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I'm glad.

[O...kay then. Hinata just tugs his hand a little, trying to pull it out of Komaeda's grip so he can reclaim it. He's sliding right back up the Weird scale again, but at least this is the harmless kind of weird and not the "set off bombs in the base" weird.]

I don't know Kanaya as well, but Jake and Ichinose... they're really incredible. I'm glad you can spend time with them.

[Purposefully no comment on Karkat.]

[With a bit of a blink he lets go of Hinata's hand.]

They really are.

[He tilted his head as if remembering something.]

Oh, I spoke with Ursula and went through the medical texts in the library. There's a bit of a problem though.

[Hinata immediately goes still, any words of praise he might have offered at the fact that Komaeda had gone out of his way to consult URSULA catching in his throat at the word problem.]

What's the problem?

[And all at once, he's very, very serious, meeting Komaeda's eyes with an intense stare. It's at times like these that he seems very different from the Hinata who lacked confidence.]

[It was times like these he wondered if Hinata was going to be extra difficult. That sort of intensity would probably cause health problems one day.]

A medical professional is needed, or Ursula needs to be upgraded for medical procedures. Though, it seems they've cured a lot of things. The human life span now is incredibly long. It's quite interesting! It's like people are practically immortal now.

I remember reading about something like that in the past. It's why I was so certain there had to be a solution.

[Hajime Ichinose would scold him if she saw him like this, but he can't quite help it as his brain shifts into overdrive to work out the possible solutions. He brings a hand to his chin in a half-conscious attempt to focus his thoughts.]

Upgrading URSULA... it's not something I could do on my own, but with Roxy's help, I'm certain we can solve it.

How would that work? She still needs the knowledge of a doctor.

[Though he can guess what Hinata might say next.]

I can do that. If there are medical journals of all the advances this place has made... I'm certain I can replicate it.

[His lips quirk into a humorless smile. All these talents have to be good for something, right?]

It'll be interesting.

Hinata kun....

[This was the sort of thing that worried him a little. But, he couldn't argue.]

I have all the physical books in the room, everything else is in Ursula's database.

Is this alright though?

[The unspoken question being the inevitable backlash of bad luck he was expecting to hit soon after.]

Yeah. It's definitely alright.

[Hinata pulls his hand away from his lips and gives the other boy a firm nod.]

And even if I didn't think so... we still have to try moving forward. Just sitting and accepting things as unchangeable...? That's not something I can do. I've said it before, but the future must hold more possibilities than that.

Then I'll give you my faith, and believe in this future.

[And he would just have to trust that nothing bad would happen. It was hard, but, the more Hinata said things like that, the easier it felt that he could believe it. He did want to believe it after all.]

You may have to speak with her for more details then.

Thanks, Komaeda.

[And he means it. As much of a weight on him as the others' belief can be... he wouldn't have it any other way. If he has to have all these talents, he wants to be able to use them to help people. And having Komaeda's belief is a powerful thing.]

But yeah, I'll talk to URSULA and to Roxy. We'll do it.

[He smiles and nods again. Is this what it's like...? Having confidence?]

Still, I have to admit I feel a little nervous. There are a lot of things I decided on that... won't mean anything if this works.

[The idea of having an actual future... it hadn't been something he considered.]

That's a good thing, isn't it?

[He shifts to bring his communicator up, sending Roxy a quick text before returning his full attention to the other boy.]

Being able to look toward the future... it's not something we were able to do for a long time. Isn't something like that a kind of hope?

[He laughs a little.]

Oh it is very much hope! But, it's a different hope from what I had been reaching for. I feel like going this way I might end up greedy.

I think you're allowed to be, for something like this. As long as it doesn't intentionally hurt anyone else.

[Luck-induced injuries are kind of inevitable?? But hopefully Hinata's presence can lessen that. And that "anyone" includes Komaeda himself, too.]

I won't say not to worry but... just keep believing in me. Okay?

I'm not going to go out of my way to hurt someone.

[ He supposed that warning was fair though. Actually it even reminded him of something. ]

I'll even listen to Dirk kun and won't do something to make you shoot me. I'll just believe in your potential instead.

Though... the thought is still exciting.

Were you... planning on something like that...?

[Komaeda.........]

You should already know that I wouldn't shoot you.

That's what he said. Of course I would have to make a situation where it would be forced, but he pointed out that would be a bad idea.

That would be a terrible idea, yeah.

[Ugh... he presses his hand to his forehead in an attempt to ward off a headache.]

I know you told Ichinose about what happened, too... do you really have to go around spreading that story? She scolded me for it.

Was it suppose to be a secret? It came up in conversation.

[He hadn't thought of it as important to keep hidden. ]

I mean, yeah! Most people would worry if you told them one of their friends had to try to shoot himself to prove a point.

[Ugh. UGH. He rubs his temples for a moment before sighing and shaking his head.]

It's not something I would have done if I'd seen any other easy way to prove it. That's all.

I didn't exactly want you to do that either. It was rather uncomfortable to watch you know.

But... I won't tell anyone else, if that's what you want. I wish I had thought of the better solution before that.

[But, of course, the better solution wasn't actually a better one.]

Is there anything else you would want me to not talk about?

I wanted you to realize that you could be safe, around me.

[It's done. What's in the past is in the past. He just shakes his head and sighs through his nose.]

If it's anything to do with the Kamukura Project... I'd rather explain that on my own terms. Is there anyone else you've talked to about this?

I'm still not completely sure about that, but, I really want to believe in it, so I will.

[Because he wanted to be able to hang around Hinata, and worrying about what might happen made that difficult. If trusting in him made that just a little easier....]

Oh, I spoke with Dirk kun, but he seemed to already know things, and I didn't add any information.

[He pauses a moment, oh there was that one slip up....]

I might have said something a bit much to Jake kun, ah! But I didn't say too much.

[Just Human Experimentation, that wasn't too much, right?]

...Yeah, Dirk knows everything. He had questions about my soul, so that was inevitable. Jake...

[Ugh. Poor gun friend. Hinata owes him a call to explain.]

What did you tell him, exactly?

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