anything just to find you • komahina

ch1

My name is Nagito Komaeda.
Ever since I've started in this school, something about it seems quite off.
Like, something missing.
And I've always wanted to find that strange, mysterious missing piece.

I am the Ultimate Lucky Student at a prestigious school called Hope's Peak Academy.

'Ultimate?' You may say. We are called Ultimates as we have special talents, talents which the school find in us. That's the reason why it's extremely hard to get into the school in the first place.

Of course, my talent is inferior to others, mostly because the 'Ultimate Lucky Student' is a title held by multiple students.

Through a country-wide lottery, apparently only one ordinary student is selected at random to attend Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Lucky Student. And that lucky student just so happened to be me! At first, I declined. I told them I didn't deserve it.. But they told me they really wanted me to attend.

I guess I know another student with that title in another year. His name was.. what was it.. Maki.. Nagisa? I'm not really sure.

-

"Komaeda? Are you alright?" Chiaki asked suddenly, walking up to me.
I flinched in shock and turned to her.
"I'm fine. Just.. spaced out a bit." I replied.
I was thinking about him again.

The boy who I'd always pass by on the bench, he would always silently read a book, write in a book, type on his phone, do whatever. He'd always be on that bench. I used to always observe him. Until, one day, he mysteriously disappeared.
I was too afraid of asking what had happened to him, since he was a reserve course student I didn't even know.
I didn't even want to ask Chiaki, even though I knew she was close friends with him.
I had kept wondering about him since this very day..

What if he transferred schools?
What if he.. died?
What if he just switched to another spot in the school?
That couldn't be. I haven't seen him at all for months!

"Hey, Chiaki." I mumbled.
"Yeah?"
"Who's that reserve course student.. What happened to him?"
"Huh?"
"The spiky hair one."
"Spiky hair one?"
"The one who always sat at that bench."
"Oh. Him."
"Yeah. What happened to him?"
"I don't think you need to know." she turned away coldly.
"What? What's his name?"
"Shut up, Komaeda. I can't stand your blabbering. Just.. stop asking about it."
What?
What's up with her?
She's usually so sweet, but now she's like a freezing gravestone.

Maybe I shouldn't have asked..

She told me to shut up, so I can tell she's annoyed.
Hah, such a worthless piece of trash like me deserves to be yelled at.
Someone like me shouldn't know secrets like that, right?
She's right.. I should just shut up for once. My voice is so annoying people would probably beg for me to shut it, right?

Oh, but how I'd love to see him again.
Whenever he was reading, a warm smile appeared on his face, and I couldn't help to admire it from a distance.
He's just a talentless reserve course loser that I happened to take a huge interest in, heh.
I couldn't stop thinking about him for months and months straight.. Worrying about him.. Thinking of him.. I don't even know his name yet I want to see him so bad.
Just anything that would let me know that he's alive and okay..

"Komaeda! Ugh! Are you even listening to Miss Yukizome!? She's said your name like.. five times already!" I heard a voice shout in my direction.
"H-Hiyoko, d-don't shout at h-him!"
"Ugh, why do you care about that loser!? Why don't you shut the fuck up and mind your own business!?"

I slowly turned up my head to see 3 or 4 blurry figures surrounding my desk, either shaking me, poking me, or doing anything trying to help me gain my consciousness back.

"Earth to Komaeda!"
"Komaedaaa!"
"H-hey, Komaeda.."
"KOMAEDAAAA!"

"Everyone, shush, and go back to your desks! The poor guy doesn't need you all screaming at him!"
"Sorry, Miss Yukizome.." They all said in unison.
"Hey, Komaeda, what's going on? I'm sorry for what I said earlier.." Chiaki said to me quietly.
"I'll tell you about him. Maybe."
"Maybe?" I mumbled.
"Meet me after school. If you're not there then I won't tell you any other time."

She stumbled off and sat in silence until class was over, but then she grabbed my hand and took me to a part of the school I'd never seen before.

Perhaps this is where Hajime stays?

"So.. uhm.."
"Yeah?"
"I don't know how to tell you the story, so, uhm.."
She starting spinning in circles, thinking about something to say.
Until finally, something came out.

"His name is.. Hajime. Hajime Hinata. I guess you can tell that he loved books. I could always see you looking at him. I knew you'd ask me about this someday."
"So.. What happened to him?"
"I'm sorry.. I guess it's not something I'd like to discuss.. I don't want to lie. Especially not to you, Komaeda. I'd rather say nothing than lie when the truth can't be said. But if you'd like to hear the lie, I guess, if that's what'd make you feel better about him.."
"Oh, okay.."
"Please don't tell anyone this happened.. I really shouldn't have been telling you this.." she cried and ran away.

What in the world happened to this guy?