Chapter Text
July 17, 2012
As soon as class was dismissed, Hajime made his way outside and into the summer sun. Nanami was by the fountain as usual, eyes glued to her GameGirl. He raised the packet of paper in his hand with a triumphant wave, even though he wasn’t expecting her to look up. It felt good to hold them up regardless.
“Hey, Hinata,” she said as he approached. “How was your last day of finals?”
“Good,” he said, and actually meant it to a certain degree. He’d been in good spirits all day, despite the grueling hours of testing he’d just endured. “I got the assistant position.”
“You did?” Nanami’s eyebrows raised. Her eyes remained focused on the screen, but he knew she was listening. “That’s amazing. I was really hoping you’d be able to come with us.”
“Yeah. I found out this morning.” He looked down at the packet again. There were at least fifteen pages of instructions, permission slips, and schedules, and he was actually eager to read through all of it. He hadn’t felt this excited since he’d gotten his acceptance letter from Hope’s Peak Academy. “It feels like they were kind of cutting it close. You’re leaving in a few days.”
“ We’re leaving,” Nanami corrected him with a smile. “I guess they had a lot of applications to consider.”
Hajime nodded. Nearly everyone in the Reserve Course had been talking about it since the school trip had been announced. In a way, this position was more competitive than getting into the Reserve Course in the first place. Out of the hundreds of Reserve Course students, only one of them would be accompanying Class 77-B on the trip.
“This is a good sign, right? That they picked me?”
“Definitely. Now I’ll have someone to play games with on the flight. It’s a pretty long way to Norway, I think.”
“Eighteen hours. We’ll probably have a layover somewhere in Europe,” Hajime said. Nanami already knew how much this meant to him—there was no point in pretending that he hadn’t done obsessive research about the trip.
“See? You’re already doing a great job as our assistant.” Nanami finished a complicated-looking attack combo in her game and nudged him with her elbow. “I can’t wait for you to meet the others. I think they’ll all really like you.”
His stomach swooped at the thought of meeting the other Ultimates. He knew all of them by name and talent, but he’d never spoken to any of them directly.
“You don’t think they’ll mind that I’m coming along with you guys?”
“Nope. Well, maybe some, but that’s okay. Most of my classmates are really nice.” Nanami reached a save point and looked up from the screen. “We’re having an end-of-semester party tomorrow night. You should come.”
The falling sensation in his stomach intensified. “Really? Is that okay?”
“It only makes sense if you’re going to be spending the next couple of weeks with us. I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
Nanami seemed so eager that he couldn’t help but relax a little. It was true that he was going to have to get to know everyone eventually.
“Alright, then.”
“Good.” She turned back to her GameGirl, apparently satisfied. “Wanna play a round of Gala Omega ?”
July 18, 2012
Hajime took a deep breath to calm his nerves as he approached the Main Course building. Its shadowed figure loomed over him, all polished brick and glass ribbed with steel. The Reserve Course building was technically newer, but it was a squat rectangle of uniform classrooms. It lacked the state-of-the-art facilities housed in the Main Course building—facilities he’d dreamed of but never seen in person.
Nanami pushed open the door as he drew closer and waved him over. He had no way to get inside himself, so she’d texted him to come through the back door so she could let him in.
“Hey, hey. You’re right on time.”
“I wanted to make a good impression.” Hajime straightened his tie. He’d gone for a short-sleeved button-up instead of his Reserve Course uniform.
“There is no shame in being ‘fashionably late,’” said a musical voice, and he realized Nanami wasn’t alone.
A pretty blonde girl was standing inside the doorway, and she brightened as he walked through.
“You must be Hinata. It is wonderful to finally meet you. Nanami has had many good things to say about you.” She gave him a small bow. “My name is Sonia Nevermind, but please just refer to me as Sonia.”
Hajime only barely remembered to return the greeting. Even up close, Sonia embodied the grace and elegance one would expect from a princess.
“I’ll introduce you to everyone else in a little.” Nanami grabbed his wrist and pulled him down the hallway. “We just set up Mario Kart, and I want to get a round in before Souda and Owari hog the controllers.”
“I would like to play as well.” Sonia fell into step beside them, her shoes clicking on the tile. “I had a few opportunities to play video games over winter break, and I believe I no longer qualify as a ‘noob.’”
“Great. You can play with me and Hinata.” Nanami was practically dragging him up the stairs.
They went up to the third floor. The whole building was quiet, the lights dimmed. It was after school hours, and most students had gone home for summer break. Hajime craned his neck to try and catch a glimpse inside the classrooms, but Nanami didn’t allow for any detours as she guided him to a door labeled ‘Rec Room.’
The room beyond was crowded. There was music playing a little too loud from a speaker somewhere, almost drowning out the chirping sound effects coming from the TV in the corner. The table in the center of the room was littered with snacks and discarded cups.
“New guy alert!” A girl with dyed hair bounced into his personal space before he could fully take in the scene. “You’re the roadie, right? My name’s Ibuki Mioda.” She mimed holding out a microphone. “Now, what do you know about carrying guitar cases?”
“I— What?” Hajime blinked. He didn’t even know what a roadie was. It might have sounded offensive coming from anyone else’s mouth.
“Please, Mioda,” Sonia said. “Hinata is assisting us in an administrative capacity. It would be insulting to expect him to perform manual labor on our behalf.”
Mioda tapped her chin, a piercing glinting just below her lip. “So you’re more like a manager, gotcha. Cool beans! You can help me organize my sheet music.”
His brow furrowed. “That’s not—”
“Kidding!” She winked and turned her attention to Nanami. “Hey, come on! I saved you a spot so I can kick your butt at Mario Kart.”
“You’re on.” Nanami’s eyes lit up, and she took off with Mioda towards the TV.
Hajime turned to Sonia, a little flustered that she’d spoken up for him. “How did you know about what I’m meant to be doing as an assistant?”
“Our teacher explained it to us,” Sonia said, gently guiding him into the room so they weren’t awkwardly standing in the doorway. “I suppose the school expects us to be busy with interviews and demonstrations, so some extra assistance would certainly be helpful.”
“Have you been to Norway before?”
“Several times.” Her expression brightened. “It can be quite cold, so I am glad we are going in the summer. I have always wanted to visit Vardø, but it is on the other side of the country from Oslo, so I do not think I will have the opportunity this time.”
“What makes you interested in…” Hajime decided against attempting to pronounce the foreign name. “...That place?”
“It has a long and storied history, but my main interest is in the witchcraft trials of the seventeenth century.”
“Witchcraft?”
“Of course, there are many valid questions as to the accuracy of accounts of witchcraft, but don’t you think it’s fascinating that historical women may have been capable of such fantastical deeds?”
“I’ve honestly never really thought about it.”
“Of course.” Sonia’s laugh was slightly stilted. “Forgive me if I’ve bored you with my talk of small Norwegian municipalities.”
“Not at all.” Hajime felt his cheeks flush as he realized how unenthusiastic he’d sounded. “Sorry. I guess I don’t really know how to talk to a princess.”
“Please do not let my status affect your perception of me.” The earnestness returned to her expression. “I would be happy if you were to treat me as you would any of your other classmates.”
She wasn’t, though. Royalty or not, she was an Ultimate.
“Let’s go see how the others are doing at Mario Kart,” he said. “You wanted a chance to play, right?”
“Indeed.” Sonia raised her chin as they crossed the room towards the TV. “I am fully prepared to pwn my competitors.”
Nanami and Mioda were sitting in front of the screen, controllers in hand. Next to them were a blonde girl and a boy with dyed pink hair. Hajime caught the blonde’s hand dart over to mash the buttons on the boy’s controller.
“Stop!” He yanked the controller away, but not before his kart careened off the side of the track. “Hey, can someone disqualify Saionji for cheating?”
“Your reflexes just suck.” Saionji’s devious grin turned into a scowl as her kart spun out. “Whose fucking banana peel was that?”
“Get peeled!” Mioda pumped her fist.
“You guys should be focusing on the real threat instead of fighting each other,” Nanami said.
“Wouldn’t that be you?” Hajime said, noting that she was in first place.
“Oh. I guess so.” Without taking her eyes off the screen, Nanami reached back to tug on his pants leg. “Hey, can you go get me a strawberry Ramune? I’ll give you my controller once the race is over.”
“Yeah, sure thing. Just don’t beat them before I get back.” He turned away and headed for the table where the refreshments were. He reached for an unopened bottle of Ramune and paused as another outstretched hand bumped into his own. “Sorry.”
“My apologies,” the other boy said at the same time. He straightened and looked Hajime over. His expression went from mildly pleasant to unreadable. “Are you lost?”
“...No?” Hajime sized him up in return. He was far from unremarkable, with his slim figure and shock of pale hair, but Hajime was having trouble remembering his name or talent. “I was just grabbing a drink for my friend.”
“Ah, you seem to be confused.” His smile was friendly, but a touch patronizing at the same time. “This party is for Class 77-B of the Main Course. We didn’t invite any Reserve Course students. We certainly didn’t advertise that just anyone could come in here and help themselves to refreshments.”
Hajime stared at him for a moment, heat creeping up his neck. Out of all the times he’d imagined meeting the other Ultimates, something like this was definitely on the worst-case end of the spectrum. But Nanami had seemed so relaxed, and Sonia had been so kind, and for a few minutes he’d thought he was in the clear.
The boy continued smiling at him. “I hope you’re able to find your way to the door. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
He reached for the Ramune bottle, and Hajime finally remembered his name. Nagito Komaeda, the Ultimate Lucky Student. He had no talent, but he’d been invited into the Main Course anyway. He’d been an intense source of jealousy for Hajime two years ago, when the sting of losing the lottery had still been fresh in his mind.
Komaeda, of all people, was telling him he had no right to be here.
Hajime snatched up the Ramune before Komaeda could grab it. “Nanami invited me here, actually,” he said, not bothering to hide the hostility in his tone. “And I was chosen as the assistant for your class trip, so you should probably get used to me being around.”
“I see.” The fingers of Komaeda’s outstretched hand flexed before returning to his side. “In that case, I apologize for making assumptions. You clearly know what you’re doing here.”
“Okay.” He relaxed a little. “Good.”
Still smiling, Komaeda reached into his pocket and held out a dirty, crumpled napkin. “Now, be a good assistant and put this in the trash, would you?”
July 19, 2012
Hajime was still yawning as he walked across the tarmac the next morning. The bus to the airport had departed from Hope’s Peak at five A.M. for their eight o’clock flight. Between how late the party had gone and his excitement over the trip, he’d barely gotten any sleep last night.
Souda whistled and stretched his arms above his head as they approached the small, sleek plane sitting on the tarmac. “A private jet? Man, Hope’s Peak really sprung for us this time.”
“It seems a little extra.” Koizumi pulled her sweater tighter around her torso. Even though it was summer, the early morning air was brisk. “It’s not like we’re going to a really remote location. We could have taken a regular airline.”
He grinned and folded his hands behind his head. “Maybe they just wanna give us the VIP treatment. They gotta make a good impression if they wanna open a branch in Europe.”
Hajime finally decided to stop eavesdropping and fell into step beside the pair. “Uh, here. I’m supposed to hand everyone their boarding passes before we get on the plane.”
Souda and Koizumi took their respective documents, and the latter held out her hand. “I can give Saionji hers, too. I need to zip up her bag, anyway.”
Hajime handed her another boarding pass, and Koizumi jogged up the line to where Saionji was munching on a pack of gummies, oblivious to the unzipped pocket of her backpack.
“So, what do you think?” Souda slung an arm around his shoulder, startling him. “You excited for this trip?”
“Yeah, I am. I only found out I was going a couple days ago, so this is all moving kind of fast.”
“Sweet!” His grip tightened a little. “By the way, I saw you talking to Sonia last night, and I just wanted to let you know she’s spoken for.”
“Oh.” Hajime resisted the urge to pull away. He was afraid that would only make him look guilty. “You guys are dating?”
“Well, no. But I’m gonna ask her out soon.” Souda let go of him and grinned, giving him a full view of his sharp teeth. “Just thought I’d give you a heads up.”
Hajime glanced around for an escape, but Nanami was sharing a pair of earbuds with Mioda, both of them listening intently to something. “I mean, I just met Sonia, and I don’t have any interest in her that way, so—”
“Good.” Souda patted him on the shoulder, and this time the gesture was less threatening and more friendly. “Hey, I bet there are a ton of hot blondes in Norway. I wonder if they’ll let me spend a semester in European Hope’s Peak so I can check them out.”
He decided not to ask how that would work if he planned to ask Sonia out. “It’s not actually going to be a European Hope’s Peak. The school is just sharing their model with another organization so they can try to adapt it.”
“You actually read that big packet of paper?” Souda blinked at him.
Multiple times. “I mean, it’s kind of my job to know what’s going on.”
“Right on.” He grinned at someone on Hajime’s other side. “Miss Yukizome, you picked a pretty good assistant.”
Yukizome smiled. Despite the early hour, her eyes were bright and her ponytail bounced with energy. “It wasn’t my decision, but I agree that Hinata has been helpful so far. Speaking of, would you mind helping load the luggage into the plane? There’s not much of a crew besides the two pilots.”
Hajime remembered what Sonia had said last night about manual labor, then shrugged. He couldn’t exactly reject a request from a teacher. “Sure. I’ll catch you later, Souda.”
“Seeya.”
He followed Yukizome to the plane and handed out the last of the boarding passes, then started lifting luggage into the side compartment. Thankfully the plane wasn’t too high off the ground, but lifting the suitcases was enough for him to break a sweat.
He grunted as he attempted to lift Mioda’s suitcase, which was plastered in so many stickers he wasn’t sure what color it had been originally. “What the hell is in here?”
“Oops, Ibuki wasn’t sure what amp to pack so she took two.” Mioda grabbed the other end of the suitcase and lifted it with a surprising amount of strength.
“Amps?” He shoved the bag into the compartment.
“Short for ampersand. Because I took two!” She flashed him a peace sign and skipped up the steps to the plane.
“Thanks for helping with this.” Nanami was next, passing him a pink suitcase which was also plastered with stickers. “I’ll save you a seat on the plane, okay?”
“Thanks.” He lifted her bag and was relieved to find she hadn’t packed her larger gaming consoles. It didn’t feel that way, at least.
After stopping Owari from bodily throwing her bag into the plane and receiving half a dozen warnings from Koizumi to handle her photography equipment carefully, he took a moment to stop and shake out his arms. It looked like that was pretty much everyone, except…
“I apologize for the inconvenience, but I’ve changed my mind. I won’t be able to go on the trip with the rest of you.”
Yukizome sighed and tilted her head at Komaeda, who still had his suitcase tucked by his side. “This is really last minute. What brought this on?”
Hajime tried not to scowl as he busied himself with stowing his own luggage. If Komaeda didn’t want to come, he certainly wasn’t going to stop him. Their interaction at the party last night had left a bad taste in his mouth, even though everyone else had been (mostly) nice.
“I realized that I don’t exactly have a place on this trip. After all, everyone else is going so they can demonstrate their talents for the educational board. My own talent is hardly worth anyone’s time or attention. I’d simply be dead weight.” Komaeda’s eyes flickered in Hajime’s direction. He clenched his jaw.
“You’re as much a part of Class 77 as anyone else, Komaeda.” Yukizome placed a hand on his shoulder. “This trip wouldn’t be the same without you.”
Komaeda smiled, but it had none of the false amicability from last night. The expression looked wrong on his face, like a poorly-made toy doll. “That’s precisely what concerns me.”
Yukizome turned, seeming to remember they weren’t alone. “Hinata, you can join the others on the plane now. I’ll take care of the last couple of bags. Thank you for your help.”
“Um, sure.” Hajime walked past them and up the stairs, resolutely avoiding Komaeda’s gaze.
The inside of the plane was as rowdy as an unattended classroom. Hanamura and Saionji were bickering loudly about something. Mioda was playing a song from a small speaker and trying to goad the others into a call-and-response game. Hajime narrowly avoided a couple of Tanaka’s hamsters as they jumped from one seat to another and made his way down the aisle.
Nanami was in the back, and she stood up as he approached. “Could you take the window seat? I don’t want the glare to get on my screen.”
Hajime smiled as he slid into the seat. “I think you’re the only person in history to give up a window seat on a plane.”
“Oh, is that not common? I’ve never flown before.”
“I’ve only done it once.” He settled into the seat. It was wider and softer than the last time he’d been in a plane. “My parents and I went on a trip to Hokkaido.”
Nanami began tapping on her GameGirl again. “What about Costa Rica?”
“What?”
“You did that study abroad trip in Costa Rica last year.”
“Oh. Right.” He blinked. “So I guess this is my third time flying.”
He glanced out the window. Komaeda and Yukizome were still deep in discussion. She still had a hand on his shoulder, but his whole posture had gone rigid. Even from a distance, Hajime could see how wide his eyes had gone. He wished he could hear what they were saying.
“Hey, hey.” Nanami elbowed him in the side. “I just finished this level. Wanna play Gala Omega?”
“Yeah, sure.” He turned away from the window and reached into his backpack. He didn’t actually care what Komaeda’s deal was, he just didn’t want their trip to get held up.
They played a few rounds, comfortable in their corner of the plane, until a gentle chime sounded from the overhead speakers.
“ Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts. We will be taking off shortly. ”
Hajime glanced up in time to see Komaeda coming down the aisle. He slid into the last available seat, the one across from his and Nanami’s.
Great. He shot him a wary glance, but Komaeda didn’t even seem to notice him, sitting with his hands folded in his lap and his gaze focused on the back of the seat in front of him.
“Is Komaeda afraid to fly or something?” he muttered.
“Hm?” Nanami looked up from her screen, then glanced across the aisle. “Hey, Komaeda, are you doing alright?”
Komaeda turned towards them with a stilted movement. His eyes were slightly glassy. “Of course.” He attempted a smile. “There’s no need to worry about me.”
“If you get motion sickness, Tsumiki might have something that’ll help.” Without waiting for an answer, she stood up. “I’ll go get her.”
As soon as she was gone, Hajime went back to his game. He was pretty sure any concern on his part would be met with more condescension from Komaeda. It seemed like Nanami had it covered, anyway.
After a minute, she returned with Tsumiki, who held out a paper cup.
“I’m giving you an antihistamine to help with motion sickness and a benzodiazepine to help with anxiety. Please make sure to drink at least eight ounces of water with the pills.”
Nanami slid back into her seat. “I have a water bottle if you need it, Komaeda.”
“No, thank you.” That distorted smile was back as Komaeda accepted the paper cup. “I’m truly undeserving of your kindness.”
The speaker chimed again. “ Everyone, please take your seats. ”
Tsumiki flinched as if someone had yelled at her and scurried back to her seat.
Nanami began digging through her backpack. “Hinata, you don’t get motion sickness, do you?”
“No, I’ve never had any issues with that.” He felt smug for a split second before it was replaced with guilt. Even if Komaeda was a dick, he didn’t deserve to deal with actual health problems. “I think sitting under the air vent can help with that, though.”
Nanami reached across the aisle to pass a water bottle to Komaeda. “Did you hear that? Maybe you should open up your air vent.”
Komaeda twisted the cap of the bottle. “I think I’ll take medical advice from professionals, thank you.”
Hajime turned away. Never mind. I hope he throws up on himself.
A few minutes later, the plane’s engine rumbled to life. Hajime watched through the window as they taxied down the runway and took off. The sprawl of Tokyo, stirring with early morning activity, began to shrink below them.
“That wasn’t so bad,” Nanami said once they were up in the air. “I picked a seat in the back because I heard it’s the best place to be in a plane.”
“I think that’s for roller coasters.”
“Oh. I’ve never been on one of those, either.”
“I know.” The handful of times they’d been to an amusement park together, Nanami preferred spending the majority of their time in the arcade.
There was nothing to look at up here but clouds, so Hajime went back to his handheld game. He played a few rounds with Nanami until she let out a groan.
“Low battery.” She bent over and dug through her bag. “And I forgot to bring my portable battery, too.”
Hajime looked around, but there were no outlets near their seats. “Guess we’ll just have to wait until we land.”
Eighteen hours was starting to feel like forever.
Thirty minutes later, Nanami was asleep on his shoulder, snoring softly. Hajime could feel drowsiness settling over him too, and reached over to slide the plastic cover over the window. Their little corner of the plane dimmed, and he closed his eyes.
He dreamed of piloting a spaceship, something sleek and black and red alongside Nanami’s pink and white vessel. They glided through stars, dodging asteroids and blasting apart alien ships. At some point in his dream, it occurred to him just how vast and empty space was. There was nothing holding him steady in the void but his own inertia. In his dream, his ship tipped downwards and he began to fall.
When Hajime opened his eyes, he was still falling.
He blinked rapidly, gripping the arms of his seat as if to steady himself. Next to him, Nanami lifted her head and brushed her bangs out of her eyes.
“What’s going on?” he asked, his pulse picking up. “Are we landing already?”
Even as he spoke the question out loud, he knew the answer. They were still hours away from their layover destination. And planes weren’t meant to descend this fast.
A few rows up, someone screamed. Nanami gripped his arm.
“Hinata, can you open the window?”
With unsteady fingers, he pried the plastic cover upwards. His heart dropped at what he saw.
The ground was still far away, enough that he could only make out a vast expanse of dark green trees. But the plane was angled downwards, far more than he’d seen during his previous landings.
Someone else screamed. A chorus of fearful chatter rose in the cabin, nearly drowning out Yukizome’s voice.
“Everyone, stay calm. Stay in your seats and keep your seatbelts on. It’s going to be okay.”
Hajime took in a shaky breath and squeezed Nanami’s hand. “Maybe they’ll be able to get the plane under control.”
“Yeah,” she said, though he could feel the way she was trembling under his grip.
An alarm blared through the cabin. Something hit him in the face, and Hajime felt his whole body seize. It was an oxygen mask, he realized. With clumsy movements, he managed to pull the elastic over his head and positioned the plastic opening over his mouth and nose. He turned to help Nanami with hers, but she was already securing the mask over her face.
Their eyes met, and the understanding that passed between them made tears prick his eyes.
We might die here.
He took her hand and held on as tightly as he could, even as sweat gathered between their palms.
The entire plane shuddered, and everything descended into chaos. His breaths sounded too loud in his ears, the screams even louder. He caught a glimpse of Yukizome staggering down the aisle towards them, a glimpse of Komaeda frozen in his seat, the oxygen mask dangling uselessly in front of him.
“Hinata—” Nanami said, her voice muffled by plastic.
A shadow filled the window. It was a tree, Hajime realized. The crown of a tree whizzed past, then another, and a sickening series of cracks sounded from the front of the plane. His whole body tensed in the moment before impact.
A blinding light filled the cabin, followed by a deafening roar. Everything was too bright, too loud—and then it all stopped.