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“Boring…” She sighed as she glanced around at all that was going on around her. No new happenings with humanity, everyone was getting along; everything was going just swimmingly. It was good- too good.Nothing to induce despair, and not the kind when you simply stub your toe on the corner of a bookshelf; the kind to make you completely give up on living. No wars to be spoken of, not even a little bit of anything for her to have fun with.She wanted something to happen, she wanted at least one person to feel that kind of despair, she needed it! Without any despair...hope would go too strong...and nothing good came when idiot humans got high off hope.Just as she was about to give up, the Goddess of Despair, Junko Enoshima, lit up with a gleeful smile- something was happening! Finally! She looked down into the small, uninteresting reality of humanity as her smile widened. There was a celebration happening, a child was born! A truly beautiful child at that. Porcelain skin, bright eyes, and she could tell that unlike some kids, he wasn’t born too small, someday his physique would be perfect.“What an adorable baby!” She gasped as she clasped her hands together. “Ohhh I know! I’ll have my fun like this! I’ll cast a spell!” She outstretched her arms in euphoric pride, yet her grin was washed in malice.“What porcelain and perfect skin! Make it ghostly white- unhealthily white! Make it look like he shouldn’t even be alive!” By age 2, his skin would lose the pale porcelain tone, and become dreary and dead looking. His rosy cheeks would fade into a bleak beige shade, devoid of color.“As for those bright eyes...lose some of the light, and maybe some dark circles too!” By age 4, his eyes would lose the vibrant green shade and fade to a grey-green looking shade, lacking in the light gleam they’d once had.“As for the body...make him all skin and bones!” By age six, he’d be a ghost of the child he once was. He’d have no appetite at all, his ribs would be visible on his chest, little ridges where his ribs had spaces.And the people who laid eyes on him wouldn’t let him forget. The kids that he lived near would point at him and yell things like “Monster!” or “You’re not a human like us!” They’d shout.Though he tried not to let it get to him. Even when his mother would look away from him in fear, he’d just smile.“Ha…” he smiled as he wiped away tears that were beginning to well up. “I won’t think about such despairing things though.” He decided as he looked down at his pale, skinny fingers. “If I did...I’d never stop crying.” He took a deep breath, and held his emotions in yet again.All this suffering...was in the name of despair.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
With a droning sigh, Izuru Kamakura eyed what the other was doing. The Goddess of Despair was hovering over a small window which gave her a view into the human world. He didn’t look away from what he was doing currently, but listened in on what on earth the other could be up to.
She...was cursing a child, how predictable. The God of Hope listened intently as she talked about what she would do to make the poor child suffer, and simply sighed in annoyance. “Junko, what the hell are you on about…?” He asked once he was sure she was done.
“Making despair!” She gestured to the child with a wild grin, and an excited pose.
“So that’s what you call it….” he sighed with a grimace.
“Isn’t it amazing though!? No more empty days! Maybe I won’t be so incredibly, incurably bored anymore!” She gasped.
He rested his chin on his hand and blinked slowly. “Mmhm.” He hummed in a droning tone. “I...don’t care either way to be honest….” His tone was apathetic, as were his piercing crimson eyes.
“Ugh, you’re boring too sometimes! Some ‘God of Hope’ you are!” She groaned.
“And what is that supposed to imply, Junko?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I
mean
that someone would expect the God of Hope to be all, like, super happy and optimistic and sunshiny and stuff!” She huffed loudly. “Seeing the God of Hope be some pathetic, no personality, emotionless assface is
kinda
despair inducing!” She was was definitely smiling now, that wide grin was yet again practically drooling with despair.
“I have my ways and you have yours.” He said calmly. “Now, go back to your own work, Junko. I’ve my own business.” He waved her off.
“Fine, whatever.” She put both hands up in the air and walked off.
Now that there was no despair goddess to interfere, Izuru made his own spell to cast. The two had made a deal long ago, Junko was not to undo anything Izuru did, and Izuru was not to undo anything Junko did.
Izuru was well aware that Junko’s curse was pure despair, and he couldn’t undo that. Thanks to their mutual promise, he couldn’t just make Nagito turn back after a year, he had to play his cards right- be
smarter
than Junko.
Ultimately, he decided that the best way to go about it was to have a third party interjection into Nagito’s life. Someone whom the curse wouldn’t affect. Simply put; someone who couldn’t see him. As much as it pained him to do it; a month after Junko Enoshima had cursed Nagito Komaeda to be inhuman looking, Izuru Kamukura cast a spell to make Hajime Hinata blind.
Very slightly, Izuru smiled to himself as he cast another spell. “Let these two meet, just when they need each other most.” He said. He threaded two red strings together, and just like that- Hajime Hinata and Nagito Komaeda were fated to meet.
Despite the outward appearance of the situation, he would not give into the name of despair.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Was part of his curse an inability to sleep properly? There were no nightmares to be spoken of, it was just that he couldn’t get to sleep or stay asleep either. With a long sigh, he kicked off his cream colored blankets and went to the window in his room.
He looked up to the stars and squeezed his eyes shut. “I, Nagito Komaeda, have a wish to make.” He said as he clasped his hands together in front of his chest. “More than anything...I want just one friend.” He said. “S-Someone to make my life fun! Someone who isn’t mean…!” He said, then realized the absurdity of what he just said.
“Someone who isn’t mean…” he sighed to himself and mentally scolded his choice of words. “For someone who’s almost 15 years old, I sound more like an 8 year old.” He exhaled through his nose softly and pulled his fingers through his mop of tangled, white hair.
Perhaps he was being too hard on himself for a 14 year old, but being looked down upon is all he knew in life. Shaking away his bad feelings, Nagito checked the time, it was almost morning and he’d gotten not even a wink of sleep.
Deciding that there was only one option left, Nagito climbed back into bed and pulled the covers over his frail body once more.
About an hour or so later, he heard his parents start to stir awake, he closed his eyes and pretended to be sleeping as they passed by his room. To his surprise, neither of them said a word, he heard them walk out to the living area, then the kitchen. Both poured a cup of coffee, mixing in their cream and sugar respectively.
“....what on earth are we going to do about Nagito…?” His father asked in a mildly concerned, and very
negative
voice. The aforementioned boy suddenly opened his eyes and clung to his sheets in a nervous anticipation.
“What
can
we do?” His mother sighed as she took a sip of her coffee. “We know he’s going to be bullied...he never fails to.” She said.
“I know...hey, maybe he could wear a bag over his-“ his father was about to make a sick joke, but they heard a sniffling coming from the doorframe.
It was their son, holding back sobs. “I-I k-know I’m horrendous...b-but can you at least pretend I’m not t-totally awful to look at?” He asked in between hiccups and sobs.
His mother glared at her husband for a split second, but was quick to rush over to her son. “Honey, you know-“ She stepped over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
“N-No! That’s a lie!” Nagito shook his head with a sniffle. “I know that nobody c-could e-e-ever Love trash like m-me! So pl-please don’t pretend!” He rubbed his eyes, yet somehow, by some means, he was smiling.
“Honey...why are you smiling? It’s ok to be upset!” His mother lowered an eyebrow.
“Aha…” his smile became somewhat melancholic. “Because I know that the more despair I feel in my heart...the greater that hope will shine when it finally does come!” He laughed. Though he was still shedding tears.
His father exhaled with a note of agitation. “Nagito...go get ready for school. Don’t be late on your first day.” His father waved his hand.
“Alright.” He smiled again, shook out of his mother’s grasp, and walked off to his room to get changed.
He complied to his own suffering- his very own
undoing
all in the name of an unlucky despair.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Snow crunched beneath his feet, he could just see the basic shapes of the world around him, but the finer details were blurry to him. Though he still opted to carry a walking stick, just so he could feel the ground under him, as not to accidentally walk into something.
Currently, it was the first day of high school for him. He always expected the possibility of being alienated for his lack of decent sight, but people were very kind to him, and due to his overall well mannered nature he made friends rather quickly.
On his way to school, he heard someone walk up from behind him. Glancing back he was able to see….something bright pink. “Yo!” Said a bright, upbeat voice.
“Oh, uhm, hi there.” Hajime nodded at the other with a quick smile.
“Are you in 77-B?” He asked, throwing an arm onto Hajime’s shoulder.
“Mmm, yeah, actually. I’m guessing you are too?” He asked casually.
“Yep! The names Kazuichi Souda! I’m your classmate!” He seemed to be quite energetic.
“Nice to meet you then, Kazuichi. I’m Hajime Hinata.” He greeted.
“Good to meet you too, Hajime! I think we’re gonna be friends! Soul friends!” He put both of his arms behind his head.
“Soul friends…? Uh, alright, I guess.” He said with an awkward smile.
“Hey, can I ask you a question?” Kazuichi asked.
“Sure.” Hajime nodded.
“So uh..if you don’t mind my asking….what’s with the stick?” The other asked.
“Oh, this is a walking stick. My vision is terribly impaired.” He explained. “I’m almost completely blind, but I can still make out basic shapes and some colors. Like….I can tell your hair is bright pink.” He said with a vague gesture to the direction of Kazuichi’s head.
“Oh! Shit, sorry! I didn’t mean to be so...so forward about it!” He shook his head with a nervous smile.
“Don’t worry about it. I mean, how else would you find out if you didn’t just
ask
me?” Hajime tilted his head slightly.
“I-I mean I guess you’re right, but I wanted to at least be polite about it…” He sighed.
Just then, a flash of white zipped by Kazuichi and knocked straight into Hajime. “H-How u-unlucky…” the stranger said in a strained voice.
All Hajime saw from this person was mostly white, he couldn’t make out any distinguishing features, just a blurry white mess and the scent of a lily flower.
“Ah...sorry.” Hajime slowly got up and felt around for his walking stick, luckily, his book bag had stayed close to him.
“A-Ah! No, it’s n-not your fault! It’s mine- all mine! Trash like me should just watch where I’m going!” The person replied very quickly...though, it sounded like he was...crying..?
“Hey, are you alright? If you scraped your knees or something you should see the nurse, you sound like you’re crying really hard…” Hajime was still feeling around for his walking stick.
“I’m fine, I swear! I’m more worried about y-“ he picked up his walking stick and was about to hand it to Hajime when someone butted in.
“Get away from him! You look like
hell!
Go take a bath or something!” Kazuichi had wedged himself in between Hajime and the other person.
“K-Kazuichi-“ Hajime recognized the familiar deep black shade of his walking stick, and reached around Kazuichi to grab it. “That’s not nice to say to him, you should apologize.” He said bluntly.
“No! I know you can’t see this guy’s face but he looks like he hasn’t showered in
weeks
, hell he doesn’t look
human.
” He said.
“Yeah, so?” Hajime asked.
“W-Well I-“ Kazuichi started.
“I should go, I’ve already caused enough trouble, I’m sorry.” The white haired boy ran away in tears, leaving Hajime to stare in a mix of pity, confusion, and anger.
Still; through and through, he carried on in the name of despair.