A Future to Call Our Own

Chapter 9 - A New Day

Chapter 9
A New Day

Someone once told me that I was too optimistic about life. That I always acted too strongly or too happy whenever a good moment came into focus.
But when Komaeda's status of completely psychotic disappeared, I was just overwhelmed with happiness.
Komaeda . . . My Komaeda is really back?
Oh, Mikan, what wonderful things you have done . . .
A cure for despair? It must be a complete miracle.
But they did it. With the help of Mikan, the Future Foundation made a cure. Everyone . . . Everyone could be okay? They . . . really could?
But it worked. It worked for Komaeda.
Fuyuhiko would unfortunately refuse the treatment. He wanted to remember every last moment of Peko, including her sacrifice for him.
Though, of course, Komaeda does remember all he did while in the despair syndrome, and still has his erratic personality, it doesn't affect him nearly as much as it did whenever he first saw my face.
And this moment, right now, as I'm walking into his hospital room, concludes it.
"Oh, Hajime! How was your day?" He spread his arms out towards me, myself filling them shortly after, holding him as close as I could.
A fatalistic warning, perhaps.
Something that would be expected, right?
Something inevitable.
Something expected.
A change in the world.
A once long, terrifying time.
Has it really came to an end?
The medicine, flown into the air, purifying the air and all the rest of the people who continue to breathe.
Cleansing and restoration of the world was next.
Though I knew that would take a long time, it was still a possibility, right?
I'd say it is.
Since Nagito and I now live in a building across from the Future Foundation Headquarters, I'd say we're doing a good progress so far.
Sonia, Mikan, and Fuyuhiko also live in the building, in their own apartments. Though there is no rent, of course, and the living areas are much better quality.
But, we have our own, separate lives now.
Something to call our own.
. . .
Standing by our bedroom window, I looked into the courtyard behind our building. Nagito and I walked in the courtyard almost every day to get a nice breath of fresh air. And we spend almost every moment together.
I didn't want to let him out of my sight again.
Feeling his arms wrap around my waist from behind, I fell back into his embrace.
"Hinata-kun, I have a surprise for you," he smiled, leaning his head on my shoulder.
"A surprise?" I repeated.
"Yes, but I'm going to have to take you somewhere for me to give it to you! So come on, get dressed!" He was already dressed in his green trench coat and normal outfit.
So I got dressed, fixing my appearance as best as I could, and as soon as I got done brushing my teeth Nagito pulled my arm, leading me out of our apartment and into the courtyard. It was somewhere we went everyday, I wouldn't expect anything different to happen.
Maybe he would just say it's a surprise though it would just be a kiss on the cheek, though that would be good enough, it would still be something he would do. Say something is a surprise though in actuality, it was just something that would be normal for us.
He held onto my hand, leading me down the flights of stairs, into the courtyard, directly in front of the fountain.
Then he turned around, giving me a smile.
He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a small box, wrapped with a tiny ribbon with a bow on it.
"I kept messing up on the bow, I had to have Sonia tie it for me," he gave a nervous laugh, as I took the box in my hands, feeling my cheeks become warm.
"What is it?" I asked him, curious as to what he could have possibly gotten me.
He shrugged, "Open it."
Sitting down on the edge of the fountain, he did the same. I opened the box, peeking inside it.
"Kusamochi," I smiled, leaning my head on his shoulder. I haven't seen this in so long, I wondered how he got ahold of it.
Splitting the mochi in half, I shared one half with him, and savored mine.
"Oh, Hinata-kun, you can have this half, too. I'm more of a fan for salty things."
"Food rations are low, Nagito. Please, eat."
His hunger must have gotten to him, because usually he would continue to turn down any sweet thing. But, he ate this, anyways.
Still having my head on his shoulder, he kissed the top of my head, leaning his on mine. And we listened to the sound of the fountain for a little while before we took a walk, seeing the construction of buildings for survivors. We circled around the block, enjoying the sounds of birds chirping, the wind rustling the trees above us. Spring was finally on its way.
By the time we reached the courtyard again, the sun was setting. Stopping by the fountain again, I enjoyed the view of the rays shining between the trees, seeing the pinks and oranges.
"It's still beautiful, even after the world fell to pieces," I sighed with content.
We shared a silence for a little while, before I heard his voice speak up, "Hey, Hinata-kun?"
I turned around, seeing him have tears forming in his eyes.
My hand made its way to his cheek, my thumb wiping away the tear trying to escape. "What's wrong, Nagito?"
"Have . . . Have you heard any church bells recently?"
Church bells?
"N-No, I don't believe I have . . . Why?"
"They . . . sure are loud today, aren't they?"
He smiled up at the sky, "So beautiful . . ."
Then his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he fell forward, myself catching him.
"K-Komaeda?!" I shouted, shaking him slightly. "Goddammit!"
Picking him up, I rushed to the Future Foundation building, calling for Mikan.
A hospital room picked, machines set up, only for him to wake back up soon after with a smile.
Mikan reassured me of my worries by writing on her sheet of paper that everything was okay. He just had a delusion. But everything was okay now . . . hopefully. She explained to me that it was most-likely another chance that despair was trying to escape again. As it does with her, as well as me.
Later that night, we made our way back to our apartment, and I hugged him close, telling him how scared I was.
"Oh, I'm sorry for making you worry about some filth like me. Please, Hajime, hit me if you want to." Still my same Nagito.
"No, I'll never hit you, Nagito . . ." I shook my head, kissing his cheek. "Kissing, though? Of course," and I placed my lips on his, easing off his jacket.
Letting him go, I untied my tie, starting to unbutton my shirt, turning towards the window of our bedroom, almost ready to collapse into bed and fall asleep.
"Hinata-kun?" Nagito called out behind me as I looked out the window.
Whenever I turned back around, Nagito was on his knees, his hands placed in his lap, smiling up at me. "May I?" He said in a sweet voice, making my heart accelerate.