Chapter 2: Naegi's Ultimate Gamer

"….Nanami Chiaki" Kirigiri said calmly. Everyone fell silent in defeat while Nanami was sitting there with her game console still in her hands, however she was not palying. Instead her face had a bland look.

She looked towards the crowd than towards Makoto's pictures. "Yay!" she exclaimed loudly in monotone. She didn't felt this kind of feeling in a long time. Because of her being an Ultimate Gamer it was obvious that she was bored with games…not really bored by playing them but bored by herself effortlessly winning all of them but now in place where your skill didn't mattered and you only could rely on luck…it was kind of interesting.

All girls were staring at Nanami's side with jealousy and….well they were surely happy for their friend.

"Dammit! And here I thought I would win" Asahina pouted.

"Well,luck is luck…I am glad for you Nanami-san"

Nanami didn't heard any of them…she was focused on her plan and tactics. She can do it! She thought. After all this time of her playing dating sisms she was sure what to do. 'Prepare yourself Naegi-kun…I am gonna get an achievement.' Her eyes were burning with determination and hope.

Meanwhile somewhere nearby, Makoto suddenly sneezed surprising everyone. "A-Achoo!"

"Are you ill,Makoto-chi?" Hagakure the ultimate clairvoyant asked worried for his friend,it was 10th time that Makoto is sneezing today.

"Y-Yeah…just for some reason I'm sneezing really often today."

"I see. Take care you might have caught a cold."

"Thanks!" he said with a deep thought of something dangerous approaching.

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It was a bright day…frankly speaking it was Friday. Makoto just finished his school activities and was heading back to his dorm. The weather was warm and sunny…he could feel the warmth of sun embracing his face all while his lips dried from lack of water.

Going towards his dorms he suddenly stopped midway seeing familiar person near him…she was short at least as short as Naegi was. He could instantly recognize her…her silver hair,her monotone face, and a console which is almost everytime on her hands.

"Ah! Senpai,nice to see you again!" as cheerfully as ever Naegi greeted his upper classman, Nanami Chiaki, while his smile was wide as sun and a bright one at that.

Nanami could swear that she could go blind by just seeing him smile. Her lips stretched up seeing him…if not rules of society she would jump at him right here and right now.

"It is indeed nice to see you…." Calm respond which was supposed to be louder, much cheerful and mostly encouraging…however it all melted in her monotone response.

"I didn't see you in a while senpai! I'm so glad to see you!" Cheerfully he was almost flying. Chiaki was sure that she saw a light shine in his back for a moment.

"I see." Dumbass! She was supposed to answer more energetically.

"How was your day today."

"Good."

"What did you eat today?"

"Chips."

"Eh??? But I don't think it is healthy to eat chips."

Chiaki felt nervous. She was supposed to hit on Makoto but instead she was only giving him bland answers…not like he was even bothered by it but Chiaki knew from her experience of being one of the best dating sim players it wasn't good to answer only with short answers. Oh god she wanted him…not in a lewd way,yet. She wanted to cuddle with him, she wanted to hug him, she wanted to eat with him, she wanted to date him so badly…but as the thing are right now what can she do? Just giving bland answers?

"Umm…senpai." Finally Makoto got her attention from her thoughts towards him. She looked towards him with questioned and troubled look…she prepared her speech with him. She was prepared for anything…beside her own courage.

"Y-Yeah…I'm fine." Again bland answer…she wanted to die already…what was the point in trying,anyway? All her efforts were just tossed to trash can.

Naegi looked at her for a moment before sighed with closed eyes. He placed his hand on her shoulder snapping her out from her thoughts…again "Senpai…I don't know what's going on but you look troubled."

"No I'm not…."

"No. You are. I can feel that you are troubled by something…maybe you don't want to talk about it but…please, don't give up."

"Eh?" sudden words from Naegi confused her. "Not to…give up…?"

He smiled towards her with assuring smile. A warm, heart-warming smile which was usual to see on his face. This one smile was enough to melt her heart right away. He gently patted her head…she was his senpai,a person one year older than him…yet he also felt that she somehow reminded him of his own little sister,Komaru. "I don't know why but I thought you wanted to do something important. I'm sorry if I am being wrong."

She stood silent for some time in order to fill his warm hand petting her head again…she loved this particular sensation…sensation of his hand on her head. But really…his words somehow gave her courage and…hope. She looked at him brightly "Actually…" she muttered with new found determination. "Can you go to a date with me,Naegi-kun?"

Naegi smiled again as turned towards her "…what?"

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"How does it taste?" Naegi smiled while looked towards Nanami who was gobbling the food they ordered…How does she,having such a small body,eats as much as Owari-san? He thought glad that Nanami wouldn't dare herself to starve…the same goes for Owari.

She looked at him with a thumb "Shuper delishious" she said with mouth full of rice and sauce, apparently she wanted to say 'super delicious' but couldn't due to her full mouth.

Naegi smiled again grabbing his napkin. "Here…let me clean your face." He wiped off the dirt and food stains from her mouth so gentle and so swift…for people who didn't knew them,both of them would seem like a cute couple of cinnamon buns.

She blushed,a pinkish color started to form on sides of her cheeks. "Th-Thank you…." Monotone and bland word got out from her mouth again, but this time she didn't regret it as she saw Naegi's gentle smile again.

"You are more than welcome,Chiaki-senpai."

"Just Nanami is fine."

"E-Eh? Are sure? Just-"

"Nanami is fine."

"B-But-"

"Nanami. Without 'san'."

He sighed in defeat. It was clear as day that she won't accept him calling her anything different than Nanami. "Okay…Nanami-chan…?" he said not sure whether she would like him calling like that…to his surprise she smiled at him,it was the rare sight to see.

"I'm glad you called me by my name…Makoto."

Makoto smiled with smile as wide as of the person who for the first time heard that McDonald's ice-cream machine is working. "No need to thank me,Nanami-chan."

"Makoto-chan"

"Nanami-chan"

They started to repeat eachother's names…it was a strange sight…strange,yet cute.

Makoto was confused at first when she told him to have a date with her but regardless he was glad. He never had been in a date...and he barely talked to any girl in his class actually…for some reason whenever he tried to talk with the girls in his class or with girls of upper class they always had avoided him…but seeing Chiaki…err  no,Nanami talking to him made him happy.

"You seem happy Makoto-chan." She said his name again and with the 'chan' at that and she loved how it sounded.

He looked at her and than back at his plate seeing his own reflection on his hot miso soup "Oh…it is just that I am glad that at least someone talked with me."

Nanami tilted her head in confusion.

"You see…y-you and all girls from your class as well as girls from my class are avoiding me since beginning of the year…I thought you all hated me for some reason."  Looking a bit down he said while Nanami remained silent. How could she not notice? All those meaningless fights over Makoto made them forget about Makoto's feelings. He probably felt bad all this time thinking that girls hated him for some reason.

"You are not right." She said with clenched fist.Makoto confused looked towards her to find the meaning behind her words."We never hated you,Makoto…it is just that we…." She stopped mid-sentence as she was aabout to reveal hers and everyone's secret at the moment.

"I see…." Was the only thing he said before placed his palm on top of her head trying his best to not seem offended by her sudden silence,not that he was offended by them anyway. He started to pet her head again as smiled widely. "If Nanami-chan says so,than I have no choice but believe you right?"

Silently she looked at him for a moment and…she smiled. It was indeed rare to see her,usually monotone face,have a wide smile plastered on it….but for a person who barely smiled Naegi seemed that her smile was indeed cute and beautiful. With wide smile still on her face she exclaimed "Yes. Indeed."

Naegi reminded himself that enrolling to Hope's Peak wasn't mistake and bad fortune…it was one of the rarest yet really good…Lucks in his life. "Than…sh-shall we proceed with our date?" he said with a blush extending his hand towards her as if a gentleman showing his fair lady around the city.

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Proceeding with their date their next destination was Arcade center. A huge building filled with numerous amount of games,consoles and even old games like Pac-man or first part of Mario. Naegi widened his eyes in surprise seeing all those goods…maybe it wasn't obvious but Naegi was a game fan as much as Nanami….it was one of reasons she loved Naegi actually.

"I didn't knew that there was such a place nearby!" he exclaimed with eyes full of happiness and surprise.

Nanami softly smiled seeing that there was the same Game geek as her. "Yes…this place is golden mine for gamers who prefer classic games…I enjoy coming here in order to play these games…some og them are rare enough that you won't find them even in internet or auctions."

"Whoah! You are really knowledgeable in this,Nanami-chan…no wonder you are an ultimate gamer."

"That's not really something to be proud of-"

"No! I think your talent is amazing! Surely you are not flexible like Owari or strong as Sakura but…in game world you are stronger than anyone and that really is so cool! You got an amazing talent and the love you show towards the thing you love…it makes me think that you are cute and really brave." While Nanami had a good talent in games Naegi's talent was in his words. This was one of the best traits about him. Ultimate Hope or not but Naegi was someone greater than just Ultimate Hope…with his power of words and love to everyone he was able to amek even the coldest hearts in the world to melt as if they popsicles. With mere words he was able to encourage people with no hope and no courage at all.

She blushed…she madly blushed…her blush was big enough to cover her whole face. "Umm…th-thanks,Makoto…." She wasn't even able to look him in the eyes.

Next thing they decided to do was finally start to play. They were playing all sorts of games and…Naegi was obviously loosing in all. He didn't had even a slightest chance against her but nevertheless it was fun….fun one-sided beating from Nanami.

They lost track of time. All the games were so funny and so good to play…even Nanami who palyed those games 100th of times had to admit that playing them with Makoto was much interesting….even tho he didn't even scored a point in any of them. By the time they were finished it was already dark.

"Thanks for today,Makoto."

"No No I should be thanking you. I had a chance to play against the best gamer in the world and that's why I am happy about it…I bet your friends are always happy to play with you."

This caught Nanami off guard as she flinched hearing that one last sentence of his. "Nanami-san? Did I say something wrong?"

"No…just my friends think it is boring to play games with me."

"Eh!? How? No way!" these were surprising news to Naegi who enjoyed playing with her all this time.

"They actually always lost to me…so that's why they decided that it was meaningless to win against me and they didn't ever came to play anymore….surely I tried to play softer with them but…they lost anyway…maybe I really should have lost purpose-"

"You shouldn't!" sudden shout from Makoto made her to nearly jump up from the place she was standing on.

"I…shouldn't?"

"Yes. Games are supposed to be fun and enjoying but you would never enjoy your game if you will play it half heartedly. It won't be our old Nanami Chiaki who never looses in games. When you are playing your games your face is so serious and beautiful that you make me think that you are a goddess who ascended from heaven."

"E-Eh?" his words as bullets started to pierce Nanami. It was first hit.

"The way you look while playing makes me want to hug you from your cuteness!"

Second hit.

"If I was given a chance to choose between all treasures in the world than I would certainly choose you! You know why? Because even treasures are not as important as you are to me,Nanami-chan."

Third hit.

"The way you eat looks so adorable and the way you look when you want a seconds looks even more adorable. When I first saw you in the school I thought I suddenly walked into an idol agency because you look as if you are a star…no…even stars are not as shiny as you are,Nanami! That's why never loose hope Nanami. If there won't be anyone who want to play with you be sure to call me anytime…I will come to play with you anytime you want. Be it Christmas or be it my only holiday I will play with you regardless!"

Fourth and last hit…a critical combo flew towards Nanami as if bullets piercing her body…the words he said were so pure and so nice that her face literally lit up in crimson colors.

"Uh…u-umm…Thanks…." The words she said towards Makoto contradicted with her thoughts 'I Love You. I Love You. I Love You. I Love You. I Love You so much."

With that the first date ended….and it ended with Makoto not knowing himself rizzing Nanami I the way that no one ever did….the world once again saw him…the Ultimate Luckster and Hope who is also…Ultimate Rizzer.