Sonia was the last person that you'd expected to be waiting for you outside of the old building, and seeing her smiling face startled you back for a moment when she exclaimed your name.

"S-Sonia-chan, hi!" Why were you yelling? "I was just—delivering Komaeda-kun his breakfast…so he doesn't die of starvation."
Glancing around uneasily, it was a relief at least that no one else was around. Because you were being transparently suspicious right now. "Um…did you need something?"

"I wanted to invite you to the beach tomorrow!" Sonia clasped her hands together pleasantly. "It's going to be a secret, girls only event, so there's no need to feel shyly about wearing a bathing suit!"

Looking her up and down, with her serene face, feeling shy wouldn't be the only problem with attending.

You still weren't too sure what to make of Sonia. She was exceptionally kind, and didn't demand any sort of special treatment from yourself or the rest of the class despite her high status. It felt strange, how nice she was, and even stranger that upon your introductions she was more fascinated than afraid of your position as the Ultimate Witch.
It seemed unnatural. Suspicious, almost.

"Sorry, I can't…" No way. "I don't really like the sunlight, you see…my skin is sensitive, and the sun is my enemy."

"Oh? There's a special sunscreen that would protect your skin quiet well! And I believe…that I saw a parasol in the supermarket."

"I don't like the ocean, either, I mean—it's pretty to look at, but it's so vast…and who knows, Monokuma might have planted sharks around the island to make sure we don't try to escape via swimming."

"Then you can sit under an umbrella and keep watch over us."

She was really determined to have you included in this... If you turned her down, guilt would weigh on your shoulders later, because there was no reason to say no when all she really wanted was just to include you in something.

"Well…" Rubbing your neck, you nodded a little and looked away. "Alright, Sonia-chan, if you insist."

Was she really even giving you a choice to begin with?

She was clearly pleased, smiling broadly, clasping your free hand. "It will be so much fun, I promise! I'm off to tell everyone else. Please, make sure that no boys get wind of this, especially…"
She leaned forward and whispered, as if saying his name aloud would draw him near. "Souda-san."

You nodded. Right, of course. He never left her alone.

"I'll see you later!" She waved joyfully and started off towards the cottages, in a notably happy mood at having you caved in.

[Free Time]

You went back into the hotel instead to grab something to eat seeing as how you'd forgotten to feed yourself today in all the excitement this morning of visiting Nagito.

Just some cereal would do, as long as there were marshmallows coated in sugar mixed in with the bland, tasteless dried wheat crisps.

Even if milk was gross, no matter the circumstances.

What to do today, what to do…

You took your bowl to the lobby downstairs and sat down on the couch, away from the window since it was yet another sunny day. Thinking about it so much was starting to get annoying.

The light glaring through the glass was a stern reminder that not one, but two of the rain sigils you'd jotted down over the past day had completely failed you. It didn't hurt to invoke the rain as long as there wasn't a risk of it flooding, so there wasn't any reason for your request to be ignored.

If it could rain tomorrow and cancel out the beach gathering, that'd be great…were these circumstances affecting your influence? You'd tried not to let it get to you. This was just something else to overcome…just another event in life that fate intended.

Setting the bowl down, you grabbed a cheap stock pen from the table with the hotel's brand plastered over it and took a couple of sheets of blank printer paper from behind the check in counter.

I'll try once more, and if you don't wish to answer me, I'll respect that.

If it'd at least become overcast today, that'd be enough. But regardless, you'd go to the supermarket to find that parasol Sonia mentioned. Find a swimsuit if no one else was there…maybe show it to Nagito later tonight, after playing that weird game.

The thought of teasing him like that had you clicking your pen erratically.

Yeah. This was totally the time to live it up like that! There wasn't any hiding it from yourself that you really weren't a survivor, and definitely not an optimist, so you weren't so sure about making it off the island alive anyway. It was all just pep talk. It'd be nice if you did make it out of this, but whatever force had imprisoned you and taken your memories to begin with was determined to have everyone slaughtered.

Hinata approached you from the front door, interrupting your panicked thoughts. At first you tried to ignore him, drawing a huge circle onto the first sheet of paper.

"Hey, you wanna hang out?" He asked innocently.

So direct.

"Sure…but first, let me finish this." There wouldn't be anything else to do until nightfall, anyway.

Hinata took a seat across from you and watched as you scribbled runes onto the second sheet, then drew them together into the circle on the first in a way that the letters were indistinguishable. It felt kinda awkward, having someone watch you place Bastet-chan on the table, close your eyes, and complete the private ritual without a word.

But it was also kinda nice. He wasn't being disrespectful. Just…waiting.

Not everyone was so polite.

"Okay, I'm done." You folded the papers up and slid them into your jacket.

He was offering you a bag of something when you looked up. Pink rocks? Was he offering you…drugs of some sort? Wait, no—why would you even think that?! This was some of the Natural Jabber Salt that you'd read about in a pamphlet through broken English, the stuff that was used in "ancient ceremonies" of some sort.

You couldn't help smiling. "You're giving it to me?!"

Hinata nodded.

Taking the bag and looking at the light pink, transparent substance, you couldn't help liking Hajime a little more now. Maybe you'd misjudged him at first, because this was a thoughtful gesture. He didn't even know what you could use it for, just that it'd be better in your hands despite his ignorance of the supernatural.

"Thanks so much! I'll make sure you're rewarded in this life and the next for such kindness."

"So, were you casting a spell?" He asked, seeming genuinely interested. There was still a hint of skepticism in his voice. "It seems kinda simple."

"Um, kinda…" You scratched your head, trying to think of the best way to explain it. "If that's all there was to it, sure. I could just teleport all of us off this island, but sadly it's not that simple. You need a relationship with the divine, and that's something you either have or don't."

"So, magic is something you've done for a while?"

"It seems kinda extreme to call it 'magic', but yeah. Hey, Hinata-kun, have you ever seen a spirit?"

He was genuinely puzzled by the question, maybe caught off guard, and had to think about it. He seemed like the type to have maybe one or two encounters in his life. "I can't remember ever seeing one. Wouldn't they look just like regular people, though? Like in that movie?"

"Spirits, not ghosts…"

"Aren't they the same thing?"

"No. Um, just forget it…" Did he think that you saw dead people constantly or something?

"I guess we can cross anything relating to the supernatural off the list of what my talent could be…" He laughed halfheartedly, sounding slightly disappointed.

"Oh, right. You don't remember your talent..." That was truly saddening, and you couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him. "Hinata-kun, about that. You've got my condolences."

"Huh? It's not a big deal, really!" He was embarrassed suddenly.

But looking at him, it was clear that this gap in his identity was causing some sort of…malfunction. His energy was off, and like most everyone here ("most everyone" meaning everyone except Nagito, let's be honest with ourselves) at least a part of him was uneasy.
He was probably constantly wishing he knew what he could do, and hoping that it would be something that posed a threat to Monokuma—or maybe that thought hadn't crossed his mind at all.

Now that it'd crossed yours, however, you couldn't help wondering if that was the case.

Bringing up the possibility would likely only stress him out more right now, so for the time being you decided to keep it to yourself. "So, Hinata-kun, if you want, I'll give you a reading some time. It might help shed some light on your situation!"

"Reading?"

"You know what I'm talking about, right? Using a deck of cards to interpret a message from the divine."

Hinata thought on it for a moment, weighing his response options.
C'mon,Hinata. This is basic knowledge.

"A Ouija board?"

"No, those are a bad idea and don't involve cards at all. …Seriously, they're just bad luck and spirits view that as a form of prostitution on your behalf."

"Scrying?"

"That doesn't involve cards at all and it's a really broad term."

"…Tarot cards?"

You clapped your hands together; he'd really racked his brain, huh? "Yes! A disclaimer, though—divination isn't necessarily predicting the future, but rather getting insight from the spirit world. So don't expect a direct answer. But if you're willing to accept the truth given to you, it's helpful."

He laughed a little. "Sure! I'll take you up on that; it couldn't hurt, right?"
Maybe he didn't take it seriously, but at the very least it would sate your own curiosity.

[Item: Hope Fragment Acquired!]

After spending some more time with Hinata, you parted ways and returned to your cabin. The sky was still bright, thin clouds only occasionally passing by the sun and providing no real overcast.

With some more free time on your hands, you thought about what to do or maybe who to hang out with next before having to unavoidably go shopping for a bathing suit.
Maybe…one of the girls could go with you?
It seemed intimidating, going by yourself.
Yeah. You'd find someone to go with you.