Our Song - Danganronpa

Chapter 22 [EDITED]

Pulling up in front of Y/N's home, Hajime turned off the engine and glanced over at them. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah, thanks for taking me home," Y/N said gratefully.

"Of course."

They placed their hand on the door handle. "I better get going."

"Text me if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay."

"Let's go to Stick's again some other time. It'll be on me."

Y/N recalled their recent meal. Like nothing ever before, it truly felt like heaven on earth. "We'll see."

They got out and felt the coldness envelope them. After offering a quick wave, they hastily made it to their front door. Once inside, they were met by the strobing lights from the living room TV. It was the only light source in the entire house. As they were sliding off their shoes, they heard the TV being paused.

Mom appeared behind the corner and made Y/N's silhouette out. "Y/N, Is that you?"

"Yeah. Hi, mom."

She flipped the hallway switch on and Y/N noticed that Guppy was at her feet. "You're home already? I thought you were coming home later."

"Yeah, I got, uhm, bored. There wasn't much to do."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, then. Are you tired now?"

"Not really," Y/N shrugged. "Where's Jeffery and Belle?"

"We were watching a movie together because Jeffery wanted to wait until you came home."

"Is he still awake?"

"No, he fell asleep," their mom laughed. 'You should come watch with me. It's boring to watch alone."

Y/N nodded and followed their mom into the living room. That did sound like a good idea. It would make for a temporary distraction, and Y/N didn't want to be alone with their thoughts. Entering the living room, they wedged themself between their siblings and the arm rest. Once settled, Guppy pounced onto their lap. Mom handed them a bowl of popcorn before sinking into the cushions herself. As she resumed the film, the soft glow of the TV screen illuminated the room, letting animated light dance on the walls. For a while, Y/N felt okay. They tried their best to push their thoughts away but never completely got rid of their feelings.

A couple of movies passed before midnight had fallen. By then, Y/N was rubbing their eyes and Mom was sleeping peacefully. Y/N draped the blanket up to their mother's neck before heading upstairs with Guppy. They changed out of formal wear into pajamas and brushed their teeth quickly. In the middle of drying their face, the phone pinged a few times.

Y/N set the towel aside and checked the notification. The first few were just notifications from social media apps. As they scrolled down further, there were some texts from Ibuki. It dawned on them that they hadn't checked their phone since leaving school. Y/N swiped their thumb across the screen, opening the messages.

Ibuki: hajime told me you guys went home early

Ibuki: bummer :((

Ibuki: but don't worry! ibuki took pictures of everything!!

Ibuki: bEST NIGHT EVER!!!!@@!!! :DDDDddd

Under the messages were multiple attached photos. The first few photos were miscellaneous, such as shots of the decorations. The next several were the group photos of Ibuki, Hiyoko, Mahiru, and Y/N themself. There were also photos that Ibuki took before the band went on stage. In it, Ibuki had her photogenic grin and posed with Hiyoko. They spotted Twogami and Kazuichi making peace signs from behind. In the way back, Y/N could see themself smiling beside Hajime.

Y/N kept swiping. The last handful of photos were selfies of Ibuki on stage, presumably after she had gotten done playing. There was a video that was also sent. In it, she was spinning and took a full 360° of her surroundings. It displayed the cheering crowd and bandmates. In everything she sent, every face captured within those frames seemed to radiate joy and laughter.

Y/N couldn't help but feel a sense of jealousy. All their friends seemed so happy... and they were not. The reminder of Nagito's rejection replayed in their mind like an old film, except in slow motion. The event felt embarrassing—surreal even—to think about. It was stupid to be upset about, but he would never know how much time they spent making the chocolates, or how many attempts it took to get the stupid bow on.

They pitied themself but they refused to cry again. Flipping off the bathroom lights, they headed to their room. As Y/N's emotions threatened to overwhelm them, a small rustling sound caught their attention. Looking towards the corner of the room, they saw Guppy, their playful cat, batting at the hidden box of old music sheets.

Y/N scooped him into their arms. "Oh, you," they cooed. "You already have a lot of other toys."

Still holding onto Guppy, they got to their knees. They stared at the box long and hard, making no effort to push it back under. It was the box Y/N loathed. Now it was stained with Nagito's touch, and Y/N wasn't sure if they liked that or not. Having nothing else to do, Y/N sighed and reached into the box. It wouldn't hurt to shuffle through the papers for a bit. Afterall, it had been a while since Y/N last looked at them.

Y/N thumbed through them one by one. The sheets were a relic from their father, and looking at them felt like Y/N had gone back in time to when he was still alive. Each sheet had a bit of their father's charm, and Y/N felt the remnants as their fingers tracing his scribbles and annotations. Some of the sheets were classicals, music sheets composed by deceased pianists. Others were songs their father once started but never finished. At the bottom of the pile was a collection of music books. Scavenging for a moment, they flipped through their very first workbook. The book, although heavily aged and faded at the corners, maintained its pristine practices and colorful stickers.

"I wish you were here, dad." Y/N's throat burned from holding back their tears, causing their voice to strain. Rapidly, the memories of their father flooded back into their system. They remembered the time he kissed their scraped knee from a fall and how he bandaged a burn on their finger. His patient laughter whenever Y/N had gotten hurt. If only he were here to guide them now. How would their dad comfort them in this situation?

Their thoughts flickered between Nagito and their dad, and it began to feel unbearable. Overwhelmed by the nostalgia and rejection, Y/N could not fight against the tidal wave. Their tears pitter-pattered against the book and Y/N quickly brushed the droplets off so as to not dampen the irreplaceable papers. As they doubled over, the music sheets remained tightly clutched against their aching chest.

Guppy, who had been observing Y/N, curled up beside them, offering a silent but supportive presence. He snuggled against their side, purring softly as if trying to tell them that everything was going to be okay.

Y/N knew in the back of their mind that they would be okay. But in their current state, it was hard to pull that reasoning to the front. At that moment, all Y/N could do was sob among the only remains of their father's existence.