Ultimate Lucky Ghost - Komahina/Hinakoma fic

9. The Burning of the Ultimate Hope

"Hey, ▅▃▂▃▅▃-kun."

A boy's voice echoes throughout the room.

"Yeah. ▃▂▃▂▃▅▃?" Another boy answers.

From the hospital bed, he smiles.

"Nothing…" He gives a playful smile and faces the window. "You know… Despite everything, I still enjoy being with you like this, ▅▃▂▂▃▂- ah, can i call you ▅▃▂▂▃▂?"

The other male chuckles.

"Of course! But in return, I'll call you ▃▂▃▂▅▂, 'kay?"

The boy on the bed quickly snaps his head to the other, his face red.

He looks down and holds onto the empty left sleeve of his hospital gown.

Without a word, he nods.

—————

…

…

…

I lazily opened my eyes.

As if I had just woken up in the morning, after a good night's rest, in my room, I slowly lifted my head and looked around me.

But, instead of the gentle morning sun, a dark shadowy sky greeted me.

Instead of a nice rest, I woke up after being knocked out cold.

And instead of my room, I was in some sort of empty field. And I was there, in the middle of that field.

I was sitting on a classroom chair, with a desk and another chair Infront.

I was left there, confused and scared.

Where is this? What is this? How did I get here? Who did this? Why did they do this? Were among the questions circling around my head.

…

…

*Crunch*

…

I heard the crunching of grass underneath a person's feet, and then another, and another——someone was walking.

But, like the moments before I lost consciousness, I did not see the person who was walking towards me.

In front of me, two tiny patches of grass would be crushed as if a person's feet were stepping on them.

Until the grass next to the other chair was stepped on, the chair was pulled back, causing me to flinch.

*Thud*

The invisible person sat down.

I knew it was staring right into my eyes, I felt it.

And, the mysterious person revealed themselves, slowly fading into a physical form.

That person was could have only been—

—Celestia Ludenberg, the girl I found injured in the art room.

Without noticing, my mouth opened in disbelief.

"Y-You…"

"Yes, it's me." She gives a smile and places her head over her hands. "Hope's Peak Academy's Mystery No. 2, The Ultimate Gambler."

Ah.

My mind stops.

For some reason, I am in disbelief.