Fuyuhiko: "Hey, are you going to answer the fucking door or not!?" Fuyuhiko almost slammed his knuckles against the beaten wooden door for the third time that morning. He had been knocking for at least half an hour on his third attempt, where as for the first two tries had ended in him leaving after about five minutes of waiting before he gave up. However, he wouldn't be shut out so easily this time. "I'll get Akane to kick down this damn door again!" He shouted once again before kicking the door with his right foot. "Hajime!"
*Click*
The door was unlocked from the other side, cracking open slightly. Through the opening only darkness was shown, aside from one other thing. Hajime's bright red eye peered out through the crack, staring down the agitated visitor. Nothing was said, or heard, by either of them.
Fuyuhiko: "You're not gonna say anything?" He took hold of the situation himself, shifting his head to the side as he spoke words soaked in anger and annoyance. No response was presented once again, it could even be thought that Hajime was not moving at all if his eye didn't close halfway.
Hajime: "Could I talk to you later?" Hajime spoke from behind his door, nearly causing Fuyuhiko to jump from hearing his voice. But the answer he had given didn't seem to remedy the situation at all. Fuyuhiko's fists curled up at his sides, his knuckles popping from the motion.
Fuyuhiko: "You're lucky we're friends. Anyone else? Well, they'd be fucking dead by now." Fuyuhiko took a deep, calming breath. His body loosened up, palms opening as they slid into his pockets. He turned and walked away, but not before saying that he would hold Hajime at his word.
Watching him leave his view, Hajime let out a heavy breath as he pushed his door shut, locking it as he now leaned beside the frame. He stared at the ground before moving so that his back was pressed against to the wall. He slid down to the floor, now sitting as he clutched his head in his hands. Inside his head, he wrestled with his thoughts.
His thoughts of the happiness he wanted in his new life.
===========Meanwhile===========
Fuyuhiko: "Yeah, he's not coming." Fuyuhiko said as he took his seat among the others at the restaurant. "We'll just have to discuss this without him."
Akane: "And what's that again? Sorry, I already forgot."
Sonia: "What we should do about the others, should something happen." Sonia answered, she hid her face feeling embarrassed, looking down at her lap while she shuffled in her chair.
Kazuichi: "She means if someone wakes up and attacks someone else." He said bluntly. "Remember how Mikan acted in the simulation when she got her memories back? She killed two people!"
Fuyuhiko: "We can't say with one hundred percent certainty that something like that would happen again. Besides, we were the same as them. Confused, and afraid. It's only thanks to Hajime, Makoto, and his friends that we even remember what happened during that ordeal. If the bastard had bothered to show up, maybe he'd have some sort of idea."
Kazuichi: "Yeah... although, we might be worrying about this too soon. I'm in the control room all day, not even one of them has shown even the slightest change."
Sonia: "I guess all we really can do is believe in our friends and hope for the best..."
Their hope was dim, but it was there. Each of them felt saddened by the reality of their friends' conditions, but there was nothing that could be done right now. All they could do was continue living out their daily lives. Continue to live and hope that eventually, all their friends will join them again.
===========Flashback===========
Hope's Peak Academy
It's sad that Hajime was currently lazing about near the water fountain instead of hanging out with friends, he'd probably do that... if he had any. But he had a pretty good reason for isolating himself, he was stumped on what to do about a recent proposal that was offered to him.
Apparently, members of the school board have chosen Hajime for a very delicate procedure, a decision that came about when they checked the background of every single Reserve Course student. This procedure was mostly kept secret, but as far as Hajime knows... it's a procedure that will grant him a talent. Why hasn't he said yes already? Because obtaining this talent comes with very heavy responsibilities. The ones behind everything have a goal, and that is to create the world's hope. A student who would be gifted every single talent that's currently known to mankind, sounds like a sweet deal, but there's a catch. Not only would Hajime have to do basically everything for the academy in the future, but in order for the procedure to work... he needs to discard his entire existence. This procedure would be creating a new personality, and Hajime's body would become theirs.
Chisa: "Hajime!" Out of nowhere, Chisa Yukizome appeared while Hajime was looking up at the sky. He was laying down on a bench, so all Chisa had to do to get his attention was stand close and show her face to him. Once she started talking, Hajime quickly bolted up, and was now sitting down on the bench.
Hajime: "Ah! W-What was that for!?"
Chisa: "That's what you get for lazing your life away. You should be forging precious memories, but you're slumping on a bench all alone."
Hajime: "Well... what about you, huh? You're all by yourself, so there."
Chisa: "Yeah, because I wanted to pick your brain about school stuff." Chisa sat down on the bench, now sitting to Hajime's left. "Now level with me, what about the Reserve Course appealed to you?"
Hajime: "Same thing as everyone else, I guess? I've had my eyes on Hope's Peak ever since I was a little kid."
Chisa: "And that's why you enrolled in the Reserve Course?"
Hajime: "That's right, but now I can't find my resolve."
Chisa: "Resolve for what? It'll give you the option to transfer into the Main Course if you do well enough, wouldn't it?"
Hajime: "I wish, but I still don't get why you're so interested in a scrub like me anyway."
Chisa: "Don't be like that!" Surprising Hajime again, Chisa got closer to him and began scolding him. She clearly didn't agree with what he was saying about himself.
Hajime: "W-Why?"
Chisa: "I better not hear you call yourself that ever again, young man."
Hajime: "But that's what I am."
Chisa: "Self-confidence is the key to getting anywhere in life, don't you forget it. Understood?"
Hajime: "Uh... yeah, loud and clear, ma'am."
Chisa: "Much better." Finally giving him a break, Chisa stood up and smiled down at him. Even though she wasn't his teacher, she still went out of her way to help him. "Oh, right, I guess I should get back to my class. We'll pick up this conversation later, okay?" Before Hajime could say anything, Chisa ran away from him and towards the main building of Hope's Peak Academy, eager to return to her students.
????: "She's a firecracker, that girl. Always has been." Hajime recognized that voice, it belonged to someone that was associated with the procedure that Hajime was possibly going to accept.
Hajime: "Mr Tengan."
Tengan: "Room on that bench for an old man?" With no reason to turn him away, Hajime moved over and let Tengan sit down to his right. "The deadline is coming up, have you settled on an answer?"
Hajime: "No, not yet..."
Tengan: "So I see. As one of the school's advisers, I'm sure I shouldn't say this... but truth be known, I'm not particularly enthused by that project."
Hajime: "Really?"
Tengan: "Hope comes from people acting like people, that's all there is to it. You're free to decline, if you don't want to."
Hajime: "It's just... the fees are so high, my... family could never afford it."
Tengan: "You could return to your former high school and forget all this."
Hajime: "It's too late for that, I'm here."
Tengan: "Changing the fabric of who you are is not to be done on a whim... there's no shame in normalcy." What Tengan said really struck a chord with Hajime's way of thinking, but was being normal really that okay? Hajime's mother went out of her way to make sure that Hajime attends Hope's Peak Academy, could he really just leave and forget everything and everyone here?
Hajime: 'No, I can't leave... I will succeed. Whether I go through with the procedure or not, I won't give up... not ever.'
===========Timeskip===========
Present
Hajime: 'Is it a waste of time?' Hajime thought to himself. He hasn't moved from his spot on the floor yet, too engaged in his thinking to move. Over and over, he went through different possibilities, different possible outcomes. of course, there was no clear answer to this question.
Part of him was optimistic, that happiness could be part of his reality, something he could experience every day. Yet, there was a part of him that thought the exact opposite. It was idiotic, it was never going to be, it was a waste of time.
He was, to put it simply, confused. Not once could he recall feeling this way, this hopeful, excited, yet scared feeling. As he sat there, the sound of nearby voices reached his ears through the cottage walls. He could hear them, his friends. He cracked a smile, realizing how needless this anxiety was. Standing up, he walked into his bathroom, grabbing a pair of swimming trunks that hung over the shower head. After changing, he leaves his cottage with a smile on his face, running into Kazuichi and Fuyuhiko outside.
Kazuichi: "You're going swimming?" That was all Kazuichi said when he saw him, sharing the same surprised look as Fuyuhiko. "Fuyuhiko said you were sulking in your cottage."
Hajime: "Well, it's nice outside... so I thought I'd come out and- "
Kazuichi: "Well, thanks for telling us, jerk! I'm going too!" Kazuichi laughed as he ran away towards his cottage, slamming his door behind him. Fuyuhiko didn't move, he did have a question though.
Fuyuhiko: "The beach or the swimming pool?"
Hajime: "The beach?"
Fuyuhiko: "Hmm... I guess that's all right, I'll meet you there." He walked past him slowly, saying that he could use some relaxation. He disappeared inside his cottage, just as Kazuichi reappeared in swimming trunks, same camo pattern like the speedo he wore before discovering Mahiru's body in the beach house. A white towel over his shoulder, the two started conversing, enjoying each other's company as they walked to the beach.
Hajime realized he had been worrying for nothing, he could push aside what was worrying him and simply enjoy being alive. This, coincidentally enough, reminded him of the conversation he had with Fuyuhiko yesterday. And it turns out he was right, all he needed was a distraction.