Hajime had always been at the forefront of class trials. For someone who claimed to have no talent, he could always detect a lie and was not afraid to tear at the culprit through their seams.

It was unnatural for him to retreat quietly afterwards with guilt written all over his face. Losing a classmate is disheartening, but this time around it isn't the remorse that comes with loss shrouding him like fog. It's something else entirely, odd in the worst ways that it compels you to slip away and go after him.

After some lagging behind and a good couple of minutes spent trying to figure out in which direction he went, you find him. Sitting alone, shoulders tense, body going even more rigid upon hearing your approaching footsteps.

While still being acutely aware of his surroundings, Hajime replays every moment in his head, convinced he failed everyone. He found the culprit, but at what cost? All the mistakes he made up until the very end, how could he have been so narrow-minded?

"...I should've said something." Hajime speaks before you could begin to think about how to comfort him. "I knew it, but my voice just wouldn't come out."