Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“How the hell did we get here?”

-

It was an early afternoon when Komaru let out a heavy sigh.

“I need a boyfriend.”

Her companion Toko, in the motion of turning a page of a novel she was reading, halted in her tracks and slowly turned to the younger woman with an eyebrow raised.

“You need a boyfriend?” She repeated, pushing her glasses up before returning to her gaze back to her book. “W–where is this coming from?”

Seated together at a popular café with hot drinks in toe were eccentric duo, Naegi Komaru and Hagakure Toko. As it was early spring, the warm sun was often accompanied by a chill breeze which brought the young woman here even after winter concluded.

Komaru leaned back on her chair, sighing again. “I dunno, I just feel like it’s time I started looking for someone.” She reached for her latte as she kept talking, “I'm kinda tired of being alone all the time.”

“A-alone!?” Toko scoffed at this, looking offended. “Hmph! Then what am I, huh!? Chopped liver!?” 

While the green haired woman took a sip of her drink, she rolled her eyes before placing down her cup. “Toko, you know that’s not what I meant. I always appreciate your company, even when you're being annoying.”

“Gee, thanks.” The older of the two lowered her book and frowned, causing Komaru to giggle at her whining.

She quickly seized her laughter though and continued, “What I’m trying to say is…you're my best friend, so I’m never really alone, especially when you and Nii-san and the others are around.”

Toko glanced to the side when she felt her cheeks heat up at the other woman’s statement. “Well, a–as long as you know.”

Komaru giggled again at the former Ultimate’s embarrassment. She let out another, more relaxed sigh as she stared at her reflection in her latte, a kind of melancholic smile on her face. “Anyway, what I really meant was that I don’t wanna be single anymore, it’s been forever since the Tragedy ended and things have basically gone back to normal now, y’know? And everyone has gone and settled down already, even you!" 

"Jeez! Y–you don't need to sound so surprised!" Toko frowned.

"C'mon, that's not it! I love that you have a family now!" Komaru put up her hands in defence. She then smiled, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "My Goddaughter is super sweet, which she totally gets from her dad!" 

"Wha—!? I–I can be sweet too!" 

"I mean I guess…"

"You guess, huh?"

"Well, at least she gets her adorableness from you!" Komaru quickly added with a bright smile.

Toko blushed and hid behind her book, pretending to be more engrossed in it. Komaru giggled at the other woman's shyness before she continued with the previous topic.

"Anyway, like I was saying before, I really do think it's about time I meet someone and start dating, right?”

She lifted her lime green gaze up to look at Toko and was surprised to see that the purple haired woman had returned from her bashful retreat and was now staring at her. However, she didn’t say anything, seeming lost in thought. This continued for a bit before Komaru began to feel a bit awkward. She habitually scratched her cheek and chuckled nervously, picking up her latte again.

“So Toki…what do you think?”

At the mention of her nickname, Toko snapped away from her thoughts and rolled her eyes, placing her book down and picking up her cup of tea. However, she paused in her movements, adopting a thoughtful expression once again.

Komaru furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she finished her latte and placed her cup down for the last time, tilting her head to the side. “Um…Toko, I was kinda saying something earlier? Did ya hear me?” 

Suddenly, Toko put her tea down again and locked eyes with Komaru. The other female was surprised and even more puzzled by this. 

“Uh…is everything oka—”

“I’m f-fine.” Toko said, glancing to the side. “I was just thinking about what you said.”

“What I said? You mean about me not wanting to be single anymore?” Komaru clarified. 

The former Ultimate Writing Prodigy rolled her eyes. “Well, yeah , obviously!”

“Oh,” Komaru’s face brightened as she scratched her cheek again. “I thought for a second you weren’t listening.”

“Ugh…c’mon, Omaru! O–of course, I was listening! What do you take me for!” Toko complained. She quickly calmed down, however and continued with a slightly annoyed expression. “Like I said, I was just thinking about everything you were saying and w-well…I just wanted to ask how soon you wanted to get into a relationship?”

“Hmm?” Komaru raised an eyebrow at this but actually began to really think about it. She placed a hand on her chin for a moment before eventually shrugging her shoulders. “Honestly, I wouldn’t mind getting into one pretty soon.”

Toko nodded at her response. “I see…well, I….might just be able to help you with that.”

“Wait, really?” Komaru asked, sounding genuinely excited. “You’d really help me, Toko!?”

“Hmph!” The older woman whipped her head to the side with her nose up high. “Of course! Were…best friends, aren’t we? Just leave it all to me!”

“Yeah!” A loud cheer erupted from Komaru as she threw her arms in the air, “You’re the best Toko!”

“Yeah, yeah, j-just calm down, will you?” Toko said, trying to hide her embarrassment and happiness from Komaru’s compliment. She lifted up her tea cup and took a sip from it as Komaru went on rambling.

“Wow! I really can’t wait! I’ll finally be able to get a boyfriend! I wonder what it’s like? Nii-san and Kyoko make it look so cute! Hopefully, mine will be—”

“Ew, it’s cold!” 

Komaru was interrupted by Toko spitting out her tea. She sweatdropped.

“…Maybe someone shouldn’t have spent the entire time reading.”

“Sh-shut up! I was also listening to you whine about being single!”

“I was not whining!”

“You so were! ‘Oh, I need a boyfriend! Woe is me!’”

“That’s not even close to how my voice sounds! Ugh, whatever! And here I thought you’d actually gotten a little nicer over these years.”

“Please, that was me being nice! I could've said how you should probably start losing weight before you date anyone.”

Komaru just groaned loudly.

-

At the time when Toko told the brunette she was going to help with her relationship dilemma, she honestly didn't know what to expect. At the very least she anticipated something a bit more obvious to her like setting the single Naegi up for a blind date or helping her make a profile on a dating site. 

Not that she could really imagine her reserved best friend helping her with either of those things, but maybe she would enlist help from other people like their resident swimming expert, Asahina Aoi.

However, what Komaru didn't expect was everything that happened after that conversation. Everything from Toko seemingly becoming quiet about the matter, almost like she had completely forgotten about it, to the brunette suddenly coming into frequent contact with a certain handsome and even more reserved individual who played a significant role in both starting and ending the Tragedy.

At first, she didn't think much about it, but as the two of them continued to cross paths with each other, she started to think that maybe, just maybe…it all wasn't just some crazy coincidence.

When the older man she had come to spend some time with as they therapied her nephew together started to pull at her heart strings.  

And when Toko seemed to smile knowingly when the two of them came to school together, side by side, hands brushing…

-

“How did we get here? What did she do? She has to be behind this somehow, right? Or she wouldn't be smiling all creepy like that.”

“Komaru, please, we’re in the middle of a therapy session with a student. You can interrogate her later.”

-

Well, in the end it didn’t really matter as somehow her problem was solved before she even realised it. Still, one can't blame Komaru for her surprise at this new situation she's in.

Because despite being abducted from her home and separated from her family, forced to play in some insane killing game hosted by a group of very disturbed kids and fight hordes of giant monochromatic robot bears while becoming best friends with an eccentric Ultimate who possessed an even more eccentric alter and spend a lot of time keeping some kind of peace between brainwashed children and vengeful adults in the ruined hellhole that was Towa City…

Despite all of those crazy things in her past, Naegi Komaru could confidently say without a shadow of a doubt that nothing, absolutely nothing would have ever prepared her for getting into a relationship with the former global terrorist and most powerful person in the world, Hinata Hajime.

Every time she pondered it for even a moment, she always found herself asking…

-

“Seriously, how did we get here?” 

“Komaru, we've been dating for five months. Give it a rest already.”

Chapter Text

“Shit! I’m gonna be late!” 

Speeding like a train out of her bedroom, Komaru slid into the kitchen and snatched a packet of pan bread out of the pantry before diving straight into the doorway to force her black wedges on. 

The brunette aggressively ripped apart the bread’s plastic wrapping and stuffed the round, soft bun into her mouth, dumping the remains on the floor and readjusting her handbag on her shoulder as she unlocked, opened, closed and relocked the front door with a single hurried motion.

I just need to catch the next bus! I can make it!

Komaru thought to herself, rushing forward with great determination only to collide with what felt like a brick wall. 

"Agh—!"

She grunted, staggering backwards. Her pan bread dropped out of her mouth as she began to lose her balance. However, before she could fall, an arm wrapped around her waist and kept her firmly in place. 

"Where's the fire?"

At the sound of a crisp voice, the brunette opened her eyes and readjusted them as she met an unreadable, heterochromic gaze. 

It took staring at the intense green and red eyes for a hot second before the sleep cloud in Komaru's brain completely cleared up and she finally recognized the person she ran into.

"H-hajime!?" She stuttered, blushing at the brunet as he pulled her back up straight. "What are you doing here!?" 

Hajime released his hold on the woman and stared at her momentarily, his face devoid of any emotion. Komaru nervously looked back, struggling to decipher what might be going through his head right then. 

Instead, however, she took a moment to admire his appearance. He went with a dark brown pants suit over a lime green dress shirt and black tie along with black loafers. It wasn't anything special, just his typical work attire and yet…he was just so effortlessly attractive that it always drove her crazy!

God, why is he so handsome!? It's not fair!

"We made an agreement to commute to work together from now on." The man replied curtly, his tone monotonous.

Komaru snapped away from her thoughts when he spoke again.

"Huh?"

Hajime tilted his head to the side slightly. 

"Have you already forgotten?"

A text conversation flashed in her mind, instantly reminding her. The greenette smiled sheepishly, her eyes darting sideways.

"Oh yeah. I did. Sorry…"

There was a brief silence after that, but to Komaru it felt like an eternity. 

Then all of a sudden, the brunet slowly lifted his other hand to reveal the half eaten bread bun the woman had in her mouth.

Komaru snapped her attention away from him and turned to what was left of her food, eyes sparkling with surprise and relief. 

"Whoa, you actually caught it! Thank God, that was my breakfast!" 

She chuckled as she reached out to take the bread only to receive a swift chop to her head instead.

"Ow!" The woman cried out, rubbing the spot she was hit. "What was that for Haji…me…?" 

She trailed off at the sight of Hajime's change in expression. His previously blank face now appeared exasperated and irritated, his left eyebrow continuously twitching.

" Komaru ." He called her name sternly.

Said woman flinched and took a step back, startled by the brunet's sudden change in demeanor. One would think she'd be used to it by now but it somehow always caught her off guard.

"...Y-yeah?" 

"Have you seen yourself in the mirror today?" 

"H-huh? What? Of course I—" 

A full-length mirror suddenly materialized in front of her before she could even finish, immediately shutting her up and filling her with an unbelievable amount of dread and embarrassment as she gasped loudly.

Instead of seeing one of her own usual work outfits, namely a jacket over a button up blouse paired with a three-quarter length pencil skirt and tights, her pink colored, teddy bear printed pyjamas were reflected in the mirror. And of course, the only thing she had on that she was supposed to have was her wedges and handbag.

And what could she even say about her face and hair? Her shoulder length bob was in a total disarray and she had made zero attempt to put on any makeup, since she wouldn't be seeing dark circles around her eyes otherwise.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!??" The greenette screamed, grabbing the sides of her face. "I can't believe I almost got on the bus like this! No ! I can't believe I almost went to school like this! I would've totally embarrassed myself in front of everyone! I'd be the laughing stock of Hope's Peak! Nii-san would be so ashamed to be related to me that he'd fire me on the spot!"

"I can't believe my own sister would dress like this to school. I'm ashamed to be related to you!" Makoto said (in her imagination), an uncharacteristically disgusted scowl on his face. "There's absolutely no way I'd let you continue working at Hope's Peak. We have a reputation to uphold! You're fired! Get out!" 

"Nooooooooooooooo! I just knew I shouldn't have stayed up late to watch anime but I just couldn't help it! I—!" 

"Komaru!" Hajime called her sternly, his hands on his hips. "You're disturbing the neighbours."

As she now whined quietly, the man sighed heavily and shook his head. 

"Whatever you're imagining, it's not gonna happen. Period." The brunet said bluntly before glaring at the woman. "And didn't I already tell you to hold off on watching anime on a work night because of your terrible bingeing habit?"

"It doesn't matter anyway cuz I'm still gonna be late!"

"No. It does matter because it's the reason why you're gonna be late in the first place!"

Komaru pouted and lowered her head, feeling defeated.

"Then what am I gonna do? There's an important test this morning that I have to supervise and I'm sure I've missed the only other bus that can get me to school on time."

As the woman sighed to herself, regretting every life choice she made up until this point, a hand slipped under her chin, slowly lifting her head up. With that, she met Hajime's gaze again, his face having returned to its previously blank state.

"I am well aware. I had already predicted that this would occur and have calculated the amount of time it would take to not only prepare you for school but transport the both of us there on time." 

He imparted to her, his words once again enveloped in a soft monotone. Despite his abrupt switch in demeanor yet again, the intensity of his eyes always remained the same which in turn, never failed to make Komaru blush instantly.

She averted her gaze shyly. "You'd…really do that…for me?"

"Affirmative." Hajime simply said, turning around to pick up his work bag. "Now get inside. We still have exactly fifteen minutes to execute my plan perfectly."

Komaru sweatdropped at his bluntness. 

I was expecting a more…romantic response but…okay.

"Oh, and I will naturally take care of your breakfast as well. Considering your appetite, a singular bread bun will not even last you five minutes." 

After saying this, he ate the rest of her bread, much to Komaru's shock.

"Hey! I was still gonna— Wait, are you calling me a glutton?"

Hajime finished chewing before responding.

"I do not recall using that term."

"But you were totally implying it, right?"

"I suppose I will not deny that," Hajime replied, walking past her and unlocking the door to her apartment before smirking broadly, "but I won't admit it either."

Komaru stared bewilderedly at the keys in his hands, quickly checking her bag and looking back at the man who just continued to smugly grin at her.

"What—" She pointed at her keys. "How did you— When did you even—?" The greenette just groaned in defeat as her shoulders slumped, "God, you're the worst!"

He took her hand in his own and gave it a gentle squeeze before lifting it up to his lips and kissing her knuckles tenderly, his mismatched gaze never leaving her.

"But you love me anyway, right?"

He asked her sincerely, brushing her knuckles with his thumb. A deep blush crept onto Komaru's face before she turned completely red. She ducked her head in embarrassment, suddenly finding her top pyjama button interesting.

"... yes." She whispered. "I love you." 

This made Hajime smile softly as he whispered back. "I love you too."

The woman lifted her head up just enough to catch her boyfriend's sweet expression switch back to its commonly wooden state.

She narrowed her eyes.

Nice try but I caught you smiling.

"I am aware."

"Hey, no reading my mind!"

"Even I am not capable of mind reading. However, I can read your facial expression just fine."

"Of course…" 

"As I said earlier, I will assist you in preparing for school and arriving on time, now please enter. We still have 14 minutes." 

"Oh shit, that's right! I almost forgot! You sure we can still make it?"

"Are you aware who you are speaking to?"

"Yeah, you're right."

Komaru finally walked over to her door, ready to re-enter her apartment and actually get ready for work when she remembered something. 

"By the way…" She started, turning to Hajime with a perplexed look. "Where did that full length mirror come from earlier?"

"That is not of importance at this time. Now enter—"

"Did you just carry it here or—?"

"Komaru, please, I will inform you indoo—"

"But like, where did it go? Are you hiding it with a magician or ninja talent or somethin—"

"Will you just get inside already!?"

Chapter Text

"C'mon! Where did the mirror come from!?" 

As a brush expertly smoothed out the last of her unruly hair, a fully dressed and made up Komaru was seated in front of Hajime's 'magically' spawned mirror, still pestering the man about its origins. After a minute of her asking, the brunet sighed heavily.

With an extremely serious expression and tone, he explained, "I pulled the mirror out from a pocket dimension linked to my briefcase." 

And then didn't elaborate beyond that. 

"That's so not true! Why do you always treat me like some kid who still believes in Santa Claus or whatever? Just tell me!"

"But I did tell you."

"No you didn't!" 

"I did."

"Fine! Be that way!" The younger Naegi whined, whipping her head to the side as she pouted.

"I told you to keep your head straight." Hajime ordered sternly as he brought her head back in place and continued his work. "And finish your food."

"Sure thing, Mom." Komaru couldn't help but smile despite wanting to seem upset at the senior psychologist's teasing. She took the last few bites of her breakfast — a delicious strawberry and banana gelatin, her ahoge adorably bouncing in delight. 

"Oh my God, this really was super yummy!" The young woman squealed in delight as the jelly melted in her mouth. "I don't think I've ever had gelatin this good! You really outdid yourself, Hajime!"

"Thank you. I'm happy you liked it." He replied with a gentle smile, a tiny blush dusting his cheeks. 

According to her diligent boyfriend, the typical dessert was actually an original recipe of his designed to be filling, low on calories and most importantly delectable. It was best eaten as a quick breakfast to give one an adequate boost at the start of the day. It also came in many flavours which was a bonus. 

The brunette always found it interesting to witness Hajime's different talents, especially the ones that don't seem to fit a guy like him at first glance.

'I wonder when he—'

"I was inspired to make it while I was working at a candy store."  Hajime suddenly spoke, interrupting her thoughts.

"Heh, I guess you could tell what I was thinking again, huh?" Komaru replied sheepishly, keeping her spoon and plate in her lap while he poofed the ends of her hair. "But I'm surprised you worked at a candy store of all places? Is that really what your job was before my brother hired you?"

"No. I was working at several different jobs. I wanted to put my cesspool of talents to good use after no longer being prohibited from the mainland." The older man responded in a very bored tone as he narrowed his heterochromic eyes in the mirror. "Something I already mentioned before if only you paid attention."

Komaru flinched and scratched her cheek in her usual manner. 

"Sorry, you brought it up when Makoto offered us our new jobs, right?"

"Bingo." Her boyfriend smiled as he placed the brush on her dining table. "See how nice it is when you actually take the time to think about something before speaking?"

"Say that again, I dear you!" 

"Perhaps another time, I just finished."

Komaru now focused on her reflection in the mirror, her irritation practically vanishing as she marvelled at her updated appearance. Her outfit was perfectly ironed and exactly the combination of apparel she often wore to school, her makeup was positively stunning, still subtle like always but possessed so much more finesse to it. Same could be said for her hair as well, the junior psychologist doesn't know how but her hair seemed so much more healthy and alive, the texture was shiny and the volume was great, the ends curled into her face in a way that brought out her features more. No hair salon has ever given her this level of quality with just a brush no less.

All in all, she looked like she got completely done up by an elite professional. 

'Well, I guess I was since he's got all the talents to pull this off.'

"Did I do a good job?" Hajime asked, placing his arms behind his back.

"Good job? You did an awesome job! I look great and feel confident!" Komaru stood up and grinned at herself in the mirror, turning side to side to check all areas of her person.  She noticed Hajime flipping her chair around and tucking it back into the dining table. He offered a hand for her plate and she gave it to him before he made his way to her kitchen.

As he was coming back, Komaru walked over to her handbag with a curious expression. "Say, how did you say we were going to school again?"

The brunet walked over to the mirror and picked it up. His girlfriend watched, completely perplexed as he folded the mirror until it was small enough to fit in his briefcase.

"What!? It was foldable this whole time!? Why didn't you just say that!?"

"I didn't want to hinder your sense of imagination."

"For the last time Hajime, I'm not five!"

"To answer your earlier question…"

"Yeah, just change the subject, I won’t notice.”

"...I didn't have a chance to with all your whining about the mirror."

"I was so not!"

" 'Hajime, where did the mirror come from? You didn't have it with you when you got here! Tell me! Tell me!' " 

At the sound of her own voice coming from the man, Komaru felt a chill go up her spine.

"Okay, you’ve made your point but you are absolutely banned from mimicking my voice every again, you hear me?"

"Roger that."

"Good, now we need to get to school in…SEVEN MINUTES??" The brunette screamed, lime eyes bulging from the time on her phone. She whipped her head at her boyfriend. "Please tell me you brought a car with you!"

"I am not currently in possession of a motorised vehicle."

"What? Why?"

"I can walk faster than a marathoner, sprint faster than a race car, swim faster than a torpedo." Hajime drawled, his usual blank expression present. "If I could fly, I would probably be faster than a plane—"

"Okay, I get it! You’re super fast!" Komaru rolled her eyes as she grabbed her handbag, pointing at him. "That still doesn't explain how we're getting to school in under six minutes!"

Hajime brought a hand up and grabbed her own outstretched one, moving closer, towering over her. "I can also jump higher than the bounciest bouncy ball."

There was a shift in his dull tone, he sounded serious again and suddenly Komaru got a sinking feeling. "So…uh, what are you– what are you saying?"

"I told you that I'd transport the both of us to school on time." Hinata surprised her with a grin and iron hold on her hand. "Are you ready?"

"W–wait…hold on…"

Before Naegi could process it, the talented man dragged her outside and locked her apartment door, slipping the keys into her bag then subsequently picking her up princess style. As he made his way down the stairs of her apartment building with her in his arms, Komaru finally realised that this was the first time she had ever been carried like this by her boyfriend and perhaps he intentionally didn't take the elevator because of that. 

He also somehow descended three flights of stairs in a few seconds which didn't initially register with her. 

'This is pretty comfortable.' She thought, resting her head against his shoulder. 'I always wondered what cologne he used.'

However, she quickly snapped out of her daze over Hajime's quick actions and scent, glancing up at him, confusion and fear written on her face when she noticed that they were outside and he was now squatting. 

"Hajime, what are you doing?" She whispered, glancing around at passersby who stared as they walked past them. "Why are you carrying me like this? You’re not planning on running to school, are you?"

"Of course not, Komaru. That would be ridiculous."

"Okay good—"

"I have something else in mind," He interrupted her, tightening his firm hold. "Don't worry, I promise on Enoshima Junko's grave that I will not drop you."

"What!? Why her grave!?" Komaru snapped her head at him in shock. "And what do you mean 'you won't drop me'? Why would you drop me!????"

"I just said I wouldn't." Hajime rolled his eyes before focusing them upwards. "Make sure you hold on tight." 

"Wait! Hajime!"

"On the count of three. Ready?" 

"No!"

"Three…"

"No! No counting! NO COUNTING!"

"…Two…"

"Hajime, PLEASE!" 

"One!"

“HajimeaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!!"

Before the brunette could protest even more, a shrieking scream left her throat as her boyfriend propelled the both of them into the air, picking up a strong gust of wind before landing perfectly atop the building right next to her apartment.

"Komaru please, you'll swallow a bug with all that screaming you're doing." Hajime deadpanned as he rushed to the edge of the building and leaped over to the other one. 

As he repeated the process a second time, Komaru finally stopped screaming and glared at him with wide eyes.

"Are…you…" She gasped and screamed again when he jumped and did an aerial flip before landing perfectly and running backwards atop the roof of another building. "...CRAZY!?"

"No, I'm talented. Now keep your head tucked in, I'm going to increase my speed."

Hajime said as he spun around and picked up his pace immensely.

"You will do no such thiiiIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH—"

"It seems that I brought you to class with two minutes to spare." 

"You…you almost killed me." 

"That's quite a bizarre way to say thank you but you're most welcome Komaru."

"I wasn't thanking you!" 

"So you aren't glad that you're here on time and won't inconvenience the students and staff because you woke up late after bingeing anime the previous night and came to school in your teddy bear pyjamas?"

There was a pause as the realisation sunk in. 

"You…did this to teach me a lesson, didn't you?"

"My dear successor requested I find a way to motivate you to stop late night bingeing on work days." 

"Did my brother also ask you to jump on buildings with me in your arms like a maniac?"

"Oh no, that was my idea.”

"I see. I hate you. Thanks for everything you did. Please never do that again.”

"No you don't. You're welcome. No promises." Hajime smiled as he lightly tapped her on the nose. "See you in third period."

With his hands slipped into his pocket and a swift turn on his heel, her boyfriend left the classroom, winking at her as he slid the door close, leaving Komaru with nothing but a red face. 

Whether from embarrassment, anger or both, she honestly didn't know and at this point, she didn't care.

"Ooooooooooooooooooo~" The students cooed teasingly.

"Oh hush! I almost died because of you kids!" 

"We're very honoured, ma'am."

They only received a loud groan from the female teacher as she handed out their test papers.

Chapter Text

"Alright Komaru, you got this! Just press the doorbell and ask him! No biggie!" 

Standing in front of a simple yet stylishly carved wooden door of a modern, grey coated two-story house with rectangular windows, a spacious garage, a large, well-kept front lawn dressed with many flower beds was Komaru hyping herself up. 

Even though it was her second time at the former remnant's home, she still couldn't help but marvel at how stunning it looked. Hajime insisted on how he wanted to live a relatively normal lifestyle but then proceeded to buy himself an expensive house with lottery money.

The bastard. 

"Well, if things were too normal, it would have been too boring. This option is slightly less normal, therefore slightly less boring." She recalled him explaining to her before he casually predicted the next jackpot numbers. Again.

The cocky bastard.

Komaru shook her head with a smile at the memory, her ponytail brushing against her neck as she did. This immediately snapped her back to her present situation, causing her to take a deep breath. She quickly checked her floral dress and dark leggings for any lint or dust before adjusting her crop jacket. The sound of her ankle boots echoed in the entry way as she stepped onto the pretty welcome mat and pressed the doorbell. 

When it began to ring, the young woman suddenly became nervous for some reason. Jeez, it wasn't like he was still her crush or something, they were dating for goodness sake! This shouldn't be a big deal!

"Oh, but what if he doesn't like what I have planned? What if he thinks it's lame and I came all the way here for nothing? No, no! Get a grip Naegi, you guys are dating! Sure, it's super cliche but who cares? You can make it work, right? Right? Of course you can! You got this in the bag!" Komaru muttered frantically as she paced around in the doorway, failing to notice the sound of locks being undone. "Hajime will love it! Well, maybe not love it but he'll at least like it, right? Right? Unless he finds it boring…which would really suck! Oh no, I didn't even think of that! Oh shit, maybe this was actually a bad idea—"

"What are you doing?"

"AAH!" The brunette jumped, whipping her head around to see the other brunet standing by his slightly opened door wearing his usual blank expression and a dark green tracksuit. "Hajime, you startled me!"

"Well, sorry for answering after the bell was rung." The older man's expression lightened a bit as he chuckled. "Would you have preferred if I left you here outside to mumble to yourself?"

"Of course not! Just don't be so quiet next time! It's scary when you do that!"

"Is that so? I didn't realise." The older Ultimate Hope gave a cheeky smile. "My bad."

Komaru puffed her cheeks. 

'There's absolutely no way he didn't with all those spy and assassin related talents of his.' She thought, glaring at his smug expression. 'He's not even trying to pretend like that wasn't on purpose! Jerk.'

With a more neutral expression, Hajime leaned on his door frame and folded his arms. "So what business do you have with me today, Komaru?"

"No need to be so formal, Hajime." Komaru said with a raised brow before she started to blush a little. "But I just…wanted to know…if you, um, were available right now?" 

"Well yes, I am."

"Oh really!? Wow, what a coincidence! So am I!" The younger woman bounced on her heels, barely hiding her excitement. "Isn't that crazy!?"

"Not particularly." Her boyfriend deadpanned, seemingly unfazed by her enthusiasm. "I already informed you that I would be free today prior to this conversation." 

Komaru waved her hand dismissively. "Psshh! Potayto, potahto!"

"That idiom does not work in this context."

"Listen! Since we're both coincidentally free today—"

"Except, it is not a coincidence."

"—Why don't we go to the amusement park?" Komaru continued, determined to push her agenda. "I just so happen to coincidentally have a pair of Ultra Lovey Dovey Couple Deluxe tickets on me right now!"

"Quite a few 'coincidences' we have this afternoon." Hajime deadpanned again, making quotations with his fingers while his mismatched eyes reflecting nothing but boredom.

"Hehe… yeah, pretty crazy, isn't it?" The brunette replied meekly, avoiding his cold stare. She was starting to get worried but wasn't ready to give up. With sweat dripping down her cheek, she quietly gulped and asked, "So, um…you wanna go on a…date with me?"

She said it. She finally said it. If everything played out right this was going to be her first amusement park date! No, their first amusement park date!

Hajime stared at her with stern eyes, his face devoid of even the tiniest emotion. As the silence between them persisted, Komaru began to worry that she really did make a mistake. 

Until…

"You want me to accompany you on a date at Tokyo Wonderland?"

Like a light switch, Hajime smiled widely, his gaze warm and bright as he shifted away from his door frame to move closer to his girlfriend.

Komaru's blush spread across her face as she placed her hands behind her back shyly.

"Mmm-hmm~" She hummed in a quiet response, glancing between her shoes and his inviting eyes. "Soooo~ What do you say?"

A light blush tinted the brunet's cheeks as his eyes literally glowed. He then quickly turned around somewhat dramatically.  

"Hmph, I suppose I'm fine with it just so long as there are no more 'coincidences' starting from this moment." He agreed, stepping into his house and grabbing onto his door, glancing back with narrowed eyes. "Alright?"

"I swear."

"Lying is a sin, Komaru."

"Okay, okay, I promise for real this time!"

"Good. Give me a second to get ready." The door closed for no more than that amount of time before it reopened with him now wearing a crimson button up over a white t-shirt with black jeans and chequered sneakers. "Alright, I'm ready, let's go."

"What!? But– You–" Komaru looked at her boyfriend with wide eyes as she gestured to his new attire. "How!?"

"C'mon Komaru, we're burning daylight!" Hajime didn't waste any time explaining his changing speed to her and instead grabbed her hand and pulled her with him down the pathway to his gate. Komaru's confusion was long forgotten with how fast her heart was beating as she held Hajime's hand. His sudden burst of enthusiasm was driving her insane! She's never seen him this excited about anything, not even when they first started dating.

'I think I like…'

"Oh and by the way…" 

It was only a brief glance at her.

'No! I love…'

"You look lovely today." 

But it left a lasting impression in her mind.

'I love Hajime's smile so freaking much!'

"Thank you! You look great too!”

”Haha, thanks.”

Their date was off to a pretty good start.

"Check out that rollercoaster!" 

Komaru eagerly pointed to the giant contraption, driving people around in a series of terrifying turns and multiple, wide loops all while so high up it seemed like it was scraping the sky.

Hajime watched the group of people ride the rollercoaster, the piercing sound of their screaming grating his ears. He showed no signs of discomfort, however, as his face remained somewhat expressionless.

"The Screaming Revenge?" Her boyfriend finally responded as he turned to Komaru with a light smile. "Wow, how subtle."

"Right? I swear you grow up and realise just how corny roller coaster names are." Komaru said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head. "Screaming Revenge, Gyrating Swing-A-Ring, Dastardly Drop. Seriously, what were they thinking when they decided to give them those ridiculous titles?"

She laughed to herself before looking up at Hajime who in turn stared right through her with unflinching eyes as he folded his arms. 

"You…still think their names sound cool, don't you?" 

The younger brunette paused before glancing to the side and sucking in her lips nervously. A sweat rolled down the side of her face as she slowly turned to face away from her boyfriend's knowing gaze.

"And uh, so what–" She briefly cleared her throat. "So what if I do?"

After responding honestly, the young woman's cheeks were as red as a bed of roses. She pouted to herself while fidgeting with zip of her jacket. 

Great , now she was embarrassed, so much for not coming off as childish in front of her cool and mature partner. 

Speaking of her significant other, he was surprisingly laughing at the moment, not just chuckling but full on laughing. Komaru's blush spread across her whole face now as she gasped at him.

"Hey! S–so what if I still like them!?" She yelled at him, her voice cracking. "Sure, they're corny but they get me hyped up! There's nothing wrong with that!" 

The older brunet finally ceased his laughter when he noticed his girlfriend was visibly upset. However, he couldn't help thinking how adorable she looked as she puffed her cheeks in frustration. He gave her a small smile and grabbed her hand.  

"Well, there's no shame in that at all. We're all still children at heart, aren't we?" The Ultimate talent informed her as he laced their fingers together. He could sense her calming down as he did that. "In fact, why don't we go on a few?"

At the suggestion, Komaru's face brightened completely, her green eyes sparkling as she wore a wide grin that threatened to split her face. 

"Yes! Yes! YES!" She bounced on the spot with unfiltered excitement. The woman began pulling at her boyfriend's arm as she pointed to the large rollercoaster again, completely unashamed. "I wanna go on the Screaming Revenge first! C'mon!"

While her aggressive yanking didn't budge Hajime at all, he still chuckled at her thrilled demeanour. 

"Alright, alright I'm coming." 

He allowed her to pull him to the line for the Screaming Revenge. Komaru was happy to see that the line had shortened while they were talking. Hajime nodded at this, pretending to be oblivious to his luck playing a factor. When it was finally their turn to get on, Hajime got in first and then put his hand out to Komaru, which she gladly took and joined him in the seat. After they fastened their seatbelts, one of the staff offered to bring down the safety handle when Hajime politely declined and brought it down himself with zero effort. 

The employee just blinked at him as his girlfriend went on about how excited she was.

Once everything was finally set, it was time. The operator started the rollercoaster and they began slowly building up to the top. All was going well until Komaru realised how high they were off the ground.

And it didn't take long for her excitement to turn into genuine panic.

"GET ME OFF THIS THING!"

"Uh, Komaru?"

"Why did I let you talk me into this!????"

"What are you talking about? You're the one who wanted to go so badly."

"WELL, YOU SHOULD HAVE STOPPED ME! NOW WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

"Literally no we're not. This is the safest amusement park in Japan and this ride has been approved by like, sixteen accredited safety inspectors."

"WELL, WAS IT APPROVED BY SIXTEEN HEIGHT INSPECTORS??"

"Komaru, that isn't a thing."

"IT SHOULD BE!" 

"Komaru, everything is going to be alright, I'm right here. I'll hold your hand the entire time."

When Komaru turned to her boyfriend, she saw sincerity in his dual-coloured eyes and just like that she was able to calm down.

She took a deep breath and released it before grabbing his hand and holding onto it tightly. It was strong and firm, only reassuring her more.

"Alright, we're almost at the top, you ready?"

"Yeah…yeah, I'm ready."

"Good." Hajime said, facing ahead again just as they were at the peak. "Because, I lied."

"Eh?"

And just like that, he retracted his hand from hers and gave a mischievous wink. Komaru gaped at him in disbelief before whipping her head towards the drop they were about to have, her panic slowly rising in her again.

"Hajime, YOU JEERRRRRRRKKKKKKK—"

"Wow, the view from up here is really amazing…"

"It truly is. The sunset is quite stunning as well."

"Yeah, I'm glad we're able to ride the ferris wheel at least once before we head home."

"Indeed. I doubt our date would be complete without it."

"True that."

"..."

"..."

"Hey Hajime? Can I ask you something?"

"Yes Komaru?"

"WHY DID YOU TELL ME YOU'D HOLD MY HAND FOR THE REST OF THE SCREAMING REVENGE AND THEN LET GO OFF IT JUST BEFORE THE FIRST DROP!!??"

Komaru yelled, scowling and pointing at him accusingly. Completely unfazed, Hajime tilted his head, feigning confusion.

"Huh, weird how you're only asking me now when we got off the Screaming Revenge hours ago."  

"There's absolutely nothing weird about it considering I fainted after we got off and when I woke up you intentionally didn't mention it before distracting me with all the other rides!"

"Hmmm. Well, I suppose I won't deny that."

"Exactly!"

"But I won't admit it either."

"What!? Why you—" 

"The truth is Komaru, I realised I could have potentially ripped your arm off with all the momentum."

Komaru paused and looked at Hajime with surprise, her boyfriend avoiding her gaze with a troubled expression.

"Wait, for real?"

"Pfft– Nope! I just wanted to see the look on your face and it was priceless!" 

"YOU BASTARD! YOU SAID LYING IS A SIN, DAMN IT!"

Without even thinking, Komaru launched herself at Hajime. Even he was caught off guard by this as he barely managed to catch her in time.

The Ferris Wheel basket shook at her sudden movement. Although, once it subsided, the two of them found themselves in a very compromising position.

Komaru was right on top of him, her hands on his chest for support while he held her by the waist. They stared into each other's eyes, scarlet blushes painting their features.

Before the woman could speak again, her boyfriend beat her to it. 

"I'll hold onto you this time." Hajime said in a low voice, his honesty crystal clear this time. "I promise." 

Komaru glanced away from, back at the fading sun. Eventually, she slowly rested her head on his chest, making herself comfortable as he wrapped his arms around her.

"You better…jerk."

"Actually, it's pronounced handsome jerk."

"Oh, just shut up!"

Chapter Text

"Whaaaat? A sleepover at your place!?" 

Sitting together in the staff lounge, were the two school psychologists as they enjoyed identical boxed lunches. However, Hajime paused to stare at his girlfriend with an arched brow at her strange tone.

"Uh, yeah."

"Wow, Hajime~ You want me to stay at your place so badly?"

Hajime blinked at her with narrowed eyes. "Komaru, what are you—" 

"It's okay, it's okay! There's NO shame in that at all! In fact, I'm proud of you for being brave enough to ask me!" Komaru smiled at her boyfriend, giving him a wink and a thumbs up. "You get a gold star!"

Hajime looked back at her with a face as blank as paper. The young woman flinched when his voice came out sounding very bored.

"Komaru?"

"...yeah?"

"Why are you framing this conversation as if I was the one who asked you to sleepover at my house?"

His dual-coloured eyes trapped her in a sweating mess until she finally confessed. 

"Ugh, because it's super embarrassing that I was the one who asked!" She yelled, clenching her chopsticks as her face turned red in embarrassment. "And you just agreed so quickly, you jerk!"

"Gee, my bad, I'll be sure to say 'no' next time." The brunet deadpanned as he continued to eat his meal.

"That's not what I meant!" The greenette puffed out her cheeks. "How can you not be embarrassed at all, Hajime??"

"Well, first of all, it is incredibly difficult for me to get embarrassed about anything anymore. I could literally walk around completely nude if I wanted to without feeling a single ounce of shame."

The young woman's eyes slightly widened at this. She nervously glanced between the older man and her lunch. "I mean…would you?"

"Well no, I haven't a reason to." He responded before pausing at a thought. "Hmm, I guess that's not completely true…"

"Huh?"

Komaru cocked her head at him while he just stared back at her with an unreadable face. As she began to think about what Hajime said, she found herself focusing more on his attire — a dark green pants suit over a white dress shirt and black tie. He looked handsome as usual but for some reason the brunette wasn't focusing on that. Instead, she found her mind picturing him without any…

"You just imagined my naked body, didn't you?" Komaru jumped in her seat when Hajime suddenly spoke. He was smirking at her with a creased gaze, bringing an eggroll up to his mouth. "Pervert."

"What!? I–I'm not a pervert!" The junior psychologist stuttered as her face glowed a bright scarlet. She pointed at her boyfriend accusingly with her chopsticks. "And who are you to talk after you peaked on me that one time during the Family Vacation with the Naegis!"

"I told you it was the Man's Nut!"

"And I told you I have NO IDEA WHAT THAT MEANS!"

Hajime sighed. "Regarding that particular vacation…"

"Yes, just change the subject. Komaru won't notice."

"That's where my 'second of all' comes in." He continued, completely ignoring Komaru's comment. "We shared a room and a bed during that time so this sleepover shouldn't be any different, no?"

"I mean, I guess but…wait! Are you saying I'm gonna sleep with you in your bed!?"

"Well, no. I was just telling you that it's not that big a deal. I have like three other fully furnished bedrooms in my house. Just pick whichever one you want."

"Oh, um…okay then." The brunette pouted, her cheeks returning to their original colour as she took a bite of an octopus-shaped sausage. "Great, now I feel even more embarrassed for making such a big deal outta this. As if asking wasn't bad enough."

"I mean, it's not like you had to ask."  

"What do you mean?"

"I had already predicted that you'd request to lodge at my abode for an extended period of time."

"Really? Then…why didn't you bring it up?"

"Because I thought it'd be funnier if I left you to do your little skit earlier." Hajime admitted cheekily, stifling his laughter with his chopstick holding hand. "Pfft– I had to hold back my laughter this whole time~"

Komaru slanted her eyelids, completely unamused as the talented man chuckled at her.

"Why do you bully me this way?"

The weekend rolled in, and Komaru found herself in the care of her boyfriend as she stayed over at his house. Naturally, the first thing the two of them did was change into comfy pajamas and dive straight into a long, competitive (in Komaru's case) gaming session.

"No, no! Hajime, don't go that way!"

"Why?" 

"Because I'll lose!"

"That's kind of the point, Komaru."

"No! Nooo! NOOOOO—" The younger Naegi screamed and yanked at her hair as her boyfriend proceeded to beat her at a game for the seventeenth time. "C'moooooon! No fair, you found an upgrade!" 

"So? You located one as well, did you not?" Hajime turned to her, tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah, but it was the wrong one! I needed the one to make me fly!"

"But that particular upgrade was available. Why didn't you take it?"

"BECAUSE YOU TOOK IT!"

"Oh yes, that did slip my mind. My apologies." The man smirked at her which only made Komaru fume even more.

"Screw your apologies! I don't want 'em!"

As his girlfriend folded her arms and pouted to herself, Hajime sighed, stood up and walked into his kitchen. He soon returned to the living room with a platter of dark brown, well-baked pastries and placed them on his coffee table where Komaru was still sulking. Hinata pushed the plate closer to her.

"Perhaps if they were chocolate cupcakes shaped would you accept them then?" 

"Absolutely!"

"What a quick response."

"I just think there's no point in dwelling in the past is all." 

"Yes, I'm sure you also think that if you refused I wouldn't give you the cupcakes, right?"

"..."

"..."

"...Maybe."

"Don't worry, I made the cupcakes for you. I would have given them to you anyway."

Komaru's eyes sparkled in joy from her boyfriend's sweetness.

"Really?"

"Yes." Hajime nodded before smirking at her again. "Besides, it would be strange for me to eat pastries that have the words "My Dear Loser" on them when I'm the one who kept winning during our gaming session."

The brunette gasped as she took a closer look at the cupcakes to see the words written in a stunning, cursive icing. She puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

"You jerk! You already predicted I'd lose, didn't you!?"

"I won't deny that." He said as he picked up one of the small cakes and offered it to her, smiling brightly. "But I won't admit it either."

"These better be the best fucking cupcakes I've ever eaten, Hajime! I swear!" Komaru warned, accepting the baked treat and taking an aggressive bite out of it. As she chewed for a few seconds, her eyes almost immediately widened. "Oh my god Hajime, these are the best fucking cupcakes I've ever eaten!"

"As if you had to tell me."

"Hush! Mama's chowing down!"

Hajime just chuckled as he watched her excitedly eat each cupcake with a strong fondness in his mismatched eyes. When Komaru was on her last one, Hajime lifted up his controller. 

"Would you like to go another round?"

The woman turned to her partner and licked her fingers. Hajime ignored how seeing that made him feel.

"Please, after seventeen rounds of you winning! The hell do you think I am?" Komaru glared at him before clenching her fist in determination. "Of course I do!"

She grabbed her controller but paused when she got an idea.

"Wait, actually before that! Can we do something else!"

"Sure, what do you want to do before I inevitably beat you for the eighteenth time in a row?"

"Shut up!" Komaru yelled before smiling. "I wanna build a blanket fort!"

"Sounds good."

Komaru blinded a couple times in surprise. "O–oh! Um…"

"What? Are you surprised that I agreed so quickly?"

"Well yeah, I didn't think you'd be interested."

"Why not? It's something you want to do with me, right? It may be childish but like I said before…" Hajime gave her a small smile, his eyes creased softly. "...we're all still children at heart."

Komaru could only grin back in pure glee as she jumped onto her feet and pulled Hajime up before chatting about all the bedding items they would need. So the couple went into each bedroom and closet and grabbed every pillow, cushion, blanket, futon, bedsheet, mattress, comforter etc. that Hajime had available in his home.

Once they had everything they needed, the duo got to constructing the perfect fort. Now Hajime said he didn't have the Ultimate Blanket Fort Maker talent or whatever but that he did have a lot of other talents that basically allowed him to be a genius at creating one. 

After almost thirty minutes, the duo finally completed their task and took a step back to gaze upon their creation. The entire living room was covered in nothing but Hajime's bedding with the entrance to being a pair of curtains from one of the spare rooms (Komaru begged Hajime the entire time and he finally agreed so she'd stop). 

Truly, their fort was an incredible feat.  It resembled a mini-house or a large tent which only made Komaru want go inside even more like it was some kind of circus attraction.

As she was about to rush in, Hajime picked her up by the waist from behind her, suspending her in the air.

"Don't just rush in. I know I made sure it was pretty sturdy, however, that does not mean we should proceed without caution."

"Aww~ I know that but we should be fine with your luck, right?"

"Even if that's true, you should still be careful." Hajime continued to warn her before he brought her closer to her ear and whispered, "Promise me, you'll go in slowly, okay?"

Komaru's entire face turned a bright red as she brought her knees up in shock. 

"O—okay, I will! I promise!"

"Good."

As Hajime placed her back on the ground, he walked over to the entrance, pulled away one of the curtains and gestured her to come inside.

Komaru squirmed a bit, still blushing.

Suddenly, she sucked in a long breath before slapping her cheeks and pumping her fists into the air.

"Let's do this!" She yelled. "I'm gonna stay up the whole night!"

"It's not that serious, Komaru."

"Hell yeah it is! And you're staying up too!"

Komaru didn't notice the shift in Hajime expression after she said that as she bent down to enter the fort. He soon followed her and the two of them layed down together on the futons and pillows in the spacious blanket house. 

"So…how are we staying up?"

"Hmm. I actually didn't think of that."

"Really, Komaru?"

"Whatever! Let's just talk! I'm definitely not gonna fall asleep!"

"Alright then." Her boyfriend agreed with a shrug. 'She's definitely gonna fall asleep.'

"Right, so the other day Miu was working on another sketchy invention and you won't believe what she said it does…"

As Komaru went on about her story from work, Hajime listened intently to everything she was telling him, giving a response or some commentary every so often. Even if he could predict pretty much everything she was going to say, he still listened, watching as she started to yawn and get sleepier by the minute.

'Knew it…' He thought fondly, trying not to laugh as the woman fought to keep her eyes open.

Hajime's green and red eyes broke apart at the crack of dawn. There was a hint of heaviness in his tanned eyelids from them being closed for some time and his body felt generally rested despite only laying down for a few hours. They really constructed a blanket fort and fell asleep in it (which is pretty funny since Komaru was worried about them sleeping together. Guess, she forgot about that). How adorably juvenile. As his mind traced through the rest of his memories of the previous night, he found himself pausing at something Komaru said. 

"—And you're staying up too!"

His eyes shut again as he exhaled through his nose, a melancholic feeling rising in his chest.

Hajime genuinely couldn't remember the last time he slept for a full eight hours. Those scientists really wanted to make sure their talented monster needed as little sleep and rest as possible so Izuru Hajime could go on for days, maybe even weeks without sleep. All he had to was rest his body and he was pretty much set. It was just one of the many extra freakish things about him that made him feel so inhuman. 

Actually, now that he thought about it, even before the Kamukura Project, Hajime didn't sleep much. The last time he got a good night's rest was possibly when he was still in his first year of middle school. It seems crazy but that was probably the final time he ever got to just relax and be a normal kid. 

After that, he was thrown into a world of part-time jobs, studying, cram school and ridiculous expectations. His memories were still foggy when it came to the original Hinata Hajime's life, however, he always recalled the feelings. Specifically, a suffocating feeling. 

Honestly, even though the short time he spent in Hope's Peak was probably the worst stage of his life, a time he still can't attempt to remember without feeling a strong level of panic and shame, it was also the first time he felt like a person again and not just a human machine working for a talent he was never going to have.

It was all thanks to her. She eased his pain for just a moment, made him feel human again. 

His lips formed a small smile as he recalled her sleepy expression. Soft and enigmatic yet always genuine. It was funny really, how she always told him to get better sleep when her sleep schedule was probably worse than his own. Still, he was just happy that she cared. Even as she slept heavily on his shoulder, drooling and snoring quietly, she still muttered her worries about him in her sleep.  

"...Thirty-three sheep…fifty-two sheep…Zzz…"

The Ultimate Hope opened his eyes and turned his head towards the one snuggling next to his arm. He fixed his dual-coloured gaze on her relaxed features, the sound of her slurred mumbling filling up the introspective silence in his living room.

Hajime shifted his whole body now so he was laying on his side as he watched his girlfriend sleep. Her legs were spread apart, her left arm placed lazily over her stomach. Her hair was in a familiar state of disarray while her mouth stayed open a bit after every nonsensical thing she uttered, a tiny line of drool hanging on her bottom lip. 

The brunet grabbed a handkerchief from the inside of his pillow and wiped off the saliva. This caused the younger woman to stir in her sleep as she now rolled her body over until her face was now pressed against his chest. The brunet blinked as she took a deep sniff of his scent and seemed to relax further in her slumber, however, not before she whispered…

"Hajime…"

Komaru's nose brushed against his shirt and her breath tickled his skin. Hajime was now very glad she wasn't awake right now, because the deep blush on his face was a sight to behold. He brought a hand up to cover his mouth, tears threatening to leave his soft, creased gaze.

'She really is…a heavy sleeper too.' 

For the first time in what felt like forever, Hajime was able to fall asleep.

Chapter Text

"Come on, Hajime! We're running out of time!"

Komaru's voice echoed through the bustling aisles of the grocery store as she darted from one shelf to another, her long, sleeveless floral dress swaying with her movement, her excitement palpable. She held a shopping list in one hand and a cart in the other, her eyes scanning for items. Hajime, however, dressed in a fitted black t-shirt and gray sweatpants, strolled behind her at a leisurely pace, his mismatched eyes scanning the store's layout with indifference.

This was the first time that the couple had gone grocery shopping together, so Komaru was a little excited. Hajime, however, seemed the same as always, calm and nonchalant. This was fine and dandy and all, Hajime will be Hajime, but today was important.

"Hajime, seriously, we need to pick up the pace," Komaru insisted, glancing back at her boyfriend, who seemed unbothered by the urgency in her voice.

"Relax, Komaru," Hajime replied, his voice casual. "We have plenty of time."

Komaru huffed in frustration, grabbing a box of pasta and tossing it into the cart. "Seriously? Plenty of time? We're having lunch with my parents today! And you're planning to cook for them, remember? We can't be late!"

Hajime finally turned his attention to her, his face as expressionless as ever. "Pretty sure with my Ultimate Lucky Student and Timekeeper talents we can make it to your parents’ place basically yesterday."

Komaru rolled her eyes, pushing the cart toward the fresh produce section. "Ugh, that's beside the point! I just want this lunch to go smoothly, okay?"

As they perused the vegetables, Komaru couldn't help but notice something that was far from "smooth." The grocery store seemed to have turned into a battlefield of covert glances, and Hajime was the unwitting centre of attention. Men and women alike were stealing furtive looks at him, their admiration evident.

Komaru clenched her jaw, her grip on the cart handle tightening. "Seriously, Hajime? Is it a crime to look this good?"

Hajime tilted his head slightly, his red and green eyes observing her. "I didn't really choose to look this way, Komaru.” He paused in thought for a moment. “Well, that’s not entirely true but still.”

"I know, I know," The brunette muttered, picking up a cucumber and throwing it into the cart. "But it's like shopping with a celebrity! I can't believe how many people are checking you out."

Hajime's casual demeanour remained intact as he slid a tuft of hair behind his ear. "I'm used to it."

"Used to it?" Komaru scoffed, shaking her head. "You've got to be kidding me."

She guided him away from a group of curious shoppers, attempting to create some distance between Hajime and his admirers. "Let's finish shopping quickly before this turns into a full-blown fan club meeting."

Hajime let out a soft chuckle, his eyes creasing in a familiar fashion. "Very well, Komaru. Lead the way."

As they moved through the store, Komaru couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "I swear, it's like trying to navigate a minefield with you."

"Maybe I should charge for autographs."

"Oh, don’t even joke about that, or I might start charging you for being so handsome."

Hajime merely shrugged, his nonchalant demeanour undisturbed. "I'll consider it a fair trade, then."

Their usual banter filling the aisles, they continued their shopping adventure, making their way toward a lunch that promised both delicious food.

The grocery store journey continued, and Komaru had to work overtime to keep Hajime from straying too close to his admirers. She glanced around as they navigated the aisles, spotting several individuals who seemed tempted to approach her boyfriend. With a determined glint in her eye, she took on the role of Hajime's unofficial bodyguard.

As they moved towards the dairy section, a middle-aged woman wearing large sunglasses and a floppy hat sidled up to them. She gave Hajime an exaggerated wink and a flirtatious smile that would have made most people blush.

"Excuse me," she cooed, batting her mascara-clad eyelashes. "Can you help me reach that yoghurt on the top shelf?"

Komaru immediately stepped between them, her expression fierce. "Sorry, ma'am, but we're in a hurry."

The woman's attempt to flirt with Hajime had no effect on him. He simply nodded at Komaru's words, his expression unchanging. "She's right. We have a tight schedule."

The disappointed woman reluctantly moved away, leaving the couple to continue their shopping. Komaru couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Is it too much to ask for a normal shopping trip?"

Hajime responded with his usual dry humour. "Apparently, yes."

As they approached the meat freezers, something unusual happened. A small group of people had gathered near the display, whispering excitedly and casting longing looks at Hajime. Komaru's protective instincts went into overdrive, and she wedged herself between him and the onlookers.

"Okay, seriously, what's with these people?" Komaru grumbled, her arms crossed over her chest.

Hajime nonchalantly reached for a pack of chicken breasts, his gaze fixed on the price tag. "I think they find my exceptional talent for grocery shopping irresistible."

A tall man with slicked-back hair tried to approach Hajime, but Komaru blocked his path, her expression menacing. "Back off, buddy! This is a private shopping event!"

The man stepped back, clearly intimidated by Komaru's fierce protectiveness. Hajime simply continued to gather the items on their list, his demeanour untroubled. As time ticked away, the crowd around them continued to swell, much to Komaru's dismay. Frustrated by the increasing number of people vying for Hajime's attention, Komaru took hold of Hajime's arm and yanked, hoping to guide him away from the commotion. Yet, true to form, Hajime remained as unyielding as ever, an unshakable pillar amidst the bustling crowd.

"Komaru, just a moment please.” Hajime muttered, his attention still focused on the two options of loin tips in front of him. 

"Hajime, we can't keep standing around here! Just look at these people!” Komaru huffed impatiently, then gestured widely to the growing crowd of people who had all but abandoned their shopping to gawk at him.

Hajime glanced around, taking in the waves, whistles, and hushed whispers from the crowd. He had predicted the crowd would get this bad from the moment they entered the store but even then, seeing it play out was still pretty insane. It was then it clicked in his head; he wasn’t here alone like other times. Hajime turned his gaze back to Komaru, who looked visibly upset by everything. She had been trying her best to ward away and he was just standing there, completely unbothered. In fact, this whole time he wasn’t really considering how she felt about all this. 

God, he hated how he couldn’t pick up on other people’s feelings as he used to.

‘Get a grip, Hajime’

With a deep breath, Hajime's expression shifted for the first time since they arrived. His eyebrows furrowed upwards, his guilt apparent as he let out a sigh before saying, “I'll do something about it, okay?"

Komaru’s sour expression seemed to lighten at his words but she couldn’t help but be curious about what exactly he’d do.

Turning his attention back to the crowd, Hajime’s demeanour completely changed. Gone was the nonchalant Hajime, replaced by an Izuru-inspired cold and terrifying presence. His mismatched gaze became devoid of warmth, his expression empty, and his aura sharp and intimidating.

In a low, emotionless, spine-chilling voice, just loud enough for everyone to hear, he commanded, "Resume your shopping and leave us be. Now."

The effect was immediate. The area around them seemed to empty like a ghost town as people scattered, actively avoiding the couple like the plague. The contrast from the earlier chaos was so striking that Komaru couldn't help but feel like she was in some bizarre reality.

Terrified by the sudden transformation, Komaru cautiously called out her boyfriend's name. 

"H-hajime…?”

Slowly, he turned back to her, however, his expression and aura had returned back to their usual nonchalant state. His eyes carried that familiar, mysterious glow she had grown accustomed to.

Relieved, she finally let out a breath she didn't even realise she was holding. 

Hajime, his usual demeanour back in place, offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry for scaring you, Komaru. I just wanted to get them to stop. So you wouldn’t be so bothered. And…I’m sorry I didn’t do it sooner, I wasn't thinking about how you felt at the time. I should have warned about it beforehand, I guess I just didn't think it would be a pig deal.”

Komaru's heart swelled with warmth at his words. She smiled widely, hooking her arm through his and leaning her head against his shoulder. "It’s okay, you jerk. Let's just finish up and head over to my parents’ place already. I’m done with this crap."

Hajime agreed with a nod, his mismatched eyes reflecting that undeniable spark of affection as they continued their shopping, leaving the empty aisle behind.

As they finally made their way to the checkout line, the tension from earlier had dissipated, replaced by a sense of relief and closeness. Komaru smirked up at her boyfriend, bumping her shoulder playfully against his. "You know, Hajime, I should hire you out for crowd control. That was seriously impressive."

Hajime chuckled, a genuine warmth in his gaze as he glanced down at her. "Just don't make me go all Izuru on them too often. It's a bit draining."

She raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Aw, come on! It's not every day I get to see that side of you. Besides, it's kind of hot."

Hajime blinked, his cheeks flushing ever-so-slightly, "Komaru, I— That’s strangely not the reaction I expected."

“Wow, I actually managed to catch off guard? Yay me!” Komaru laughed, nudging him again. "But I was just teasing. Thanks for looking out for me."

He smiled softly, his gaze never leaving hers. "Always, Komaru. You know I've got your back." 

“Yeah, I know.”

“Plus you’re hopeless without me.”

“Oh, shut up.”

They reached the checkout counter, unloading their groceries onto the conveyor belt, their hands occasionally brushing against each other. As the cashier scanned their items, Komaru couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the man by her side. She leaned in closer to him, whispering in a playful tone, "Hey, Hajime, I think you're forgetting something."

She grinned mischievously, closing the gap between them as she pressed her lips on his cheek. When the brunette finally pulled away, she winked at him. "Your reward."

For a brief moment, Hajime’s face turned an endearing shade of pink. Even so, he deadpanned. "Really?"

She chuckled, grabbing his hand and interlocking their fingers. "Hey, after the day I’ve had, gazillions of people ogling my man, I think I deserved that."

Hajime couldn't help but laugh at that. Komaru laughed as well, allowing herself to appreciate the absurdity of the prior situation.

When their shared laughter eventually eased up, Komaru said softly. “Besides, you can't blame a girl for giving her boyfriend a little appreciation, can ya?”

“I guess not.” Hajime agreed, feeling a flutter in his chest as he carried the bags. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

They made their way out of the store, hand in hand.

“At least we got a story to tell over lunch.”

“I suppose. However, can we please leave out the part where I went Izuru mode. I don’t want to freak your folks out. Also…it was kind of embarrassing.”

“Hmm. Yeah, no. Not happening.”

“…”

“…”

“I’ll remember this, Komaru.”

Chapter Text

"Ugh, where did I put that DVD? It was here just a second ago. Dammit.”

Komaru frantically rummaged through her cluttered living room. She was in a state of panic, running around her apartment like a headless chicken, trying to get everything in order for her and Hajime's movie night.

As she darted between the piles of books, scattered clothes, and random knick-knacks, her thoughts raced. "Come on, Komaru, you can do this. It's just a movie night, nothing to worry about." She tried to reassure herself, though her racing heart told a different story.

Just as she was about to check under the couch cushions for the elusive DVD, the doorbell rang. Komaru's heart skipped a beat. "Oh no, not now!" She hurriedly wiped her hands on her jeans to rid them of imaginary dust before heading to the door. She took a deep breath to calm herself, adjusting her sleeveless pink blouse before opening it to find Hajime standing there, his usual nonchalant expression in place.

"Hey there," Komaru greeted, trying to sound composed despite her previous panic attack.

Hajime glanced at her dishevelled appearance and raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "Rough day?"

Komaru rolled her eyes playfully, taking a moment to appreciate how effortlessly handsome Hajime looked in his black jeans and a simple white t-shirt. ‘Seriously, how can someone look so good without even trying?’ She thought, momentarily lost in her boyfriend's charm. "You could say that," she replied, trying to regain her composure. "I was just looking for the movie we're going to watch tonight. Come in."

Hajime stepped into her apartment, his gaze scanning the chaos of her living room. "I see you're on a treasure hunt."

Komaru chuckled nervously, leading him further inside. "Yeah, well, it should be here somewhere." She tried to sound casual, but the worry still lingered in her voice.

Hajime, as usual, switched between casual and eloquent speech effortlessly. "I shall assist you in this quest for the elusive movie. Pray, which film are we in pursuit of this evening?"

Komaru sighed with relief that Hajime was here. "'A Night to Remember.’."

"Ah, a classic choice," Hajime remarked, his tone still formal. "I trust it shall provide us with an evening of exquisite entertainment."

Komaru grinned, appreciating the way he switched between his two speech modes. "You're such a dork sometimes, you know that?"

Hajime's lips curved into a faint smile, and for a moment, his mismatched eyes creased a bit. "Indubitably."

Together, they continued their search for the movie, laughing and bantering as they rummaged through the cluttered apartment.

Komaru's eyes widened as Hajime effortlessly located the movie she'd been desperately searching for just moments ago. He plucked it from under a pile of magazines and handed it to her with a casual smile, as if he hadn't just performed a small miracle. 

"Here you go," he said, his tone light. "’A Night to Remember’, right?"

Komaru accepted the DVD with a dumbfounded expression. "How did you find it so quickly?"

"I'm observant. A foreign concept for you, I imagine."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised by now…Also shut up.”

With the movie in hand, Hajime shifted his attention to the cluttered mess of her apartment. In a matter of minutes that seemed almost like magic, he tidied up the living room. Books were neatly stacked, clothes put away, and random knick-knacks found their proper places. Komaru watched in astonishment as he seemed to make everything fall into place effortlessly.

"God, you’re like a magician.”

Hajime glanced at her, his heterochromic eyes glistening with a hint of amusement as he gave a faint smirk. "It's called organisation Komaru. Something you might want to consider from time to time."

Komaru chuckled and rolled her eyes, acknowledging the truth in his words. "Yeah, yeah, you're right. Thanks, jerk.”

Now that the apartment was in order, Hajime turned to her with a thoughtful expression. "I noticed your kitchen was a bit lacking in ingredients the last time I was here, so I took the liberty of restocking it. How about I whip us up something to eat?"

Komaru smiled shyly. She always appreciated his thoughtfulness. However, she couldn’t help but hesitate for a moment before she responded. "Well, actually…I was thinking maybe we could…order some takeout today. You know, like WcDonalds or something?”

Hajime paused in his tracks, his back turned to her as he held a pack of popcorn he retrieved from her pantry. Komaru could practically feel the disapproval emanating from him which didn’t help ease her nerves at all. After a tense silence, he slowly turned around, his expression morphing into one of mild disgust, his voice low and his tone incredulous. 

"...What?"

Komaru flinched, knowing very well that Hajime had high standards for food due to his sophisticated palate. "I mean, I thought we could have a treat tonight! Fast food can be fun every once in a while."

Hajime wasn't amused. He couldn't hide his distaste for the idea, and his voice took on an almost lecturing tone. "Komaru, I've spent a considerable amount of time honing my culinary skills and appreciation for fine dining because of my talents. Settling for…fast food would be a severe compromise. I find the notion of consuming it highly unappealing."

Undeterred, Komaru approached him with puppy-dog eyes, trying to put on her most convincing act. "Please, Hajime, just this once! It's just... I've been craving those sloppy burgers and greasy fries for days!"

“Ughh,” Hajime cringed at her words, looking completely appalled. "Which are unhealthy, tasteless and frankly, disgusting."

"Come on, it's not that bad," she pleaded, stepping closer and resting her hands on his arms, looking up at him with a hopeful smile. "We can get a salad too, if that makes you feel better. Just for today?"

Hajime sighed and then sighed again, as if her request was the greatest inconvenience in the world. However, his resistance slowly crumbled in the face of her determined charm. "Fine. But only this once. And I won’t be ordering but I will be the one making you a salad. I absolutely refuse to let you order that assorted, green waste they serve there.”

“Deal!” Komaru's face lit up with victory, and she wrapped her arms around Hajime in a grateful hug. "Thank you, Hajime! You're the best! I promise I'll eat your gourmet meals for the rest of the week."

He grumbled something unintelligible but didn't push her away. Sometimes, giving in to Komaru's whims was just easier than resisting her persistence.

With her WcDonalds order received and Hajime diligently preparing her salad in the kitchen, Komaru settled onto the couch, eagerly awaiting the start of their movie night. She couldn't help but sneak another chip into her mouth, her attention divided between the TV and her snacks.

As she munched away absentmindedly, her gaze wandered around her living room. The transformation from earlier still astounded her. It was almost surreal how pristine it looked now, especially compared to the chaos from before. If left to her own devices, it would have taken her hours to clean up the mess, thanks to her laziness. But with Hajime, it was as if he wielded a magic wand, effortlessly restoring order to her apartment.

She couldn't help but reflect on how he always went above and beyond for her, doing things she never even asked him to do. Like stocking up her kitchen with actual food instead of instant noodles or going out of his way to prepare her meals. He often said it was because he wanted to put his various talents to good use, but it still amazed her.

Komaru sighed softly, her gaze still fixed on the TV screen. Sometimes, she felt like she didn't do enough in return for all that he did. It was almost suffocating how selflessly he cared for her. He acted more like her mom than her boyfriend at times, and it warmed her heart.

Her smile faded as she pondered what she could do to show her appreciation for him. What could she offer someone like Hajime, who seemed to have it all? She glanced over at him in the kitchen, his back turned to her as he diligently prepared the salad. He was so focused on his task that he hadn't noticed her gaze.

Komaru chuckled softly to herself. He often had an uncanny ability to read her mind, even without the actual talent. She had to figure out how to surprise him for a change, to do something special that would genuinely make him happy.

Komaru honestly didn’t know. However, she hoped that she’d figure it out soon. It was really starting to eat at her.

With the salad now safely stowed in the fridge, Hajime returned with a bowl of popcorn and a tray of drinks for their movie night. Komaru decided to set aside her introspection for the moment, wanting to focus on enjoying the film and the time they were spending together.

As he settled onto the couch beside her, Komaru couldn't help but feel a warm sense of gratitude welling up inside her. She turned slightly toward Hajime, her cheeks dusted with a rosy hue, and spoke in a shy but sincere tone. "Hajime, I just wanted to say... thank you for everything you've done for me today."

Hajime inclined his head slightly, acknowledging her words with humility. "You're welcome, Komaru. It's my pleasure." He then reached for the remote and pressed the play button to start the movie.

As they both leaned back into the couch, Hajime casually popped a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth before offering some to Komaru. She accepted with a smile and grabbed a handful before attempting to stuff them into her mouth with enthusiasm.

However, her enthusiasm got the better of her coordination, and a few wayward pieces of popcorn ended up spilling onto her lap. Hajime couldn't help but chuckle at her antics. "What the hell are you even doing?" he teased.

Komaru munched on the popcorn she'd managed to keep in her mouth and, with her cheeks slightly puffed, replied, "Tryna eat popcorn."

Hajime shook his head, glancing at her lap and stating, "Well, you spilled some." He reached out, his fingers lightly tracing the path of the stray popcorn pieces on her thigh before picking them up and tossing them into his mouth.

Komaru's face flushed crimson at the unexpected gesture, her heart pounding in her chest. She quickly swallowed the popcorn in her mouth and downed half of her drink in a single gulp before turning to Hajime, her expression a mix of embarrassment and incredulity. "Hajime!"

Hajime turned his head toward her, a hint of amusement dancing in his heterochromatic eyes. "What?" he asked innocently, though it was clear that he had done it on purpose, just to see her reaction.

Komaru puffed her cheeks out before lightly smacking his arm, causing him to chuckle again. 

The night had grown late, and Komaru had finished her WcDonald's meal, leaving her with an empty takeout container. She and Hajime were now at the climax of the film they were watching, where the main leads exchanged heartfelt confessions. As the tension in the movie built, the characters leaned in for a passionate kiss.

Komaru, still munching on popcorn, blushed at the scene playing out on the screen. Even though she found the fictional couple endearing, the intimacy of the moment left her feeling a bit awkward. She couldn't help but steal a glance at Hajime, sitting beside her.

To no one's surprise, her boyfriend appeared entirely indifferent to what was happening on the screen. 

So much for being ‘exquisite entertainment’. Komaru thought with an eye roll, thinking back to his earlier statement.

Hajime yawned, though it was hard for Komaru to tell if it was due to exhaustion or just his usual boredom. The movie might not have captured his interest, but it had sparked an idea in her, one that had been swirling in her mind for a while. Komaru took a deep breath, attempting to calm her nerves yet again. She turned to face Hajime, the glow of his mismatched eyes piercing through the darkness of the living room. It was a sight that never failed to unsettle her. However, those eyes of his also had an uncanny way of making her heart race, and tonight was no exception.

And while they did little to calm Komaru's nerves, she pressed on, her words almost getting caught in her throat. "Hey Hajime... do you, um, want to…kiss?"

His reaction was classic Hajime. He didn't immediately respond, instead gazing at her with his usual enigmatic expression, keeping his thoughts hidden. Then, he snorted softly, his lips curving into a wry smile. 

"Really?" Hajime said, his tone tinged with amusement. "You needed to watch a cheesy romance movie to get that idea?"

Komaru's blush deepened, and she stuttered in response, her embarrassment evident. "W-Well, just...shut up!"

Hajime couldn't help but laugh at Komaru's embarrassed reaction, Still blushing profusely, Komaru threw her hands up in frustration, yelling, "Just forget it! I didn't wanna do it anyway!"

His laughter gradually eased, and he looked at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, no. You're not getting away that easily," he replied, his tone playful yet determined.

Caught off guard by how quickly Hajime shifted closer to her, Komaru stared into his intense gaze. His voice dropped to a low, seductive tone as he reminded her, "Komaru, lying is a sin, remember? I know you still wanna kiss."

“D-don’t you dare start with that ‘lying is a sin’ crap again!” She squeaked out, her entire face now flushed from their proximity. She soon relented when he inched even closer, "A-alright, alright I do, just— just give me a second, okay?”

Hajime smirked lightly but leaned back to give her some space. Komaru took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart, her nerves slowly subsiding. Eventually, she turned back to Hajime, closed her eyes, and pursed her lips slightly.

The anticipation hung in the air for a moment, and then, finally, their lips met. It was a tender, heartfelt kiss, one that conveyed their deep affection for each other.

As they pulled away, Komaru couldn't help but smile shyly, her cheeks still tinted pink. She muttered softly, "Thanks for indulging me, Hajime."

Hajime chuckled, his eyes softening. "Anytime, Komaru."

With that, they settled back on the couch, content with their sweet moment, and returned their attention to the movie, letting its gentle soundtrack fill the room as it neared its conclusion. And even though Komaru still wasn’t sure what she wanted to do for Hajime, she didn’t let that stop her from just enjoying his company.

“But don’t forget you still have to eat your salad.”

“Ughh! Did you have to bring that up? I thought we were having a romantic moment here!?”

“Well, y’know what they say: ‘Nothing’s more romantic than a bowl of salad.’”

“God, I hate it when you make shit up.” 

“We had a deal. ”

“Deal, smeal. This is because I told my parents you went Izuru mode at the store the other day, isn’t it?”

”Well of course, and I did say that I’d remember that. Now go get the bowl from the fridge.”

”You’re the worst.”

”But thank God I’m handsome.”

Komaru just groaned despite wanting to laugh, standing up to go eat her salad.