Hopelessly Obsessed (KomaHina)

4: Leaves

Nagito's POV:

Today is a Friday. That's the fifth day of the week. Much better than yesterday, a Thursday, or the fourth day of the week. Four is a horrible number, but five on the other hand...it's nice, it feels balanced. It makes me feel in control. So I like Friday.
The walk to school is short, but very difficult. I didn't think walking would be difficult until it became autumn. Fallen leaves scatter all of the pathways. I used to like autumn a lot, but ever since I realized the truth about leaves, it's become a season I dread. So, whilst staring at the ground, I carefully walk on my tip toes, edging around each leaf. It doesn't matter if I'm late, people's lives are at stake here.

Count.

Huh? A thought came into my head out of nowhere, but it didn't feel like my own. And that could only mean...oh no-

Count your steps or Hinata will die from yesterday's mistake.

Right. Yesterday, I stepped in a pile of leaves whilst talking to Hinata-kun. I was such an idiot, but I was kind of...captivated by him, I guess. I wasn't paying attention to where I put my feet. I take a deep breath and beginning walking again. I take a step, 'One,' I think. 'Two-'

Out loud.

What...? Oh whatever. "One, two, three," I mutter to myself, feeling incredibly stupid. But at the same time, this feels right. This feels safe. I smile, Hinata-kun's going to be fine. Whoever this voice is, they've saved my classmates once again. I'm so grateful, I-

'Ow...'

I was too caught up in the euphoria of saving Hinata-kun's life that I forgot how to walk, apparently. My legs are stinging from falling onto the concrete, but something else feels off. Every part of my body that's touching the ground feels hot, and unpleasantly tingly. I look down and-

Leaves.

It feels like I've been stabbed in the back of the head. No no no no no no no no no no no no-

You had just saved Hinata and now you're putting him in danger again? So selfish, you're such a horrible person.

The graphic imagery is flashing in front of my eyes. Hinata-kun, on his way to school, suddenly grabbed from behind...a knife pressed to his throat, a gruff voice, the struggle...and Hinata's scream as his blood splatters across the footpath, soaking the leaves that took his life.

I spring up from my spot on the footpath and onto the grass next to it (where there is significantly less leaves). I do every bizarre action I can think of. Knocking on my thighs, pulling my hair, repeating phrases, things that hurt...hurt a lot. Because...I can't let Hinata-kun's life fall and wither away like the autumn leaves surrounding me.

Hajime's POV:

It's finally Friday, but the classes are going by so slowly. It's still only first period. Glancing around the room once again, I see that the seats left of me and behind me are empty. In other words, Nanami and Komaeda aren't here. For Komaeda, that's nothing new. He often comes to school late or just doesn't show up at all. For some reason, Yukizome-Sensei never gives him a detention or anything like that. But that's really weird for Nanami. She's almost always here, and if she's not going to be here, she tells everyone beforehand.

"U-Um..." I hear a soft voice whisper to the right of me. I turn to Tsumiki. "Hm? What's up?" I whisper back.

"W-Well...don't you think it's w-weird that Nanami-san isn't here?" So she noticed it too. "B-Because, every t-time she isn't h-here, she usually t-tells us beforehand..."

"Yeah," I whisper, "You're right, it is weird. I mean, it's normal for Komaeda-kun to-"

(Trigger Warning for this paragraph: Reference to Self-Harm.)

And just like that, the door opens, and a fluffy haired boy is standing there. "Ah, Komaeda," Yukizome-Sensei says, "I'm glad you could join us." She speaks very softly, much more than usual. On closer inspection of Komaeda, he looks like he's been crying. His eyes flick to me and then away extremely quickly, but I saw it. "Oh, and did you see Nanami-san on your way here, Komaeda?" Yukizome-Sensei asks, to which Komaeda just shakes his head and sits down. It sounded like he was counting again while he walked to his seat. Also...are his hands bleeding? The cuts are only thin, but...

(TW Over.)

The lesson continues, and Tsumiki whispers: "So no-one knows where Nanami-san is, hmm..." then quickly followed by: "Ah! I'm sorry for speaking out of turn!" It came out as a whisper, but still loud enough for our teacher to hear. "You two," she says, "Shush. This period is nearly over, just focus for a little longer, okay?"

A/N: The hormone that ripens bananas (and eventually turns them brown and mushy) is called ethylene. So when you eat a bruised part of a banana, you're eating extra hormonal banana.