Hello again! So this is the first half of what was originally going to be one chapter. But it was getting much longer than I'd intended, so I think it'd be better stylistically if it were split. I'm almost done with the second part, but for the sake of building up a bit of a backlog I will post Part 2 in three days.


komaeda theater

"Luck is in its nature adversarial, Hinata-kun. If I were a gambling man, and I won an enormous amount of money, wouldn't my good luck spell bad luck for everyone I was playing with, as well as the establishment that would be losing money on me? When one person benefits, doesn't everyone else have to suffer? With my talent I've learned that again and again, though I won't bore you with the details.

"But more on point, it must be fortunate for many that I died and you didn't, isn't it? Your talent could be world-changing. It could elevate you to the status of a god. But what can my luck do for anyone but hurt them, or act beneath their notice? The world's won it all, Hinata-kun. It's lost me, but it gets to keep you.

"Of course, that's how I'd like it to be. But the truth is much different. I'm Super High School Level Good Luck. I'm always going to win, even if an ultimate win means the exchange of an ultimate loss. And a split second's difference between two wildly different decisions isn't good or bad luck in and of itself. It's just a spiral into a different kind of good or bad luck.

"You just have to wait until things are played out to decide what kind of luck it must have been. Sometimes that might even mean waiting until long after you die."


Hinata woke to a dark room and a loud knock on his door, which must have startled him awake, given the cold sweat he felt. He grumbled that he was coming, then got up, threw on a shirt, and answered the door without flipping on the light.

He honestly didn't know how awful he looked, but he couldn't help but feel self-conscious when he saw the look Pekoyama was giving him. "Um..." He bit his lip. "Morning?"

"Indeed." Pekoyama looked, as ever, perfectly put together, though she was quite determinedly looking at his face and not anywhere else. She unfolded a piece of paper that she held in her hands and held it up. "I found this under my door when I was leaving for the central island. Is this correct?"

Hinata had to blink several times before he could see the note clearly. It read: Pekoyama, Hinata will be joining you this morning instead of Mioda. – Togami. "Oh – yeah, that's right," he said. "Mioda took my shift last night."

Pekoyama folded the paper. "I see. It's 5:45. Nidai and Owari will be expecting us." She stole a quick glance down, then looked away, blushing. "Will you need long to put on your pants?"

"Ack – no, sorry," Hinata said quickly before shutting the door. He pulled on the first pair of pants he could find, shoved his shoes on, and joined Pekoyama outside without tying them.

The two of them walked to the central island in silence. Pekoyama seemed perfectly content not talking to Hinata, and Hinata didn't have anything to say that he was sure she'd be interested in hearing – at least until they got to the central island, where they found Owari and Nidai violently sparring in front of the countdown clock. After laughing at them for being shocked, Nidai told them that all had gone well and that there had been no disturbances during the night. Owari corrected him – Monobear had shown up around 3 AM, mocking them before telling them that no one would ever know if they played the game. Togami and Mioda had reported the same thing happening to them before they left, so they had, of course, brushed him off.

With that they headed back to the first island, leaving Hinata and Pekoyama alone. Hinata went back to his position against the pedestal, and Pekoyama stood nearby, her braids waving slightly in the breeze. They were silent for an unimaginably long time. But soon Pekoyama began to fidget, then shifted from one foot to the other, and then, finally, turned to face him. "Hinata…"

Hinata started, and then shook himself awake. "Uh, yes?"

"Forgive me, but I can't get this out of my mind." Pekoyama gritted her teeth. "You…you don't think Nidai actually pooped anywhere around here, do you?"

"What?! Oh, right, because…" Hinata shifted his eyes, but saw no signs of freshly turned earth nearby. "I think it was just a joke, Pekoyama…"

"Right, right…ha…ha ha…" She smiled and Hinata immediately wished she hadn't, but he couldn't help but smile back. For a while they tried to hold back the laughter that was coming, but then Hinata sputtered and doubled over and Pekoyama didn't take too long to give in after that.

It was stupid, they both knew, but it did the job of breaking the ice between them. The common topics – the ruins, the World Destroyers – went fast, though the especially sensitive ones were never touched. Hinata tried to ask about kendo, but found her oddly tight-lipped on that and other personal subjects, and she never really returned with questions about his own past. From there it wasn't a conversation so much as a trade of one-liners every so often – not comfortable, but not closed.

Monobear's morning announcement went off at seven, and not long after Monobear himself showed up, as promised. He followed the same general script Owari had laid out – he mocked them for delaying the inevitable, and then told them that even as they spoke the others were heading to breakfast, and they didn't have much time if they wanted to play. They refused several times, leading Monobear to screech in annoyance. "None of you are any fun!" he shouted before popping off again.

Half an hour later Nanami delivered their breakfast. She stared longingly at the game console for a time before heading back the way she came. They didn't have time to begin eating before Togami appeared and demanded to know everything that had happened on their watch, which didn't take long to tell. He informed them that nothing of importance had happened at breakfast, and then reminded them of the importance of their vigil. Hinata asked him how the previous night had gone, and Togami stood stiffly for a second before muttering that he had important business to do and took off for the second island.

For the next hour there was a slow trickle of people headed the same way. Kuzuryuu spent a good amount of time making fun of Hinata, though he didn't say a word to Pekoyama. Tanaka offered to construct a protective magic circle around the game console, which there seemed to be no harm in until he said that the contract had to be sealed with a blood offering. Seeing Sonia passing by he demanded one from her, which to their surprise she agreed to, but Pekoyama kicked them out before anyone could actually draw blood, which Hinata saw to be for the best.

Then there was a period of relative quiet. Hinata was sure the shift change time must have been coming closer, but his only sense of time was the Monobear announcement. How long had it actually been? He was just debating whether or not to ask Pekoyama whether she had a watch when, to his surprise, Pekoyama took the initiative. "Hinata," she said, "do you happen to know what time it is?"

"No, sorry." Hinata shrugged. "Honestly, I was just about to ask you the same thing."

"I see." Pekoyama turned away. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not impatient. I was simply curious."

"It's fine, either way," Hinata said. "I guess we'll know when Togami and Mioda show up."

"I suppose. Why did you switch times with Mioda, anyway?"

"You know, I'm not entirely sure. She just kind of showed up last night and kicked me out." He shrugged again. "She said she was excited to start."

"That's not something people are often excited for, especially where it involves spending that much time with Togami. But I suppose there's no accounting for taste."

"Wait, do you…not like him?" Hinata remembered the spectacle in the lodge office, and found himself unsurprised.

"His intentions are good. But I find he tends to jump to conclusions too quickly." Pekoyama folded her arms. "But whatever my personal opinion may be, that does not affect our situation or my position as a capable guard. Mioda's coming, incidentally."

"Huh? How can you tell?" Hinata stood and looked down the path – and then heard quick, but uneven footsteps coming closer. A few seconds later Mioda appeared, alternately skipping and hopping on one foot.

"Ha-ha!" she called out as she zigzagged down the path, just barely keeping her balance. "To reach the central island Ibuki must not only walk this way, but walk this way! All other ways will get Ibuki sent back to the beginning! Hup!"

She landed in front of them with one leg in the air and a wide grin on her face. Pekoyama stood stunned, but Hinata clapped a few times. "Mioda," he said. "Is it time to change shifts already?"

"Nope!" Mioda pushed her leg against the pedestal and made exaggerated stretching motions. "Not for another twenty minutes!"

"Twenty minutes?" Pekoyama raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so early?"

"Ibuki was impatient!" Mioda flipped her leg down and leaned one arm against the pedestal. "Ibuki tried counting backwards from infinity but that didn't make time go any faster, especially since Ibuki couldn't figure out where to begin!"

"Wait…impatient to begin your shift?" Hinata tried not to sound too surprised.

"Yes! Well…maybe…" Mioda pushed herself up and paced back and forth for a moment. "Yes! Yes absolutely!"

Pekoyama tapped a finger on her chin, and then looked up. "Mioda, Togami hasn't returned from the second island yet. You might be able to –"

"Gnaaaaaahhh!" Mioda shook her head rapidly. "No! That's not how it works!"

"Not how it works?" Pekoyama said, raising an eyebrow.

"Wait," Hinata said, "Not how what works?"

"The form, Peko-chan, the form's all wrong!" Mioda shouted, thrusting her finger skyward. "When you meet with someone somewhere to do something, then you focus less on the you and more on the thing! But when two people are alone together for hours and hours with nothing else to do, there's no distractions whatsoever! You have no choice but to cling tightly to one another!" Mioda put her hands on her hips. "But what does Ibuki mean by that? Hmmmmmmmmmm!"

Hinata and Pekoyama looked at each other, and then back at Mioda. "Uh…"

"For example!" Mioda interrupted. "Last night, when Ibuki was with Byakuya-chan, neither of us knew what to say at first! Typical, right? But eventually Byakuya-chan says "Mioda, is there anything you're concerned about?" And Ibuki says "Nothing! Nothing at all! Okay Ibuki lied, maybe a little, but with Ibuki and Byakuya-chan on duty, then it's nothing!" So Byakuya-chan says, "Exactly. As long as I am your leader you will have nothing to fear from anyone!'" Mioda rocked back and forth on her heels. "Gnaaaaaaah! That's so COOL!"

Hinata's mouth fell open slightly. "Well, it sounds like you had a good time…"

"But that's only the beginning!" Mioda went on. "After that Ibuki and Byakuya-chan didn't know what to say again, but we were off to a good start and Ibuki was determined! So Ibuki asked Byakuya-chan, tell me about your most favorite thing in the whole world! And he said that was meats!"

"Meats?" Hinata recalled having a similar conversation with Togami at one point, but did not care to share this information.

"Meats! So Ibuki said, tell Ibuki all about the meats, and he told Ibuki about all the meats there ever were!" Mioda stopped, and then grinned. "Well, maybe not all the meats… but when he was done we still had half an hour left, so he asked Ibuki, what's your most favorite thing? So Ibuki told Byakuya-chan the entire history of punk rock!"

"In…thirty minutes?" Pekoyama said.

"Ibuki went really really fast!" Mioda said. "But she still isn't done! She needs to finish today even if she goes at super hyper speed! Do Peko-chan and Hajime-chan understand? Punk rock is very important!"

Hinata was pretty sure he understood more than Mioda had intended to let on. "Well, sure," he said. "But are you saying –"

"I see we're all very focused." Hinata jumped at the sound of Togami's voice. He was standing right behind him, his arms folded and his expression stern. He'd gone unnoticed until he had spoken, even by Mioda, but the moment she saw him a grin spread across her face.

"Togami," Hinata said, hoping he didn't look too ridiculous. "You're here to take over, then?"

"I am." Togami nodded. "Nothing else suspicious happened, correct?"

"Nope!" Mioda winked. "Ibuki hasn't done a single suspicious thing yet!"

"If you mean there were no threats to the game, that is correct," Pekoyama said.

"Then that is what matters." He stood awkwardly for a moment, and then gave a small smile. "Go. Get some rest, both of you. I expect you back here at six this evening."

"Understood." Peko immediately turned and walked away, while Hinata took the time to say some goodbyes. Mioda waved enthusiastically, while Togami nodded and assumed his position by the game. As Hinata walked he turned some of what he'd heard over in his mind – the thought of Mioda bombarding Togami with the entire history of punk rock was too funny to let go of – but soon the idea of a morning shower dominated his thoughts.

Compared to the morning, the rest of Hinata's day was relatively carefree, and almost – could he even say this in such a situation? – fun. He explored the second island a little more thoroughly, and took a look around Chandler Beach for the first time. Occasionally he ran into the others, and when he did they had pleasant conversations. No one spoke of the ruins, or the World Destroyers, or even of Komaeda and Hanamura. Hinata only realized this when he passed the lodge and realized how long it had been since anyone had approached it.

That evening, Hinata and Pekoyama went back on shift again. They had somewhat more company than before; Souda hung out with them for about half an hour, Sonia and Tanaka stopped for a lengthy chat on their way to dinner, and Nanami told them all about the previous games in the Twilight Syndrome franchise, which all sounded quite engaging, when she brought their food. Even when Hinata and Pekoyama were alone their conversation went much more smoothly than it had in the morning, and before they knew it the Night Time announcement had gone off. Monobear showed up immediately afterward, lamenting that he'd forgotten to pressure them to play, but they ignored him and headed back for the cottages, leaving Mioda and Togami behind to continue their conversation.


komaeda theater

"Hey gang! What are you guys up to? Hanging out? Having fun? Oh, that's nice. Remember when we used to do that? No?

"Oh, you don't want to hear me air my grievances about that again, do you? Wait, grievances? What kind of a word is that? It's something a spoiled brat who's never known suffering might use. I must seem entirely too self-important to you, don't I? Maybe you'd like to show me my place? I bet you would.

"No, no… no, I was about to say I didn't mean any of that, but at this point I don't know myself. If anything, this is proof that my plan is working. Your hope is propelling you forward, and all thanks to me! How lucky I should really consider myself to be!

"At least, that's what I'd like to believe. Everything could always change in a heartbeat."


There were two major consequences of Hinata's given shift times. He missed mealtime gatherings in the morning and evening, and saw Togami far less often than before. This did feel odd to him, as he didn't think that was the case with Owari, Nidai, or Mioda, but that might have been because they were much more talkative during the changes.

There was only one period where Hinata and Togami were free and awake at the same time – 2 P.M. to 6 P.M. Hinata didn't completely intend to run into Togami, though the thought had been in the back of his mind. He was taking a late lunch when he happened to come in, presumably fresh off his shift; the restaurant was deserted otherwise.

Togami didn't seem to see him, but when he was halfway to the food tables Hinata figured he'd better not be a stranger. "Uh, Togami," he said.

"Hinata!" Togami turned on his heels. For a second he looked on edge, but relaxed quickly. "I didn't see you there."

"Ah – sorry." Hinata stood from his seat.

"'Sorry'? What's with that kind of response?" He folded his arms, but did not move any closer to Hinata or the food. "Never say that again, unless it's demanded of you. You sound like a coward when you do."

"Wait, I wasn't really apologizing for being here," Hinata said. "Just for sca –"

"It looks like I'll be joining you," Togami interrupted. He turned for the food tables and took a plate. "An unusual event, lately, it seems."

"I was just thinking that." Hinata looked at his own plate, feeling suddenly self-conscious. "But it's been…busy."

"You say that as though it's a bad thing." Togami smirked, piling his plate high with everything he could reach as he spoke. "Our work has successfully protected everyone on this island, Hinata. When we leave here, everyone will remember our sacrifices."

"I hope so," Hinata said.

As he spoke, Togami made his way for Hinata's table and set his plate at a seat across from him. He sat down, but did not touch his food. "Hinata," he said, "There's something I've been wondering."

"Hm?"

"Even with the successes we have had so far, we cannot consider that guarding the game will solve everything." He put a hand to his chin. "In your interactions with the others, have you noticed any unusual or suspicious behavior?"

"Suspicious behavior?" Hinata furrowed his brow. "Not any more than usual, but –"

"What do you mean?" Togami said quickly. "Explain more thoroughly."

"I don't really need to. I mean, they're acting like themselves, which is pretty weird when you think about it –" Hinata paused. "Are you asking me if they're acting like they might kill someone?"

"I thought that was clear from the beginning. Honestly, Hinata, I expected better of you."

In all honesty Hinata had expected better of himself – he'd known this was coming, thanks to Nanami. He'd spent the morning losing track of time with her in the library, along with Sonia and Souda. Between failed attempts at getting Sonia's attention, Souda had gotten him caught up with current events. Nothing new as far as escape had been found, Monobear and Monomi had been relatively quiet, and Togami had, once again, been wandering the islands and not heavily interacting with anyone.

Except, Nanami added, he'd pulled her aside after breakfast and asked her whether any of the others had been, quote, "acting suspiciously" or "talking about the game". Sonia supported this story, and though she hadn't and swore up and down she'd told the truth, she said that he'd had a look in his eyes as though he didn't entirely believe her.

"Well, either way, the answer's no," Hinata said. "It's been pretty quiet."

"I see." Togami looked at him another moment, carrying his attention as though he were about to say something else, then bowed his head and dived into his food without another word. Hinata went back to his own food, and they ate in silence.

He desperately wanted to talk, but he didn't know where to start. There was so much he wanted to ask, and yet so much he wasn't sure he could access. He'd noticed some shifts in his behavior, frequently brief and often without warning; it almost seemed to him like there was another Togami, a Togami hiding underneath the one projected to the rest, one that came out in fits and starts as if slipping through cracks. He had seen a piece of this Togami in the kitchen before the party with the talk of his past, but ever since Komaeda's death that particular piece had withdrawn from his reach, its roots or meaning a mystery to him.

It wasn't his responsibility to make these moments happen, he knew. Nor was it in his best interest. But he couldn't help but wonder about rhyme and reason, about what input led to what outcomes. Could he just start a casual conversation? Was this something of which Togami was even capable? He had to try, he knew.

He could think of a thousand ways to cleverly introduce what was on his mind, but he knew he had to be discreet. "So," he said. "How are your shifts going?"

Togami looked surprised, but then nodded. "Successful," he said. "We've discussed this."

Perhaps too discreet, he thought. "It makes a lot of time to fill, though," he said. "And Pekoyama's not always that talkative. But that's never really a problem."

Togami's eyes went wide. There we go, Hinata thought. "Pekoyama is loyal and attentive. It makes her very effective. Mioda's effectiveness…takes other forms."

"You probably never run out of things to talk about."

Togami's hand flew over his mouth. "Not yet," he said after a pause.

"She, ah, always seems really excited to talk to you."

"Really? Is that…" Togami pressed his hand closer, and didn't say anything for a time. Then he removed it, and smirked. "Heh. Her appreciation is wise. Ordinarily I would call her behavior frivolous… but there's no harm in keeping her mind off other things, if nothing else can be done with the time."

"That's an interesting way to look at it," Hinata said. "Well, what I mean is…I don't think there's any harm in relaxing a little sometimes."

"That attitude is something I've had to accept I can't change about commoners," Togami said. "They necessitate distractions in order to function even at the lowest levels."

"I think everyone's doing the best they can," Hinata said.

"They are. I agree." Togami looked down at his food. "It will work, won't it?"

"Will what work?"

"It has to. There can't be another murder. There won't be." He looked up again, determination burning in his eyes. "You must do everything in your power to make sure of that. Do you understand?"

"Er," Hinata said.

"I have a great deal of faith in you, Hinata." Hinata didn't know how to respond to that. "Our responsibilities are great. If we let them overwhelm us, nothing can be accomplished."

Hinata remembered the pool, the diner, and the bags under Togami's eyes – but only for a second. "I know," he said. "I'll do my best."

"We're succeeding. Remember that." He looked over at Hinata's plate. "You haven't finished."

"Oh –" Hinata moved his food around his plate self-consciously. "I was talking to you, I couldn't really –"

"Are you eating enough, Hinata?" Hinata was startled by the look of concern on his face. "I just said you can't let stress overcome you, and the work we have before us requires strength." He took a large bite off a chicken leg between sentences. "For the sake of everyone else, you must be prepared!"

"I, er, appreciate that, but I'm fine, really. I eat as much as I want or need." Hinata stood. "I should go. I promised Nanami…"

He really had promised to meet Nanami later, but it was incredibly obvious that Togami at least suspected that he was lying. "Very well," he said. "Do not forget what I have said."


Hinata didn't know why his mind went back to this conversation when Koizumi appeared on his evening shift. He saw her coming from a distance, but she stopped many times on the road, as if hesitating.

Pekoyama was examining the game console and hadn't seen her, so Hinata took initiative in her stead. "Koizumi!" he called.

"Oh!" Koizumi stood up straighter and walked toward them more briskly. "Hinata, Peko-chan!"

"It's rather late, Koizumi," Pekoyama said, looking up. "Is everything alright?"

"Sure, everything's fine." Koizumi looked from Pekoyama over to the game, and then back at Pekoyama. "Well…actually, I'm not sure."

"Not sure?" Hinata said.

"You guys are around this game all the time, so I need to know. How dangerous do you think it really is?"

Pekoyama's eyes widened. "We have no way of knowing, Koizumi…"

"I know. But I can't stop thinking about it. If it really is that dangerous…if it could make us kill someone…what could it possibly be?" Her eyes narrowed. "Tell me the truth. Has anyone played it?"

Hinata and Pekoyama looked at each other. "No," they said in unison.

"Not that I know of, anyway," Hinata added.

"Okay. I just…" She shook her head angrily. "I just can't stand it, you know? Being manipulated like this. If we were really looking to defeat this game, shouldn't we be a little more proactive about it? Smash it to bits, maybe?"

"Nidai and Owari already tried that," Hinata said. "What was it Monobear said… "I poured my heart and soul into that game! If you attack this game it would be as if you're attacking me – and you'll be punished accordingly!""

Pekoyama gave him an odd look – he knew he shouldn't have tried to imitate Monobear's voice – but Koizumi looked deadly serious. "Of course. Why should I expect anything different?"

"Well, I don't think you have anything to worry about," Pekoyama said. "The game is well guarded."

"Maybe. I know you're doing a good job, anyway." Koizumi smiled at Pekoyama. "Oh, and before I forget, Peko-chan, I have something I need to ask you!" She turned and pointed towards the trees. "Hinata, go stand over there."

"Huh?" Hinata raised an eyebrow.

"You heard me!"

Hinata shrugged and headed for the trees. Once there he watched Pekoyama and Koizumi talk enthusiastically for about fifteen minutes before Koizumi left, waving goodbye in her wake. Once she was out of sight, Hinata re-approached Pekoyama with caution. "What was that about?" he asked.

"Koizumi explicitly told me not to tell you," Pekoyama said. "Or rather, not to tell any of the boys."

"That's not that surprising." Hinata leaned against the pedestal.

"She did tell me not to tell Togami that she was here. I suppose I can share that." Pekoyama paced in front of the game. "I should have asked her the time. I'm sure Mioda will be here soon."


komaeda theater

"The theme for tonight is "the buildup of meaning over long periods of time." What does that mean? Well, when I was in elementary school, I was cutting across an empty lot on my way back to where I was living at the time when I saw a woman who was looking frantically all around her car. She said she'd dropped her keys. I offered to help her, and we looked for a very long time, but found nothing. I was kind of a foolish child, so I wandered out into the road to look there. The woman saw me just in time and pulled me away, but she wasn't quick enough to save herself from the oncoming vehicle.

"Well, that's not quite the right way to put it. She did live! And as I was waiting in the lobby, as the paramedics had mistaken me for her son and I just kind of went with it, what do I see outside in the hall, but a ring of keys! They were indeed the woman's. It seemed she had just been visiting a sick coworker. But if she'd never gotten injured, would she ever have seen them again? I admit, it's not something I like to think about a lot. The injury, I mean.

"But five years later, when I was accepted into Hope's Peak Academy, whose name do I see on the bottom of my letter but this woman's! Not only was she a member of the Hope's Peak admissions committee, but she was one of the strongest supporters of the Good Luck student initiative! But does this mean anything, in terms of good or bad luck?

"Honestly, I've never been able to figure that out. Is it possible for there to be luck that has no alignment at all, that's simply coincidence but neither good nor evil? There's no way this woman could have remembered me, after all, or that our connection affected my acceptance. I did have it in mind to find her, but she's quite a distance away, isn't she? I wonder if she'll be sad to hear of my death, if she ever does."


Hinata's eyes snapped open at the sound of the Monobear announcement – then realized that that was not what was supposed to be waking him. But this actually relaxed him somewhat, and he lingered in bed for a few moments before getting up, because if he was already this late, he could stand to be later.

The first thing he noticed once he did get up was the paper that had been slid under his door. Rubbing his eyes, he walked over and picked it up. It read: Hinata, due to certain plans in place, I will be on guard with Mioda this morning. You will join Owari at 10 am. Further plans will be discussed afterward. – Pekoyama

It didn't occur to Hinata to be curious about why this was the case. In fact, he was just turning around to climb back into bed for a little while longer when he heard a loud knock on his door. For a second he thought the letter might have been a prank, and that Pekoyama was just about to come and beat his ass – but then Togami spoke. "Hinata!" he shouted. "Hinata, are you awake?"

"Togami?" Hinata knew what was coming – he dropped the letter and headed to where he'd thrown his clothes. "Yeah – just a second!"

"Make it faster than that," Togami said. "Did you get a letter from Pekoyama?"

"Yeah, I just did." Hinata buttoned his shirt with some attempt at speed. "Why?"

"We need to go to the central island immediately. Are you quite finished?"

"I am now," Hinata said, as he had opened the door while Togami had been speaking. "Look, I don't really understand –"

"You will." Togami walked ahead, and Hinata practically had to run in order to keep up. In no time at all they reached the central island, where Pekoyama stood guard while Mioda wandered around, throwing rocks.

She was the first to notice them, just short of throwing a rock at them. "Ehhh? Byakuya-chan? Hajime-chan?" She threw the rock behind her back. "Is breakfast over already?"

"It hasn't started." Togami walked past Mioda without looking at her, approached Pekoyama, and thrust the note out in front of her. "Pekoyama, what is the meaning of this?"

Pekoyama looked at the note, then up at Togami. "Are you asking me why I wrote that note, or what it's supposed to communicate?"

"I think you know."

"Very well," Pekoyama said. "I was told to keep this secret, but I don't entirely see how that's possible in this situation. Plans have been made for this afternoon which require all of the girls to be available. At least one girl is on duty at any given time, so I was told to shift the schedule so that only the boys would be on duty this afternoon. Given Mioda's shift in groups I assumed this wouldn't be a problem."

"It's not a problem at all. Or it wouldn't have been, if you'd told me beforehand." Togami crumpled the note in his hands.

Pekoyama sighed. "I was given instructions, which I then carried out. I didn't make these plans."

"We're all going to the beach!" Mioda added. Clearly, Hinata thought, she'd missed the memo about this being a secret. "Ibuki'd invite you guys but Mahiru-chan said no boys allowed a heck of a lot!"

Togami's eyes went wide at the mention of Koizumi's name. "I don't think there's much there I'd be missing, Mioda," he said, trying to re-adjust his face. "Like I said, the plans themselves aren't the problem. And you've done nothing wrong, either of you. Come, Hinata. Koizumi should be heading to breakfast about now."

Pekoyama looked over at Hinata, who shrugged in a desperate attempt to communicate that he wasn't entirely in on Togami's plan. "And just what do you plan on doing?" she said.

"I think I'd like to know that too," Hinata interjected.

"It's alright. There's no need to panic. You'll see." Togami strode back up the path to the first island. Pekoyama gave Hinata another look, and he mouthed "I'll keep an eye on him" before following after him, though he wasn't sure his presence was all that reassuring to her.

Back on the first island, everyone else was just heading for the restaurant. They passed Sonia and Nidai on the way to the cottages – both of them looked very surprised to see Hinata so early in the morning, but Togami barreled by them before Hinata could explain himself. All too soon he spotted Koizumi leaving the cottage area hand in hand with Saionji, and headed for them with a stony expression on his face. Hinata, wisely, kept his distance. "Koizumi!" Togami called.

Saionji heard him first. "Hey, Porkfeet at ten o'clock," she said without bothering to modulate her voice.

"Huh?" Koizumi stopped short, and then threw her hands on her hips. "What is it, Togami?"

"Listen," Togami said as he approached, speaking more calmly than Hinata had expected. "I have no problems with you making plans. Or even with you changing the group order to accommodate those plans. But why was it necessary to make a point of not informing me of this before carrying it out?"

"What are you talking about?" Koizumi said. "Who told you?"

"Snitches get stitches!" Saionji interjected.

"Once again, I don't see the importance of this secrecy," Togami said. "It was not possible for Pekoyama to rearrange the schedule without informing me at least of your plans. She said so herself."

"Okay, fine. But you just said you didn't have a problem." Koizumi tilted her head upward, so she could glare at Togami more properly. "So it sounds more like you just want an excuse to talk down to me again."

"Is that what this is to you, then? A power play?" Togami laughed. "There's no reason for it to be. I am merely cautioning you to inform me next time, especially if you are going to arrange such a large gathering. The unstable are drawn to such spectacles, and if you don't take the necessary precautions –"

"Wait – what are you implying?" Koizumi's eyes went wide. "Why would any of us do anything like that?"

"I'm not implying anything about anyone." A heavy tone entered Togami's voice. "I'm simply making sure you remember that there's a precedent of such things occurring, and that no matter what you may think of someone, you don't know what they're thinking."

"That's not news to me," Koizumi said. "But since I actually talk to the people on this island, I think I know them better than you do, especially the girls involved. And I think we've learned a thing or two from Komaeda and Hanamura's mistakes."

"Besides," Saionji said, "just because your party was a disaster doesn't mean Big Sis Koizumi's is going to be."

"Hey, guys…" Hinata held up a hand, but he wasn't entirely sure how to back up his remark. Koizumi gave him a look, but Togami didn't appear to react to his words at all – Hinata couldn't tell whether he looked angry or distressed. He moved closer to Koizumi, and, after a moment's hesitation, extended a hand that seemed to be heading for her shoulder. "Koizumi, I don't –"

"Don't touch me!" Koizumi pushed Togami's hand away, and he pulled it right back to his side. "Just – keep your nose out of my business, okay? Keeping us safe doesn't mean controlling everything we do. Is that really that hard for you to understand?" She turned on him. "Let's go, Hiyoko-chan."

Koizumi took Saionji by the hand again, and they headed for the restaurant. Hinata took a few steps closer to Togami, who was looking after them. He still had that same expression, but now Hinata was sure it looked more like distress. "They'll be fine," he said suddenly. "They'll be fine."

Hinata wasn't entirely sure how to respond. "Look," he said, "I've told you, Koizumi's kind of –"

"I know what you think of Koizumi," Togami said. "I'm going back to my cottage. You should go ahead to breakfast." He turned and walked away without waiting for a response, his gait far slower than it had been before.


Hinata wasn't sure whether everyone else felt tense that day, or if it was just him. Owari certainly didn't – she spent the four hours of their shift together either telling him about her terrible home life or challenging him to fights, which, as two o'clock came closer, he was worried he was about to accept.

But then Nidai showed up, along with Souda, against all reason. He didn't plan to guard the game, he said – he just didn't have anything else to do. But when he was followed by a long succession of girls, his motivation became clear. Koizumi, Saionji, and Tsumiki arrived first, walking together. All were at the moment fully clothed, but when Owari saw them she ripped off her clothes, revealing a bikini underneath, and ran after them, leaving said clothes behind.

Nidai laughed, and Souda nudged Hinata in the ribs and said he couldn't wait for Sonia-san to arrive. Mostly this all made Hinata feel very uncomfortable, though he couldn't help but go red in the face when Nanami showed up in a bikini and stopped to chat. Mioda, also in a bikini, came next, and Hinata noticed that she remained with them, even after Nanami had left with Pekoyama, until Togami showed up, though he didn't seem to react one way or another to how she was dressed.

At that point Hinata had no obligation to stay, and so he did not. He greeted Sonia politely as he passed her, though once she was gone he couldn't help but laugh at Souda's expense when he saw what she was wearing.

He was supposed to go back and relieve Nidai at six – Togami had agreed to a double shift, an unusually gracious move on his part, Hinata couldn't help but think. But until then he was strapped for things to do. The only people left on the first island were Kuzuryuu and Tanaka. Kuzuryuu was scarce as usual, so to pass the time Hinata tracked Tanaka down. After working through several refusals, wherein Tanaka insisted again and again that his presence was toxic to mortals, they spent a solid half an hour playing with the Four Dark Gods of Destruction at the Usami Corral.

At that point Souda passed by in tears; upon confrontation he explained that he had not been allowed to attend the all-girls' swim. Hinata rolled his eyes, but invited him to hang with them out of sympathy. Monomi showed up not long after, wondering where everyone had gone; they directed her to the beach, and to their relief she vanished quickly. At five-thirty they parted ways, and Hinata headed back to the central island. Nidai handed the watch off to him with a high five, and he went to sit at his usual spot, while Togami still stood in his.

Togami didn't seem to notice his presence for some time, not even after Hinata greeted him, but then, entirely unbidden, he spoke. "Hinata, I believe I gave you incorrect information yesterday. Or rather, an inaccurate conception."

"I…don't get what you're referring to," Hinata said.

"I believed that the frivolous actions of our classmates were a coping mechanism. A way to strengthen themselves in order to confront the issues before us at a more convenient time. Now I'm…beginning to think that they may not, in fact, be looking to confront them at all."

Togami put a hand to his chin. He had a quizzical look on his face, but if he was expecting Hinata to explain everything he was mistaken - he couldn't do much more than shrug. "I guess it's just hard to conceptualize," he said. "I mean, everything that's going on…it's so out there, it doesn't feel real. So right now, no one's really acting like it exists."

"But is that a good thing? Is it a sign of victory, or is it letting our guard down?"

"I'd like to think it's the first one."

"Wouldn't we all. Feh. It doesn't matter." He rubbed his chin. "But take Nidai, for instance. During our shift today he said he'd been observing my 'physical abilities', and, in his words, wanted to know what I was capable of. At first I was quite confused, but it was clear that this was important to him. So I…sparred with him briefly. He seemed…impressed." Togami paused. "Do you think that means he respects me?"

Hinata was having trouble getting over the fact that he'd heard this story at all. "Uh."

"And, well, you know about Mioda." Togami sounded bewildered. "There's…there's been no end to the things she's been trying to get me to do. When we're together it's as though she never takes her attention off of me for a second…" He looked back at Hinata. "If I were more like Nidai, or Mioda, or anyone else on this island, would I, generally, be more well-respected?"

"I…" Hinata found himself unsure of what answer Togami was looking for, or even where his train of thought had come from. He was sure he'd never find out. "I think you're fine just the way you are," he decided to say.

"You always answer so safely." Togami laughed a very small laugh. "Hold that thought. I think I hear the girls coming."

And so they were. For all the secrecy Koizumi had enforced, going was just as noisy an affair as coming. Mioda was the first to arrive, dragging Tsumiki in her wake. She bounded right over to Togami and began speaking a mile a minute: "So first we had a breath holding contest and Hiyoko-chan won but Ibuki thinks Hiyoko-chan cheated and she can't even swim so she wasn't even underwater so how do we even know?" Tsumiki stood to the side with her hands across her swimsuit, whimpering and looking back and forth at Hinata.

Next were Pekoyama, Owari, and Sonia, who helpfully had a towel for Tsumiki. Pekoyama and Owari exchanged only goodbyes, but Sonia briefly took Togami's attention and had a short, but enthusiastic conversation with him that Hinata could barely understand. Then she left, with Tsumiki in tow. Mioda immediately resumed talking: "And then we went back to the beach house and we had secret conversations so secret not even Byakuya-chan can know what we said! Hmmmmmm, but can Byakuya-chan guess what we talked about? Ibuki wonders if he can!" By Hinata's estimation Togami didn't seem to mind, though he wasn't quite sure as he hadn't yet gotten a word in edgewise.

Then came Nanami, who was, to Hinata's surprise, walking next to Monomi. They gave Hinata and Togami brief greetings before moving on. Finally, Koizumi and Saionji came through together, saying nothing to the group by the game as they passed.


Hinata lay awake just a little later than usual that night, and, perhaps as a direct result, he began thinking about Komaeda again.

He'd been dead for five days, and yet the time Hinata had spent with him felt like it had been another lifetime. Yesterday he'd had had a sudden but brief thought of him, and asked Pekoyama if she, too, had had any of those kinds of thoughts, which he was embarrassed to find she had not. But this wasn't like that thought – it was sustained, and it traveled on a path from one memory to another. He'd almost thought he'd forgotten Komaeda's face, and yet there it was at the front of his mind, vivid as ever. He wondered what he was trying to find in it. Clues? Answers? Answers to what? It frustrated him, to be drawn to something and yet not know what he was looking for.

He did not think of Hanamura, not until he was almost asleep and it occurred to him that he hadn't. But then his thoughts dissolved. He didn't know whether Komaeda remained, but he had the vague feeling that he did.


See you in three days!

- Carth