Shining New Hope (Pre-Despair!SDR2xReader)

Borrowed Blazers Are More Comfortable

"You're right... (Y/N)-san..." She replies tentatively, her smile widening a little. You can see that she is about to say something else as well, but a loud shout cuts her off.

"Mahiru, you came!" Turning around, you come face to face with a dark haired girl who is a little taller than the photographer. "I was getting worried..." She continues, grabbing onto Mahiru's hand and tugging at it gently.

"I'm fine, Sato-chan." She replies, a warm smile appearing. You simply stand there and watch as they head off, lunch in hand, leaving you alone in the unfamiliar environment. You decide to drift around, hoping to stumble upon Hajime.

You end up strolling down one of the halls when a hand rests on your shoulder, causing you to tense up. "What are you doing here (L/N)-san?" A soft voice asks. You turn around and beam up at the green eyed boy.

"Well, I was... looking for you Hajime-san." You reply tentatively. The boy's face turns a pale shade of pink before a stern look falls back on his features.

"Why? I didn't do anything." Your eyebrows furrow in confusion as you shake your head.

"You tried helped me." You state, reaching out to grab onto the boys wrist. "And so I need to thank you." You continue, pulling on Hajime's wrist and dragging him out of the building. You ignore the boy's complaints as he tries to free his wrist from your grasp.

After only a short while, Hajime gives up and allows you to drag him along with you. "Where are we going?" He sighs, his feet dragging lazily on the ground. You blank his question and stop a little way away from the main campus gates.

"We are going to the canteen!" You reply, keeping an eye out for any of the patrolling guards. "The food is to die for." Hajime immediately pales at this, putting his hands up in a defensive position.

"I- I can't (L/N)-san, I'm a Reserve Course Student..." He attempts to reason, a small sweat drop rolling down the side of his face. You simply ignore his complaints, quickly looking him up and down.

"Take off your blazer and loosen your tie a little." You demand, holding out your hand. Hajime's eyes widen in surprise as he takes a step back. "Just do it..." You coax, watching as the boy peels his blazer off and hands it to you carefully before fiddling around with his tie.

Whilst his attention is elsewhere, you chuck the clothing into a nearby bush and take off your borrowed blazer. "What now?" Hajime asks, looking at the fabric in your hand. "I doubt that's going to fit..." He adds incredulously.

"It will. It belongs to my friend and he's the roughly the same size as you." Hajime hesitantly takes the blazer and slips it on; choosing not to button it up. You reach up and tug the teen's tie before smiling approvingly. "There, now you look like an ultimate!" You praise, watching as a small smile crosses his face but his eyes hide bitterness.

"I'm not though..." He sighs, not noticing you wrapping your hand around his wrist and pulling him through the gates.

"Well, you don't have to be; you aren't an ultimate but you still helped me." You reason, tightening your grip. The teen remains silent, dwelling over your words a little as you pull him through a series of corridors towards the canteen.

Thankfully you and Hajime don't get stopped by anyone; mostly due to the fact that there is no administrative system in the school. "I don't think we should do this..." He mutters quietly as you push the doors in front of you open.

"No-one will notice!" You chime, entering the room. Hajime follows closely behind, taking in a deep breath before passing over the threshold.

The canteen itself is filled with low hum of chatter as students talk to each other. Most of the tables are filled with students, but empty seats are peppered throughout. Off to the side of the room is a short queue as students grab some of the remaining food. You keep a hold of Hajime, just to make sure that he doesn't run off and attempt some small talk with him as you wait in line.

"Ah, (Y/N)-chan!" A voice exclaims as you near the service counter. You look over and see Teruteru running around with a motley crew of kitchen staff. You smile down to the chef who has an excited gleam in his eye. "What would you like?" He asks, completely blanking Hajime's presence.

"Ah, Teruteru-san, my friend and I," You start, gesturing towards Hajime who is currently glaring his hands to avoid eye contact. "Will have whatever you recommend, chef!" The teen looks Hajime up and down with a judgemental look before shrugging and running around the kitchen.

"Who's that?" Hajime asks, watching the energetic boy.

"That's Hanamura Teruteru; the Ultimate Chef." You reply as two steaming plates of stew are placed out in front of you. "He is the best cook in the school!" You praise, picking up one of the plates whilst Hajime takes the other and thanks the chef.

"It's a pleasure, (Y/N)-chan... and (Y/N)-chan's friend..." Teruteru pauses slightly before adding on; "You can always come back for seconds, or if you want something more the-"

Before he can finish his line of thinking, you drag Hajime off; not wanting to expose the already nervous boy to the chef's more perverted thoughts. With food in hand you look for somewhere to sit, managing to find a free table at the end of the hall.

"Let's sit here!" You exclaim, taking the seat nearest to you. Hajime proceeds to sit opposite, relaxing a little as he starts to eat the stew. You watch happily as his face lights up with joy and amazement. "Nice, huh?" You chuckle as the boy nods enthusiastically, digging into the food and forgetting his previous concerns.

"It's delicious!" He eventually says, finishing off his food. You continue to eat your own food at a leisurely pace. "So what's it like?" Hajime asks after a while, watching you whilst you continue to eat.

"What's "what" like?" You question back, finishing off the remains of your meal.

"Being an Ultimate." He clarifies, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. You struggle to think of an answer; it would depend on how you looked at it.

"It's ok, I guess..." Hajime leans in closer, wanting you to continue. "I mean, I'm not like them in the sense of being an ultimate." You explain, gesturing to the table behind you which has some of the senior students playing a board game on it. "My talent relies more on others, so the relaxed attitude to lessons doesn't really go in my favour." You can see Hajime nod in understanding, a thoughtful look on his face.

You are about to ask him a question in return when there is movement next to you, causing you to freeze. "Ah! (L/N)-san," The tracksuit clad person next to you shouts, causing Hajime to jump a little in panic. "I was just looking for you!"