"Hey, Hinata-kun?"

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Hrm?"

Komaeda swung a bag around carelessly. "May I ask you something?"

This had come from nowhere. It had been a lovely summer afternoon for most people, but Hinata scowled and countered that it was too scorchingly hot to function. Komaeda had convinced him to walk to the nearby gas station with him to buy something to drink, but now that they were returning, their bags were chock-full of candy. As Hinata bit into one now, he realized his friend had been rather silly and carefree today, but now he had brought up a question with a serious tone from out of the blue. It was a little worrying, but it couldn't be anything too bad. "Yeah?"

"What do you think about hope?"

"...hope?"

"Yes."

Uhh. Hope. It's good? Hinata didn't really know. He didn't have an opinion on it much. Unless he was referring to Hope's Peak's definition and goal surrounding hope, he didn't really care much about it. "I guess… it's good to be optimistic. There isn't much you can do when you're negative about everything.

"Oh? You think hope is just... optimism?"

"Maybe? Why does this even matter?"

Komaeda offered a reassuring smile. "It doesn't, of course. Where does hope come from, do you think?"

These weren't just any questions friends ask on a stroll to buy candy. Hinata eyed him suspiciously. There had to be a reason behind these, but if Komaeda was one thing, it was unreadable. "Probably… good days? Being generally happy gives people a positive outlook, I guess."

"Oh really, Hinata-kun? Wouldn't that just be temporary aspiration? I'm speaking of long term, lasting hope. Personally I think the opposite applies."

"Opposite…?" Hinata was thirteen years old, and in case anyone was unaware, thirteen year olds don't normally ponder the philosophy of hope on a regular basis. Or ever, at all. Unless, of course, they were Komaeda.

"Yes. Don't you think overcoming difficulties and situations that appear helpless can bring a sense of hope?" Komaeda inquired, digging through the bag. "It brings more than the feeling of achievement. If faced with a catastrophic problem you eventually find a solution to, it becomes a stepping stone to having the confidence to overcome anything similar. Don't you think that's what hope truly is?"

Hinata stared nervously at the boy as he selected a treat from the bag and bit it. "Well maybe… what would you mean?"

"Sey ith sumthim happenth 'nd a-"

"Can you PLEASE not eat and talk at the same time? I can't hear you, and you're probably choke."

"Haha. Say if something happened, and a loved one died. No, got murdered… would you not feel utter despair?"

"Despair… uh, I guess. That'd be awful." For some reason Komaeda sprung to mind from the statement. What would he do if Komaeda got killed? Surely-"

"And overcoming that would bring such a feeling of hope, would it not? Such hope… would truly be beautiful to see…"

"So what are you gonna do, murder someone to see this hope of yours?" He questioned cautiously. Knowing him, he might even carry through with the idea.

"No, no… I probably never will see it happen. If only, though!" Arriving back, Komaeda stumbled over the fence, and entered the tree fort. Hinata followed.

Was he crazy? Just to see a little confidence and hope in a person, he would gladly take an opportunity to kill someone? Hope that wasn't even guaranteed, but only if that individual would rise above the pain and sorrow, when there was just as much chance of them crumpling and withering into despair?

"I think I… understand, a little. I do want to understand, I know that. But you really worry me sometimes, Komaeda…"

"I'm grateful you understand, or at least attempt to. It means a lot, Hinata-kun."

"I feel like it's more complicated than what you've said."

Komaeda ran a hand through his poofy threads of hair, which seemed to be getting paler each and every day along with him increasingly raspy voice. "You've got that right… but try to understand what I have already told you, and maybe someday I can say more."

the brunette stared into the dusty irises that met his own eyes. He wondered what could be truly hidden behind them. They seemed so strange and unknown now. Did something happen? Or maybe he was always like this, and he just didn't notice until now?

He had thought he knew his friend fairly well, it had been years, after all. But now, it was clear he was dreadfully wrong. All knowledge of Komaeda whisked away, and he was aware that he knew truly knew nothing. Nothing at all.