I am not a Robot:
Chapter 2: Beginning
When Nanami and Fujisaki walked into the shop, they noticed Souda fiddling around with something. He mostly did this when he was upset...he would pull something apart and try to put it back together, though it didn't look as though it was going well...
"Um, Souda-kun...are you okay...?" Fujisaki asked in concern.
Souda grunted as he tried to fit one thing into another on whatever he had disassembled. He had most likely pulled it apart into too many pieces and can't figure out what goes where. "I'm...fine...!" He said, still grunting.
Fujisaki walked towards him. "Are you sure...you look-"
"I said I'm fine!" Souda repeated as he continued to fiddle. Fujisaki just stopped where he was at and stared at the ground, tears threatening to appear from his eyes. Souda would barely yell at Fujisaki, and when he did, it would be an accident and he would apologize right away. But the mechanic was probably in an incredibly foul mood.
"Souda, is this about-?" Nanami began until she was cut off.
"I don't know, Nanami! Why don't you go ask that goddamn psychopath that you seem to like more than me?" Souda said rather loudly. Nanami's eyes narrowed. He couldn't be serious...
When she noticed that Souda was going back to ignoring her and Fujisaki, she knew that he was being serious...and it was weird – she admitted – for him to call her Nanami again. He hadn't stopped calling her by her first name since...well, since she got her body...
Nanami sighed. "I suppose I'll leave you alone until you get over it..." She said, waiting for a reply. All she got was another grunt. She shook her head slowly.
Fujisaki looked back and forth between the two. He hated this. He didn't want them fighting over what seemed to be her making new friends. Fujisaki knew though that Nanami didn't do anything wrong. Just by hearing the awkward conversation between the two just then, Nanami just made a friend, and Souda is either being over-protective or he's just jealous. If things continued, he would have to do something about it.
"Well, I guess I'll just...do my homework..." Nanami said with a yawn. She then walked off to the garage and did just as she said she would do. It was difficult to stay awake through it, but she did her best to finish. She guessed that she would have to wait until tomorrow...
The next day wasn't all that much better with Souda. He left early again. He didn't even try waking her up that morning, so she would've been late if Fujisaki hadn't called. She didn't understand why he was making a big issue out of nothing...
It seemed as if Komaeda noticed Souda's odd behaviour too. After class he approached Nanami.
"Nanami-san...are you and Souda okay...?" He asked curiously.
Nanami glanced at Souda who was glaring daggers at the two of them. Nanami pursed her lips together for a firm frown. Souda noticed this and quickly looked away. Nanami shook her head and looked back at Komaeda.
"We're fine...Souda's just going through-"
"You don't have to lie, Nanami-san." Komaeda interrupted with a nervous smile. "I know that Souda isn't pleased to have someone like me with you, and that's okay...I mean, it's understandable..."
Nanami blinked. She was just told by Komaeda that he was okay with Souda not liking him...she didn't know exactly what to say. This whole situation was just getting confusing...
"I don't think that just because Souda doesn't like you, doesn't mean that I shouldn't try to get to know you." Nanami replied. "I heard the phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover'. Does that apply to this situation...?"
Komaeda blinked and smiled. "Well, I suppose so...but, if something should happen...well, it might not happen...so, I guess it doesn't matter..."
Nanami nodded with a small smile. "But, there is one little favour..." Komaeda added.
"I would appreciate if you would be able to-"
Komaeda stopped mid-sentence when he got a tap on the shoulder. Nanami tilted her head slightly as Komaeda turned around.
'Oh no...' She thought to herself.
Souda, to put it bluntly, looked pissed. It looked as if he was about to knock the white-haired boy into next week.
"You aren't getting her to do anything...!" He told Komaeda coldly. "Something bad always happens when you're involved, and you aren't getting her roped up in one of your messes...!"
Komaeda stared at the ground with a small sigh. "I somehow knew that this would happen...well, I guess if it is such a problem, I won't-"
"Souda," Nanami began, getting the mechanic's attention. "I don't think that's fair..."
"Does it look like I give a damn if it's fair or not?" The mechanic yelled. "It's for your safety, Chi-!"
Nanami shook her head. "I thought you weren't talking to me...though, I do think both Komaeda and I deserve an apology if you're planning on 'protecting' me."
Souda narrowed his eyebrows. He looked back and forth between Komaeda and Nanami and sighed. Nanami thought for a moment that he was going to actually stop being stubborn and apologize, but instead he just walked away. Nanami stared at him in disappointment. He was being more than stubborn at this point...she looked back up at Komaeda.
"I'm sorry about Souda..." She told him. Komaeda stared at her for a moment and laughed.
"It's fine...it's not like I'm hurt by words or anything. I'm more concerned about you, Nanami-san..." He said honestly.
Nanami smiled again. "It's okay...we can make up..." She replied. "So, what was the favour...?"
"Oh, it's nothing, really..." Komaeda answered. "I was just wondering if you would be able to come to the unused school building next to this one. It should have a sign next to it saying 'Reserve'. Go in there and meet me."
"Um...sure, but why...?" Nanami asked.
"Well, let's just say it has something to do with that missing student..." Komaeda answered. "We'll call it a test of courage..."
Nanami thought about it for a moment. "Well, if you really want me to, I don't have any objections...I think..."
"Thank you, Nanami-san! I appreciate it...just make sure you don't get cold feet..." Komaeda said jokingly.
The rest of the day from that point on went pretty slowly. Nanami guessed that it was just one of those moments when there was something going on later on, the day seems to go for longer than normal...she occasionally glanced back at the mechanic, who just shook his head at her, disapprovingly. She wondered what must've happened to cause him to hate Komaeda so much...
Finally, once the school day ended, Nanami stood up and looked at Souda. He just stared at her for a moment before looking at the ground.
"Chiaki, please...?" He asked, obviously concerned.
Nanami blinked before letting out a soft sigh. "But, you and Chihiro taught me to always keep my promises...either way; I won't be able to-"
"Yeah..." Souda sighed as he scratched the back of his head. "I figured that you would say that...just, don't be too long...and if something happens, come back, okay...?"
Nanami stared at him for a while. She had figured that he is on the road to forgiving her, maybe...or, maybe he's just being overprotective again...? Either way, he was talking to her again, and that was a good start. She smiled.
"Of course," She replied. "Would you tell Chihiro that I'll be back later...?"
Souda put his hands in his pockets as he let out an exasperated sigh. "I guess so..." He answered.
"Thank you, Souda." Nanami thanked with a slight bow. "I'm going now, Komaeda has already left."
Although Nanami noticed Souda rolling his eyes, he nodded and the two of them went in their different directions.
It was normally difficult to tell what Nanami was feeling. But, even now, she herself didn't know what to feel. It was...odd. The building was definitely the one that Komaeda was talking about. The word 'Reserve' was printed on a sign just outside. It also looked like what she would see in her horror games – though, Souda insists on her not playing them – with the creepy look it had...
She considered for a moment of going back home and just tell Komaeda that she wasn't feeling well. But that wasn't like her. She believed that everyone had a role to play, and she knew that hers wasn't to lie to someone who had been nothing but nice to her just because of a small chill up her spine...
Nanami walked into the building, everything was dark, though, not too dark that she couldn't see anything...the hallways weren't clean, but they weren't all that messy either. They simply had a few holes here and there. She stepped lightly as she looked around. This 'test of courage' that Komaeda proposed sounded just like a game. So, naturally, she would have to look around to see if there was anything that could possibly be of use. She had to find the Luckster though. He had probably been in this place a dozen times over and knew his way inside and out. It was probably a practical joke though...Nanami knew that high schoolers still played jokes on their peers. Though, Komaeda didn't seem to be joking when he asked her to come...
The rooms that she had walked past weren't a pleasant sight either...it was hard to explain, but...there were stains left on the walls, floor and equipment...they looked as if someone had tried their best to wash them away, but were unable to finish the job. Nanami shook her head at the possibility of it being something gruesome. But the more she looked, the more it looked like...
...Blood...?
She kept walking, trying to get the rooms out of her mind. She understood why Komaeda decided to call it a 'test of courage'. It wasn't that she was scared – just a little uncomfortable. Who knew what Fujisaki and Souda were doing and thinking...
At some points, she expected at least a ghost or something like that to show. You know, something supernatural. Every good horror game she played had supernatural beings involved – with a few exceptions of course – but reminded herself to not relate the situation to a game.
The remaining rooms were the same. The same darkness and the same stains were there. She wondered if Komaeda actually turned up.
She let out a small yawn. She didn't even know how long she had been searching for him...it was bad enough that she had to get used to where everything was and how many stains there were, but she also has to put up with this!
Souda once said that it's something like...getting stood up...? At least, she thought that was what he said...she had been busy playing game demos at the time...and she didn't feel like hearing another one of his stories about his one-sided love.
She shrugged and just decided to leave. She figured that Komaeda didn't mean to do it...something must've just come up...but before she did, she came across room with a closed door. The writing on above the door was dusty and with her height, she wouldn't be able to wipe it away, so she wasn't sure if it was a classroom or an office or something else like that.
She took in a small breath as she decided if it was a good idea to do this. Most likely, she would be disappointed to just see dust and more of those stains again.
On the other hand, Komaeda could be in there waiting...she decided to practically take a leap of faith when she carefully and quietly opened the door. To her surprise, the room was...decent looking...at least in this room, things were arranged neatly. Shelves full of books, boxes of games and other such objects...she decided to take a quick peek through the box – for the games. As she looked, she noticed how good the condition of the items were. Even the boxes looked as if no one had even touched them – new looking.
"Why this room...?" She asked softly. "It looks as if someone has been...taking care of it..." She put the board game in her hands back into the box and made her way over to the shelves packed with books. There were so many titles and genres. Fantasy, Mystery, Adventure...practically everything you could think of. Even some recently released books were among them.
She thought for a moment that Komaeda could've been responsible for this. She guessed that he could've visited for some peace or entertainment. But she thought that it was a little strange. There was a recreation room in Hopes Peak, wasn't there...? Sure, quite a few students would go there, but there's enough room for everyone, right...?
Without even thinking, she picked a random book off the shelf and stared at the cover. By the looks of it, it was a mystery novel...also looking as if it were just bought from the store...
"It has a predictable ending, you know..." A voice said from behind her. She slowly turned around and saw...well, she didn't know who it was...it certainly wasn't Komaeda Nagito. It was like his opposite. The man wore a suit, like he was going to a business meeting or something. He had long, black hair that looked as if it was looked after well. Although the hair was probably a little too long...but, what caught Nanami's attention more than anything was the pair of crimson eyes that stared at her. It was like he could see through her. She wondered if they were his natural colour...
It took her a moment before she could finally respond. Sure, a lot of the time, it would take her a while to think of something to say, but this time it took her even longer since that's the way the man apparently greeted people.
"How do you figure that?" She asked. She was curious to see what the man's personality was like. She didn't recognise him. And she knew for a fact that Fujisaki and Souda hadn't told her about him before...
The man took the book from Nanami's hands – though, not forcefully – and stared at the cover. "To find out what happens at the end of a book, film, or anything like that, you simply need to think of the genre..."
"..." Nanami stared at the man. She figured that he was that one pessimistic guy that every main character is friends with in her role-playing games. "...So, what you're saying is...that if it's romance, two of the characters will get together in the end, for example. And that in horror, there's a high chance of the characters dying...I get what your point is...I think..."
The man just put the book back into its place on the bookshelf and began to slowly pace to the other side of the room.
"So, I assume that you do get it..." He stated in a monotone voice. "Think of how boring that is..."
"I guess I can get what you mean, but..." Nanami began, trying to find the right words in order to not tick the guy off. "I think that it's not just about the end of a story that matters, but what leads up to it is important as well..."
"Even though everything in between may just be as predictable and boring as the end...?" The man asked, still in a monotone voice.
Nanami pursed her lips together tightly. "Every work is different. I think if they're just given a chance, then maybe they'll be enjoyable..." She explained with a small smile appearing on her face.
"I see...another boring person..." The man muttered.
Nanami's rare smile faded at the man's comment. "So, what kind of character development did you see of me to come to that conclusion...?" She wasn't at all mad at the man, but merely curious in what he had to say. Sometimes, it just took the right options in order to unlock a person's trust and see their true character.
"I would have to say that you're one of those people who try to find the 'good' in everyone and in everything you see...would that be correct...?" The man asked as if he were being sarcastic.
"I believe it would be a good quality for someone to have..." Nanami replied.
The man didn't roll his eyes, groan or anything like that. He just blinked. And it wasn't with one of those confused expressions you would see. He just looked as if he was bored. It was that same expression that she saw on his face when she first saw him. Not even a hint that he was going to smile...
"Just as predictable as everything else..." He muttered.
Nanami walked closer towards him, but still a safe distance away. "...My name is Nanami Chiaki..." She told him.
The man spoke before Nanami could finish. "...I assume you have a reason for telling me this information..."
Nanami took another small step towards him. "...Yes, that is because I would like to know your name as well. I want to be able to refer to you as something..."
"I don't care what you refer to me as..." The man answered. "It's not like we'll be seeing each other after this meeting..."
Nanami tilted her head in confusion. "What makes you so sure...?" She asked. "It's not like I said I'm not coming back...it's small hints like these that help you beat the game..."
"..." The man did not say anything to this. Nanami felt as if she was being played by this guy...it was like he wanted some sort of reaction out of her. All she did though, was puff out her cheeks. If she had to write down the top ten most awkward moments of her school life, she would have to put this moment somewhere on that list.
"...How about I give you a name if you're not going to tell me..." Nanami suggested. The man just sat down on a nearby chair with that same blank expression on his face.
Nanami folded her arms and placed a look of thought onto her face as she tried to think of something. But nothing really came to mind...
"Hm...I'm not that good of thinking of name's...usually, that's Chihiro's job..." Nanami mumbled to herself. Nanami looked up at the wall clock and noticed how late it was. Souda would probably call the FBI or CIA if she was gone for much longer.
"..." The man still didn't say anything to her. She would have to get him talking soon...
"Well...I think it's time that I get going..." Nanami told the man as she walked towards the door. "...Tomorrow, I should have something to call you..."
The man didn't reply and instead picked another book off the shelf and read the blurb. Nanami didn't think that she was going to get anything out of him, so instead, she just decided to leave. Once she was out of that room, she bumped into none other than Komaeda Nagito.
"Ah...Nanami-san...!" Komaeda greeted, slightly shocked. "I thought that you didn't show...I was just about to leave..."
Nanami stared up at the white-haired boy. "Same here," She replied. "Maybe we were both moving around so much that we missed each other..."
Komaeda nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that must be it...but, I still have to say that I'm surprised you stayed this long..."
"Well, I never gave up on a challenge before...this is just like a game to me..." Nanami replied.
Nanami and Komaeda began to make their way out of the building when Komaeda brought up the question...
"So, did you find anything, Nanami-san...?" He asked. "I mean, besides all of the empty rooms...?"
Nanami thought about it for a moment. She wondered if the man would be mad if she announced where he was to others.
"Well, I found a box of games..." Nanami replied. This way, she didn't lie...
Komaeda chuckled. "I'm guessing you're happy about that..."
"Yeah, I guess..." Nanami replied.
"So, are you telling me that you didn't get scared once...?" The boy asked with a raised eyebrow.
Nanami blinked. "Well, I will admit that I didn't feel comfortable, but it's not like I ran away crying or anything..."
"I kind of hoped that I would hear a little scream. I mean, you're so calm towards everything..." Komaeda admitted.
"So, what you're saying is that at the expense of me and a heart attack, you would get some laughs...?" Nanami asked with a slightly raised brow.
Komaeda shrugged his shoulders. "Something like that...nothing personal, though..."
"I can't tell if you're the nice guy or comic relief..." Nanami told him.
Komaeda blinked. "Can't I be both?"
The two began to chatter with each other until they had to go their separate ways in the street.
"Nanami-san, are you sure you don't want me to take you any further?" Komaeda asked in concern. "There are a lot of strange people on the streets..."
Nanami smiled. "I appreciate it, but from the time I've been at Hope's Peak, I can already see that there are many strange people in our class..."
"Good point." Komaeda said with a shrug. "Oh! Wait a second..."
Nanami watched as Komaeda took a piece of paper and a pen out of his pocket and began writing on it. She wasn't that concerned with what he was writing, she was just curious for how long and why he would have those things in his pocket for...
"Here!" Komaeda said as he passed the paper to Nanami. "That's my number in case you need any help. You can never be too careful anymore..."
Nanami read the numbers that were hastily written on the paper and folded the piece in half. "Okay..." She said with a nod.
Komaeda smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Nanami-san!" And with that, he was gone.
It took Nanami some time to realize that she wouldn't be able to call Komaeda on the streets unless she went to a pay-phone. That is, if the creep on the street would just let her go in the booth to call someone and just wait outside. It was then that she thought that she might need Souda's and Fujisaki's help...
When she arrived at the shop, she was almost suffocated by the beast with the name of Souda.
"Chiaki, you were gone so long that I was just about to call the army!" He shouted.
"Sorry, Souda...I lost track of time..." Nanami replied.
Souda inspected her as if he was a detective searching a crime scene. "Well, you don't look hurt...I think...but there just so happens to be a very suspicious piece of paper in your hand..." The mechanic observed.
"There's nothing suspicious about it, Souda...Komaeda just gave me his number...that's all..." Nanami replied.
Souda blinked once. Twice. Three times. "EH?" He screamed. "You two have already gone that far...? I thought I could trust you, Chiaki..."
Nanami shook her head. "It's not like that, Souda...it's just in case something happens when you're not around..."
"I knew it!" Souda screamed. "You two planning a make-out session?"
...
...Oh boy...
"...No, not like that either, Souda..." Nanami said. "It's just for safety purposes..."
Souda blinked. Once he got the point he laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, yeah...I-I figured that it was something like that..." He replied. Once he composed himself, he continued. "But you don't exactly have a phone...unless you call him from the home phone, but if someone broke in, the best action would be to call the police..."
Nanami just yawned as she began to feel tired. "I'm going to bed for the night...it's been a long day..." She informed as she began to walk away.
"Ah! By the way, are you going to tell me what happened or-?" Souda began until he noticed that Nanami just walked off, most likely too tired to talk anymore. "-what?" He finished.
Nanami never expected the school days to move by so quickly. It's almost like time is moving faster or something. She wondered if the phrase 'time flies when you're having fun' applied to the situation...
It was already the end to another school day. And everyone was still acting the same as usual...though; Nidai was talking about someone who was skipping their baseball practice or something along those lines. Nanami just shrugged it off.
"Ah, Nanami-san..." Komaeda said as he walked up to her. "I'm sorry that I haven't talked to you sooner...I'm glad that you made it home safely...!"
Nanami glanced over at the mechanic who was talking to the princess. "Well, Souda would've called every military in the country if I didn't show...so, he would've eventually found me..."
Komaeda smiled. "It must be nice to have someone who looks after you that much." Nanami looked back at the lucky student, unsure of what to say to that. Luckily, Komaeda changed the subject by himself. "So, have you got any plans...?"
Nanami blinked. "Well, I guess...were you planning on having another game...?" She asked curiously.
Komaeda laughed. "Unfortunately, there weren't any spookier places than yesterday, so, no..." He answered. "I was just curious..."
"Yeah...I suppose so..." Nanami continued.
"Chiaki, are you coming?" Souda called from the classroom door.
Nanami smiled at Komaeda. "I better get going..." She told him.
"Good luck with your plans..." Komaeda joked. Nanami nodded and walked over to Souda.
"Souda," She began. "I will be late again today, so would you mind-?"
"You want to hang out with someone again?" Souda asked as he folded his arms and stared at her in suspicion. "You better not hang out with a loony..."
Nanami shook her head. "He is okay, Souda..." She informed. "I wouldn't call him a loony..."
Souda rubbed his temples. "Why is it always dudes...?" He muttered. "Okay, just get back to the shop in an hour..."
Nanami smiled at him. "Thank you, Souda." She said as she began to walk to the other building. Ever since she and Souda had begun to talk after their argument, Souda had been giving her a shot at doing her own thing. She knew that Souda was still worried and was against it, but she really appreciated that he was stopping his own judgement from getting in the way of what she wants to do...it was a big ask, and yet, he still managed...
Once she made it back to the building from yesterday, she made her way through what seemed like a maze. But still, she managed to find the room with the same box of games in the same place.
She quietly walked into the room and sat down on the floor as she waited for the man to arrive. Even though it was quiet, it probably wouldn't make much of a noise difference even if the man was there.
She pulled a portable console out of her pink and white bag and begun to play. She only had a few more levels to complete the game, so there was no point in just procrastinating. Though, after a while, she wondered if the man from yesterday would even show. She suspected that he would just stay in the same room, like an NPC. She promised Souda that she would be back earlier, but she also promised the man that she would see him again. He just seemed like a lonely guy, is all...
She sighed as she stared at the wall clock, watching the red hand slowly tick. She was just about to pack up and leave when she saw the man sitting on a chair, reading a book. She blinked, wondering how she didn't notice him there before.
Nanami stood up, with her console still in her hands and walked over to the man. She just stood in front of him for a while until he acknowledged her existence.
"Do you need something, or are you just here to stare at me...?" The man asked, not taking his eyes off of the book to look at her.
"I told you that I would come back with something to call you, didn't I?" Nanami asked before tilting her head. "Or, are you going to tell me what your name is...?"
The man didn't reply. At this point, she would get a better conversation out of a brick wall...or Tanaka...
"Well, maybe you are challenging me..." Nanami said before sitting down in a chair next to the man. "It's sort of like a quest. I have to earn your trust so then you are willing to talk to me...I think..."
The man looked at Nanami from the corner of his eye. "Think what you want..." He said with a barely audible sigh.
"Oh...that reminds me...I need to call you something..." Nanami reminded herself. She thought about a name for a while until she finally thought of something that he might like. "Well, I was playing a game and one of the characters had the name Hajime. After some research, I found out that it means 'beginning'. I think it suits you nicely...it will remind us both of how we met each other..." She explained.
The man closed the book as he also closed his eyes. "That is both cheesy and boring..." He stated. He then looked back at Nanami. "...But, I suppose it will do for now..."
Nanami was secretly happy with herself that she chose a name that was to his liking. Also, with that statement he made, he implied that they would meet again. So, maybe it meant that he didn't like living in solitude as much as he made out to.
"I'm glad, Hajime..." Nanami said with a small smile planted on her face.
Author's Notes:
So, the third chapter is finally done. It took forever. I was just sort of staring at the screen, hoping for it to write itself, but that didn't work...
So, as for the other excuses why this took so long...well, I went to Supanova. It's a convention. It was my third time going to one and it was pretty cool. Even though I lost a Jack Frost charm...I was sad...but, I cosplayed Chiaki and that was super fun. I was disappointed that there was no dangan ronpa merchandise. Holy cow, is it so much to ask for one Leon or Souda plush?
Thanks to ComplicatedMystery, ThisIsMyUsername89935, the Guest and OathKeeper16 for their reviews. I really appreciate it!
Note for last chapter: So, apparently, FF decided to take out some of the stuff out of the last chapter. When Saionji was squashing ants, they took out Mr. Ants...nani? Do you guys know if I edit that back in and replace the chapter if my reviews would be taken out? Because sometimes in life, I need to re-read my reviews...so, it would be appreciated if you can let me know what happens...