Beta-Reader: Zephyrius29 (Ideas)

Chapter 6: Chiaki's Care, Mikan's Maze

Hope's Peak Academy

Reserve Course Building Entrance

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Afternoon

Chiaki looked up from her game just in time to see Hajime leaving the building. He appeared somewhat relieved that he was done for the day, but he also seemed to be somewhat more cheerful than she was used to seeing him.

"Hajime." Chiaki called out to him.

"Chiaki." Hajime smiled at her.

He was most definitely more cheerful than usual. She wondered what was going on with him, but would it be alright to ask him about it? He usually wasn't eager to talk about himself nor about his life, at least not in regards to the academy.

Maybe I'll ask him later if he's still in a good mood. Chiaki reasoned out mentally. I'd like to know what's up.

Hajime wasn't the only one whose behavior had shifted tone. Although this had become a recent development, she had noticed a few of her classmates were acting just a little bit off. The class representative hadn't known class 77-B, but she had picked up enough to know their general mannerisms. It wasn't so much that they were detracting from their normalities, but there was something different.

What a strange coincidence.

"Chiaki, are you okay?" Hajime spoke to her. "You spaced out for a minute."

"...sorry." Chiaki rubbed her eyes, then yawned. "I was… thinking about something."

Thankfully, she could use her trademark behavior as a sort of cover.

"Well, don't stop on my account." Hajime timidly chuckled. "Take your time."

"We can't waste anymore time." Chiaki puffed out her cheeks. "A new game hit the arcade. I wanna go check it out."

She wasted no time in grabbing his hand and leading him to the nearby arcade. In the past, she usually made trips like this alone, but her time with her classmates had given her a new reason to seek out companionship. Now she never went without at least one person, and it usually was Hajime that tagged along. It didn't matter that he wasn't particularly skilled at video gaming, just that he was there.

"So what are we playing today?" Hajime asked her.

"It's a new racing simulator." Chiaki answered as she tugged him along. "I hear the controls are as close to realism as one can get."

"So a racing game?"

"Something to that effect."

"Um, yeah, I'm no good at racing games." Hajime announced to her. "The last time I tried one, I failed really badly."

"Hajime, haven't we talked about this?" Chiaki turned back to him and scolded him.

"Right, right. Sorry." Hajime held his free hand up. "Don't judge until you try."

"Better." She smiled. "Almost there."

The sights and sounds were always a welcome thing for Chiaki. This was one of the places where she felt at home. She practically lived in arcades as a child whenever she wasn't at home playing on her console. It was this devotion to gaming that had led her to become known as a hardcore gamer, and that eventually led to her title as the Super High School Level Gamer.

"It's good to be back!" Chiaki's eyes lit up once they had stepped foot inside.

"Hehe." Hajime laughed.

"What?" Chiaki heard him and looked at him. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Hajime reduced his laugh to a chuckle. "It's just that you're completely different when you step foot inside an arcade, or anywhere that's associated with video games. It's strange, no matter how many times I see it."

"Thanks… I think." Chiaki contemplated his words. "That's one of your least fanboyish compliments."

"...wait, you thought of me as a fanboy?" Hajime looked shocked. "A fanboy of what?"

"Well, Hope's Peak Academy. The Ultimates." Chiaki huffed in annoyance. "What else?"

"I-I thought I was just admiring the school and its students." Hajime tried to defend himself. "Did I really come off as a fanboy?"

"Well, I wouldn't say you were a crazy fanboy." Chiaki put a finger to her chin. "But you were definitely fanboying a bit."

"Oh… w-well that's kinda embarrassing." Hajime blushed at this. "I mean… nothing against fanboys and fangirls, but I always felt that that wasn't admiration."

"I never said you didn't have admiration." Chiaki clarified. "But the way you talk about the academy and the ultimates does give off the impression of fanboy-like behavior. If we're being honest, it's not really cool."

His face fell, and the gamer girl didn't like the look at all. They were here to have fun, not to criticize him. Maybe she should have thought over her responses more clearly. He might not be a fanboy like Nagito, but he did admire talent and Hope's Peak more than the average person. Of course, he was better at keeping it in, but the fact that he was so distant from the Reserve Course was only serving to reinforce this point.

"Relax, Hajime." Chiaki tried to assume damage control. "Look, trust me, compared to my classmate, Nagito, you're fine."

"Nagito Komaeda." Hajime sounded wary of that name. "The Ultimate Lucky Student, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Chiaki tilted her head. "How do you know him?"

"I… had a conversation with him." Hajime looked nowhere in particular as he spoke. "He has a very low opinion of me."

"Unfortunately, that's how he reacts to anyone who doesn't have a special innate talent." Chiaki reported solemnly. "But usually he doesn't go out of his way to antagonize people. Do you know why he targeted you?"

"I think he was upset that I was talking with another Ultimate." He thought for a moment. "I was speaking with the Super High School Level Nurse. Mikan, was it? She's part of your class, right?"

"That's a definite yes." Chiaki lit up at the nurse's name. "And how did you meet her?"

"By accident really. I was minding my own business, not really paying attention to where I was going, and we collided into each other. It was unexpected to be sure, but I must say I am curious to know her better, but I don't know how to approach her."

"You mean her timid nature, right?" The Ultimate Gamer guessed.

The Reserve Course student nodded. "She gave me her number, but… I just don't know what to say to her. She can be… sensitive."

"Hmmm."

Chiaki couldn't say that she had a solution that was guaranteed to work, but if she thought back to the time spent with her classmates, Mikan was amongst the most easy to convince to try new things. It might be considered taking advantage of her timid state, but in the end, the class representative did it so that she could get the nurse to join in the fun and not feel left out.

"...Maybe it's better if you just go in and ask her." The girl suggested once she made up her mind. "I know that sounds too easy, but asking isn't the problem. It's making sure that she stays. You need to insure her that whatever you do with her is fun."

"You means… she needs to believe that she's making me happy?" His green eyes raised. "B-but that's not the point of friendship. It works both ways."

"Yep yep." Chiaki chirped in confirmation. "But that's what most people would say. I haven't asked, but I can tell that she hasn't had supportive people around her very much in her life. I'd even say she's been bullied."

"Well, now that we're talking about it, that does make sense." Hajime processed the information, then added some of his own. "When I first met her, she was so eager for me to punish her because she knocked me over. It's almost like… she was willing to do whatever it took to hold my attention."

"Do you see why she needs a true friend?" Chiaki waved her hands in the air for no reason. "She needs to be given some confidence in herself and forge some true relationships. Sure, she's got girlfriends in our class, but not a guy friend."

"A true friend." Hajime's eyes seemed to light up at those words. "A true friend."

Pushing some hair that was in her line of sight out of the way, she looked up at him. It was like her words had lit the fuse to a keg of dynamite. It was like she had just unleashed a monster or something with massive consequences. All traces of the unsure Reserve Course student were gone, and in its place, there was a person who was… brimming with a sort of energy. It was not passion. It was not conviction, but what was it?

Could it be…

"Then I'll become a friend to her." Hajime expressed this thought with most intense expression she had seen yet from him. "I don't know much about Mikan personally, but I know a person in need when I see one. I can't just stand back and not help,"

It was more than just doing the right thing. Call it a gut feeling or instinct, but there was something else that was there, something else that was guiding this newly-declared choice. Could this be something personal for him in some way?

Whatever the case, he was motivated. That was good.

Hope - - - Despair

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Noon Time

"Do you do anything else other than stare at the Main Course?" Natsumi prodded at Hajime.

He glared at her. "Do you do anything else other than grill me?"

"Do you do anything other than annoy me?" She threw back at him.

He gave her a look. "Do you do anything other than complain at me?"

However exasperated the two were with each other, it wasn't really anything worth noting. They both knew what was going on, and as such, nobody moved to apologize for their words. They were just trying to rattle each other, nothing more.

"Seriously, what's your deal?" Natsumi asked him more patiently. "You look like you're trying to work something out."

"Why are you so interested in what I do?" Hajime questioned back with genuine curiosity.

"I don't know. Isn't that what friends are supposed to do?" Natsumi sounded a bit lost herself. "I mean, aren't friends supposed to butt into each other's business or whatever?"

"I guess so…"

"You guess so?"

"I don't know, okay? I've never had a true friend."

She regarded him. "That makes two of us, doesn't it?"

He looked at her. "Yeah, it does."

Ever since she had met Hajime, she chose to spend her breaks with him, and he didn't stop her either. They spent most of their time just trading petty teasing back and forth. He was just as stubborn as she was, and for that, she could appreciate him more. Nobody else was volunteering to talk to her.

"I was working out a plan for talking to someone with a very… delicate nature." Hajime graced her with an answer. "I'm still working out the details."

"Delicate, huh?" Natsumi wasn't particularly fond of that word. "Like physically delicate? Mentally?"

"The latter more than the former." He responded. "Though there might be a bit of the former."

"Huh." She felt that saying anything else might trigger more snark. "Well that's… unfortunate."

She could say a number of things about this girl that he was talking about. Weakness was looked down upon heavily in the yakuza, regardless of the origins or the circumstances. She had her brother knew this well, and both had taken steps to becoming strong so that they could continue on the family business. It fell to them to lead the Kuzuryu Clan into the future, whatever that might bring. Based on what they had seen, it was going to be a very volatile future, but it was to be expected.

These moments of calm were uncommon, even rare it felt like. Sure, Natsumi and Fuyuhiko had both attended Suzuran High School before coming to Hope's Peak Academy. They both knew how to respect authority and rules (at least the ones they cared to respect), but there came a time when they both would face the inevitable facts of their family life. Their parents arguing, the battles between clans and the police, an the trading business of their clan just to name a few things.

Natsumi wasn't normal and she wasn't going to pretend that she was. She was on a different wavelength from the rest of the Reserve Course students. She actually had a family name to back her up as well as a reputation within that family name. Fuyuhiko was declared the Ultimate Yakuza by Hope's Peak Academy, but she could hold her own as much as her older brother could. The constant struggle of the Yakuza left her little time and patience to deal with those that couldn't keep up.

"You don't understand normal society, do you?" Hajime's voice cut through her recollections.

"Well, no shit." Natsumi scoffed at the obvious statement. "I don't get a lot of things about the world. I don't get how you don't resolve things with fists or any kind of violence."

And she truthfully didn't understand at all. Conflicts in her world were settled with good old-fashioned beatdowns. It didn't matter if it was between family or the clan members or enemies. All conflict usually resulted in a physical confrontation. That's how it always went with very little deviation.

"How do you survive in school then?" Hajime appeared eager for an answer. "I mean, your former school, how did you deal with that atmosphere, or any of your former schools."

"As you'd expect from us yakuza." Natsumi stated, recalled some of the fights. "Indiscriminately."

"Oh…" He appeared to expect a different answer.

"What's that mean?" She narrowed her eyes. "Not a good enough answer for a goody-two shoes?"

"N-no, nothing like that." He shrank back slightly. "It's just… don't you get tired of settling things the same way?"

"...we're Yakuza, not terrorists or extremists." She gazed up at the ceiling. "We might not agree with society, but even we have lines we don't cross."

"I… didn't know that." He sounded genuinely surprised. "Well, I don't really know anything about the Yakuza let alone the Kuzuryu Clan."

"You're not alone on that one." She did a little 'tsk' sound. "Most people think they've got the yakuza figured out, but most people don't know shit about us; they only think they do."

She kept her eyes on the ceiling for a bit longer before she looked him in the eye. He did so at the same time, and for a moment, it was an exchange that was nothing in particular. No outstanding emotions or thoughts popped into either of their heads.

"What?" Natsumi finally broke the silence.

"What what?" Hajime was equally perplexed.

"What what nothing." She crossed her arms. "I was asking you 'what.'"

"And then I asked you 'what.'" He had a mix of bewilderment and ire. "Because I don't know what 'what' you're talking about."

"I was asking 'what' like… I was wondering what you were thinking about."

"I wasn't thinking about anything, so there's no 'what' to address."

"No, I wanna know. What were you thinking about?"

"..."

"What?"

"Nothing 'what.'" He told her.

"... what are we even talking about again?"

"I don't have a clue."

The conversation derailed, the two of them met eye-to-eye and then, seemingly out of nowhere, the two of them just began to muffle laughs. There was nothing to laugh about, yet here they were, letting out genuine laughs. The cause of their laughter didn't matter to them in the least, just that they, for some reason, enjoying their conversation for whatever it was worth.

Was this what it meant to have a friend? It felt like she could say a lot of things and still have him to fall back on. He made no effort to push her away as others would have done in the past. He just rolled with whatever was thrown his way. That wasn't something that anyone could do.

Natsumi had this feeling that she could tell him some pretty fuck-up stuff in regards to her family and he wouldn't react in ways that everyone else did. She might be assuming too much as this time. They two of them hadn't known each other for very long, but she had a gut feeling that that was the case. It was almost like… he was trying to distance himself from those that he should be associated with.

I bet that bro would get a kick outta you. Natsumi thought to herself. I mean, the two are gonna meet sooner or later, and if he's surviving with me, then Fuyuhiko will be a walk in the park.

"What were we even talking about?" Hajime just wiped his eyes, still letting out the last traces of laughter.

"I dunno, but why look into it too much?" Natsumi grinned almost madly. "It's a laugh. You might as well enjoy it while you can do it."

"I guess not, but it's so… strange." He regarded her with a very pleasant smile. "I mean, I'm having some laughs with a member of the yakuza. If I said that to the kids back at my old school, they'd call me a liar."

"Well, believe it, loser." She leaned forward a but, reaching out her hand to flick the ahoge sticking on the top of his head.

"Hey, watch the hair!" He shielded his head from further physical contact. "I like it like this."

"Why do you keep your hair like that?" It was like the hair sticking up offended her. "That's so not professional-looking."

"What are you, my hair stylist now?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"No."

"I didn't think so."

There was no physical fighting, just some teasing and poking around. Neither of them broached upon any sensitive topics nor did they care to delve into that arena. It was better-saved for a more appropriate time, whenever that was.

"Hey, you're not half-bad company." Natsumi decided that a compliment was in order. "Keep it up and maybe you won't die."

"Are you saying you would kill me if I wasn't good company?" Hajime asked as if he wasn't sure she was serious or not. "Or was that a joke?"

"I was joking…" Natsumi thought about it for a second more. "Mostly."

Despair - - - Hope

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Late Afternoon

Hajime pressed his lips together and did a bit of pacing. He was doing his best to keep his cool, but this was something new for him, something that frightened more than a little bit.

Like he had promised Chiaki, he had promises to get something going with the Super High School Level Nurse. Mikan Tsumiki was an Ultimate, but she was also a person, a person who hadn't been cared very well for her life if he was putting the pieces together correctly. Fortunately, she did have friends that were girls, but she had yet to find a friend that was a boy. The duty of being that friend who was also a boy fell to him. It wasn't until he had called her asked her to meet him that he realized what he had just done. He had talked to a girl and invited her out.

It's not a date. Hajime mulled over. I just want to become Mikan's friend. That was the goal, and I have to stick to it.

He was only managing to partly convince himself. He was inexperienced when it came to girls and the opposite sex in general. He wouldn't know if his actions would cause a misunderstanding. He only wanted to initiate a friendship, but he could end up making a move that might be interpreted as romantic. Besides, he didn't even know the girl that well personally, so there was nothing to worry about. Still… it was different than asking guys to hang out, or so he remembered.

"She should be here any minute." Hajime checked the time on his phone. "Just be patient."

Because this was a meeting outside of school, he had donned some nice-looking casual clothes, not fancy, but not just ordinary clothes. When he had transferred into Hope's Peak Academy, his parents went the extra mile and had restocked his wardrobe. He had all kinds of new outfits and pieces of clothing. Up until now, he didn't think he was going to be using many of them.

He wore a light black zip-up jacket with a collar extending halfway up his neck. Underneath the jacket, there was a white t-shirt with the symbol of Hope's Peak Academy. Tan cargo pants and black sneakers rounded out his outfit. It wasn't exactly what he'd called fancy casual, but it was above simple casual attire. At the very least, he looked presentable.

Hajime began to hum to himself for no reason. He had spent a few times with Ibuki in the music room of the main course. Although he had little to no idea of what he was being taught, he did try to imitate her as well as listen. She didn't seem to mind that he knew nothing, and when he asked what he thought to be stupid questions, she always answered with passion and enthusiasm.

One thing that he didn't get about her was how she liked to listen to music that was in different languages. How was a person supposed to get the full effect if they couldn't understand the lyrics? She listened to music from all around the world, not just artists from Japan. Maybe it was for the sake of broadening her knowledge. Did she even know any other language besides Japanese?

"H-Hajime!" Mikan's recognizable voice spoke to him.

"Mikan." Hajime perked up and went for the source.

Her appearance was instantly familiar. Those eyes, her unevenly-cut hair, her fragile features. She had foregone her Hope's Peak Academy uniform for something more appropriate to herself. A light-blue t-shirt, a pink skirt, and an apron. The bandages covering her, he could do without, but given what he knew about her, he could guess why she had them on. He couldn't begin to imagine what she was going through.

"I'm glad that you could come." Hajime settled with a cautious approach. "I hope that I'm not taking too much time from you."

"N-n-no, n-not at all." Mikan put her hands behind her back as she stammered. "It's just… I'm not sure what to think."

"Why don't we sit down and talk." Hajime pointed in a certain direction. "There's a place just a couple blocks down we can talk. Are you okay with that?"

"Y-yes, please." Mikan didn't hesitate to agree. "Lead t-the way."

So far, so good, but this was already turning out to be harder than even he had anticipated.

Mikan was the sort of girl that he'd never seen in all of his life, and he didn't wasn't too much into the trends that other high schoolers were into, so he didn't even have a fictional reference to fall back onto. It was only him and his instinct guiding him. The only thing that made sense was for him to move forward. So far, he was doing a lot more than he thought possible.

Hajime lead her into the same places that Miss Yukizome had showed him. Because it was hot outside, a simple cold fruit drink was in order. Mikan opted for a different cold drink, and against her initial resistance, he paid for both of them. They even sat at the same place where he had met with Miss Yukizome.

I just have a hard time accepting that I can talk to a teacher like she's my friend. Hajime struggled to call her by her first name, even in his head. She'll probably be on my case, but it can't be helped.

His focus shifted back to the nurse, who appeared to be uneasy under his eyes. It was like she was afraid that he was going to say something or do something bad at any moment.

"I-I'm sorry." She instantly moved to say. "I-I'm boring, aren't I?"

"N-no, not at all." He rebuttered her. "You don't need to try so hard."

"I-I can… take my clothes off." She seemed to ignore him.

"N-no!" He almost shouted. "I don't want that, and besides, we're in a public place."

"Ah! I-I'm s-sorry!"

A couple of people had watched their conversation, even if they hadn't heard what was going on. The boy with the ahoge just smiled weakly before resuming the conversation, determined not to let it crumble.

Come on, think of something. This was worse than he realized. Okay, Mikan the Super High School Level Nurse. Maybe…"

"It must be nice to know how to take care of your own injuries." Hajime quickly chose the topic.

"Y-yes." Mikan lit up at this topic. "I-I… it's something that's I've always loved. Taking care of people, b-being h-helpful."

Now that sounds a bit more normal.

"I always like it when I'm in my workspace." Mikan's smile was such a stark difference from her fearful one. "Analyzing, preparing the proper supplies to treat a person. Even the sight of medical supplies is enough to get my spirits up."

"Huh." Hajime wasn't sure where she was going, but was glad she was getting into it. "So… what's been your most complicated injury to treat?"

In any other conversation, he'd call his question sort of ludicrous. The question was so unique to this conversation. Never in his lifetime did he think he would conceive of that question let alone ask it.

"My most complicated treatment?" Mikan paused in thought, then lit up again. "There was a woman who had broken both her arms and both her legs. The shock from the injuries also unintentionally triggered a cardiac arrest."

"Really?" Hajime reeled back in shock. "And you had to treat that?"

Okay, I should've expected nothing less. Considering this was an Ultimate he was talking with, surely some crazy stuff was bound to happen. Still, it makes for an interesting story, I suppose.

"It was my first difficult case." Mikan's tone sounded reminiscent. "The first of many cases."

"First difficult case?" Hajime felt afraid. "How many have there been?"

"Dozens, all of them complicated."

The rest of the conversation was all about Mikan and her adventures as a nurse. Hajime didn't know the first thing about doctors or nurses, but the way that the Ultimate Nurse talked about what she did best made him at least want to listen intently. It was during this time that he came to the conclusion that this was a topic that she would gladly immerse herself in. He didn't understand many of the terms she was using, but that was beside the point. He had promised to try to become Mikan's friend, and what had started out as a tough situation had turned into something to hope for.

Hope. He chanted that word mentally. I seem to be having a lot more of that lately.

"I-is everything okay?" Mikan redirected his attention. "A-am I boring?"

"No, not at all." Hajime smiled brightly. "I'm just thinking about how fortunate I am right now. I'm a Reserve Course, yet I'm getting to talk to an Ultimate."

"T-thank y-you." Mikan appeared to like that. "I-if it's not t-too much trouble, could we… talk more like this?"

"Of course." Hajime gave her a thumbs-up.

Hope - - - Despair

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Early Evening

"It would seem that Hajime Hinata is getting around." Jin said to the two others in the room. "It would appear that a good portion of Class 77-B has befriended him."

"I've heard." Kazuo acknowledged with a hint of approval. "Although it might… impede with the progress of the project, it's something to behold."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say the boy's got some talent himself." Koichi Kizakura spoke as he paced. "It's not just luck that he's getting to know so many Ultimates, that much I can say for sure."

"I say it's too soon to determine what this means for the future." The headmaster, in his chair, declared. "Although this isn't the path we had originally anticipated, it is something worth watching. Something may yet come out of it."

"I take it you've got an idea or two?" Kazou looked to the headmaster expectedly.

"I think you know fully well what could result." Jin raised his head and eyed his senior. "Although it's too soon to say for sure, Hajime Hinata is not quite as average as he claims himself to be. Perhaps he's had an innate talent all along and it hasn't been brought to light because he hasn't been exposed to the right environment."

"Are you suggesting… that by obtaining a talent, the project may work… better?" Kazuo inquired with a critical eye. "You know what could result if a talent is introduced into the subject."

"Which is why I've been asking our staff to re-examine the specifics and details of the project." Jin stood up and walked to the nearby window, arms behind his back. "The project is still underway. There are merely a few modifications that must be made."

"Meaning what exactly?" Koichi sat up.

"The project is supposed to create the Ultimate Hope." Jin elaborated and faced them both. "I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps Hajime Hinata is… another form of hope."

"...I think I understand." Kazuo observed the man.

"Granted, if Mister Hinata is to enter into the main course," Jin said, "He will have to prove his worth, like all of our Ultimates."

"So what now?" Koichi waved his flask around. "Are we just going to let things move forward? Business as usual?"

"That would be the best." Headmaster Kirigiri nodded his head. "So far, promising results have shown themselves. If problems arise, we will deal with it."

Jin Kirigiri hadn't told them all of his thoughts on the matter, because he wasn't sure himself what he was getting himself into. Hajime Hinata was still their ideal subject, and it was only showing more and more with his encounters with Class 77-B. The boy admired Hope's Peak Academy vastly and the students in the main course, but no normal person would be able to hold the interest of an Ultimate let along several Ultimates. The ability to befriend so many unusual characters might almost a talent.

"Wasn't it Chisa who requested that Mister Hinata be let onto the main campus grounds?" Kazuo asked.

"Yes, she did." Jin agreed. "And she would have insisted if I didn't agree to her request."

Despair - - - Hope

Early Evening

"Any progress in your investigation?" Kyosuke questioned from the other side of the line. "You didn't call last week."

"Sorry about not calling. I'm not sure if I'd call it progress." Chisa sighed as she leaned back in her chair. "There's been so much going on that I barely have time to investigate, yet I might have a lead, might being the key word."

"Any possibility should be considered a clue." Kyosuke decided calmly. "Just tell me and I'll decide what to make of it."

"Well… as we discussed, the Reserve Course funds go towards the main course, that's not in question." Chisa pulled together all her thoughts. "Much of the funding is going towards expanding the main campus, but that doesn't account for nearly all the money. I ran the numbers and there should still be a substantial amount left."

"Do you have an idea as to where the rest is going?" Kyosuke probably had a theory or two, even though he was asking her. "According to my calculations, the renovations at the academy and the new branch here still doesn't account for all the money."

"That's where my potential lead comes into play." Chisa felt like she was betraying trust someone put into her. "I've been in contact with a Reserve Course student. His name is Hajime Hinata. On the surface, there's nothing special about him. However, certain events as of late have made him an unknown rather than a certainty."

"Hajime Hinata." Kyosuke was likely looking up that name now. "Hmm, nothing unusual here. Originally went to Kodaka High School, living with working parents. Nothing about him strikes me as odd or abnormal."

"Exactly, and here's where things get interesting." Chisa stood up from her desk. "Over the past two weeks and some change, he's been befriending my homeroom class with virtually no resistance. Despite being a Reserve Course student, almost everyone he's met has been very friendly to him."

"That sounds too good to be mere coincidence." Kyosuke conveyed his feelings on the matter. "Were these meetings set up in any way?"

"No, they weren't." Chisa confirmed. "And that's what's got me invested in him. At this rate, I think he's going to meet my entire homeroom. That's my gut feeling anyway."

"It's something worth noting, but I take it there's something else to the story?"

"...I believe that Headmaster Jin Kirigiri has some sort of connection to Hajime. Reserve Course students aren't allowed on the main campus, but one of my students, Ibuki Mioda wanted Hajime to join her band, so I put in a request from the headmaster. I explained the situation and he only asked few questions before giving me the go-ahead."

"That sounds suspicious. If I remember Jin Kirigiri correctly, he was a man who was so focused on talent that anyone without talent was more or less ignored by him. If he's taken an interest in a Reserve Course student, something's not what it seems."

"For now, I'm trying to get Hajime to open up about himself. I have a feeling that the boy knows something too, but so far, I have nothing to prove that."

"If Hajime Hinata is your only link, I don't want you to push too hard." Kyosuke warned her. "Keep probing, but don't force anything."

"Yeah, business as usual." Chisa felt a wave of tiredness take over. "And things on your end? How are they going?"

"Smooth." He projected his usual cool confidence. "We may come in a little ahead of schedule, which I'm grateful for."

"The sooner the better." She nodded her head. "By the way, Juzo says hi."

"Be sure to give him my regards." Kyosuke chuckled a bit at the mention of their shared friend.

There was a lot of work to be done, and they still had no idea what Hope's Peak Academy was hiding.

Reintroductions to characters that Hajime has encountered will become part of this story too. Think of chapters like these are the next Free Time Events in a character's progression. They will matter later.

Also, I'd like to point out right now that romances have not been established. I might have said this before, but in case I haven't, then I'll say it now; Hajime will not be paired with ANYONE until everyone from Class 77-B have at least one encounter with him and one other interaction. I feel this to be the most realistic approach, so don't go jumping to conclusions yet.

So what did you guys think of this chapter? Although I don't have a particular goal for this story, I would like to hear more feedback. Even though I've got a good grasp on the characters, there's always another possible perspective that I haven't considered that someone else has. I would love to hear anything you readers have to say.

Also, I've added dates and approximate times of the day so that I can keep track of time that goes by along with making it easier for you readers to follow events. All chapters have been edited with dates.

I hope you all enjoyed reading and I hope that the New Year is treating you well so far!

Also, Happy VERY Late Birthday to Hajime Hinata.

"Share your smile with the world. It's a symbol of friendship and peace."

Christie Brinkley