Equilibrium

A New Discovery

It’s been weeks since Naegi last saw Komaeda.

The last spot they met up in has been empty ever since; the white haired teen is nowhere in sight. That doesn’t mean he’s given up searching for him though. It only made him more determined to find him.

Every lunch period Naegi would keep his eyes on the lookout. Sometimes he’d felt like he’d found him, standing by a corner or in the distance, but Naegi would blink or be blocked by some people momentarily then notice after he was gone.

Komaeda definitely is hiding from him.

But why? I don’t understand, did I do something wrong? If I did I want to find out what and apologize! But I have to find him first...

This has been frustrating him so much that he’d forgotten about what he was supposed to be doing today: participate in the school’s sports festival. The scavenger hunt specifically.

“Listen Naegi-kun, we do not have all day!” A voices huffs out, clearly annoyed by how long he’s been taking. “Just take any card and go. You must participate, it’s your duty as a student!”

At those words he immediately snaps out of his thoughts, face heating up from embarrassment. He was supposed to be picking a card!

“I’m so sorry Ishimaru-kun! I’ll just take… um this one!”

He grabs the one in the center and briskly walks away in shame all while reading his newly assigned task.

“Find someone who is taller than you.”

Oh ...that’s really easy, which means I’ll get to the goal before everyone!

Naegi’s eyes dart around, looking for the closest person to him and spots Togami in the distance. Excited he bursts into a sprint, already tasting sweet sweet victory-

Only to trip over a slightly longer tuft of grass and slam onto his face.

So much for the taste of victory.

He thinks this to himself as he spits dirt out of his mouth, feeling a bit disheartened.

Still, he can win this… even with that self-esteem wrecking display. Naegi sits up, and brushes off his sleeves. He props himself back up now ready to continue, but he was stopped by a voice behind him.

“Naegi-kun? You’re a mess.”

Trying to locate the voice, Naegi whips his head around and is face to face with the very same male he’d been trying to hunt down all this time.

“Komaeda-kun!! I’ve been looking for you!”

“Really? Huh, what’s your card say?” Komaeda points at the now bent up card Naegi is holding in his hand with curiosity.

“My card? I’m supposed to look for someone taller than me and almost everyone is ...heh” Naegi can’t help but hang his head a bit at that. Is he ever going to get the growth spurt he oh so desperately needs? “It’s good though! It makes it really easy for me.”

“So that’s why! My good luck must be on my side today because I need someone short. You more than enough fit the description.”