Hope's Peak Academy. Prestigious. Successful. Famous. This school was for the best and the brightest in the nation. Everyone knew its name. Everyone hoped their child was good enough to get in. And why am I standing in front of it today? Because I won a goddamn lottery.
My name is Togami Byakuya, and I am the 'Super High School Level Good Luck.' It's honestly a completely stupid talent. Good luck? Give me a break.. I know I don't belong here, with the most talented people in Japan, but I guess I'll do my best to try to get through it. I took a deep breath and stepped onto the campus.
Immediately, with that first step, I felt woozy, and my head started spinning. I stumbled forward a few steps and fell to my knees.
That's the last thing I remember before everything went black.
When I awoke, I was slumped facedown on a desk in a classroom. How the hell did I get here? I got up and walked around, taking in my surroundings. There were steel plates affixed to the windows. A piece of paper with scribbled crayon instructions laid on a desk at the front of the room. 'Hello, you bastards! Report to the gym for the opening ceremony at 8:00 sharp!' I glanced at the clock, which read 8:10.
Well, I was already late, no point in rushing now. I walked out of the room and slowly made my way to the gym. As I entered, a girl ran up to me.
"You are l-l-late! The instructions said t-to be here at 8:00 s-sharp!" she said angrily whilst trying not to stutter.
"Whatever," I scoffed.
"Do not take the rules so lightly!" she shouted, "My name is Fukawa Touko, and I'm the SHSL Hall Monitor, s-so don't go breaking any r-rules!"
I didn't even dignify her with an answer and joined the group of students who had conjugated in the centre of the gym.
"Finally, the last of us has arrived," acknowledged a beefy girl, "I am Oogami Sakura, SHSL Soldier."
"I wonder when this thing is going to start?" voiced a redhead, "Yo. Kuwata Leon, Fashion Boy."
"Seriously?" I asked skeptically.
"Don't judge me, it's not like your talent is much better," he snapped.
"We shouldn't be fighting with each other," muttered a brunette, "We need to figure out what's going on."
"Shut up, Ikusaba, no one wants to hear what you want to say," the blonde in the short skirt snapped, "Hi! I'm Enoshima Junko, SHSL Idol! And this is my worthless sister, Ikusaba Mukuro. She's a Literary Girl. I think this should be fun! I'm looking forward to getting to know you all!" I was surprised by how sudden the idol's tone could change.
"Geez, shut up already, would ya! Your voice is giving me a headache," groaned the guy with the weird hair, "Oowada Mondo. Gambler."
"You shut up. You're the annoying one," Enoshima snapped back.
"Hey, do we really need the arguing?" the guy with the hair sticking up all over the place asked, "We could just, like, be civil or something. I'm Hakagure Yasuhiro, SHSL Programmer."
"I agree. This isn't the time for infighting," monotoned a girl all in purple, "I am Kirigiri Kyouko, Outlaw Biker, and even I know that disagreements within a group only lead to trouble."
"Yes, that is quite true. A group works most efficiently when all of the members are working together," agreed the girl in black, "I am Yasuhiro Celestia, SHSL Heiress."
"Stop talking so serious! We should just focus in having some fun! We're at Hope's Peak!" a girl exclaimed enthusiastically, "I'm Asahina Aoi, Baseball Player!"
"I think so too. Let's all try to get to know each other. I'm Maizono Sayaka, Swimmer," introduced the girl with the blue hair.
"Agreed! We are all classmates, let us behave like it!" shouted the boy in the white uniform, "I am Ishimaru Kiyotaki, Fighter!"
"We must act in unison while we can, to prevent bad things from happening! I am. Yamada Hifumi, Fortune Teller, and I predict horrible things in all of our futures. Things even so bad as..." his voice dropped to a whisper, "...death!"
"Oh, no! That can't be true!" exclaimed a short girl from the back, "I am Fujisaki Chihiro, Fan Writer. Surely we aren't going to die!"
"I highly doubt it is correct. How often are your predictions correct, 20% of the time?" a boy scoffed.
"I'll have you know, it's 30% of the time!" Yamada protested indignantly.
"Whatever. Fujisaki-san, I'm sure you have nothing to worry about," reassured the boy, "I'm Naegi Makoto, SHSL Detective."
"Testing! Testing! Whatever. I'm sure you bastards can hear me. Welcome to Hope's Peak! Now that you all know each other, it's time to meet your headmaster! Introducing, Headmaster Monokuma!" With that, a stuffed bear rose out if the podium at the front.
"What's with the stuffed bear?" Enoshima asked irritably.
"I'm not a stuffed bear! I'm Monokuma, and I'm your headmaster!" the bear yelled.
"How?" Naegi demanded, "How would a stuffed bear come to be the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, the most widely known school in Japan?"
"That's for me to know and for you to not find out!" Monokuma said smugly, "Now, on to business. How do you all like the school so far?"
"Why is that relevant at the moment?" Kirigiri questioned.
"It's important that you bastards like it here, seeing as you are all staying here for the rest of your lives! Upupupu!" Monokuma laughed.
"What do you mean, the rest of our lives?" Maizono asked, frightened.
"You can't lock us in here!" protested Oowada.
"Yes I can!" the bear chirped, "If you're really that desperate to get out, there is one way to 'graduate!'"
"Well, tell us, then!" Kuwata demanded.
"Alright! The way to graduate is to commit murder! That is all." told Monokuma.
"You're joking, right?" Hakagure asked nervously.
"Not at all! If you want to stay here for the rest of your lives, go ahead! If not, let the school life of mutual killings commence! Upupupu! Oh, and pick up your Digital Student Notebooks in the entrance hall on your way out!" With that, the bear descended back into the podium.
"What do we do?" Maizono shrieked, "We can't stay here forever!"
"Are you suggesting we commit murder?" I questioned.
"O-Of course not! How could you say something like that?" Maizono denied, bursting into tears.
"Oi! What kind of bastard are you, making a girl cry?" Oowada demanded of me.
"Remember what we said before about not fighting," Kirigiri reminded coolly, "We need to stick together. It is even more important than before, if we all want to escape."
"I agree. Our next logical course of action would be to explore what we can of the school," Yasuhiro suggested. With that, I spun sharply on my heel and walked towards the doors.
"Where the hell are you going?" Oowada demanded. I sighed, and turned around.
"I am going to explore the school on my own. It is safer, seeing as there is no way to know whether anyone is planning to kill," I said.
"No one among us would commit murder!" Fujisaki denied, then hesitated, "Would they?"
"Of course they wouldn't. Togami-kun is overreacting," reassured Naegi.
"How would you know?" I hissed, stalking closer to Naegi until we were face to face, "Right now, someone's mind could be concocting a plan, a plan to kill, because they want to escape. There is no way to tell what another is thinking, and therefore no way to tell if anyone is planning to kill. Now, if you'll excuse me." I turned and walked quickly towards the gym doors, pushing them open and heading off in a direction at random, grabbing my Digital Student Notebook on the way. I would not be the one to be taken as a fool; would not be the one to be killed. Of that, I was certain.
I didn't see much of importance along the hallway I had chosen, so I consulted the Digital Student Notebook. Following the map that it contained, I found my way to the dorm area. I immediately found my private room and locked myself inside. Once I was inside, I sat down on the bed and ran a hand through my hair. This was definitely not how I wanted my first day at Hope's Peak to go. I sighed. I needed to be tough, to survive this nightmare. Kill or be killed, it seemed. And I would not be killed. I laid back on the bed, and closed my eyes.
I must have fallen asleep by mistake, for the next thing I knew, I was awoken sharply by the doorbell. I stumbled out of bed and over to the door.
"What?" I snapped.
"Togami Byakuya-dono, I must speak with you," came the voice of Yamada from the other side of the door. I groaned quietly, then reluctantly opened the door and let the Fortune Teller in. He was in no position to overpower me, so I was relatively safe.
"What is is, Yamada-kun?" I demanded, closing the door behind us.
"I had a vision about you," Yamada started.
"I don't believe in that bullshit," I cut in.
"This is something you need to hear," Yamada insisted. I sighed and flopped down on my bed, waving a hand for him to continue.
"You need to be careful, Togami Byakuya-dono. You are right to be cautious. Be warned: someone will try to kill you. Someone whom you consider a friend. Don't trust anyone. I know it is hard to believe, but heed my warning," Yamada warned.
"Someone will try to kill me? That won't go their way," I scoffed.
"The others have all agreed to meet in the cafeteria at 3 PM. I recommend being there," Yamada advised, then left the room, closing the door behind him.
Someone I consider a friend, trying to kill me? I don't plan on making any friends, so that won't be a concern. Besides, the Fortune Teller is only accurate 30% of the time. It is highly unlikely that I am in any danger, yet I need to be careful.
I glanced up at the clock on the wall: 2:30. I still have some time before everyone is meeting in the cafeteria. I might as well do some exploring. I got up from the bed and headed out of my room, locking the door behind me.