Chapter Text
"Why are you always calling me when you want to rant about your kids, not Kyousuke?"
"Because I feel like you are kind of interested in how Komaeda-kun and Hinata-kun are doing," Chisa cheerfully replied to irritated Juuzo's question. "Or are you not?"
"Kyousuke has always been more interested in your rambling than me," he said. "I'll hang up again."
"Fine, then I won't tell you," she hummed, knowing well that he'd ask her what happened anyway. "I'll tell Kyousuke when I get back home, and you'll get left out."
"You know what? I don't really care."
He definitely cared. It was so obvious.
"Fiiine," Chisa giggled. "But really, Juuzo, I'm so happy right now! I feel like I could finally make a move too!"
"What are you even talking about?"
"Certain two boys, after months of gathering the courage to do it, finally started going out. Don't you think we could learn something from them?"
"Well, good for them, but it has nothing to do with me."
"I thought you'd be more enthusiastic about it..."
"Why should I be enthusiastic about the love life of some high school brats?"
"You're truly a terrible uncle, Juuzo... Juuzo? Are you still there?" Chisa moved the phone away from her ear. "He really hung up..."
***
Komaeda sat down on Makoto’s bed. The Naegi’s let him stay over without any complaint, just like always.
"So, what's going on?" Komaru asked. She was sitting on the floor, with her legs crossed and a worried expression on her face. "In the past you'd often come over like this, but now..."
"Nothing bad happened," he replied with an awkward laugh. "It's actually the opposite... Maybe I shouldn't bother you with my stories, but..."
"Come on, we're a family! You can come to us with whatever you want! Right, big brother?"
"Of course," Makoto, who was sitting next to him, said. "If it's something happy, then it's even better."
"So, what is it?"
"You know... I might've gotten myself a boyfriend," Komaeda stated, unable to stop himself from smiling. "I mean, I was confessed to. By Hajime."
"Who else could've confessed to you? Finally!" Komaru exclaimed cheerfully. "If I didn't know you, I would've assumed you've been dating for a while now!"
"And what did you say?" Makoto asked. "You said you return his feelings, right?"
"I..." Komaeda paused for a moment. "...started crying."
"...why would you do that?"
"I was just so happy that I couldn't help it," he laughed. "You should know the best that I'm not the easiest person to put up with, and yet... He said he loves everything about me. It's like a miracle, isn't it?"
"I wouldn't call it a miracle, but to you it probably feels this way," Makoto said with a nod. "Well, good luck, Nagito! See? It turned out that it was a good idea to make you go to the audition!"
"It was. I must thank you for that," he admitted.
Even if Makoto couldn't think of it as of a miracle, to him it definitely was one. For normal teenagers dating someone wasn't anything unusual, so Makoto and Kirigiri's case was a lot different from his own. While they were just normal, he always seemed different, out of place, unwanted, worthless... A misfortune-attracting outcast.
But he wasn't worthless. There was someone who came to love him, so he definitely wasn't worthless. Someone came to love him, so... It was high time to start loving himself too.
"Hey, Makoto, Komaru... Do you think it's possible for me to go to school now?" He asked hesitantly.
"Huh?"
"I mean, without having to start from the beginning and studying with younger kids. I've been studying by myself, so it would be a waste of time to do the same material twice..." Komaeda explained, making his cousins even more confused.
"I have no idea if something like that is possible..." Makoto stated. "Maybe they would make you take some test, to check if you're on the same level as the rest of your year?"
"...are you serious about it, Nagito?" Komaru asked with worry in her voice. It wasn't surprising - he was always claiming he's better off without it.
"...I am. I'm done with giving up on my own happiness," he said quietly. "From now on, I'll be working hard to make a future for myself."
The Naegi siblings exchanged looks, wide smiles appearing on their faces. They were probably waiting for this day, for him to finally stand on his own.
"Are you planning on going to the same school as me?" Makoto asked him. "If you went there, I could try to help you somehow..."
"I'm sorry, but... I was thinking about the shool Hajime and Mioda-san are going to," he replied, hoping his cousin wouldn't be disappointed. He didn't seem to be though - he kept on smiling.
"That's also good. You won't be alone there."
"Yeah! And if Hinata-san ever hurts you, I'll punch him in the face!" Komaru exclaimed, making him laugh.
"That won't be necessary..."
"Hey, Nagito," Makoto spoke up again. "Let's talk about it with our parents. I mean, about you going to school. I'm sure they'll figure something out and help you with it."
Some time ago he would've refused, saying that he didn't want to cause them any trouble, but now... He was aware that without relying on others he wouldn't be able to go very far in life.
"...okay. Let's do this."
***
That night, like many times before, Hinata couldn't fall asleep. He was beginning to think that he was either insomniac, or just liked to over think things, what prevented him from falling asleep. Though for once, it wasn't because he was worried about something.
Well, it's obvious that he was wondering how things are going to look from now on, but he was sure it'd be fine, no matter what. Though there might have been one thing that slightly bothered him.
His parents. If he wanted to be with Komaeda, he'd have to tell them about it sooner or later... At least his mom. She was too nosy to hide it from her...
Also, he didn't want to hide it. He wasn't ashamed of being in love, so he wanted their relationship to be official, without having to keep it a secret... It's not like he had to tell her right away though.
Things were different when it comes to their friends. This one time, he chose to take a bus instead of a train to avoid Mioda yelling at him in the morning. At least until everyone would be yelling.
As always, he headed straight to the restaurant room, hoping Mioda wasn't there yet... Nanami was fine, she was more considerate, but Mioda was a different story.
He didn't expect to meet Komaeda lurking through the door.
"...what are you doing, Nagito?" He asked, slightly amused by the fact that he actually jumped when his voice reached him.
“Shhh!” Komaeda put his finger over his mouth, silencing him. “I’m still thinking about how to avoid explaining what happened yesterday and…”
Hinata in turn found a different way to make him go quiet. He simply took his hand and pulled it away from his mouth, placing a short kiss there instead. The results were instant – Komaeda stopped talking and just stared at him with wide eyes.
“Sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t be so forward, but you’re panicking way too much.” Hinata couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “We don’t have to explain anything. I’m pretty sure they can imagine what happened.”
Komaeda probably needed a few seconds to process what happened, then blushed furiously.
“D-d-did you just—“
“I did.”
“There are security cameras in this building.”
Shit. I forgot about it. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Your expression says something different.”
“Can you guys like stop hiding from us? I’m hungry, but I have no intention of eating you,” Owari said, sticking her head out of the room and startling both of them.
“O-of course…” Hinata muttered, grabbing Komaeda’s hand and pulling him along, not giving him any chance to protest.
Inside were only Yukizome, Nanami, Kuzuryuu, Souda, Nidai, and for some reason Hanamura. Sonia and Tanaka were apparently still absent, leaving them with an incomplete team.
“Yo. Where have you lost Mioda?” Souda asked them casually. “She usually comes with Hinata, right?”
“Hajime… is probably avoiding her on purpose, I think,” Nanami stated. “Because she’d make too much noise.”
“About what?” The pink-haired boy frowned.
“About yesterday, right?” Hanamura spoke up cheerfully. “Don’t look so surprised, I’m well informed.”
“So, Hinata? Komaeda? Anything you want to tell us?” Kuzuryuu asked, looking as if he was only waiting for them to finally break the news to them. Besides Nanami he was probably the person who’s been cheering on them the most.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Komaeda replied, looking away and most likely forgetting that the was still holding Hinata’s hand.
“Don’t play dumb, you moron!”
“I’m not—“
“We’re a couple now. Me and Nagito. Happy?” Hinata sighed, not seeing any reason for avoiding answering the question.
“Yeah, pretty happy if you ask me,” Kuzuryuu said. “Maybe now that you’re officially a couple we’ll be free from your awkward flirting.”
“I doubt it,” Nanami mumbled. “They still have a lot to learn…”
“I don’t want to hear it from you!” Hinata exclaimed.
“So, now that you’re finally out of the closet…” Owari started bluntly. “How was Narnia?”
For a moment they fell silent, then Nidai burst out laughing, and soon Yukizome did the same.
“I can’t believe it’s Owari-san who made that joke…” Nanami said, and it was hard to tell whether she was more confused or impressed. “And Mioda-san couldn’t see that…”
“What are you laughing at? My younger siblings love Narnia!” Owari stated.
“Narnia was fine, I guess. I liked the books,” Komaeda said, completely fine with the change of topic, but…
“W-wait, you mean like… you and Komaeda… t-together?” Souda choked out, visibly shocked. “How…?”
“Uhm. I asked him out. That’s how. It’s really this simple,” Hinata replied, fighting his urge to laugh.
“But… why?!”
“Because I like him. I think something like this should be obvious?”
“He’s a lost cause,” Kuzuryuu sighed. “Listen, Souda, a day would be enough to notice they’re into each other. It wasn’t a day in your case, but months. You’re either fucking blind or just fucking stupid.”
“What are you saying?!”
“He’s kind of right though,” Hanamura admitted.
“Yeah, there is something about it, probably…” Nanami added.
“I can’t disagree, to be honest,” Nidai said with a nod.
“Well, you’re not really perceptive,” Yukizome stated.
“Righ, even I noticed,” Owari spoke up.
“I don’t want you calling me dumb!” Souda shouted at her. “I’m fine with Nanami or Hinata doing that, since they’re smart, but you’re just as dumb as me!”
“No one can reach your level of stupidity,” Kuzuryuu said in response. “Even Owari is better. But anyway, congratulations, Hinata, Komaeda.”
“But how is it that everyone seemed to know, except for me?!” Souda didn’t want to give up.
“They weren’t really hiding,” Hanamura said. “Remember that trip to the amusement park? Now you can go all the wa—“
“Shut up, it’s their private life, nothing you should be discussing here!” Kuzuryuu snapped at him.
“Kuzuryuu-kun is such a prude,” the other boy commented, making his face go red.
“Now that you mention it… I think I’ve never even seen him and Pekoyama-san kiss…” Nanami stated.
“Of course you haven’t, it’s not something one should do in public!”
“Sonia and Tanaka don’t seem to care about it,” Hinata muttered, rembering well how affectionate those two could get.
“Talking about them… Where did those two get lost?” Nidai asked. “I swear I’ve seen them today.”
“Yeah, me too…” Souda nodded.
“We should get to work soon, so let’s look for them,” Yukizome commanded. “I understand that you’re all happy for Komaeda-kun and Hinata-kun, but let’s not waste time.”
They didn’t have to look long. They found them in one of the other scenography rooms, currently looking like the crummy room in the Grape House, sitting on the bed close to each other and looking as if they were even closer before they heard them. Sonia nervously tried to fix her hair, while Tanaka just moved away, red on the face.
“I’m beginning to understand what Kuzuryuu meant…” Souda said, making a disgusted face. “Get a room, you two.”
“Well, technically they are in a room,” Hanamura commented, making the couple even more flustered.
“It is not what you think it is!” Sonia tried to explain, but Tanaka's silence was speaking for itself, making all of them laugh awkwardly.
"We won't tell Yukizome-san, but get your asses out of here,” the pink haired boy sighed. “I get that Tanaka is out of the show after this chapter, but…”
He couldn’t even finish that sentence. Tanaka interrupted him with a quiet ‘Igottago’, stood up and left the room, leaving Sonia with Nanami, Hinata, Souda, Hanamura and Komaeda.
“You should consider breaking up with him, Sonia,” Souda said, for once not sounding as if he was being serious about it. Actually, it’s been a while since he last made a comment like that. “Look, he left you at our mercy.”
Sonia blinked a few times, then tilted her head to the side, still looking at Souda.
“Is something wrong, Sonia-san?” Nanami asked her, since she didn’t seem to be worried about Tanaka running away.
“Souda-san just called me ‘Sonia’.Without any honorifics, like he usually does,” she replied, still looking a little surprised.
“I-Is there anything wrong with it?” Souda muttered when everyone turned their heads to him. “I don’t use honorifics for anyone other than Yukizome-san, so…”
“No, no, there is nothing wrong with it,” Sonia interrupted him. “If anything, I am glad!”
“G-Glad?”
“Glad that you are finally treating me the same way as you treat others!” She stated with a wide smile. “Now I feel that we can really become good friends!”
“So you still didn’t consider him a good friend up till now…?” Komaeda asked, causing them all to fall silent for a moment. He still was as awkward as ever.
“Are you’re telling me that you’re dating this guy,” Souda said, looking at Hinata.
“I am,” he sighed.
“He is,” Komaeda added cheerfully.
“He is,” Nanami confirmed.
“He is!?” Sonia shouted, finally standing up from the bed and immediately funning up to them. Then, without any warning, she hugged both of them. “Congratulations!”
“Eh? Thanks?” Hinata mumbled, taken by surprise.
“It is such a good day!” She laughed, then left the room, leaving them confused, especially Komaeda.
“Tell that to Nidai-kun, whose body we are supposed to find today…” Nanami said quietly but got ignored.
“Everyone seems awfully happy about the fact that you started dating… It’s suspicious,” Souda muttered.
“It’s not,” Nanami replied. “We were waiting for this… All of us…”
“Wait for Mioda’s reaction,” Hinata added. “She’s going to beat everyone else at this.”
“Nothing’s going to surprise me anymore, nothing.” Souda just shook his head in resignation, then followed in Sonia’s steps. “This is insane…”
“I don’t really understand why Souda-kun is so surprised. We could always see that-“
“Don’t finish that sentence, Hanamura.”
***
Mioda really appeared, but about an hour later, dragging Tsumiki with her. Nobody knew where she caught her, but she seemed pretty confused.
“Hajime-chan doesn’t like Ibuki anymore. He found himself two new friends and he doesn’t need Ibuki to spend time with him,” she whined, sitting down on the floor. “He even started avoiding her.”
“I didn’t. Also, your boyfriend would be jealous.”
“He wouldn’t.”
“I wouldn’t,” said boyfriend confirmed.
“Okay, then mine would,” Hinata said, but after a second he added. “No, actually I don’t think he would be…”
“YOUR WHO,” Mioda shrieked, jumping to her feet even faster than she sat down before. “YOU REALLY DID THAT-“
“Yeah, I think I did,” he replied. “Did I, Nagito?”
“Hmm, I think you did?”
Hinata was surprised by the fact that she didn’t just ran up to them to hug them like Sonia did. Actually, she didn’t move at all for the next minute. Instead, she started crying.
“It’s happening,” she whispered loudly. “I’ve been waiting for 84 years.”
“Why the hell are you crying!?”
“Everything’s fine, Ibuki’s just happy for Hajime-chan. When she first met him she was scared that he’d spend his life alone.”
“Was he really that bad? It’s hard to believe for me,” Komaeda asked, sounding quite amused.
“Believe me, the old Hajime-chan wasn’t as easy to befriend as this one here,” Mioda explained, pointing at Hinata. “You wouldn’t have fallen for that one.”
“I would love to argue with that, but I can’t,” he sighed.
“I’m sure there was still something that would make me interested in you,” Komaeda said, smiling at him innocently.
“Why are you guys like this,” Souda muttered with a frown. “Were you always like this, and I just haven’t noticed it yet?”
“They were,” Nanami confirmed. “Almost since the very beginning.”
“Incredible. And you’ve been enduring it from the very beginning?”
“Whenever they become too much… I just turn my focus off… or take a nap.”
“We’re still here,” Hinata reminded them.
“I know! And now that I see how much of a cliché couple you are, it makes me angry!” Souda stated.
“Are we a cliché couple, Nagito?”
“Probably? Why are you asking me?”
“I think you should just move on, Souda-kun… like everyone else did…” Nanami said.
“Right, right!” Mioda wiped her tears away, then threw herself at Souda’s back. “Come on, Ibuki and Kazuichi-chan can be a cliché couple too!”
“Hell no, it wouldn’t suit us,” he replied, but actually let her climb onto his back and put her arms around his neck.
“Eeeh? But Ibuki wants to!”
“You’re just messing with me!”
Hinata watched Komaeda laugh at this silly scene and remembered that he actually was worried not so long ago…
But there was nothing to worry about anymore. There was no one to judge him, but so many people to support him.
And that’s the way it should be.
***
“So we’re doing Suzuki’s point of view tomorrow?” Hinata asked, glancing at the script Komaeda was holding as they were leaving the building. “You probably don’t like the idea of it much…”
Komaeda fixed his scarf with his free hand and closed the script. “It’s fine. It’s not really a long scene, and it’s basically only an internal monologue.”
“Hey…”
“It’s really okay. I’m simply playing a role, nothing to be scared of,” he said, flashing him a smile. “What do you think of this kind of attitude? I think it’s not too bad. But maybe I should go back to the previous one, changing it might affect my performance…”
“I doubt it would, mister perfection,” Hinata snarked. “I don’t think stopping identyfing with your character is going to turn you into a bad actor. Nobody will even notice a difference. Except for you of course, since you’re going to feel better.”
“I guess you’re right,” he laughed. “I kind of feel lighter now.”
“I’m glad about it,” Hinata said, honestly thinking that, because it really was a big step forward for both of them. “…it’s still early, isn’t it?”
“Yhm, pretty much. It’s weekend, so we always leave a little earlier,” Komaeda replied. “Why are you asking?”
He checked the hour on his phone, trying to calculate how much time they had. There still was a few hours they could make good use of… And there were a lot of new things Hinata wanted to try out.
“I’ve got an idea,” he spoke up. “Let’s go on a date, Nagito.”
“…eh?” Komaeda gave him a confused look, then blushed heavily. “Y-You mean… like, now?”
“Yeah. Do you have any plans?”
“I don’t, but...” He muttered, hiding his face in the scarf like Tanaka sometimes did. “I guess you would want to do things like that, since we’re d-dating…”
“And you don’t want to?”
“I want! Of course I want!” Komaeda exclaimed, revealing his face again. “But… what can two guys even do on dates…?”
“I don’t know? What are couples usually doing on dates?” Hinata wondered. “Mioda and Souda went ice skating, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for us. Knowing you, you there’s a chance you’d break something.”
“Thanks for believing in me, Hajime,” he sighed.
“You know it’s true! Anyway, I think there isn’t much difference no matter who goes on the date? Let’s just have fun.”
“Then what are we supposed to do?” Komaeda asked. “It’s your idea, so I’ll leave it to you.”
“You could also put some effort into this,” Hinata muttered. “Hmm… We could go see a movie, I guess. Isn’t it the typical stuff for a first date?”
“It could work, I guess… So we go with the most cliché route?”
“We’re already cliché, you heard Souda,” he reminded him.
“Usually it’s the boy who pays for the date. What are we going to do about it?”
“We can always just switch? Today it was me who asked, so I’ll pay. Why are you looking for problems so much?"
“I’m not!” Komaeda denied. “It’s just that… I have a lot of money, I can pay…”
“Yes, and it’s not like I’m a working actor and don’t have to worry about money. We’re not a married couple discussing our finances yet, Nagito.”
“…yet?”
The moment Komaeda asked that one-word question Hinata realized his mistake. He was pretty sure he haven’t blushed that hard in a while. He didn’t say that on purpose, it just slipped out of his mouth without him being aware of that. Also, he never actually thought about something like marriage, and even though it didn’t sound so bad, they were definitely too young for this.
“A-Anyway, money is not the problem here! We actually don’t have any problems here, so just agree to this!” He said, not giving Komaeda time to make any more remarks.
“O-okay,” he replied, his face also red. “If you insist on this…”
They walked in silence for a moment, then Hinata noticed Komaeda rubbing his hands together. It was pretty cold that day…
“Here, you can have one,” he sighed, taking one of his gloves off. His boyfriend looked quite surprised, do he decided to clarify. “It’s for the left hand. Come on, just give me the right one.”
Holding hands in public probably wasn’t a good idea, but it was supposed to be a date, so he decided to take the risk this one time. Also, was it the first time they were doing this? Probably not.
And so, their first date began.
***
“So I got left behind today,” Nanami muttered, watching the two boys bicker from afar. They were still as awkward as ever. “I’m afraid… of leaving them alone…”
“Don’t you t-think they’ll be fine, Nanami-san?” Tsumiki, who was accompanying her, laughed cheerfully. "I think t-they're doing pretty well... I'm happy for them."
"I am too... But you don't know them as well as me, Tsumiki-san," Nanami said. "Hmm..."
"W-what are you thinking about, Nanami-san?"
"...should we follow them?"
"We!? W-why would we?! And why m-me?!"
"I don't really... want to do it alone... but with someone else, checking on them may become fun... I think..."
"B-b-but it's invading their privacy!" Tsumiki exclaimed, clenching her fists. "We shouldn't do that!"
"Hmmm..." Nanami wondered for a few seconds. "They wouldn't mind, I think."
"B-but isn't t-that their first date?! We shouldn't interrupt something so important!"
"...is it really that important?" Nanami asked, tilting her head to the side. For a moment the girls just stared at each other, both looking for an answer to this question.
"I... have no idea," Tsumiki admitted. "I-I've never been on one."
"Same here..." The other girl nodded. There was no way someone would ask a nerd like her on a date. She was never even interested in dating to begin with, it seemed like some boring social construct invented to keep people away from their hobbys and take their free time away.
But Komaeda and Hinata seemed to be having a lot of fun around each other... Maybe things were different if you were dating your friend?
“Hey, Tsumiki-san... Let’s go on a date then,” Nanami said on a whim.
“H-Huh!?”
“Of course… It won’t be like Nagito and Hajime’s date, but… we have to at least try this date thing out and decide for ourselves it it’s worth our time… I think,” she explained awkwardly. “Also… this way we can follow them…”
“Huh?! B-But… Are you s-sure you want to go with me!? You c-can’t be serious, Nanami-san!”
“I am, though,” she muttered, extending her hand to the other girl. Somehow she was hoping she’d take it. “Come on, Tsumiki-san… We have to hurry up, or else we’ll lose sight of them…”
Tsumiki looked around hesitantly, probably still unsure of what to do. Then she glanced at Hinata and Komaeda, walking away from them further with every second. Finally, she just closed her eyes and reached for Nanami’s hand, squeezing it more tightly than she most likely intended.
“F-Fine… I’ll go…”
Nanami only gave her a smile. “Let’s go then…”
***
“Now that we’re here… We don’t even know what kind of movie we should choose,” Hinata noted as they were standing in the cinema’s corridor.
“Well, it’s not like coming here was even planned,” Komaeda laughed. “From what I see, at this hour we have only two options… A horror movie and a romantic comedy…”
“Any requests on your side?”
“Personally, I like horror movies. They’re so ridiculous that they always make me laugh,” he stated. “Though there’s no way I’d be scared of them, so it takes away your chance of holding my hand in a moment of weakness.”
“Do you really think I still need an excuse to hold your hand? It may be our first date, but it’s not really anything new to us. And we’re supposed to be a couple now,” Hinata replied, making him blush again.
“Oh, yeah…” Komaeda scratched his cheek in embarrassment. “I keep forgetting about it…”
“Then you better stop forgetting,” Hinata said, poking at his forehead.
“Sorry, sorry! It’s just that I was in love with you for so long that I can’t believe it’s happening!”
His hand froze in the air as he could feel himself blush too. “I-I think we should try doing a better job at not being affectionate in public… but you’re not making it easy for me…”
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” he replied innocently.
“Somehow I want to both punch you and kiss you.”
“I don’t think you should do either of those in a place like this.”
“Just watch me,” he muttered, then sighed and looked away. “So? Are we going with the horror movie?”
“I guess so? Unless you want to watch the romantic comedy.”
“I think I’ll pass. Let’s go get some snacks.”
It didn’t really feel much different from when they were just hanging out, even though they called it a date. The biggest difference would probably be the lack of Nanami around…
Well, I guess that’s what dating your friend means.
He glanced at Komaeda as they were walking up to the counter. He looked as if he was genuinely enjoying himself, being here with him. The look in his eyes haven’t changed much though. He’s been looking at him like this since a very long time ago, just…
Now he seemed happier.
“Why are you looking like this at me, Hajime?” He asked, noticing his gaze.
“It’s nothing. I was just thinking that you look somehow… more at peace than usually.”
“Eh? Do I?” Komaeda looked surprised, but then laughed. “Maybe that’s true. I got what I always wanted in the end.”
“Listening to you is embarrassing.”
“Eh? Is it?”
***
“Seems like they chose the horror one… I think…” Nanami muttered. She glanced at her companion to confirm that she didn’t seem to be content with that choice. “I guess it’s not a good choice for us…”
“B-but… You wanted to follow them…”
“I’m not curious enough… to observe what they’re doing in the dark…” she commented. “I think there’s another movie that starts and ends at the same time…”
“I thought you didn’t like r-romantic comedies and stuff like that, Nanami-san,” Tsumiki stated, looking quite surprised. “You don’t have to do this for me…”
“It’s fine,” Nanami replied. “It may be fun to watch a movie like that once in a while… Well, it certainly haven’t done anything bad to anyone, I think. Let’s buy tickets for this one.”
A thought about falling asleep crossed her mind, but she was sure Tsumiki wouldn’t leave her alone there once the movie was over. She also probably wouldn’t mind her taking a nap with her head on her shoulder. Nanami saw Komaeda and Hinata do this multiple times, and it’s not like she hadn’t fallen asleep on both of them before…
“Should we buy some snacks?” She asked the other girl, who was currently looking around nervously, holding the strap of her bag. “Come on Tsumiki-san… or else we’ll be late…”
“O-oh, right…” She laughed half-heartedly.
“You don’t look like you’re enjoying yourself…”
“W-well, we’re c-currently spying on our friends?”
“Isn’t it just a normal date if we choose a different movie?”
Hearing those words, Tsumiki blushed deeply and hid her face in her hands, and Nanami thought that she had seen a reaction like this before, but done by a different person. That person was Komaeda, and at first she couldn’t understand why would someone react this way to someone being nice to them, but…
She was beginning to get this.
"You know, Ts... Mikan-chan. I used to be very lonely too."
"H-huh?"
"I was sure that a boring girl like me would never go on a date... But here I am now. Thank you... for going along with my stupid idea..." she said, smiling at the other girl.
"E-eh? I-It's not stupid! And no need to thank me, Nanami-san!"
"Chiaki."
"Huh?"
"Call me Chiaki... like Hajime and Nagito do."
Tsumiki at first looked as if she was ready to protest, but Nanami did her best at trying to look firm. Again, she wasn't sure how it turned out, with her childish face... The other girl looked surprisingly convinced though, so maybe she was getting better at this.
“O-Okay… Chiaki,” she muttered, trying to stop herself from smiling. “Let’s go, or w-we’re really going to be late.”
***
“…can I ask what you are doing here?” Hinata asked, staring at a certain pink-haired girl. He didn’t expect to see her again that day, especially not there, not in the queue to buy popcorn. “Are you spying on us?”
“…rude,” she muttered, not sounding offended in the slightest. That only confirmed his words.
“I knew that we had forgotten about something we shouldn’t have…” Komaeda sighed.
“No, no, I actually let you forget about me… So don’t bother yourselves with me and have fun… I also have something to take care of…”
“Oh? And what is this?” Hinata raised his brow, clearly not believing her. Who would even believe something like this?
“To be honest, I’m on a date too,” she said. “Where did she go… Oh. Here she is.”
Nanami dived into the crowd only to appear back about two seconds later, pulling someone by the hand.That person was making an impression of someone who didn’t really want to be seen.
“…hello, Tsumiki-san,” Komaeda spoke up first, and even Hinata found it difficult to say whether he was surprised or not.
“…h-hello,” she muttered, covering her face with one hand. Her blush was still visible though.
“You know, Tsumiki… I know that Chiaki is surprisingly convincing and can be pretty charming when she wants to, but you really don’t have to go along with her stupid ideas,” Hinata said, pitying her a little.
“N-No, it wasn’t like this, Hinata-san!” Tsumiki tried to protest, but after seeing their faces she immediately gave up, knowing that they wouldn’t believe it anyway. “I’m s-sorry…
“For what? Do what you want. I can’t forbid you anything,” he replied. “Have fun, I guess, but… Spying is out of question.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about… Look, it’s your turn to buy popcorn, I think.” Nanami pointed at the counter, obviously trying to prevent him from continuing that topic. “We’re going to watch a different movie anyway… So bye…”
And so, they parted ways – Nanami with a smug look on her face, Hinata still giving her suspicious glances, Komaeda trying hard not to laugh and Tsumiki probably regretting her life choices.
“Why are you laughing at? I don’t really see anything funny here,” he muttered to Komaeda.
“But this is funny! I mean, Chiaki on a date? Even if it was only an excuse to follow us, it’s still pretty hilarious!” He said while giggling.
“Well, it may be a little unexpected, but let her live her life. It wouldn’t be good if she got tired of being a third wheel too fast,” Hinata sighed. “And I think it would be fine if she actually ended up liking Tsumiki. I mean, she’s a friend too, right? I wouldn’t have anything against it…”
“Don’t jump so far ahead though. I think that even if Chiaki comes to like anyone, it’ll take her a long time to figure it out…”
“Longer than you?”
“Excuse me, I actually figured it out pretty soon. The only thing that took me time was confessing,” Komaeda corrected him.
“You awkward dork.”
“Hey, I-“
“It’s fine, I love you anyway.”
For a moment Komaeda looked as if his mind went blank, but then without thinking he reached out for Hinata’s hand. “I love you, too.”
He was sure it would take some more time for him to get used to this, and even more to start being comfortable with replying, but… Apparently Komaeda could be fast sometimes. And it was Hinata’s turn to become embarrassed after seeing his wide smile. Instead of stuttering out some answer he chose to stay silent and let his own smile be the only response.
He really was happy, wasn’t he?
That didn’t stop him from being slightly bored about half an hour later. The ridiculousnees of that movie was pretty amusing, but the main couple was rather dull and wishing them death was actually easier than cheering on them. Finally, Hinata gave up and let his head drop on Komaeda’s shoulder.
“Not feeling like focusing on the movie?” He whispered to him and earning a nod in response.
“It’s even less interesting than I expected,” Hinata muttered in response. There wasn’t many people in the room beside them, and they were sitting in the last row alone, so nobody was going to kill them for a little chat. “Do you really find it that funny?”
“Well… It’s less funny than I expected,” Komaeda said, making him snort with laughter near his neck. “Hey, stop it, it’s ticklish…”
“Then what should I be doing, according to you?” Hinata asked, rising his head slightly. The other boy turned to him so they were close enough for their noses to touch.
“I d-don’t know?”
Hinata side-eyed the screen, checking if he missed anything important. “Look, they’re kissing again.”
“Are you just looking for an excuse to kiss me?”
“Maybe?” He teased, not expecting Komaeda to show him that he was getting used to being in relationship far more easily than they expected…
Because this time it was him to join their lips together, and Hinata could only subconsciously raise his hand to touch Komaeda’s face. It was still rather clumsy, as they were only beginning to learn, but… Those slow, tender kisses felt so nice that he couldn’t complain. It just felt right, as if they belonged together.
Well, maybe they did. All of the new things that came together with confessing were just making him happier and happier…
“You know, you don’t really need any excuses,” Komaeda whispered, their foreheads still touching. Even in the dark it was obvious his face was flushed.
“…good to know.”
Meanwhile, in another room, Nanami really fell asleep with her head on Tsumiki’s shoulder, not ashamed of it in the slightest and leaving the poor girl to deal with her racing heart on her own. She still had a lot to learn.
***
“Hey, if you really intend to still spy on us, you can give up. You’re terrible at this,” Hinata sighed, noticing Nanami hiding behind a wall near the exit.
“We’re not…”
“Instead of that, let’s just go together?” Komaeda suggested, making the girl open her mouth in surprise. She certainly didn’t expect that one.
“…huh?”
“Getting rid of you is impossible… Not that we even want to do that, you know,” Hinata explained. “Just stop this and come with us, it’s not like you’re going to bother us. You too, Tsumiki,” he added, noticing the other girl’s unsure look.
“Yeah, come with us, Tsumiki-san,” Komaeda said with a smile. “We’re just going to get something to eat and then most likely go home, we don’t have that much time.”
“…o-okay…” She nodded, reacting even before Nanami. To Hinata, it looked like she’s had enough of revelations for today. “Nanami-san, it’s a better option t-than following them…”
“Hmm, you think so?” The other girl wondered. “Okay then… We’ll go with you.”
It was too easy. Nanami was just too easy to convince. She completely dropped the act of ‘not knowing what he was talking about’ and left her hideout to join them.
“Where are we going? Can we hit up an arcade on our way? They sell food there too,” she stated cheerfully.
“We’re not going to an arcade,” Hinata cut her off. “And the most realistic possibility is that we’re visiting McDonald’s.”
“Not very romantic,” she replied.
“It’s fine with me. We’re better off not trying to be romantic,” Komaeda laughed. “It just turns out awkward.”
“McDonald’s then,” Nanami muttered. “I’m getting a Happy Meal…”
“B-But… This is not healthy…” Tsumiki protested weakly, but Nanami gave her a puzzled look.
“But they give you an apple with your set…”
“This attitude is going to kill you someday,” Hinata concluded.
“Well, you can live on junk food for a pretty long time, if you do it sensibly…” Komaeda exclaimed, making him glare at him.
“How are you still alive again?”
“Thanks for believing in me, Hajime.”
“I believe in you, but not in this case.”
Being alone with Komaeda was the initial purpose of their date, but now it was something they could have whenever they wanted, so what was the harm in taking Nanami and Tsumiki with them? Certainly none. And it was surely a better option than just having Nanami drag Tsumiki around while following them.
In the end they really just visited McDonald’s.
“Hey, what did you get?” Hinata asked Komaeda, pointing at the cup he was holding. He himself chose only the good old coke.
“A milkshake. Want to try it?” He replied, moving the cup closer to him. Hinata took his hand to keep him from moving away and leaned closer.
“Sure,” he muttered, taking a sip from the straw and immediately hearing Tsumiki’s quiet gaps. “…any problems there?”
“An indirect kiss,” Nanami stated calmly.
“Oh, an indirect kiss isn’t all Hajime is capable of,” Komaeda managed to say before Hinata covered his mouth with his hand. Tsumiki only stared at them with her eyes wide open.
“Here, Mikan-chan, look, it’s not a big deal...” Nanami handed her cup of coke to Tsumiki. “Try it…”
“B-But… we ordered the same thing?”
“Try it,” Nanami repeated, this time in a more nagging tone, ignoring the other girl’s words of truth. Tsumiki’s face became red again, but then she just sighed and did what she asked for. Hinata really felt bad for her. Dating Nanami would certainly be… troublesome.
“See? There’s no problem,” the pink-haired girl stated with a smile, taking her cup back and making Hinata and Komaeda exchange amused looks. “…any problems there?”
“None,” they both replied, knowing well what the other was thinking.
Everything was going well until they were about to part ways and go home – then Komaeda suddenly tripped himself, probably over his own foot. Hinata stopped him from falling on his face on the last moment.
“Hey, everything alright?”
“K-Komaeda-san!”
“…clumsy as ever…”
“I’m fine,” he laughed, but then, when he tried to make another step a frown appeared on his face.
“You’re not fine,” Hinata sighed.
“I am!”
“You’re not. Tsumiki, weren’t you a member of your school’s health care commitee? Can you have a look at his leg?” He asked the girl, knowing that his boyfriend certainly wouldn’t admit that it actually did hurt, too worried that he’d become a trouble.
“Of course!” Tsumiki replied immediately. “Leave it to me!”
“But I…”
“No complaining. Yukizome-san will kill us if we return you to her with an injury.” Hinata simply guided Komaeda’s arm to hold onto his neck and helped him reach a nearby bench. “Also… I’m the one looking after you tonight, and I don’t want to see you hurt.”
The only answer he got was Komada strengthening his embrace and his soft hair tickling his cheek. It was… nice, huh.
“I-I don’t think it’s anything serious,” Tsumiki stated after taking a look at his ankle. “It’s not sprained… B-But maybe it would be better to get a doctor to l-look at this? I’m not a professional…”
“I trust your judgement, Tsumiki-san,” Komaeda said. “It’ll be fine if I just rest…”
“You really want us to get killed by Yukizome-san…” Nanami muttered.
“She’s not going to seriously kill us, calm down,” Hinata replied. “I think it’s time for us to part ways. I’ll take him home, since he apparently can’t walk.”
“Take me home… You mean, like…” Komaeda furrowed his brows. “No, you can’t-“
“Yes, I can. You’re getting a piggyback ride. Be grateful I’m such a good boyfriend. And that you don’t live that far away from here.”
“If someone sees us, I’m going to die of embarrassment.”
“You embarrassed yourself in front of us countless times, Nagito,” Nanami reminded him.
“Come on, it’s getting late. We don’t have the whole night, and we already practiced me carrying you on my back,” Hinata said.
“We’ll be going then…” Nanami stated. “Thanks… for not ordering us to go home at the very beginning.”
“Y-Yes, thank you!” Tsumiki added. “Today was really fun!”
“No problem. If you ever wish to hang out with us, don’t be afraid to tell us.” He directed those words at the latter of course, since the three of them were always together. There was a chance Tsumiki would feel like she’s imposing on them by joining, and he was sure none of them would want that.
“Hajime, stand still, I can’t climb up.”
“You already forgot how to do that? It wasn’t even that long ago!”
***
“Hey… Am I not getting heavy?”
“You are.”
“Let me down, I can probably walk at this point. Tsumiki-san said it’s not anything serious-“
“Quiet there. I said that I’d take you home, so I’ll do that.”
Komaeda’s grip on his neck strengthened once again as he hugged him tighter. There were almost there, so there was no point in convincing him to change his mind.
“It’s not a trouble for me, you know,” Hinata said, quessing what he was thinking about. “I would like you to depend on me more. Not like, completely, but just enough to let me spoil you a bit. You deserve it.”
“…I love you,” a muffled voice reached Hinata’s ears.
“Yeah, I know,” he laughed. “Thank you for this.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for…”
“Hmm, is that so?” Hinata hummed. “There’s probably a lot more than you think.”
His arms were most likely going to hurt as hell the next day, but it was worth it.
“Hey, Nagito. Do you mind if I reintroduce you to my mom? This time as my boyfriend,” he asked. “It’s fine if you say no, I’m not going to insist…”
“So you get along with your mom better?” He noticed something that even Hinata himself was trying to deny. “It’s fine with me. I already told Makoto and Komaru on my side.”
“I don’t really know how she’ll react though, so first I’ll talk with her on my own. I hope she’ll accept it…”
“There’s always a chance she already knows, just like everyone else,” Komaeda chuckled. “It’s okay. I’m happy, you know. That you find me important enough. For now though… It’s pretty late. Do you want to stay the night?”
“Sure, let’s give my mom more reasons to suspect you of leading her son astray.”
“Hey!”
“I mean I’ll stay. Let her think whatever she wants.”