Hajime had always wondered why Nagito refused to take off his jacket, even in the blazing heat of the summer sun. He figured it was probably because Nagito was just cold, but something never felt right about that theory. As time went on and he spent more time with the strange boy, he realized it wasn't just the jacket. Nagito refused to show his arms. They were always covered and that was concerning. Why just his arms? Maybe he's just constantly really cold? Or maybe he was insecure about them or something? Whatever it was, it was weird and Hajime didn't like it. It was a gut feeling he always carried with him, a feeling that crept up on him slowly swirling around in the back of his mind telling him there was something very wrong with Nagito's apparent long-sleeved obsession.
It was a hot summer day with record-breaking highs and Nagito was still wearing his jacket. If he was being honest with himself, he felt like absolute shit that day. He was so weak that it was a struggle to even stand, but when Hajime asked to meet him at the beach, that was an offer he just couldn't refuse. He had always had a soft spot in his heart for Hajime. He was certain that Hajime was oblivious, but there was something about his bright smile and comforting eyes that made him impossible to say no to. So, in spite of all the many voices in his head that told him that going anywhere in this state was a bad idea, Nagito left his cottage to join his beloved ultimate hope on the beach for an afternoon stroll.
Unfortunately, this was a bad move. On top of his already high fever, his refusal to take off his jacket coupled with the summer's heat advisory ended up a recipe for disaster. Black dots swarmed Nagito's vision as each step grew heavier. It felt as though he was trudging through quicksand, with every move he could feel his body slowly shutting down. He barely made it to the beach before collapsing in the hot sand, a concerned Hajime frantically running to his side. The last thing he saw was the look of concern on his friend's face as the world crumbles beneath him and it all fades to black.
Hajime sees him in the distance and eagerly awaits the day they had planned, excitedly running towards his crush. Today was the day he was finally going to confess his feelings. As he neared Nagito that excitement suddenly turned to dread. The boy looked like a dead man walking, eyes fluttering closed clearly on the verge of losing consciousness. There was a panicked expression on the boy's face that struck fear into Hajime's heart. Nagito was known for his laidback and easygoing demeanor so seeing him like this was terrifying. Hajime watched in horror as Nagito's eyes gracefully closed and he collapsed on the warm sand. At this point, Hajime was running, desperately trying to reach Nagito's side.
He looked even worse up close. Nagito's already pale complexion seemed to turn to a stark white, contrasting greatly against his flushed cheeks that glittered with beads of sweat trickling down his face like tears. Hajime watched helplessly as his friend lay there, breaths heavy and labored. He focused on cooling Nagito down. The summer heat surely wasn't helping. He quickly undid his tie and doused it in the ocean's refreshing water, using it as a cool rag to lay on Nagito's forehead. He wanted to carry the boy back to his cottage, but he had no clue what caused Nagito to faint like that and thought it better to wait until he regained consciousness to try and move him. That being said, Hajime did carefully drag Nagito over to the shade of one of the island's many palm trees, setting his friend's head in his lap as he waited for the boy to wake up. It was an odd sense of dejavú. He remembered Nagito doing the same for him when they had first arrived on the island. Hajime wondered if this was how Nagito must have felt. Looking down at the boy's beautiful features Hajime couldn't help but fall deeper and deeper in love with his ethereal beauty. As he waited he admired the view. He ran his fingers through nagito's soft hair, using it as a way to ground himself from all the anxious 'what if's' that plagued his tired mind.
'What if this is serious?'
'What if he's actually really sick or hurt this time?'
'What if he's dying? He certainly looks like he could drop dead any second... Has he always looked like that?'
