And here we are with the next part! I'm really sorry for the wait. This contains my favorite scene in the entire story. I hope you like it - I really enjoy doing this and I hope you do too.
And a special and wonderful thanks to my boyfriend, David, for helping me out with the tough parts.
CW: Excessive amounts of Titty Typhoon jokes.
Chapter Three, Part Two
The restaurant was empty when Hinata arrived the next morning, but that didn't surprise him – it was only a quarter past six. He'd woken at five on the dot, and though he'd tried to go back to sleep, at least until the Monobear announcement, he couldn't and had no interest in doing so. Either he'd slept too much to sleep anymore, or with all the times he'd had to go guard the game – did he really not have to do that anymore? – he'd just gotten into a rhythm of getting up early.
He'd planned on grabbing a bite to eat and going off somewhere to keep busy until the announcement, anything to keep him out of his cottage and his mind occupied. He hadn't expected Kuzuryuu to show up at the restaurant about thirty seconds after he did, and he definitely hadn't expected him to stay once he knew Hinata was there.
True, he'd turned around and walked back down the stairs as soon as he'd seen him, but within a few seconds he returned, as if he'd never left, and headed for the food tables. He stared at Hinata for a moment, searching him with his eyes, but when Hinata finally greeted him – "Uh, hey," he'd said – he didn't respond. He balanced his plate on one arm and tipped food onto it with the other, and sat two tables over from Hinata. He fumbled with his chopsticks for a moment, then, scowling, scraped his right hand's bandage clasp open against the side of the table, unraveled it with a wave of his arm, and picked up the chopsticks, his hand trembling as he held them.
"Er…" Hinata wasn't sure what any of the others might think of what he was about to do – he wasn't even sure himself – but the words that came out of his mouth were automatic. "Are you –"
"No," Kuzuryuu growled.
"Well, okay." Hinata shrugged. "I just don't know if Tsumiki'd want you doing that."
"She isn't here." Kuzuryuu winced as he brought the chopsticks to his lips.
"Yeah." Hinata went back to his food, but just when he thought the conversation was over, Kuzuryuu spoke again.
"What are you doing here?" he said.
"Couldn't sleep anymore. You?"
"Eh." Kuzuryuu set his chopsticks down. He looked down at his food, then, slowly, he turned to the far wall. Sonia's shrine was still there, though the flowers were now wilting slightly. "So, we're ignoring the pile of crap?"
"Hm?" Hinata looked over at the shrine. "Well..."
"Was it there yesterday?"
"It was..."
"You're not going to tell me what it's for?"
Hinata was about to answer him, but a second later he thought better of it and kept silent. Kuzuryuu grimaced at him, then laughed bitterly to himself. "Heh. Guess you'd better not tell me. Something might happen if I know too much."
It was a deliberate barb. Hinata shuddered, but resisted the urge to say the first things that came to his mouth. All that came out was a sputtering noise, and Kuzuryuu laughed again.
"See, this is why I wanted to get here early." Kuzuryuu's tone was oddly lighthearted, but Hinata could see that he was shaking. He reached back for his chopsticks, but his fingers twisted and scattered them on his plate. "Cause if I run into anyone they're just going to tell me the same things I already know. But maybe you think I deserve that, huh? Maybe I should hang around and let 'em at me."
"You…" Hinata felt a sudden anger welling up inside his chest, licking wounds he hadn't felt the previous day. "You knew what playing that game would do and you did it anyway," he said without thinking. "You put everyone's lives in danger. Pekoyama and Sonia are dead, and if you knew what happened yesterday-"
"Yep, you're doing exactly what I said you would." Hinata had been expecting the same kind of anger in return, but Kuzuryuu wasn't even looking at him – he was staring at his hands, mumbling so softly that Hinata wasn't sure how much of what he was saying he was supposed to hear. "So keep it coming. It doesn't matter. If it could bring them back it would have by now."
"You don't have to tell me that either." Of course Kuzuryuu was mourning, perhaps even more than they were. "But there's still things happening you're responsible for, and hiding isn't going to solve anything –"
Kuzuryuu gave Hinata a long, hard look, enough to cut him off. Then, without responding, he stood, walked past him, and stopped at the shrine. He studied Souda's drawing, the one that Hinata could only assume was of Sonia, for a long time.
"So it's all me?" he said. "I'm responsible for everything?"
He was silent for a moment, but then, with a loud yell, he banged his hand on the top of the vanity drawer and kicked at the legs of the divan. Then he stood still, as if nothing had happened, picked up another tray of food from the tables, balanced it across his arms, and glared at Hinata, as if daring him to react or respond. He could only look stunned, which appeared to satisfy Kuzuryuu enough.
He turned and headed for the stairs, and Hinata looked after him as he left, wondering just who was responsible for what. Kuzuryuu had played the game, but that had really been the end of his role, he realized. Pekoyama and Sonia had taken over from there. And even before him, Monobear had been the one to set the motive in the first place. Monobear… Monobear is playing to our weaknesses, he could hear Togami say in his mind. Our connections, our ideas of justice…that's the point of his motives, that they all affect us differently.
Had Togami had Kuzuryuu in mind, too, when he'd said that? Was it fair to make any exceptions at all? Hinata wondered how he might have responded differently to Kuzuryuu if he'd just remembered all this a little sooner. Then his thoughts shifted, and he wondered about Togami – what had happened to him, what he was thinking, whether or not he was right about everything he'd accused himself of.
But soon he pushed those thoughts aside. They were moot, after all, unless he could find a way to share them. At the very least he'd ask around about him if he didn't show up to breakfast. And Tanaka too – he hadn't seen him since the trial. Anything else he had to do could probably come out of that.
The morning announcement went off some time after Kuzuryuu left, and to Hinata's surprise Monobear showed up before it ended, somehow materializing an inch from his face. He shouted at Hinata for getting his paws dirty, as he'd landed right in Hinata's eggs, then moved on to making fun of him for being at breakfast so early. "Is there someone you're trying to avoid, perhaps?" he said, wiggling his eyebrows and rubbing his paws together. "Or maybe you've finally come to your senses, and you're lying in wait with a concealed weapon! Oooh, I've hit the nail on the head, haven't I? Come on, Hinata-kun, don't disappoint me!"
Hinata snorted, left the table, and went to get a new breakfast plate, turning on Monobear. "Well, fine!" he could hear him say from across the room. "See if I ever try to make small talk with any of you bastards ever again! Well…no, I don't have to say that just because you're being difficult. With all this delicious despair going around, it's only a matter of time! Oh, speaking of that, has Togami-kun had any bright ideas about the countdown clock in Jabberwock Park, after all the time he's spent around it? Or have you not had the opportunity to ask him about that?" He chuckled. "He hasn't exactly been very forthcoming lately, has he? Aren't you wondering about that?"
"That's none of your business."
"Upupupu, Hinata-kun thinks his problems are too high and mighty for his headmaster, doesn't he? Eh, never mind. I think what I've said is enough to sit on." Monobear jumped down from the table with a loud squelch and marched across the room to the stairs. "I'll just catch up on a few of my stories while I'm waiting for the fun to begin."
Hinata turned to give him a piece of his mind, only to find he'd vanished. Only a trail of crushed scrambled eggs remained to prove he'd been there at all. Hinata felt a bit awkward about leaving the mess on the floor, so he gathered it up in a napkin before, struck with a sudden loss of appetite, he sat back in his seat and left his food untouched.
Owari and Nidai arrived not long after that, talking as if it were any other day. They joined him at his table and gave him the basic rundown of everything he'd missed on the third island. It was abandoned like the rest, with no exit in sight, but there was a hospital, some kind of nightclub, a shopping district, a motel, and a movie theater where Monobear had tried to charge them millions of yen to not see a movie. Owari wouldn't hear of spending that much, so they both saw "a disturbing, low-budget Wizard of Oz type production", to hear Nidai tell it, and got two tote bags for their trouble.
In exchange Hinata told them about Monobear's visit and Kuzuryuu's behavior – particularly that he was deliberately avoiding people. "That's not a surprise," Owari commented. "Hey, if it means he's not around to make trouble that's fine by me. 'Sides, if I need someone to fight I'll just track down Monobear again!"
"Owari, there's many, many reasons you shouldn't do that, and we have other fish to fry first." Nidai turned back to Hinata. "I did hear about what happened to Togami, and even for a man of his ability I can't say I'm surprised. But I haven't seen him and I don't think anyone else has. The same goes for Tanaka, though I can't imagine why he'd be scarce."
"I think he was close to Sonia," Hinata said. He was surprised that he hadn't even had to bring up the topic himself. "Do you think we should check on them at some point? Or on anyone that doesn't come, really. Even if it doesn't help anything..."
"OF COURSE!" Nidai shouted. "ANYTHING TO RE-IGNITE THE SPIRIT OF A MAN!"
"Well – that's one thing, I guess," Hinata said, a bit taken aback. Owari was laughing so hard she had to lean against a chair to steady herself, and this set the rest of them laughing as well. They didn't see or hear Mioda come in until she was already up the stairs. This struck Hinata as odd, as she usually came in yelling, but he only got a split-second's look at her defeated, forlorn expression before she asked them what the "early morning newspaper funnies" were, and Nidai roared again about re-igniting Togami and Tanaka's manly spirit. Her mood lifted in an instant, and she whooped and clapped with enthusiasm.
"Alright, here's how it's going to work!" she yelled. "Nekomaru-chan'll go and send Byakuya-chan's front door flying, then Ibuki'll go in and execute Step One of Secret Operation Cheer-Up Byakuya-chan! But wait…to prepare for Step One, Step One needs to be more like Step Seven, and to prepare for Step Seven Ibuki needs more time!" She bounded over to the food table and began filling two separate plates, muttering to herself and not answering any questions about anything she was talking about.
Tsumiki was next to arrive, and surprisingly enough she looked quite chipper, though she was torn between gushing about the hospital and everything she'd found there and fretting about whether she could get Kuzuryuu over to the hospital for more advanced treatment. Hinata told her about Kuzuryuu's unraveled bandages, which set her worrying about how, if he kept undoing his bandages and using his hands, his wounds would never heal correctly. She didn't seem to have much to say about his behavior otherwise, but she'd already resolved to see him after breakfast, so Hinata didn't feel the need to make any effort on that front.
Saionji and Koizumi arrived downstairs not long after – Hinata could hear them talking to Nanami, who was down playing games as usual. He had been wondering how they were feeling, or whether they'd say anything about the previous day, so he was a little surprised when they came up with wide grins on their faces, then somewhat more so when Saionji made a beeline for him, grabbed his neck, and swung around him, practically choking him as she went.
"Big Bro Hinaaataaa!" she singsonged as she swung. "Don't tell me you haven't heard the news!"
"N…new…s…?" Saionji was holding Hinata so tightly he couldn't speak. "I…"
"Hiyoko-chan, you're going to choke him," Koizumi said, looking uncertain. "It's not really anything, Hinata, it's –"
"It's a Titty Typhoon!" Saionji dropped down from Hinata's neck and began moving gracefully across the floor, waving her arms in circular motions. "Zoom zoom zoom, round in the air, titties all over, titties back and forth! Zooooommm! Wheeeee!"
"Titty…taifū?" Hinata struggled to pronounce the unfamiliar first word, and his coughing didn't make it any easier. "Is that…ack…is that some kind of English word?"
"Well, kind of, but it's nothing," Koizumi said. "Well, it's not really nothing. Or at least it's nothing any decent man on this island should be interested in."
"Wait…decent man?" Hinata felt more confused than ever. "What does that have to do with typhoons?"
"I'm not saying that women shouldn't have the freedom to do what they want," Koizumi said. "But really, why would those places exist at all if not for the perversion of men? Figures Monobear would leave such a –"
"Titty Typhoon!" Saionji shouted. "Typhoons of titties, typhooning titties! Titty Typhoon, fun for the whole family!"
"Whoa, what?" Mioda's head snapped up from her food, a massive grin on her face. "Typhooning titties? What is this and where does Ibuki sign up?"
Hinata shrugged at Mioda, then turned back to Koizumi. "Okay, I guess it sounds funny," he said. "But I still don't know what you're referring to at all. What the hell's a titty?"
Saionji snorted, then burst out laughing, and when Koizumi looked back up at Hinata she sputtered and doubled over as well. Mioda joined in, though Hinata was sure she only understood about as much as everyone else did. Nanami came in at about this time and ended up being the only person to explain to Hinata that Titty Typhoon was the name of the nightclub - though what a "titty" was remained a mystery to them both.
She was followed by Souda, whose presence silenced Saionji in a heartbeat. He couldn't have looked any different than he had the previous day if he'd tried – his shoulders drooped, his hair stuck out at all sides, and his expression was forlorn. Saionji gave him the stinkeye as he passed her, but he didn't turn to look. He sat hunched over at the table nearest to the shrine and ate quietly, not talking to anyone.
But, not long after everyone else had gotten their food and ceased to pay him any mind, Nanami got up from her own table and joined him at his. He glanced over at her, looking confused. "Yeah?"
Nanami stared at Souda for several seconds before she spoke. "Ah, Souda-kun, yesterday we found a shopping district with a large number of electronics stores on the third island. I thought you might want to know."
"Electronics…stores?" Souda hesitated, but then stood up straighter and regarded Nanami with more interest. "What kind of stuff did they have?"
"Cell phones, television sets, computers…I don't know if any of it works, but it's there if you want to give it a look." Nanami's eyes narrowed. "Though they don't have any video game consoles, so that's pretty disappointing."
"Disappointing? Are you kidding?" Souda grinned, and gave Nanami a weak thumbs-up. "Heh, that's better'n nothing! Looks like I'm going to the third island today, huh..."
Nanami smiled, and Souda resumed eating with a bit more enthusiasm. Hinata smiled at her, though she didn't seem to see, then sat back in his chair, surveying the faces around him. It was more than he could have expected – no one was fighting, no one had said anything about the still-standing shrine, and everyone seemed a touch less gloomy overall, Koizumi and Souda in particular. Sure, Togami and Tanaka hadn't come yet, but if the rest of them could come together like this, getting to them couldn't be much of a problem.
There was no way Hinata was going to say any of that, or even believe it, but just as he was thinking that he should at least bring up the topic again he heard a sudden thump on the stairs.
The restaurant went quiet – in anticipation of whom Hinata couldn't say, but when Togami emerged from the stairs no one looked surprised. He stopped at the top, and kept one hand on the rail. Hinata had been expecting a new level of dishevelment, but he actually looked very well put together, as least as far as anyone could tell with his head lowered against his chest.
"Huh?" Owari said through a full mouth. "Olff mhhn?"
"B-Byakuya-chan!?" Mioda spit her drink all over Tsumiki. "The power of miracles just upset all of Ibuki's plans! Hold on, hold on –" She tried to get out of her chair, but slipped and faceplanted in the process.
"Forget the plans," Hinata said quickly. "Togami, are you –" Are you okay? Can I even ask that with everyone around? Hinata couldn't answer that before he found himself shoved into the nearest pillar; he caught his balance and turned in time to see Koizumi rush past him, pulling Saionji by the arm.
"There you are!" she shouted in Togami's face. "Why haven't you been answering your door? If you're here that better mean you're about to give us an explanation for everything –"
"I'm only here to make an announcement," Togami said.
Koizumi opened her mouth to continue, but closed it when the room fell silent again. Togami's hair fell into his face, and his hand trembled against the rail. "As of this moment, I will no longer act as your leader," he said. "If you would like to have another then you should decide that amongst yourselves."
He took off from the stairs and headed for the food tables. Hinata's insides had frozen, but around him the room exploded. Some were shocked, most disbelieving, but Mioda skipped right to protest. "Nonononononono," she said over and over as she struggled to her feet and ran across the room. "That's not true, that doesn't have to be true, Ibuki already said Byakuya-chan didn't do anything wrong, and she can describe why not in excruciating detail…"
"Oh, forget that!" Koizumi cut Mioda off and marched after Togami, apparently not noticing that Saionji had wrenched free of her grasp. "Look, if this is about yesterday, then at least come out and say it before you – hey, look at me when I'm talking to you!"
But Togami didn't – he ignored Koizumi's protests, and stormed right past Mioda when she ran to flag him down. He only stopped when he'd reached the food tables; once there he took three full platters of food, balanced them on top of each other, and headed back for the stairs with Koizumi and Mioda at his heels.
"Hey – no – what do you think you're doing?" Hinata pushed past Souda and jumped onto the railing, balancing himself on his hips and swaying dangerously over the stairs. "You can't leave without giving us an explanation!"
Togami stopped at the middle of the steps, but didn't turn back. "I've said what I have to say," he said, speaking so softly that Hinata wouldn't be surprised if he was the only one that could hear him. "Please don't follow me or knock on my door."
He disappeared from view, again at top speed. Hinata looked after him for a time, then, with a tug on his shirt, he remembered how precariously he was perched and allowed Nanami to pull him back. He heard Mioda shouting Togami's name from behind him, but when he turned back Owari had caught her by the collar, and she didn't appear to be struggling. No one moved or spoke. Hinata couldn't tell who was struck dumb and who had nothing to say.
"He's gone." Koizumi looked past Hinata at the stairs, her eyes wide with indignation. "He just left – the nerve of him –"
Tsumiki shivered for a moment before composing herself. "Then…does this mean we should choose a new leader?"
"What – NO! Of course not!" Mioda tugged at Owari's hand, but Owari didn't let her go. "If Byakuya-chan isn't our leader, then why should we listen to him saying he isn't? By that logic, if he isn't, then he is!" She rocked back and forth on her heels and spoke faster and faster with every word. "But that is actually a bit circuitous, but Ibuki actually believes he is no matter what, and –"
"He resigned," Saionji said, more harshly than Hinata expected even from her. "And I'm not going to pretend he's still bossing us around if he's not."
"I wouldn't say it like that…" Owari gave Saionji an uncertain look as she raised her hand. "But while we're on the topic, I vote for old man Nidai."
"Wait, no one said we were voting," Hinata said, before Nidai could voice his own complaint. All eyes turned to him, some curious, some stony, and he found himself blurting the first things that came to his head. "I know this is all really weird, and I don't even know what's going on, but we can't just jump into choosing a new leader without considering everything."
"What else is there to consider? He forced himself out like he forced himself in." Koizumi did not look at Hinata as she spoke. "Are you saying we shouldn't have the leader we actually want?"
Hinata was surprised to hear Koizumi speak so directly. "That wasn't what I meant at all," he said. "I mean, I'm not saying we need to have him back. But we don't know what he's going to do in the future or what he's thinking. Just because he's not our leader doesn't mean he isn't still one of us."
Mioda and Nanami nodded their assent, but everyone else looked stiff and uncertain, Tsumiki in particular. "Well," she said, "when we find another leader, we could decide what to do about him, couldn't we?"
"Let's leave the leader question aside for now," Nidai interrupted. "Hinata has a point. I wasn't at dinner yesterday, but in light of this Togami's recent behavior shouldn't be something that we ignore." He put a hand to his chin. "I'm reminded of his actions after the first trial, actually. This might be a stretch, but he might have recognized that behavior surfacing again, and stepped down before it could affect us."
"I think it goes deeper than that," Nanami said. "Togami-kun deeply blames himself for not preventing the murders. I think…I think he believes he was actively causing us harm. That may have had more to do with his reasoning. But his behavior…I'm sure it was a direct reaction to his own guilt."
"That's pretty selfish of him," Saionji said. "Did Mr. Porkfeet actually think he could just save everyone with the power of being rich?"
"Prob'ly did," Souda said, half-mumbling. "Isn't he supposed to be some big ruthless company head or something?"
He's been taught the secrets of leadership ever since he was very young. Hinata could hear Komaeda saying in his mind. Despite his age, he's already held a variety of management positions, and acquired a considerable fortune of his very own. "Well, business is one thing," Hinata thought aloud. "But this – okay, I don't want to make excuses for him –"
"Then don't." Koizumi whirled to face him. Her eyes were wide, and her expression devoid of emotion. "I don't even know why we're giving him all this attention to begin with. It's like I said, isn't it? He forced himself in. He told us he was destined to lead and he actually believed that was all we needed to see or hear. But Komaeda, Hanamura, Peko-chan…S-Sonia-chan…" She shuddered, and her voice cracked. "They all died because that wasn't enough for them to trust him – and don't tell me that's not the only reason, because I already know."
Mioda closed her mouth, hung her head, and put her hand to her chin, but only for a moment before she looked up again, her confidence restored. "Maybe Ibuki's playing devil's advocate even though she thinks she's right, but even if they didn't trust Byakuya-chan, they didn't trust anyone else either, right…?"
Koizumi sighed, and gave Mioda an exasperated look. "Well, no, but we didn't…we'll talk later, Ibuki-chan." She turned back to Hinata, her stony look back in full force. "He told us he could do everything, didn't he? But look at him now. Turns out he was only reliable as long as nothing went wrong. So if he's just going to go hide from everything he's done to us, then whatever. We're more than capable of handling ourselves." She turned her back to him. "Just let him throw his temper tantrum and stop letting him run our lives."
"I wasn't…" Hinata stopped, shook his head, and looked up at those around him. Saionji was standing by Koizumi, patting her arm and giving Hinata an ugly look. Souda was lying face-down on his table and didn't appear to be moving. Nidai and Owari were looking from him to Koizumi, their uncertainty growing at every turn. Mioda stroked her chin again, looking unusually contemplative, and Tsumiki's teeth chattered. He couldn't get a real read on any of them, or on the effect Koizumi's words had had on them. He had to admit she was right – really, he'd known it all along – but he, like the rest of them, didn't know what the right course of action was about it. He didn't even know if Koizumi had offered one, or even could.
Nanami was the only one of them who didn't look troubled at all – and as Hinata was thinking, she raised her hand to attract the attention her voice could not. "If this would help," she said, "It looks like everyone has different ideas about what to do, but none of them are mutually exclusive. Whoever wants to deal with Togami-kun can do so on their own terms, and everyone else can do whatever they think needs to be done. There are nine of us here now. There's really no need to convince everyone that they only need to do one thing."
There were scattered nods around the room, and the atmosphere as a whole relaxed slightly. "I didn't think of that," Tsumiki said. "But don't we need everyone here to choose a new leader?"
"Why are you so hung up on this new leader business, ugly?" Saionji said. "Don't tell me you think a stupid bitch like you can do it."
"Wh-n-no! I just didn't want anyone to forget…" Tsumiki buried her face in her hands.
"Then we can set a time to choose one," Nanami said. "But not everyone is here right now. So we need to find a time that works for everyone."
"Because we really need Kuzuryuu's opinion," Souda mumbled into the table.
"You're forgetting Tanaka," Nidai said. "I already agreed to visit him. I can take care of that, if the rest of you would rather not."
Did Nidai forget I was the one he agreed with? Tsumiki spoke up before Hinata could. "And I do need to check on Kuzuryuu-san," she said. "If I wasn't so stupid and ugly, he wouldn't keep using his hands…"
"And someone should probably at least keep an eye on the old man," Owari said. "Just to make sure he doesn't…you know…"
"Doesn't what?" Hinata said, but when he saw the looks on everyone's faces he understood immediately. Of course that would be on their minds. It was strange, but he'd almost forgotten that Togami could participate in the mutual killing if he wanted. "Okay, but if he resigned for the reasons we think he did…"
"Then you don't think he'd kill any of us?" Saionji said, a hollow tone in her voice. "But didn't we say that about everyone else? For all we know Mr. Porkfeet doesn't care what happens to us anymore."
"But isn't that jumping to conclusions?" Hinata said. "Just because he messed up doesn't mean he's –"
"Hinata, if you don't know anything, then keep your mouth shut," Koizumi mumbled.
"I think Tsumiki and I will be able to handle him if anything goes wrong." Nidai folded his arms and looked over at the window facing the cottages. "Given yesterday I don't know if talking to him will do any good…but if he shows any sign of leaving one of us will let you know."
"Ibuki's staying with you," Mioda piped in.
"Someone's determined," Owari said.
"More like someone's thirst-mmmf!" Saionji couldn't finish her comment before Koizumi covered her mouth.
"Hmph, very well," Nidai said. "Anyone else?"
"Actually, I feel a larger group may do more harm than good," Nanami said, before Hinata could speak up – and it didn't look like anyone else was about to. "We can count on you…I think."
Hinata didn't quite get Nanami's logic, but he couldn't think of how to disagree, and neither did anyone else. "So…what are the rest of us doing?"
"Well…it's not like we have an assignment, but I was going to go back to the third island," Nanami said. "You haven't seen it yet, have you, Hinata-kun?"
The first and last thing Hinata saw on the third island was the entrance to Titty Typhoon – or at least, as the sign was in English, he assumed that "Titty Typhoon" was what it said. The gritty façade and flame theme contrasted oddly with the pop-art of the sign, and overall it was the most confusing building Hinata had ever seen. Saionji laughed at him as she and Koizumi passed, but they were soon out of sight, and no one else joined him at the entrance. But before he could enter, just to have a look around, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He started, turned around, and jumped back when he found Nanami standing so close to him that her chest was practically touching his stomach.
"Whoa, Nanami! I didn't see you." He brushed his shirt off, trying to look more nonchalant than he had. "Er, what's going on?"
Nanami was still for several seconds before she spoke. "Hinata-kun, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Well, sure." Hinata shrugged. "You could have said that to begin with..."
"Over here." Nanami beckoned him away from the door, around to the other side of the building. When she got there, she looked left and right, then stood still again for so long that Hinata's heart beat faster in anticipation. "There's something I need your help with, and you're one of the only ones who can help me," she finally said.
"Something you…need my help with?" A shivery sort of excitement built up in Hinata's chest. "That's, uh, that's…vague."
"It's a very important task that needs to be done right away," Nanami went on. "And I'm sorry, but it's going to have to interrupt your exploration of this island, possibly for several hours. Follow me."
She turned and walked back down the path, and Hinata followed behind her, still feeling confused. "Several hours…?" he said. "Well, okay, but if you were just going to take me out of here, why did you tell me to come here in the first place? And…" He tugged at his shirt collar, half-hoping to strangle himself before his imagination ran away from him. "What are we even doing?"
Nanami was quiet as they crossed the bridge, but resumed as they crossed the central island. "Like I said, you're one of the only ones who can help me." She paused. "We're going to get Togami-kun out of his room."
Hinata felt an uneasy feeling in his stomach. "Wait – we are? But…how?"
"You'll see," Nanami said. "It's going to work this time."
"That's a lot of confidence you've got." They were at the first island bridge now, and crossing swiftly. "You're not going to use me to try and get him to open the door, are you? Cause that's not going to work."
"I know. Like I said, you'll see, Hinata-kun." Nanami put her hands in her pockets and didn't answer any more of Hinata's questions as they crossed the first island and approached the cottages.
There was no sign of anyone at first, but as they rounded the corner they saw Nidai and Mioda walking back from the boys' side. From the looks on their faces Hinata was sure they hadn't been expecting them. Nidai raised an eyebrow, but Mioda's reaction was far more dramatic. "Hoooah! Chiaki-chan? Hajime-chan?" She ran at them at top speed. "Was the third island really that boring?"
"Well, no, I hardly saw any of iiiiii –" Hinata cut himself short when he saw the small, grey creature fast asleep on Mioda's shoulder. "That's a hamster," he blurted.
Mioda gasped. "Hajime-chan noticed already?" She cupped the hamster in her hand and patted its ear. It squirmed slightly, but did not wake up. "Jum-P-chan's power is just as potent as Gundam-chan claims, then!"
"Ah, then you saw Tanaka-kun?" Nanami stepped forward and looked down at the hamster with a small smile. "How is he?"
"Alright enough," Nidai said as he approached them at last. "It took us some time to convince him to let us in-"
"Ibuki serenaded him!" Mioda interrupted.
"But we did bring him breakfast, and he promised to be at breakfast tomorrow." Nidai looked to the side, his mouth a thin line. "He didn't seem to want to talk about why he hasn't been at the last two meals."
Hinata remembered just how heartbroken Tanaka had looked the last time he'd seen him, then, just as quickly, he buried the memory. "Well, if you say he's alright, I'll take your word for it," he said. "But…why do you have one of his hamsters?"
"How little Hajime-chan knows. Jum-P-chan is on a quest of the spirit!" Mioda set Jum-P on her shoulder again, and folded her arms. "And this is where Ibuki would say, "And no, he's not trying to win the love of Akane-chan," but we're too young to know that reference!"
Hinata decided not to think about what that might mean. "So, what you're trying to tell me is…"
"We told Tanaka about everything that had happened with Togami," Nidai said, "And when we were done, well, he informed us that his hamster –"
""Mirage Silver Falcon" Jum-P has heard your pleas with an attentive ear!" Mioda said in a mock-deep voice. "His desire to commune with his fellow lord and leader overwhelms his tiny body…if you will hear his pleas and assist him, songful one, you will share in the great fruits of his quest!" Mioda coughed and laughed. "My ability to channel Gundam-chan is as potent as ever!"
"Is that so?" Nanami looked back at "Mirage Silver Falcon" Jum-P, whom Hinata had never once seen awake, let alone communing with anyone. "As it happens, we were just coming to try and talk to Togami-kun. We might need your assistance…and Jum-P's, too, if that would help him on his quest."
Mioda's expression changed in an instant – her mouth drew itself into a thin line, and she looked at Nanami with grave seriousness. "Hmm, another quest of the spirit…does Chiaki-chan have a plan?"
"I do…I think." Nanami looked over to her left, where Togami's cottage stood. All the curtains were shut, and Hinata couldn't see any lights on inside. "Come with me. We'll need all the time we can get."
"Should I come along?" Nidai said, fixing Nanami with a curious look.
"Actually, Nidai-kun…" Nanami beckoned Nidai towards her, then motioned for him to crouch to her height. She whispered in Nidai's ear for what felt like ages, and then Nidai's eyes went wide, and he nodded vigorously. "Hm. I see. Alright, I understand perfectly."
He straightened and folded his arms with a grin on his face. "In the meantime, I'll check on Tsumiki and Kuzuryuu," he said. "She may need some assistance."
"Thank you, Nidai-kun. I'm counting on you." Nidai nodded and turned away, heading across the divide to Kuzuryuu's cottage. Nanami turned back to them, a small smile on her face. "Are we ready?"
"Eurgh…" Hinata gave Mioda an uncertain look. "I guess?"
"Alright." Nanami walked down the path to Togami's front door, and Hinata and Mioda followed close behind. She knocked softly, and then knocked again when she got no response. "Togami-kun?" she said. "It's Nanami… oh, and Mioda-san and Hinata-kun are here, too…"
"Ibuki has a hamster!" Mioda held Jum-P up in the general direction of the window, as if Togami could see him. "Ibuki doesn't know if that changes anything!"
"Uh…" Hinata suddenly felt like his jaws were made of cement. "Look…you kind of ran out on us, and I don't know about anyone else, but I don't think this conversation is over –"
"We're not going to ask anything you don't want to answer, Togami-kun," Nanami said. "All we want to do is talk…I think…"
There was no response, and no sound from inside. Hinata could think of a million things he wanted to say now, but none of them stood any chance of opening the door, and he was beginning to lose hope. "Well, okay," he said. "I guess if you really want to be alone that's just how it's going to be –"
He heard a soft rustling to his left, and turned to see the curtains in the nearest window inch apart, then quickly shut again. Hinata could hear soft footsteps pacing back and forth, and then the door opened, but only a crack before a chain-lock stopped it. I definitely don't have one of those on my door, he thought. He could see the right half of Togami's face through the opening, but little else. He examined them for a moment; Hinata and Nanami stood still, while Mioda bounced rapidly up and down in anticipation.
"I'll be out in five minutes," Togami said before he closed the door again.
Nanami gave Hinata a wide-eyed look, and Mioda slapped frantically at her cheeks. There was a long and worrying silence, then several sudden bangs, followed by the soft jingling of a chain before the door opened.
"Ah, Togami-kun," Nanami said softly. "We –"
"I thought I told you not to knock on my door," Togami said.
"I know," Nanami said, and then fell silent again. Hinata wondered suddenly just how confident Nanami had actually been in whatever plan she'd had.
"If you know, then why are you here?"
"Huh…?" Mioda's fingers were twisting and twitching madly, and she looked more nervous than Hinata had expected. "Does Byakuya-chan really not know? Maybe Ibuki wasn't clear, or Ibuki wasn't loud enough?"
"I directly told you not to come here and you still did." His words were stern, but his voice had no trace of anger in it. If anything, he sounded tired. "Are you so thick-headed that nothing will stop you?"
Despite his words, Hinata couldn't help but notice that he hadn't shut the door in their faces yet. "Well, that's one way to put it," he said. "I mean, it was worth a shot."
"Worth a shot…" Togami mused in silence for what felt like an age. The intense, even intimidating expression he had held just seconds before was gone – on anyone else Hinata might describe what he saw now as trepidation, but with Togami there was no way to know.
"Worth a shot," he repeated. Then, without another word, he turned and walked to about the center of his cottage, leaving the door open behind him. "Aren't you coming in?"
"Hoaah! Ibuki almost missed her cue!" The change in Mioda's demeanor was instantaneous – Hinata found himself with a hamster in his hands as she charged through the doorway and took a flying leap for Togami's back, her arms outstretched. "Operation Cheer Up Byakuya-Chan is –!"
She was almost to Togami when he whirled round in a flash and grabbed her arm, forcing her to a stop. They stared at each other for a moment; Hinata couldn't see Mioda's face, but Togami's eyes were far wider than before, and his breathing far heavier. After a moment Mioda said something Hinata couldn't hear, and Togami shook his head at her. He headed for the side of his room where Hinata assumed his bed was, and Mioda followed after.
"Go in," Nanami said from behind him. Hinata looked back at her, hoping against hope she knew what she was doing, and then entered the cottage ahead of her.
Hinata hadn't thought about what Togami's cottage would look like, but it hardly looked any different from his own, apart from the bookshelves and massive piles of books scattered across the room. The dishes Togami had taken from the restaurant were stacked neatly on a desk, and from the look of them he'd washed them after he was done with them. Like them the room was plain and immaculate, without a singular hint of personality to be found – apart from the books, but Hinata couldn't see any of their titles.
Togami seated himself on the edge of his bed, but didn't make any move to invite them to join him. So Hinata and Nanami stood awkwardly in the center of the room, while Mioda sat down next to Togami, kicking her legs back and forth. She stole a glance at him and smiled in what struck Hinata as a subdued manner, but Togami only gave her the same neutral look. Then his eyes trailed over to Hinata's hands, where he carefully held "Mirage Silver Falcon" Jum-P. "You…do have a hamster," he said.
"Oh! Right!" Mioda leapt from her seat, grabbed Jum-P from Hinata's hands, and knelt before Togami in a dramatic fashion, holding Jum-P up over her head. "Ibuki presents to you a dark god on a quest of the spirit!"
Togami looked down at the sleeping hamster without a change of expression. "Why?" he said.
"Because," Mioda chirped. She held Jum-P closer, and Togami's fingers twitched for a moment before, with some hesitation, he lifted the hamster out of Mioda's hands and placed him further up the bed. Mioda clapped her hands together, then stood and returned to her seat.
Hinata watched this scene with a mounting sense of unease. This was not how he'd imagined his next meeting with Togami starting off. "Uh….so, nice place you've got here," he said. "It has books."
"It does." For the first time since he'd opened the door, Togami fixed his full attention on Hinata. "Well? What do you want?"
"What do I want?" Hinata didn't know where to begin, and the girls weren't doing him any favors – Mioda's attention was on him, and Nanami looked just as silent and spacey as usual.
"To know why I resigned, I'm sure." Togami's expression was harsh, as though he were angry at Hinata for even potentially asking such a thing.
"Well…no. We kind of already know why you did that." Hinata remembered dinner-breakfast the previous day, and the hollow, surreal look in Togami's eyes. With the image fresh in his mind, he didn't know just how much of that he could still see now. "You said all that stuff yesterday…but what I still don't get is how you could've done anything about that."
Togami was silent for a time before he spoke. "What's there not to understand? I took power with the understanding that there would not be a single victim, but now four people are dead. I don't know how I can make it any plainer."
"But you're making it sound like you somehow made them kill." Hinata was only half-sure of every word he was saying, but there was no way he could stop now. "Look – remember what you told Hanamura? Without Monobear or Komaeda, he never would have done what he did. They're all the ones at fault there, so it's not really worth it to beat yourself up over circumstantial nitpicks that none of the rest of us noticed either."
"Those circumstantial nitpicks were our last line of defense, Hinata. Our first was trust." Togami's expression froze. "If you're going to cite the dead, so will I. Sonia told us all outright she didn't trust me. She thought I couldn't stop Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama, but if she'd come to me for help, they'd still be with us now. Or no, perhaps not. Perhaps I don't understand revenge. Perhaps Koizumi would be dead."
Hinata wasn't sure whether Togami was really talking to him at all anymore. "Is it her fault? Of course it is. But it was my responsibility to make sure those faults never occurred. Mine, not anyone else's. I've made that clear to you before."
Yes, and you're repeating yourself, Hinata thought. He was starting to feel frustrated, but Mioda interrupted him before the feeling could really form. "But Byakuya-chan's still done a lot for the rest of us, hasn't he?" she said. "His speeches really helped Ibuki when she was feeling rock-bottom hopeless, and no matter what else has happened you can't say Ibuki can't say that much is true!"
"Mioda, don't," Togami said. "That has nothing to do with any of this."
"Ibuki disagrees!" Mioda folded her arms and smirked. "If Ibuki only looked at her failures without also considering her successes she wouldn't be the Ibuki she is down to her very soul. Instead, she learns from her mistakes! And that's something she knows Byakuya-chan can do."
"That's an easy thing to say." Togami still stared at the floor, and his voice sounded as though it was having trouble leaving his mouth. "But there will always be new mistakes to make. New ways to get past my defenses. Even if I restricted everyone's movements there would still be someone determined enough to pass under my notice. And if anyone will even try…then I've failed from the moment they have." He looked up. "I have no other explanation to give. Now, if you're satisfied, you really have no other business here."
Nanami's eyes widened, but she still did not speak – and Hinata felt his frustration prickling again. "Togami, you're speaking nonsense," Hinata blurted. "You didn't have to take on nearly the responsibilities you did. I'm starting to think there isn't anyone who could. If you'd just admit that, we could come up with a plan –"
"Didn't have to?" His voice dropped to a low grumble, and he gripped the sides of the bed. "You're the ones speaking nonsense. You know nothing about what I'm meant for. The name of Byakuya Togami carries a legacy of perfection. My achievements go hand in hand with my destiny. But if you're treating me as though I could never have done any more than anyone else, as though I were exactly like yourselves… then what does that mean for that destiny? What does that mean for that name?"
Hinata had no idea how to respond. Togami's intensity was almost impossible to understand, and before he could sort it out, Togami spoke again. "You're very direct, Hinata," he said, his voice measured once more. "It's a difficult trait, but a useful one. And there's no one on this island who doesn't trust you. You'll make a fine leader, if chosen."
"Wait – what are you talking about?" Hinata's eyes narrowed. "I definitely don't want to be leader!"
"Koizumi and Nidai have their strengths, as well." Togami tilted his head, and his hair fell into his eyes. "But that shouldn't be for me to say, should it…?"
"Togami-kun…" Hinata jumped and looked over at Nanami, but couldn't tell whether or not he'd just imagined that she'd spoken. She gave Togami a long, lingering look, and then turned away from him to face Hinata and Mioda. "Hinata-kun, Mioda-san, I'm sorry, but I'd like to have a word with Togami-kun in private. I need you to go back to the third island."
"Back…?" Hinata exchanged looks with Mioda. "But we just got here!"
"It's very important," Nanami said. "I really, really need you to go back."
If Hinata looked at all confused, it was nothing compared to Togami, who didn't dare take his eyes off Nanami for a moment. Mioda didn't share their feeling – she looked more curious than anything. "But can't Ibuki stay a little longer?" she said. "She hasn't even executed her secret plan yet!"
"This has to be done now," Nanami said in an undertone. "You'll understand soon. Please…I need you to go to the third island."
"Well…if it's that important." Hinata took one last look back at Togami. "Looks like we're going, then."
"Very well." Togami did not look back at him.
"Byakuya-chan…" Mioda gave Togami an uncertain look, then grinned. "Come join us on the third island after this, okay? Ibuki has a Titty Typhoon she needs you to see!"
"I'll…I'll keep that in mind." This was all the answer Mioda needed – she jumped up from the bed and followed Hinata as he headed for the door.
The last thing he saw was Nanami walking across the room, heading for Togami's bed – but then the door shut behind him and Mioda. The sunlight hit him right in the eyes, and he had to squint before he could get a good sense of his surroundings.
"Ack! Ibuki forgot Jum-P-chan!" he could hear Mioda say. "But that only means his quest continues!" Hinata saw her pass on his left, and ran to catch up with her.
"So…we're leaving?" he said as they hit the main path. Nidai, Tsumiki, and Kuzuryuu were nowhere in sight. "We're not listening in or trying to go back or anything?"
"If what they're saying is something Ibuki needs to know, then Ibuki will find out soon enough." She winked at him, but he didn't know what to make of that. "But what Chiaki-chan doesn't know is that Ibuki has her own plans!"
"Plans…" They were just approaching the bridge to the central island. Hinata wondered why Nanami was so insistent that they go to the third. "What kinds of plans?"
"Hmmm, Hajime-chan'll know that soon, too!" Mioda smirked. "He might even be able to help, now that Ibuki thinks of it…"
Even after the door was shut, Nanami did not speak – not immediately. First she walked to the window, pulled the curtains back, and watched there for a time. Hinata and Mioda stood in front of the door for a moment, but soon walked back to the path and towards the hotel entrance again. They were talking, but Nanami couldn't hear what they were saying through the walls.
"They're gone," she said, both to herself and to Togami.
"How strange," Togami said. Nanami turned back to face him; he had shifted slightly on the bed, and now sat facing her. His expression was neutral, but he looked at her as though he were trying to read her mind.
"Strange?"
"It's just as Hinata said. You called them here, had them stay for less than ten minutes, and then sent them away again."
"I did." Nanami was silent for a moment before she spoke. "But did they help at all, while they were here?"
Togami looked to the side, and appeared to think carefully before he spoke. "They're misguided," he soon said.
"Because they wanted to help?"
"Help…help is an irrelevant concept. I don't see why you should be so concerned." Togami folded his arms. "I already told them. I've said all that I have to say. What more could I possibly have to discuss?"
Nanami stared at Togami for a long time before she spoke again. "Togami-kun, do you want to know why I sent them away?"
"Why would that matter?" Togami said.
"Well…they know we're here alone, now. If one of us were to…kill the other…"
"The culprit would be clear. You created a situation where mutual killing is impossible..." Togami's eyes widened. "But you haven't answered my question. Why is this necessary?"
"Because that's not the only reason," Nanami went on. "You're a sensitive and suspicious person…and I really needed you to be sure you could trust me on this subject."
"Trust you…?" Togami's eyes went wide. "What are you –"
"I'm sorry, Togami-kun," Nanami said. "This really isn't something I could have avoided. And ordinarily, I would never even have brought it up…"
"Nanami, I've already said I have nothing I wish to discuss," Togami said suddenly. "Whatever it is you're concerned about, I assure you it's nothing. I'd like to be alone now –"
"But you were compromised from the moment you set foot on this island," Nanami said. "Myself and the other person…we're somewhat acquainted. I knew in an instant…"
An enormous change came over Togami's features from the beginning of her words to the end. What had been confusion and indignation gave way to a slow-dawning look of horror. His posture stiffened, and he hardly appeared to move or breathe. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said very quickly. "What other person?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Nanami said. "There's no way you couldn't. I can't be mistaken."
"You are. Whatever you're thinking it's a mistake." Togami gripped the side of his bed. "You're going to have to leave."
"I've told you, I wanted you to be sure you could trust me," Nanami said. "If there's anything else you'd want me to do, I can do that."
"No...there's nothing to do, there's nothing to trust..." Togami began shifting further back on his bed, towards his pillow. "I already told you to leave!"
"I'm sorry. Like I said, it was unavoidable." Nanami said. "It wasn't something you could have considered."
"There's no considering. There's nothing." Togami hit his bedpost, then stumbled off the bed and moved further back. "You've been lied to. It's a lie!"
"No one lied to me." Nanami turned toward the wall. "I'm really sorry it had to happen this way. But I think-"
"No…no no no no no no no no no…" Togami was now flat against the wall, groping madly at his bookshelf. "No, it's…it can't…don't come any closer…!"
"I won't," Nanami said. "Whatever it is you need –"
"How many?" Togami grasped a large, thick book in his hand, but didn't pull it out of the shelf. "How many people have you told?!"
"I haven't told anyone, and I won't," Nanami said. "It's okay, I understand –"
"Understand…" Togami's fingers trembled around the book. "No…that can't…you're…I don't…"
"It's alright," Nanami said, her voice pleading. "Even if you don't believe me, I'm not going to do anything –"
In the split second before she could say another word, Togami ripped the book out of the shelf and jerked it high above his head. He trembled where he stood, his eyes wide and staring –
But then their hands went rigid, and the book fell to the floor with a heavy thud. They froze at the sound, then looked at Nanami, then down at the floor, then sank to their knees and fell over where the book had fallen, burying their head in their hands with a loud sob.
"I'm sorry."
Nanami knelt to their level, examining them for any sign of a response. Their hair fluttered with their breaths, and a sniffle escaped every now and then, but as far as voluntary movement they were just as still as they'd been for some time.
They'd knelt in silence for about a moment when their head twitched, then lifted slightly. She caught sight of their left eye before they turned their head back again, but a moment later they'd lifted their head completely, and this time she could see curiosity in their eyes, rather than fear. Nanami gave them a small smile; their expression didn't change, but they didn't look away, either.
"You're not going to tell anyone," they said.
"I haven't and I'm not going to," she said.
Their gaze drifted to the side, and then, with a slight grunt, they slid back on their knees and pulled themselves to their feet. Nanami stood as well, and ended up at their side, viewing them in profile. Even in such a short time their entire bearing had changed. Their expression had softened, their shoulders lay slack, and their hands were folded together, rather than crossed.
"Not even now?" they said.
"Not even now," Nanami replied.
They wiped a hand across their eyes, sniffling as they went. Then they blinked several times, and looked back at the bed, where "Mirage Silver Falcon" Jum-P still lay asleep. They gave him a long look, then turned and sat down, their head tilted towards the floor.
Nanami considered joining them on the bed, but instead she moved closer, and came to a stop by their desk. They looked up at her, searching her with their eyes, then looked down again. "How much do you know?" they said.
"About you?" Nanami wished she could say more than her story allowed. "Nothing."
"I would rather you never knew anything at all." Their voice was softer now, and less imposing. It trailed into mumbling every now and again, and they had quite a lot of difficulty bringing it back to a level where it could be heard.
"I'm sorry," Nanami said.
"Don't apologize. It's not your fault." They folded their hands on their lap, and moved their fingers back and forth. "I almost told Hinata, once."
"Recently?"
"During the party," they said. "Just before Komaeda's death. I backed out."
"And you haven't told him anything since?" Nanami said.
"I could have. If I'd stopped Komaeda, I could have told him."
"He does trust you, though," Nanami said. "I know that for sure."
"He trusted Togami," they said. "Togami was prepared for any threat. Togami could protect his classmates from Monobear and from themselves. Togami could lead them off the island."
Nanami gritted her teeth. "I…I don't know about that."
"But you know him." They looked up at her, their eyes wide. "The other person…"
"Even if I do, he hasn't been tested the way you have."
"That's true." They considered this for a moment, then shook their head and looked down again. "If you weren't going to tell me that you knew, then why tell me now?"
Nanami reviewed what she wanted to say in her mind one last time, just to be sure she had it all down. "I don't know why, and you don't have to tell me, but I can tell this is a secret you really want to keep," she said. "But it's also a secret that's made you fearful…and I think that fear is interfering with everything you want to do."
They shivered, but did not speak, so Nanami went on. "You want to lead us off the island, don't you? Or at least, you want us to get off safely. But at the same time you're afraid of discovery, and that on top of the mutual killing… as much as you wanted to protect us, you had to protect yourself from us, too." She paused. "…I think. Am I wrong?"
They were still for a time, then slowly shook their head. "I've betrayed them. I've lied to them from the beginning. And that on top of everything else…" They looked up. "I don't know what you're trying to make me do."
"I'm only saying what I think," Nanami said. "And what I think is that nothing you've done so far means you can't do anything else anymore, or that you've failed. Terrible things have happened, but what matters is learning from what's happened and moving ahead. "
"You sound like Mioda," they said. "Always making excuses for me."
"I'm not, and neither is she," Nanami said. "But learning from faults also means acknowledging them. There's been a lot of talk about trust among the group… I don't know very much about leadership, but I know that it isn't just about making plans and preventing actions. It's about understanding the dynamics of the group, and improving the bonds between the members. If we do that…we have nothing to fear from mutual killing, or anything else."
"You don't know that," they said. "We don't know what they're thinking."
"But we can build our trust with them." Nanami walked over to the bed, stood over them for a moment, then stuck her arm straight out and moved it up and down over their shoulder, just barely touching their jacket. They tensed, then looked up at her in surprise, but they didn't move away from her. "Thank you," they said.
"You're…welcome." Nanami looked far more uncomfortable with the situation than they did, and not long after that she withdrew her arm. It was then that she happened to notice that "Mirage Silver Falcon" Jum-P had found his way into their lap; she hadn't seen him crawl there, but as they had not mentioned it, neither did she.
"Everything you've been saying…" They stopped for a moment, buried their face in their hands, and then continued. "It's easier said than done. It may even be impossible."
"Or it may be easier than you think. I don't know very much about you…but I can tell that you really care for everyone here." Nanami's expression softened. "It's something you and I have in common."
They put a hand to their chin, looking contemplative. "I…I suppose I do." The knowledge didn't seem to faze them at all. "I'll think of something," they said. "I can do that much."
"You can." Nanami shifted from one foot to the other, waiting for their response, but none came. "Do you need anything else? If you want me to leave, then that would count."
"I…think I would prefer that." They set Jum-P down on the sheets before they stood, putting their hands in their pockets. "But before you go, I have one question."
"A question?"
"More like an observation." Nanami could see something of an edge in their eyes – Togami was returning, just a little. "A reclusive video game player and the heir to a major conglomerate aren't a likely pair."
"It's not impossible," Nanami said. "Aren't we acquainted now?"
"That's not the point." They sighed. "I know everything there is to know about him. If you did know him, then I would have known everything he knew about you from the start. And yet, I can't mistake it…" They turned to face her. "Who are you?"
Nanami stared blankly at them for a long, long time before she spoke. "I'm a lot like you," she said. "I also have secrets, and a lot of the time I wish I didn't have to keep them."
"Secrets…" They fixed Nanami with a long, hard look, but it faltered quickly. "I think I'd like to be alone, now."
"I understand." Nanami gave them one last smile, then turned and faced the door. "I'll be on the third island if you need me. You're always welcome to come along, you know. I think Mioda said something to that effect."
"The offer's still in mind."
"Understood." Nanami headed for the door, bouncing slightly on her feet. "Thank you for listening." She exited the cottage without waiting for a reply, which was just as well, as they didn't give her one to work with.
"Don't tell me you actually believed any of that."
They turned to face their pillow, where "Mirage Silver Falcon" Jum-P lay, still asleep. They watched him for a time, observing the rise and fall of his breaths, before they rolled onto their back and sat up.
"Wouldn't trusting the others just be foolish? They have so much to miss, after all. They have homes, and families, and lives waiting for them. No matter what they say, you and I both know they're desperate to get back to them."
Monobear was in their line of sight now; they had no choice but to look at him, or to let his words enter their ears. But they neither acknowledged him nor replied, and as soon as they could they turned back to the pillow and carefully scooped Jum-P into their hands. He was such a small creature, they thought. And with hands like theirs, they could crush him just as easily as they could protect him.
"You've really disappointed me, Impostor-san. Isn't your body the only precious thing you have? Wouldn't you want to protect yourself with all you have? If you ask me, you're really going about this all wrong. This could all be over in one move if you'd only take initiative for yourself."
They stood and straightened their shoulders – here, at their full height, Monobear was all but invisible. They turned and headed for the door of their cottage, moving as briskly as they could; Jum-P squirmed and stirred in their hands.
"I knew you'd be boring right off the bat, but you could've at least been a boring killer!" Monobear yelled after them. "Then you'd have at least one thing to your name, wouldn't you?"
They cupped Jum-P in one hand and opened the knob with the other – but before they left they turned back, taking in the sight of the cartoon bear in the middle of their room. "Perhaps you haven't noticed, but I don't have time to talk," they said. "I don't know how long Mioda had this hamster with her, nor do I know what or how often they eat."
Then they stepped outside, and shut the door behind them.
And that was that was that.
- Carth
