Again (Nagito x Hajime)

I'll See You Soon

Art by- miruo-cchi on Tumblr

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"Waaaaaaaaaaaaah! Hajimeeeeeee!" Monomi cries, pressing her face into my leg. "I can't believe you're finally leaving the Neo World Program! I'm- I'm going to miss you so much!"

I laugh as I pat the bunny on her head. "I'm going to miss you too, Monomi."

"Are you ready?" Chiaki asks.

"I've got no choice but to be." I say. She notices the shakiness in my voice.

"Are you scared..?" She asks. I nod and she takes my hands in hers. "Yeah... It's only natural to be scared in a situation like this... but I think... if you move forward toward your future... and have confidence in yourself, everything will turn out okay. I think... everything will be alright in the end, as long as you look forward with hope and just do it..."

I smile.

"You can do that, right Hajime?"

"Of course." I say. The anxiousness in my chest eases a bit as I pull her into a hug.

"I'm going to miss you, Chiaki."

"...I will always be with you Hajime. As long as you fight for your future... and as long as you live happily with everyone... I will never completely disappear. My spirit will continue to live on... as long as you keep hope," She says. She wraps her arms around me. "But still... I'm going to miss you too... Hajime."

I squeeze her tight, taking in her gentle touch, her soft voice, and her love for the very last time.
Monomi joins us, but Chiaki has to pick her up so she can be level with us. We all hold each other tightly and for a moment, I almost don't want to let go, but eventually, I pull away. Chiaki wipes the beginnings of tears from her eyes.

"Did you... say goodbye to everyone yet?" She asks.

"Yeah... everyone except..."

The gamer beams.

"What are you doing here then? Hurry up and go to him! It's rude to keep someone like him waiting, you know!"

I laugh, warmth spreading across my cheeks. "Okay, okay! ...I'm... really happy I met you Chiaki. You've... done so much for me, in and out of the simulation, and I don't know what I would've done without you... Thank you. Thank you, Chiaki... for everything you've done for me."

"You're welcome Hajime. Now, create your future and live! I'll be rooting for you!"

"Bye Hajime! Promise you won't forget about your teacher alright? Don't forget about us!" Monomi says.

"...Goodbye Hajime."

...Goodbye Chiaki.

I'll never forget about you.

With one final wave, Chiaki and Monomi disappear from the Neo World Program.

I head towards the library.

The world around me fades as I walk. The trees, the sand, and the buildings dissolve into a white void until the library is the only thing left in my path. When I open the door, I spot him by a bookshelf, completely engrossed in a book. His eyes meet mine and when he smiles, my heart practically melts.

"Hello Hajime!" He says.

"Nagito..."

"How are you? Did you come to check out a book?"

I fiddle with my tie.

"Actually... I came here... because I have something important I have to tell you." I say. My face is hot.

"What is it..?" Nagito asks. He puts down his book and gives me his full attention.

I take a deep breath as I attempt to steady my heart.

"U-Um... I-I don't really know how to say this, so I'm just going to do it," I say. "Nagito... I'm in love with you."

"...W-What?" He asks. He laughs. "I-I'm sorry, I must've misheard you. It almost sounded like you said you loved me! Can you believe that?"

"I-I did. I... love you Nagito." I say. I'm sure my face is red, but it's no where near the flood of blush spreading across Nagito's face. Steam practically comes out of his ears as he puts his hands to his cheeks.

"Oh... Oh wow... No... That can't be right... There's no way someone as hopeful as you could be in love with garbage like me. Y-You must be making a mistake."

I walk toward him.

"I-I wouldn't say something like that if I didn't mean it. I... I love you Nagito. I love how fluffy and wild your hair is no matter how much you try to tame it. I love how you can ramble for hours about the things your passionate about. I love how kind you are and how no matter what, you always make sure everyone keeps hope. And ...I love... that I can never get bored of you..."

I take his hands.

"You're my favorite person. I... I want to be with you Nagito. I want to be with you and live forever as long as I'm by your side... I want spend all the hours in my day with you and listen to you talk about your ideas until I can completely understand them. And I want... to support you. I want to be there for you when you need me most and protect you from any despair that crosses our path ...because... I am utterly and completely in love with you... and I hope... that you will have me too..."

The lucky student stares at me for a moment, frozen in shock. The pink on his cheeks is bright against his skin as his eyes widen. We keep eye contact until the weight of my words hits me like a bat. My face boils.

"A-Ah! I-I mean, if you want! That was kind of sudden wasn't it? Sorry, that was probably too much! I'm sorry if I made it weird! Jeez what am I even saying? Agh I need to shut up!"

He squeezes my hand.

"Do you... really mean all that?" He asks. I nod, gulping. He smiles that lovable, sweet smile, causing butterflies to flutter in my stomach. "I feel the same way, Hajime. I... I am truly in love with you... and the hope that sleeps inside you."

"Y-You should have said that sooner..." I say. The lucky student laughs, putting his hand on my cheek. I'm breathless as he leans in for a kiss.

My heart leaps out my chest as I close my eyes. His lips are cold, but soft against mine. I rest my hands against his chest as he pulls me closer to him. I get lost in the touch, my heart pounding so fast it might burst. He smiles into the kiss, only making me flush harder. It's like we're the only people in the world.

I sigh when he pulls away and rest my forehead against his.

The library begins to dissolve around us.

"Wow... Hajime, have you ever considered that your talent might be-?"

"Sh-Shut up! Don't say that!" I say. He giggles.

It's almost time.

I close my eyes.

"I'll see you soon, Nagito." I say.

"...I'll be waiting." He says.

Pressing my lips against his, I finally fade from the Neo World Program and return to the real world.

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