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( closed ) welcome home
[ It's been a while. Ever since he woke up from the Neo World Program and found out that he somehow kept his memories in a deus ex machina kind of ending - something that he hadn't expected, he spent all of his time attempting to wake everyone up. While he could never be certain as to who remembered what; that is, if they recalled anything at all, but Hinata would sure as hell try, given his newfound skills. Or rather, they weren't "new", really; they've been there for a while, but he's using them for different purposes now. Nevertheless, there's one person he has to find.
He's dug through all of the files, trying to find her. There's a lot of dead ends, a lot of firewalls. But for him as he is now? It's not that difficult. Not anymore, at least.
Although Hinata manages to find her, it seems that he'll have to go into the program itself in order to get her out of there. Tricky, tricky.
Swallowing hard, he decides to take the long and hard road, telling his classmates that he was to go in. He had to make sure for certain that he didn't accidentally tip the Enoshima AI on again by doing that. If things go to hell, then he won't ever forgive himself.
When he wakes up, what he sees is the island. The way it used to be. There's an awful lack of Monokuma, or anything, for that matter. Every now and again, he can see it glitching from the corner of his eye. But then it's gone.
Huh.
He can't seem to find her in most places, so there's only one place left to look. . . let's just knock on that door, shall we? ]
He's dug through all of the files, trying to find her. There's a lot of dead ends, a lot of firewalls. But for him as he is now? It's not that difficult. Not anymore, at least.
Although Hinata manages to find her, it seems that he'll have to go into the program itself in order to get her out of there. Tricky, tricky.
Swallowing hard, he decides to take the long and hard road, telling his classmates that he was to go in. He had to make sure for certain that he didn't accidentally tip the Enoshima AI on again by doing that. If things go to hell, then he won't ever forgive himself.
When he wakes up, what he sees is the island. The way it used to be. There's an awful lack of Monokuma, or anything, for that matter. Every now and again, he can see it glitching from the corner of his eye. But then it's gone.
Huh.
He can't seem to find her in most places, so there's only one place left to look. . . let's just knock on that door, shall we? ]
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She's played enough games to know that that's how these things typically end. The princess has to send her hero off to his life and be left behind; the girl who chooses to save the world can never be with the one she loves. Even if this isn't as romantic a situation (she's never been that good at dating sims, after all, so she's missing the requisite social links), a good game always ends on a bittersweet note.
So it's surprising when, one day, she realizes she (and the rest of the Neo World Program, for that matter) is running again. She's back on the island, her avatar restored from its formerly hidden status, like no time had even passed. And maybe it hadn't; as a lone program in the system, without her brother's administrative access, she hadn't exactly been aware of how time was passing in the real world.
She imagines it's brother's doing - the Future Foundation, nice as they may be, have no reason to care about the program anymore now that it's outlived its usefulness, but perhaps Alter Ego found a way to enable her to live out her 'life' in the program without risking the virus getting loose. He's kind, like she imagines their father was, so she could see him caring enough about her to make that happen - her own New Game +.
As it is, she's not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. The island may be a little dull without all her classmates around, only herself and Usami present on the island, but at least there's no Monokuma around either as far as she's aware. And all her video games seem to have spawned back in the same places, glitchy though the simulation may still be at times, so she's able to pass the time much like she had even when the others had been here: alternating between playing games until she passed out, and then sleeping, with the occasional break for food or conversation as needed.
The knock on her door, though, is new. It takes her a while to respond to it, but not because she's so enveloped in her game that she doesn't notice it. No, it's notable enough to make her hit pause, but she's slow to come to the door because it's so startling to process - Usami never knocks, just appears in her room, and there shouldn't be anybody else on this island. So who could it be?
When she eventually decides that the only way to figure it out is to actually answer the door, she'll make her way over and do just that, peeking her head out to get a good look at this mystery person. Except it turns out that he's not a mystery at all...which begs so many questions that she's not even sure where to start. ]
.....Hinata-kun?
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[ There's so much loaded in that one word that he can't help but suddenly grow silent after it. What can he say, really? He's already thanked her for helping her out, but was that really enough? Those are just words. And he knows better; actions speak louder. But just when he wants to say something, anything, the words get caught up in his throat.
He wants to hold her in his arms, confirm that she's real. That she's alive. But he refrains from doing so, knowing that since the only other person - well not really person, but that wasn't the point - in this world was Usami, it might get kind of awkward. Especially when you kept in mind the implications. Nevertheless, Hinata's lips curve into a soft, nostalgic smile, nodding yet again as he finds that he's going to repeat himself.
But really, it's only out of reassurance. ]
Yeah, it's... It's me, Nanami.
[ His voice is soft, and there's a clear warmth to it, showing that it's him. There's the part of him that wants to cry, relieved that it worked; relieved that he got to see her again; relieved that he even remembered. He had been so scared for the longest time that he would lose her forever. That she would have continued to be a ghost in the machine, and that would be that.
But, more than anything, he didn't want that. To have her disappear, be forgotten... there wasn't a fate worse than that. So he honestly couldn't be happier. ]
I'm glad. I was worried that I messed up when I was typing in the code to bring the program back, since I thought that the Enoshima AI might have--
[ It hadn't, however. That much is a relief. Blinking away tears, he laughs a little awkwardly, shaking his head. It's best not to think too much about it; there's no point to it, after all. ]
A-Anyway, uh, you don't mind if I come inside, do you?
[ Nailed it. ]
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More than that, though, it gives her a feeling of happy relief to know that he'd managed to stay himself, even after being forced to leave the program. With how conflicted he'd been about the potential of reverting to Kamakura, she's glad to see that her optimism wasn't misplaced, and that he'd managed to forge his own path regardless of what SHSL Despair or the Future Foundation had wanted of him.
If there was one thing the program had made clear, even during its corruption, it was that even the members of SHSL Despair itself could feel hope. Hope for themselves, their futures, and each other - everything Enoshima had stolen from them before. As long as they managed to retain those feelings when they returned to the real world, she doesn't think anyone will need to worry about them posing a threat anymore.
So she's happy. Smiling widely, both at her happiness at being able to see him again and her happiness for her friends' futures. He'll probably explain why he's here and all in a minute, but for now, she's just going to enjoy it for what it is. ]
I was wondering why the program started up again... I thought it was strange...
[ Not that she's saying she isn't grateful for this return of sorts, of course. It had just been unexpected. Even more so because she hadn't known that Hinata-kun had a particular talent for computers... but she'll keep that thought to herself. That sounds like one of the dialogue options that'd make him turn red and wind up getting her kicked out of the hotel.
Anyway, he said something about wanting to come in, right? She should probably focus on that instead. ]
But mm, you can come in... just don't break any pots.
[ Not that she has any pots in the first place, much less ones that would be valuable, but she knows how protagonists act in others' homes. They rummage through the cupboards and furniture to find hidden money and treasure, even while the home owners are right there. So it might not hurt to give him a little reminder about proper etiquette, even if their prior history indicates he'll probably be more confused by the reference than anything else.
But that's okay. She'll let him in anyway, stepping back to make room for him to enter. Her room's not the cleanest it's ever been - chip bags and empty soda cans strewn on the floor, a pile of games she's been alternating between stacked up on her bed - but she isn't all that embarrassed by it. It's not like she'd had much of a reason to expect visitors before he'd showed up. ]
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And while the chances of becoming Kamukura again were high - in fact, it was believed to be the only thing that could possibly happen, when he got out, he retained his memories. Of everything that Hope's Peak did, of everything that had happened on the island, too. He kept his skills that were forced upon him as Kamukura Izuru, sure; but he decided to live his life on as Hinata Hajime. He already promised that he wouldn't be used again, and certainly, he got what he wanted.
A brighter future.
He knows that Enoshima didn't really do much to him. Not really, anyway. She just gave him a little push, so to speak. Everything else was all the fault of the school.
But not anymore. He would fight against the fate that was forced upon him and break through. He managed to find Nanami after all, hadn't he?
So there's absolutely nothing to worry about. ]
I started it up again because I believed that I'd be able to find you. I... [ He swallows the lump in his throat, thinking hard of what he's going to say. Hinata's trying to act cool in front of her - he wants to show off, a little, really. ] I knew I'd find you, Nanami.
[ Except that sounds a little cheesy, and he finds himself groaning mentally for it. Although it's most likely fine, keeping in consideration that it's her he's talking to. She wouldn't judge him... for the most part, at least. Maybe he should be happy that she's bad at dating sims, just a little. ]
Ah... [ Unlike the previous times where the statement would be completely lost on him, as he is now? He actually got it, as is evident by the slight widening of his green eyes, and finds himself scratching his cheek sheepishly. ] Don't worry, Nanami. I don't plan on stealing any of your rupees. You earned them yourself after all, didn't you?
[ He supposes that two can play at this reference game. Although he's fairly certain that she's a lot better than he would ever be at it. When he steps inside her room, however, he says the usual polite greeting, bowing his head slightly before gaping at the mess that is her room. This is... not unexpected, but it is, nevertheless, a sight to behold as his gaze sweeps across the entire room. ]
Also, Nanami... I think it might do you some good to clean up every now and again.
[ It's so messy?? He's not sure where the mess ends and the actual games begin. There's food strewn all over the floor, chip bags and sodas... and honestly, he's tempted to clean it all up himself. Really tempted. ]
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There's also the fact that she's not really sure why he was so eager to see her again, though he's right in that she's less likely to liken it to a dating sim route simply because she's rarely gotten on those right paths. She's more likely to credit it to friendship, that he didn't want to leave a classmate behind even if they were really the Future Foundation's traitor, and so he'd gone out of his way to make sure she also survived. It's nice of him.
Though to her, as silly as it might sound, she'd consider him picking up on her reference as an even greater sign of their friendship. She's so used to talking about games and getting blank stares from everyone, including him, that it's a new (and exciting) experience to have someone actually follow that dialogue branch further. Outside of actually trying to show her classmates games in an effort to bond, like with Tsumiki-san, she'd guessed that they weren't very interested. ]
Yeah, I had to cut a lot of grass... so even if it's not safe to go alone, you can't take them.
[ Her happiness at being understood is a little short-lived, though, because then he sets about commenting on the state of her room. And while she's really not embarrassed by it under the circumstances, she's a little mad that he'd call her out on it. Mostly because, let's face it, it's a little rude to just say it like that outright. She was following the rules and not littering on the beach, and throwing things away meant leaving her cabin....
That would've just cut into her game time, or her sleeping time, so suffice it to say cleaning up wasn't very high on her list of things to do. The only cleaning she's done is of her house in Animal Crossing, squishing all the cockroaches that showed up while she was away. She hasn't seen any bugs on the island, so she figures she's not doing that badly. ]
...I wasn't expecting you to come over. It's not that bad.
[ Sure, Usami-chan might've complained a couple of times about the mess, but other than that... ]
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While it's true that he went out of his way to find her because of their friendship, he felt that it was more to it than that. He's not sure if it's love, or whatever, but it's definitely something special. They weren't just simply... friends. She'd done so much for him that he had to repay her back. The simple "thank you" just didn't feel like enough; it just wouldn't remove the moments of heartache that he felt when he saw her executed from his very eyes. And once she was gone, his body was out of his own control as he fell to his knees without another thought in his mind.
She was the traitor; the person who had worked for the Future Foundation. And yet, she had never betrayed him. Not even once.
When she keeps going with the game-related dialogue, however, he can't help but pause, albeit a little awkwardly. He knows exactly how to follow it up, but-- ]
I really won't take your pots, Nanami. [ That's not even the punchline. ] But if you're saying that it's not safe to go alone, then... I can take you with me, can't I?
[ There are some implications behind his words that he's sure she won't catch onto, regardless of he worded it. Although he can find his cheeks heating up in response just for saying something so embarrassing, to the point where he finds himself having to cough into his hand in an exaggerated motion. Way to go, Hinata Hajime, you managed to embarrass yourself in front of one of the few girls you actually like.
Although he definitely had to expect that look from her when he mentioned the state of her room so bluntly... oops. Looks like he has to backpedal a bit. ]
I guess not. But I'm here now. [ He feels like he has to reiterate that as many times as possible. He's here. He's real. He's not an illusion. He's not Kamukura Izuru, he's Hinata Hajime. He hasn't disappeared. ] And since I'm here, did you... want to play for a bit?
[ Fair warning, though: he's gotten better. ]
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It's true that he's not just any other friend, though. If she'd had to pick one of her friends to come visit her, he'd be the one she'd most hope to see, and she can't quite explain why. There's just something special about Hinata-kun - she attributes it to the fact that he's clearly the protagonist in the game that is their life, and hasn't thought about it too much more deeply than that.
Fortunately for his concerns of embarrassing himself - or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it - for that same reason, any potential romantic implications go right over Nanami's head. Mostly, she's just confused as to where they'd be going - she's a program, it's not exactly like she can go with him into the real world - so it doesn't even occur to her to wonder if he means something in particular by it. ]
Ummm... I don't know if there's anywhere to go, Hinata-kun...
[ Sure, there's the rest of the island, but after everything that's happened she could see that not being a great idea. The island was designed to have a bunch of fun places for friends to hang out in, but when half of your friends have been murdered there, she doesn't think it's going to be quite so effective. Maybe that's another reason she'd chosen to stick to her cabin when it was just her and Usami around: nobody'd died there.
But here works. Here, she has video games and enough snacks to subsist for a good while yet, so if he's just here for a quick visit to say hi, that's probably a good way to keep him entertained. She just has to figure out which of her games would work best for him.... nothing too difficult, probably, or anything he wouldn't be interested in. ]
Mm, we can play a game. I have multiple controllers.
[ Somewhere in this mess, of course, but even if they seem hidden she knows where they are. It doesn't take her too long to retrieve them, as well as whatever game she finally settles on. She might not be expecting him to have leveled up in his skills, but even if she was, she wouldn't be too worried about it. She's good at games. Maybe he's better than he was before, but she has to believe she's better. Otherwise she doesn't deserve her given SHSL Gamer title any longer.
If he's able to keep from commenting too much more on her mess, she might even be nice enough to offer him some chips and soda if he gets hungry. It's her special stash, but she can make an exception and share for a special day like today. ]
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But when she says that, he feels kind of... solemn, really. His mind reels back to the peaceful days of the island, before Monokuma took over. Of course, Hinata understands the implications behind her words, and it just makes him even more upset, although he tries not to show it on his face.
The idea that he couldn't keep his promise hurt. Even if he knows the reason why. Which is why he plans on not breaking the promise he made. You know, the one where he said he'd teach her more things. ]
Well, I'm going to take you out of here after this, Nanami. It took us a little while, and I'm not entirely sure if you'd like it, but-- Souda and I worked on something, back in the real world. We were thinking on transferring your data to a robot, that way you could be with us in real life, too. We-- [ No, let him correct himself. He can't speak for everyone. ] I missed you. I can't lose you again.
[ Even if the program is fine now, this place is lonely and sad. He can't live in this world, Nanami knows that better than anyone. This stay is only temporary. As much as he would like to stay here, with her, that just isn't in the cards for them.
Soon enough, he takes a seat, grabbing the controller once she manages to get it out. ]
So, what game are we playing today?
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It sounds like he's done her one better, too. More than simply not forgetting her, he'd missed her - enough to come up with a way for her to join him in the real world. If his visit today was a surprise, then this revelation is even more unexpected. Leaving the island had always seemed an impossibility. She was a program; where else could she go? ]
....A robot?
[ It's an opportunity she probably should be jumping at, but the truth is, she needs to think it over a bit. She's always thought of robots as being monsters, truth be told, so it's a little easier said than done to accept that she'd become one herself. Mecha-Nidai had been Nidai, after all, but he'd still been notably different from how he'd been before. And that leads her to wonder if the robot's as small as mini-Nidai had been, though she doesn't see size as that big of a barrier.
But then again, there's nothing here. She knows better than to ask or expect him to stay with her, when he has a life in the real world to get back to. It's a glitchy program inhabited only by herself and Usami, fated to be a lonely existence. Could she really turn down a chance to leave?
...She'll have to think about it. She's probably got the afternoon to make a decision, at least, so she can mull the idea over while they're playing. ]
I thought we could play Ghosts... it's an FPS, so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out...
[ Not that that means she'll go easy on him during the first team deathmatch, but hey, after a few painful losses he should start picking up on how the game works. And it's not like it's not a sacrifice for her, either. It makes her a little dizzy to watch unskilled people play shooter games, and while she'll be focusing more on her side of the screen for obvious reasons, she'll have that handicap of hers as well.
Of course, if his newfound skillset comes equipped with improved gaming skills, then it might wind up being a much more intense and difficult battle from the start. But she's not expecting that. ]
i apologize for the delay; i was at a con the last few days!
That's why he didn't want to forget. And perhaps that's why he chose not to, even with the memories of the time as Kamukura were now in place in his head.
It no longer mattered; he decided to live as Hinata Hajime. He nods at her question in regards of that, however, deciding to expand on his explanation. ]
Don't worry; it isn't like Nidai's case. [ Although Hinata realizes that Mecha-Nidai was something that could have been avoided. . . if you kept into consideration that they were in the program. But that was just due to Monokuma's programming, his personality. ] I made the design more human, so it's more like one of those androids that you'd see in anime--
Although you've probably never watched any. [ But there are games based off of them, maybe she'll understand what he meant. Or not. He doesn't mind explaining at all. It's just something that happens; something that he, in fact, does not mind doing in the slightest. ] But we made one for Usami, too. We had to use the Monokuma ones as a base for hers, but-- it should work.
I can show you the models if you want. If you don't like it, though... we can figure something else out.
[ He smiles a genuine smile; it's a rarity, coming from him. ]
Yeah, I don't mind playing that. It's been a while since I've played an FPS game though -- and back then, I wasn't really good at it.
[ But right now, it's a different story. After all, he has the talent that would allow him to match her level, if not higher. ]
no worries! i've been cramming for a test lately anyway, hence my own lateness
It brings a smile to her face to hear him say they've made one for Usami, too. That was another concern of hers: how Usami would take it if she chose to go with Hinata-kun and leave her behind. The island's already depressing enough with just the two of them around; she can't imagine Usami would be very happy left on her own. But now, she doesn't have to worry about it. She bets it'll make Usami happy to know her students were thinking about her, too, especially after the cold reception she'd gotten during most of the simulation.
She's made her own guesses on what the robots would be like, from what she's seen in video games - judging by his description, it's probably more Mega Man than Clank - but it's probably best to take him up on his offer to look at the plans before making a decision. It wouldn't be good for her new 'body' to look less human than she was expecting, or too different from how she looks now to begin with. She's used to being Nanami Chiaki, and while it's unrealistic to expect to be the exact same given the limitations, she is attached to her appearance somewhat. ]
Mm... I'd like to see them, I think. I don't want to wake up with the wrong face...
[ Not that she thinks they would have intentionally built her a robot body that would suit a 67-year-old PhD candidate or anything, but still. There are too many games where the protagonist finds out he's been in the wrong body all along. Always good to look in the mirror before you start your journey.
But speaking of games, they can wait on perusal of the models until after she's finished kicking his butt. Or so she thinks, anyway; she might be aware of his past, but that doesn't mean she's realized all the talents that came with it. And his warnings are only reinforcing her belief that it shouldn't be too difficult a win. ]
It's okay if you're not very good... I'll keep my eyes on my own screen, so I don't get sick.
[ That's what he's worried about, right? The fact that she can get motion sick sometimes when she watches novices play FPS games? So reassuring him should make it okay for them to play... ]
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Nevertheless, her smile brings on one of his own, relaxed, although he finds himself laughing a little bit. Did she really think that he'd give her a strange face and body? But then again, he doesn't mind the doubt in the slightest bit. It's fine; he'd planned on showing her to begin with. ]
Alright. I'm ready, so you can start at any time, Nanami.
[ It's definitely a relief when she tries to reassure him; not that he needs it, of course. When he has the controller, he already sets his fingers on the appropriate buttons, ready to tap on what's necessary. To anybody who saw him at first glance, he definitely looks like a seasoned professional, even if he's only touched a controller, much less a FPS once or twice in his entire life.
Of course, it's only when the game itself starts when his skills are a little obvious; he's choosing one of the more difficult characters in the game - partially to challenge himself, as he's gotten rather skilled - and partially because while he knows that he's ten, if not a thousand times better than what he used to be, he actually wants her to win. Although he's pretty sure he can master this type of character in a matter of seconds, even if he hasn't played them yet. But he's also fairly certain that he can master screwing up with this character, albeit on purpose, too.
... Which is what he plans to do as he decides to just use the simple controls. For now, anyway. Just let her win a few rounds first. Then maybe get serious. That is, unless she notices what he's trying to do first. ]
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She still remembers the fits Souda-kun used to throw those few times they tried playing together, and how she'd moved on to inviting Tsumiki-san instead because it wasn't fun to deal with. She doesn't want to make Hinata-kun less interested in playing with her. He's the first visitor she's gotten, and so she wants to take full advantage of the company. Not to mention that he's her ticket off of the island, and if she does want to take him up on it later, she probably shouldn't make him too annoyed.
What she might get mad about, however, is the fact that he lied to her. It's one thing to be good at FPS games - he's a boy, and boys like to play these sorts of games she thinks - but a whole other to try to conceal that fact. There's no need to claim to be bad at them. Or for him to throw a game just to let her win. She can win on her own merit, and she'd feel like he was belittling her skills a little by doing that.
But at least for now, she hasn't caught on. He might just be picking one of the harder characters because the character looks cooler than all the others, or something, and it's not like he's giving off any red flags at the moment to suggest otherwise. So she'll pick her favorite character to play and not think much of it. ]
Okay... here we go.
[ In some attempt at fairness to him, she picks one of the maps she's less familiar with, to even the playing field somewhat. She doesn't want to win in too much of a landslide, even if she doesn't exactly want to go easy on him either. He might feel discouraged or embarrassed if he loses by a wide margin, so there's no need to make things any easier for herself than they need to be. If he's not very good at first-person shooter games, she'll probably win either way.
But now, she has to at least look around for places to hide in a given room, or where the different entrances to buildings are so she can plan a sneak-attack if necessary. It's not automatic, the way it might be in her favorite location. Sure, even if she'll have a harder time sneaking up on him, her reflexes still might give her the edge if they got into a direct shoot-out - but there's not much she can do about that.
At least he's holding the controller correctly. That would be an unfair advantage for her, and she'd at least be nice enough to correct him before the battle begins. So he'd have a shot; the question is just whether he'd be quick enough on the draw to be the last one standing. And they'll just have to find that out by playing. ]
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So he'll try to play at the level that he thinks he would have been playing before he was experimented on. Maybe... he should have left his skills back in the real world. Oh, well. Nothing he can do about that now.
Looks like the first thing he has to do is find her location. Of course he could look on the map and attempt to deduce it, but that would only give a general spread of where she is, not the exact location, so that's practically useless. His character is the best at sniping, meaning that he has to be a good enough distance away to shoot, although he can use short ranged guns as well, which is totally fine. He's a bit nervous, but this isn't too difficult. Switching guns is easy, too.
Alright, let's just find a good position high up first... and then use the scope to see if he can spot her. Hopefully he doesn't get stabbed from behind first, but he's paying attention to her screen in case of that, although if he's not fast enough, that won't even matter. ]
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Of course, that doesn't mean she's giving up strategy entirely. It goes without saying that she keeps her gun at the ready as she turns corners and enters each next area, and she's avoiding taking the pathways that would leave her vulnerable to multiple lines of attack without much chance for defense. It's a more circuitous route, but one less likely to get her character killed.
Especially since he's right; she's keeping her eye on the map to make sure he doesn't start moving or try to corner her in anywhere, but it's not an exact location by any means, so she's not about to get cocky. Not before she's even gotten a kill in. That would just be sad.
And while he might be using her screen for orientation, she's sticking to her word and keeping her eyes off of his - mostly to ward off any motion sickness that could potentially cause. So as she's approaching the area she thinks he's probably in, she has to decide what approach to take. The stealthier route is probably best, but much as it'd give her a bit more cover depending on where he is, it'd have the same effect on limiting her own ability to target him.
Still. Best to know where he is and plan an attack on that, rather than going in guns akimbo and hoping she guesses right to win a shoot-out. So sneaking in through the side entrance she goes, gun up and trying to keep an eye out for him. Her finger's primed on the trigger button, ready to start shooting as soon as he's in sight and in range. ]
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But Hinata's not dumb, either; he isn't going to shoot randomly, all willy nilly. At least, not immediately. He needs to play this smart, even if he's going to purposely lose this first match. So when she gets into sight - and really, Hinata's playing the stealthy route himself - he aims and shoots.
He's not aiming for her directly, though. He's aiming for a few centimeters next to her, enough for her to notice that he's there and possibly pinpoint his location, but it's not enough for her to get an immediate headshot on him. Not if he starts moving immediately afterwards. ]
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She could follow him directly, but that leaves her vulnerable to attack if he decides to hang just past a corner and shoot her as she's coming by. He'd expect her to be right behind him, since stealth is clearly no longer an option, and that'd give him plenty of chances to take her out. She's fast on the trigger, but not inhumanly so.
So instead, she's going to try an alternate route, with the hopes of heading him off at the pass and surprising him with a side-attack. Of course, it means attempting to guess where he's headed and relying on her mini-map to locate him otherwise, rather than following directly, but she figures it'll give her a better shot at being the first one with her target in her sights. ]
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[ Hinata's actually thinking for once. He wants to lose this first round, but not make it easy, so he opts for not cutting corners. Sniping seems to be out of the question, given that she was using a short range gun, but not impossible. Nevertheless, he tries his best to draw this out, make the match as long as possible.
He doesn't want to make this too boring, after all. ]
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She's guessing he's swearing because he's lost track of her, which probably means he had been banking on her following and cornering her then. It at least means her plan has a shot, rather than being a part of his strategy all along. But it'll still take some caution on her part to follow-through. Her character doesn't get any cardboard boxes to hide in, so she'll have to make sure she's not spotted too soon if she wants to take him by surprise.
She'll find a bend that looks promising, one she figures he should have to come through if he'd taken the path she thinks he did (and if not, she'll have to run through her mental map again to figure out where she went wrong), and aim her gun at it. At the first sign of motion, if there is any, she's ready to fire (but a finger on the dodge button, just in case). ]
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He can't make this a completely one sided match. ]
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He's got less health left than she does, now, but he could turn that all around with a head shot if she's not careful. So for now, getting out of the line of fire takes priority. That doesn't mean she's not watching him carefully to see if he leaves her any opportunity to finish him off - but with how well he's been playing so far, she doubts he'll go down all that easily. ]