#˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ chiaki talks

[chiakiselfships]

hi everyone, i miss you all <3 finals are finally over 💓. Sorry, I haven't replied to any inbox yet

[springtimemultishipper]

Komanami Week Day 1: Confession

Summary | Lately, Nagito Komaeda has been noticing that Chiaki Nanami was talking to him less and less. That shouldn't bother him, right? Scum like he deserves to be ignored by an Ultimate like her. Well, what if his selfish heart isn't able to rest on the feelings bubbling inside any longer? With the assistance of the Ultimate Nurse, Nagito finds the courage to learn the truth of why Chiaki doesn't talk to him that much anymore.

❥ Pairing | Nagito Komaeda x Chiaki Nanami (ft. Mikan Tsumiki)

★ Word Count | 4,660 words

@c0rrupted-mov

*Sorry for being late and if there any mistakes or errors. I was busy this week, so I didn't get a chance to properly edit this. Also, sorry if anyone is out of character. I'm not used to writing Danganronpa characters yet. Also, this is quite long, so grab some snacks and read if you have a lot of time. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!*

“Miss Sonia! I can carry your bag for you if you want!”

“Ah, no thank you, Soda-”

“PLEASE! I INSIST!”

Nagito stared at the scene playing out in front of his desk. Sonia had just walked into the classroom, and Kazuichi was immediately all over her. It was nothing new. This kind of stuff happened every minute of every day, and yet, Kazuichi was never any closer to winning Sonia’s affections. Still, he was just so full of hope that Nagito had to respect his determination. After all, he was truly worthy of being called a Symbol of Hope if he refuses to lose hope.

Nagito rested his cheek onto the palm of his hand and sighed. Unfortunately, he didn’t have Kazuichi’s hope when it comes to romance. As if on cue, the door slid open and Chiaki came in the classroom with her eyes glued to her game console. Immediately, Nagito felt himself straighten up, a familiar feeling flowing into his chest.

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! Nagito felt the steady beat of his heart increase exceptionally as Chiaki started making her way to the desk behind him. His face grew hot and he took note of every single detail about her. Her pale mauve hair bouncing slightly as she walked. Her usually gentle pink eyes that were filled with a determined fire at the moment. The small pout that formed on her face as she mashed buttons on her console. It all caused there to be butterflies in Nagito’s stomach.

“Good morning, Nanami!” Nagito exclaimed, attempting to act like his usual self. “Today feels like a beautiful day full of hope! Wouldn’t you agree?”

Chiaki didn’t bother to lift her head up from her game to face him. “….yeah. Morning.” Without another word, she sat at her desk and continued playing her game.

Nagito sighed. “Guess my luck’s not helping with this…” he muttered. While it’s true that Chiaki didn’t talk that much in general, it seemed like, lately, she never said more than a few words when talking to him.

“H-hey, Nanami,” Mikan approached her. “I don’t mean to be bossy, but I would recommend looking up from your game every now and again. I-It’s just that I’ve noticed you hardly put it down, and that might hurt your eyes.”

Chiaki didn’t put the game down. “Don’t worry, Tsumiki. My eyes are pretty used to looking at the screen, so they hardly hurt. But, I’ll try to take care of my eyes if you’re that worried.”

“Ah!” Mikan gasped. “T-thank you for listening to my advice!”

Yep. This confirms Nagito’s suspicions. She talks way more to the others than to him.

Well, of course, Chiaki would want to talk to the other Ultimates instead of scum that only has luck. But, even though he should’ve expected and known it, Nagito couldn’t help the weird feeling in his chest. The suffocating tightness that seemed to squeeze the hope out of him every time he noticed how little Chiaki paid attention to him. It made him just want to pull Chiaki towards him and wrap his arms around her.

No. How dare trash like him even have such indecent thoughts about her. Nagito slammed his head against his desk, sighing.

“KOMAEDA!” Mikan yelped and ran over to him. “Are you okay?!”

Nagito lifted his head up to meet the Ultimate Nurse’s worried eyes. He smiled and dismissed her with a hand gesture. “Don’t worry, Tsumiki. I’m fine. Just…having a moment.”

He glanced behind him to meet pink eyes for a split second before they returned to the game. He frowned. Did she really not care whether or not he was okay? He suddenly felt a small weight pushing down on his chest, like a small boulder that couldn't crush him completely. He groaned. 'I'm not going to let this go, am I? Should've expected that from selfish scum like me.'

“Actually, Tsumiki, I do need your help…” Nagito looked down, his eyes on his desk. “But, I know that worthless trash like me is completely out of line to be asking the Ultimate Nurse for assistance. You’re completely free to refuse.”

“N-no! I'm completely happy to be needed!" Mikan reassured. “Thank you! I w-will do my best!"

Nagito sighed with relief.  “Really? Thank you, Tsumiki. We can talk about it during lunch if you don’t mind.”

“O-of course!” With an excited skip in her step, Mikan went over to her desk with a beaming expression.

The rest of the day went pretty uneventfully. Well, as uneventfully as it can be when you’re in a class full of Ultimate students with energy to kill. But, the “crazy” events went about as normal. Akane challenging Nekomaru, Hiyoko being a bitch to Mikan, Kazuichi being jealous of Gundham and Sonia’s “friendship”, and Ms. Yukizome trying to handle everyone. However, even amongst the normal chaos, Nagito found it oddly difficult to chime into the conversations or even rant about hope. His mind couldn’t stop bringing up Chiaki and he felt himself slumping in his seat more and more throughout the day.

Thankfully, lunchtime finally rolled around and he walked over to Mikan. “Is there anywhere we can speak privately, Tsumiki?” he asked. “I’m sorry for being demanding, but I’d don't want to be overheard.”

‘Especially not by Nanami,’ he thought as he looked over his shoulder to see Chiaki discussing something with Ms. Yukizome.

"D-don't worry about it!" Mikan quickly reassured.  “There’s an empty classroom on the second floor that’s p-pretty empty. N-nobody usually goes there.”

“Sounds great!” Nagito nodded, and with that, the two made their way towards the classroom. “I’m really grateful for your help, Tsumiki. I was struggling with this for a while now, and you asking if I was okay persuaded me to finally find the hope I needed in order to confront this problem. So, thank you.”

“There’s n-no need to thank me, Komaeda! I was j-just nervous about your health!”

“As expected from the Ultimate Nurse!” Nagito smiled as they approached the classroom door. He slid the door open casually and walked inside, Mikan following right behind him and closing the door.

“Um…so, what do you need h-help with, Komaeda?” she asked. “Is there something bothering you?”

“There is, actually…” Nagito crossed his arms. “Lately, I’ve been feeling weird…around Nanami.”

Mikan tilted her head. “Weird? Around Nanami? How?”

“Well, before, I saw Nanami the same as everyone else. She’s another Symbol of Hope like the rest of you Ultimates, and I admired her and her kindness. I would’ve loved to be considered as her friend, but…I know that’s too much for scum like me to even ask. But, regardless, I just saw her as a great person who always, strangely, was always nice to me. But lately…things have been changing…”

“I’ve been seeing her in a different light lately. I’m beginning to find myself paying attention to every single detail about her. Like, every time Nanami’s awoken from one of her naps, she usually rubs her eyes and gives the person who wakes her up this cute angry expression.” Nagito felt his cheeks flush and his heart doing a happy little dance as the image flashed in his mind. “And…it makes my heart skip a beat. Honestly, so does everything else about her. The way she talks. The way she walks. Her small habits. Her flaws. Things that I’ve seen multiple times before and didn’t care about would now drive me crazy. Every time I’m near her, I find myself being even more happy and blushing. It’s honestly a little scary-”

“Komaeda! I think you’re in l-love with Nanami!” Mikan interrupted in an outburst. Nagito stopped speaking and looked up at her with a blank expression. He had been so caught up in his rambling that he had almost forgotten that she was in the room with him. He didn’t say anything as he took in what she just said.

Mikan began to tear up slightly. “AH! I-I’m sorry! Please forgive me for being so rude and interrupting you like that! I will take the p-punishment. J-just-”

"I know."

“Huh?” Mikan stopped apologizing to be met with a smile from Nagito. But…this smile was different from all the other smiles she’d seen. Nagito’s smiles were usually polite, small, and full of genuine appreciation. He never was the type to grin, and his smiles were usually as calm as he was. But, the smile he held…it was bigger than all the other smiles that crossed his face. It wasn’t a grin per say, but it still was a lot less gentle than his usual ones. His pale cheeks were flushed a bright red and his eyes held a soft, dreamy expression as he looked at the ground. Mikan wouldn’t be surprised if hearts formed in his eyes because the smile that Nagito had right now could best be described as���love-struck.

“I know that I’m in love with Nanami. I lay awake at night even more now because of it. Honestly, my luck can be so cruel sometimes. Of course my love for you Ultimates couldn’t stay in the admiring sense like I wanted it to be. I had to take advantage of that love to develop indecent feelings for Nanami. How selfish can I get?”

“Komaeda, calm down!” Mikan waved her arms in a panic. “Y-you can’t control how you feel.”

“But, even so,” Nagito ignored her as he looked up at the ceiling. “Nanami wants nothing to do with scum like me. It’s clear that she can’t even stand talking to me. She only says at most a few words whenever she does. Meanwhile, she says far more whenever she talks to the rest of you. We hardly spend any time together anymore. Not as much as we used to. She despises me and I don’t blame her. Who would ever want to spend time with trash? I just wish my heart could understand that.”

Nagito sighed as he turned to Mikan, his expression softening back to his normal tranquility. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you, Tsumiki. I need some advice about this. How can I stop myself from feeling this way? I don’t want to be jealous of you or anyone else when she pays attention to you. It’s completely outrageous of me to be jealous of you Ultimates just because I’m selfish enough to prevent Nanami from being happy.”

“Um…” Mikan had no idea what to even say to that. “I, uhhh…don’t know about stopping your feelings. B-But, I think I have an idea of helping you cope with them. M-maybe you should try talking to Nanami about this?”

“Huh?” Nagito furrowed his brow. “Talk to Nanami…? How would that help?”

“W-well…maybe it would help if you knew why she’s not talking that much with you. I don’t think she actually hates you, Komaeda. She may have something going on or other reasons for not talking to you. S-so, maybe knowing those reasons could help. Also, I know I have no right to say this, but…m-maybe you should confess to her?”

“Someone as lowly as me? Confess to Nanami?” Nagito stepped back. “That’s insane for you to even suggest, Tsumiki! I can’t just tell someone as amazing as Nanami about my selfish feelings towards her. She’ll reject me anyway.”

"Y-you don't know that!" Mikan balled her hands into fists in front of her. "I know it's hard for you to believe, but there is a possibility of her liking you back, too. You don't know what she thinks or what's going on in her head. B-But, I'm sure that she isn't unhappy when she spends time with you! You just think that way! B-besides, aren't you the one who always advocates for hope? Isn't it hypocritical of you to say that and then be so sure that you're going to get rejected?"

Mikan took a step forward and gave Nagito a determined glare as she pointed a finger at him. "So, go on! Confess to Nanami! H-hold on to hope!"

Nagito didn't say anything. He just stared at the finger that was pointed directly at his face with slightly widened eyes. But, this time, he was rendered speechless.

Mikan's expression softened slightly as she looked at the finger she was pointing, almost like she was noticing it for the first time. The realization of what she just did began to sink in, and she screamed.

“I-I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry for being so…tactless! I’ll take any kind of punishment! Y-you could draw on my arms if you wish-”

“No, no,” Nagito shook his head. “There’s no need to be sorry. I was just surprised at your sudden boldness, Tsumiki. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“P-please forgive me!”

Nagito chuckled. “I never said I had a problem with it. It’s actually quite refreshing to be scolded by you.” He paused for a second before nodding. “In fact, out of respect for you and your boost of confidence, I’ll talk to Nanami.”

“Huh?” Mikan gasped. “R-really?”

“Yep! I doubt that she’ll feel the same, but surely, with my luck, it won’t end too horribly. Besides, you’re probably right. Maybe figuring out why she doesn’t talk to me anymore will help.” He smiled at her. “Thank you, Tsumiki.”

“Of course, Komaeda!” Mikan bowed before smiling. “A-anything to help a friend.”

“A friend?” Nagito’s eyes widened slightly as he stared at Mikan.

Mikan’s eyes widened and she immediately began to backtrack, freaking out. “ I’m sorry! I d-didn’t mean to assume that you even wanted to be my f-friend in the first place.”

Then, Nagito did something that surprised Mikan. He smiled at her. “I’m glad an Ultimate like you actually considers me as a friend, Tsumiki. It’s an honor.”

Mikan’s teary eyes were as wide as dinner plates before she giggled. “Thanks!”

With that friendly end to the conversation, Mikan and Nagito returned to class a few minutes later and immediately were pestered by Teruteru and Kazuichi asking what they’ve been doing. After denying that they were doing anything suspicious, Nagito glanced over to where Chiaki was sitting. She had her eyes out her console-for once-and a small frown on her face as she stared at Nagito and Mikan.

He walked by Teruteru, ignoring his perverted theories, and went over to Chiaki’s desk. She seemed to realize that he caught her staring because she immediately darted her eyes away and back to her game, her cheeks slightly pink. Nagito had to fight back the urge to laugh at the adorable action and stood next to her desk.

“Hey Nanami, can I ask you something?”

Chiaki kept her eyes glued to her game, silent for a moment before answering. “Go ahead.”

“W-well…” Nagito heard a slight crack in his voice as he formed his question. He could feel his heartbeat grow faster and faster as each second passed. He tried to mentally tell himself to calm down as he took in a breath and let the question out.

“Is it alright if I talk to you after school? Near the fountain? There’s something that I want to tell you.”

Nagito’s tone was a lot calmer than he was feeling right. He can thank his luck for that. Chiaki didn’t answer for a moment, but her fingers had stopped pressing the buttons on her console. Seconds felt like minutes as Nagito waited for an answer before finally, she spoke.

“Sure…”

He smiled. “Great! I’ll see you after class then!”

He walked back to his desk, letting out a sigh of relief. He looked up to see Mikan giving him an encouraging smile that he quickly returned. So far, things were going well. He just has to hope that it’ll go the same way when he actually confesses.

Meanwhile, behind him, he didn’t notice that Chiaki had placed her console down and was staring at him. She felt her cheeks flush as she played with the sleeve on her blazer, thinking back to his question.

‘What…does he want to ask me? Did he notice….?’

When lunch ended and class started again, it felt like time was going six miles an hour. Nagito kept staring at the clock every five minutes, hoping for a slight change in time. In the meanwhile, he could feel his stomach doing backflips as he tried to distract himself by his classmates’ usual antics. But, eventually, the bell finally rang and everyone left the classroom after saying bye to Ms. Yukizome.

Nagito immediately made his way towards the fountain, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. For a rare moment in his life, he could feel his palms getting sweaty and his body trembling as he finally approached the stone fountain. The waters flowed gently down to the bottom basin of the fountain, like smooth, tranquil, waterfalls that surrounded the space in between the basins. He knew that Chiaki often spent her time after school hanging out with a friend playing video games, so this place was most likely a comfort to her. And he could definitely understand why. 

He sighed as he approached the fountain and placed his hand under the falling stream. The water felt cool against his warm hand and he felt the tension in his muscles fading slightly as the water soothed him. He took a deep breath and looked up to see a familiar plum-haired face peeking out of the bushes. Mikan gave him a weak smile and a trembling thumbs up. He smiled at her. At least he had some moral support with him as he went through this.

“So…why did you want to meet me?” a quiet voice asked from behind him. Nagito jumped slightly and turned around to see Chiaki standing there, looking at him with curious expression.

“Oh! Nanami! I didn’t expect you to come so quickly.”

She shrugged, eyes avoiding his. “Well…if it’s important then I figured I should be here as fast as possible.”

“R-right.” Once again, the crack in Nagito’s voice returned as he searched for the words to say. This was…surprisingly difficult. He had never done something like this before. Normally, he just tried to avoid this kind of stuff. But…he was here now…and Chiaki was standing right in front of him. So…he has to do it!

“I don't want to poke my nose in your business, Nanami, but...something's been bothering me lately."

“What is it?” Chiaki asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Nagito gulped, taking a minute to collect himself before blurting his question out. “Why aren't you talking that much to me?”

Her eyes widened slightly. “Huh?”

"I'm sorry for having the nerve to even ask this, but...lately, I've noticed that you hardly talk to me anymore. Back at the beginning of the year, you would usually have full conversations with me. But now, you barely say more than a few words to me. Actually, this is probably the most we've talked in a while. It's making me wonder if...you hate me or something."

Nagito looked at the ground, avoiding her eyes. “I know that I shouldn’t be complaining about this. After all, I know my place. But…I can’t stop thinking about it. I miss spending time and talking with you about video games or our days or whatever. I know I’ve done something to make you treat me this way, but I don't know what!"

Chiaki didn't say anything. She just looked down and kept her eyes focused on her shoes. Nagito couldn't read her expression because of the hair that was making a shadow over her face. Regardless, he took her silence as a sign to continue.

"I know that I'm asking for a lot, Nanami. But, I need to know what I did to make you hate me. I promise I'll leave you alone after you answer. After all, this is probably the most out of line thing that I ever had the balls to do. Talking to you like I'm on the same level?" He let out a sour chuckle. "How arrogant-"

"You've got it all wrong" was the small response that came from Chiaki's lips. Nagito stopped his rambling for a minute to look down at the girl in front of him. She had raised her head up slightly, allowing him to see the small flush of pink on her cheeks and her eyes darting to the side. Like she was trying to avoid looking at him?

"I don't hate you, Komaeda. I don't know how you jumped to that conclusion so quickly." She looked up at him and quickly continued, not even giving him a chance to respond. "Wait...never mind. I shouldn't have asked. But, that's not the point. I'm sorry that you got the impression I hated you. Actually...I should be apologizing for the way I've been acting..."

"You? Apologize?" Nagito questioned.

"For not talking to you anymore," she clarified. "I didn't want or intend to distance myself from you. It's just that..." Chiaki hesitated for a moment before sighing. "Well, I guess it's time I told you."

She took a deep breath and reached for Nagito's hand before grabbing it. He felt his cheeks heating up the moment he felt them make contact. His heart fluttered slightly as he looked down at her holding his hand. It...felt comforting. Her hand felt like it fitted perfectly in his and it felt...so right.

"The reason I wasn't talking to wasn't because I hated you or was avoiding you," Chiaki explained. "It was because I was always nervous when talking to you."

"Huh? Nervous? Why would you be nervous talking to me?"

Chiaki took a moment to answer, placing a finger on her chin as she searched for the right words, like a computer searching for answers. "I wasn't sure for a while. All I knew was that whenever I talked to you, I would feel weird. My heart would beat faster every time I was near you, and I would blush every time you got close to me. I found myself staring at you more often and getting flustered every time you complimented me. I was always nervous about how you would react to things I did or say. Yet, despite everything, I found myself smiling every time I was with you. I would enjoy the time we would spent together, and I would always be excited whenever I saw you. I could've been having a really bad day, but then you talk to me about a video game, and everything felt ten times better. It was like...I couldn't be logical or think clearly whenever I was with you, and it caught me off guard. It was so confusing."

Nagito's face was as red as Mahiru's hair as he took in what Chiaki was saying. All of the things that she was describing...no! There was no way, right? He may have amazing luck, but there was no way that he was THIS lucky!

"Then...I finally realized," Chiaki smiled softly, blushing. She looked up to meet Nagito's eyes. "I like you in a romantic sense, Komaeda. I was trying to figure out how to deal with it all and tell you, and that's why I stopped talking to you. It sounds dumb and I'm sorry, but I felt I needed a little bit of time to clear my head a little. And even now, I still feel nervous and all tingly." She let out a small giggle, which sounded like music to Nagito's ears.

"Y-you...like me?" That was all Nagito could sputter out.

"That's what I said," she nodded. "Actually, I was worried when you slammed your head on your desk this morning, but I turned away before you could catch me looking...which was dumb of me."

This was a dream, right? There was no way that this was real. There was no way that Chiaki Nanami actually returned his feelings. No way a girl like her would have a crush on a guy like him.

Chiaki's expression saddened slightly as seconds passed without him saying anything. She let go of his hand. "I understand if you don't feel the same way, and I'm okay with that. I'm happy to just be your friend if that's what you want. I just wanted to get this off my chest."

She was about to turn around before Nagito grabbed both of her hands. "W-wait, Nanami!"

"Huh?"

He couldn't do it. He couldn't just stay in his place and push aside both his and Chiaki's feelings for the sake of hope. Was it wrong? Was it selfish? Was he out of line for preventing Chiaki from being with someone on her level?

He looked directly at Chiaki's face. Her pale eyes were staring up at him and her mouth was slightly open as she waited for his answer. There was a small spark in her eyes. An excited light that was dancing in them, tempting him. Reassuring him. Telling him to do it.

Nagito took Chiaki's hands in his. Even if it was selfish of him, he no longer cared.

"I feel the same way," he confessed. "I like you, too, Nanami."

The smile on her face could’ve countered any type of despair that was out there. Nagito felt her petite frame press up against him as she wrapped her arms around him. “I’m glad…”

He didn’t do anything for a moment. He just looked down at the girl as she lifted her head up towards him, his cheeks red. Then he returned her hug, and he felt everything else around him fade away into a peaceful silence. Nothing else mattered, or even existed for a few minutes. His inferior status. Despair. His awful luck cycle. It was all gone. All that mattered during that moment was the feeling of safety and comfort he got from having Chiaki in his arms. It was bliss. Until...

"Also, if we're going to be a couple, please work on your inferiority complex," Chiaki bluntly said. "You're just as important as everyone else. You're on the same level as me, and I'm not going to tolerate with you thinking otherwise."

"Uh..." All Nagito could do was stare at Chiaki with his jaw hanging. Okay, he wasn't expecting this....wait a moment...

"COUPLE?!" He yelled. "Y-you want to be a couple?"

Chiaki tilted her head. "That's what happens after a confession, right? The two people become a couple at the end. At least...that's how it works in dating simulators."

"I'm not opposed to the idea, but you're moving too quickly," Nagito said. "Besides, do you really want trash like me to be your boyfriend-"

"Yes, I do," Chiaki let go of him and placed her hands on her hips. "You're not trash and I do want you as my boyfriend. That's my choice!"

'When did she get so assertive?!' Nagito wondered as he stared with his eyes widened. 'It's kind of hot...WAIT! Don't think like that, Nagito!'

"And if you're worried about us moving too fast," Chiaki continued, thankfully snapping Nagito out of his embarrassing thoughts. "Why don't we play video games at my place this Saturday? We could go to a cafe beforehand if you want."

He smiled and nodded. "I'm completely fine with whatever you decide, Nanami."

She nodded. "Then it's settled. Our first date will be this Saturday." She glanced over at the horizon to see the sun setting below the trees that rested near the fountain. "It's getting late. We should really be heading home now. I'll see you tomorrow, Komaeda."

With that, Chiaki turned around to make her way to the gate, but she only took one step before suddenly stopping. And suddenly, before he could even realize, Nagito felt a soft pair of lips resting on his cheek.

He gasped and stared down at Nanami, who gave him a shy smile with rosy cheeks. All Nagito could do was brush his pale fingers against his cheek, the exact spot where Chiaki Nanami kissed him.

There was nothing but silence. Nagito just stared ahead at her with his hand on his cheek as he tried to wrap his head around what just happened. Chiaki must've felt awkward because she turned around and began walking away. "Good night, Komaeda!"

Nagito didn't respond. He just stood there, dumbfounded, as he watched Chiaki walk away. After a few moments, he felt his knees give out and him dropping to the ground. He didn't even realize that his knees were trembling when Chiaki kissed him.

“KOMAEDA!” Mikan ran towards him. “A-ARE YOU OKAY?! I’M HAPPY THINGS WENT WELL, BUT-OH GOD! YOUR FACE IS HEATING UP!”

Nagito just stayed there with a love-struck grin on his face. “I really am the luckiest guy ever…”

[nazukisser]

➥ request; amusement park date with chiaki {req} ➥ pairing; morisawa chiaki x gn!reader ➥ genre/type; fluff hcs, mentions of roller coasters, food (snacks) ➥ word count; 386 ➥ message from qian; here you go best friend <3 ive only been to disney so excuse me for prob making it sound too much like disney

✦➤ Chiaki absolutely loves this idea~! He loves amusement and theme parks, and he absolutely would love to go with you. Ryusetai often performs in various theme parks, and so maybe he'll be able to get some discounts here and there as well!

✦➤ Chiaki is probably more likely to invite you than the other way around, since he goes so often with Ryusetai- plus, it's a place to see heroes in action, which he absolutely loves. Most people outside Ryusetai don't know, but Chiaki is absolutely afraid of many of the roller coasters and rides... though he would absolutely just love going around, walking and holding hands with you, as you enjoy the scenery and eat some snacks from the food stalls along the way.

✦➤ Most people go to amusement parks for their roller coasters. However, Chiaki cries because of roller coasters- he never really tells anyone, though. He yells a lot, and afterwards, he looks almost as if it traumatized him. Don't worry, he'll be back to being as energetic as he was before fairly soon.

✦➤ Chiaki would absolutely take you to the ferris wheel though, something he wouldn't get scared on. The view is amazing, and he takes quite a lot of pictures. If he's allowed, he'll also bring some snacks from the food stalls and you'll eat while enjoying the view and talking~! He's energetic as he always is during this time.

✦➤ As for food choices, he will buy you whatever snacks you want! Just mention it and he's already on the line to buy it. (Now that's a real hero's job imo) For lunch/dinner, he has a list of restaurants he wants to try out and cant decide which one to pick! (This is your cue to pick for him)

✦➤ If you're there till night, he'd definitely be open to going on a night stroll. It's simply a different feel, more personal. The bright sky was now a comfortable dark, sort of like a blanket of stars over the night sky. He still somehow is able to maintain his energy throughout this time, making it as fun as ever, but when the two of you return home or to the hotel, he's asleep before you know it. Make sure to tuck him in under the blankets <3

₊·͟͟͟͟͟͟͞͞͞͞͞͞➳❥ ꒰ ⌨ ✰ qian ⁱˢ ᵗʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ··· ꒱ | ೃ࿔₊•

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[chiakiselfships]

I kinda feel guilty about not making much content of my other selfship (although that i just having fun imagine myself as their s/o) (Ｔ▽Ｔ) look like others had literally zero content while I keep doing more content with atsushi

[chiakiselfships]

I think about them everyday

I rrly loved my main yumeship that I don't talk enough about my other yumeship (σ｀・д･)σ

[chiakiselfships]

I'm kinda feeling restless rn and the amount of my family gave stress on me, so I'm gonna get some rest and make sure I won't get burnout again

meanwhile I'm watching code geass again, I wanna see lelouch again

[chiakiselfships]

good morning <3

[chiakiselfships]

I just can't like drop a selfship art and go inactive for a weeks /hj

[chiakiselfships]

kinda wish I currently listening music while reading manga but I am overwhelm by my responsibilities and assignments

[chiakiselfships]

I wanna do another selfship stuffs other than chiaki and atsushi, perhaps I do ash and my sona together?

[chiakiselfships]

pardon if I haven't followed back :') I was busy with irl as I haven't look at your dni and byf

[chiakiselfships]

can you make your oc as your f/o? I feel strong attached to ayumu since very long time ago. I wasn't sure if I saw her as my precious daughter (make sense because I practically her creator) or a little sister? :')

might see her as daughter f/o or sibling f/o

[chiakiselfships]

TAGS 💞💞

[chiakiselfships]

remember about chiaki is a daughter of a cult leader, her mother wanted pass her ability to her own daughter (as she think that giving her daughter to "their god" as its host and reason she was birth is this)

[springtimemultishipper]

Komanami Week Day 3: Angst

Summary | Nagito couldn't ever forget Chiaki Nanami. Even after the terror of the Ultimate Despair has ended, it's still hard for him to cope with everything that happened. He still can't believe that she's really gone. He doesn't want to accept it. But, he's forced to. She's not ever coming back to him.

❥ Pairing | Nagito Komaeda x Chiaki Nanami (Ft. Hajime Hinata)

◆ Warnings | Implications of hurting oneself, implications of su1c1de, murder, death, bl00d, and grief

★ Words | 3,315 words

@c0rrupted-mov

*This is a repost of my previous entry because it kinda flopped, and I want to repost it. This is also a chance to say that Day 4 is going to be late. I wasn’t happy with the result of it cause I messed up with the prompt, and school is kicking my ass. So this is a way to say that I did post something. Sorry for the inconvenience!*

The night felt colder than it usually did. Like all the usual warmth of the nights of Jabberwock island have been sucked out of the air, leaving a freezing, hopeless wind instead. That very biting wind howled against the starless sky as Nagito sat outside on the beach, sinking into the sand. He was lucky that he was wearing a jacket because it felt like it was winter instead of a beautiful summer night. Then again…if it were a warm night, it might’ve made things even more difficult for him.

The ocean's water felt cold as ice as it crashed against Nagito's shoes, soaking his feet. Combined with the cold air, the icy water made him shiver. Multiple specks of sand were poured over his long dark green jacket, dirtying it with its grainy substance. However, despite all of the uncomfortable circumstances of the beach, he found it hard to focus on anything. Besides...despair-full trash like him didn't deserve to complain about inconveniences like this.

Instead, Nagito was focusing on an item that rested in between the fingers of his right hand. A small familiar-looking white hair clip. It was shaped like a pixelated spaceship from a video game. What was it called again?

"Galaga!" Her voice rang in his head as he found the answer. "It's from Galaga! It's a fixed shooter arcade game where you're controlling a spaceship and you have to shoot down the Galaga forces while trying to avoid enemies and projectiles. I actually got this hair clip from a competition that I won in middle school. I was up against a lot of adults and guys, and everyone thought that I was going to lose the first round. But, I proved them wrong! I got the highest score and broke a new record. Ever since then, people began to call me the Ultimate Gamer."

Nagito could still remember the way she sounded so excited as she described the game and explained how she earned her Ultimate title to him. Her pale pink eyes seemed to shin with so much nostalgia and joy. So much so that it was almost contagious. He remembered her turning to him, an embarrassed smile on her face as she played with a strand of her hair. "Oh...sorry, Komaeda. I was rambling a bit there. It's just...it's so rare for me to actually talk about this to anyone. It made me a little excited!"

Her giggle, sweet-sounding as little bells, still played in Nagito's head as he stared off into the ocean. He held his knees close to his chest as he stared at the hair clip in his hand. How he longed to hear her gentle voice again.

"Come on, Komaeda. Please come with me to the arcade. I promise it'll be fun." He recalled her hands resting on his desk as she tried to convince him to hang out with her.

"I really couldn't, Nanami. I doubt you'll have fun with lowly scum like me. You should ask one of the other Ultimates If they want to come. I'm sure Mioda or Tsumiki or Soda or even Kuzuryu would be happy to come and play video games with you."

She shook her head stubbornly. "If I wanted to invite them to the arcade, I would've asked them. But, right now, I'm asking you, Komaeda."

"Which, I think, is practically insane of you," he countered, laughing. "I mean, come on, Nanami. They're Ultimates! They're super talented with colorful personalities, and they're truly worthy of becoming Symbols of Hope. Meanwhile...I'm just lucky. I'm not at the same level as them. It's insulting that you want to play with lucky scum like me instead of symbols of hope that are just like you."

Her expression shifted into a small pout as she reached over to the table and grabbed his hand. "Don't say that about yourself! I think being the Ultimate Lucky Student is still a great talent even if you don't think so. Besides, you're still a classmate of ours and you are attending Hope's Peak after all. So...surely, you must be just as amazing as everyone else here. At least, that's what I think."

"But...even in some insane logic that your luck isn't considered a talent," she continued. "That doesn't matter. I know that you're still a great guy, Komaeda, even if everyone else doesn't really agree. And, I want to go to the arcade with you. Not with Soda. Not with Mioda. With you. So...please! Would you come with me?"

She leaned in close to him, still having a hold on his hand. Nagito didn't understand it at the time, but he could feel his cheeks heating up as he stared into those beautiful blossom-pink eyes that now held a rare determined spark. Suddenly, as if realizing how close she was, she leaned back and let go of his hand. Her cheeks were flushed with a pale pink.

"Um...sorry. I didn't realize I was getting so close." She sighed in defeat, finally deciding to give up in her attempts. "Well, I guess if you don't want to go, I won't force you. So...I'll just go now..."

She was about to leave before Nagito grabbed her arm. "Wait!"

As she turned around, she was met with a gentle smile on his face. "I changed my mind. Going to the arcade with you will be my greatest pleasure, Nanami. After all, spending time with the Ultimate Gamer is truly an honor!"

Her cheeks were still a rosy pink as she flashed him her signature gentle smile. "I'm glad."

Nagito could never forget that smile. It was always full of a gentle kindness that was directed to everyone she was able to talk to. It was always beaming with such great hope and joy once she had started opening up to everyone in their class. That smile...she directed it at him with so much affection. Love that made him feel like he was actually worth something. That he was worthy of being called an Ultimate. That he was worthy of her...

It was probably the only recognizable feature of her bloodied corpse...

The memory of Chiaki Nanami is always playing in his mind. Everything about her still haunts him to this day. Her gentle pink eyes. Her bouncy mauve hair. Her kindness. Her tranquility. Her passion for video games. Her awkwardness. Her bluntness. Her aloofness. Everything! Every time he looks at her former hair clip, or remembers a trait of hers, or sees something that reminded him of her...he felt a hot stabbing pain in his heart. Like a knife that was dipped in fire was attempting to push through it, desperate to kill him. It was torture!

Sometimes, Nagito would find himself laying awake at night, being reminded of that day. One of the worst days of his life. Blood would paint his dreams as he remembered the cursed video that he was forced to watch and the bitch who made him watch it.

That day won’t leave his mind as if it was refusing to. The day that the embodiment of despair took away the only person who ever smiled at him. The she-devil herself. The representation of everything he despised. Nagito could never forget the gorgeous yet punchable face of Junko Enoshima. Chiaki Nanami’s murderer.

He felt hot tears filling his eyes as remembered Chiaki’s fate. He…still couldn’t believe it was real. He didn’t want to believe it was real. That Chiaki…the girl who was always kind to everyone. Who always saw the best in people. Who often slept during Ms. Yukizome’s lectures. The girl who stole his heart and made him fall in love with her. He didn’t want to believe that she was really gone.

‘Love….’ He thought back to that word. It felt so…foreign to him. Like he was on a different planet than that concept. Love. When was the last time he was given that? Possibly when his parents were alive, but it was difficult to remember. But, aside from that, he can’t really say that he had ever felt someone truly give him affection or comfort.

Until she arrived. Nagito had always remembered feeling special around her. He supposed it was because she had that effect on people. Even though she could bluntly say the wrong thing at the wrong time, she still treated everyone with compassion. And for some reason, he was never the exception. He still found her kind of weird for not making him an exception.

But, it never bothered him. He had gotten addicted to the affection, comfort, and love that she gave him, even if it was only platonic. Whenever she grabbed his hand, it always felt so gentle and soft against his, and it made him so glad that she actually wanted to touch him. Whenever she hugged him, he felt like nothing could ever hurt him anymore. There was a sense of safety and a comforting aura that she gave whenever he was in her arms. He remembered a time where she fell asleep on his shoulder after staying up the night before gaming. It drove him practically crazy when he felt her head on his shoulder.

It had taken him a while to realize how much he craved her. He craved her touch, her hugs, her warmth. It felt so freeing to realize that he was capable of feeling that way towards another person, and it filled him with so much hope. Of course, he was never intending on revealing those feelings, but, at least, he had someone who felt some sort of affection towards him.

And now…she’s gone. And he’s alone again. The one person who liked him…was pierced by multiple spears that claimed her life. And he couldn’t do anything but watch it all happen. For once, his luck didn’t save him. It couldn’t save her. It didn’t grant him what he wanted. No hope had come out of the despair that filled his eyes. And after that…it was a blur. All he knew was that he was another servant of Junko Enoshima, the twisted murderer who had brainwashed him and his whole class into falling into despair.

He still wanted to throw up every time he was reminded of the disgustingly vile feelings that she implanted into him. He still couldn’t believe that his heart, that was so devoted to hope, would love someone as full of despair as Junko. No, calling those feelings “love”….comparing them with his feelings for Chiaki….was an insult. It deserved to be called a word that was as sinful as those feelings, like obsession. He could never love Junko Enoshima. In fact, he despises her with every miserable part of his body. He still wishes she was alive so he could finally kill her himself!

Nagito took his eyes off the white hair clip in his hand and glared at the robotic hand that replaced the red-clawed hand that he previously had placed on his own arm. At least he finally got red of her awful hand, but the scars were still there. This metal hand that Kazuichi made him was a souvenir of what he had done and of the dead feelings he had towards Junko.

The tears that were swelling in his eyes began to slowly flow down his cheeks as he recalled everything that happened. Even though it was years ago, it still felt like it was only yesterday. “Forgive me, Nanami…please forgive me for giving into despair. Please…”

“Komaeda?” A voice called out from behind him. Nagito gasped as he lifted up his head and turned around. And there she was. Standing right there as if she’d never left. The same short mauve hair, the same gentle pink eyes, the same warm smile. It was her! She was alive! And standing right behind him!

“NANAMI!” He quickly got up and ran towards her, pulling her into an embrace. He shut his eyes tightly as tears fell onto her chest. “I’m so glad that you’re still alive! You’re still here! She didn’t kill you. Nanami, I never-”

“Komaeda…open your eyes…” The voice that interrupted him was different now. The soft voice of Chiaki Nanami had left.

Nagito followed the voice’s instructions and his heart was shattered as soon as he looked up at the heterochromic-eyed face of Hajime Hinata.

“W-what? B-but…she was right there! I saw her! She was…” Nagito’s voice faded away into nothingness as he realized what happened. That his protests were just as useless as his mind.

Hajime couldn’t look Nagito in the face as he snapped him back to reality, a sad expression on his face. “It was just your imagination, Komaeda…”

Nagito was silent for a moment, running a hand through his hair. Then…he let out a small hiccup-like laugh. “I…I really thought that Nanami was standing there. How delusional can I be? There’s…no way she’s alive. I saw her body…I went back to see it. And…”

Images of her corpse erupted in his mind. The multiple deep wounds that were scattered across her body, indicating where the spears had pierced her. The pool of blood that rested below her and painted the floor. Her glassy eyes…no longer having the usual warmth that they had always had.

Nagito fell to his knees, his expression unreadable. “Heh…forgive me, Hinata. I guess my useless mind was attempting to trick me with illusions of what I wanted to see. I apologize. Please, go back to what you were doing beforehand.”

“Actually, I came to check on you,” Hajime said, sitting right besides him. “Koizumi said that she saw you out there in the cold, and I was worried that you were…going to hurt yourself…”

Nagito let out a sour chuckle as he stared out into the ocean. “That’s not a bad idea, actually.” He got on his knees and began to crawl towards the freezing waters. As soon as his hands touched the water, he felt like ice was traveling across his whole body, trying to freeze him to death. “Maybe then…I can die peacefully and repay for everything that I’ve done….”

Hajime grabbed Nagito’s waist and pulled him away from the water. “Komaeda! Don’t do anything reckless! Please…she wouldn’t want you to do this. She wouldn’t want you to take your own life because of her. She…would want you to continue moving forward and try to be happy-”

“How can I do that, Hinata?!” Hajime immediately let go of Nagito the moment that he suddenly raised his voice at him. His eyes were widened as he saw Nagito glaring daggers at him, his usual carefree smile replaced with a desperate and mournful expression.

“You don’t understand how important she was to me! She knew how much of a lowly, talentless, worthless person I was! And yet…s-she still always smiled at me. She always was kind to me and gave me affection. I’ve never felt as strongly about anyone as I did with her! I’ve…never had someone love me like she did…”

Nagito looked down at the hairpin in between his pale fingers, more tears filling his sorrow-filled gray eyes. “And now…she’s gone. Enoshima killed her. And…I still feel like it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left her side down there. I shouldn’t have let her get killed. It…should’ve been me.”

Hajime placed two comforting hand on his shoulders, moving Nagito’s body to face him. “Komaeda, if you had died instead, she would’ve been heartbroken. She would’ve became a Remnant of Despair in your place. No good would’ve came out of it. Besides…you can’t blame yourself for what what Enoshima….what I…did.”

Nagito looked up at Hajime, who was looking at the sea. That’s right…before Chiaki had died, Hajime had been transformed into Izuru Kamukura. He was assisting Junko when she was carrying out her plan to bring the world to despair. He supposed that Hajime must’ve been feeling just as guilty-no, even more guilty- for Chiaki’s death.

“I don’t know how exactly you’re feeling right now, Komaeda,” Hajime admitted. “I’m not you. I don’t process things the same way you do, so there’s no way for me to know how exactly you’re feeling. But…she was important to me, too.” He smiled slightly. “She gave me her kindness as well. Even though I was just a Reserve Course Student. I…still don’t know why she did…”

Nagito let out a hiccup of laughter. “I’ve always thought that it was because she was just weird like that. I even said that to her once. She was so offended by that and gave me a whole five minutes of silent treatment.”

Hajime chuckled slightly at that, and for a moment, things felt lighthearted for a brief moment. But then, Hajime’s face fell into a saddened expression, tears filling his eyes. “She didn’t deserve to die…”

“Of course she didn’t…” Nagito agreed, looking down at the sand. “It feels like the world always takes the kindest or most hopeful people like her. I wish that my luck could do something about it. Turn back time or something, I dunno. I just…want her back…”

Tears rolled down Hajime’s cheeks. “Me too…”

“Actually…” Nagito held the hair clip up and traced it with his thumb, a sad smile resting on his face. “I never actually got a chance to tell her how I felt about her…I always told myself that I should keep it a secret. That trash like me didn’t deserve to confess my love to her and that she would never feel the same way. And before…I was okay with that. But, now���I regret it…so much. I should've just told her and taken a chance for our relationship to become something more. It’s one of the main things that I would’ve changed.”

For a while, there was nothing but silence. Though, Nagito didn’t mind, or even notice. He just stared at the white hairclip in his hand, reminiscing on his past mistakes. He didn’t mind the silence. It allowed for him to think. He was so focused on his own thoughts that he didn’t even notice the torn expression that Hajime worn.

“Actually, Komaeda…about that…” Hajime finally said, hesitating slightly. Nagito looked up from the hairclip to look at his friend, but he avoided his eyes as he stared up at the night sky. “Before Nanami died, she told me something while we were hanging out. She told me that…she had a crush on you.”

Nagito’s eyes widened as he tried to process what Hajime told him. “...what?”

Hajime nodded. “She felt the same way. She was planning on confessing soon, but…she never got the chance.”

Nagito didn’t know what to think. He didn’t even know how to feel about this. Chiaki shared the same feelings for him…he normally would’ve felt happy about this. But…she was gone. Nothing could ever be done about this.

And knowing that damning fact…finally broke the dam. Nagito buried his head in Hajime’s shoulder and broke down, sobbing heavily. Rivers and rivers of tears flowed down his cheek and soaked Hajime’s shirt. He couldn’t hold it back anymore. He couldn’t say anything. He couldn’t even think. All he could do was cry in his grief, gripping Hajime’s shirt tightly as he sobbed.

Hajime listened to Nagito’s desperate gasps of breath as he cried, surprised at how he took it. It was the first time that he had ever seen Nagito cry before, let alone full-on sob. Instead of saying anything, he took the hair clip that Chiaki always wore out of Nagito’s hand and placed it in his white hair. He then hugged Nagito tightly, joining in his grief as he recalled the memory. Of how Chiaki’s cheeks were a pale pink and her voice seemed sort of dreamy as she talked about her crush on Nagito. She looked so happy…and now…she was gone. Multiple tears dropped onto the sand as both of them wept through the night. 

[springtimemultishipper]

Komanami Week Day 4: In-game

Summary | When separating to go explore the Funhouse, Nagito wishes to go exploring with Chiaki. She decides to use this opportunity to try to get to understand him. However...he proves to be able to bring out so many emotions in her..

❥ Pairing | Nagito Komaeda x Chiaki Nanami

★ Word Count | 4,217 words

@c0rrupted-mov

*Wooo! I finally have Day 4 out! I'm so sorry this was late! Like I said, school is really trying to prevent me from posting these, but I made a commitment and I'm sticking to it. Now then, this entry is based on the interaction in the game where Nagito wants to explore the Funhouse with Chiaki in Chapter 4 since I found that there's potential for it. Hopefully, Day 5 would be up by tomorrow if I'm lucky. But, for now, grab some snacks and enjoy! And sorry if there's any errors.*

'This is competing with the Despair Disease for the weirdest motive ever...I think,' Chiaki thought as she stared the tacky strawberry-patterned walls of the funhouse. Yep, that's right. Funhouse. For some reason, Monokuma decided that the fourth motive for murder was to place them all in some sort of weird funhouse with the ugliest decor ever. Chiaki was now wondering if he was just simply having fun with his motives or if he was going insane. Then again, he was probably always insane. Regardless, they were trapped here now and everyone was making groups to go and explore the house.

“Well Miss Sonia, I guess it’s time we also…” Kazuichi called out to her. Chiaki turned towards him with a deadpanning expression on her face. For some reason...she had a feeling that he wasn't going to get what he wanted.

“Sonia already left with Tanaka,” Mechamaru said, deciding to immediately break it to him. Yep, she was right. Now, to see how badly Kazuichi takes this.

“...huh?” Kazuichi gasped, slumping with wide eyes.

“Awww, you got dumped,” Nagito teased with an awkward chuckle. A bead of sweat dripped down from Chiaki’s forehead. She doesn’t think dumped was the right way to describe it. To be dumped meant that Kazuichi had to be in a relationship with Sonia in the first place. But, she wasn’t going to point that out.

“I-idiot! I didn’t get dumped! Why would I get dumped?! In fact, I’m really popular!” Kazuichi yelled, deep in denial. Chiaki sighed. Yep. He didn’t really take this too well. She was starting to feel bad for him at this point. She made a mental note to try to talk to him and have him deal with his “Sonia issues” later.

“Now then, I think it’s time for me to get going too, so…” Nagito’s voice trailed off for a second as he turned his head to Chiaki. “Nanami, would you like to go together?”

“....Me?” She questioned, tilting her head. This was…unexpected to say the least. She definitely wasn’t the first person that she would’ve expected Nagito to want to team up with. She wondered if he had some sort of secret reason for wanting to go with her specifically. Maybe he trusted that she could find clues quickly or maybe he wanted to try to figure out what her “hope” is? She doesn’t want to immediately jump to the conclusion that he was already planning something, but she knew that Nagito’s reasons were probably not that simple. After all, he has shown time and time again that he can be a very cunning and calculating guy, and his motivations are never that simple…

“I haven’t really had the chance to talk to you, so I thought this was a great opportunity…” he told her, answering her internal questions as if he could sense them..

‘…or his reason could be as straightforwardly innocent as that,’ Chiaki thought, suddenly feeling like a huge idiot. She supposed it was her karma for immediately assuming that he was up to something.. Well, she supposed it wouldn’t be that bad to explore with him. Yes, she may have to keep her guard up, but she doubts that he’ll try something immediately. So, there was no harm in giving him a bit of her trust.

Chiaki smiled slightly as she played with her hair. Plus…it was slightly flattering to know that Nagito wants to spend time with her…While a part of her is a little embarrassed to admit it, her heart was practically fluttering at all the possibilities that spending some time with Nagito could bring. Of course, she was mostly looking forward to a chance to possibly be able to understand Nagito, but still…she couldn’t help but be weirdly excited to explore the funhouse alone with him!

“Then…take me with you, too,” Kazuichi interrupted her thoughts, knocking all the possibilities to the water. “Three people is okay, right?”

Chiaki snapped herself out of her imagination by facepalming. ‘Get it together, Chiaki…you have more important things to worry about now.’ Although…she would be lying if she said that a small frown didn’t find its way to her face when Kazuichi made his suggestion.

“Huh? That’s fine, but…” Tension began to fill the air the moment that Nagito made his next sentence with a gentle smile. “Oh I get it! Soda’s trying to avoid Hinata!”

After Nagito let those troublesome rumor-like words escape his lips, hell broke loose. Chiaki felt her blood turn cold as she witnessed Hajime and Kazuichi arguing over the former’s trustworthiness. Kazuichi was saying stuff about them not knowing the real Hajime and how his personality could easily shift if or when he revealed himself as the traitor, like Mikan’s did in the previous trial. Hajime seemed so hurt by Kazuichi’s lack of trust in him, and Chiaki felt a wave of guilt wash over her as the topic of the traitor was brought up again. However, all she could do was watch.

“I’m sorry Hajime…I really do want to trust you…” Kazuichi said before turning away from him. “...But I just can’t yet. That’s why I’m going with Nanami...It’s not like…I want to go with Komaeda either.”

Hajime didn’t say anything to do that, and, instead, just glared at the ground. Kazuichi walked over to where Nagito and Chiaki were standing.

“If that’s the case, it is what it is,” Nagito shrugged. “Why don’t you come along with us, Soda?”

“Ah, but…” Chiaki shot Hajiime a concerned look as her sentence died down in her throat.

 “It’s fine, Nanami…” he reassured, though his tone didn’t really convey that message. “Just go…”

Once again, guilt spread across Chiaki’s body as she looked at the depressed look on Hajime’s face. She knew that Hajime wasn’t the traitor…she knew who it actually was. But, the truth was caught in her throat. She wanted to scream that she was the traitor and explain everything, but…she couldn’t. All she could do was give Hajime a look of sympathy as the key to getting everyone to trust each other clogged itself in her voice…

“Ok…” she finally said. “I’ll see you later.” She left Hajime standing there with Mechamaru as she, Nagito, and Kazuichi went down the stairs into the first floor. And once again…Chiaki was met with more tacky strawberry-patterned red walls that burned her eyes. Somebody really needed to teach Monokuma about interior design.

“Well, I suppose we better start looking around,” Nagito said cheerfully as he swept the floor. Chiaki didn’t say anything. She didn’t really feel like talking to neither him nor Kazuichi right now. Her eyes narrowed as she glared up at the hideous red walls of the funhouse. She couldn’t believe what happened earlier. Did Kazuichi really find it hard to trust Hajime? After everything they've been through as a team? Logically, she understands why he’s so hesitant. After all, they were, unfortunately, in an environment where even placing an ounce of trust in the wrong person could get you killed. Plus, after what happened with Mikan the last trial…it would be hard to trust anyone after that. But still…it was frustrating to see Kazuichi immediately fall for the idea that Hajime couldn’t be trusted. Didn’t anyone understand that they needed to work together to get out of here?

And Nagito…what was even the point of bringing it up? There was no reason for him to benefit from suggesting that Hajime was the traitor, so why did he? Did he…really believe it? Or was he just trying to stir up trouble? Chiaki could feel her fists clenching just from trying to figure out how his confusing head works. The moment she thinks she is starting to peg down his logic patterns and figure him out, he plays another card and leaves her back at level 1. It was a constant cycle! And on top of that…Chiaki was being reminded of those weird feelings that she felt when Nagito first asked her to go with him. That fluttering of her heart. Being flattered. That excitement from the idea of being alone with him. It all added to the equation of confusion.

Well, at least, she supposed that it was good that she and Nagito weren’t alone together. Things may have been really awkward then…though…she was still disappointed that Kazuichi was with them. 

Chiaki sighed, rubbing her temple. Nagito Komaeda really brought out a lot of her emotions, didn’t he?

“Hey, Nanami, did I make you upset?” A raspy voice whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. She jumped slightly and turned around to see Nagito right behind her, a curious expression on her face. Speaking of the devil…

“You didn’t have to make people distrust Hinata by saying he’s the traitor,” Chiaki told him, crossing her arms. “Because it’s not true.”

“How do you know that?” Nagito questioned, smiling slightly. “When it comes to pre-existing information about him, there’s hardly any to dig into. We don’t even know about his Ultimate Talent. Surely, that has to be suspicious, right?”

‘I know because I’m the traitor…’ Instead of saying that, Chiaki just shook her head. “There’s no solid evidence of Hinata being the traitor. I think suspicion isn’t the same as certainty. So, considering that he’s my friend, I’m going to choose to trust him.”

Nagito didn’t say anything and, instead, turned away from Chiaki to observe the wall some more. Was it just her imagination…or was his usually carefree face looking a little sour right now?

“Well, I didn’t ask to partner with you to talk about whether or not Hinata’s the traitor,” Nagito said, forcefully changing the subject. “I want to get to know you, Nanami! Soda’s moved to another part of the first floor to find Sonia-I mean-explore! So, we have time to ourselves.”

Chiaki played with the sleeve of her jacket, her heart pounding. So, much for being grateful about not being alone with Nagito. Still, she shouldn’t let things get awkward. She looked up and nodded. “There’s a lot of things that I want to know about you, Komaeda. So, I guess there won’t be any harm in talking.”

Nagito grinned, keeping steady eye contact with her. “That’s what I like to hear, Nanami.”

Chiaki felt her pulse quicken slightly as Nagito’s gray eyes bore into her own pink ones, but she forced her expression to remain neutral. If she wanted to get any information out of Nagito, she had to remain calm. Not let any opportunities for him to catch her off guard slip in.

“There was something that I was wondering for a while now, Komaeda…” Chiaki said, walking away as she continued investigating. “You keep talking about wanting to side with hope whenever we’re in trials, but I’ve never really understood what that meant. One moment you would be helping us find the killer, and then the next, we find out that you were involved with the case somehow. So…what exactly do you get by playing double-agent?”

Nagito grinned at her, clearly showing excitement towards her curiosity. “Well…it’s rather complicated to explain, Nanami. So, it would be better if I just…described how important hope is to me. Nanami, would you describe it as a positive feeling? I mean, it allows us to be motivated to achieve so much more. When we have hope, we’re able to reach happiness, our goals, and it’s the moving factor that gets us through the darkest despair. That’s true, right?”

“Um…yes?” Chiaki raised an eyebrow. She definitely thought that Nagito was kind of exaggerating a bit, but she did admit that he kind of had a point. But…where is he going with this?

“Well, wouldn’t you agree that someone who does something in the name of hope, even murder, deserves some sort of praise?” His eyes darkened as he circled her like a panther surrounding its prey, that massive grin still resting on his face. “After all, the person who did that clearly was exhibiting it. They were willing to risk everything they had in order to hold on to the possibility of achieving their goal in the end. Their hope was so strong that they never gave up. And in the end, if they work hard enough, hope wins, like it always does. I just find that so admirable and amazing!”

Chiaki’s eyes widened as she stared at Nagito with a baffled look on her face. He seemed to notice her silence because he stopped circling her, instead gliding over to stand in front of her. “So…adding onto what I said, there are constant clashes between where a stronger hope devours the weaker hope. It’s like a fighting game. One hope is up against others and each is trying to win the match. Each hope is constantly giving everything they got to crush the others, using whatever attacks they have access to. However…only one can make it to the top. So, one hope is constantly leveling up and getting stronger by defeating despair while the others are getting crushed by it. Eventually, that hope wins, proving itself to be worthy of becoming an absolute hope that can overcome any despair. Do you follow?”

Chiaki was silent for a moment as she processed what Nagito was saying. Honestly, she was grateful that he used a video game analogy to try to explain his weird beliefs because if he didn’t, she probably wouldn’t have been able to understand it as easily. Could it be that he predicted that she needed help figuring out what he was saying? Regardless, it helped her wrap her head around the insane concept slightly.

“So…if I’m getting this right,” Chiaki glanced up with a thoughtful hand on the bottom of her chin. “You’re saying that you just want to help someone’s hope become as strong as it can possibly be…and you don’t care if they’re the blackened or not…because you just want to see their hope shine so brightly to the point of defeating despair? And…if I take this theory further…you’re trying to cause despair to see who can overcome it?”

Nagito smiled brightly. “Wow! That’s exactly it! I didn’t expect anyone to finally understand what I’m getting at. You’re clearly a sharp person, Nanami, worthy of becoming a Symbol of Hope.”

Chiaki held a hand up to stop him. “I didn’t say I understood you. I just translated what you were saying to something that was more understandable. Actually, I personally think there are a few flaws in your logic.”

“Oh?” Nagito raised his eyebrow as he tilted his head playfully at her. “Well, I’m always interested in hearing what you have to say, Nanami, so go ahead!”

Chiaki nodded. “Firstly, what you’re describing to me…it’s making me think that you’re looking for the wrong hope. What kind of hope is one that involves hurting others? If anything, the hope you’re seeking almost sounds like some sort of evil version of it…I think.”

Nagito sighed. “I didn’t expect someone to sympathize with trash like me, but you have to at least see how full of hope, say, Hanamura was. He was so desperate to see his mother and diner again, and his hope was clearly burning inside him. Even if he was attempting to deny our situation, I could sense it. So…I decided to set up a little trap for him to pursue it…though it didn’t go exactly as I planned since Hanamura clearly wasn’t worthy of being a Symbol of Hope. What a shame...Anyways, to answer your question, I don’t think there’s a difference between a good hope or an evil one. It’s still hope that I want to help someone grow and become strong enough to be considered the Ultimate Hope, no matter who they are!”

“Ultimate Hope?” Chiaki questioned, her mind spinning as she listened to him. “What do you mean by that?”

A small sly smile crept onto Nagito’s face. “Why, it’s the title for whoever has the strongest hope. The hope that’s powerful enough to accomplish anything that they want to achieve and is worthy of defeating any kind of despair out there! That’s what I’m hoping to find! There’s a person out there that’s worthy of that title, and I want to help them achieve it!”

As he talked, Nagito’s eyes seemed to twist with his insane and corrupt ideologies. They swirled like spirals as he grinned at Chiaki, his gaze making her want to run away. His eyes…they looked the same as they did back in the first trial. Like a cruel mix of hope and despair…

Still, Chiaki wouldn’t run. She’s finally getting Nagito to open up slightly about his motivations and she wasn’t about to give up because she was intimidated by him. She gripped on the straps of her backpack tightly as she formed her next sentence.

“You have a passion towards this subject, I see…” she said, hesitation creeping into her voice. “But…for someone who loves hope so much, you’re pretty ignorant about the hopes of the rest of us.”

This seemed to catch Nagito off guard slightly as he gasped and leaned forward, interested. “Oh? What do you mean by that, Nanami?”

Normally, Chiaki would’ve probably backed up. But…this time was different. This time…she was so close to getting answers. So, instead, she stepped forward, causing her face to now be just inches away from his. “Do you even know what my hope was?”

“Huh?” Nagito seemed to be caught off guard with her question, but he quickly shook it off as he smiled. “Not yet…but I’m hoping to find out…”

“Don’t worry,” Chiaki said, her smile as sweet as the strawberries on the wall. “My hope…was for us to all leave together. As friends. But…”

Her voice faded away for a moment as images of each death flashed in her mind. She wrapped her arms around her and stared at the ground, avoid looking Nagito in the eye. “…I couldn’t achieve it. So many people have already died here, Komaeda….I wanted to try to keep everyone alive after Togami and Hanamura died. I didn’t want any more murders to happen, and I promised myself that I wouldn’t let it happen…but…”

Her body shook slightly. She hadn’t really let it sink in until now, but…seven people are dead. They’re gone. And they’re never returning to them. Chiaki felt her lip quiver as her body seemed to want to fall onto the floor. Seven people…dead…and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. Despite her goals and her reasons for being here, she couldn’t stop them from dying. She felt useless, being trapped in this funhouse until someone dies…unable to do anything. And even worse, her friends were fighting amongst themselves because of her…because she won’t reveal herself as the traitor…it was all her fault…

“N-Nanami…” Nagito’s voice grew soft, full of concern. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders. “Are you…crying?”

For a moment, she had forgotten where she was, what she was doing, and who was standing in front of her. She hadn’t even realized it until now, but with a touch of her cheek, she could feel the wetness against her skin. Huh..guess she was feeling more emotional than she initially thought. Those deaths must’ve had a toll on her after all. She smiled slightly. So much for keeping calm…

“Sorry,” she quickly wiped her eyes. “I lost myself there. What I’m trying to say is that…my hope is now crushed. Doesn’t that go against everything you’re for?”

Nagito glanced over to the side, not saying anything for a few minutes. Chiaki was pleased to see that she got him thinking…at least slightly. That must mean…maybe there’s hope for Nagito after all. Maybe he isn’t as twisted as he portrays himself as?

Nagito chuckled slightly. “I’m sorry, Nanami…that scum like me has crushed your hope. I never wanted to do that. But, I think it’s good. For you to be feeling some despair right now. After all, the despair will be-”

“A stepping stone to my hope,” Chiaki finished, glaring at him. “Yeah, I know what you’re going to say. And I don’t really want to hear it right now. So please…be quiet.”

While her voice still had the same soft tone that it always had, there seemed to be venom dripping down from her words. A silent anger directed at Nagito, one that wanted to poison him. To strike him down that very moment as revenge for crushing her hope. It wasn’t even what she intended to sound like, but she felt angry that, for a split second, she thought that he cared… And once he started saying all that stuff, her emotions seeped through her actions. It was weird for her and not following her usual behavior.

However, that silent anger seemed to have its benefits as Nagito immediately stopped talking. He immediately got his hands off her shoulder and just crossed his arms as he watched her finish wiping the tears off her face. The air was tense as the silence filled the whole room, and nobody made a sound for what felt like hours. Until finally…

“Are…you okay?” A soft voice came out of Nagito as he reached a hesitating hand towards her.

Chiaki finished wiping her tears away and faced him with her usual aloof expression. “Yeah. I’m fine. Sorry, I just let my emotions get the better of me for a minute.”

Nagito chuckled. “Well…despite you getting angry at me, I can’t help but feel that this experience has made you stronger…But, I am sorry for all of this, Nanami. I can tell that, despite the fact that you hardly show your despair, you are truly heartbroken by their deaths. And..I’m sorry for that.”

Chiaki shrugged it off, ignoring the throbbing pain that had suddenly bruised her heart. “It’s fine…I’m trying to keep going for them after all. Because…if we can’t all escape the island together, then I want to, at least, keep going and protect everyone else for the sake of the people who died…”

“So…that’s your new hope?”

She paused for a moment, slumping slightly as she considered what Nagito said. Then, she gave a slight nod. “I suppose…it hurts…but it would hurt more if I spent all my time crying instead of trying to escape.”

Nagito smiled, placing his hand back on her shoulder. “Then our talk was a success. You still have so much hope shining inside. That’s all I want, Nanami! But…if you want my advice…” He gazed into her eyes, and, for the first time, Chiaki noticed that they were filled with concern and…maybe guilt? “Allow yourself to grieve and don’t try to bottle up all those emotions…we wouldn’t want that hope inside burning up, would we?”

Chiaki remained silent, moving her eyes away from Nagito’s. He seemed to notice her discomfort because he then backed up. “Heh, it seems like you’re still angry. I apologize for touching you and causing you to cry in the presence of trash like me. To make up for it…if I’m able to…I’ll try to assist you in achieving your hope. I can’t make any promises that I’ll be able to do much, but I’ll try.”

For the first time since they started investigating together, Chiaki smiled. “I…appreciate that, Komaeda. You know…despite the fact that your ideas of hope are clearly corrupt…I don’t think you’re a bad person.”

Nagito’s eyes widened. “What?”

“I think…you do bad things. But…I wonder if this is because of this killing game, and if you are a different person in a different situation. So…I’m choosing to believe that deep down inside, you’re a good person. A good person with corrupt morals…but I think you have a reason for your beliefs…”

“That’s…” Nagito hesitated for a moment, allowing Chiaki to continue.

“You don’t have to tell me right now if you don’t want to…but, maybe I can find out one day.” She shrugged. “For now, I’m going to try to protect you, too, and find your hope. Because…you’re definitely not trash, Komaeda. Just because you have a talent that you don’t think is as good as ours doesn’t mean that you’re worthless. Besides, being the Ultimate Lucky Student is a good talent even if talent did matter. So, you’re just as important as the rest of us.”

For a moment, Nagito was rendered silent, staring at Chiaki with eyes as wide as the strawberries on the wall. Then, he laughed, but it wasn’t one of those maniacal laughs he gave when talking about hope. It was…gentle. More human. Like he was laughing at a joke she made.

“You truly are a naive person, Chiaki Nanami. Kind…yet naive. It’s honestly cute..”

Chiaki felt her cheeks heat up at his cute comment, but she crossed her arms and gave him a knowing look. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am naive. But, I’m able to hold on to hope because I try to be positive. I’m able to solve the class trials because I want to believe in others.” She walked over to him, placing a hand on his arm. “And because I'm “kind yet naive,” I’m able to understand you better.”

With that, Chiaki left to finally get back to investigating the funhouse, leaving Nagito standing there, stunned, with his face burning a bright scarlet red.