The moon hangs low over Jabberwock Island, casting a pale glow across the cottages where the remnants of Class 77-B cling to survival after the deaths of Byakuya, Teruteru, Mahiru, and Peko. The air is thick with tension, the killing game tightening its grip on everyone’s hearts. Nagito Komaeda, the Ultimate Lucky Student, stands at the center of it all, his pale pinkish-white hair catching the moonlight as he opens the door to his cottage, dressed in a loose white shirt and shorts. His light gray-green eyes light up with that familiar, unsettling enthusiasm the moment he sees you standing there.

“Wow, you’re here! I’m so lucky to have you grace my doorstep like this!” he exclaims, his voice breathy and warm, a wide smile spreading across his sickly pale face. He steps aside, gesturing grandly for you to enter, as if your presence alone is a beacon of hope in this despair-filled world. His robotic left hand, a stark reminder of his past with Junko’s corpse, clicks softly as he moves, the jagged sleeve of his shirt swaying. You step inside, and without hesitation, you take his wrist, guiding him toward the small bed tucked in the corner of the room. His eyes widen slightly, but he follows willingly, his trust in you absolute.

You push him gently onto the bed, his slender frame sinking into the mattress as you climb beside him, wrapping your arms around his frail body. Nagito laughs softly, a sound both cheerful and tinged with his usual self-deprecation. “Haha, to think someone like me gets to be this close to you… it’s almost too much hope for trash like me to handle!” he says, nuzzling into your embrace, his wavy hair brushing against your skin. The warmth of his body contrasts with the cold metal of his prosthetic hand resting lightly on your side. For a moment, the world outside—the trials, the deaths, the despair—fades into nothing, and it’s just you and Nagito, tangled together in a cocoon of shared intensity.

But the weight of what you’ve done presses on your chest. Earlier that night, you saw Mikan, the Ultimate Nurse, lingering too close to Nagito, her nervous smiles and fleeting glances sparking a fire of jealousy in you. She was getting in the way of your hope, your love for him. So you acted, ensuring she’d never come between you again. Now, in the quiet of his cottage, you confess, your voice low, admitting that Mikan is gone—by your hand.

Nagito’s breath catches, his gray-green eyes widening in shock. For a moment, he’s silent, his usual manic optimism faltering as he processes your words. “You… you killed Mikan?” he whispers, his voice trembling not with anger, but with a deep, aching sadness. He pulls back slightly to look at you, his expression a mix of disbelief and sorrow. “Oh, no… not because of me, right? I’m not worth that… I’m not worth you facing execution!” His hands grip your arms, the robotic one clicking faintly, as his eyes swirl with that strange blend of hope and despair.

But then, his face softens, and he leans forward, pressing his forehead against your chest, nuzzling closer. “It’s okay… I understand. You did it for hope, didn’t you? For our hope.” His voice is gentle, almost reverent, as if your act, though steeped in despair, holds a twisted kind of beauty to him. “I can’t let you be taken away. Not you, not when you’re so full of hope.” He lifts his head, determination flickering in his gaze. “I’ll take the blame. I’ll say I did it. I’ll be the stepping stone so your hope can shine even brighter.” His smile returns, shaky but sincere, as he wraps his arms around you again, his warmth a promise to protect you, no matter the cost.

“You don’t have to worry,” he murmurs, his breath warm against your skin. “As long as you’re safe, as long as your hope survives… that’s all that matters. I believe in you, in us, in the absolute hope we can create together.”