6:11. Geez, I'm running early. Well, that was the plan. Get to school early and unpack before anyone else enters the building. I had to skip breakfast at the airport for this...

I was standing on a somewhat filled subway train, accompanied by the rumbling of its wheels turning. One delicate, dainty hand of mine held onto a passenger pole, while the other kept a grip on my luggage, which left me slightly vulnerable to the movements of the vehicle. After making a swallowing motion in my mouth to try clear the stuffed feeling my ears had since my flight, my hazel eyes shifted away from the digital clock I was looking at.

The intercom announced in a monotone voice, "Next stop is: Hope's Peak Academy. Next stop is: Hope's Peak Academy."

I can't believe the school gets its own stop. Well, Hope's Peak really is a major part of the city and the country at large. There must be lots of government subsidies going to that school.

The vehicle finally came to a screeching halt, as I looked on to the crowd of commuters awaiting the train.

I'm not seeing any Hope's Peak students in the crowd, just early bird commuters. Then again, I guess everyone is either sleeping or going through their morning routine. I can't believe I skipped breakfast for this. Well, my dad was adamant about me coming here, and this is my only chance after everything that has happened.

"I know you might have had a hard time in your previous schools, my son. And, I know that you fear that it might get even worse now. But, Hope's Peak Academy is a school for the extraordinary. There is no 'normal' there. You were chosen because you are extraordinary, in the good way. I don't care what your peers thought of your supposed weakness or how you're different. You're strong in mind, an exceptional programmer. You have done things that not even I or the best people of the field could've done at less than half the age of myself. Keep that in mind, my son."

That was what my father, a man much like me in terms of height, petite frame, effeminate face, and even hair color, said to me with a gentle smile to encourage me before I left for Hope's Peak. Those were the words of a divorced man. A man, only two inches taller than me, who was betrayed most despicably.

My breathing grew slightly faster as I tightened my hand around the handle of my suitcase.

He was utterly destroyed! He tried to mold himself into someone who he was clearly not! Trying to fulfill the standards she demanded out of him. The very same standards she tried to enforce on me!

My grip only tightened around the handle, squeezing it as hard as I could.

But, you can't, Chihiro. You can't be angry. You can't do anything to upset others. You can't hurt anyone. It's wrong to lash like this. To be a toxic burden on others. You swore to avoid committing violence to another human being.

The doors of the subway tram opened, while all of my tension flowed out of my body. I exhaled a long winded breath from my lungs, while my frail body only grew more fatigued from the bout of depression I went through.

"The perfect distraction," I muttered before leaving the vehicle with little hassle, holding my head down in defeat.

Thank goodness I came early. Imagine how bad it'll be if I came here when all the commuters are on board.

Dragging my luggage with me, I went through the motions of exiting the subway station, passing through the checkpoint and glancing at the clock to keep track of the time.

6:18. Still early.

I stood on the escalator leading out of the subway station, following the bilingual sign pointing me towards Hope's Peak. The exit was rather small in size.

Then again, there really aren't that many students at Hope's Peak. Surprised the school is as big as it is, considering the low student population. Well, I don't mind. A less crowded school is the best school for me.

My emergence from the subway revealed the contrast between my hope for a better future and the past that I sought to abandon was sharpened with the sky above me. One half of it was red and orange from the rising sun, which Hope's Peak Academy conveniently was blocking and stood in place of. The rays from the bright late summer sun shined around the campus building, making it look like a literal beacon of hope. Behind me was the violet-blue sky of the disappearing night.

All that stood between me and the school was an open steel bar gate and the school courtyard. My head simply turned up as I stared up at the goliath of a building which stood before me. It was already huge to a normal person, but, for a minuscule dwarf like me, Hope's Peak was truly massive and all encompassing. And, this made me tremble with fear.

"It's...It's huge," I said to myself as I simply stood there.

This is the first time I'll be going to an actual school since I barely finished require first half of my secondary education. Is it going to be like before? Will they bully me there?

Memories of all the bullying I persevered through flashed in my head, causing me to wince and shiver from the past despair which clashed with the hopes I had for my future in the school.

I can't...I can't go in there. I'm...too weak to survive school. I'm too weak to face the real world.

My father's words then echoed in my head, giving me a second wind against my self doubt. I looked right at the school again, taking a deep breath.

Thankfully, my father was open-minded enough to allow me to escape from the hell that he suffered. Perhaps, he wanted to spare me from the same fate that befell him. Or, it could be that he had the aspiration to transform himself the way I did when I left the world of public schooling. Whatever the reason maybe, he allowed me to do something that more conservatively-minded parents would have probably disown a child over.

I sighed softly as I hesitantly made my way through the courtyard, flanked by an assortment of trees and bushes, towards the colossal building. My slender arms, which had not a single muscle of note on them, were behind my back, both hands dragging the luggage by the handle with me.

Hope's Peak, you peculiar institution. Who would have known that some ultrameritocratic school from the Meiji period would end up becoming a refuge for the eccentric, talented misfits of Japan. I guess it might be the one place where I fit in. Especially since no one here would know the truth of who I am. The lifetime of guaranteed success is a bonus, though I guess it is too late to try to impress my mother with that...

I walked past the open bar gate and stopped to take one more glance at the school. The school itself hardly resembled anything that would come out of that period in architecture. One half, shorter but more expansive, was made of brick and looked like it would date from the late 20th century, while the taller glass half soared with what seemed to be a giant greenhouse among other glass spires. The elite boarding school's logo was plastered right on the top of the older half of the school, making it nearly impossible to miss.

That'll be a useful feature if I end up being lost in the city.

A small smile grew on my face, as I remembered the other thing that gave me solace besides my dad's words of encouragement. The slight wind blowing on both my auburn, short hair and brown pleated skirt.

The thread last night was fun. There's apparently going to be fifteen Ultimates and one lucky student. The former being considered the best in their field nation-wide. Though, the fields the academy thought were worthy of being considered really had my head scratching.

Hifumi, the Ultimate Doujin Artist, was being his usual self, posting his ecchi-laced doujins all over along with his 2channel and Futaba memes. Of course, let's just say that he might have bitten more than he chewed with that. But really, I'm more of a 4chan person myself. I find the Western internet to be a lot more interesting.

The same was true of all the Sayakers who swarmed the thread to congratulate their precious Ultimate Pop Idol, though I don't know if Sayaka herself was watching the thread. Honestly, I don't really like her music at all. Though, I shouldn't really hate the artist for her work, especially if she probably just sang the music management provided her. Doesn't really change my opinion of her fans. Sayakers were obnoxious as hell during junior high, and I can't go anywhere without hearing her music. Well, when the Sayakers found out what '3DPD' means, their reaction was priceless.

I couldn't help but snicker a little.

That is the beauty of the internet. You can get away with stuff that would ruin you in real life. I feel completely free to be whoever and whatever I want to be. No fear of rejection, since I could just make another account, another persona. It is liberating.

I shook my head to snap out of that train of thought.

Nevermind that. Let's talk about the real shocker. Mondo Oowada. He is the 'Ultimate Motorcyclist', though everyone knows his true talent is in leading the notorious biker gang, The Crazy Diamonds. I guess it really wasn't a shocker after I read up the previous year listing and saw Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu as the Ultimate Yakuza. Not to offend either of them or be close minded, but it sounds really dangerous to be having students like them in the campus. I hope they don't bully me or, even worse, harm me.

Well, I heard rumors that Fuyuhiko is actually only 5'1" and pictures of him showed that he has a bit of a baby-face. If someone as short as he can strike fear in the hearts of others, maybe my situation isn't really that hopeless? Perhaps, I can at least get some respect from others.

I then sighed and held my head down.

The guy is the heir to a powerful Yakuza clan, and he earned this respect through terrorizing those around him with the power that such a title gives. I'm not a heir to anything except for my father's programming profession. I don't even have that luxury. And look at me, I'm even shorter than him and weaker too.

My fists clenched as I took a long, deep breath to calm myself from the anxiety my insecurities had created.

How about Toko Fukawa, the somewhat famous author of young adult and romance novels. Well, I guess she really did have a huge influence on my life with her most famous, and best-selling, work: 'So Lingers the Ocean'.

Was it that I was entranced by the romance between a sparkling fisherman and a bland, blank-slate girl who was meant to be the reader or, perhaps, the author?

Nah! It just inspired me to wear fisherman outfits to get some acceptance as a guy in junior high. After everyone laughed at me for my yellow coat and wellington boots, I took to the next best thing: sailor peacoats and hats. I used to go out dressed like those cool Russian sailors from the 1910s. Like from the Soviet propaganda. I even bought a C96 pistol replica to complete the image. It was fun to play pretend in my room with Mr. Hops.

Speaking of cool things, there was the gothic lolita gambler who goes by the name 'Celestia Ludenberg'. I find it kind of silly, considering she is Japanese, but apparently she has a fearsome reputation behind her, including the title 'Queen of Liars'. She travels all over Europe throughout her exploits, though she apparently settled herself in Novoselic's royal court. It's some obscure Balkan country where the German-speaking nobility still hasn't relinquished power. Honestly, it's wonder how this remnant of the Hapsburg empire hasn't collapsed or been conquered yet, but I guess it's a situation like Lichtenstein's.

Anyways, Hope's Peak is going to have some athletes. I read all sorts of rumors about Sakura Ogami or the 'Ogre'. No one knows much about the mysterious martial artist besides that she is incredibly powerful and muscular. Some called her appearance monstrous, but I wonder if this is some gender-reversed version of what I'm going through. I mean, I guess at least Sakura is respected enough to be feared and not be persecuted by everyone else what she is. She is strong enough to tell the truth about herself, while I'm too weak to even reveal to the world who I really am.

There's also Leon Kuwata, the Ultimate Baseball Player. But, nothing really stood out about him besides the strange name and his hair being dyed orange in that photo. It wouldn't even stand out in a country where everyone and their mother is applying the dye if it weren't for the fact that he had such a conservative cut and was a baseball player.

I then bit my lips at the last person who I bothered to do research on.

Aoi Asahina...The Ultimate Swimmer, though swimming is just the sport she excelled at the most. She joined six teams! Six teams! And, broke the record in every swimming contest she participated in! I really did a lot of 'research' on her. It started with one innocuous picture, before I started Google searching images of her. They were all fairly innocent, depicting the busty, dark-skinned girl wearing her swimming uniform while engaging in her best sport. I just had to measure her... 'athletic worth' and...look at her plentiful 'assets'.

My pale cheeks blushed a deep red. I bit my delicate lips, as my slender legs, wearing brown tall socks, weakened and shifted slightly.

Thoughts about her flooded my head. In my fantasies, the tan-skinned woman with a dark brown ponytail emerged from the pool and held onto my thin legs with her hands, leaning herself against me. A gentle sigh emerged from me as I imagined trembling at her forward advance towards me. Those full lips being licked by her tongue as they closed in towards mine, while her large bosom, straining against her leotard, pressed against me. All before she gave a loving kiss onto my delicate lips, while her wet, glistening arms wrapped around me for a gentle yet firm hug. I felt acceptance and love for what I am from her, while my hands reached out, to both grab onto the door handle and grab onto the imaginary pair of breasts before me.

Is it okay to be weak while she was strong?

I shook my head with disapproval towards myself.

It isn't! I mean, all of this isn't! I don't even know her. She probably would be utterly disgusted if she hears of my affection for her. Not even affection. This is just lust. Aoi would just see me as a freak if she knew of my secret. Even if she didn't and just so happened to be a lesbian, it would be little better for me. Society will still flash the alarm, and I'll become a target again. Invalidating the initial reason why I'm doing all of this!

There couldn't be any sort of woman who would be interested in me regardless, especially since I was weak. The athlete probably would reject me on the spot for my height and is most probably straight. She'd probably rather be with a strong, traditional male. My weakness has damned me to this fate. The only sorts of people who seem interested in someone like me seem to be guys like Hifumi on imageboards. Lusting after people of my 'kind' that they label as 'traps'.

Does that mean I have to be gay?

I felt every fiber of my excitement leave my body, leaving me with a feeling of discomfort.

I never was into guys. My body just wouldn't respond to or show interest for that of a male or even a female who lacked curvaceous proportions or 'substantial assets'.

I looked down as I can feel my face flare up even more with embarrassment at the latter half of my thoughts.

Am I a freak? A creepy pervert? What will they think of me?

I began to shiver, hugging myself with my scrawny arms.

Suddenly, my father's voice stopped my bout of anxiety. It was a repeat of what he told me before. "Hope's Peak Academy is a school for the extraordinary. There is no 'normal' there," I recited to myself as my mind finally emerged from its stupor, reality crashing back in on me.

I was standing still in front of the school's door, quickly taking out my PDA to check the time.

6:34. Was I really standing here staring into the void for about five minutes?

My eyes scanned my vicinity for the presence of anyone else.

Did I block the way for anyone else?

A man wearing a black suit and a burgundy tie, who was exactly a foot taller than me, approached me. He looked quite normal for an older Japanese man who held a position of prominence, though his short black hair is somewhat messier than one would expect from an older man who would wear a black suit in his daily activities. However, the truly odd feature of the man was his lavender eyes.

What is with the lavender eyes? I mean, colored contact lenses have grown popular recently, but I never saw a conservatively dressed older man wearing one. And, I'm not exactly too ready to throw away all I know about the genetic diversity of human eye color. So, aside from a freak mutation, he's probably trying to make his life more interesting. I mean, things do get a little soul-crushing in Japanese workplaces. My dad experienced that first hand.

The older man had a look of genuine concern as he asked me, "Are you okay? You were standing still with your hand on the door handle."

I felt embarrassment overwhelming me as I answered with a stutter, "O-oh, I'm fine, I was thinking about things. Though, I'm really, really s-sorry for blocking your path. I shouldn't block the path of others."

He shook his head and responded, "Don't be hard on yourself, Chihiro. You didn't mean to get in the way, and I'm sure anyone in my place would be more concerned for you than irritated."

My eyes widened with shock as I heard him call me by my name. "H-how did you know my name? You work here?" I asked frantically.

This is awkward...

"Yes, and I am the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy. Due to the small size of the student population, I have taken preference to remembering the names of the students who currently attend the school," he explained with an oddly comforting smile on his face, "And, I apologize for my informality. A letter from your father informed me of your issue, and I didn't want to address you in the wrong way."

The headmaster?! And, he knows?! I guess my father informed the school about it. I hope no issues come from that.

Before I could say another word, the headmaster continued, "Don't fear being mistreated or bullied within our campus's walls. Hope's Peak will treat all of its students equally, no matter their peculiarities, and has a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying of any sort. Our staff will be considerate of your issue as well as your privacy and make sure that you don't end up in any sort of situation with the other students."

That felt a little forced. A bit too friendly. Am I really making the school bend and morph to my eccentric needs? Being a burden to it?

"Oh and, do not think that you are a special case or causing any sort of trouble for the school to accommodate you. In fact, most of the students in your class, and the entire school even, have their own peculiarities. Our approach to education here is a lot more liberal and individualized than is usual in the educational system," he assured me, as an awkward smile grew on my feminine, gentle mind.

Well, that was to be expected from an elite school. "Oh, I see," I said plainly, avoiding any opportunity to say anything awkward or silly to the headmaster.

"I hope to see the full potential of your talents realized here, Chihiro," the older man noted as he opened the door and entered the school.

My headmaster disappeared from my view as he walked through the main hall and turned to his left upon passing the double doors that lead to the rest of the school. I also noticed, from a brief glimpse, the door to the school store straight ahead of the main hall before the double doors close.

He is right and so was my father. There was only one way forward. And, if I do nothing about my situation, then nothing will change.

I took a deep breath, looking up at the school with a sense of determination that I usually lack.

There was hope here. Hope to escape my past and to create a new and better future for myself. It was a tabula rasa upon which I can write my own story. My goal is not only to succeed in earning a living but, ultimately, to live a life where I can be happy with myself.

I sighed before opening the door. Thankfully, it was long before the other students were to arrive. I felt the somewhat cooler air of the school engulf over my slender frame; which made me glad to be wearing a dark green jacket atop my white, peter-pan collared shirt.

The school's air conditioning seems to be set up with the coming summer heat in mind.

My thoughts then turned to myself.

I am Chihiro Fujisaki: the son of a programmer, the Ultimate Programmer of Hope's Peak Academy, and, oddly enough, a crossdresser.

And, the first thing that I did upon making my first step into campus was...faint.

A spiral of distortion quickly consumed my entire vision as I was frozen in place. Not a single muscle moved on my lithe body, while the distortion made nothing discernible to my large, innocent eyes. Every stimuli, on every sense that I had, disappeared as it felt like I was being teleported into a void. My head ached and throbbed with disorientation as the spiraling distortion made my vision nothing more than a jumbled mess.

I blacked out suddenly, strangely lacking even the ability to even utter any sort of sound to accompany my bodily discomfort.

W-what is happening to me?!

It was as if I magically disappeared from existence.

Little did I know that it wasn't hope that I was marching eagerly towards but rather through the jaws of Leviathan to Hell.