Nagito had shot Hajime.

He had finally done it.

He was rusty with guns, but right when the familiar weight of the weapon was placed in his hands, he knew what to do, where to aim, and where to kill.

With a sadistic smirk on his face, the Grim Reaper walked over to the brunet's body and placed a foot on the corpse.

"I win."

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"I CALL HACKS! HAAAAAACKS!!!" Hajime threw down his gun irritably, scowling at the laughing albino. "HOW COULD YOU HAVE KILLED ME SO FAST? THAT'S PURE BS!"

The screen on the machine continued to taunt the brunet, a 'Game Over' label flashing in neon colors.

"You're just slow. Admit it. I'm better at this than you."

Hajime narrowed his eyes in anger, glaring at Nagito.

"No, you."

Nagito huffed, a smile still spread on his face.

"Who's dying this time again?" Hajime glanced around the bustling arcade, filled with electronic dance music and the sound of people laughing.

"I'm unsure myself..." Nagito trailed off, lost in his thoughts.

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

Nagito's gaze dropped to the ground.

"There's this feeling that it's not going to happen..."

Hajime brightened, his eyes lighting up.

"Then that means no one is going to die, right? It saves you the work."

The Grim Reaper shook his head, turning his eyes to the window.

"It's not like that. It feels like... like something's going to happen, but at the same time it's not." He heaved a sigh when he saw Hajime's confused face. "It's... It's hard to explain."

An awkward silence enveloped the two, and they averted their gazes, slightly embarrassed.

"So," Hajime cleared his throat, "Uh, why was I in your bed this morning?"

Oh, shi-

"You were... drunk? And I had to put you to bed?"

"Did I win?"

"...No."

"Did I do anything stupid?"

Nagito paused, his eyes dropping to the floor again.

"Komaeda..."

"Well, you see, you uh... you tried to color me with a highlighter because you said that I was important."

"But you are important!"

The compliment caused heat to rush to Nagito's face, and he covered his mouth with his hand, flustered.

"Anyway," Nagito mumbled behind his hand, "You just flirted a bit, acted childishly, and uh, fell asleep."

Hajime relaxed, his shoulders sagging in relief.

"That's all right? I didn't call a cabbage a potato?"

"What."

The brunet chuckled, waving his hand in front of Nagito as if to brush the topic away.

"Long story."

"Yeah. That's all..." Nagito lied.

That was half the truth, at least. Hajime had been quite... dominant when he was drunk, and there had been nothing Nagito could have done since he couldn't have taken advantage of a drunk person.

"You sure?" Hajime pressed with a raised eyebrow.

"Absolutely."

Still suspicious, Hajime placed his hands in his pockets, rummaging for something.

"You need painkillers?" Nagito asked, handing him two white pills.

"Yeah, thanks."

"The hangover was strong. You consumed like what, six bottles of beer-"

"And I still lost. I know, I know. Izuru's been drilling me about that for the past half hour."

Hajime clicked his tongue, finishing the sentence for the albino, laughing softly.

Nagito's eyes flickered to the digital clock in the arcade, stretching out his hand for Hajime to take.

"Come on. It's time."

The two walked out of the stuffy arcade and onto the bustling streets, eyes peeled for the victim, or in this case, maybe victims.

"One minute left."

A gray car swerved around the corner, blaring its horn while driving at a dangerous speed, much quicker than the speed limit.

Nagito felt Hajime go rigid beside him, and his muscles tensed up as if ready to spring.

"Hajime? Are you okay?"

The mafia lord jumped onto the street, and Nagito barely had any time to yank him back toward the sidewalk when the gray car hit the brakes. The car in front of it swerved sharply, crashing into a tree.

"Chiaki!" Hajime gasped, trying to wriggle his way out of Nagito's grip.

"Get a hold of yourself, Hajime!" Nagito yelled. "What is wrong with you?!"

"CHIAKI!" Hajime roared, twisting away from the Grim Reaper as he pelted off to the car which had hit the tree.

"Imbecile!" Nagito called after him, summoning his scythe.

Hajime pounded on the glass window, calling out the girl's name over and over again.

"What are you trying to do?!" Nagito yelled furiously, grabbing Hajime by the collar. "We can't mess with the living! You already know that!"

To his utter surprise, there were tears crawling its way out of Hajime's eyes, and his face was contorted into an expression of desperation.

"You have to help her!" He cried. "She's the only one I have left..."

Nagito was stunned at Hajime's tears, and his mouth moved wordlessly for half a minute before he could respond.

A pathetic noise made its way past Hajime's throat as he tugged on the handle of the car.

"We can't do anything to stop the events of the living." Nagito's eyes softened and he placed a comforting hand on Hajime's shoulder.

The brunet snapped, slapping the Grim Reaper's hand away from his shoulder.

"You HAVE to," he growled.

Nagito shook his head sadly, knowing how empty it felt when he lost a loved one.

Hajime sunk to his knees, his body shaking. Nagito's eyes widened as he placed his forehead to the ground, a sign of the utmost respect.

"Please..." he begged, his voice shaking. "Please... Please save her..."

A pang of sympathy hit his chest. He didn't want to see Hajime lose someone he loved in an accident. He didn't want to see another person suffer the same fate his parents did.

But the cost...

Nagito shook his head. He would do it, no matter the price. It hurt his heart too much, to witness Hajime groveling at his feet like a dog. It disgusted him.

The cost would be something he was willing to pay for. This would be the first time he broke the rules of the Afterlife. It would be the first time he disobeyed Junko's instructions.

But he would do it.

For Hajime.

For the boy who had shown him a sense of happiness, of sympathy. For the boy who had made him doubt himself and his surroundings for the first time. For the boy... For the boy who showed him how to love, and what it felt like to be loved.

"Okay," Nagito said, determined.

Hajime's head snapped up, tears brimming at the corners of his eyes.

"Really?"

So, no one had ever informed him about the punishment if one were to break the rules of the Afterlife, huh?

Some part of Nagito felt glad that Hajime hadn't been informed of this. The less he knew, the better. If he did obtain that essential piece of knowledge, then... he would think twice before saving his friend, which would lead to doubt.

They had no time for doubt if they were to save Chiaki.

"Wait here," Nagito said with a small smile.

Using his scythe, Nagito cut the car in half, extracting the pink-haired girl that lay half unconscious inside.

Blood dripped from her forehead to her jaw, and cuts peppered her arms.

"H... Haj... ime?" She croaked weakly, her arms reaching for the brunet as Nagito took her in his arms.

"Sh, sh, sh..." Hajime smiled in reassurance. "Everything's going to be okay."

"Ar... Aren't y... yo... you su... supposed... to... b... be.... de... ad?"

Hajime brushed the hair away from her face.

"Long story, but it's going to be okay. You're going to get fixed, alright?"

Drowsily, Chiaki bobbed her head as a response, fading away into unconsciousness.

Nagito shot into the sky, observing his surroundings to locate the nearest hospital before he plunged down again, the girl secure in his arms.

They landed in front of the hospital, and Nagito placed her at the entrance. No doctors or nurses were around, making his job harder.

Spotting a trash can in the corner, he threw it down on the ground, creating an ear-splitting crash.

Finally, a nurse came from around the corner to inspect the commotion and found Chiaki.

Nagito exhaled in relief as she was taken into the hospital.

Mission completed, he hurried back to Hajime, fear quickly consuming him.

"She's in the hospital...?" Hajime asked weakly.

"Yes."

Hajime ran toward Nagito, arms embracing the Grim Reaper.

"Thank you," his voice was wobbly. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Nagito swallowed the fear building in his throat.

"It's no problem..." he lied, the statement rolling off his tongue like a foul piece of food. "It's no problem..."

Hajime wiped his eyes.

"You saw nothing, got that?"

Nagito chuckled dryly, a fake smile plastered on his face like a mask.

"Let's go back, shall we?"

No. Don't go back. You're going to have to face the punishment. His inner voice warned.

But he was prepared. He was prepared for any punishment that came his way. He would walk into Hell and simply accept his fate.

"Sure."

Nagito unfurled his wings, soaring over the city before diving into the ocean, through a portal, and into Hell.

"Hajime..." Nagito swallowed, his hand itching to hold Hajime's.

"What?"

"If anything happens to me, you know that you're going to be the next Grim Reaper, right?"

"Yeah? What about it? Why are you acting so weird?"

Nagito walked in front of the castle gates with a smile on his face.

"Komaeda?!"

Instantly, two black souls, the guards of the castle, tackled Nagito to the ground, pinning his arms behind him.

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Hajime yelled, trying to pull the souls off of the Grim Reaper. "Komaeda?! Why aren't you fighting back?!"

One of the guards interrupted Hajime with a distorted voice.

"Nagito Komaeda, current Grim Reaper of the Afterlife, is sentenced to severe punishment under Her and His Majesty's order for breaking the rules of the Afterlife."

"Komaeda!? What...? Why...?"

Heavy iron cuffs were placed on his hands, prohibiting him from using his magic.

"Hey! Don't touch me!" Hajime hissed from behind Nagito as they were escorted to the throne room.

As they entered, Junko was no longer smiling. Instead, her face was stone cold, her icy-blue eyes boring deep into his soul.

Nagito knew it was disrespectful to avert his gaze from a royal, so he stared back into those unforgiving eyes as he was forced onto his knees in front of the throne.

The room went silent.

"Nagito, Nagito." Junko snarled softly. "I give you all these privileges and I even let you play around with your apprentice, and yet all you do is break the rules of the Afterlife?"

Nagito's tongue was dry, sticking to the roof of his mouth when he stared at Junko.

"Komaeda?! What is she talking about?!" Nagito heard Hajime bellow from behind him.

Junko clicked her tongue, evidently dissatisfied at the fact that Hajime wasn't fully informed.

"Nagito forgot to tell you about this part, did he now? Shame. I thought you'd be a better mentor." Junko crossed her legs. "Well you see, it is possible to change the living, but of course, it's against the rules of the Afterlife. After all, whoever is destined to die must die. There are no exceptions."

The Queen pointed an accusing finger at the Grim Reaper before continuing.

"But you decide to persuade my Grim Reaper to disobey those laws. Maybe I should punish you instead."

Nagito interrupted harshly, fear blossoming in his chest.

"No!" He blurted out, his voice hoarse from the lack of wetness in his throat. "It wasn't his fault! It was my decision and mine alone. Hajime had nothing to do with it."

Junko narrowed her eyes, tapping her nails against the armrest.

"You do know there's no way you can lie to me. I saw everything you two did. Even the acts of intimacy."

"Well then, if it is in that case, as the mentor of Hajime Hinata, I, Nagito Komaeda, take full responsibility for my apprentice's actions."

For some odd reason, that brought a smug smirk to Junko's face, and he could feel satisfaction radiating from her body.

"It was my fault! Komaeda has nothing to do with it!" Hajime pestered, attempting to release himself from the claws of the souls that were restricting him.

This only pleased the Queen more.

"There's no use in playing hero anymore, Hajime. Although I do favor Nagito here, I certainly cannot allow this act of treason within my kingdom. Therefore, I shall cast my verdict on behalf of the King of Heaven."

Nagito could still hear Hajime yelling his lungs off in a futile effort to defend the messenger of Death when the Queen of Hell cast her final judgment.

With a lopsided grin on her face, Junko snapped her fingers together while she opened her mouth.

Nagito closed his eyes just as the words rolled off Junko's tongue.

"Cut his wings."