New Hope

New Hope - Chapter Twenty-Six

Hajime's breath shook.

This... this can't be real, right?

No. No, this can't be... can't be real...

Hajime could do nothing but stare at the screen - glad he locked the door - as he watched Izuru kill people over and over again. Policemen, doctors, teachers, even children. None of it seemed to matter to Izuru - who simply killed whomever Junko pointed at.

Hajime felt bile rising to the back of his throat.

Hajime!

W - What? Izuru? You're in my thoughts now?

Yeah - didn't I tell you that I can talk in people's minds?

I thought you meant other peoples - not mine...

Does it bother you?

No! I was just confused... anyway, why are you here?

You have to calm down Hajime. I never wanted to harm any of those people. I was under Junko's influence, you have to understand that.

I - I know! But it's awful to think that I've killed people. I've killed CHILDREN. I... I'm a monster...

Hajime...

I... I... I'm a monster...

No you're not!

YES I AM! You're just telling me I'm not because I'm a part of you and you don't want me to accept the truth!

Hajime...

Well I'm done! I... I can't do this anymore...

Hajime? What do you mean?

I... I can't put my time into saving people who I've tried to kill. I can't... How can I look anyone in the eyes after what I've done?

Hajime, don't...

And I'm not listening to you anymore either - you hear me Izuru? I'm NOT TALKING TO YOU ANYMORE!

Hajime gasped, feeling something rip out of him.

I... Izuru? Hey... Izuru...?

No matter how many hours Hajime called out for his partner, he got no response. Breaking into his power changed his eye colour like normal, so Hajime knew that Izuru was still there - maybe the connection between them had been shattered, stopping communication between the two of them?

Hajime didn't know.

But he didn't care either.

Slowly, as if in a trance, Hajime gathered every single tape, and placed them back in the box. He went to Kazuichi's room where he knew there'd be mechanic based tools and grabbed a large hammer.

He slowly dragged the box out of the building and into a secluded area, where no one would be able to hear him. He raised the hammer high...

... And swung down hard, over and over again, smashing every tape into pieces.

With every swing, his rage grew brighter, his frustration, sorrow, and heartache at the person he once was. He screamed in despair as flashes of memories of a person that was not him rushed into his mind - him hitting, stabbing, killing other people.

"I can't do this! Izuru - I - I killed people! I destroyed families! I was Junko's personal weapon for her to use at her disposal! Without me, none of us would've been trapped in this stupid game in the first place! I'm the cause of all this pain! I... I can't go on and help other people, when I could've killed their family members...! I... I can't..."

With a shaky breath, Hajime dropped the hammer, and collapsed onto the ground.

"I... I'm done..."

And with that, Hajime's eyes closed, and his breathing slowed as he fell asleep.

As he slept in the cold air, Nagito - who had been watching the entire thing - slowly crept up to Hajime and picked him up. While Nagito had been ill and skinny, he simply couldn't leave Hajime out in the cold air, and if he waited too long to go get help, Hajime might catch a cold.

He struggled into the building with Hajime in his arms. When he stumbled in - and after convincing a few people that he didn't kill Hajime - he was helped with bringing Hajime to their bedroom.

Nagito carefully tucked Hajime in his bed as the others left.

"Oh Hajime..." Nagito sighed, stroking Hajime's hair.

"I hope you learn that you are loved... you're the most important person in the world to me, and your past doesn't define you..."

He sighed, staring out of the window at the night sky, continuing to stroke Hajime's hair. "As someone whose mindset has changed thanks to you, I can't force you into a specific belief. I just have to hope that you'll come around. I'll give you space, Hajime," Nagito paused to kiss Hajime's forehead, "and I just hope that you'll realise how much I - how much we all care about you."

Wow that was a ride - hi guys!

Here is the end plot - Hajime's journey to accept his past and who he once was. Right now he's scared and is rejecting it in fear, but his goal of this last plot part of the story is for him to overcome his fear and accept who he is now. Nagito wants to help, but Hajime's rejecting everyone D:

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. You gotta wait for tomorrow morning before a new update now! >:D

Haha, well the new update will be out soon, so don't despair! I think there's only six chapters left, so in three more days the story will be concluded! I hope you've all enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Just a few chapters left - we're almost there!

But for now...

Peachy out! 😊