Lunchtime with Friends

It's lunchtime now. I stand by that tree, waiting for a certain someone to arrive. We walked here this morning, but we have different classes, considering he's a second-year. I haven't seen him since that conversation. I'm going to find him another friend.

I see the tendrils of white poke up from beyond the hill and I run to greet him.

"Komaeda!"

"Is there something wrong, Naegi-kun?"

"We're going to eat somewhere else today."

"Somewhere else?"

"C'mon."

I grab his arm and drag him over to the cafeteria. Maybe if he's around some of the first years he won't feel as oppressed. And plus, they probably don't know about that incident. Kirigiri told me about it yesterday at school. Evidently, last year, he was suspended. Being Kirigiri, she skipped out on the details. If I get a chance, I'll bring him to her, and he can tell me himself.

I open the cafeteria door and sit right next to Fujisaki, Ishimaru, and…

"Ishimaru-kun, where's Oowada-kun?"

"He's off 'punching some brat in'. I told him that fighting was unacceptable and that he should eat his lunch, but he insisted that it would be for the better of the entire school."

"Ah, I see."

"Is this Oowada-kun the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader I've heard about?"

"Yeah. He's one of my classmates. He's…not bad at heart."

"I do not believe that I've had the pleasure of meeting you!" Ishimaru dramatically stands up and presses his fists up against his sides, very stoically. "My name is Ishimaru Kiyotaka! My motto is Simplicity and Fortitude! Let's work together and study hard!"

Komaeda laughs softly. "I'm Komaeda Nagito. May I ask what your talent is?"

"Ultimate Moral Compass!"

More like Ultimate Yeller.

"I see. And you?"

He motions to the small child shuttering next to Ishimaru.

"My name is Fujisaki Chihiro. I'm the Ultimate Computer Programmer. I'm not really good at introductions…Sorry."

"Don't worry. Everyone here is much more talented than I could possibly dream of being. Trash like me—Ow…"

I nudge him in the chest. He reels a back. It probably hurt. He smiles at me, but I give him the stink-eye.

"What's your talent, Komaeda-kun?"

It's Fujisaki with her whimpering voice.

"Ah, it's a bit lousy compared to everyone else's here…"

Does he say this to everybody? It's like a pre-planned speech.

"I'm sure it's not that bad."

"My talent is luck."

Ishimaru and Fujisaki blink once. Then they blink again. Then they stare right at me. I hold up my hands in protest.

"What? It's not my fault."

"Komaeda-kun! It's not appropriate to insult your underclassmen!"

"Well, you see, Naegi isn't lucky like me. He's the Ultimate H—"

As if a meteor sent straight from God, a hand slams open the dual cafeteria doors with the most intense force one could imagine. The most intense corn-cob hair shortly follows.

"OKAY. WHERE IS THAT F—" What shortly follows is filled with every kind of curse word one can imagine. It's stream of the most insulting, stammering and shouting that could possibly be spit out from somebody's hatehole.

The room is filled with absolute silence, like the waves pulling back before a tsunami. Then, like a tsunami does, Oowada charges through the cafeteria, full rage, and full throttle. He ends up bumping into a bunch of people, causing a domino effect of sorts. All hell breaks loose and I'm sitting here wondering how it all started in the first place.

I look to my side and notice Komaeda trembling, covering his ears. It is really loud in here, Ishimaru standing on the table, attempting to form order, food being thrown only to be caught midair by this thinly dressed gymnastic woman. I think I remember him mentioning once that he hates noisy places. Maybe I shouldn't have brought him here. I grab him by the shoulders and attempt to lead him out, which is admittedly difficult when that someone is twenty centimeters taller than you.

When we're finally outside, I let out a deep breath. From within the cafeteria, I hear yelling, screaming, and various other noises. Komaeda seems to have calmed down for the most part.

"I'm sorry about that. I know somewhere quieter where we can eat."

"Ah no, it's fine. Seeing so many people with such amazing talents with so much capacity for Hope helped me overcome the noise a bit. I wonder what the outcome of this brutality will be. Surely the Despair of Oowada-san will bring about a wonderful Hope."

Ugh. He's talking like this again.

A man wearing a blue uniform with dark grey hair pushes his way between us and into the cafeteria. Just before he enters, he stops a second and he locks eyes with Komaeda.

"Hello, Sakakura-san."

The man apparently named Sakakura grimaces back at the boy and continues on into the cafeteria. I look at Komaeda to get some context, but he just smiles at me.

"What was that about?"

"Oh, he's the head of security. I'll tell you about it some other time."

That's definitely suspicious. It probably has something to do with that suspension. Well, I know where to go now. I start walking to our next destination and Komaeda follows.

"Could you understand Oowada-kun's rant? I thought I heard a name somewhere in there."

"Ah, it was Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko-san. Oowada-san said that he was looking for him."

"Kuzuryuu? You don't mean that Kuzuryuu?"

"Ultimate Yakuza. Who else? He's a classmate of mine."

"Why, though? Well, they both are gang members, so I guess it makes sense."

I look up upwards and see the inscription indicating a classroom. I slide open the door. We walk into a science room and there is Kirigiri sitting on a table, reading a book. She looks up for a second, acknowledging my existence.

"Hello, Kirigiri-san."

She closes the book with one hand and stands up from the desk. She immediately walks towards Komaeda and inspects him like a piece of merchandise.

"Komaeda Nagito. That is your name," She looks upwards at him, "correct?"

"Yes. That is my name. You are…"

"Kirigiri Kyoko."

"Ah, the detective."

"Yes."

They stare a good couple minutes at each other, like they're observing everything, analyzing every last strand of hair on the other's head.

"Naegi-kun. Let's go."

He turns around, walking to leave.

"How did you do it?"

He stops in his place. He turns around smiling.

"Haha…Do what?

Kirigiri sighs. She takes careful steps towards him.

"You know very well what."

"I just happened to misplace the bombs down in front of the reserve department. I never blew them up. I didn't set them up. I didn't even touch them. I know you knew that the moment I set eyes upon you."

Huh? That explosion last year was…Komaeda's fault?

"What's going on?!"

"Komaeda-kun. I won't turn you in. I don't seek justice. I seek the truth."

He sighs, as if he's going to tell an embarrassing story. Then, he brightens up a bit and begins to explain. "Last year, there occurred the murder of Kuzuryuu Natsumi. Fuyuhiko-san, being her brother, was very depressed, causing a wave of Despair to usher throughout our entire class. We couldn't do midterms in that state. I urged our teacher to reconsider, and she told me that she was in no power to change them. So, I took matters into my own hands."

"I see. How did you know someone else would set up the bombs for you? Was it blackmail? Coercion?"

"Oh, nothing of the sort! I just trusted in my luck."

"Your luck?"

"Well, it is the only reason I'm here!" After realizing that she wasn't going to get much more of an explanation, Kirigiri urged him to continue. "I brought my bag to school, filled to the brim with bombs that someone left my doorstep."

"Someone just left them on your doorstep?!"

"Yeah. Stuff like that happens all the time. So, anyways, I lost them as I walking past the reserve course building. I always walk past there to remind myself how grateful I should be that garbage like me gets to go to the main course."

You didn't need to add that.

"So you lost the bag full of bombs, yet they became within the possession of a reserve course student with enough hatred to use them."

"Exactly! They don't call you the Ultimate Detective for nothing. You really have such strong Hope. Actually, at first, I had a different plan that involved laxatives and this Maizono magazine, but since I lost the bombs, I couldn't exactly do that. I still have it, if you want it, Naegi-kun."

"No!" Well, I kinda do want it. I did lose one around that time, last year.

He laughed, then continues, "Once I realized that Kuzuryuu-san's murderer had not been caught, I knew that my luck would get the bombs into her hands. Sato. That was her name. She was expelled instead of me, I remember. It was someone who had the means to destroy, and someone with the Despair to do it. I'm so glad to have this luck!" He begins that cackle thing, but then stops to sigh. "Despite all that, my teacher knew I had a part in it, so I was suspended for a month."

"I see, so that is the truth." She closes her eyes and holds them there for a second, before walking forcefully out of the room.

It's just Komaeda and I, standing alone in the room. He looks down at me, and I look up at him. He isn't smiling. Instead, it's emotionless and cold. We wait like this, as if waiting for that bell to ring and for us just to part ways only to have the awkward silence that was in store for us when we go home. I'm sad. I'm disappointed. I wanted to believe that he wouldn't do something like that. I wanted to believe that he was the person I was determined to make better that very first day.

What am I thinking? I can't give up here. My chance is when the tissue is weak, when the tension is at its strongest. But…I don't know what to do. It's my chance, but I'm lost. There's nothing to say. Nothing I can tell him that would ever change his mind. And for that, I'm not angry. I'm sad. I can't do anything when someone needs it the most. It's my fault for that. Just mine.

"What are you going to do? Slap me? My teacher did that. I don't blame you for being angry. Instead, I applaud you for not doing so earlier. Such is expected at the Ultimate Hope. Imagine all the ways that you could have hurt me by now…Imagine what Hope could be brought out of that! But instead, you've put your faith in me, and I've betrayed you for it. Do you feel that Despair? Overcome it with the most shining…What are you doing? You shouldn't touch me. I'm gross and disgusting. My worthlessness may rub off on you.

…You're gripping rather roughly."

"Komaeda. I'm not mad at all. I forgive you. I know you can be better than that."

He pauses for a second as if he stopped breathing. Then, like a tornado, it gradually gains speed until I think he's going to hyperventilate. He pushes away from me and starts to tremble. He puts a hand to his face and begins that smirk.

Oh god, what did I do?

"I-I-I…"

Suddenly, he takes the deepest inhale one can imagine. And he's back to normal. Well, as normal as Komaeda can get.

"I'll try my best."

I grab his one hand with two of mine.

"That's all I've ever asked for."