I have to say, I'm surprised by how many people seem to like this! :) Eight reviews for only the first chapter? Thank you! ^0^

I thought it would be a good idea to update at least once before I fall into the habit of not updating for weeks on end and then randomly coming back with a new chapter and then vanishing again, like I do with all my other fanfics. Unfortunately it's more of a short filler chapter, but I guess it's better than nothing? ^^'

Well, anyway, I hope this chapter ends up being okay :)

The rest of the night was uneventful, almost unnaturally so. After leaving the party, Hajime found a bleary eyed Chiaki stumbling away from the arcade machine, obviously having only just woken up. She looked at Hajime worriedly.

"Did... did I miss the party?" she asked, rubbing at her eyes.

"You feel asleep while you were playing that game, didn't you?" Chiaki's defensively annoyed expression quickly answered that question for him. "No, you didn't miss it. I'm just a little tired so I'm going back to my cottage," Hajime said, not wanting to explain just what had left him so mentally exhausted.

Chiaki seemed disappointed to hear this, but she headed towards the stairs regardless and Hajime made his way outside. The night air was cool, but not uncomfortably so, and Hajime walked to the cottages without a single distraction or problem. The only sound to be heard was Ibuki's music blaring in the distance.

Hajime paid a quick visit to Nagito before returning to his cottage, partly to make sure he was all right and partly to make sure he was still actually there. Nagito was reading one of the books he had borrowed from the library, his leg propped up as he lay in bed. He seemed more than happy to get a visitor, if a little surprised. They talked for a few minutes, about how Nagito was disappointed he couldn't join everyone at the party ("but this misfortune will definitely lead to some good luck!") and about the unlikely odds of what had been a sturdy tree falling on him in the first place. Hajime then bid him 'goodnight' and left for his own cottage, collapsing on his bed and falling asleep almost immediately.

The next morning was sunny as usual. Hajime woke up to the sound of the morning announcement with a grumble, wanting for all the world to just roll over and go back to sleep. He knew, however, that at least a few people would get annoyed with him if he skipped out on gathering materials, so Hajime reluctantly climbed out of bed and got ready for the day.

They would all usually meet up at the restaurant in the morning to assign each other different areas; when Hajime walked inside he was surprised to find the room was clean. Maybe not devoid of mess, but it definitely didn't seem like the restaurant had been the site of a party run by teenagers. He shrugged to himself and decided Usami must have had something to do with it, and he sat down at a table to eat breakfast with the people who were already there.

He was slowly joined by the rest of his classmates, some happy and ready for the day, some looking close to sleep walking and only managing to say a mumbled, "Good morning." The only one not present was Nagito, Mikan having said he needed bed rest for at least a few more days as she left to take him some food.

Hajime gave his friends a cautious glance. Everyone was acting normal, all talking and eating as they would any other day. Nothing out of the ordinary. He smiled and let himself relax. Monokuma's plan' had failed. There was nothing to worry about.

It was when everyone was nearly finished with their food that locations were assigned. Hajime was told to search the beach for materials, a relatively simple area he would have gone to with no complaints had Kazuichi not stopped him while everyone was leaving.

"Hey, Hinata, what place did you get?" Kazuichi asked in a way that really wasn't subtle.

"The beach. Why?"

"No reason," he lied. "Just... do you think we could swap? I got the mountains, and..."

Hajime sighed, but he found there wasn't much point in arguing. Kazuichi would just complain if he said no, so he gave a half hearted smile and nodded.

"Thanks," Kazuichi said, grinning—then he frowned.

"Uh... hey." Kazuichi looked confused. "Did you do something to your... everything?" He gestured, as if that would help convey what he was trying to say just a little better. "You look kind of different."

Hajime would have laughed at the awkward phrasing if Kazuichi hadn't seemed so genuinely puzzled. "No, I haven't done anything, and I'm pretty sure I look the same as always."

"Oh. A-are you sure? I mean, your hair looks much nicer today, and your face—" Kazuichi stopped himself. "Um, er, never mind. Thanks for swapping!" he said quickly before hurrying out of the restaurant, leaving behind a very confused Hajime.

Hajime felt a slight stab of worry, remembering Monokuma's words from the night before, but he told himself that he was just being stupid. Only one person had said anything remotely strange so far, and that person was Kazuichi. The mechanic wasn't exactly a model for normal behaviour.

But the anxiety wouldn't fade no matter how much he tried to fight it. As if to block the thought of Monokuma's mocking words he started his way to the mountain area at a pace too fast to be considered calm.

No one's falling in love with me, Hajime told himself. If anyone else starts acting weird then I can worry, but that's not going to happen. It's not.

—Chapter end.