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[He normally loves each and every one of those random photos tbh, so she's right to be concerned.
He stays asleep for at least another twenty minutes to a half hour before his breathing changes as he starts waking up. For a moment, he doesn't seem aware of Hajime, just blearily raising his communicator to check for recent messages before lowering his wrist again with a sigh.
Then he notices her and the Countess, letting out a quiet noise of surprise and sitting up.]
S-sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep... I was just... waiting for you to come back.
[Now that his eyes are open, it's a little more obvious that they're still slightly red from crying, and there's a hoarseness to his voice as if he'd been yelling.]
He stays asleep for at least another twenty minutes to a half hour before his breathing changes as he starts waking up. For a moment, he doesn't seem aware of Hajime, just blearily raising his communicator to check for recent messages before lowering his wrist again with a sigh.
Then he notices her and the Countess, letting out a quiet noise of surprise and sitting up.]
S-sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep... I was just... waiting for you to come back.
[Now that his eyes are open, it's a little more obvious that they're still slightly red from crying, and there's a hoarseness to his voice as if he'd been yelling.]
Yeah, they made it! Roxy told me about them, and I told her they seemed like a cool idea, and then she and Dirk made this for my birthday.
[He grins again and hops back on the rocketboard, swerving quickly around her.]
Hop on, I've figured out how to use it.
[He grins again and hops back on the rocketboard, swerving quickly around her.]
Hop on, I've figured out how to use it.
[ she almost asks why didn't he just text her when she was going to their room, but then she notices his eyes. hajime carefully picks up the countess and places her on the bed next to hinata. ]
Did something happen?
[ she isn't going to call attention to the fact that he has obviously been crying and more. ]
Did something happen?
[ she isn't going to call attention to the fact that he has obviously been crying and more. ]
[He opens his mouth to reflexively say that no, nothing's wrong. Everything's fine. He's cool, don't worry about him.
But he can't lie to her, and logically, he knows there's no way that kind of lie would even have a chance of succeeding. He reaches out his fingers to the Countess to let her sniff them, feeling tears welling in his eyes again as he tries to say it.]
Nanami's... gone.
[People have disappeared before. Friends of his have disappeared before. Classmates, too. But this...? This is different, and he has to take another breath to try to keep those tears from falling.]
But he can't lie to her, and logically, he knows there's no way that kind of lie would even have a chance of succeeding. He reaches out his fingers to the Countess to let her sniff them, feeling tears welling in his eyes again as he tries to say it.]
Nanami's... gone.
[People have disappeared before. Friends of his have disappeared before. Classmates, too. But this...? This is different, and he has to take another breath to try to keep those tears from falling.]
[ hajime immediately gets up and sits on the other side of him where the countess isn't. she wraps an arm around him, pulling him closer to her. ]
I'm sorry. She was important.
[ not to say everyone else wasn't, but... he probably knows what she means. ]
I'm sorry. She was important.
[ not to say everyone else wasn't, but... he probably knows what she means. ]
[Hinata turns and immediately buries his face in her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He doesn't want to cry again. Not in front of Hajime. But it hurts. It still hurts.]
I just... [his voice cracks and breaks, and he squeezes her more tightly.] What good are all my talents if I can't even save my friends?
I just... [his voice cracks and breaks, and he squeezes her more tightly.] What good are all my talents if I can't even save my friends?
She died, Ichinose. I watched her die.
[His voice comes out in a choked whisper as he keeps his face pressed against her shoulder, shaking his head. He understands what she's saying, and were their positions somehow reversed, he'd be saying the same thing, but right now... it's hard not to blame himself.]
I could have saved her, but I just stood there. A-and now, when we had a second chance, I--!
[Oops, he's crying. What a cool kid, this Hajime Hinata.]
[His voice comes out in a choked whisper as he keeps his face pressed against her shoulder, shaking his head. He understands what she's saying, and were their positions somehow reversed, he'd be saying the same thing, but right now... it's hard not to blame himself.]
I could have saved her, but I just stood there. A-and now, when we had a second chance, I--!
[Oops, he's crying. What a cool kid, this Hajime Hinata.]
Hajime. [ she reaches out. grabs his hand. squeezes it. ]
You did your best. You can't change the past, you know, so tearing yourself up like this isn't going to help anyone. It won't help you, or Komaeda-kun, or any of our friends who are still here and might go missing.
[ if he wasn't leaning against her, she'd probably kiss his forehead or something, but instead she just stays still. ]
It's okay to be sad and angry and let all your emotions out. But it's not your fault.
You did your best. You can't change the past, you know, so tearing yourself up like this isn't going to help anyone. It won't help you, or Komaeda-kun, or any of our friends who are still here and might go missing.
[ if he wasn't leaning against her, she'd probably kiss his forehead or something, but instead she just stays still. ]
It's okay to be sad and angry and let all your emotions out. But it's not your fault.
[He doesn't answer immediately, not trusting his voice. Instead he's just going to squeeze her hand and cry into her shoulder, like a Man. Except he's a Dangan, so he's absolutely getting snot on her shoulder, too, because they as a whole are messy gross criers. Sorry about that, Hajime.]
I should have done more, [he whispers finally against her shoulder, shaking his head as he sniffs back more tears.] I should... I need to keep looking. I need to- to find where they go. I let myself get distracted... I can't let that happen anymore.
Her and Souda and Tsumiki and Faize and-- everyone.
I should have done more, [he whispers finally against her shoulder, shaking his head as he sniffs back more tears.] I should... I need to keep looking. I need to- to find where they go. I let myself get distracted... I can't let that happen anymore.
Her and Souda and Tsumiki and Faize and-- everyone.
[ she does not care about the snot because, honestly, she has definitely had worse on her. ]
It's not going to work like that. [ someone else would probably have chosen to speak more softly while hinata is this upset, but hajime isn't one to really beat around the bush when she thinks someone's... wrong... sorry. ] You weren't distracted, you were living. And if you put all of you focus on this one thing all you're going to do is burn yourself out and then you won't be able to help anyone. Is that what you want to happen?
It's not going to work like that. [ someone else would probably have chosen to speak more softly while hinata is this upset, but hajime isn't one to really beat around the bush when she thinks someone's... wrong... sorry. ] You weren't distracted, you were living. And if you put all of you focus on this one thing all you're going to do is burn yourself out and then you won't be able to help anyone. Is that what you want to happen?
N-no, but...
[Ugh. Ugh. It's exactly what he would be telling someone else. He wants to scream that it's different, because he's talented. Because he was able to save all his friends except the one who mattered to him most.
But he doesn't answer. He just keeps his face pressed against her shoulder and mutely shakes his head, biting back another sob.]
[Ugh. Ugh. It's exactly what he would be telling someone else. He wants to scream that it's different, because he's talented. Because he was able to save all his friends except the one who mattered to him most.
But he doesn't answer. He just keeps his face pressed against her shoulder and mutely shakes his head, biting back another sob.]
No buts!
[ she gives his hand another squeeze. ]
If I ever vanished like they did, I wouldn't want you to spend all your time looking for me. I'd be reeeeally angry if you did! It's okay to try to solve this mystery, but you are not alone. Don't act like you are, Number One.
[ she gives his hand another squeeze. ]
If I ever vanished like they did, I wouldn't want you to spend all your time looking for me. I'd be reeeeally angry if you did! It's okay to try to solve this mystery, but you are not alone. Don't act like you are, Number One.
[Reflexively, his grip tightens back on her hand at the mention of her disappearing. Right on the heels of losing Nanami, he can't bear to lose her, too.]
I know, [he mumbles against her shoulder, breath still coming hard through his nose as he works to swallow a fresh round of tears.] I... I know.
I know, [he mumbles against her shoulder, breath still coming hard through his nose as he works to swallow a fresh round of tears.] I... I know.
You're a very good friend and they're all very aware that you love them. But we all love you here too, and none of your friends would want to see you worry yourself sick.
[ her tone loses the edge it had, returning to its usual airiness. ]
We'll look into this together, okay?
[ her tone loses the edge it had, returning to its usual airiness. ]
We'll look into this together, okay?
...Yeah.
[He still doesn't pull his face away from her shoulder, keeping himself pressed there as if somehow, he could make it all go away just by holding her. Irrationally, it almost seems possible. If he's with her, he can do anything.
Finally, he just murmurs,]
I miss them, Hajime.
[He still doesn't pull his face away from her shoulder, keeping himself pressed there as if somehow, he could make it all go away just by holding her. Irrationally, it almost seems possible. If he's with her, he can do anything.
Finally, he just murmurs,]
I miss them, Hajime.
I know. That's okay.
[ missing them isn't an issue. it's healthy to actually acknowledge these kinds of feelings, she thinks. it's what you do after that could veer into unhealthy and that is what she's determined to keep hinata away from. ]
Tell me what you think about her.
[ missing them isn't an issue. it's healthy to actually acknowledge these kinds of feelings, she thinks. it's what you do after that could veer into unhealthy and that is what she's determined to keep hinata away from. ]
Tell me what you think about her.
[He shakes his head. He doesn't know where to begin. Someone like Nanami... She's difficult to explain in just words.]
She... she deserved better than what happened. She was... she was the only person at Hope's Peak Academy who thought that I was worth something. Who didn't treat me like trash. She's... she's the one who brought the whole class together. Everyone relied on her, a-and when Enoshima killed her, it was her death that was used to drive them all into Despair.
Enoshima just used Nanami as... as a tool. A means to an end, to corrupt the 77th class. Because Nanami was... Nanami was someone you could really call "Hope."
She was my closest friend. And now I've lost her again.
She... she deserved better than what happened. She was... she was the only person at Hope's Peak Academy who thought that I was worth something. Who didn't treat me like trash. She's... she's the one who brought the whole class together. Everyone relied on her, a-and when Enoshima killed her, it was her death that was used to drive them all into Despair.
Enoshima just used Nanami as... as a tool. A means to an end, to corrupt the 77th class. Because Nanami was... Nanami was someone you could really call "Hope."
She was my closest friend. And now I've lost her again.
[He can't even be surprised that she doesn't wait for him to land it. Instead, he just shifts his balance, making sure to compensate for the added weight of the board before taking off at a slow, easy cruise. He wants her to have the chance to adjust herself, after all, before rocketing into High Gear or whatever.]
Yeah, they are. I was surprised they did something like this for me... This will make going to the further islands and the other wrecks a lot easier.
[Since flight is not an SHSL talent.]
Yeah, they are. I was surprised they did something like this for me... This will make going to the further islands and the other wrecks a lot easier.
[Since flight is not an SHSL talent.]
You haven't lost her.
[ hajime didn't really know her very well since they didn't have that much time to spend together, but she seemed sweet and nice to talk to. and hinata obviously loved her. ]
Maybe... temporarily misplaced. But we'll find her and everyone else.
[ hajime didn't really know her very well since they didn't have that much time to spend together, but she seemed sweet and nice to talk to. and hinata obviously loved her. ]
Maybe... temporarily misplaced. But we'll find her and everyone else.
...
[It's comforting, to think like that, but he just can't. How can they move toward a future when people like Nanami and Komaeda can show up from the past?]
You know... I was thinking for a while that maybe... it'd be best to think that everyone just... went home. The same way we got here, like something just picked us up with a giant claw machine and put us back. But now...?
If she goes back home, alone, she'll die.
[It's comforting, to think like that, but he just can't. How can they move toward a future when people like Nanami and Komaeda can show up from the past?]
You know... I was thinking for a while that maybe... it'd be best to think that everyone just... went home. The same way we got here, like something just picked us up with a giant claw machine and put us back. But now...?
If she goes back home, alone, she'll die.
Maybe... I don't think a helmet is going to help me much if we crash in the ocean, though.
[And it would ruin his Cool Image??]
Hang on, I'm gonna go faster.
[And it would ruin his Cool Image??]
Hang on, I'm gonna go faster.
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