Chapter Text
It had been three days since they escaped the Neo World Program.
Jabberwock Island was quiet, even with the five of them up and walking around. The first day was spent recovering, trying to process all that had happened to them. The second day was spent coming up with a plan to stay on the island, and what they would do as the others woke up. And today, the third day, was mostly waiting. Waiting for new signs of life, waiting for reality to sink in, and waiting for the shock of it all to disappear.
Fuyuhiko spent a lot of time sitting by Peko’s pod, hoping something would happen. He knew it was too soon to expect anything, but it was better than wasting his time by wandering around the island, empty and broken. Sonia came in every now and then to tell Gundham’s sleeping form that his hamsters were doing just fine. Kazuichi followed after her, perhaps not with the best of intentions, but he made himself useful by checking over the big machine in the center of the room. Akane didn’t like hanging around (she argued that it was too gloomy and stuffy in there), so she preferred to explore the island.
Hajime stayed about as long as Fuyuhiko did, often pacing around the room, anxiously watching the pods. Despite probably being in a worse mental state than anyone else, he still took the time to check on his classmates. That included Fuyuhiko, much to his chagrin, as Hajime was always the one to nag him about eating his meals and sleeping properly. “Get some rest”, Hajime would chide him while his own eyes, shaded with obvious dark circles, were clouded with worry.
It pissed Fuyuhiko off.
The sun was already setting. Fuyuhiko decided it was time to return the the former administrative building, where they had setting up a living space. He stood up and rolled his shoulders back, trying to get rid of the stiff feeling from sitting for so long. Hajime was in the middle of his usual walk around the room, but stopped when he noticed Fuyuhiko move.
“Are you done for the day?” He asked, walking closer. Hajime smiled tiredly, glancing down at Peko’s pod.
“I guess,” Fuyuhiko replied, frowning. “What about you?”
Hajime nodded, furrowing his eyebrows. “I think so. I don’t want to stay here by myself anyway.”
Fuyuhiko silently agreed. Even though they barely talked while in the room together, it was somehow comforting just to know he was there. Otherwise, he’d start to actually agree with Akane, and the depressing atmosphere of the room would wear him down.
“What will you do when they wake up, Fuyuhiko?”
Fuyuhiko looked up, startled by Hajime’s question. He stared at his face, a tense expression washing over him as he tried to find an answer.
Hajime held up his hands defense. “I just mean… have you considered it at all? During the trial, you said that you wanted to see Peko again.”
He’s being nosy as always, Fuyuhiko thought to himself. It wasn’t exactly a trait he disliked, though. On the virtual island, he actually cherished those memories of when Hajime popped up behind him with some random present he found at the supermarket, trying to coax him to open him up to him. Fuyuhiko wished he was able to keep every random gift he’d been offered back then.
“I wanted to thank her,” He answered after a minute. “And after that… I don’t know. I don’t have a fuckin’ clue. I don’t know if she’ll remember what happened in that world, and I don’t even know if Peko will actually wake up.”
“She will,” Hajime stated bluntly. “Everyone will…I know it.”
“You sure have a lot of blind faith in miracles,” Fuyuhiko argued.
Hajime looked amused. “I have to. A miracle is the only reason why we can stand here now, as the people we were in the game. Even me… somehow.”
Fuyuhiko frowned. He would never forget the sight of Hajime when they woke up, rising out of the pod with long, dark hair that flowed down to his waist. His one, glowing red eye had seemed to see right through him. The intensity of the glare had left a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, but the feeling was easily replaced with comfort when he noticed that Hajime’s other eye was its usual soft, olive green.
Hajime’s left eye was likely the only part about him that remained of Izuru. Not long after they woke up, he’d asked Fuyuhiko to help him cut his hair. It was a healing process for Hajime, one that took weight off his shoulders both mentally and physically. And once they finished, Fuyuhiko could honestly say that it healed him, too. He was certainly no barber, but he remembered very well what Hajime looked like on the virtual island. The cutting job took up a few hours because he wanted it to be perfect, and he wanted to do whatever he could to ensure that the Hajime he knew from the game would stay in this reality.
Looking at him now, Fuyuhiko would have never believed it if someone told him that Hope’s Peak had turned him into some kind of monster. He was just Hajime, plain and simple.
“Fuyuhiko,” Hajime spoke softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Have some faith in them, just like we all had faith that the five of us would come back like this.”
“Fine,” Fuyuhiko grumbled, glancing down at Hajime’s hand. “I guess that’s all we can do at this point.”
Pleased with his answer, Hajime let go of his shoulder. Fuyuhiko felt oddly colder once he removed his touch.
“Yeah,” Hajime said, starting to walk out of the room. “But in the meantime, we should do what we can to relax here. Who knows what we’ll have to deal with once we go back to the mainland…”
“Other than those Future Foundation bastards? More despair freaks, probably,” Fuyuhiko remarked, following after him.
“Exactly why I don’t even want to think about it,” Hajime sighed.
As they left the building, all they could hear were the gentle sounds of the ocean. It was utterly peaceful, so the scenery would have been satisfying if it weren’t for the run-down, abandoned buildings in the way. Fuyuhiko watched as Hajime walked toward the shore, staring off into the distance. He always seemed to have a calming presence that made itself more prominent during quiet times like these, when Fuyuhiko would catch him lost in his own thoughts. He was grateful that someone like Hajime existed in his life, someone whose very appearance within his sight could assure him that everything was going to be okay.
“Is something wrong?” Hajime asked, peering back at Fuyuhiko.
“It’s nothing,” Fuyuhiko muttered, embarrassed that he was caught staring.
Hajime gave him a disapproving look. “If you’re stressed about something, you don’t have to deal with it on your own. Nothing good will come of that.”
Fuyuhiko rolled his eyes. He’d heard the same lecture from Hajime multiple times, and despite it coming from a good place, he never cared to listen to it.
“Worry about yourself for once, Hajime.”
“That’s kind of hard to do,” He countered. “Especially when you don’t come to eat breakfast in the morning unless I remind you.”
Fuyuhiko exhaled, annoyed. “Says the idiot who looks like he hasn’t slept well in weeks.”
Hajime blinked owlishly, then poked at the circles under his eyes.
“Is it really that obvious?” He pondered.
“Yeah,” Fuyuhiko smirked. He motioned to his own right eye, closed shut with a long, vertical scar. “I think your eyes are almost as bad-looking as mine.”
Hajime looked over Fuyuhiko’s eye, troubled. “You don’t even remember how you got that scar in reality, do you?”
“Hell no,” Fuyuhiko said. “And something tells me I won’t want to remember.”
“That’s fair,” Hajime agreed.
He then leaned in close, worriedly trying to get a better look at the scar. His face was mere inches from Fuyuhiko’s, and the latter suddenly felt tenser than he did while inside the building.
“…What the hell are you doing?” He murmured.
“I was wondering if there was some way to tell what happened to you by what the scar looks like,” Hajime answered casually. “We could make you a new eyepatch if you want one.”
“Would you stop trying to take care of me already?” Fuyuhiko scowled, putting some distance between them.
“I don’t want to,” Hajime stated bluntly.
Fuyuhiko glared him down. It annoyed him to no end when he got stubborn like this.
“Don’t give me that look,” Hajime teased, offering a smile. “We’re friends, Fuyuhiko. It’s alright for you to lean on me sometimes. I know you don’t like depending on people… but you can’t do everything on your own.”
“I’m going to have to,” Fuyuhiko said flatly. “My whole clan is probably dead. I don’t know what kind of shitty yakuza boss I’d be without anyone to work for me, but that’s the reality of it.”
“You still have Peko,” Hajime reminded him. “It’ll be hard… but you can start over and find new people to join you.”
“I’m not exactly great at talking to others. Besides, most people take one look at me and doubt I’m a yakuza in the first place.”
Hajime looked over him as if trying to figure something out.
“I think you look good,” he concluded.
Fuyuhiko felt the heat rise to his face. He hated it when Hajime looked at him with such approval, and hated it even more when he realized that he wanted that reassurance so badly.
“Shut up,” He ordered, trying to deny himself the satisfaction.
“But it’s true,” Hajime countered. “You’re a great yakuza boss. You shouldn’t put yourself down like that.”
Fuyuhiko awkwardly gave his tie a little tug as he turned away. He wasn’t accustomed to receiving genuine praise from people, but it especially made him feel odd when it came from Hajime. There were no hidden intentions behind his compliments. It wasn't just flattery aimed at someone in power; he simply enjoyed hanging out with him. No one had ordered Hajime to do any of it. Fuyuhiko had no idea where to begin in responding to his sincerity.
“What about you?” He questioned, trying to change the subject. “If I go back to work as a yakuza, where does that leave you?”
Hajime pursed his lips as he thought it over.
“I don’t know,” He finally admitted.
Fuyuhiko scowled. “Typical. You go on and on about helping me when you’re just as lost as I am.”
Hajime seemed like he was going to argue back, but decided against it at the last second. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes as if he was mulling over something. Fuyuhiko raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response.
“I know,” Hajime said.
“You know what?”
“It’s just… talking with you helped me realize something that I can do now that I’m back in this world as Hajime. I don’t have to live in Izuru’s shadow at all… I can make a new life for myself as anything I want to be.”
It bothered Fuyuhiko to hear that the whole Izuru situation was still eating at him, but that was only to be expected. It’s probably the reason why Hajime wasn’t able to sleep well in the first place. He couldn’t imagine what Hajime felt, knowing that a terrifying side of himself existed deep within his mind, and wished there was something he could do to ease his pain.
“You should do whatever you want,” Fuyuhiko started, somewhat concerned. “That’s obvious, isn’t it? You’re not Izuru. You’ll never be like that again.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
Hajime nodded, but he didn’t seem fully convinced. Fuyuhiko glared him down as he started to walk towards the old administrative building. Before Hajime could get to the door, he stepped in front of him to block his way.
“Wait,” Fuyuhiko said. “What the hell brought this on? You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you?”
Hajime laughed. “Look who’s worrying now.”
Fuyuhiko wasn’t amused. “Just answer me.”
Hajime rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. He seemed worried about the response he’d get once he answered the question.
“I’m sort of strong now,” He began. “I guess that my time as Izuru left me with a little more muscle than I remembered having. So I’d be pretty good in a fight.”
“I guess,” Fuyuhiko concurred, frowning impatiently. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“I could protect you,” Hajime added.
“I don’t need to be protected.”
“I want to protect you.”
Hajime glared at him with determination. Fuyuhiko stared him down for a minute, then stepped back in shock from the realization of what he meant.
“Don’t fuckin’ tell me…” He blurted out. “You want to be a yakuza?”
Hajime looked pleased with himself. Fuyuhiko leaned back against the door, the old floor boards beneath him creaking from the movement. He stared at him blankly, like he was waiting for him to laugh the comment off. Hajime stared back at him, waiting for a different reaction. When he didn’t get one, he rubbed at his own chin self-consciously.
“I think it’s something I’d be good at it,” He explained. “It’s not like I have anywhere to return to, so if I helped you and Peko rebuild the clan-“
“Being a yakuza isn’t a joke,” Fuyuhiko seethed. “You can’t just decide to do something like this! You could get yourself killed!”
“I’m not kidding,” Hajime asserted. “That’s why I’m asking. I want to help you, Fuyuhiko.”
Fuyuhiko exhaled loudly, as if trying to calm himself down.
“I know I kind of offered a job to you before,” He grumbled. “But I don’t want you to jump into this… especially not when you already have enough shit to be stressed about.”
“It’s not that I haven’t considered it before now,” Hajime said. “I did. I’ve been thinking about all of my options since I got here. I thought about it again and again… but talking to you today finally cleared things up.”
He put both of his hands on his shoulders this time. Fuyuhiko felt even tenser than before.
“You need yakuza underlings, and I need a place to belong as Hajime, and no one else. I can get a new start as a yakuza, and you can get the help you need, but are too stubborn to ask for. I can’t think of a better option than this.”
Fuyuhiko hesitantly tried to pull away. “It won’t work out…”
“It will,” Hajime declared, keeping a firm grasp on him. “I’ll make it work.”
He had an intense look in his eyes. It reminded Fuyuhiko of when they had escaped the virtual world, and how heroic Hajime had seemed to him back then. This side of Hajime was bold and resolute, hell-bent on doing whatever it is he set his mind to. Fuyuhiko earnestly admired this side of him, and every time he acted like this, it made it harder to push him away. He wouldn’t be able to convince him of anything else now, and he knew it.
“…Fine,” Fuyuhiko conceded. “You win.”
Hajime perked up. “You mean it?”
“Yeah,” He said. “You can join. But listen, training isn’t going to be easy by a long shot-“
“Thank you…!” Hajime interrupted, loosening his grip on his shoulders.
Fuyuhiko felt an instant of relief, but then froze as he began to move in closer. His mind felt numb when Hajime wrapped his arms around him, celebrating the occasion with a friendly hug.
“You won’t regret this,” Hajime insisted. “I’ll work hard, and everything will be fine.”
Fuyuhiko wasn’t really processing what Hajime was saying. He was too close, and almost every part of his body screamed at him to retreat. Yet, he wasn’t able to go through with it, at least not while a small part urged him to stay.
Hajime pulled away after a minute, then noticing the look on Fuyuhiko’s face. He tensed up.
“What is it?” He asked. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No,” Fuyuhiko managed to say while stiff as a board.
Hajime observed him for a minute longer. “…You’re still mad at me?”
“No, already!” He groaned, exasperated. “Can we just go inside the goddamn building now?!”
Hajime scratched his head. “You’re the one blocking the doorway.”
Fuyuhiko ignored him, opening the door and storming ahead to the dining area.
They were the only ones there, since the others had eaten a while ago. Even if they weren’t in the Neo World Program anymore, it felt natural for all of them to meet up for meals in the morning and afternoon. There were plenty of things to be used for food on the island, including the emergency rations left behind in the building. Hajime was a surprisingly good cook. The others did what they could to help him, but that tended to cause more issues than it solved. Sonia had no idea what anything in the kitchen was, Kazuichi only knew how to fix the appliances, and Akane would eat everything before it got to the pan. Fuyuhiko wasn’t as much of a disaster as the others, but like Sonia, he’d been served all of his meals for the majority of his life. Therefore, he took on the role of Hajime’s assistant. For tonight, the group had agreed to give Hajime a break and snack on fruit and leftovers.
“Do I have to learn how to use a sword?” Hajime asked as he grabbed an orange from the fruit basket.
Fuyuhiko gave him a confused look. “What are you talking about?”
“You know, for training,” He said, then sat down at the table, peeling the orange. “Peko uses one, so I figured it was something I’d need to know.”
“Heh,” Fuyuhiko teased. “You’d never get to Peko’s level.”
“I know that!” Hajime protested. Fuyuhiko could have sworn he looked jealous for a second. “But still, I’ll need to work with some kind of weapon, right?”
Fuyuhiko grabbed a plate of leftovers and sat across from him. He reflected on the situation as he stabbed at the food with his fork.
“It’s not like you have to use a sword,” He said. “Besides, I think a gun might suit you better.”
“Why not both?” Hajime held up a piece of the orange, waving it slightly as he spoke. “That way, I can switch weapons depending on the situation.”
“It’s not a bad idea… but it would mean double the training for you.”
“I can handle it.”
Fuyuhiko watched as Hajime finished eating his fruit. He would never understand his unfailing confidence that any situation would work itself out. Hajime wasn’t afraid to take risks, and he saw everything through to the end. It was like he had no fear, but Fuyuhiko knew him better than that by now. Thanks to the killing game, he had witnessed many instances where the color would drain from Hajime’s face as the panic settled in. However, he always did what he could to hide it, speaking up when the others couldn’t and facing the truth without fail. That was the type of courage that Hajime possessed, and it was something that drew people in like a magnet, Fuyuhiko included.
“We’ll start tomorrow morning,” Fuyuhiko said as he ate the rest of his food. “You’ll want to be at least decent at fighting by the time we have to go back to the mainland.”
“I think I’ll be better than decent…” Hajime suggested.
“Don’t push your luck.”
Fuyuhiko stood up, taking his plate with him. He glanced down at Hajime with a chiding expression.
“You’re not even sleeping properly,” He continued. “Training is going to be a real pain in the ass if you don’t get some rest.”
Hajime laughed sheepishly. “Alright, alright. It’s not like I’m doing it on purpose, though…”
“I know,” Fuyuhiko said, displeased. “You’ve been stressing yourself out about Izuru, haven’t you?”
Hajime’s smile faded. He nodded slowly.
“Knock it off already,” Fuyuhiko grumbled, but he spoke with a gentler tone. “It’s not like Izuru is going to pop back out as soon as you fall asleep.”
“I guess not. But I still feel strange,” Hajime confessed. “I know I’m the same person that I was in the game, but despite that, I have this nagging feeling in the back of my mind. It’s like Izuru is still there, and he’s not happy about it. I’m worried that he really will come back out, or I’ll start to behave like Izuru without even noticing…”
Fuyuhiko threw his plate in the sink and crossly walked back over to Hajime. He sat down beside him this time, brazenly staring him down. Hajime was the one to shy away, tilting his head to back slightly while apprehensively meeting his gaze.
“W-What is it…?” He stuttered.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Fuyuhiko declared.
“Huh?” He avoided looking at him now.
“I mean that Izuru isn’t going to make you disappear, dumbass!” Fuyuhiko scolded him. “I’m not going to let that happen!”
Hajime turned back to him, bewildered. The warm, curious look on his face made Fuyuhiko lose some pluck, but he bravely continued ranting anyway.
“You’re worried about Izuru taking over while you’re asleep, yeah? If that’s the problem, then all we have to do is keep an eye on you at night.”
“Would it really work?” Hajime spoke up, doubtful. “It’d inconvenience you, too.”
Fuyuhiko glared at him fiercely. “Who’s your boss, now that you’re a yakuza?”
“…You.”
“Exactly,” Fuyuhiko scoffed. “And the boss looks out for his underlings.”
Hajime shook his head. “I get what you’re saying, but how would you even do it? I’d feel terrible if you stayed up all night for my sake.”
“We wouldn’t have to go that far,” Fuyuhiko said with a shrug. “I’d just have to sleep near you.”
He didn’t get a response after that. Hajime’s eyes went wide while he sat there, dumbfounded, watching him as though he’d lost his mind. Fuyuhiko knit his brows, trying to figure out what the hell was going through Hajime’s mind.
“Uh,” Hajime uttered, and a pink color dusted his cheeks as he brought a hand up over his own mouth. “What?”
Fuyuhiko made a face, annoyed. “What don’t you get? I said I’d have to sleep…”
He suddenly stopped himself, realizing what had gotten Hajime so flustered. Fuyuhiko turned a deep shade of red and quickly channeled his embarrassment into frustration.
“T-That’s not what I fucking meant!” He shouted, clearly more flustered than angry. “Why would you even think about it like that?! You pervert!”
“P-Pervert?!” Hajime swung back around, insulted. “Look who’s talking! What was I supposed to think when you said that?!”
Fuyuhiko groaned, running his fingers through his own hair. “I meant that I’d bring a cot over to your room or something…”
“So… we’re not sleeping in the same bed?”
“No!” Fuyuhiko snapped. He rubbed at his face, trying to prevent it from feeling any hotter than it already was. “We’re not sleeping together!”
Hajime choked. “I wasn’t talking about sleeping together.”
Fuyuhiko felt his blush get exponentially worse. He stood up again, facing the opposite direction as he yelled.
“Dammit! Enough of this shit! I’m going to watch over you tonight, and that’s settled! Don’t get anymore weird ideas!”
Hajime quickly nodded. He looked no better off than Fuyuhiko did.
“You know the plan for tonight,” Fuyuhiko exhaled, managing to calm his voice down to only a slight yell. “When you’re done here, meet me at your room!”
He peered back at Hajime, who didn’t acknowledge him because he was too busy looking at his orange peels, as if doing so would help him regain his composure. Fuyuhiko’s lip twitched.
“I’ll, uh, go back to my own room for a while,” He said as he began walking out of the dining area.
“Wait, Fuyuhiko,” Hajime lifted his head back up, a slight blush remaining on his face.
“What now?” He stopped, turning his head back enough to see Hajime from the corner of his eye.
“Thank you,” Hajime said quietly. A pleasant smile graced his features. “I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you around to worry about me.”
Fuyuhiko swallowed hard, uncomfortable from the growing feeling of warmth in the pit of his stomach. He bit his lip and leaned against the doorframe.
“Idiot,” He muttered. “That should be my line.”
Once he said his piece, he left, but he wasn’t able to get rid of the warmth he’d felt afterwards.