"Pass it over, c'mon."
"No, Hinata-kun. Don't worry about it."
"I wanna see it, Komaeda. What is it?"
"Nothing, just paper."
"What's on the paper?"
"Nothing important."
"Bullcrap. Fork it over, c'mon. It's got you excited for some reason."
"Yeah, but…"
Komaeda squirmed higher up the tree branch, clutching the sloppily opened letter closely. Hinata reached out from the room section of the tree fort towards the other boy, who was inching away.
"Don't make me climb up there, Komaeda~!"
"But the tree branch would break…"
"Then hand me the letter. I wanna see it, I won't do anything to it."
Komaeda worriedly looked to the other boy blocking his only exit from the tree branch, besides a faster, more painful way down via gravity. He looked at the letter, and back to Hinata. "It's better… if you don't see it."
Hinata paused. "But it's a good thing, whatever it is, right?"
"I suppose you could say that."
"Then pass it!"
"No."
Hinata leaned his torso on the dirty tree branch, heavily inscribed with drawings the pair had made over the years in marker. Komaeda tried inching back further, but the branch stretched downwards by the weight. He moved back down, just to be safe.
"Is it… medical reports?"
"No."
"Is iiiit… a million dollars!
"No, Hinata-kun…"
"Is iiiiiiiit…" Hinata walked around the treehouse thinking, until his eyes landed on the torn, crude poster than had been in this fort for years, and smiled. "Is it acceptance to Hope's Peak!" He guessed jokingly.
"..."
"Is iiiiiiiiiiiit… wait, you didn't say no."
"I…" Komaeda looked down to the envelope, and touched the symbol marked on the front, the symbol of Hope's Peak Academy. He sighed, and flipped it around to show Hinata.
"You… got in…? Hinata stared, Jaw agape. "Like, actually…?"
Komaeda coolly slid down the branch and reentered the tree fort. There was no point in hiding it now.
"Hinata-kun… they ran a random selection process for entry into Hope's Peak for one person. I… I was selected. Out of luck." Komaeda spoke hesitantly. Hinata was not going to be pleased and he knew it. Komaeda knew he didn't deserve to go, and tried to reject the offer. He had seriously tried to see if he could transfer the acceptance to Hinata. He was definitely a better choice, so hopeful, so full of potential. Komaeda knew he was going to crush Hinata by telling him this. It had been the other boy's dream for years to be accepted into Hope's Peak. Sure, Komaeda himself admired the academy, but to actually go there…? No, Hinata deserved this, not him. He would kill to see the elation of the brunette's face light up like a chandelier upon being accepted. Ah… fate was so cruel to him.
"Ko… maeda…" Hinata quivered, looking at the ground. Komaeda knew he was upset. He wanted to rip up the acceptance letter and throw it out if it meant Hinata couldn't go. It hurt him just as much to see Hinata like this. "I'm sorry, Hi-"
In a flash, Hinata had his arms around him, squeezing him tight as can be. Komaeda wheezed as he was winded by the surprise hug. Hinata was still shaking, and Komaeda reluctantly turned to see his face…
Except Hinata wasn't upset, in the slightest. He had the largest grin Komaeda had ever seen. "Hinata-kun… ?" He whispered through the tight grip around him.
"I can't believe it… I can't friggin believe it… Komaeda! You! Attending Hope's Peak! This is amazing!" He shouted while squealing in delight. This was not what Komaeda expected, but was definitely better.
"So… this is okay, Hinata-kun…?" He gingerly asked.
"Okay? This is incredible! Super High School Level Luck. Hah! I'm so happy for you, Komaeda!" Hinata laughed back. Komeda smiled politely. "I don't think I deserve this, Hinata-kun… I don't know if I'll go…"
Hinata stopped laughing. "Are you crazy, Komaeda? You have to go! Please! This is incredibly lucky!"
"But I don't need this… I want you to go, Hinata-kun."
Hinata paused, and looked behind him at the poster. His smile faded a tad, but enough for Komaeda to notice. "I… I guess I won't be going to Hope's Peak, Komaeda…"
The white-haired boy nodded sadly. This was more along the lines of what he was expecting.
"But that's why you have to go!"
"What…?"
"Please, Komaeda, you have to tell me everything. If I can't enjoy it, well… I want you to!"
Komaeda looked bewildered. Was Hinata really happy for him? Did Hinata think that he deserved to go? Hinata hugged him tightly again without warning. "Promise me, Komaeda? Promise me you'll go?"
"...if that's what you want, then… of course, Hinata-kun. I promise." He sighed. Hinata was more amazing than Komaeda had thought.