Grey Beach (Hajime Hinata x Fem! Reader x Nagito Komaeda)

Sidewalks

I immediately froze up when I felt the hands on the back of my shoulders. Hesitantly, I turned around, only to be met with Komaeda's steely gaze.

"Got ya!" He chuckled, trying to play off the terror he evidently caused. He kept his hands on my shoulders, his grip a little more firm that normal.

"Uh, hi, Komaeda," I stammered. "Can you... let go of me?"

He leaned closer to me, his lips right by my ear. Dangerously close. "I know you were eavesdropping on our conversation, (y/n.)."

My heart sank in my chest, my eyes widened in shock. He pulled his face away from my ear, drinking up my reaction. "Aw, look how cute you are when you're shocked!"

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to eavesdrop," I sighed, my gaze lowering to the ground.

"Hey, no need to be so glum. We will keep it as our little secret," he smirked, letting go of my shoulders. "It must have been your Bad Luck that led me to snuffing you out earlier... your talent inspires so much hope!"

I locked eyes with his, feeling his piercing cold gaze down to my very core. It was hard to predict what he would do— one moment, he was kind and normal, and suddenly, he could be dangerous and volatile the next.

"Were you... following me?" I asked, a slight breeze shooting through the sky as I spoke. I surveyed the area, and sure enough, none of our fellow students were in sight.

"So what if I was?" He replied, tucking his pale hands into his pockets. "At any rate, (y/n). You know exactly what this is about, don't you? You. Me. Him."

I stared at him wordlessly, my mouth hanging open at a loss for words. "Anyways, (y/n). I meant what I said earlier. Talentless scum like him doesn't deserve to even breathe the same air as someone as... hopeful as you."

"Stop," I breathed, letting out a shaky sigh.

He stepped closer to me, placing one of his hands on the side of my face and pulling me closer, until our faces were a few mere inches apart.

"You know what you have to choose, don't you, (y/n)?" The luckster whispered, his other hand trailing down my arm and sending shivers down my spine. Even though his face was so close to mine, his gaze never looked away from my body.

"I-"

Before I could finish my sentence, the white haired boy pressed his lips against mine, holding me tightly against him as his he poured all of his passion into the kiss. I hesitantly kissed back, caught off guard by his actions but still feeling a pleasant warmth course through my body.

After a few moments, he pulled away, hands still placed on my face and arm. "Sorry to cut you off, (y/n).  It's just... the thought of losing you... makes me feel so desperate."

"I'm not going anywhere," I assured him in a tiny whisper. My heart was pounding in my chest from the kiss before, and I felt like I was having a heart attack all over again when he proceeded to kiss me on the forehead.

He pulled away, nonchalantly placing his hands in his pockets as if nothing had happened. My fingers caressed the area he had just kissed, and I swore I could still feel the sensation of his lips there.

"Now, (y/n)... I hope you'll make the right decision."

With a small chuckle, the white haired boy turned and walked away, leaving me frozen in place.

Are you kidding me? Was all of that just to make a hope joke? I thought, though I quickly shook it off, knowing Komaeda wasn't the type to mess around like that. Besides, having heard his conversation with Hajime in the restaurant earlier, it was clear that the rivalry between the two boys had struck a nerve with the lucky student.

I began to walk down the path as I had before, though images of our kiss played on repeat in my mind. Would I really have to choose between him and Hajime? I had caught feelings for both of them, and I was at a loss to even consider what I would do if put in that situation.

However, it was clear that something was coming, like a big wave coming to shore from the distance. I felt a pit in my stomach as I thought about what would happen next. Unfortunately, I was so wrapped up in my internal strife that I failed to realize that I ran directly into one of the sources of my plight, Hajime himself.

"Oop- sorry!" I exclaimed, jolting out of my thought spiral. The brunette smiled down at me fondly, though there was clearly some tension weighing on him that I hadn't noticed before.

"Fancy meeting you here, (y/n)," he mused, a small smile on his lips. "I haven't gotten around to exploring much yet, would you care to join me?"

"Sure," I replied, hoping it would help keep me from thinking myself into a hole. I followed him as we approached what appeared to be a warehouse, though it was mostly full of random boxes and shipping items.

"Wow, monokuma really wants us to suffer, considering he saved the most boring island for last..." Hajime scoffed. He then turned to me, his face flushing red. "A-anyways, (y/n). What's the matter with you?"

My gaze met his, staring into his concerned eyes. What was I supposed to say to him? He seemed so oblivious to the whole situation, and I couldn't dare tell him about my interaction with Komaeda earlier.

I felt tears well up in the corners of my eyes, standing my cheeks as they fell. I let out a small whimper, though I was at a complete loss for words.

"Hey... I-it's ok..." Hajime whispered, pulling me into a tight embrace. I tried to stop my tears, but they wouldn't stop falling. he pulled me tighter close to him, and I could feel his heart beating in his chest.

"I'm sorry, (y/n)... I'll protect you, no matter what..." he assured me, pulling away slightly to plant a small kiss on my forehead. I stood there with him silently, letting myself become grounded by his embrace and kind words.

"I will never let anything happen to you, (y/n). You have my promise. I am here to protect you until the very end from whatever comes your way."

With those words, I nearly choked on my tears.

How was I supposed to choose?