Chapter 10
Oh, Look, It's Raining Outside

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Hajime

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The next morning, I woke up early. I don't know why I did, but I did. I put on my clothes before daylight had begun to rise, and I took a walk. Nagito didn't wake up, or just decided not to say anything whenever I left.
I don't know what all he knows now, either. Maybe more than me.
Of course with this looming threat of this AI in my head continuing to block out any of thought, I've been worried sick over now what he knows. I was restless all the time I slept last night. Two hours at the most.
I found myself in the Future Foundation's building. Mikan was walking past me, greeting me with a smile. I still continued to forget she couldn't speak.
She took out her pad of paper, writing something down on it, showing me. It read: "What are you doing up at this hour?"
I shook my head, "I don't know. I can't sleep."
She gave a sympathetic expression, nodding her head, placing a warm hand on my shoulder before she went back off down the hallway, stepping out of view.
I found myself understanding her situation a lot more now. This continuous threat of an AI Junko possibly about to control your mind any second.
Suddenly I heard another pair of steps walking behind me, and I turned around, seeing Makoto.
"Oh, Makoto? You're up now, too?"
"Huh? Oh, Hajime, hello. Yeah, it's been a bit difficult for me to rest lately. I've personally been trying to figure out how exactly to remove the AI Junko from your mind," So it really was there. "But, nonetheless, I'm sure we will be-rid of every last bit of despair soon."
Maybe it was just the dim lighting in the hallways. Or the lights on the hospital doors. Or maybe a reflection, somehow, from the pristine floor . . .
But I saw it again.
The flash of swirls. An evil smile.
Completely full of despair.
Makoto walked past me then, placing a hand on my shoulder before disappearing the opposite way.
I left as quickly as I could, placing my hands on my forehead. It's just delusions. I'm having hallucinations.
Out in the street, I heard two laughs. A child's laughter.
Around the corner of the Future Foundation Headquarters, a Monokuma kid in a dress came skipping towards me, giggling as they approached me. "Hehe!"
The child held a square object in her hand, handing it out towards me.
I couldn't see what it was in the darkness. I could just make out the shape of it.
My fingers touched it, just barely. I was reluctant to grab it, and now I know why.
So, what was it?
What were those delusional images and faces I was seeing?
I . . . I don't know how it happened.
Souda Kazuichi, I should have never doubted you.
Because of your skills with technology, you've made the greatest thing just from a touch of a button, and sent it all the way here to me.
Oh, how corrupted you are.
My former companion, a one time friend.
Now my trigger, for a life of control.
And control by him, and him alone.
. . .
I went unconscious. I don't know what was happening. Was I being controlled by an AI Junko now? Getting all the information I knew from the Future Foundation, breaking into all the apartments, smashing every single AI, or corrupting them to be exactly like me?
I wondered, if possibly Kazuichi had been corrupted like me. Junko probably saw him as useful, since all of his knowledge with technology, being the Ultimate Mechanic, after all. Though he wasn't the Ultimate Programmer, he could still program pretty well enough to make everything work. Just as he was able to make the ability of mind control. Controlling me. Doing his work. Or Junko's work. Whichever you prefer.
This must be what Nagito was worried about. Maybe this is what he knew. Maybe he did possibly know of this AI lodged in my brain. Hajime Hinata is shut down for now. Only Izuru is active. I don't know if Nagito knew this or not. Maybe Kazuichi had tested his mind control on me before this Monokuma kid gave me this device. Nagito probably knew something was wrong, that's why he was acting strange, asking me what all I liked about him . . .
I must have said things to make him react as he did in the simulation. Not as close. Just thinking of me as something much above him, not deserving to be around some 'piece of filth' like him.
I . . . I want to wake up.
Wh-What's happening to me?
. . .
Maybe everything's okay?
There's a small chance. But it's there, right? That's what Chiaki said for me to focus on . . .
But, all I can focus on is this strange state-of-mind I'm in right now. I feel myself awake. But, I don't, at the same time. One with Izuru Kamukura, huh?
I really just . . . don't understand.
Why does it have to be me?
Why do we all have to be here . . . ?
Nagito . . . Where is my Nagito?
I . . . I need to wake up. I need to.
Maybe if I just concentrate enough. Just hold my thoughts still. Hold these thoughts in my head, just let them sit. Focus. Focus . . .
It's not working. It's . . . It's not working.
I can't seem to do anything.
Makoto, Kirigiri, Chiaki, Nagito . . . someone's surely noticed, right?
Or have I been controlled to completely abandon this place and move to where Kazuichi is? Or an army of AI Junko's somewhere underground?
Maybe meeting with the Ultimate Imposter? Or . . .
W-Wait.
No, this can't be their plan.
This . . . This can't be.
. . .
The Ultimate Imposter . . . replaced Hajime Hinata?
Ah, I understand it now . . .
Place an AI Junko in my head, activate Ultimate Despair, replace Hajime Hinata with the Ultimate Imposter, be controlled for the rest of my life, having no escape. No knowledge of what is happening in the outside world. No idea where I am. No idea what I'm doing . . .
Nagito, he can tell that difference, right? He . . . He would be able to tell it's not me. Even if the Ultimate Imposter completely changed his whole body shape to look exactly like mine.
That . . . Must be one of the reasons why I was in a coma.
Another masterful plan by the princess Junko.
Oh, Junko, my dear princess . . .
How creative you honestly are.
. . .
A vital part in this whole ordeal?
It seems unreasonable. Completely ballistic. Something I could never imagine myself doing.
But there are memories of myself as Izuru. Myself having my emotions completely removed. My thoughts, feelings, sensations altered completely . . .
But I finally had the chance to get all of that back. And I did. The Future plan had succeeded. I was finally myself again.
. . . All of it is . . . gone?
Just thrown away, being forever forgotten?
But I'm still here. I'm talking to myself in my head. Hajime Hinata is still here, in this subconscious, just as Izuru was with me. Now I'm not in control . . . And I suppose neither is he.
Whoever is the mastermind behind the mind control is. The only person I could think of is Kazuichi, himself, being controlled by an AI Junko.
. . .
But . . . What's happened to Hajime Hinata?
Where . . . Where is he now?

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Nagito

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Strange.
Very unusual for Hajime to treat me this way, wouldn't it? He wouldn't hit me like this . . . Not unless I completely beg and plead, right?
He wouldn't beat me senseless like this . . . He wouldn't try to strangle me with this chain.
He wouldn't be so angry.
He wouldn't completely be in control of despair.
That's not the Hajime I know.
Even if Hajime was angry at me . . . He has never hit me. Not even in the simulation. Only Akane, or someone who never liked me like him would hit me.
This . . . This isn't Hajime.
I stayed silent, letting whoever this was take their anger out on me. Maybe it will relieve them of some of their despair.
Whenever they seemed to be finished with their beatings, I struggled myself to stand up. I placed my hands on the wall, using it for support.
'Hajime' went off to the bedroom, slamming the door.
Though I knew the real Hajime was upset about something . . . I knew he would never deal with it like this, either. It's not like him.
Something's gone terribly wrong . . .
I passed by a mirror, seeing the bruises on my face, feeling the swelling on my chest and stomach. Ah, this wasn't such a healthy body to begin with, was it? No worries.
Stepping outside, I rubbed my cheek where it was starting to bleed. Ah, if only Hajime was here to take care of some piece of filth like me.
I wonder if it's because of how I treated him last night that he is gone now.
I didn't mean to seem rude . . . I was just scared. I . . . I didn't think that such bad luck would follow my mistake.
That must mean it's my fault then, right? That Hajime is now gone . . .
And that I now have an AI Junko placed in my head, as well.
Oh, little miss Mikan. You're a clever one, aren't you? Sneaking in such a deadly compound into the cure . . .
Something that can be manipulated by signals, and magnetic attractions, make the brain waves and frequencies be completely controlled by the simple touch of a button.
Clever, clever indeed.
I didn't know if I should tell Makoto and the rest of the Future Foundation.
Maybe, if I told Hajime what I knew, things would be different. Maybe Mikan would be dead at the hands of them.
Instead of me.
. . .
I started off with a knife in my pocket. Then some rope. Maybe a cord. Or a spear. Maybe some deadly poison.
Oh, what wonderful thoughts of someone to die at the hands of hope instead of despair for a change.
Heh . . . Heheheh . . . Brilliant!
Knocking on the door to her office, I greeted her with a smile.
Her face filled with fear. It gave me a rush.
"Good morning, Mikan," I continued to give a smile, stepping into her office. I grabbed her wrist, leading her out, and headed towards the exit. "Let's go for a walk, shall we? It's such a nice day outside." Though it was pouring down rain.

She kept trying to struggle herself free. It made my heart accelerate more. Such a rush!
I led her to a storage house. Somewhere secret. Somewhere no one has gone for anything in a long time.
Whenever I closed the door, Mikan looked at me with complete fear in her eyes.
I played with the rope in my pocket, feeling the outline of the knife with my other in my opposite pocket.
Taking a step towards her, she didn't move. In fact, she stopped shaking. She then started standing completely still.
Even a small smile crept on the corners of her face.
I looked at her eyes. Ah, the lovely swirls sure are there.
Though, I saw a flash of fear for just a moment again. It returned to her despair-stricken self just seconds after.
I stepped closer to her, pulling out the rope and knife.
And there I saw her true meaning for this expression.
A hope to die.
And I stopped, right then and there, finally coming to a realization of her true feelings.
She . . . hopes to be killed by me?
For the first time since we've all arrived back here, she spoke. "Please," she begged, quietly. Mikan fell to her knees in front of me, holding her hands together.
"I don't want . . . to be . . . controlled by her . . . anymore," I saw tears forming in front of her swirling eyes.
No . . . This isn't how it's supposed to be. She . . . shouldn't hope to die.
I dropped the rope, throwing it away somewhere in the building. The knife remained in my hand, going closer to her neck. I placed it under her chin, leaning down to look at her face, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.
"I . . . I find it hard to believe you, Mikan."
She looked up at me, placing her hands on my arm that was still extended down, holding the knife under her chin.
"Please," she pleaded again.
I swallowed, having a lump in my throat. Was . . . Was I feeling afraid, too?
I felt sweat forming on my forehead, my breath was becoming short.
No . . . I shouldn't be doing th--!
. . .
The knife was thrusted into her neck. Though it wasn't by me. Her hands shoved my arm downward. Into her neck the knife went, her blood sliding down her neck, down her clothes, out of her mouth. My hand let go of the knife, I was in shock.
I looked at my shaking hand with her blood on it, feeling a smile creep up on my face.
Heh . . . Heheheheh . . . Such despair . . .
What a hopeless way of dying, Mikan.
. . . Hello, my dear princess Junko.
What a nice timing to start controlling me.
Killing your little servant, the poor little thing. She was a hopeless case from the start, wasn't she?
Oh, but let's see what happened to our dear little Izuru, shall we? He must be close by. Kazuichi couldn't have led him as far as he is away, could he?
No, I think not.
Oh, my little Izuru.
Heheheh . . . What a masterful, brilliant plan!
Something expected from the Ultimate Despair, herself . . .
The Ultimate Lucky Student, oh, I wonder where he went?
Maybe he just completely disappeared from existence like my Hajime did.
Maybe we're forever together in such a hopeless world, in another dimension maybe.
But . . . If I'm still having these thoughts, does that mean that I'm still here, staring down at Mikan's lifeless body?
Maybe so.
. . .
The next time I could feel my consciousness, it seemed as if I were asleep forever. I could feel my body moving. I could sense things, think things. But it was as if I wasn't actually there.
I wanted to imagine something. Maybe a nice day on the beach with Hinata-kun. Or maybe the library? Just . . . doing something nice.
But those thoughts of trying to imagine something nice came to an end whenever I woke up.
Where . . . Where was I?
"Oh, finally out of the mind control, my dear Nagito?" I tried moving. I couldn't. I was bound to a chair. My wrists and ankles had rope wrapped around them. Once I knew it was inevitable for me to get free, I stopped resisting.
My vision was blurry, it was dark around me.
When things finally started coming in focus, I saw a face.
"Oh, hello, it's nice to see you," I gave a smile, seeing her pigtails being twirled by her fingers.
"Really? What an interesting reaction, especially from the likes of you. Though, I guess you couldn't strangle me since you're tied up like this, anyways," she said in her sarcastic tone, un-twirling her hair, folding her arms under her breasts.
"So, who's body did you transform this time, Junko?" I asked, seeing her features were exactly how I remember them.
"Oh, this little new body of mine?" she raised her hands up, motioning over herself, "This was just a little gift from the Ultimate Mechanic-- a robot! Looks pretty hot, doesn't it?" She gave a smile, leaning down to look at me, exposing her cleavage more. I felt disgusted.
"Silly me! I forgot you were gayer than the gayest man alive!" Her hands caressed my face. I shook my head, trying to shake off her hands. She only smiled more, continuing, "But that still doesn't want to keep me back from eating you right up! You're too attractive for words to explain!"
I felt her fingers move to my pants outline. I tried my best to squirm myself free. "Get your filthy hands off of me!"
"Oh? Are you sure you wouldn't want someone like me to please you like this?"
I felt myself want to throw up, "Someone like you? Someone . . . like you? Heh . . . Heheheh . . . How hilarious." I spit to my side, trying to show my disgust, "You wouldn't please me in the slightest. You're full of despair."
Junko threw her head back laughing, "For some lowly servant like you, you sure do talk big, don't you?" I felt her fingers grip my chin hard, making me look into her eyes. "Listen up, my dear Nagito. If you don't obey me," she snapped, and out came a person with a bag over their head, being shoved into view, "Your little friend here? Dead."
The person was dressed in complete black, even the bag over their head was black. I couldn't tell who it was from just this. But I could guess it would be Hajime.
"And may I ask who that is?" I asked her, watching her go over to the person, taking off the bag. I seemed to have guessed right.
Hajime had a blindfold on, and another in his mouth. He was completely silent, showing no sign of struggle, just like me. Though I'm sure he wasn't Hajime right now. Just another AI Junko.
Taking in a breath, clenching my fists together on the wood on this chair, I asked, "What all do I have to do?"
"Everything I say. It's simple, isn't it?" She gave a smile, caressing Hajime's cheek, sliding her arms around him. "Or, maybe I'll keep him for myself. He is quite a catch, too."
An idea seemed to come to her head, her snapping her fingers again, "I've completely forgot I can just control you both to make me my slaves! What do you think, my little Nagito? Doesn't that sound like a good plan?"
I felt sweat droplets form on my forehead. I didn't want to think of me . . . with her.
"Oh, but don't you worry, my little Nagito. I'll respect your sexuality! But, Hajime, however . . ." she rubbed her hands over his chest, licking his cheek. I . . . I felt my hands clench tighter.
"He is labeled as big-b bisexual!"
She let go of him, stepping towards me, her high-heels clicking on the floor with every step towards me. An evil smile was on her face, "And I can control every. Single. Thing. He. Does."
Then she turned away, her pigtails slapping my face. "Enjoy the little show, my dear Nagito!"
I turned my head. I closed my eyes. I didn't want to see this . . . I didn't w-want . . .
I felt my head be held by multiple small hands, a giggling from behind me.
"Come on, Nagito! Don't you want to enjoy the show?" Junko called out to me, easing Hajime's black shirt over his head. I felt myself be gagged, the Monokuma kids behind me putting a blindfold in my mouth.
First she threw him down onto the floor, him not making one sound. I felt my eyes sting with tears at the sight of him getting hurt, but I knew I would be seeing much worse. She moved her hands through her hair, smiling away at him on the ground, all tied up.
"So easy. It's so easy! Despair, such an easy feeling to feel!"
I'm . . . I'm not feeling despair, Junko.
I'm feeling anger. I'm feeling rage. I'm feeling . . . complete hatred.
She gave a laugh, looking at me as she knelt down in front of him, untying his arms and legs, taking off his mouth gag. She kept the blindfold on, but just for a moment, to let me really focus in on his eyes.
Completely blank. No expression whatsoever. A completely lost case . . .
Is that how I looked? Is that how every one of her AI Junko's in people's bodies look?
Once Junko placed her filthy hands on his black jeans, I closed my eyes tightly. I didn't want to watch. No matter how much I was being forced to open my eyes by the kids, I wouldn't. It won't matter how much they try. I won't look. If they open my eyes, I'll look somewhere else. I'll block out my hearing. I'll bite down hard on my mouth gag. I'll scream into it, I'll clench my fists so hard that my fingernails dig into my palms, making them bleed. I'll hold my feet tightly on the ground, trying to make them break. I'll tense my shoulders so that way I feel the shoulder blades reach above the chair's back, to the point where they are stuck, and it hurts. I'll ignore these tears streaming down my face. I won't look at Hajime. I won't look . . .
Heh . . . Heheh . . . I . . . won't . . . look.
And that's whenever I went out-cold. I don't know if it was me, or her that controlled that. Maybe she's doing the same things to Hajime to me now that I'm being controlled.
Who knows. With her mind, we're completely at mercy. Unable to do anything. Unable to feel. Unable to comprehend what type of things are happening to the world. Or to us.
I was glad to hear silence. I didn't want to hear her disgusting moans. I didn't want to witness Hajime being controlled like that, completely against his will.
I would rather it be me. I would rather take all the pain in the damn world . . .
Come on, Junko, get me out of this chair. Let him go . . . Let him go.
Maybe I'm already out of the chair.
Maybe she switched places now onto me.
I don't know.
Maybe I don't want to.
No, I'm positive I don't.
Maybe I should thank her for making me unconscious while she does this.
To fill her desires, oh, she'll do whatever she wants.
'Respect', she said?
Heh . . . Heheheheh . . . What a joke.

What . . . a . . . fucking . . . joke.

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Hajime

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Am . . . Am I finally able to tell that I'm breathing? That . . . I'm at least still alive?
Hm . . . I feel comfortable. It's warm, and it feels like I'm relaxing on a beach. I feel the sun, I smell the ocean. Taking in a breath, I enjoyed the scent of it, relaxing more onto the sand.
Is Junko making me think of this? Giving me nice thoughts . . . I wonder if that's for something good I did?
I . . . wonder what I did?
I let the thought go, relaxing more as I soaked in the sun's warmth. I felt what seemed like a body on top of me, gently laying on top of me. I couldn't move, but I found them, whoever they were, comforting. I hoped from the bottom of my heart that it would be Nagito.
I . . . I really want to see him.
I hope he's okay. Wherever he is, if he's still asleep in our apartment, or being held captive somewhere, or on a fatal road to death . . .
I hoped with all I had in me that he would be okay.
Then, my eyes were blinking. They saw a strange room. It looked like the one in the subway . . . Is that where I am again?
I was on the floor. It was calming, for some reason. I felt cold, but felt a sense of warmth at the same time.
It was dark in here. Only the light from underneath the door was shining again, as it had that one time from when we were outside it, looking at Mikan.
I turned my head back up, seeing a figure above me.
A light flickered on, and my heart dropped.
"Oh, looky here! What a good job he did for me, didn't he?" Junko leaned down, her pigtails falling in my face. I felt sweaty. I felt hot.
She was buttoning her shirt, her shoes untied. I felt a sickening feeling in my stomach.
I felt dizzy all of a sudden. Closing my eyes, I tried waking up. This was just another delusion. Just something AI Junko is trying to make me see.
"Ah-ah-ah! No, no! Don't fall back asleep, you just woke up, silly Hajime!" She leaned over again, her hair brushing across my face, getting caught in my mouth. I was breathing heavy. I didn't . . . understand. But I . . . had a sickening feeling what it was, however.
"Well, now that I'm satisfied, I'll go ahead and leave you two to love each other now! Ta-ta for now!" And she buttoned the last button, her high heels clicking across the stone floor, opening the door, and slamming it right after, shaking the flickering light above me.
You two?
Looking to my right, I saw the green trench coat. The light hair, the gray eyes. A mouth gag in his mouth. His face bruised and beaten.
I swallowed hard, still regaining my breath.
I turned away from him, too ashamed of myself. Sitting up, I tried the best I could to put on what clothes I was apparently in before this happened. I knew my fears were confirmed then, just seeing the state I was in.
Buttoning the jean's button, I stood up, trying my best to contain my tears as I approached him, easing the mouth gag off of him. He said nothing. His eyes spoke enough.
I untied the ropes from his arms and ankles.
I turned around again, not being able to look at him for too long. Too ashamed. Too humiliated. Too taken advantage of.
Flatly, I asked, "Did . . . Did she do this to you, too?"
"Not . . . Not that I know of," his tone was quiet, so soft-spoken.
I tried working up my courage to look back at him. I felt so bad. I felt so angry with myself.
I know I most-likely was controlled . . . But it still bothers me.
I felt Nagito wrap his arms around me from the back. Then the tears came. A drop, two, then all at once, my face falling into my hands.
"Oh, I-I'm sorry . . . I didn't m-mean to hurt you, H-H-Hinata-kun," his hands quickly went off of me. I turned around fast, grabbing him, holding him too close.
"Nagito . . ." I didn't want to ask what all he saw. I could tell enough what all he did. I just . . . can't imagine . . .
"I-I'm sorry, Nagito."
He leaned back, looking into my eyes. I couldn't help but noticed how battered and beaten his face looked. "Why are you sorry, Hajime? You've done nothing wrong," he gave a smile, looking at me with his calming eyes, "Remember, it is all Junko, right? That's what you told me."
I took in a breath, looking up for a moment, making eye contact with him again shortly after, "Nagito, can . . . can we please get out of here?"
He smiled, taking my face gently in his battered hands. He must have been in a bad condition all over his body . . . "I wish it were that easy," he looked over my shoulder, at the door, "But I'm sure she has a system running. She's probably keeping an eye on us right now. Her poor little sex slaves need not to escape."
My hands came off of him, and I turned around, making my way to the door, grabbing the shirt she had taken off of me, putting it on, as well.
I grabbed the doorknob, twisting it.
And the door opened.
Turning around, Nagito stood there, in the flickering light above. He quickly made his way over to me.
"I know the way out, Nagito. Let's go," I knelt down, waiting for him to climb on my back. I knew he couldn't run, so I might as well carry him.
Adjusting his legs, carrying him on my back, I started off as quickly as I could towards the subway's exit.
I didn't want to think if this was a trap. Having so easily escaped that room. I knew it would be a trap.
But I was done with this.
I wanted to be free from this.
I didn't want this AI to be in our minds.
I didn't want any of this.
I would fight it.
Just as I fought the simulation.
I know Nagito can do it, too.
We all can.
We both can make it through this.
Just defeat this AI, getting ourselves out of this town, heading somewhere that isn't here.
I stepped quickly up the steps that led to the subway, opening the door, having a gust of wind almost make me fall backwards.
Steadying myself, I didn't care where I was heading, I was just running. I held him firmly on me, and he held tightly back.
Just giving us, if anything, a little bit of comfort.