Danganronpa: Island Life

Chapter 37: REMNANTS OF HOPE (END)

Hajime: "While you're outside, the rest of us will go inside and take out anyone who sees us as a threat, saving Makoto and his friends in the process. After the threat is taken care of, we'll search for Ryota... and stop him."

Imposter: "Stop him? What do you mean?" He felt uneasy after hearing that, why would they be stopping someone they were close to?

Hajime: "You all remember the video Junko forced you to watch? It showed... Chiaki's execution." Everyone wasn't a fan of being reminded at how they all became Ultimate Despair. "Ryota plans to do something similar. But instead of despair, his video will force you to feel hope."

Imposter: "Son of a bitch, why would he do that?" The imposter was sceptical about what Hajime just said. After all, he knew Ryota the best.

Hajime: "I'm not completely sure, we'll have to ask him when he find him. Anyway... you all deserve to know something." They all looked at him, Akane had a worried expression on her face... she knew what was coming. "I saw Chiaki die... right in front of me."

Nekomaru: "WHAT!!!?" Nekomaru was the first to speak up after a few moments of stunned silence.

Peko: "What are you talking about? That video didn't show anyone but Chiaki, not counting Junko Enoshima herself." Peko didn't believe him, until he continued.

Hajime: "Not during... after. She was alive... barely holding on to life. I wanted to help her, but I couldn't move... I ended up watching her take her last breath... this is all I have to remember her by." He said as he reached into his pocket, taking out the pixelated ship hairpiece and showing it to everyone for the first time.

Fuyuhiko: "IS T-THAT... CHIAKI'S HAIRPIECE!!!?" Fuyuhiko was dumbfound, everybody else except Akane felt the same way.

Hajime: "I'm sorry for keeping this from you, I wouldn't blame you if you were mad..." He felt like he was about to cry, he even started feeling weak in the knees. Before he could say another word, someone hugged him, surprising everyone there. It was Akane, he could feel tears running down his face as her embrace held him in place.

Akane: "You think it's your fault, don't you?" she let go and placed her hands on Hajime's cheeks, making him look her in the eyes. "It's not your fault, nobody blames you for what happened." Sonia walked up to both of them and wrapped her arms around them, embracing them as she cried.

Sonia: "You carried this burden for so long, I wish you told us sooner. Chiaki was our friend too, we loved her as much as you did." Kazuichi and Fuyuhiko spoke up next, smiling as they looked at Hajime.

Fuyuhiko: "Look around, you idiot, everyone here was as good as dead, but you saved them... you saved us. When we were about to fall into the despair Junko forced us into... you were the one to pull us out and put her down for good."

Kazuichi: "He's right, we'd all be lost without you. You're more than a friend... you're like the brother I never had. No matter what happens, I'll trust you to the very end."

Mahiru: "I knew from the moment you spoke up in the Reserve Course that you were different, you helped keep Sato and Natsumi from fighting, you stood up when no one else would."

Gundham: "You endured this much alone, and now... the time has come to share your burden with the rest of us."

Nekomaru: "I still need to make up for hurting you, so you can count on me until the day you die! Supporting their athletes is a manager's duty, I'll do whatever it takes to keep you and everyone here safe!"

Nagito: "Even if things are too much for you, I know you will prevail in the end. After all, you... are the hope that can overcome any despair."

Hajime: "...Thank you..." Hajime smiled as everyone smiled back at him. They're all alive thanks to him, he couldn't be happier to have all his friends back. "We're here." Everyone turned around to see a collapsed building in the distance, they docked the ship and were about to leave before they heard him speak again. "You see that part of the building? That's the annex, Ryota should be in there, about to upload that hope video. Before we go to him, we need to stop the Future Foundation first."