Foresight

‘You two seem to be getting along,’ Komaeda said. Komaru had left, so he and Hinata were alone in the cabin now – Komaeda the relaxed intruder, leaning against Hinata’s door, and Hinata the one on edge.

‘She’s easy to get along with,’ Hinata said. ‘Was Fukawa actually looking for her?’ That was the excuse Komaeda had given to get Komaru to leave.

‘I suppose I deserve that suspicion,’ Komaeda said. ‘Particularly where Komaru-san is concerned. But yes, Fukawa-san wanted to see her.’

It didn’t seem like he was about to leave, so Hinata sat back down, resigned to it.

‘That was pretty clever of you, Hinata-kun,’ Komaeda went on. ‘Inviting her back for music lessons.’

‘What?’

‘It’s understandable. Komaru-san is your type, isn’t she?’

‘Komaru is?’ For a moment, Hinata looked baffled. Then his face creased with something like self-deprecation. ‘You’ve got it wrong. I was just helping her out.’

‘Offering a hand?’

‘Don’t worry,’ Hinata said dryly. ‘Komaru’s not interested in me.’

‘Why would I be concerned?’ Komaeda said. He pushed off the door to go and sit on the bed next to Hinata – closer than necessary, their thighs were almost touching. Komaeda leaned his weight back on his arms. ‘It’s none of my business what girls you invite back to your room.’

‘I said it’s not like that,’ Hinata said. He couldn’t turn to face Komaeda directly – they were already close enough.

‘No, your thoughts were completely innocent, I’m sure. It’s only us lesser humans who are concerned with such tawdry matters.’

‘Komaeda.’

‘What? You’re saying you didn’t give that part of yourself up? Kamukura Izuru-kun.’ Komaeda inclined his head only a little, but it meant his hair brushed Hinata’s shoulder.

‘You know I don’t like being called that.’

‘Yes,’ Komaeda said. ‘You’ve given up on being hope, I know. We’re all just meant to stay on this island and rot.’ He laughed. ‘I suppose it’s a fitting end. Neither you nor Komaru-san were enough to manage anything better.’

‘You’re the one who doesn’t get it.’ Hinata muttered. They weren’t touching, but the distance between them was palpable. ‘Why do you hate the idea of an ordinary life so much?’

Abruptly, Komaeda laughed. He tipped his head back and he laughed, his throat exposed as Hinata turned to watch.

‘People like you and me,’ Komaeda said, ‘we don’t get to live ordinary lives.’ And having spoken, it was like he had never laughed at all. ‘All you’re doing here ... it’s just killing time.’

‘I’m not making you stay. You can leave if you want.’

Looking at Hinata again, Komaeda’s smile turned sardonic. ‘That’s the problem, isn’t it? After everything that’s happened ...’ He glanced down to where their hands were splayed next to each other, Hinata’s flesh and bone, and Komaeda’s gloved metal.

‘I still want to stay by your side,’ Komaeda said. His voice was barely loud enough for Hinata to hear. As if Komaeda could have said it softly enough for him not to hear it, when they were next to each other like this.

Hinata shifted his hand, only slightly, so that Komaeda’s fingers were beneath his.

‘You should’ve said you did like Komaru-san,’ Komaeda said.

‘Why? Would you have been content with that? I find it hard to believe that.’

‘It would have been appropriate. The two protagonists ...’

‘You say that like you’re not a point-of-view character yourself.’

Komaeda dipped his head. ‘If that were true, things would go quite differently.’

‘So try it,’ Hinata said. ‘Just for once. Don’t worry about hope and despair, and just do what you actually want.’

Komaeda lifted his eyes back up to Hinata’s face. That much attention made Hinata’s skin prickle, as if Komaeda were looking over every inch of his body, not just meeting his eyes.

‘You might regret that,’ Komaeda said.

Without breaking eye contact, Hinata shook his head.

And so Komaeda kissed him.

Expecting it was different from experiencing it. Having been given permission, Komaeda didn’t hesitate. He pressed his tongue into Hinata’s mouth, and Hinata was helpless against him. It was predictable and yet somehow there was nothing predictable about how it felt. Hinata’s body didn’t care if he had seen it all coming.

For an age. Since Komaeda woke up. Since Hinata saw him alive again. This had been coming forever.

When Hinata wound up flat on the bed, Hinata didn’t know if it was because Komaeda had pushed him or because Hinata had dragged Komaeda down with him.

‘You know,’ Komaeda said, ‘Komaru-san could come back any minute now.’ He said that, but his hand moved down to squeeze Hinata’s dick through his trousers. He clearly had no intention of stopping. ‘What if she reported that back to Naegi Makoto-san?’

‘I really don’t think he’d care. It’s nobody’s business.’

‘Hm. Maybe you’re right.’

Then Komaeda unzipped Hinata’s pants, and he stopped talking. He took Hinata into his mouth with the care of someone who’d thought about doing this before – a lot. Hinata somehow got the feeling Komaeda had thought about doing this a lot.

Maybe they could have already been doing this a lot. Maybe Hinata was the one who’d been holding back. Remembering the malice Komaeda had shown them. Unable to stop thinking about him anyway.

Hinata knew what was coming next, by letting Komaeda do this. Somehow he didn’t mind the knowledge at all.