Holiday Specials

Danganronpa Easter: Hiding Spots (Hinanami)

Hajime Hinata hadn't been exceptionally excited for Easter; to him, it would likely be just another day. Maybe he would find a confetti egg or two to smash on his friends' heads. If he was lucky, that is.

So imagine his surprise when he opened the door and found her waiting right outside. She wore a mint green dress with small pink flowers crawling up from the bottom. But underneath, she had brown nylons and pale pink sneakers for easy mobility. She was playing her game, as always, and had a gift basket sticking out of her backpack.

"Chiaki? Good morning."

For a few moments, she was silent. And then... "Good morning. Let's go egg hunting together, Hajime."

"Really? With me? Wouldn't you rather spend time with your classmates?"

"Do you not want to spend time with me?" she asked, slipping her console into her pocket.

"Nonono! I do! I definitely do!" he backpedaled, frantic and frankly a bit desperate for some socialization.

"Good. I'm an expert in search quests. We can find more eggs than anybody else and win the competition... I think."

"Are you sure? I won't be giving us any advantage, since I don't have a talent."

"That doesn't matter. Everything will be fine! By the way, you can have some of the candies in my basket. It's not fair that the reserve course students didn't get any."

"Thanks!" he smiled. He took out some of the chocolate eggs and popped one into his mouth. It was rich, decadent, and dreamy. When it melted on his tongue, he felt like he might melt, too.

She held out his hand for him to hold. Hesitantly, he took it. Her fingers were so delicate and slim.

She marched him boldly, nudging through the horde of people to get to a relatively close place.

"3... 2... 1... Go!"

She immediately took charge and started scouring the area, tossing plastic eggs into the air and trusting Hajime to catch them with the empty basket they'd been provided.

"It's like Banjo Kazooie," she referenced, scooping some of the most obvious ones off the ground and then moving to small nooks and crannies. Hajime mimicked some of the sounds from that game, making her giggle. The giggle brought a burst of joy in him, like a radiant firework went off in his soul.

"Hey, Chiaki?"

"Yep?"

"Thank you for this. I think I want to try to find some. Is that okay?"

"Go for it, Hajime! I believe in you!"

"I think I believe in me, too, for once," he smiled earnestly. Her innocent pink eyes took on a quiet, mature wisdom. Instinctively, she cupped his face in her hand, and then, startled, pulled back.

"Okay! Let's win this thing, Hajime!" she huffed passionately, trying to recover from the fright she'd given herself. But that small bit of affection only made him all the more determined. He gritted his teeth and stalked off in search of eggs.