Prologue: Road to Despair

Some people would give up everything in order for a re-do. But rewriting time isn't as easy as it seems. At first things progress as normal, but if you change even one tiny event, everything soon spirals out of control.

Because of this, the universe has an infinite number of endings for your story. Every ending brings forth a new beginning, and so forth. There is an ending where you went out with that girl, one where you won the lottery, and one where you adopted a cat.

But there is also an ending where you got hit by a car on the way to work, one where a fire burned down your home, and one where the person you love most betrayed you.

You never know how your story is going to end. People will claim that you could rewrite history, but it's never quite that simple.

You just need

One

Little

Shove

And then everything crashes down around you.

I can't believe I'm actually here…

If you were lucky enough to be loitering around Hope's Peak Academy that day, you might have caught a glimpse of her. A girl with a pixie cut and tattoos, staring up at the majestic school…

Shitty fucking building.

...And scowling intensely.

"Why did I do this?" she murmured to herself.

Her hand went to the pocket of her vest, and found the letter. She pulled it out, and unfolded the paper.

Dear Asuka Ishikawa,

Congratulations! Hope's Peak Academy is proud to present you with a full scholarship to our school. Your skills are remarkable, and our scouts have decided that you belong here.

As the Super High-School Level Tattoo Artist, you will attend this school full time, and live on the grounds at all times. All your needs will be provided for by…

"Fucking horse shit," Asuka muttered, folding the letter again. She hated how painfully obvious it was that her name and 'title' were pasted into a bland formula.

Just the idea of a school just for the most talented people disgusted her. Why should something like that exist? Even if she was among them, it didn't make sense.

She looked back up at the school, eyes narrowed in thought.

I could just go home…

Her dad had insisted that she take the scholarship. Said it would be a chance to turn things around. Asuka really didn't want to accept, but she figured she owed him something.

With a heavy sigh, Asuka grabbed her bag, and took her first steps up the stone steps, and inside the school. It looked perfectly normal on both the inside and out, but she could tell it was hardly ordinary. No schools were this well funded.

She glanced up at a large clock hanging overhead. She still had nearly two hours before the initiation ceremony. She'd arrived so early only because of her immense distrust of public transportation.

Maybe I'll just look around for a bit. Not like anyone's going to stop me.

Her boot made contact with the clean floors, when suddenly, her vision swam. Asuka struggled for balance, but everything hurt so much.

Then she blacked out.

Hot sunlight beat down on her skin. Asuka awoke to a bit of grass tickling her nose. Slowly, she sat up, and rubbed her eyes.

Okay… I passed out when I approached that school. Did someone find me… and lay me down in this field?

She glanced around, trying to make sense of everything. That's when she saw it. A tall building, far taller than Hope's Peak Academy stood in front of her, at the top of a hill.

But the building wasn't the only alarming thing about the area. No, the scariest part of the situation had to be the fact that she was on a giant cliff.

Asuka peered over the side, and felt her breath catch. The drop was at least a hundred feet.

Fuck, fuck fuck.

She sat up, and scooted away from the cliff. She looked around the area, and then suddenly frowned. There was a group of people near the bottom of the hill, and they looked rather disoriented.

Asuka carefully traipsed down the hill, trying not to lose her balance. Her legs felt shaky, and she wasn't quite sure if she would be able to hold herself up for long.

A girl with a large ribbon in her hair noticed her first, "H-Hey, there's someone else here!"

"That makes sixteen of us, right?" whispered a small boy with black hair.

"Affirmative!" a boy with blue hair cried, giving a thumbs up, "That seems like a solid number to me!"

A girl with a dark ponytail replied, "Well, we should check out that building, if that's the case. I want to know what's going on with it."

Most of the others nodded in agreement, and everyone stumbled up the hill together. Asuka followed blindly, her head starting to hurt. Perhaps it was the heat, frying her brain to a crisp.

Everyone entered the large building, and Asuka relaxed, finding out it was air conditioned.

A boy with purple hair said, "We should split up in groups, and look for clues. Introductions are later. For now, we need to figure out what we're all doing here."

From what Asuka could see, it looked like they were in a hotel lobby. She didn't bother confirming that, however, and instead, found herself lying on a long ottoman, her eyes drooping.

Resting for a short time wouldn't hurt anyone.

When Asuka awoke again, she was still in the lobby. Nobody else seemed to be around, except for a few students she could see on a balcony overlooking the lobby.

Carefully, she stood up, trying not to make herself dizzy. Her head throbbed, but Asuka tried not to think about it.

The lobby looked expensive, from the giant chandelier hanging from the ceiling, to the shiny security cameras poised all over, to the varnished wood counter on the far side of the room. Even the tiles looked fancy, and part of Asuka was afraid to walk on them.

She got over her fear quickly.

There were four doors on that floor that she could see, and at the back of the room, between two sets of stairs, was a boarded up elevator.

Weird.

"Oh, you're awake now?"

Asuka looked over to the entrance to the lobby, where a purple haired boy stood. He was wearing a thick jacket and pants, but didn't seem to be hot, despite the warm temperature. They made eye contact for a moment, then the boy adjusted his glasses and scribbled something down on a clipboard he was carrying.

"Were you waiting for me?" Asuka asked, trying not to feel creeped out.

The boy replied, "No, but I have been checking back, since you passed out again after we got inside. Are you feeling better now, Ishikawa-san?"

Asuka coughed, caught off guard, "How do you know who I am?"

"Easy. Everyone attending Hope's Peak Academy got a boost in online publicity," the boy said, "It wasn't hard to find information on you."

Asuka bit her lip, "I… see. Mind introducing yourself?"

Maybe I should have looked around online a bit…

"Kousuke Kotara," he said, "I am the Super High-School Level Emergency Planner. It's nice to meet you."

Asuka eyed him carefully. While that might have explained the outfit and accessories, something about him still seemed strange.

Wait… did he say 'Super High-School Level'?

Asuka said, "Hold up. You're enrolled at Hope's Peak?"

Kousuke nodded, "In fact, all sixteen of us are."

Great. More talent hacks to deal with.

Suddenly, he tutted, "And I hope that we never go through a terrible emergency, otherwise you will be the first to go."

"E-Excuse me?" Asuka crossed her arms defensively.

Kousuke replied, "Can you run in those heels? You're highly likely to twist your ankle in them. They should at least be waterproofed in the case of a flood."

Asuka said, "I think I'll be okay… And I still need to look around this place, and meet the others. See you around."

Kousuke said, "I should come with you. This is a large establishment, and I happen to have a bit of knowledge on the other students."

Did I say- No, whatever. Maybe he'll be quiet.

Asuka turned and looked around the lobby again. There was one other person besides herself and Kousuke, a brown haired girl dressed in mostly casual clothing. Asuka approached her, with Kousuke close behind.

"Hi!" she said as the two came up to her, "How are you two feeling?"

Asuka raised an eyebrow, "I'm… all right. Yourself?"

The girl grinned, "I'm rather well! Nice to meet you!"

Asuka said, "And you are?"

"Saki Yamura. I'm the Super High-School Level Confidant, and it's my pleasure!" she responded.

"You're a what?" Asuka asked, both confused and a little bit curious.

Kousuke contributed, "Yamura-san ran an advice column at her old high-school, but people began coming to her with more and more of their problems."

Saki added, "People seem to trust me. And I'm good at keeping secrets. You wanna tell me anything, Asuka-chan?"

Asuka scowled, "Don't call me that."

Saki smiled, "It's all part of trust, and interpersonal relationships. If you're familiar with a person, then you can learn more about them." With that, she fluttered her lashes a few times.

Remind me to never tell her anything.

"I think- Yeah, I'll be good," Asuka stated, taking a step away, "I really need to keep looking around, and meeting everyone else."

Saki's grin somehow grew, "Oh, okay! I'll see you around, then. Bye, you two!"

Asuka waved, quickly spinning around and hurrying after Kousuke, who had already begun walking away.

She found him climbing the staircase.

Asuka quickly ran up the wooden steps to keep up with Kousuke. He didn't speak a word, but Asuka could tell that he was thinking hard.

She tried to study him out of the corner of her eye, but the trip upwards didn't last long enough for her to make any brilliant deductions.

At the top of the stairs, there was a long hallway, with many doors. In the middle of the hall, the wall opened, revealing a balcony that overlooked the lobby.

There were bags in front of some of the doors, while others had nothing. Two of the doors were wide open, and voices came from inside them.

The most curious thing about the hallway, however, were the nameplates on the doors. While a name was written on each door, there was also a tiny pixelated picture.

That's peculiar.

Asuka walked down the hall, turning her head to read the names etched on the plates.

Ayano Chiba, Arata Takishida, Hiroki Ayugai… Ah! Asuka Ishikawa.

A large black suitcase was in front of her door. Asuka's eyes lit up, "My shit!"

I was wondering where it all went.

She knelt down, and opened the largest pocket. Sure enough, her sketchbook and ink were safe. Asuka let out a sigh of relief.

If something had happened to my sketchbook, I would have been so fucking screwed.

Kousuke approached from behind her, "Put your bag in your room quickly. Come on."

"Chill," Asuka responded, opening her door. She put her suitcase down on the bed, and took a glance around. The room was very western, from the bed to the bathroom. Her room wasn't furnished with much - the only other notable item being a desk that had a key on top - but Asuka assumed she wouldn't spend much time there anyways. The only thing about the room that bothered her was the overhanging security camera.

She went back out, and closed the door behind her. Kousuke had his arms crossed, and an annoyed expression on his face, "Let's get going. There's still a lot of people you haven't met."

Asuka rolled her eyes, "You don't have to follow me, you know."

"It's best that you have a guide with you. You could get lost, or pass out again-"

"Don't treat me like I'm-"

Someone's laugh echoed through the hallways, "Hey, now's no time for a lover's spat."

Asuka's face flushed as she turned around, "E-Excuse me?"

A boy with light brown hair was leaning up against the wall, a grin on his face, "Only joking. Name's Arata Takishida, and I'm the Super High-School Level Screenwriter."

"Asuka Ishikawa," she greeted, trying to cool the fire she still felt on her cheeks, "Uh, that's Kousuke Kotara, if you haven't already met him."

Kousuke replied, "I've met everyone here already. And even if I hadn't, I know how to introduce myself."

Arata chuckled, "Cute."

Both Asuka and Kousuke glowered at him.

"Sorry," Arata said quickly, "So Kotara-kun is the Super High-School Level Emergency Planner. What about you? I'm afraid I don't recognize your name."

Kousuke replied, "Look at her. I'd say it's pretty obvious."

"Cool your jets, lover boy," Arata muttered under his breath. Asuka resisted the urge to sock him, but only just.

"Super High-School Level Tattoo Artist," Asuka said. With a grin, she added, "I inked these on myself."

Arata fumbled in his pocket, then produced a pair of glasses. He put them on, then said, "Ah, now I see. Sorry, I usually only wear my glasses when I'm working on scripts."

Kousuke said, "Takishida-kun works on many famous television dramas, and he's even submitted scripts for some American shows. If there's a show out there that you like, he's probably written for it."

"The west turned me down because my English was too rusty," Arata said, "But I was close!"

Asuka nodded, trying not to let on that she rarely watched television, "That's, er, real neat."

"Glad you think so!" he flashed a smile, "I'm gonna keep looking around, so I'll catch you guys again whenever."

She waved to Arata, before turning and continuing down the hallway. She passed a few rooms, before coming across one that was wide open. Curiosity got the better of her, and Asuka poked her head inside.

Huddled in a ball on the floor was a girl. Asuka frowned and stepped into the room, moving towards her, "Uh, hi. Are you okay?"

She looked up, then held two fingers up, "Uh-huh! Name's Masuyo Okawa, and I'm the Super High-School Level Volleyball Player."

Asuka looked Masuyo up and down. She had short, reddish brown hair, and was wearing sunglasses on her forehead for whatever reason. She was also wearing a tank top and shorts, and had no shoes on.

Asuka cleared her throat, "Ah. Well, I'm Asuka Ishikawa. The, er, Super High-School Level Tattoo Artist."

"Nice to meet you, Ishikawa-chan!" Masuyo chirped.

Don't call me that.

Kousuke, who had materialized behind them at some point, said, "Ah, so you've met. Okawa-san is a national champion in regards to volley ball. She's travelled all over the country with her team."

"That's... impressive?" Asuka said, unsure how big the accomplishment was.

This is what I get for not giving a shit about sports, I guess.

"Thanks!" Masuyo said, "If like, that's all you wanted, could you skedaddle? I'm doing some thinking 'bout something important. Y'know, the economy and crap."

Asuka cast a wayward glance at Kousuke, who shrugged and said, "We can move along if you'd like. There's still places for us to be, anyways."

Masuyo smiled lazily, "Bye-bye, then!"

As they exited the room, Asuka asked, "Where to next, O Great One?"

"There's nothing else on the second floor, so we have to go over the main floor, and the grounds," Kousuke responded, walking away as though she hadn't just insulted him.

It appeared that there was a staircase on both sides of the hallway. Asuka followed him down the west one, and across the tiles again, until they reached a small wooden door. She looked over her shoulder, looking to see if she could catch sight of Saki, but there was no sign of the brunette.

With nothing else to hold her back, Asuka pushed the door open.

Inside, there was a gorgeous indoor garden. Flowers and bushes surrounded the circular room, and the gigantic tree in the centre nearly took Asuka's breath away. Gorgeous purple flowers, with maple leaf esque leaves surrounded the base of the tree.

What was more surprising than the tree however, was the person perched near the top.

"How'd he even get up there?" Asuka wondered quietly.

As if he'd heard them, the boy began climbing down the tree, moving deftly from branch to branch. He leaped to the ground, and stood in front of them with a grin, "Greetings! Uh, how goes it?"

...Hi?

Asuka took a good look at the guy. His most striking feature was his blue hair, but his dark, muscular frame took a close second. She could hardly believe that he was a high-school student. He wore a short sleeved shirt with a tie, and jeans, which didn't match at all.

The guy gave her a thumbs up, "Name's Kenta Hasekura! You can probably guess my talent, but I'm known as the Super High-School Level Tree Climber."

"That's a talent?" Asuka blurted, before covering her mouth.

Kenta grinned, "Affirmative! Don't worry, I happen to get that quite a lot."

He's… very easy going.

"Who are you, by the by?" Kenta asked, "I introduced myself to Kotara-kun earlier, but you're a mystery."

"Asuka Ishikawa-"

Kousuke cut her off, "She's the tattoo artist."

Asuka glared at him, "I can introduce myself, thank you very much!"

"Just returning the favour," Kousuke responded,

Trying to get off the subject, Asuka said, "So… you climb trees?"

Kenta nodded, "Trees are the air I breathe! You'd be surprised how many tree climbing competitions actually exist. Little did you know, you have to respect a tree to be able to climb it. If you're rude, then-"

Asuka glanced to Kousuke for help, but he was focused on rooting through his backpack for something, leaving her to listen to Kenta's speech alone.

"-above all else, people who say that their favourite tree is a maple tree are either Canadian, or really can't even name six types off the top of their head. So… tell me your favourite kind of tree! I like the silver birch, myself."

Uh.

"I, um…" Asuka fumbled for something that wasn't a maple tree, "like… willow trees? They're aesthetically pleasing."

Kenta gave her a thumbs up, "Solid decision! They have such soft bark too, but the frame is so sturdy that they make a great climb! You should try it, if you even get the chance."

Asuka nodded and snuck another glance at Kousuke, then said, "Thanks, I'll… keep that in mind?"

Fuck that.

Before he could move onto another monologue, Asuka said, "We really should keep going and talk to everyone else. I'll see you."

"I can't wait!" Kenta said, "Farewell, Ishikawa-kun!"

Asuka grabbed Kousuke's wrist and tugged him further into the garden.