Hello! This is part of an experiment I thought up: Same story, different self. Kind of like Pokemon versions. One with Hajime, and the other with Izuru. I wrote this one in tandem with the other version, too. A link to the other version can be found here, and at the end. (Hence the missing character tag)
Other version: s/14052996/1/Am-Lost-ment-Park
Whether you're new or came from the other story, I hope you enjoy!
(If you came from the other version, you can skip the beginning.)
At long last, the weekend has arrived. The two perfect days where students and workers alike could relax and enjoy some time for themselves. It's also a good time for family outings, especially ones that spend a lot of time away because of said work. That was the case with Chiaki Nanami and her parents who decided to take a breath of fresh air, and spend some family time at an amusement park some ways home.
It's a large one at that too, filled with many games, rides, and happy smiles all throughout.
"H-huh...?"
It's a shame that Chiaki didn't feel well at that moment. Sitting all alone on a bench surrounded by these taunting smiles, eyes wide, staring in horror at the quivering phone in her hands. How did it end up like this?
It all happened about ten minutes ago...
"Huh?" The gamer noticed a familiar object being held by some little kid. "Is that...?"
Her parents stopped. They were walking beside her. "What is it, Chiaki?" Her father asked.
"Um, wait a minute." She said back. walking to the little boy and his small family while her parents waited, she asked, "H-Hey, Where did you get this plush?"
"Oh, this?" The boy looked at the plush of a pinkish round mascot wearing a teal cap with cat ears. The boy's parents noticed the same color of Chiaki's jacket and surmised that she's probably a fan of whatever this cat thing is.
"This was from a stand somehwere back there." The boy's father unfolded a small map of the park, showing how grand the park was, and pointed at a place. "And this here, is where we are, i think."
Chiaki nodded her head "I see, I see..." She turned to her parents and saw them nodding.
"If you really set your eyes on something, there's not much we can do about it." Her father said.
"Once you're done, make sure to call us so you can meet us later, okay?" Her mother added. "And take care of yourself!"
"I will!"
Smiling at her parents' approval, she thanked the two families and made her way towards her next objective.
She followed the general direction of the destination in a straight line. Whether it's moving through crowds, walking on benches, or jumping gaps, nothing could stand in her way. She moved forward treating this entire thing as an adventure of its own. Then again, this was Chiaki, of course she'll take it as a fun little adventure. After many minutes of walking and jumping, she looked around at the assigned area until she saw something. From the corner of her eye, she spotted a plush identical to that of the one with the boy sitting on a small shelf in a counter among other toys. Target acquired, she thought.
She made a beeline straight to the stand running at max speed (actually, she just walked really fast) with every step making her more excited. It was embarrassing for someone like Chiaki, who was pretty much the mascot's biggest fan, to not have a plush - of all things - of this adorable game character. She had her favorite jacket but a plush was a big necessity.
She approached the man behind the stand and asked, "Excuse me! How much is that?"
"That would be 3,000 Yen. It's the last one in stock, that's why the price is doubl-"
"Sold!" She excitedly gave the exact amount without a second thought, even after that inflated price, and the man simply smiled and gave her the prize. Mission complete! she thought, feeling all jittery.
She bid farewell and walked away with the new toy in hand. She was very happy about the plush and glad that she made it before it was too late. She walked to a nearby bench and admired her new round friend from every angle and hugged it really close. She opened her phone and briefly put on her hoodie to look at herself at the camera holding her mascot close to her face. "See? We're matching!" She giggled at herself afterwards.
Chiaki pulled off her hoodie as it was time to make the call to her parents. She opened her contacts, selected the number, hit the call button, and then put it to her ear as it started to ring. After a while, she heard a click.
"Hello? Who is it?"
"Hey-" Wait a minute. That didn't sound like her mom or dad.
"Oh, it's you. Did you forget something or what?" This female voice wasn't her mother, but she did recognize it as another woman she made a deal with to buy an old console some time ago.
"S-sorry wrong person, bye!" And without waiting for a response she quckly closed the call. She pressed the phone to her forehead and sighed afterwards in embarrassment. I was so excited I called the wrong person! She shook her head embarrassingly with rosey cheeks and made another call, this time making sure she got the right number. She put the phone to her ear and waited...
*beeep*
...
*beeep*
...
*be- click!*
"I'm sorry, but you do not have enough credit. Please-" *click!*
...
She called again.
"I'm sorry, but you do not have-" *click!*
She called a third time, then a fourth and a fifth with the same robotic voice note playing over and over again. This was... not good. Not good at all.
Are you... kidding me? Her eyes widened and pupils shrunk, her smile forked and broke, her hands shook in disbelief, and her optimism was as good as gone. After all that work on this adventure for the plush, to obtain said plush, to her wasting the last of her credits on a misplaced call? She raised her eyes and looked around as a horrible sense of dread overtook all positive emotions as she came to the realization:
She was lost.
She was all alone in this giant, colorful amusement park, surrounded by strangers from all directions, far away from her parents or any living being she could recognize. All these happy faces, floating around a fearful little girl with a broken smile. Her mentality just can't handle it.
But wait, it's not that bad, right? She's not alone. She has her plush. She has her handheld and games. This fear of hers could do nothing against her games. As long as she could play her games, she was going to be okay. Nothing in the world matters with a game in her hand. And so, she put her Katty plush in her backpack and pulled out a-
Wait a minute. This was a family trip for just Chiaki and her parents. There are rides and games everywhere, none of them were on a screen. She did it all by herself too, after hearing about the trip her parents invited her to, she consciously did not bring any handhelds with her.
Well- Don't panic. This was also accounted for, right? This was fine as well. While she didn't bring a handheld, she did prepare a safety net in case a long time of waiting was involved: her phone. It was a regular flip phone with a single game on it - the snake game - but she still found it fun and could spend hours upon hours lost in the-
twenty-three percent. She forgot to charge it. She was so engrossed in her games that she forgot to charge her last hope. She could spend hours on the game, but her phone cannot. The problem was that she didn't know how long she would wait until something happened. What if her parents called her after she ran out of battery? What if she gets so lost she worries her parents to no end and ruins the trip for everyone? She couldn't risk anything at this point. How did it end up like this?
She was alone. Closed off from everyone else. The colorful world lost all it's color, and the shapes walking around were just that: shapes. She tried her best to calm her shivering as much as she could. Her entire body was tense, and she was staring at the ground trying to distract herself. She poked through her pockets, maybe she had something to fiddle her hands with, maybe she had a wireless controller in her bag or a piece of trash, or anything. but no matter what, it was to no avail. There was nothing else she could do. She had lost all sense of time and place. She tried so hard to suppress an outburst that she didn't even notice the voice calling her name over and over and the hand shaking her firmly. Not until...
"Nanami."
She gasped for air as she recognized this cold, apathetic voice and at her side. Now, if a normal person were to turn their head and see an intimidating, red-eyed, very long-haired man sitting next to and looking at them, they would certainly jump, scream, and either run away or have a heart attack.
But not Nanami. She stared at him and his bored crimson eyes looked at her, blinking in confusion.
"Eh?" She must be seeing things. Was her condition so bad that it tricked her mind into seeing a friend? And this one in particular? She looked around, all the color in the area returning, then back to her friend, dressed in a black suit with some of his black hair dangling off his face as usual, and repeated the motion several times to make sure it wasn't a dream.
Of all the people she'd known or seen ever, this was the very last person she expected to see in such a bright and colorful setting surrounded by all these people. And it seemed like he came alone.
"Kamukura?" She finally said.
Izuru Kamukura was the result of a surgical experiment to infuse a human with all known talents that the school has researched, in order to create the perfect human being and dubbed him the "Ultimate Hope". He was later admitted to Class 77-B to research his behavior around other students in a working environment, granted he wouldn't tell anyone about the experiments, living conditions, and the school's constant monitoring. His parents were also informed about the results of the experiment and could visit him on certain days of the week.
Boring. That's what he thought of everything and everyone. Sure, his classmates had talents, they invited him to their activities from time to time but they always had to find a way over several walls of "That's boring" and "There's no point", and even if he does participate, they're always "predictable" and boring to him. His classmates have gotten used to him though, and don't mind that attitude as much as when they first met. He's still their classmate and, whether he likes it or not, he's their friend.
The "least boring" of the bunch was the class representative Chiaki Nanami, who looks to have unintentionally clinged onto him after she lost to him in various video games (and for a certain familiarity). She started hanging out with him more and he got to know more about her and her ideologies where he labeled her as "the least boring" of the bunch. At some point after listening to her reminiscing about an old friend, he told her his past in secret which did break her heart, but she came to terms with it in time.
After Chiaki's seemed to have snapped out of her state, he relaxed and sat back. "Good. You're out of it."
Chiaki was still confused "What... What are you doing here? Are you really Kamukura?"
"Yes, it's me. You seemed to be having a breakdown all by yourself. I assessed that something went wrong and you were overwhelmed with the large amount of people, as you said you disliked before. Are you lost, by any chance?"
She reluctantly nodded. Izuru listened as she explained her trip and how she ended alone on this bench. She even showed him her new plush and all he said was that "It was nice." She sighed heavily at the end. "...At least, I found someone familiar here..."
He looked away "This happened because you were over excited. You should've at least double-checked the number before wasting your call."
"I know..."
They sat in silence after that. While Kamukura was eyeing the boring people smiling for reasons he could guess, Chiaki was ashamed from her mistake and still feeling unwell.
"S-so... What brings you here anyway?" She started a conversation to help herself settle down a bit. "You're not the type to come here on your own, so maybe somebody made you come here?"
"That's right. There's no reason for me to come here. It was hinata's parents who-"
"Your parents-"
"MY parents... who organized this trip for their day off. Of course, when I heard the offer I declined because I could predict how boring it would be to participate. Not just for me, but for Hina-"
"Your-"
"My parents as well," He explained. "But..."
"But...?" Nanami tilted her head.
"But... you talked about how important memories are, and they were my parents, so…"
Hearing that, Chiaki's eyes had stars in them "Y-You followed my advice?" She asked excitedly.
"...Yes."
She beamed, feeling a lot better than before. Something she said actually influenced someone like him? Is this some weird power she has?
"I'm glad." Was all she could say. But wait... "Where are your parents, then? Lost is the last thing I'd expect, probably."
"They're not here." he simply said. "On the way to the park, my parents received an, unfortunate, call to work that they had to do. Since we were midway through, they decided to drop me off to "enjoy" myself, which, as I thought, was quite boring. I walked some more and found you feeling horrible."
"I see..." She tapped her fingers together while shyly glancing at him. "You could've at least dressed for the occasion..."
The Ultimate Hope shook his head. "Appearances don't matter to me, and they don't affect my enjoyment."
She pouted "You didn't even do your hair! Don't you get any weird looks?"
"Nobody could notice me with one of my talents. Well, not now that I showed myself." He caught some stares at him which only took his gaze to turn them away.
More awkward silence after that. Nanami looked around and thought of something to ask him, until she heard his voice once again. "Give me a number." She looked at him and he had his phone out ready to dial. "I can call your parents with my phone so you could tell them about your predicament."
She blinked at him. Of course! if she couldn't gather the willpower to ask a stranger, then she could ask a close friend instead! She opened the contacts list on her phone and double-checked the correct number as per Izuru's advice, and was just about to show him until something utterly unexpected happened.
A bird suddenly swept down, grabbed the Ultimate Hope's phone, and flew back up onto its nest above a nearby lamp. The two blinked stupidly at this event, still trying to process what happened.
"...What…"
"..."
"...just happened?"
"...a bird stole my phone and added it to its nest."He explained after this random little event. They looked up at the nest made of not only sticks, but various electronics, toys, and whatever the bird could get its claws on. "I supposed being lucky doesn't necessarily mean only good luck." while his face remained mostly the same, he was rather amused. "Most interesting thing to happen so far."
The gamer felt a lump in her stomach after that event. Not only was her phone unusable for communication, but this event that's even rarer than finding a shiny pokeymon, had just occurred so she can't use her friend's phone either. She gulped "...W-well, my parents will call back eventually. I-I hope." she didn't know what else to do anymore. She looked around again looking for an idea, and then a light bulb appeared over her head.
"H-hey, Kumukura, why don't we hang out, then?" his train of thought was interrupted and his attention shifted towards Chiaki. "You know, since we're already here and we're both alone, we could enjoy ourselves in the park. T-Together."
"..." He looked at the nest again, then at the people around and then back at the Chiaki. He took a few seconds before sighing, "...Fine, may as well. Who knows, maybe it wouldn't be as boring with you around."
Chiaki smiled. This could be a good beginning after the despair from earlier. She was about to take off before she remembered something. "But first, we should do something about your hair."
"What about my hair?"
She puffed her cheeks. "Obviously you can't walk around like that. Your hair is all messy and out of place. Outside is different from school grounds, and an amusement park filled with people is even more different! M-Most likely!" She stood up and walked behind the bench. "That's why I'm going to do your hair. I only know how to do braids, if that's okay."
Kamukura didn't bat an eye. He still didn't care about his looks. But still... "Go ahead. Do whatever you want."
With his approval, she took a deep breath and began her work. Despite how uninterested Izuru is about his appearance, his hair is still somehow silky and soft to touch, not unlike a girl's hair. Probably one of his talents. As she worked, she tried her best to ignore other people's stares by playing background music in her head and treating Izuru's hair like a fun little puzzle, though she was still somewhat embarrassed. Izuru can tell that it was a thing she's doing to cope, so he didn't say anything.
"Done!" She announced. Izuru got up and waved his head to get a new feel. "Hmm, it's still long, but at least it's not as weird looking as before. What do you think?"
Obviously with no mirror in sight he couldn't actually tell. "If you think it's fine, then it is."
Nanami walked back to his side and asked "So, shall we?" And held her hand forward, but she was only met with approval and a walk away. "W-wait! U-um... Well... Since we're in an amusement park, um..." she blushed "...Wh-why don't we… y'know... hold hands?"
Kamukura looked back "Why? There's no point if we're going to let go everytime we play."
She lifted a finger to argue, but realized she didn't have a counter, so she just agreed and began walking. Though not long after, she still held his hand anyway. It must be a coping mechanism then, he had a thought, so he sighed and let it be.
They went on and played simple minigames for now to try and entertain Kamukura. Him and Nanami would compete and take turns to win the minigames while a crowd cheers, though he would always exceed in terms of speed, accuracy,and skill, if by a little. Of course, whoever wins should get a prize, but they'd turn them down because Chiaki already has the prize she wanted and Izuru doesn't want anything. Still...
"Come on, Kamukura! At least take something small." Nanami pouted after her friend's latest victory.
"I told you, I fail to see the point of it. It's just a lifeless object. A decoration with no purpose." he told her in his usual cold manner.
"It does have a point! It's for...um..." she started thinking, trying to pick one of three options in her head. "...for being a souvenir! Of our fateful encounter here at the park!" And then before Kamukura could protest, she quickly scanned the shelves and pointed at her target. "Mister, we'll take that one!"
The man behind the stand looked at where she was pointing. He waved his head back and forth between the small plush and the couple before scratching his head. "...Well, if you say so!" And then handed the scary looking person his prize. "Here you go!"
The gamer looked at the plush with confusion, as it wasn't exactly the one she pointed at. "U-um, actually..."
"I'll take it."
"Eh, what?" She looked at the plush and then Kamukura. The thought of this long-haired, apathetic man in the same frame as this cute little white bunny was quite endearing. "Are you sure? I mean, you don't have to..."
"I don't care about what it is and what it looks like. I'm fine with anything." He bowed to the minigame man who thanked him and waved back, and started walking away.
"But- Wait!" The gamer ran behind him "I don't think you should have this- I mean, you should have something but- You know, something better for you. I'd feel bad if you got that instead of... um..." She fiddled with her fingers in embarrassment.
"What is it?"
"Instead of... of..." she thought for a moment before taking off her pink cat bag and taking something out "...Instead of this!"
Kamukura blinked at the spherical item with pointed ears. "...This is yours. You bought it with your own money, and why you got yourself lost in the first place, and even had a mental shutdown as well." he reminded her of the main issue that started it all, which made the gamer feel a little down. " And I recall you saying it was the last in stock."
"I know that, but..." she paused. Two options appeared in her head: To give it away, or keep it. She really considered the situation as something she can't go back and change. When she made her decision, Izuru was about to move on before she called:
"Kamukura!"
Kamukura turned and saw the determined look on her eyes as she made her decisive choice "It's fine, you can take it."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes, I'm sure. It's not the last one in existence, probably. You could have it not just as a souvenir, but as a token of our friendship. That's something friends do to get closer as friends. What do you say?" she gave him a smile that was rather hard to refuse. "It also contains more interesting memories related to it then the other one, right?"
He couldn't help but sigh after that. "If that's what you want. We'll trade, then."
"How'd you know that's what I wanted?" she teased. The two proceeded to trade both plushies at the same time. Now Chiaki had the rabbit, who she dubbed Usami, and Kamukura got the mascot plush, Katty.
With the new plushie in hand, they continued onwards with their adventure, and Chiaki treated themselves with some cotton candy to commemorate this event.
After walking for a while making small talk, Nanami felt some vibrations in her jacket's pockets. She hurriedly took the phone out and answered the call, as it was her mother who was worried sick after a long time with no communication.
She told her mother an abridged version of the story, obviously omitting her breakdown for feeling lost. After telling her that she's "with a friend" and some back and forth, her parents agreed to let their daughter be with her friend and set up a meeting time for the evening, before wishing them good luck and a thank you for her friend before closing the line.
"Did you hear that, Kamukura? Now my parents know about me, and we get to spend more time together!" Nanami rejoiced while the ultimate hope just hummed.
"It seems so."
She blinked at his lack of enthusiasm and pouted "At least pretend to be excited. Aren't you having any fun at all?"
"You know how it is." he told her as a matter of fact.
"Hmm... Guess I'll have to try harder then " she sighed, but that didn't mean she was let down. In fact, with her parents' consent, she was more determined to do even bigger things. "Alright then, Let's play some more!" she exclaimed and then pretty much dragged him towards their next destination.
To prepare themselves for a ride that would surely get this ultimate's heart racing, she would take him to play something to get their bodies moving. She was hoping to play some bumper cars, but figured her friend wouldn't enjoy some mindless, bumpy fun, so she went to the next best thing: Go Karts. Naturally the line would be a good amount of long, but thanks to Izuru's luck messing with everyone ahead, they managed to get a turn in no time. They entered the race with three other competitors, and with a count of three, the race had begun.
Needless to say, despite the fierce competition from his rival close behind, The ultimate hope was the ultimate winner, while the other three struggled to get anywhere close. But hey, at least they witnessed a new impossible record being set for the attraction, so there's that.
Now that that's done with, Chiaki took him to the star of this trip: The Great Roller Coaster. It was one of the largest attractions, and it's very popular with thrill-seekers. Again, thanks to the ultimate hope, they barely did any waiting. Due to his long hair possibly interfering with the joy of others, the two classmates had to understandably sit at the very end of the coaster, with the gamer hoping that it wouldn't hinder their enjoyment. In truth, it didn't really matter all that much, though his hair did untangle by the end of it. It was really fast and thrilling, with twists and turns and loop-de-loops. In fact, after they got off, Izuru commented that this was "the least boring ride so far" which lit his partner's eyes brightly, who felt more motivated to do even more.
On their way to look for even more, Kamukura spotted the funhouse ahead in their way and felt this ominous aura coming from it, and his instincts told him to get Chiaki away from it. So with an idea popping in his head, he lured her away by treating her to some food, which she happily accepted, unsuspecting of the supposed danger ahead.
After they finished their rather silent lunch (and Chiaki getting weird looks for eating with her imaginary friend), with the amount of time left on the clock, there weren't many things they could do, or any idea on what they should do next. So with whatever time they have, they made a plan to play a few more games easy on their stomachs, and then one more ride that Chiaki kept a secret. They competed in many more games, which were a downgrade to the roller coaster in Izuru's eyes, as that ride was truly the biggest highlight in the park (besides the thieving bird of course) And then, when the time felt right, Chiaki took him to the secret attraction that she's been eagerly waiting to take him to:
The Ferris Wheel.
Izuru didn't understand why she'd take him to the most boring ride there is or why she's excited, but since she's pretty eager about it, he followed without complaints.
When the cabin arrived, Chiaki went in first followed by her mysterious classmate. She took off her cat bag and sat it next to her as the doors closed and the wheel turned for the next passengers. She stretched and got comfortable, and a few minutes passed until the cabin was rising higher away from the ground.
Inside, Izuru was staring at the view outside as the insignificant people got smaller and smaller. From this rising angle, he could see the rest of the park and all the boring people enjoying their boring games. He didn't want to start a conversation because he'd likely bring the mood down, and he wanted to give Chiaki some space. Besides, with all the time that they have, it's bound to start eventually.
"So, um...What a view, right?" She asked.
"It's fine." He did say he didn't want to bring the mood down, but he knows she's used to his nature so a bit won't hurt anyone. She just hummed back, ending the conversation. She knew these types of questions rarely lead anywhere and this wasn't an exception, but she just wanted to say something.
Silence followed once again as she was hoping for him to say something. Now that she thinks about it, why does she feel this heavy air around them? It somehow feels more... intimate than she's used to. Intimate and intimidating. She was the one who invited him here, yet she's also the one tensing up. What's up with that?
"S-So..." She began "How do you feel about your… first visit to a-an amusement park?" she stuttered, getting more embarrassed. Izuru kept staring outside.
"Boring." He gave his usual response to pretty much everything. "Besides a few inconsistencies, everything went exactly as I expected."
"A-ah, I see..." Where was she going with this again? "U-um... I've been to parks like this a couple of times and... and, u-uh..." She made a bad miscalculation. The tight space coupled with the tension made it harder to breathe and gather her thoughts. "Uhm... You know, U-uh..." She felt a lump in her throat and her chest felt tight. Her breath was trembling, and her mind was drawing a blank. And in the presence of Izuru Kamukura, the ultimate hope, the strongest living being who's powers could only be described as supernatural, it really made things feel worse.
"Breathe." Kamukura's steady voice broke through. "You're choking yourself. Take deep breaths and think about pleasant memories or other things you like. Relax." Since he's pretty much the ultimate everything, he's also an expert in psychology. When she has any trouble… taking care of herself, she could always go to him. That, or he notices and comes to her aid like he did today.
Following his order, she closed her eyes, took deep breaths, and tried to imagine her friends, recalling the memories of them playing together. Though, the inescapable locked cabin creeped up from time to time, hindering her progress.
"There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm your classmate, Izuru Kamukura. I will not hurt you or do anything to you. You can trust me." He told her with a cold, yet calming voice. Chiaki tried again and imagined some more scenes in her head. They're in this tight space with only her and Izuru. But because she's with Izuru... everything was going to be okay. If it's him, things will be okay.
Chiaki's breathing slowed down.
She opened her eyes, having calmed after a struggle. She looked around and confirmed the environment she was in, and slumped back, sighing in relief. "Thank you for that."
"Now, what more did you want to say?"
"Right..." She took another breath to prepare her thoughts. "As a kid, whenever I went to a park, I'd always stick to the ground. You know, play games that don't have you flying all over the place. Even if my other classmates went on these rides, I'd stay back and play with my video games or something else on my own because I was too introverted and... scared of getting hurt." She looked away and tried a smile. "Heck, I'd win so many prizes that I'd give them away to the students so they could be my friends and think that I'm cool... Well, that didn't last very long."
Izuru could tell that there was something else on her mind. "B-Basically, I'm saying that on this trip, it was the first time ever that I've been on a rollercoaster and…" she was starting to get more comfortable. "I'm glad that it was with you." She blushed and turned away from his eyes and looked outside.
The sun was starting to dip into the horizon, and the sky was gradually turning into a shade of gold. Flocks of birds flew by some of them towards their homes.
"To be honest, I wasn't sure that it would turn out this way, this whole 'rollercoaster' thing. I didn't know if I had the courage to get on, or if I'd even have as much fun. I mean, even you had some fun, didn't you?"
"It wasn't as boring, that's all." he replied.
"Yeah, I figured." she said. "I did something I never thought I'd do, I enjoyed myself in spite of losing my parents and having a breakdown..." She gave him one of the softest, warmest smiles he'd ever seen. "And… that was all thanks to you. "
Beat.
It was… strange. While he did feel warm in his chest before, it wasn't to this intensity. His eyebrows raised slightly, and his eyes twitched. He knew what this fluttery feeling was, but it still caught him by surprise. He just never expected it would happen to this effect. It felt interesting. Still, he tried his best to keep his composure, though Chiaki did notice the slight movement, making her face more rosy.
"I don't get it." He said, his voice rising. "Why? What is it that keeps you coming back to me, again and again? What about me screams fun to you? I know I have no "fun" personality, not even your classmates have an inkling of an idea on how to deal with me. Everything is boring to me, including the games you like, yet you still invite me over and over to your picnics and arcades. I don't care about anybody or anything in this dull world, and yet you-" he stopped himself when he looked at Chiaki's scared expression, and realized he might've raised his voice a bit too much. He sighed and relaxed himself. "Just...why do you keep caring about me? Is it only because you knew my past self? Is that all there is to it?"
Chiaki paused. She gulped her fears down. "I… I-I guess that's one part of it. Just not the whole thing. You know what I mean?"
"Elaborate."
"Y-You know, it's just..." What she's going to say next is going to be difficult, as trying to correct her friend's words is highly unusual and, frankly, quite discouraging. "There's no easy way to say this, so..." She took a deep breath and braced herself for what's to come. She looked him dead in the eyes with determination and said "...That's wrong, Kamukura. You're wrong." She noticed him wince, but she didn't say anything. "When you say something like that, you're just lying to yourself. You say you don't care, but, if you really didn't, we wouldn't be here right now, right?"
Izuru stayed silent, giving her time to think, and Chiaki knew this. She relaxed her gaze and joined her fingers together. "It's not just today either, but all the other ones. You're always so protective and supportive of me than you are to anyone else. I've never seen you have a conversation with anyone besides me that lasted over thirty seconds, and you'd almost only come to an invitation if I was the one who invited you, or if I was going to be there in the first place…" She said, "Remember when you came to an all-girls night where we styled your hair?" She giggled at this fond memory of the big, intimidating guy being surrounded by four girls playing with his hair and doing other girl activities with him. Izuru does remember, but he didn't seem to care. Probably.
"But other than that... you stay by my side, and help me through my problems, and check on me every now and then, even when I never asked. If you wanted, you could've ignored me earlier when I was having a breakdown, right? You could've left me, and I wouldn't have noticed, right?" He looked away. That was a good point. She tilted her head, "You always could, but you don't. Do you know why you care? Can you think of a reason as to why I'm special to you?"
Kamukura closed his eyes and began to think about this logically. He stayed like this for a few seconds pondering any factors that could equate to his odd behaviour as he did, indeed, find it strange to find himself drawn just a normal girl in his eyes. "The only logical conclusion that could be conceived..." he started "Is that despite the intensive experimentation that has been done to me, and the countless efforts to remove any and all traces of my old personality... some essence of Hajime Hinata still remains." He looked at her in her pink, sparkling eyes, "And they wouldn't have surfaced if I never came in contact with you. You are special to me, because you were special to him."
Things were starting to click. Chiaki couldn't believe what she was hearing. He - Hajime Hinata - actually had the same mutual feelings like she did? He was her first true friend, after all. However, in spite of these feelings, he still left his mind and body to be experimented on, transforming himself into an emotionless husk whose specialty is talent itself.
...And yet, that's not entirely true. This 'husk'... is still a person. Although similarities remained, it still has its own personality, thoughts and emotions, separate from its original form. The kindness, thoughtfulness and care passed down from its original personality into its new one. It may have a different name and different memories, but that doesn't stop it from caring. Nor does it stop her from calling him a friend. Maybe...
"I see..." She said, "It's been like this the whole time." Even so, she smiled at him. "I'm glad that not much has changed, then. No wonder I feel this way." The cabin was quiet as each of them was taking in organising this newfound information. The ultimate hope wondered what she meant, while the ultimate gamer was looking for more dialogue options. "There were many new things that I've tried to appeal to you, you know. Some were really dangerous or scary, like the rollercoaster, but I still did them so you could try to have fun. Do you know how, or, why I could do these things?"
As easy as it was, he didn't want to think, so he just stared at her with his crimson eyes "Why?" he finally said. Whatever it would be, it will make him...interested.
"Because you're you. It's as simple as that." She simply said, and then looked outside "If you weren't Izuru Kamukura, with all the talents the school had to offer, I wouldn't have been half as bold as I am now. With all your talents, you could help me when I'm in trouble. If my life was in danger, I know very well that you could save me, just like when we first met."
Of course, when he found her sitting on the bench by herself, she was miserable. An experience this prolonged could have a negative effect on her mind, and being among the large crowds of commoners could single her out as a target, traumatising her even further.
As the sun was falling, the sky was encased in a golden dome around the park. The bright gold rays snuck into the cabin, turning the whole mood to match the familiar atmosphere of their first fateful encounter at the school's fountain.
"You know what I think?" She reached for her bag and pulled out the Cat mascot's plush and hugged it. "I don't believe your luck only worked to take your phone. But rather... you were lucky the moment you woke up... I think. Somehow, it knew that I was going to be at the park today, and so your parents asked you to come along. I believe that your luck was what brought you here, to the right place and the right time, just so you could save me when I needed it. Do you know what I mean?" She looked at him in his eyes, and she could see some kind of bewilderment at this nonsense she's saying.
"It was your luck, your instincts, that brought you here to me, to help me, and to spend your time with me, rather than each to their own." she said. "And because of that, I got to do all kinds of things, stuff that I wouldn't have done by myself, things I enjoyed so much because you're here with me." She blushed, turning away in embarrassment after a long rant and looked at her plush, which she raised its head to look at her. "I-I guess… all I'm trying to say is..."
She took a deep breath. And then, in a moment of truth, she turned her gaze at him, and gave him a smile better than the last, one he'd never seen before, and with a gentle, soft voice...
"with you around...I don't have to be afraid of anything."
In that moment, when she said those words, it felt like time had slowed down. He could feel his chest warm up considerably, and his heartbeat sped up unnaturally for someone like him, as if he were riding on another rollercoaster. Well, he was on a rollercoaster of emotions, as could be said. This supposedly calm and relaxing ride just ended up with a stronger emotional warfare than being on an actual one.
He never knew how much he wanted to hear those words until he did.
"You..." They were words of appreciation that he'd never felt more genuine, whether from his classmates, or the scientists. All of these were heard from, but he dismissed them as obvious. Of course he's better than them at their job, it's no surprise. However, praising his talents was one thing, but praising himself, as a person, one who made this particular person happy for more than just 'talent'... It made him want to show some form of affection he'd never, and would never show to anyone else. Not with words, but something smaller, something more simple.
He knows the connotation of her words, But… not now. Not yet.
"Y-Yes...?" She shyly said, blushing. She did notice his slight movements after her ramble, which only made her realize the implications of what she said, and the thing is, she knows that he knows exactly what that meant. She quickly became flustered at the idea and stammered trying to get whatever idea she has in her head, though at this point she doesn't know herself.
"You're unbelievable."
"Wh-what?"
There was a slight change in posture and tone, "Somehow, you found something even less boring than a rollercoaster." He said, and she looked at him puzzled, unsure of what to take from it. "I'll say that it wasn't expected, and... leave it at that." He really wanted to say more, but he just couldn't.
For a very, very brief moment, she could've sworn she saw a slight flick upwards from the two ends of his mouth. "U-Um!" She suddenly squealed, feeling the heat in the situation. She was feeling red all over, and her brain had one more thing to say. Suddenly, she felt energetic, her heart pumping faster and faster after a rare compliment such as this, and for that, she's going to say it out loud. It could be too early, it could be too late, or even too redundant, but she's gonna say it anyway. Even Izuru is anticipating it as she's getting his attention with her...tension. She's going to say it. At this moment, in time and place, nothing will stop her from-!
*Yaaaawwwnnn*
Then again, getting worked up only drains your energy more quickly.
"Hm?" Kamukura looked as she yawned and covered her mouth. She rubbed her tired eyes holding a few tears. "What did you want to say?"
"...No, nevermind. Some other day, probably..." She silently cursed herself for getting drowsy and wasting the perfect opportunity. She used to do her best to hide her yawns so as to not offend him as 'being boring,' though he told her it was fine. He blinked at her then sighed, leaving no further comments.
To distract her thoughts and lower the guilt, she resorted to looking outside. She moved closer, and stared at the yellow color engulfing the rest of the park, and people walking around and having fun with their children. While she can't see them up close, she can be sure they're enjoying themselves. She wondered about her parents' well-being, and how they're doing without her. They must've been really worried during the break of communications, And she's hoping that they're having a good time.
While she was busy staring outside, Izuru was looking at her, taking in all the details of her physique. While he was never interested in any shapes or faces (as evident by his own appearance), he still found himself staring at her intently. This was also a remnant of his old self, he figured. The way light bounced off her rather cute face gave him a sombre feeling of nostalgia, and a bigger connection to the one before him. Two words barely escaped his mouth, briefly catching Chiaki's attention.
"Making memories..."
"Huh? Did you say something?" 'Cute' was not a word he would use to describe... well, anything. Not that he cares enough to describe things besides his usual remarks. But looking at her face when she turned around, and the clothing she wears, the back of his mind whispered to him, and allowed him to compliment another person. In his head, of course. He didn't reply, so his friend took it as a 'no', and returned to sightseeing.
If there's one thing, just one, measly thing that he could describe her...
She's the most beautiful and precious thing to him, and he would neve let her fall into harm.
The gamer noticed he'd been staring in her direction for some time. "Is there something on my face?"
"There isn't." He said with his usual blankness. "I was just lost in thought."
"...Okay, then." She went back to sightseeing, completely missing the point, though that is something that'll haunt her later. After some time, she yawned once again, now sleepier than ever. She was wobbling and adjusting herself so as to not fall on the spot and ended up pushing her face on to the glass. Izuru noticed and decided to do something.
Standing up, he stepped through the small cabin carefully so he wouldn't disturb it, and just as carefully sat between Chiaki and her bag. "Give me the toy."
"U-Um, okay..." She was entirely puzzled at the situation but still following his order. When she gave it to him, he put the small plushie in her cute cat bag and closed it. Chiaki was still confused on what's going on and what he's going to do.
"Now sleep on my shoulder." Hearing words like these coming from the deadpan Kamukura obviously raised a lot of...feelings. It did take a few moments before it all registered in her little brain.
"Eh? Wait, what?" Her face was redder than a cherry, and her heart started beating faster. If there's something the two shared on this trip, it's the strong emotions emanating from this one attraction.
"Clearly, you are very tired. If you do wish to spend the last hours in the park with your parents, then I recommend a short nap, or else you'll be out of it for the rest of the day and you wouldn't have as much fun." He thoroughly explained without missing a beat. "Don't you think so, Nanami?"
Sleep? On his shoulder? You wouldn't believe how embarrassed Chiaki was. Kamukura always kept a distance away from physical touch. While it was a necessity sometimes, it was still very rare. But still, going from simple hand-holding to napping on his shoulder in a day? On his request? Isn't it too early in this relationship? Something like this only happens very far through, if dating sims were any indication.
"N-No! No, It's fine, it's-, I'm good, I can... I can handle it. I-It's too early anyways..." She murmured that last part. It is insane to do something like that with the Izuru Kamukura. Holding hands was the furthest she's gotten in a dating sim, so she's still quite nervous.
But Kamukura was having none of that. He boringly rolled his eyes, swept a hand over Nanami's and pulled her closer to his side, hearing a slight squeal. She could feel his hand over her eyes warmer than usual, and her heart almost came to a stop. "U-Um-!" Once again, her mind was drawing a blank. Or rather there were too many things that fumbled over each other as to which should come out first.
"Just go to sleep. I'll wake you when we're done." Unbeknownst to her, Kamukura actually had a hint of red, even when he tried to suppress it. The gentle grip of his hand coupled with his shoulder beneath her head, as well as the arm she's leaning onto, gave her this lulling sense of bliss that was impossible to resist sleeping with. Taking this sense of pride with her to the dream world, she relaxed her body, and with a count to 3, she was fast asleep.
Now, he was alone. Just him and a sleeping Chiaki. He watched her fully slumped over, sleeping soundly. Her chest rising and falling with each breath, with a small amount of drool on his blazer. It was black, so it didn't matter. Not like it would otherwise. It was odd, the way he kept her face covered despite the fact that she was already asleep. For some reason, he didn't want to let go. He does know why, it's just somewhere at the back of his mind along with his sentimental side.
He waved his thumb across her silky hair, brushing against the hairpin that was synonymous with Chiaki herself. He'd never seen her without it, and he does admit it looks good on her and fits her 'playstyle'. He slowly lowered his hand and gently caressed her soft cheeks, fit for a petite girl like her. The fact that she felt safe with him means he's doing his job well to protect her from the likes of Junko.
Ah, that's right, the dreaded Junko Enoshima, secretly known as the Ultimate Despair. They met one fateful day and she gave him an offer that was easy to resist, though he was bored and went with it anyway: Help her bring the world to ruin, and he could be freed from the boredom he called his life. She promised him the unpredictable despair of chaos, and if it would rouse his desire for anything interesting, he would, and did, accept. That didn't last long, however.
After thinking ahead, and going through multiple possibilities, then a deadly encounter between Junko and Chiaki would come to fruition, leading to the death of the most interesting person he has met. Not even chaos and despair were that much better than what this one girl brought for him. He bailed on the offer, and the ultimate fashionista was relegated to doing 'harmless pranks' that he'd stop if they went too far.
He rejected the life of despair to live in for a hopeful future. After all, he was the ultimate hope. The fate of the world was all in his hands.
The rest of the ride was spent in silence, save for a few noises from a sleeping Chiaki. He would wake her up once the ride was almost over.
Before going to the meeting place for Nanami's parent's, they decided to stop by the same bench they met, to try and get Kamukura's phone down from the nest. Nanami suggested-
"I've returned here for the phone you took earlier." Izuru told the bird with an extended hand, who looked back at him and cawed. "The green one. It's time I took it back." The bird cawed again before checking its nest and promptly throwing the phone down back to its original owner.
"...Did you just...?" She trailed, and then remembered another classmate's talent. "N-Nevermind. Why didn't you do that earlier?"
"I was going to, but you stopped me to hang with you in the park." He bluntly replied and saw her confused face before she face-palmed and apologized.
And NOW they went to the meeting spot.
They arrived at one of the small rest areas with a clear landmark in the middle. They found her parents sitting at one of the benches. With the way they were sitting, Izuru deduced that they weren't there for long.
Before she caught their attention, Izuru brought their daughter away from sight. "Eh? Wh-what's this about?"
"Do you think seeing their daughter with a stranger like me would be assuring to them? They don't know what I look like."
"Huh, Why? You don't look that scary." She said. She did sleep on his shoulder after all.
"To you, not to your parents." He said. "This is where we part ways."
She paused."Oh... right..." She seemed sad at the thought. "Then I guess we'll meet again? In school?" He nodded back. In truth, the mysterious tall man was more saddened by her leave. She was about to go before she stopped in her tracks "Oh, and one more thing-"
"The piece of paper you snuck in my pocket during a game? The one that most likely holds your phone number?"
"Ah-! Yes, that's it," She smiled sheepishly, "Just wanted to see if you'd notice..." She smiled one last time "See you later, I think. I mean, I will. You know, like-"
"Just go already."
"R-right! Good-bye!" and went off to her long-lost parents. Though she went back mid-way to give back his plush. When she finally went to her parents, they noticed her and gave her a big hug, before talking about their day and continuing their trip, and despite walking past said stranger, none of them noticed him standing there and observing until they left the scene, courtesy of his spying talent.
Haji- I mean, Izuru's own parents later rang a call for him, apologizing for their missed opportunity and that they'll make it up somehow. They told him they're arriving at the entrance to pick him up soon, and the call was finished shortly after.
The ride back home was mostly silent, with only a family conversation that didn't exceed thirty seconds. The parents were tired after all.
To compensate for the lack of family bonding, Izuru's parents let him stay in their home. Of course, being Izuru, living in a secret room under surveillance in Hope's Peak for most of his life, it was a new experience to actually stay at a place with other people. Not like it made any difference.
His parents didn't stay awake for long. His mother insisted on making some food for her son like the good old days, despite knowing that said son was probably an even better cook than her. He had another short chat with his parents before everyone went to bed.
This was also a first: an actual room that isn't just a bed in the middle. The bed was in the corner this time, making room for other furniture and items. Nothing seemed to take his interest, but at least he'll get to know his older self a little better.
...
It's been three hours since they arrived home and Kamukura is still awake in his bed. It's not like he couldn't sleep, he very much could, he just... didn't feel like it.
After running out of things to do (which didn't take very long), he decided to call his closest friend after spotting his phone, his new plush, and the piece of paper he had yet to unfold, and an alarm clock all sitting idly on his bedside table.
He knows Chiaki very well, and could guess with accuracy that she's most likely awake at this time of night, especially after the short nap she had earlier. opening the piece of paper and tapping in the number sequence, he put the phone to his ear and awaited a response.
...
*beeep*
...
*be-* click!
"U-uhm, H-hello?"
"...That was quick." The calm and cold voice said that the girl on the other side instantly recognized.
"K-Kamukura! S-Sorry, I picked it up too soon!" The girl on the other side, Chiaki, was stammering in embarrassment.
He didn't react. "It's fine. I don't mind if you were waiting for me." He heard a sigh of relief.
"Sorry, sorry..." Even after all that time together, Kamukura still missed her soothing voice. "I was just shiny hunting a pokeymon. It's a bunny, you see? just like the plush we traded. I wanna give it the name of your plush, Usami. Can I?"
"At this point, that isn't a ques-"
"Ah, it's a shiny! ...But it's not the one I wanted." He could imagine her pouting. "I'll catch it anyway." Button presses can be heard with a few beeps and boops over the phone, as Nanami was focused on catching the monster. A few seconds later, she celebrated, naming the monster after one of her other classmates. Kamukura was fine as long as she was happy. "I have the plush right here, for good luck. Maybe talking over the phone would give me your luck too?"
"I highly doubt my luck would be of effect if I weren't physically there." He bluntly said. "Though if it did, then you would've succeeded in a short time."
"Hmm... good point..." Silence followed as Nanami had nothing to say. Izuru however...
"There was no need to give me your number. We live in the school dorms, after all. You also invite me to many outings, whether with our classmates or between the two of us. It's just redundant at this point." He said. "Even at the end of the school day, we can talk whenever you want."
"That's true, but...um..." She completely forgot the exact reason as to why she did it. She hummed, trying to remember the answer. "Well... you know, in case we... go somewhere else? I mean, like another park or something."
"That's not very convincing. And if you say it's to talk from anywhere, we're in the same classroom."
"But what if we got seperated? Like, if we went to a forest-"
"Not likely. On the rare chance we were, my sense of danger would find you, eventually." The words 'eventually' sent a chill down her spine. Just now, he could sense that his words have made her uneasy judging from the silence. "Not like that would to happen. I'll keep you safe, no matter what." He said, fixing the situation somewhat. He sighed afterwards "...But I'll keep your number, and you save mine. If there's anything you need, whether it's help or something else, I'll answer it."
He heard a sigh. "...Thank you, Kamukura." She said in her signature soft tone that he likes. It always feels like a blessing whenever he hears her talk like that. It didn't last very long. "Well, *yaaawwnnn.*.. I'll be going to sleep now."
Izuru barely raised an eyebrow. "You're going to sleep already?" He asked, slightly disappointed.
"Mm, I was planning to stay the whole night, but I gotta prepare myself for tomorrow. I have to play a tournament." She replied, her drowsiness showing.
"I thought you didn't like to compete with anyone other than me."
She chuckled at that notion. "Still do, but my parents wanted to see me play against other people. And miss Yukizome would tell me-"
"That it isn't bad to show-off sometimes?" he completed "She told me that too, unnecessarily." She chuckled once more. The homeroom teacher is quite a handful, showing up at any time and place all of a sudden just to teach you a lesson to bring the students together. She's more of an annoyance than anything, but he does hold some respect for her. She's someone Chiaki highly respects.
"Yeah, She's really great." She yawned one more time, marking the end of the conversation. "I guess I'll...see you later. Or talk to you later, I dunno..." Yup, she's definitely weary now that she's started to mumble. Somehow, the cuteness of her mumbles stirred something in him.
As much as he wanted, Kamukura couldn't keep the conversation any longer. "I suppose you could say that. Good night, then."
"Yeah, goodnight... and sweet drea..." The rest was more mumbles until she ended the call. He could only guess that Nanami fell asleep halfway and quickly closed the line. Whatever happened to shiny hunting?
Back to loneliness, it seems. And this time, it was only him, and him alone. The lights are off and everyone is asleep. Not that he minds. He just doesn't care. He doesn't care about what's going on with the world, or how anyone is doing. It's all boring to him. If it weren't for one person existing, the whole world would've been in ruin. That's just how he thought he was created.
But that person does exist. And because they exist, the world continues to move on, and they don't even know it. Because that person exists, he is a little less bored of this world. Not entirely, but just enough that that person is kept happy. If they're happy, then he's content. That person gives him a purpose, a reason to go on and not to throw the world away. He is grateful to them.
Sighing, he put the phone on the table, fell down into the bed and covered himself. With fleeting thoughts reminding him of this important day, he closed his eyes. With a count to three, he himself was fast asleep.
A/N:
This is the first time I wrote something so long, and it took equally as long to actually write it, almost year, even. I finished it months ago, but still took a very long time to properly edit and fix some mistakes, here and there, even whole paragraphs were changed! But I think at the end, it was allllll worth it.
Man, I really hope I did the characters justice with this one, especially with Izuru. How'd I do?
Link to the other version: s/14052996/1/Am-Lost-ment-Park
If you came from the other version, why don't you tell me about the overall experience? Have you noticed any subtle differences between them? I'd love to hear some feedback and any criticism you may have!
