Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

'A body swap based on chest size...' The brunette found himself lying on a bed surrounded by concerned hamsters, having made a last-second alteration to avoid switching places with the potential mastermind of this virtual killing game. The AI sat up, examining their left hand covered in bandages. 'What a peculiar motive.'

'Hopefully, this will help Alter Ego find the accomplice or delete the virus...' Hinata Hajime thought, getting off the bed to find sunflower seeds to feed the hamsters. Ever since the virus presented itself in the form of Monokuma, Usami told her fellow observer to continue their objective, lay low, and prevent any murder from taking place. Hajime obeyed his sibling's orders but wished he never disclosed the background of his character upon inquiry.

'It's hard befriending Komaeda and Kamukura now that they know I'm a reserve course student,' Hajime found the bag in the mini-fridge, shaking the food to alert the hamsters. Sometimes, Hajime feels like Nanami Chiaki and Kamukura Izuru are aware of his existence as one of the Observers. The Ultimate Hope always kept an eye on him while the Ultimate Gamer dragged him around like a best friend. Hajime sat down, grabbing a nearby plate. "Time to eat."

"This should be enough, I think?" Hajime poured the seeds on a plate, observing the chubby hamsters munch on the pellets. Hajime set the bag down and is now debating what to do for today. Yesterday was a close call. They almost lost the Ultimate Imposter had Chiaki not wanted to play with Usami, giving Hajime the option of attending the party with their peers. Nagito called him bad luck once Hajime left the Ultimate Nurse to patch up their classmate's injury, but Hajime received one Hope Fragment after returning to his cottage. 'Komaeda works in mysterious ways.'

'Enough about that guy. Let's focus on today's problem.' Hajime adjusted his clothes, specifically the long purple scarf. Hajime has no idea where Gundham's pets will cling to, but he presumes the scarf is the primary nest. Based on the virus switching up the avatar's consciousness, Hajime believes Monokuma will utilize discomfort as a motive. Hajime doesn't know. 'Monokuma can only host a trial if someone dies. Maybe, I should prioritize the aftermath of yesterday's event first?'

'Hanamura might murder someone if he can't do his job. Isolation and discrimination increase aggression and helplessness..' Hajime sat still, watching the hamsters crawl over to his body. 'Even though the plan was orchestrated by Komaeda, everyone will be too paranoid with the Ultimate Cook. I guess I can ask the Ultimate Manager, the Ultimate Gamer, the Ultimate Gymnast, and the Ultimate Imposter for assistance. They're most likely to help me salvage the situation.'

"Ha..." Hajime sighed, getting up and adjusting his scarf to keep the hamsters safe. The brunette doesn't know how he'll accomplish his assignment.

The Neo World Program creates a pair of Observers to be the virtual guides to its users, helping the participants adjust to their new environment and fulfill pre-programmed objectives. Observers are wholly based on the thoughts of memories of the users, so the members of the Future Foundation theorized the ideal candidate to be the deceased teacher: Yukizome Chisa, not a deceased reserve course student: Hinata Hajime.

'Not helpful that most of my data is based on the potential uploader of the virus,' Hajime walked out of his cottage, ready to face the world. The current participants are the Remnants of Despair, supposedly led by the Ultimate Gamer or the fallen Ultimate Hope. Alter Ego is still trying to fix the error, alerting the primary Future Foundation members to return to the island. 'By sheer luck, the real Hajime made positive encounters with every member of the Class 77-B, even met with the test subject during the Parade. The byproduct is me, a guy with a ton of common sense and filled with internal sarcasm.'

'It would be easy to play along with everyone's eccentric nature, acting like a nobody instead...' Hajime walked towards Hotel Mirai, wishing he didn't have this amount of logic. 'Deviation must be a habit of the real me.'

'Let's not think about my source data. Who swapped bodies again?' Hajime climbed up the stairs, reaching the second floor to hear the screams and complaints of his friends. Hajime was about to take another step but was grabbed by the arm.

"Fiend! Thank your gods that my Four Dark Devas of Destruction spared your existence." Tanaka Gundham congratulated him while having his face.

"..." Hajime slowly blinked. Hajime wasn't even surprised when the hamsters went out of his scarf to scurry on the shoulders of their true owner, now cementing the true identity of the ultimate.

"Fret not...we are not going to abandon you," Gundham reassured, checking the condition of his hamsters. "After all, you and I share the same fate in this sea of chaos."

"I might as well kill myself!" Hanamura Teruteru yelled, struggling in the firm grip of Saionji Hiyoko. "What the hell did I do to deserve being in the body of this pervert, anyway!?"

"Say all you want, but that's my body!" Saionji Hiyoko held the Ultimate Cook back, moving the latter away from the knives. "Koizumi-san! Help!"

"Uh... I'm pretty busy here!" Mioda Ibuki was on the floor, hugging her camera to prevent Koizumi Mahiru from taking her stuff.

"Come on, Mahiru-chan! Lemme see~!" Koizumi Mahiru cheered, wanting to see the explicit photos potentially in the device. "It can't be that bad! It's barely been a week since we've been in Jabberwock!"

'I should've left sooner.' Hajime was late to the party, arriving right after Monokuma told the group about the new motive. Nevertheless, Hajime noticed the participants standing in pairs, reinforcing his knowledge. 'Hold on. When did Monokuma implement the change? I'm so confused right now.'

"But your hair is too hot!" Kamukura Izuru complained, facing the apathetic Ultimate Gymnast. "Come on. One snip."

"No," Owari Akane denied, throwing the scissors out the window. "The hair stays."

"Usually, people with this physique have a hard time moving. However, I can move well... That doesn't mean you're off the hook!" Togami Byakuya(?) stretched his arms, checking his flexibility before snapping at Nidai Nekomaru holding a bag of Chocolate Chip Jerky. "Drop that right now! We just had breakfast!"

"There's no such thing as too much," Nidai Nekomaru grabbed a handful of jerky, stuffing it in his mouth.

'I guess they already sorted out Hanamura's issue?' Hajime guessed, scanning the table to see leftover meals. 'Do I eat? Will it be weird if I don't eat? Observers don't exactly need to eat to live.'

"Nanami-san. What do you want us to do now?" Nanami Chiaki whispered, clasping her hands together.

"Dunno..." Tsumiki Mikan muttered, busy playing a pink Game Girl. "We can check the new island if you want?"

"Of all the people that had to take Sonia-san's body, it had to be you!" Pekoyama Peko fell on her knees, somewhat on the verge of a mental breakdown. Hajime has a bad feeling the Ultimate Mechanic will complain to him later while also contemplating whether or not to check his new body. Right now, Kazuichi is focused on the switch of bodies between Nagito and Sonia. "Why?! It could've been anyone! Damn it!"

"Don't speak to him that way, Souda-san! He is still our classmate despite his confusing actions." Komaeda Nagito berated the sulking swordswoman, showing the palm of his hand.

"It's alright, Sonia-san. I can't fault him for disliking worthless scum like me..." Sonia Nevermind looked at her hand, resigned to her fate. "Since hope is not based on the body but the self, that fact will never change."

"Komaeda-san..." Komaeda Nagito frowned, clearly concerned for his friend.

'What pronouns do I use?' Hajime pondered, standing beside his partner who was cuddling his hamsters. 'Where's Usami? Is she chasing after Monokuma again?'

"My joints ache and I smell like oil." Souda Kazuichi spoke without filter, holding her weapon while standing beside a pissed Mitarai Ryota.

"I'm going to sleep later. I feel like crap," Mitarai Ryota rubbed his temple, glaring at Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko currently using a tablet. "You're coming with me, asshole. Don't forget you're in my body."

"Blame Monokuma, not me..." Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko didn't look away, too focused on his animation project.

"Although you are a mere human, you possess my cursed vessel." Gundham crossed his arms, furrowing his eyebrows with hamsters sitting on his shoulder. "If you cherish your life, you must discard your mortal needs and abide by my teachings lest you wish for an untimely demise."

"Ah..." Hajime doesn't know what Gundham wants him to do. The Neo World Program relies on collective belief and understood logic, so he doesn't know if heading back to the ranch is a great idea. "Well, we should be safe together."

"Kehehehe... I see your attempts to hide your fears. I cannot blame your soul trembling within my enchanted prison. Nevertheless, the Supreme Overlord of Ice is not bound by the Nine Realm! We shall claw our way to victory and laugh in the face of adversary!" Gundham declared, striking a pose with a grin. Hajime should give his new friend the purple scarf for the hamster's sake. "Let us embrace the darkness, my vassal! Monokuma shall rue the day our fates align!"

'I think Gundham and I will have a great time.' Hajime followed his companion, ready to listen to animal facts outside.

Chapter Text

It's been two days since the body swap, and Hajime spends his days stabilizing the situation. Hajime had to convince four people not to tie up Nagito. The brunette probably earned the suspicion of Izuru and Chiaki since Hajime appointed those two to monitor the albino. Anyway, the concern Hajime actively monitors involves Hanamura Teruteru, as his mental state is dipping alongside Nagito. However, Teruteru requires the supervision of Nekomaru Nidai and the Ultimate Imposter to gain the role of primary cook on the island.

'Real food tastes nice,' Hajime professed to Gundham the other day, almost revealing his identity to the Animal Breeder. Thankfully, Gundham focused on the environment they lived in instead. 'Not like he's wrong that we're in a virtual reality.'

"Why did I expect a dancer to have high stamina?" Teruteru complained, raising the kimono sleeves to avoid stains. Arms trembling after carrying a bunch of pots, stirring mixtures, and cutting vegetables, the cook laments inside the girl's body. "I'll be needing your special later, Nidai-kun."

"You got it, bud! I saw this problem from a mile away." Nekomaru cracked his knuckles, and Hajime spent a minute staring at the man. Despite protest from the Ultimate Imposter, the team manager wore his clothes. The real Byakuya Togami won't be pleased. "That got me thinking... We should implement a morning exercise routine alongside attendance! It'll hit two birds with one stone."

"We can't implement anything without hearing everyone's opinion," The Ultimate imposter had his arms crossed, eventually noticing the brunette lingering outside the door. "How are the others?"

"Exploring," Hajime confirmed, meeting the students when checking the second island. He needed to remind himself multiple times that the avatars were mismatched by the virus, stumbling over the sight of the Ultimate Swordswoman stalking the Ultimate Lucky student...?

*BAM!*

"Owari arrived," Hajime glanced at the stairway when he heard the noise downstairs. Not needing eyes to detect the players, Hajime greeted the gymnast coming into view. "Had a nice jog?"

"Yep! You should've come with, Henry!" Akane grinned, wiping the sweat with a towel she got from Rocketpunch Market. "When will food be ready?!"

"Ten minutes!" Teruteru called out.

"Fine..." Akane slumped on her chair, losing the necktie, and unbuttoned the shirt during her run.

"?" Hajime realized something. 'Since Monokuma handed out another motive for murder despite the foiled murder attempt, will the suspect receive their memories and let the virus fix the avatar glitch?'

"Ha..." Hajime sighed, cupping his chin. 'That's one way to sweeten the pot.'