'So?' asked Komaeda, when the screen of TV finally got dark. Hinata had no idea how long they've been playing. The turmoil on the corridor calmed down. Windows were dark. 'What's the thing with the Academy?'

Hinata gave him suspicious look.

'Why are you assuming that there is a thing?' he asked. He stil had his power pad in his hands.

'I remember the way you looked at my bookmark.' Reminded him Komaeda. 'And I see how you look at Sonia sometimes. As if you secretly hated her. As if you were jealous.'

Hinata did not answer. He was pressing the buttons on inactive power pad. Cross, circle, square, cross, circle, square. He got used to it when Nanami was around.

'You applied to the Academy, didn't you?' asked Komaeda, after long moment of silence. And you didn't get in?'

'Oh, I did get in' answered bitterly Hinata. He kept pressing crosses and squares. 'Only not exactly where I wanted.'.

Komaeda raised his eyebrows.

'How is that?'

'You see –there is this super high school talents program' explained grimly Hinata. 'You know, Basketball Player, Doctor, Nurse, Princess' he smirked, thinking of Sonia.

'Luck' interrupted Komaeda.

'Yes, exactly. Luck. The best of the they do not have to pay any tuition, they are the pride of the Academy. Light of our pupils, hope for the future and so on and so on' he recited. He tried to be bitter and cynical, but ideals of the Academy still managed to move him. 'And there is the other program. Reserve class.'

'How does it work?'

Hinata looked at him, slightly annoyed.

'Oh, please,stop pretending. Everybody knows, how it is with the Academy.'

'I don't' answered calmly Komaeda, looking at his reflection in the tv screen.

'They take everybody' admitted Hinata, with blank unenthusiastic voice. 'Even a talent-less losers like me, For high tuition they promise to ignite a spark of talent in them, make them perfect at something, just like everyone in the talent class. Turn them into hope for the humanity'.

'And you got to the reserve class and not the talent class, right?' asked quietly Komaeda. Hinata felt his cheek and ears burning with the memory of failure.

'They made some tests' he answered, with low, tense voice.'They admitted that they…they don't see any talent in me, that would qualify me to the talent class. That yeah, they can enroll me to the reserve class and wait until.. – he sighed. 'until maybe something would hatch. That's they way they put it.'

'Sounds lame' admitted Komaeda.'But did you try to at least give it a go?'

'At the very beginning I wanted to go there no matter what. My parents would be able to affort the tuition, it wasn't a problem. Finally I resigned. I decided to apply to normal school, Komaru encouraged me to come here…

Komaeda was listening in silence. His pale, silvery eyes seemed to register every smallest movement Hinata made.

'I have no idea why am I even explaning this to you' murmured Hinata, finnaly putting power pad away. 'Those are basics. Everyone knows.'

'I'm not especially interested in all that paperwork' said slowly Komaeda, looking at the dark screen.'Never've been'.

'You've never been interested in the Academy?' Hinata looked at him with a mixture of indignation and bewilderment.'Seriously?'

Komaeda shrugged.

'I was more focused in trying to figure out my life' he said honestly.'It tends to be… chaotic. But you' he looked at reflection of Hinata's face.' You seem fascinated with it. The Academy.'

'It used t be my biggest dream' said Hinata, with hesitation.

'So why didn't you go there?' Komaeda seemed surprised.'If yu cared to much and money weren't the problem?'

'They weren't admitted Hinata.'But.. it's stupid'

'More stupid than Shinji refusing to get into the robot and save the humanity because of daddy issues?' asked Komaeda, obviously making reference to his beloved comic books.

Komaeda sighed and shook his head.

'I just thought that… what would happen if everyone knew that I'm not super high school level talent, that I'm there as something.. something that may hatch, but for now nobody really expects that. That I would just sit there and waste time, listening everyone talking behind my back. I didn't want it this way. I prefered to let it go, enroll to normal school and menawhile.. I don't know, maybe do something useful' he finished.

'And then you came here' Komaeda smacked him with his bony elbow.

'And then I came here' admitted quietly Hinata. He was surprised how easy it was to say it. So far he avoided explaining why he had changed his plans. Even Komaru knew only short version. He wasn't sure if it was the way Komaeda talked to him, or the fact that they've just celebrated first death Hinata witnessed on Totoro ward with a video game.

'Listen' said Komaeda after a long silence.'I really think that you shouldn't care for the Academy so much. Sonia is the super high school level princess, but honestly.. she's all right. She doesn't brag or look down on anyone, I've never heard her mentioning the Academy, even once. I also got in, so what? I'm stuck here, reading comic books and dying'

'You are not..'Hinata tried to protest, but Komaeda just continued smoothly.

'That kid, Kuryuzu has place in the Academy practically from the day he was born, as would-be Super High School Level Yakuza' he smirked. 'And so what? He's sitting here and something is eating out his skull from the inside. Koizumi, Saionji, Nanami… she was about to go to the Academy as the Super High School Level Gamer, didn't she tell you?' he looked at Hinata.'No, I assume she didn't. Do you know, why?'

'Nanami was chosen as… 'Hinata blinked. It made sense. With her skills and determination she was really perfect candidate.

'Do you know why she didn't tell you?' insisted Komaeda.

Hinata looked down.

'She didn't tell you because she saw how you are looking at Sonia and me, how you seem angry and jealous. She didn't want you to stop liking her only because she had guaranteed place in school she won't go to because she's not going to live that long and you could seriously use the opportunity but you were to proud'.

Hinata looked at him, hipnotized. He didn't dare to blink.

'Seriously, mate' continued Komaeda, gently putting his hand on his shoulder. 'We all really like you here, but we have enough troubles on our own, we don't want to be afraid that one day you're going to bring a gun and shoot us all because some kids here had views to become super high school level talent of the Academy. As you can see we're not especially overflowing with hope' his voice seemed venomous.'but we're overflowing with practically everything else' he showed Hinata his wrist with the cannula fixed to it.

Hinata stoo dup. He felt as if he was kicked straight in his stomach. He needed fresh air. He needed to get out from here. Go back home, lay in his bed and never come back here again. Not after Nanami's death. Not after the words Komaeda said to him.

'It's late' he said, trying to get rid of the hand that suddenly got hold of his wrist. 'I have to go, my parents will be worried'.

'Hinata' Komaeda still held his hand.'Listen, if you want to know my opinion…'

'I don't' growled Hinata, feeling more and more annoyed.

'If you want to know my opinion, the guys from the Academy are just a bunch of made mistake, claiming that you have no talent.'

'Let go!' Hinata finally managed to free his hand. He took his schoolbag and started to walk towards the door.

'Super High School Level Hope' said Komaeda, making him freeze. Hinata turned around rapidly and looked at him. Hope. The word he wrote on the wet glass last evening.

'What?'

'In my opinion you are Super High School Level Hope' repeated Komaeda. His pale eyes were intense like never before.'You can denny that and tell me I'm crazy, but i want you to know that..' he smiled and started to play with a strand of his almost white hair. 'That I love the hope that lies in you. I love it with all my heart'.

Yes, Komaeda is a great fan of Neon Genesis Evangelion. It's a headcanon, you cannot discuss with that.