A Future to Call Our Own

Chapter 2 - Flightless Bird, American Mouth

Chapter 2
Flightless Bird, American Mouth

So, I was in his luck cycle. He still kept trying to shoo me away from him, and sometimes had little outbursts about his hope overcoming all of the despair around us. But, this was him. Only he can change himself, and I wouldn't really want him to, anyways. I wanted him to be himself.

"Hajime, can we go to the library today?" He called out behind me as I was getting his pill ready.

"Do you think you can make it there?" I asked, continuing to fill the cup with water. "I can just bring you some books here, if you want me to."

I could hear him shuffling on the bed behind me, and I turned around, handing him the pill. He took it, and stood up with the help of my arm afterwards, setting the cup down. "I really like the library," he stated, having a sad tone in his voice, "I find it very relaxing there in silence."

Sighing, I nodded, heading over to get his oxygen tank. "I need to look at the others before I go. So I'll be back, okay?" He nodded, looking down at his arms placed in his lap. I headed out, visiting everyone's cabin to see if anything new had happened. Mikan was calming down more and more as the days went on, which was good, but still had the delusions of Junko corrupting her mind. We'll figure out a way to remove her brainwashing, I know we can. Nobody else's conditions had changed, but that's alright. We all have hope that they will wake up, I know it.

Going back to Komaeda's cottage, I saw an unsettling scenario.

"K-Komaeda!" I screamed, running over to him, lifting him up off the floor and onto the bed. He was bleeding badly from his head. "Wh-What happened?!" I grabbed a rag, running to the sink and soaking it in cold water, putting it against his gaping wound. He wasn't speaking for a while, just letting me try to stop the bleeding.

"I'm . . . I'm sure I deserved it, just by existing . . ."

"Stop it, Komaeda," I said in a soothing tone, keeping the rag on his gash. "Now, what happened?"

"I fell," he gave a sad smile, placing his hand on the back of mine, holding onto it as long as I held it there. "I'm sorry, I know this must be causing you trouble. Please, Hajime, kill me anytime you want to."

"Komaeda, please . . ."

He looked sadly into my eyes, "You must be disappointed, I am sorry."

I shook my head, continuing to dab his gash with the rag as he held onto my hand. We both stayed silent for a while as I tended to him, himself closing his eyes as he endured the pain.

I removed his hand from the back of mine, setting it on the rag. "I'll get the bandages. Hold it there, okay?" Going over to the cabinet, I got out some peroxide and the bandages, long enough to wrap around his head.

Moving back over to him, he continued to keep his eyes closed while I patched him up, flinching only a couple times. I finished wrapping the bandages around his forehead, it having to reach all around his head.

"Hajime?" he called out, quietly, as I finished wrapping his head.

"Yes, Komaeda?"

He seemed to hesitate at first before speaking, "Do you despise me with all of your being? You must, right? To treat me so well . . . to completely eviscerate me in the end. That's your true hope, isn't it?" He was shakily bringing his hand to his head, I started hearing his erratic laughter subtly begin. Sometimes he gets like this, but that's alright, as I've said. He can overcome it, I know it.