You probably think you’ll never see Nagito shy in your lifetime, but here we are.

It all starts when the second island opens, and everyone plans to head to the beach to relax. Blue skies, the ocean breeze, sunlight—no Monokuma in sight, and everyone’s wearing swimsuits, playing around. You’re sitting on the sand, staring absentmindedly at the seagulls, when Nagito sits next to you. As usual, he talks about how he’s nothing but useless garbage, using that self-deprecating tone of his. So you tell him that you think he’s great.

A direct hit.

You’d assume that someone like him, who casually says things like “If you want to see me naked, I don’t mind,” would never get embarrassed by an offhand comment. But apparently, your blunt sincerity catches him off guard. The ever-chatty Nagito falls silent.

He blinks, his gray-green eyes go wide, staring at you like he’s short-circuiting. Nagito’s never really been the shy type, but right now, his brain seems to be glitching. The usual carefree smile fades, leaving him looking surprisingly serious (though he’s probably just buffering). He seems to be trying to process this strange feeling, and you can see him visibly blush. But rather than looking awkward—like, say, looking away—he just keeps staring at you, dazed.

You’ve never seen him like this before.

Oh, he clearly has no defense against sincerity and kindness, especially when it’s coming from you. He really, really doesn’t know how to handle this warm, almost melting feeling rising from his chest.

“…” Nagito opens his mouth, but no words come out. “…”