The moment I saw the fanciness of the restaurant the four of us would dine at, my panicking increased. I was already nervous considering Gundham forced me to drive over with him and Sonia, leaving Nagito to drive behind us in his own car. Other than the radio playing heavy metal, the car was silent. Surprisingly, Sonia was the one who sang along, clearly enjoying it more than Gundham was. However, based on his smile over listening to her sing, I knew he played it specifically for her.

I'd heard of the restaurant we were dining at. It was Teruteru's family restaurant, which was quite famous and popular among the aristocrats. I knew the moment I stepped out of the car that I was screwed. I wasn't sure what the point of taking me there of all places was for, but I had to suck it up. I was there because Sonia was practically a sister to Nagito, so her inviting me out with them had to mean a lot to him. It was all for Nagito.

He pulled his car into the spot next to Gundham's car and glared at her as he slammed his car door shut. Crossing his arms, he raised his eyebrows, and Sonia mimicked him. Clearly, it was some sort of unspoken language between the two, and I didn't plan to intervene.

"Do not worry, mortal," Gundham spoke as he approached my side. "The two behave like this often. I believe their closeness has allowed for them to speak telepathically. They will stop in a mere moment."

Nagito rolled his eyes and walked up to me, placing his hand on my mid-back and leading me into the building. All of my nerves faded in an instant, suddenly overcome with shyness from having Nagito hold me so protectively. I desperately wanted to snuggle my head into his shoulder, but I resisted.

Looking up at him, though, I noticed how vacant his eyes grew. He stared ahead at nothing in particular as we stood in the lobby. Grabbing his hand on my back, he looked at me as I interlocked our fingers and smiled at him. His eyes seemed to soften as he tilted his head and smiled at me.

A hostess led us to a table away from the main lobby and into a private room. Gundham pulled out a chair for Sonia and she sat down. Nagito pulled out the chair across from Gundham for me, and I sat down. Looking down at the eloquently set up table, I tried to think back on all of my Ultimate training in order to prevent embarrassing myself, but since I wasn't sure what half the utensils were specifically for, I knew I would.

"I specifically asked for a private room to ease your nerves, Hajime," Sonia spoke, and I looked up at her. "I know it can be intimidating being in a place like this while you're still a novice to fine dining, so I wanted to help ease your nerves. Tonight is my treat, so order whatever you'd like."

I was going to argue and insist I paid for myself, but everything in the restaurant was even more expensive than what our patrons could order at the café. "Thank you," I whispered in relief.

When the server arrived, I wound up ordering the cheapest meal on the menu which was a small steak. Everyone else ordered their own meal, regardless of price.

"Hajime," Sonia spoke once the server left the room, "you've been part of the Ultimate Club for over a month now, haven't you?"

"Uh, yes, I have."

"I find it strange that the two of us haven't talked much yet, especially considering you're so close with Nagito," she explained, waving her hand towards him. "I thought it would be wonderful if we all got to know each other better. Now, the three of us know each other very well, and while I am sure you and Nagito know a lot about each other, neither Gundham nor myself do."

This was an intervention. I was spending so much time with Nagito that she was getting worried. Whether she thought I was like all the others with ulterior motives or genuinely wanted to know more about myself, I would happily tell her whatever she wanted to know. I knew where my priorities laid, so I had nothing to hide.

"What would you like to know?"

"Hmm?" Sonia crossed her arms, tapped her cheek, and puckered her lips. "Tell me a bit about your home life. What sort of life did you experience growing up?"

"Well, I live in a cul-de-sac, and Makoto is my neighbor. Our bedroom windows look into each other's room," I chuckled. "There's also Ibuki. She's in a punk rock band called Band Aid. They have an EP out right now and are on the Top 100 Punk charts at the moment."

"That is quite impressive."

"Oh, yeah. She's been playing guitar and singing ever since she was a kid. Everyone in our cul-de-sac supports her music career, and we all enjoy having our windows open when her band is rehearsing so we can hear them play. It's like our own personal private concert.

"There's also Sakura. Her family owns a dojo in our town's gym, and she works there with her girlfriend. Her girlfriend, Aoi, moved in with her a few years ago after she won the Olympics. She didn't want to stay with her homophobic family anymore so-"

"I'm sorry," Sonia interrupted, "but did you just say she won the Olympics?"

"Yeah. She won the Olympic Gold Medal for swimming."

"Your neighbor's girlfriend is the Aoi Asahina?"

"Yes."

"I've met her before," Sonia commented, folding her hands together and tilting her head. "She was such a sweetheart. You grew up with her?"

"Yeah. She would spend a lot of time with Sakura to avoid her parents, and after winning, she moved in with Sakura's family. She's now a swimming coach at our gym," I smiled.

"There's also Kyoko, who will come home from boarding school in a few days. We're all excited for her to return home, especially Makoto," I said, and Nagito giggled.

"What boarding school?"

"Anastacia Livingstone Academy."

"That is quite the top tier academy."

"She's going to graduate early, was put on their fast track program in order to join her family's detective agency."

"Kyoko is the Kyoko Kirigiri who solved the Monokuma Files," Nagito excitedly added.

"The Monokuma Files?" Gundham gawked. "She's a legend in the dark realm."

"I'll... let her know when she comes home," I replied.

"You certainly live in a very colorful neighborhood," Sonia commented.

"Yeah. I guess I was lucky in that sense." I shrugged. "We're all just very close to one another. Our parents were all friends, and we wound up becoming friends with each other because of it. We all take care of each other. My friend Kazuichi actually used to be mine and my other friend, Chiaki's babysitter, and as we grew up, he continued to look out for us, and we're all the best of friends."

Turning to Nagito, I said, "They're both looking forward to seeing you again."

"Really?" he beamed. "I'm looking forward to seeing them, too."

"I must say, you talk about your friends quite a lot," Sonia said.

"They're the most important people in my life, and I'm proud of each and every single one of them for all the work they've accomplished. No matter how big or small the accomplishment is, I will celebrate it. When you have someone you can rely on that you know will excited for them no matter how miniscule it is, it motivates you to work harder. I know they're all capable of great things, so I want to make sure they always know they have a cheerleader cheering them on."

Nagito covered his mouth with his hand as he looked away and laughed.

"What?" I smirked.

"Nothing, it's just... you're the Ultimate Cheerleader."

"Is that my persona now?"

"Why not?" he shrugged. "I've heard the way you've encouraged your clients. Why do you think Akane and Mikan are becoming your regulars? They know if you're there, they'll be supported and cheered on."

"It's important to spread positivity into the world. You make someone's day better, you help make the world better. It travels."

"No wonder the world is so much nicer whenever you're around," he complimented, and I felt my cheeks heat as I smiled back at him.

"What would you say about Nagito?" Sonia questioned.

"Easy," I chuckled, gazing into his eyes. "He's the kindest person I'd ever met in my life. If someone asked me to say something unkind about him, I wouldn't be able to. He's a boy with a pure heart. If you are ever looking for a loyal friend that you'll always know you can rely on and will have your back, then Nagito is that person."

Biting his lip, Nagito stared down at his lap before turning to look at Sonia. Her eyes softened, and she placed a hand over her heart. Though Gundham's expression didn't change, I noticed he was blushing.

"Well, if that isn't the sweetest thing I've ever heard," Sonia softly replied.

I shrugged. "It's just the truth."

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