Y/N sat across the dining table in the kitchen, dark bags beneath her eyes as a result of not being able to slumber a wink all night. Her arms were folded and she could not ingest the bowl of cereal in front of her, for it felt like she would vomit it out within a heartbeat.
What was Komaeda going to do? Where had he gotten it? Having purchased it illegally as a minor, what if someone traced it to his location? Why had he lied to his teacher? What if-
"Good morning!"
A dreaded familiar voice greeted behind her. Ko walked up to her in the kitchen and planted a kiss on her forehead. His breath smelt like peppermint.
"Is something wrong?" Out of the corner of her eye, Y/N realised with a jerk that he was carrying that bag with him. It had the grenade inside it. She could even see the bulge.
"Wish me luck for my practicals, hm? I studied hard so-"
"Ko Senpai," she whipped around to face him and forced a small smile. "How about...you don't go today?"
Ko said nothing and stood still in surprise.
"Call your teacher and tell her you're still sick. We could spend the day in watching movies, just like you wanted! I would even skip school for today, just for you. When was the last time we had fun together?" She took both his hands in hers and pleaded with her eyes, making them look as innocent and suggestive as possible.
"Well...this is unexpected, but-" he gave her hand a squeeze and smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid I can't."
"What? Why not?!"
"My teacher said that if I didn't, I would have to repeat this entire semister all over again. And that would be quite inconvenient, wouldn't it?"
"B-But-"
"Don't fret! After the practicals, I'm all yours." He gently pulled his hands away despite her clutching on to it.
With that he walked out of the house, only having politely said no but Y/N felt shivers travel and unfurl all over her body.
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She sat on her desk by the window, twirling a pen between her fingers and waiting for the teacher to arrive. She stared out the window into the Reserve Course Department Building, expecting to maybe see Hinata. But there were a lot of faceless students piling out of the building, making it impossible to recognise one single entity.
Suddenly, a huge explosion rumbled through the entire building, shaking the chairs and desks. Debris and large broken particles of bricks and cements shot up forth the sky and landed on some of the Reserve Course students screaming in shock. Y/N gasped and clutched after a glass paper weight that fell off her desk and broke into pieces in the rumbling. Everyone in her classroom screamed in shock and consternation.
The consequences of the sudden explosion suddenly quietened, as the place went back to what it was.
"What- what the living fuck was that?!" A boy yelled, placing both his hands over his head. Y/N stayed silent as the teachers phoned the authorities to retrieve the injured and dead from under the large pieces of debris. They begun the investigation immediately. The explosion had occured at the large gym in Hope's Peak School, where the seniors were having their practicals. Only a few were hurt, and two were dead. Then something was announced which made Y/N sick in the stomach.
A student from class 77-B had been caught up during the explosion. His name was-
Nagito Komaeda.
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"Well, wasn't that unfortunate,"
Komaeda said nonchalantly, jabbing a piece of meat with a fork and shoving it into his mouth. "Why would they punish an innocent bystander? I got suspended for four months just because I happened to be at that place during the time of the incident. I was just going to observe the seniors and-"
"That's enough."
Y/N had been staring down at the table all during lunch, her arms trembling whilst they were on the table. But now she arose from her chair and looked him in the eye, her whole body shaking with fury.
"You're not fooling anyone here. How could you do something like this?! Two people lost their lives because of you! All for some stupid, selfish plan of yours!"
"Ah, I guessed you might have known all along. But my plan wasn't stupid or selfish. It worked perfectly, and was far from selfish. I did it so my classmates could give their tests when they were prepared. The practical exams' dates were announced two weeks prior. They spend all their time cultivating their Talents and horsing around, when would they have had the time to study? That's why I requested a delay, but of course, things never go my way when I ask nicely..."
He tilted his head and smiled up at her, tearing off another piece of meat.
"And don't worry, the people who died were Reserve Course students. Their lives matter less than-"
She walked around the table and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. His eyes remained calm and pleasant, he sat still and looked her in mild bewilderment.
"How many times have I told you?" She said in a soft but deadly voice, words were coated with forced patience and violently pulsing anger.
"You aren't even a least bit remorseful for the lives you took, just because they were Reserve Students? A talent is something which gives you more opportunities and skill than other people. You may even get more privileges and benefits compared to Talentless people. When did it become a prerequisite to your existence?!
"Their lives are worthy. They themselves are worth in gold. They still had a family. They still had a plate of warm food waiting for them at home, with their mothers waiting for them at the gate!"
She closed her eyes and her teeth clenched.
"I know that because...my mother...used to be the same way. Before she became all about Talent and Ultimates, she used to treat me like I actually was her daughter. When I was too young to have a Talent, she used to wait for me at home too. Her hands would be on her hips in disapproval when I walked in with muddy footsteps and scratches all over my body.
"But she scolded me dutifully, while bathing me. Ever so often, she would even laugh at how petty and childish I was.
"Even when I didn't have a talent, she used to cradle me to her chest like I was a baby.
"Talents always ruin everything! It tore apart my family! If I were a Reserve Course student, if I were Talentless, would you be talking to someone else, saying my life is worthless too?"
Ko's face gradually flashed with rue when she finished. His eyebrows upturned as he broke apart from her hold on his collar and hugged her to him. She was still upset, but did not resist.
He embraced her in her middle while sitting on his chair, pressing her stomach to the side of his head.
"No...I would never talk like that about your life to anyone else..." His eyes bulged in his sockets as he apologized feverishly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...
"If I knew you would be so upset I would never have-"
"Are you really?"
"Yes...I regret it more than anything else- I would do anything to make it okay again..."
"Take a break," she said, no longer uncontrollably angry.
"Wha-what?"
"Take a break. Go on a trip. Travel. You've been faking it for far too long, don't you agree, Senpai?"
"Faking what?"
"Your smile. I just...want it to be genuine again."
She caressed his head softly, pinching his cheeks with two fingers.
"That's- that's fine with me!" Komaeda said, getting an idea immediately. "I-I saw a lottery offer today, to travel around the world. Want me to buy a ticket??" He asked in excitement. "I would probably win it, with my luck-"
"That's a good idea." She said, smiling. "And when it is time for your return, I expect you to come back to me as you were."
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You opened your eyes feeling groggy like you had the last time you woken up from the effects of a Memory Pill.
"You're finally awake."
Nagito was sitting by the study table reading a book with his legs crossed. He closed it when you turned your head on the pillow to look at him.
"The others were beginning to think I had kidnapped you or something. You were out for three days, after all."
"What-? Three days-?"
"Mhm-hm. Isn't that shocking? How do you feel?"
"I'm fine. Just saw...a lot of bizarre things."
"And I'm eager to hear all of them! When can you start talking?"
"Well...might as well tell you now, I might forget some things later."
Bit by bit, you recollected the series of incidents from your memory and told him everything you saw. He was on the point of interrupting once or twice when you mentioned that he blew half his school up to postpone some exams, but closed his mouth to let you keep talking.
"And that's everything."
"I see. Thank you so much for doing this for me," he smiled and walked over to sit on the bed by your side.
"This time you woke up on your own. So I guess the Memory Pill provides you with only a handful of memories at a time, it doesn't just go on forever until someone wakes you. I should have known...
"Yet there's something that doesn't sit right with me. What did Hajime mean when he said, 'he might get a Talent'? A talent isn't some kind of object you can just purchase or sell. Although I won't be surprised if he's found some way to, seeing he likes to think he's one of the Ultimates..." Nagito's voice trailed off.
"Who was that lady who talked about crushing the dreams of Ultimates in Hope's Peak, I wonder? What did you say her name was, again?"
"Junko Enoshima. She said she was the Ultimate Fashionista."
"Fat lot of damage a fashionista could do to a sacred place like Hope's Peak," Nagito said mockingly. "But maybe she isn't just a fashionista after all."
"If you are so prideful about Hope's Peak, why did you try to destroy it for a few trivial practicals?" You enquired as you sat up in bed.
"Maybe you aren't just a good luck charm, after all."
Nagito laughed his usual tinkling laugh and patted you on the head approvingly. "Aren't you sassy today! Well, I won't bother you anymore. You should sleep properly this time, without the effects of a Memory Pill. It's night time anyway."
He put on his green jacket with the number 55 written in huge letters at the back. It trailed behind him in the jagged criss- cross pattern. You'd liked that jacket ever since the first time you saw him wearing it, on the beach on that day.
"Well, good night," Nagito said. "If you're hungry after three days of only liquified food I could pour down your throat, I'll get you something more solid."
"That's fine..." You glanced over at a basket of fruit placed on the bedside table. "There is enough here."
"I wanted to tell you something..." He stopped briefly while opening the cottage door, his back facing you.
"What is it?"
"I really- I wanted to-"
"Senpai, just say it."
"No, it's nothing." He closed the door and it clinked shut behind him.
He collapsed against it, sliding his back on the smooth wooden surface before he slid slumped down on the ground.
"This burden...is too much to bear.."
A tear rolled down his cheek but he kept smiling throughout.
"I know now...that you aren't the traitor...it's so painful I still need to do this..."
"I thought you were different, but you are the same Remnant of Despair that the rest of our unworthy, disgraceful souls are...how I wish I could push you away and despise you as much as I hate all these other people with us..."
He opened the book he had been carrying. It was the same document the Monokuma had given him as a prize. He flipped the pages until he found your name and a smiling picture of you with personal information on it.
"But never fear...Y/N, there's no power on earth which is capable of separating us, not even death do us part. Our skeletons...they'll lie together, side to side, within the filth and morbidity that we are destined to be confined in."
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A.N: How are you all today? I hope my writing could make your day even a little better. Please vote and comment if you approve.
Also, to answer a certain reader's question on whether I will be writing the hope arc or not, I won't be disclosing that for now because I feel it might spoil future chapters. I hope that's okay.
Thank you so much for reading!