teeth as he deliberately strode past Monomi, his eyes revealing his deep irritation towards the bunny. Hajime still felt the heat of anger flowing through his veins while walking on the sandy path to the hotel complex. Nevertheless, the plain teen's anger diminished as he felt his friend's trembling worsen against his body and her sobs gradually getting louder as he approached the gates to the cottages.
"N-No…" Hikari quavered as Hajime neared her cottage, "I can't go in there…!"
"I know, Seishin…I know," he reassured the Spirit Medium quietly, hoping to calm her down so she wouldn't wake the others. "I'm going to put you down outside and go get your glasses so you can see…"
"I-I don't want…to be alone…" the distressed girl cried, wrapping her arms around Hajime's neck when the boy bent down to place her on the ground outside.
"Seishin…it'll only be a moment…" Hajime whispered to her as he gently removed her arms around him. Then he stood up and turned towards Hikari's cottage.
"W-Wait…!" Hikari shrieked in a broken voice, grabbing Hajime's ankle and almost causing the plain teen to fall on his face. "M-My n-necklace…! I need it…! P-Please…!"
Hajime glanced around frantically for fear that someone might come out and cause a bigger scene before he looked down at the pathetic form crumpled at his feet with a mixture of pity and extreme worry in his eyes. "O-Okay… I'll get it for you. You just need to sit here quietly, all right?" he said as he carefully helped Hikari sit up. The ahoged teen stayed still in a kneeling position for a few moments, watching the Spirit Medium and waiting for her to gain some composure. Seishin is really traumatized… Will she recover from this? Hajime slowly placed his hands on her small shoulders, causing Hikari to jump slightly and stare at him nervously. "I won't let anything bad happen to you, Seishin…I promise." The boy's expression softened when he saw his friend biting her bottom lip and nodded weakly, her sobs lessening despite tears continuously cascading down her cheeks which were blotchy from excessive crying. He stood up once more and petted her head comfortingly, causing Hikari to freeze up with wide eyes. "I'll be right back. I'll go get your glasses and necklace."
The shivering teenager on the boardwalk right outside her temporary home stared at Hajime's blurry figure as it walked away from her and into the dark inside of her cottage. Hikari slowly lifted a shaky hand to the top of her head where Hajime placed his hand, biting her lip harder to prevent another round of sobs. He…just reminded me of Onee-san… She used to pet me like that…
^o^ ^o^
"Onee-san! I'm too scared to go to bed! I'll have nightmares again!" a very young Hikari cried in the darkness, wiping her face with her hands. She closed her eyes and hiccupped when a hand gently petted her head.
"Don't be afraid, Hikari…" a soft voice said soothingly. The small girl slowly opened one eye before the other, seeing a teenaged girl with flowing, wavy blonde hair surrounded by light, the older girl's hand still resting atop the child's head. Hikari could only make out Kotone's gentle smile, the light obscuring the upper part of the elder sister's face. "I won't let anything bad happen to you, Hikari…I promise…"
^o^ ^o^
Hikari blinked back tears, wrapping her arms around her legs. Tears kept trickling from her eyes even when the Spirit Medium thought she couldn't cry anymore, having cried steadily for what seemed like hours. A-Are you still watching over me, Onee-san, even if I can't see you anymore…? Hikari thought with a sliver of hope, resting her head on top of her knees. She tightened her grip as her whole body began shaking uncontrollably, definitely feeling the effects of having been in the icy ocean's waters at night. Fortunately, Hikari didn't have to wait long for Hajime to return.
No wonder Seishin doesn't want to come back. It felt as if that room was haunted… Hajime thought, feeling an involuntary chill run down his spine as he approached the Spirit Medium after locking the door behind him. I could hardly breathe in there the air felt so heavy… Just glad that I'm out in the fresh air again. "Here, Seishin," Hajime said with a small smile, extending his hands to her. "I got your glasses and your necklace as well as the cottage's key." Hikari blinked up at the towering indistinct figure in front of her and smiled gratefully.
"Th-Thank you, Hinata…" she croaked in a hoarse voice as Hajime placed the items into her hands. The ebony-haired girl didn't realize how a mess the ahoged teen was until she put on her glasses to see his features clearly. His disheveled clothes were still sticking to his body from being soaked, his pants dirty with damp sand. His spiky brown hair was more tousled than usual, peppered with salt from the ocean. His body shook slightly from being cold while his tie, socks, and sneakers were nowhere to be seen. Hikari could tell that Hajime was on the brink of collapse by now despite the boy wearing a smile and keeping a strong front in an effort to make her feel safe. "A-Are you…all right?" Hikari whispered, looking deeply concerned for Hajime's well-being.
"Huh?" he blinked with a bit of confusion before smiling sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm okay… Going to go to sleep after I take a shower. Before that, let's see if Nanami can have you stay over for the night." I really don't want her to be sleeping alone somewhere… Hajime extended a hand out towards Hikari again. "Do you think you're able to stand?" The Spirit Medium nodded slowly after she pocketed her key and necklace.
"I-I think so…" she murmured as she took the boy's hand, getting helped up onto her feet. Her legs felt like jelly, but she was able to walk the short distance to Chiaki's cottage. Once the two reached the Gamer's cottage, the plain teen knocked on the door.
"Nanami, it's Hinata," Hajime called out, rapping his knuckles against the wood. "Seishin's here with me. Can you open the door?" He paused, leaning his head to the door to listen for a response. Could Nanami still be out looking? I wish the e-handbook had a messaging system… I would like to let her know that Seishin is safe and see if Seishin can stay over for the night.
"Maybe she's asleep…?" Hikari wondered aloud after Hajime knocked a few more times with no answer.
Hajime frowned a little. "Yeah…she could be in the bathroom too…" The two teens loitered outside Chiaki's cottage a couple more minutes before Hajime noticed that Hikari was hugging herself close and visibly shaking from being cold and wet. What am I supposed to do now? We might get sick if we stay out any longer… Hajime turned away from the Spirit Medium to hide the incoming heat radiating from his cheeks. I-I guess…there's no other choice… "Come on… Let's go to my place. We really need to get inside and get warmed up," he blurted out rather quickly, briskly walking by the oblivious young woman.
"U-Uh…okay," Hikari said, blinking as she hurried after the flustered boy to his cottage.
When Hajime opened the door to his own cottage, he mentally smacked his forehead. Crap…! I forgot I left this place a mess… And this is the first time a girl is visiting in my cottage...well, officially… What a great first impression! he thought sarcastically as he rushed around to tidy up the room. Hikari stayed by the doorway patiently, her hands clasped behind her back as the Spirit Medium took in her surroundings.
Huh… Hinata's room is way different than Kuzuryuu's. Hinata's is similar to my own room…well, minus the occult stuff… Hikari noted before her eyes landed on something she thought Hajime would never have. What the…?
"I'm sorry about the mess, Seishin…" Hajime said awkwardly, his tie hanging over one arm and food wrappers in his hands. "I'll just throw this away and get the shower ready for you. I'll look in my drawers to see if I can find some clothes as well-"
"What is that…?" Hikari interjected, pointing to the back right corner of his room. Hajime blinked and glanced behind him, sweatdropping. In that corner of the room was a dark wooded display case that resembled a six-step staircase, but it was what was on the display that caused the sudden uneasy silence that was settling inside the room. Five Monokuma plushies were standing on each step in a row with only the bottom three steps occupied. Each row had a different themed Monokuma: the bottom row Monokumas wore a bikini made out of shells with a red hibiscus flower by the white ear, the next step had Monokumas holding a white surfboard with blue waves on both sides, and the level above that had Monokumas wearing a huge sombrero tilted so it covered his black ear while the bear was clad with a mostly red poncho with a couple of thin white horizontal stripes, a couple of thin black horizontal stripes, and white fringe on the bottom hem of the piece of clothing.
"Oh…that…" Hajime muttered with a heavy sigh. "Monokuma told me I had to search for those stupid things…" The teen appeared more exasperated as he continued, "He didn't let me leave my cottage unless I found the one hidden in my room during the first morning we were on the island. When I find one, it disappears and ends up on the display case… That whole thing is just stupid and pointless…"
"Oh…" Hikari sweatdropped, stepping further inside as the disgruntled boy threw away the trash in his room and shut the door to keep the cool night air from coming in. It does seem like an annoying chore… At least Monokuma didn't have me do that…
Thinking about it…would collecting the plushies make her think that I am siding with Monokuma? Hajime thought in a brief moment of panic, glancing over at the Spirit Medium who just continued to look around with a mild curiosity. Hm? Is this her first time in a boy's room? He blinked at the smaller teen, curious about that question himself for some reason. Then, Hajime noticed small puddles with traces of sand were forming at their feet from still being soaked. His cheeks began to heat up again before he cleared his throat, remembering why he brought Hikari there in the first place. "U-Uh… Y-You can put your glasses…and stuff on the dresser. Then I can lead you to the bathroom if you want…" Hajime stammered clumsily, averting his eyes to the side awkwardly. Hikari looked over at her friend innocently from her inspection of the plushies, a Monokuma adorning the shell bikini in her hands.
"Oh…okay," the Spirit Medium replied as she put the inanimate stuffed bear back in its place. "You don't have to… I mean, the layout of your room kind of resembles mine…and the bathroom appears similar…" she rambled nervously as she pulled her key and necklace out of her pockets to place them on the dresser by the bed. "But I'll…take your offer…" Hikari whispered while she took off her glasses, her face turning scarlet. "I don't want to bump into anything unexpected and break anything…"
"S-Sure…" Hajime nodded, the tinge of red on his cheeks deepening. He walked over to the blind young woman and took her hand slowly. "Just follow me…" Hikari nodded, her gaze downwards as she held his hand and stayed a couple of strides behind him. Once they got inside the bathroom, Hajime let go of her hand. "I'll get the shower ready so you won't have to worry about that," the brown-haired boy said as he strode rather quickly over to the shower and turned on the valves for the water. Hikari fidgeted nervously as she heard the water start to rain down from the showerhead.
Am I…actually taking a shower in a boy's cottage…Hinata's at that!? she thought shyly, feeling her heart pound rapidly inside her chest while Hajime kept his back to her, checking on the water's temperature.
Gotta make sure it's not cold but not too hot… the plain teen thought to himself, his hand under the falling water, his free hand making adjustments with the taps as needed. Once he was satisfied with the water's temperature and made sure his toiletries were not going to be in her way, Hajime turned around to face Hikari. "Okay, you should be all set. I set aside a couple of towels next to the shower. The shampoo and soap are next to the water taps."
"O-Okay…" she murmured, her eyes looking down at her bare feet, her hand gripping her other arm tensely.
After a few moments of both teenagers just standing there in the small bathroom, Hajime decided to speak. "Is something wrong…?"
Hikari felt her body heat up and sweatdropped, feeling too shy to look in his direction. "I do need to undress in order to take a shower…"
"Huh?" Hajime blinked blankly for a few seconds. Suddenly, his whole face turned bright red with embarrassment. "O-Oh…! I-I'm sorry, I'll leave you be…! Just tell me when you're done so I can take a shower…" Hajime jabbered as he dashed out of the room, almost slamming the door behind him.
The see-through wall doesn't really help… Hikari noted as she inspected the transparent glass wall separating the bathroom from the main room. I'm just glad that Hinata is a decent guy. He's not even looking over here… The Spirit Medium smiled a little, watching Hajime go through his drawers to find clothes suitable for her. Realizing that the water was still running, Hikari peeled off the damp clothes she had on. Then, the blue-eyed girl pushed the articles of clothing aside with her foot into a pile on the floor before carefully getting into the warm shower.
Hikari let out a small sigh of content as her body welcomed the much-needed warmth. However, the moment of happiness was fleeting for her. She stood under the water for a while without doing anything except stare ahead blankly. It wasn't long before tears mixed in with the shower's water. Hikari covered her mouth with both hands to prevent any sound from escaping. I'm so scared… Onee-san, can I do this without you? Can I go on without any otherworldly guidance…without your guidance? the unconfident girl wondered pessimistically as she thought about all the events that happened to her within the last twenty-four hours. As if to answer her question, Hikari recalled a memory with Fuyuhiko at the hospital after he had stabbed himself and another recent memory with Hajime when they walked to the cottages from the hospital a couple of nights ago.
"Look, you're not alone. You have friends here who will back you up in any situation. …If anything, you'll have me if you feel you don't have anyone in your corner. We can help each other find a dream to go after once we get off this fuckin' island."
"I will not betray your trust. You're also not alone even though there are no ghosts here. I am your friend and always will be. You can always come to me if you need to."
Hikari closed her eyes, her body shaking a little. Th-That's right… I'm not alone anymore. I'm not alone…but why do I feel as if I am? Why do I feel empty inside like I did when we first came onto the island? Onee-san, I'm scared…
After what felt like eternity, Hikari took a deep breath to calm down. Come on, Hikari…pull yourself together. I need to finish up here… I want to make sure Hinata has some hot water left… Once she started to bathe herself, the Spirit Medium couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with emotions, tears once again blurring her already bad eyesight. This smell…it really reminds me of Hinata… This scent of…freshness…really fits him. But why do I feel so emotional just from a scent? I don't understand…
^o^ ^o^
Hajime frowned, looking at the clothes on the bed: a simple white shirt and dark blue boxers with a pattern of white outlines of hibiscus flowers. "I never really noticed that I wear the same outfit every day… I don't have anything like bedclothes, but these should be okay since my boxers can act as shorts and girls wear oversized shirts to bed sometimes…right?" After standing there and staring at the clothes, the ahoged teen sweatdropped slightly. "Maybe I should grab a pair of pants as well…?" Right when Hajime was about to go back to the dresser, he heard a knock on his cottage door, causing him to turn his head in that direction. "Could it be Nanami…? Who else could it be at this hour…?" he pondered as he went to the door and carefully opened it. To his relief, the person outside his cottage was, in fact, the Gamer who appeared to be holding a pair of shoes.
"Hey, hey," Chiaki greeted him with her usual calm demeanor. "I heard from Monomi that you rescued Seishin from drowning."
Just the mention of the stuffed rabbit made Hajime's blood boil a bit, the plain teen remembering the cowardly bunny hiding behind a palm tree as he was desperately trying to resuscitate Hikari. "Oh…yeah," Hajime mumbled, his face wearing a dark expression. Chiaki tilted her head to the side, puzzled. The boy smiled weakly, rubbing the back of his head. "Don't mind me… I've had a long night…" The girl stared at him silently for a few moments before nodding.
"Okay. Well, I searched all over the first island with no results. I was about to check the central island when I came across your shoes and socks by the end of the bridge to go towards the central island," the Gamer explained as she lifted the pair of red-and-white sneakers in the air in front of Hajime. "That's when I saw Monomi and she told me what she saw."
"Oh, thanks, Nanami. You didn't have to bring them back," Hajime said as he took the sneakers from the pale pink-eyed girl.
"Your socks are inside your shoes. I didn't want to touch them so I made Monomi put them in there," Chiaki said bluntly as she pointed to the shoes' openings to show Hajime that his socks were really in them, Hajime sweatdropping.
Somehow, I'm not surprised…
Chiaki glanced up at Hajime before asking, "Where is Seishin?" She started to peer behind her friend for any sign of the Spirit Medium.
Hajime immediately started to blush. "O-Oh…um… She's…taking a shower in my cottage… Seishin was too frightened to go back to her cottage. I tried to bring her to your place, but you weren't there and she was cold and wet and I didn't want her to be alone s-so I brought her here to take a shower and warm up." Why do I act like this? I feel like I'm a blubbering idiot tonight. Probably because I am dead tired… Hajime inwardly sighed, feeling self-conscious in front of his close friend. The Gamer blinked at the boy, staring at him quietly with an unreadable expression. Hajime blinked back, feeling as if Chiaki was judging him or even contemplating if she should trust him. Well…we are still involved in a killing game…so I get the hesitation to trust easily, but still… Hajime thought with a frown. What the hoodie-wearing girl did next left him dumbfounded for a few minutes.
Chiaki waved her hand with a nonchalant expression. "Okay. I'll see you two tomorrow then. Good night." With that, she left to her cottage, her hands on her backpack straps.
It took him a minute to realize that he was standing at the doorway with the door open and sneakers in hand. "Wh-What just happened…?" Hajime asked out loud, blinking. Shaking his head, the ahoged teen closed the door with his free hand and bent down to put his shoes in their usual place by the door. Maybe Nanami thinks that Seishin is safest with me…? Is that why she left like that? Hajime wondered, standing up straight and turned around to go to his dresser to grab some clean clothes for himself. He froze mid-step in the middle of the room when he heard a faint creak to his right. Hajime gradually turned his head in that direction and felt his heart skip a beat, his whole face burning up. Standing in the bathroom doorway was the Spirit Medium, the girl gripping the towel wrapped around her.
"I-I'm done with the shower, Haji-" Hikari started to say softly, her eyes averted to the ground as her pale skin took on a pinkish pigment due to the hot water and yet her face was a darker shade of red, "I-I mean, Hinata…"
Hajime seemed to be stuck in that position, his mouth open in slight shock as his brain was trying to process who was in front of him. I-Is that…really Seishin? he thought as the brown-haired teen couldn't help but take in Hikari's features he had never really noticed before. Has her hair always been that long…? Hajime pondered as his eyes studied the Spirit Medium's wet black tresses hanging down to her torso, clinging to her petite body frame. He watched as drops of water cascaded down from her exposed skin either onto the fluffy white towel she was wearing or onto the hardwood floor under her feet. Catching himself staring at the vulnerable girl, Hajime's face turned redder if that was possible, his ears burning. I'm glad she isn't able to see me right now… She'd definitely think I'm a pervert and probably throw me out of my own cottage… He sweatdropped at the thought of being kicked out while wearing his still damp clothes.
"H-Hinata…?" Hikari called out with apprehension. Why is he so quiet…? Is it because I said his given name? She closed her eyes, frowning. And I have to be out here in only a towel in front of him… I don't have the courage to look at him in the eye even though technically I can't. Ugh, this is so embarrassing…!
Hajime snapped back to his senses when he heard Hikari repeat his name a second time. "O-Oh…sorry," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Hajime is fine… I mean, we've been through a couple of near-death experiences today so I think that constitutes the use of a first-name basis, right? Haha…" He blinked, realizing he might be overstepping boundaries and started to panic when he saw Hikari stare at him with a stunned expression. "U-Unless you don't feel comfortable…! I'm okay with either name, Seishin…" Jeez, what the hell is wrong with me tonight!? I should just take a shower and go to sleep…
"O-Okay…H-Hajime…" the Spirit Medium whispered, her look softened as her cheeks remained a scarlet red. "You can call me by Hikari if you want…"
"O-Oh…okay…" he stuttered with a weak smile, his face still a deep red as well. "Oh, right!" he added, going over to Hikari. "I should lead you to the bed…" Both teens froze, their hearts pounding loudly in their ears. "…S-so y-you can get dressed, I mean! The clothes I picked out are on the bed!" Hajime emphasized in a rushed tone, trying to recover from his verbal slip-up.
"Mm…" Hikari nodded weakly, lifting up her free hand so that Hajime could guide her. The ahoged teen slowly took it and led her to the other side of the room. "Um…I hope I didn't use up too much hot water…" the Spirit Medium said softly, trying to change the topic to something less awkward.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I won't be long in the shower anyway," Hajime assured with a small smile, happy to move on from that embarrassing moment. Once they approached the bed, Hajime moved her hand to the clothes. "I'm sorry it isn't much… I hope you're okay with wearing just a shirt and boxers… I'm going to go in the shower. I'll just be a few minutes." He moved his hand away from Hikari's and quickly grabbed some clothes before speed-walking to the bathroom, closing the door.
Hajime released a deep sigh after running a hand down his face as if that would get rid of the mortification that just occurred. S-Should I dare to check on her…so she isn't peeking? The plain teen wondered curiously, his eyes glancing to his left. Much to his relief and, surprisingly, disappointment, the transparent wall and door were covered with a film made by the steam from the shower. I g-guess that's good… I shouldn't have worried since she can't see clearly without her glasses anyway… Plus, she will get the privacy she needs… Hajime rationalized to himself as he got ready for his own shower.
The ahoged boy undressed as the sound of warm water fell inside the shower, blinking as he spotted a small pile of clothes in the corner of the room by the bathtub. Hajime's face instantly turned crimson when he saw a pair of simple white lace panties decorated with a black lace hem peeking out from underneath the mound of Hikari's everyday clothing. Flabbergasted with his heart beating rapidly inside his chest, the poor teen haphazardly tossed his own dirty laundry on top of the heap. I swear that girl's going to be the death of me at this rate… Hajime thought helplessly as he finally got in the shower, the water feeling a bit cooler against his heated-up body.
^o^ ^o^
"Phew…I needed that," Hajime said with a contented sigh as he strolled out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel. "Gah…!" the boy gaped when he spotted Hikari kneeling against the side of the couch. Crap…! I almost forgot that she was staying here tonight… I'm glad that I got dressed before leaving the bathroom… Hajime thought in relief. A tinge of red was present on his face as he feverishly buttoned up his shirt, shooting quick glances at the silent girl the whole time. "Wait a sec…" Hajime said to himself when he had a couple of buttons left undone, the brown-haired teen staring at Hikari who didn't move from her spot on the floor, her bangs covering her eyes. He cautiously crept to the Spirit Medium, fear starting to bubble inside his gut. "H-Hikari…?" Once he approached her, Hajime crouched down, expecting the worst. What the boy saw before him calmed his rapid-beating heart, a small smile forming on his lips.
Hikari's left side leaned against the side of the beige sofa, her eyes closed. She was wearing the clothes Hajime offered her, the clothes looking noticeably big in her small body frame. Her long black hair flowed down around her, slightly damp and with a bit of a wave to it since Hikari wasn't able to properly comb it. The ebony-haired girl's lips were parted a little, breathing softly in a peaceful sleep. Hajime carefully put his towel over the back of the couch where he also found the towel Hikari used before he went over to the bed and made the bed ready for sleeping on. He returned to the sleeping girl, bending down. He slowly put his arms under her, gently picking her up princess-style. Hajime paused when he heard a faint clink and looked around warily. Hearing nothing else and seeing that Hikari was still asleep, the ahoged boy then let his guard down. Hajime didn't know that the Spirit Medium fell asleep holding her necklace loosely in her left hand so he had no idea that the silver piece of jewelry was laying right underneath the sofa when he walked noiselessly to his bed. He gently placed Hikari down, pulling the blanket over her.
Satisfied with his kind act, Hajime smiled at the sleeping young woman before he turned around to fall asleep on the couch. He took only one step before he felt a slight tug on the back of his shirt. Hajime blinked and looked over his right shoulder to see Hikari barely awake with half-open eyes, her hand still gripping onto his shirt.
"Don't go…please…" she whispered sleepily, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.
Hajime hesitated with a light blush on his cheeks. Sh-Should I…? She's a girl…in my bed! But… he trailed off mentally, looking down at his friend sympathetically, she's been through a lot today… He gulped and nodded to her. "O-Okay…" With that, Hikari scooted closer to the wall to let Hajime get into bed. He felt a wave of relief when they maintained a bit of distance, Hikari laying on her side with her back to him. She just wants someone to be close by when she's sleeping…that's all… Hajime exhaled softly, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling. After a few minutes, his eyes started feeling heavy and started to close them.
"Thank you…Hajime…" the exhausted teen heard on his right. His eyes opened in alertness and glanced that way yet the Spirit Medium didn't appear to have moved an inch, her back still facing him. He blinked a couple of times at her before smiling drowsily and falling sleep.
"You're welcome, Hikari…"
Days Left: 9
Survivors: 10
A/N: Gave you plenty of Hajime/Hikari moments huh? I've have a good portion of this chapter in my head since I first started writing this story so I'm glad that I finally put it in written form. I really tried my best to keep Hajime in character. At times, I worried about that, but I did have to keep in mind that he was mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted so he could have acted out of character due to that. Also, I hope the seance scene wasn't too out there: that whole fog scene was in Hikari's head. I hope that clears up anything confusing. Thank you for your continued support!
