"What's the matter?" Ichijou asked as the pair stood outside of the tunnel to the Auditorium, looking around the city street.
Kasumi, looking around, finally noticed what had been bothering her since the stepped back onto the road, "Did the cicadas quiet down?"
Listening, Ichijou responded, "Oh, they did! They were quiet earlier too, they didn't really start up until a little before I fell."
Puzzled, Kasumi decided not to talk too much about that oddity for now, pondering it as the two walked up the winding slope. The higher they went, the more Kasumi became enamored by the fact that Ichijou survived this very fall. As they reached the halfway point, the road ended, going into a grated off area, that seemed to be a parking lot, but there was no way the two could get in. They continued along the path, now intended for walking rather than driving.
Finally reaching the top, Kasumi looked upward, seeing that there was still much of the mountain too see: the peak was far above them, capped in snow despite the warm weather. Looking in the vicinity, there was a path through more trees, though these much sparser. There was one landmark nearby though: embedded in the nearby mountain wall, a dirt path rife with ugly weeds led to a door, the nearby trees dead and dry. The double door was large and red, surrounded by black and white brick and two people could be seen hovering around. At the closer intersection of paths, Kasumi saw a signpost. One read 'Lodge', pointing deeper into the mountain level, but the one pointing to the red door read, 'Courtroom Elevator'.
"Courtroom?" Ichijou read aloud.
Kasumi blinked, wondering aloud, "Why would a Mountain Resort need a Courtroom?" Curiosity unlimited, she approached, taking the time spent walking to mentally prepare herself for the quirks the two standing by the door would no doubt have.
As the two approached, one of the other pair by the door came a bit closer. Kasumi heard the girl exclaim, "Oh crap, Ichijou!" Getting a closer look, Kasumi looked over the girl, trying to get a gauge on her Talent. She had short, pale pink hair, slicked back to allow her sharp blues eyes and forehead to be clearly visible. Her ears had a pair of gold earrings with deep red gems dangling from them. She wore a dark pink vest over a long sleeved white blouse and long black pants tucked into dark pink boots. She also wore a matching pair of long, dark pink gloves, which reached halfway up her forearm.
Reaching the pair, she clapped her hands in front of her, bowing her head, begging, "I'm sorry I almost killed you, Ichijou-san! I tripped! I'm not even clumsy, that kind of thing never happens to me!"
Taken aback for a moment, Ichijou held his hands up, motioning for her to calm herself as he replied, "Er, I'm fine, so don't work about it!"
The girl breathed a sigh of relief, as Kasumi looked between the two, her curiosity mounting. She finally asked, "How did you fall, exactly, Ichijou-san?"
Ichijou grimaced, before beginning to explain, "Well, I was talking with her, Ishihara-san, Moriko-chan, and Saruta-san, when this bird came out of nowhere and started clawing at me."
The pink haired girl stepped in, adding, "He was leaning on a fence, and it started to crack under his weight, since it was probably pretty old. I was closest, so I moved to help him, and sort of...tripped on a rock. I ran into him, the fence broke, and he kinda...fell."
Ichijou finished, "And I landed in the trees, where I waited until you came along, Kasumi-san!"
Kasumi felt her eye twitch, before confirming, "That does sound rather unlucky..." The old fence and the trip over a rock she could buy, but the inexplicable bird attack was what put it outside the realm of Kasumi's normalcy.
The girl laughed, "Yeah, no kidding." Looking over Kasumi, she asked, "So, who are you?"
Kasumi, sighed, "Who knows..."
The pink haired girl gave her a hard look as Ichijou shrugged, "No one does, really. Kasumi-san forgot. Amnesia."
Understanding, the girl replied, "Oh, really? You're pulling my leg." Kasumi didn't answer. At her silence, the girl finally introduced herself, "Okay then... Well, I'm Kobayashi Nagisa." Suddenly, she asked, "You ever been to Flimflam Junction?"
Kasumi gave a slight frown, and Kobayashi laughed, "Oh crap! The amnesia! My bad." Eye's glinting, she began to explain, "It's an amusement park in my hometown. I built it from the ground up, and it became pretty big! It's probably the most notable thing in miles, and now that this park tycoon is a Super High School Level Park Tycoon, it'll be a huge tourist destination. Future plans include going international."
A bit confused, Ichijou mentioned, "Oh yeah, you never really got a chance to tell me what an amusement park was earlier."
Kobayashi scratched at the back of her head a bit roughly as she muttered, "Er, t-that so?" Clearing her throat, she smoothed out her pink hair before explaining, "Basically, you pay money to get in, then you have access to a bunch of neat rides and stage shows. Honestly, I can't really describe it too someone who doesn't even know what a ferris wheel is. Maybe you should come you ding-dong!"
Ichijou laughed, "Maybe I should!"
Kobayashi smiled, "They don't call it an amusement park for nothing." Grinning widely, she backed up, letting out a booming laugh, "Ohohoho! Can you resist the temptations of the Ferry-Go-Round? Will your heart be able to take the thrills of the new Flashflam Coaster? Your mind says yes, but isn't that just what it wants you to think!?"
"I don't know!" Ichijou said almost proudly. Kasumi became conscious about her brain controlling her thoughts, wondering if it was on her side...then she realized that this was just plain silly.
Kobayashi took a breath, before finishing, "Well, we should worry about getting out of here first. We were waiting on you to come back, but now everyone's all scattered. I figure we'll all gather at the Restaurant when we're hungry though." With a wave, she bid farewell, "I'll be around."
As she left, Ichijou asked Kasumi, "Do you think amusement parks are fun? I've never heard of them before." Kasumi simply shrugged.
Continuing on, the two, kept going, reaching the door to the Courtroom Elevator. Kasumi saw the other person up close, a boy, whom was looking over the door, until he sensed the presence of the two and turned, sizing the pair up with his gold eyes through thing, black framed glasses. His long, yellow and black striped scarf made her wonder if anyone but Andou in her light dress and Ichijou in his yukata were in the proper attire for this heat, though she herself was included in the 'improperly dressed' group. He also wore a long sleeved, dark gray dress shirt and black and white plaid slacks. His shoes were somewhere between business and casual, but solid black.
The boy began staring a hole through Kasumi, whom began to get uncomfortable until Ichijou said, "Hey, Uzatei-san. What's this door?"
A slight look of displeasure crossing his face, Uzatei answered, "Who knows, it's not opening. Not even a budge. Perhaps with some luck, we can open it, but I don't see much point, unless there's a helicopter pad on the other side."
Ichijou looked up, before noting, "How would the helicopter get out of the room?"
Uzatei grimaced, "You've never heard of an indoor hangar? All you'd need is a hatch on the roof and...never mind." Turning to Kasumi, he admitted, "I can't talk with him. He lives so deep in the country side, he's probably friends with more rice plants than people." As Ichijou pouted, Uzatei began, "Uzatei Kotetsu, nice to meet you."
"Kasumi," the girl nodded. Uzatei waited for her to continue, and after a moment she admitted, "I'm afraid I don't know anything else. I'm somehow missing all of my memories."
Eyes hardening in thought, Uzatei wondered aloud, "How?
After a moment, Kasumi suggested, "I forgot?"
Uzatei smiled slightly, before saying, "Well, let's put that aside for now. Where did Andou, Ishihara, and Tamura run off too? Weren't they off looking for Ichijou-san?"
Explaining, Kasumi said, "Andou-san never made it into the forest, but she said she went to get her wound checked out, so I imagine she came back up here. Tamura-san and Ishihara-san are in the forest looking for each other."
Uzatei puffed out a cheek, before letting out a short laugh. "Honestly? Those numbskulls..." he chortled
There a few more moments of silence, Ichijou keeping his mouth shut, and Uzatei not having much to say. Kasumi finally broke the awkward silence, asking, "So, Uzatei-san, do you have a Talent?"
Uzatei scoffed, "Do I have a Talent? I've worked with some of the most graceful, beautiful, and gifted souls in the world! Supermodels, celebrities, even the rising stars! I am the Super High School Level Fashion Designer. I broke into the industry by pure skill, my family's considerable influence had no part in it, I assure you. I even have records of the fake name I used in the start, not wanting to let the name 'Uzatei' pave the way for my success."
"Is the Uzatei family well known?" Kasumi wondered.
Ichijou shrugged. Uzatei ignored him, tossing his scarf over his shoulder as he sighed, "They have a tendency to get what they want through whatever means necessary. They're no crime group, but through lies, bribery, and other cajoling, well...I suppose the best way to put it would be that the Uzatei family is disliked, but not openly so." Letting out a long sigh, he mumbled, "One can't choose their kin..."
Ichijou took a sharp breath, before clearing his throat, turning to Kasumi, and asking, "Let's head to the Lodge?" Kasumi nodded, before bidding farewell to Uzatei, whom decided to go at the doors again, leaning down and pawing at the crack between the elevator doors.
Walking down the path, Kasumi and Mitsuzi moved out of the region of dead trees, returning to the lush green, heading through the path into the sparse forest, the edge of the cliff out of sight. Finally they could see a large clearing. Nearby, at the edge of the forest, was a small, open, wooden shack, with one doorless opening and three tall windows. Farther along, Kasumi saw a number of buildings. There were eight identical, two story buildings on the left, near the cliff side, a fair distance away. A bit closer, Kasumi could see the cliff on the right, fenced off, a small building closer by with a red cross above the door. There were two more buildings in the distance, which Kasumi couldn't quite see yet. Even farther beyond them, Kasumi could see another path heading upwards to another mountain level, but even from here, she could see that it was blocked off as well by yet another boulder. It seemed like they were trapped, with nowhere to go but through the forest area below.
Curious about something else, Ichijou went towards the nearby shack, exclaiming, "Oh! There's a phone in here."
Coming over, Kasumi guessed, "Line 1, perhaps?" Reaching the shack, she stepped in the now cramped building.
Kasumi looked at the phone, which was identical to the other one in the Ranger Station. Lifting the receiver, Ichijou gingerly pressed the button that read 'Line 1'. The phone connected instantly. "Hello? Me?" Ichijou spoke.
"Hello? Me?" the phone repeated back at him.
The Luckster nodded with a smile, "Yup, Line 1!" Looking back at the phone, he tensed, before pressing 'Line 3'. A serious expression on his face, he waited as it rang for a few moments. Kasumi swallowed in anticipation, but whoever was up there didn't pick up again. Ichijou put down the receiver and let out a sigh. "Who was that earlier?" he grumbled.
Kasumi looked back at the path upward, before saying, "Well, it certainly wasn't one of us, right? You met the other thirteen earlier, and that boulder was still there, right?" Ichijou looked over, before nodding, confirming her suspicions.
"Maybe someone did something funny? We could ask, I know one person here who might be good with this kind of stuff," Ichijou suggested.
Kasumi nodded, exiting the shack as she stated, "Well then, let's not waste another moment." The first direction Kasumi headed was towards the building closer to the cliff, with the red cross. As Kasumi and Ichijou passed the door, Kasumi stopped, noticing something about the fence. Pointing at a part where it was broken, Kasumi asked, "Is that where you fell?"
Laughing a little awkwardly, Ichijou admitted, "Yeah..."
Reaching for the handle, Kasumi opened the door. Just as she did, she saw a familiar barefoot girl with long teal hair stumbled towards them, and her hand reaching for a doorknob that was no longer there, her face turned away. Sensing trouble, Kasumi reached out, catching her as lost her balance, stumbling out the door. Andou let out a gasp of surprise as Kasumi caught her, before looking up, bewildered.
"Oh, Kasumi-chan! Thank you!" She said gratefully as Kasumi righted her.
"Don't mention it," the girl in the blazer responded.
"Did you get your cut looked at, Moriko-chan?" Ichijou asked.
Andou nodded with a smile, "Yup!" Lifting her arm, she showed off a white bandage. "Bimaru-kun took care of me!"
Ichijou nodded his head, replying, "I see. We should probably see him though."
Andou nodded, saying, "Okay! I'm going to go see if I can find that bird again. He was so ginormous!" Scampering off, she left the two to their business.
Putting a few pieces together in her head, Kasumi entered the Medical Building. It was fairly small: there was one large room and a single, closed door near the entrance. Judging from the outside, it couldn't lead to anything more than a small room, likely supplies and such. Looking around the Building, there were two rows of beds against the walls, a few curtains available to block view if need be. Each bed had a stand nearby with some miscellaneous supplies scattered about. On the far wall was a large window, partly open, curtains pushed to the side, a light breeze coming through. There was a desk against the wall next to it, some books and papers scattered on it. There was also a small bookshelf tucked away in the corner of the room, and a sink on the opposite side.
Manipulating the mess was a fairly short boy in a white lab coat. He had short black hair that formed a small curl over his forehead, dropping between his two baggy, dark blue eyes. He wore a white vest over a light blue dress shirt with a small, yellow bow tie. He also had a black belt, brown slacks, and black dress shoes. Looking up at them, he said, "I apologize for the mess: things aren't organized how I like them, so I'm making it more to my liking." Seeing Ichijou, his eyes widened, and he said, "Oh, Ichijou-san. Good to see you still with us."
As the boy approached, he gave a look at Ichijou, crouching down and looking closely at his arms and legs. After a few moments, he finally stopped himself scratching his forehead and asking properly, "Any bumps or bruises? I see a few scratches: I'm would guess a tree caught you?" Ichijou nodded. Saruta said, "They don't look too deep, but I can take a look if you'd like."
Ichijou nodded, "Maybe later. I'm still showing Kasumi-san around."
The boy turned his head to Kasumi, who asked, "Saruta Bimaru, I presume?"
The black haired boy nodded, "Correct. I was accepted to Hope's Peak Academy with the title of Super High School Level Surgical Assistant. May I help you?"
"Perhaps," Kasumi began, before stopping herself. Feeling a bit nosy, she asked, "But first, how is a High School Student allowed to practice surgery?"
"With a Doctor's supervision, naturally," Saruta offered. Going back to work with reorganizing, he explained further, "As for how I got into it in the first place, doing some less than legal, unlicensed work for cheap earned me some attention. Well, cheap doesn't begin to cover it: I was paying more than the customers. Before any authorities took notice though, a surgeon at a nearby hospital found me, watching me work, and offering to lend his support. I ended up getting an internship at the hospital, and well, here I am."
Kasumi nodded, before finally explaining herself, "Well, there is something you may be able to help me with. You see, I have no memory of any events in my past before waking up or even my name beyond what it says on my broken ElectroID."
Saruta studied her closely, before saying, "I can give you a quick look, if you'd like. Are you in a hurry?" Kasumi shook her head. Saruta fiddled with his hair curl before looking to Ichijou and requesting, "If you could leave us be for a moment?"
"O-oh! No problem," the Luckster said, excusing himself, closing the door behind him.
Saruta pulled out a chair from the desk, saying, "Sit, please." Kasumi did so as Saruta went over to the sink, washing his hands before putting on a pair of gloves. Taking a paper, pencil, and clipboard, he jotted down a few things before pulling up a rolling stool, manipulating his lab coat before sitting down, asking, "Now, tell me from the beginning: where did you wake up?"
The next few minutes consisted of Kasumi recounting everything from when she woke up on the forest floor, from her encounter to Ichijou to the strange laughing person on the phone and her other meetings with the Hope's Peak Students. The whole while, Saruta simply nodded at times, jotting things down as she spoke.
Finally, she finished, and Saruta began to go into a bit more detail. "Now, when you woke up, were there any headaches or nausea?" he queried.
Kasumi rubbed her head, trying to test, but it felt normal to her. She shook her head, and Saruta nodded, before taking a flashlight and leaning in. "Lean your head back and hold still please. Try to keep your right eye wide open until I say so," he asked. Kasumi did as instructed, bracing herself as Saruta turned on the flashlight. She held her ground against the beam of light shining straight through her pupil to her retina. After a moment, Saruta requested she switch eyes, and soon enough he was done, allowing her to blink her eyes, trying to recover, while Saruta noted, "You didn't even flinch, well done. Your pupils are dilating perfectly, so no need to worry about a concussion."
Kasumi nodded, waiting for him to say something. With a slight sigh, Saruta admitted, "I'm afraid I won't be able to help you very much, unless you want a slightly more thorough check up. My diagnosis is that you have a case of retrograde amnesia, an odd one. Normally, when one would forget the events in their life, they would forget more than just those events, such as what they learned during them, though sometimes they retain knowledge subconsciously. However, your retained knowledge seems to be far more than subconscious, and your health seems to be more than adequate. All I can suggest is that if there are any changes, be sure to alert me. I'll let everyone know as well to keep an eye on you: if you wake tomorrow and have forgotten that you've met us, I'd like to know as soon as possible."
Kasumi swallowed, nodding, "Understood." She let out a slight sigh, wishing he had been a bit more helpful.
Saruta studied her, before toying with his curl again as he asked, "Just remember, you are free to tell me anything. Patient-Doctor confidentiality: nothing you say to me leaves this room. Anything you've done, may do, or think you've done..."
Kasumi nodded, "I understand." Looking past him at the large window, she said, "Er, you'd close that before I said anything, right?"
Saruta nodded with a slight smile, "Naturally."
Kasumi stood, saying, "Thank you for your time." As she took her leave, she could hear Saruta going back to work with reorganizing. Suddenly, she was a bit bothered, wondering why he was just treating the place like it was his already. Shaking her head, she left, exiting the building to see Ichijou crouching nearby, looking at a small, young tree.
Hearing Kasumi, the Ichijou stood, stretching as he asked, "So, did Saruta-san have any advice for you?"
Kasumi nodded, saying, "He suggested I be watched, just in case I forget anything else major, mostly."
Ichijou smiled, "Understood! I'll keep a good eye on you!"
Kasumi smiled slightly, responding, "Thank you, Ichijou-san."
Moving on, the two headed towards the cluster of two story buildings. Like much of the rest of the Resort, they were also wooden, possessing a couple windows. They were fairly squared by the sides, and aligned so that each of them had a direct line from the front to the fenced off cliff side, even though one row was farther back. Kasumi counted eight, but the second level of each was reachable by stairs, were there was another door, making it sixteen separate lodgings in eight buildings, just as Ichijou had implied earlier. The path Kasumi and Ichijou took went to a large flower basin, filled with colorful flora, and split, before splitting yet again into eight, each going straight to a door. One other thing stuck out though: there was a long white lounging chair, a girl inhabiting it, an empty glass sitting on the ground next to her. Her hair was medium length, going just to the middle of her neck, except for on her right side, where it was tied into a side-ponytail. She wore a white suit and skirt, and heeled shoes. Under her suit coat, she had a pink shirt and black tie. She wore stockings, and her legs were crossed as she sat. Her arms were crossed as well, and she didn't seemed particularly pleased for some reason. Kasumi wondered if she'd heard them walking over.
Circling the flower basin and approaching, Ichijou greeted her, "Hey there, Ganaha-san! Feeling relaxed yet?"
Without changing her expression, Ganaha unfurled her legs and stood. Lifting her hand, she threw off her sunglasses, revealing red eyes, before crouching down and grabbing her chair, suddenly flipping it over as she growled in frustration. Looking down at her cup, she lightly lifted her foot, tipping it over with her heeled shoe. "No!" she snarled, stamping her foot down on the dirt. Kasumi recoiled a bit as Ganaha fumed for a moment, biting her thumbnail with one hand and pulling her side-ponytail with her other. She finally raged, "I had stuff to do after school! They can't do this without consent! I'm going to sue Hope's Peak into the ground, no matter how many Super High School Level Lawyers they throw at me!"
"C-calm down a little, we'll find a way out of here!" Ichijou insisted.
Shifting gears, Ganaha began to pull at her hair, whining loudly, "I don't even know how long it's been! School started in spring but now its summer! What are those girls going to do without me!? Nanako doesn't trust most instructors! Moeka always forgets to take her medicine, and once that rash shows up it won't be gone for a couple days! Mai and Shiho are always fighting without me there to put a foot down!" She let out another strangled cry before letting her arms and head sink as she slumped, groaning quietly.
Frowning, Kasumi asked, "Are you quite finished?"
"Yeah..." Ganaha droned. Taking a deep breath, she patted down her hair and readjusted her tie, before looking at Kasumi and asking, "So, who the hell are you?"
Kasumi twitched, before looking at Ichijou pleadingly. Ichijou answered for her, "She's Kasumi! She doesn't remember anything though."
Ganaha looked between the two, mumbling, "Then how...never mind." Clearing her throat, she began, "I'm Ganaha Eriko, the Super High School Level Producer. Though I might as well be the manager too."
Not understanding, Kasumi asked, "Er, Producer?"
"I work for a company called 113 Productions, or 113 Pro for short. I work for my dad, who owns the company. Specifically, I oversee our idols: make sure they're preforming to company standards, get them interviews or time on television and radio to increase their popularity, book stages for concerts, etcetera etcetera," Ganaha explained.
Putting it into his own words, Ichijou mentioned, "Idols are basically singers, right?"
"Basically," Ganaha stated plainly. Explaining in more detail, "It's way showier though, the actual music usually sucks, but the concerts are a nice watch, especially when I'm directing things. It's not easy work though, but seeing those girls on the stage dancing their hearts out...oh, so worth it!" Once again, her mood changed as she fawned, her thoughts elsewhere.
Trying to reassure her, Kasumi reminded her, "Well, I imagine we'll sort something out when Ishihara-san and Tamura-san return."
Ganaha raised her eyebrow, asking, "Where'd they go?"
Ichijou answered, "They came to look for me after I fell."
"Huh? Fell?" Ganaha asked, seeming to get a little frustrated at her own confusion.
"It's sort of a long story," Kasumi replied.
Ganaha sighed, "Whatever, whatever. I'm going to my room." With a short wave, she turned and headed away; going to one of the Lodges on the left side.
Wiping her forehead, Kasumi muttered, trying to find the right words, "She seems...volatile?" Ichijou held up his thumb and index finger, signaling 'a little'.
Looking around for a moment, Ichijou headed down the path towards one of the buildings, heading to the one on the far right. Kasumi followed, guessing he was taking her to her room. Looking around at the building, she saw a narrow staircase heading up the side of the building, another door up above. Looking at the lower door, she noticed two plates, both scratched out to the point of being indecipherable. Kasumi guessed that the narrow one above the door was reserved for a name, but couldn't guess what the one on the door was. There was also a button next to the door, presumably a doorbell. Looking up, the door on the upper level was identical.
Ichijou walked up to the door, beginning to look over the scratched out nameplate. Kasumi followed, noting that the Lodge was a little worn down as she approached. She also noticed that the doorknob was had a wide and flat slit in it. Recognizing the dimensions, Kasumi withdrew her ElectroID as Ichijou said, "Yeah, I'm still not seeing anything."
"Excuse me," Kasumi said as she moved past him, inserting her ElectroID into the slot. It went in halfway before locking into place. Ichijou watched intently while a light shone from the slot, panning over the card. When it finished, it began to blink red.
"Huh? That's weird. It doesn't do that with mine," Ichijou mumbled.
Kasumi removed the card, before asking, "What normally happens?"
Ichijou answered, "It does the moving light thing, then the light flashes green and the door unlocks."
After thinking for a moment, Kasumi asked, "Would you show me?" Ichijou nodded, and turned towards the other Lodges, about to head over. Kasumi interrupted, saying, "Wait one moment, I want to check one more thing." Making haste, she took the side stairwell to the upper level, trying the other unnoted door. Once again, her card made the door slot blink red until she removed the card. She also rang the doorbell, but there was no response.
Finished, she returned to the lower level, following Ichijou across the length of the Lodges, to the one on the far left. Approaching, she noticed this building was less worn looking than the vacant one. Checking above the door, Kasumi clearly say the name 'Ichijou Mitsuzi' on a plate, but on the door was a strange piece of art, resembling Ichijou, made up of black and white squares. "W-what's this?" Kasumi asked.
Ichijou smiled, "Oh, it looks like me! Kinda neat, huh? There's one for everyone! Except you, I guess. I think Uzatei-san called it a mosaic. Anyway." Taking out his own ElectroID, he inserted it into the door slot, and it did just as he'd described, the door popping open once the ID was scanned. Kasumi wanted to look around the room a little, but they had other things to do, and it wasn't hers...
Curious about something, Kasumi closed the door and took out the ElectroID, giving it back to Ichijou, before inserting her own ElectroID into his door slot. "Hey, what are you doing?" Ichijou said curiously.
As Kasumi's card was being scanned, she responded, "Testing something." Just like before, once it finished scanning, it began to flash red. Kasumi said nothing, simply removing it.
Looking at the Luckster, Kasumi asked, "Do you mind if I try one more thing before we go explore a little more?"
"Sure," Ichijou said with a slight yawn, apparently getting a little bored. Kasumi nodded, before taking to the side of the house and heading up the stairs.
Reaching the next level, Kasumi saw yet another mosaic portrait on the door under the nameplate reading 'Uzatei Kotetsu'. Inserting her ElectroID into the slot of the Fashion Designer's door, it simply blinked red once more, as it had previously. Taking a step back, Kasumi requested, "Would you please try yours?"
"Eh? Why?" Ichijou asked, seeming to be a little hesitant.
Elaborating, Kasumi answered, "I want to see what happens when an ID that isn't broken is used on the wrong door...is there a problem?"
Ichijou scratched his head, answering, "I just don't like putting my card in other people's slots, is all."
Kasumi somehow managed to keep a straight face, simply staring blankly at him. She finally managed to say, "Understood." At her behest, Ichijou put his ElectroID in Uzatei's door slot without his consent.
As normal, it began to scan, and once finished, it buzzed, and flashed red twice, a slightly different reaction. Kasumi sighed, "Well, it seems my broken card isn't working properly with the doors in the first place..."
Ichijou shrugged, "We'll figure something out."
"Hopefully," Kasumi agreed. Finished with the experiment, the two left the Lodge area, passing the flower basin and returning to the path. Heading across the mountain Level, the blocked slope upwards got closer, and Kasumi was able to see the other two structures. Close to the fenced cliff, there was a fair sized building with open windows and a small chimney pipe from the top, the sign clearly reading 'Arashimine Resort Restaurant'. A bit closer, backed up against the cliff, were two large steel shipping containers, one black one atop one white one. On one side, the white one was open, a metal ladder going up too it, and on the other, the black one was open. Looking around, Kasumi could see a sign reading 'Storage Units'. The steel containers contracting the rest of the Resort tickled Kasumi's curiosity, and she approached, Ichijou following without word.
Reaching the opening to the white one first, Kasumi immediately began to climb up the ladder, curious as to what was being stored. Stepping in, it was a little dim, the only light being that from the outside and a battery powered lamp attached to the ceiling. The sides and back of the container were dominated by shelves. They were filled with numerous things for enjoyment: toys and game boards, sports equipment and balls. For some reason, it gave Kasumi an eerie unnatural feeling, like this didn't belong here. Done with her brief search, she returned to the ladder, descending. Reaching the ground, she saw Ichijou minding his own business, looking off in the distance towards the cliff.
"Did you already give this place a look?" Kasumi asked in wonder. Ichijou shook his head, making Kasumi raise an eyebrow, not sure why he didn't follow. Tilting her head, she asked, "Then why didn't you come up?"
Scratching his head, Ichijou replied, "You're wearing a skirt, Kasumi-san."
Looking down, she patted down her long, navy blue skirt, before saying, "Oh, right. Thank you for the consideration." Looking at his yukata, she figured it wouldn't have made much difference had he gone up first...
Wanting to check out the next one, Kasumi went to the other side, almost bumping into someone else as she rounded the corner. Taking a step back Kasumi got a better look at the boy. He was fair skinned, having short blonde hair. He wore an off-white long sleeved shirt, and ankle length green pants, his feet adorned by sandals. She couldn't see his green eyes until he lowered his sunglasses, eying Kasumi as Ichijou rounded the corner. Moving the back over his eyes, he grinned as he asked, "Oho, who do we have here?"
Introducing herself, Kasumi replied, "Er, I'm Kasumi."
"Skipping straight to first names? Not that I mind, call me Naoki-kun," the boy replied as he slipped his hands into his pockets. Looking over at Ichijou, he said, "Oh, sup. I heard you fell or something." Turning back to Kasumi, he asked, "So, what's your Talent, Kasumi-chan?"
Suppressing a grimace, Kasumi took a slight step back, replying, "I can't seem to recall. My Talent, my family name, anything."
Naoki showed concern for a moment, before replying, "Well, you must not have heard of me then, I'm hard to forget. Mikage Naoki, Super High School Level Farmer." Kasumi blinked quietly, not impressed. Mikage simply smiled, continuing, "Oh, don't give me that. You know Japan has the highest population by square mile in the world, right? That means we need more food than we can grow on our own, so that means other countries can make a boatload by selling us food for high prices, or at least, until we start growing using my methods. See, using a type of fertilizer I made...sorry, I won't bore you with the details, but anyway-"
Feeling like she was being demeaned, Kasumi gave him a hard look, interrupting, "No, do go on."
Mikage stopped, gaping as he stammered, "R-really?" With a slight shrug, he continued, "Well, basically, the fertilizer makes plants be able to grow even if planted deeper. Think of it this way, if a plant starts growing from below where the roots of plants growing higher up might reach, it allows plants to be placed closer to each other than normal. Depending on the plant, this can double or triple space efficiency. And I'm just getting started. We'll see how much I can improve at Hope's Peak Academy...maybe." Looking around, he grumbled, "Whenever we figure out what's going on here..."
Kasumi nodded in agreement. She hadn't been particularly interested in what he was saying, but the way he had assumed she wouldn't be interested bothered her a little.
Mikage let out a sigh, saying, "Well, I can't say I know when we'll come up with some way to get out of here, but in the meantime, I figure we can have a little fun, right? Relax a little, extra vacation time." Stopping himself, he turned, saying, "Oh right, before I forget." Turning, he went into the black shipping container, returning a few moments later with a large, plastic jug, easily able to hold twenty liters, or around five gallons.
"What's that for?" Ichijou asked.
"A surprise," Mikage answered, hoisting it over his shoulder. The Farmer looked over Kasumi again, before saying, "It's pretty hot, shouldn't you take off that blazer?"
Displeased with being asked to strip, Kasumi gave him a hard look, before reminding him, "I don't really have anywhere to put it. I don't have any other pockets either."
Mikage nodded, before scratching his chin with his free hand, offering, "You know, it wouldn't be hard to sew some on there. I bet there's the stuff to do it around here somewhere."
"I'll be fine, thank you," Kasumi insisted.
Mikage simply shrugged, before readjusting the empty plastic jug on his shoulder and turning to the Lodges, saying, "Anyway, I'm going to go get started on that. Catch you later, Kasumi-chan."
Once he was out of ear shot, Kasumi mumbled, "Only two more left..."
"What was that?" Ichijou asked.
"Nothing," Kasumi said quickly, waiting eager for a time when she wouldn't have to explain her amnesia again.
Moving on, Kasumi went to check out the black storage container, finding it full of more items. There was another jug like the one Mikage took, but there were also some building supplies like planks and chains. Kasumi also spotted on the shelves: trays of screws, flashlights, ropes, tarps, chains, wires, nails, packs, tools, extra medical supplies, a hopelessly misplaced box of silverware, and some other stuff like buckets and brooms. Not seeing anything particularly unique or interesting, the duo left, heading past the blocked slope upwards to the Resort Restaurant. As it was mostly opened do to its wide, pane-less windows, Kasumi could spot two people inside, seemingly chatting at one of the tables. Ichijou and Kasumi entered the roomy restaurant, two tables set for eight each out, and a counter with a few stools affixed to the ground. There was also a swinging door, likely headed to a Kitchen. Kasumi looked to the two whom sat at the table, some snacks laid about: fresh fruit mostly. The first one who caught her eye was huge, easily coming close to being two meters tall. Kasumi's presumption of her gender were quashed upon a closer look: the muscled frame implied it was a man, but the girl's deep purple short sleeved shirt over her busty chest revealed otherwise, unless it was some sort of strange prank. She had curly auburn hair which rested on her shoulders, but was rounded flat around her crown, the culprit likely being the yellow construction helmet sitting on the table next to her. Kasumi also noticed a watch on her wrist. The girl looked at Kasumi with piercing brown eyes and a hard expression. She also wore gray slacks and heavy black shoes.
The other person at the table was a short boy, made to look even shorter sitting nearby the resident Oni. His short black hair spiked up in the front a bit, and he wore large brown framed glasses over his yellow eyes. He was a bit hefty, wearing a light-gray; button up, short sleeved shirt tucked into tan pants. He also wore a black belt and tie, white dress shoes, and a watch around his wrist. The boy sat up straight, greeting, "O-oh, hello there!" The large 'girl' (Kasumi was still hesitant to use that term) said nothing, simply lifting a slice of orange and popping it into her mouth, rind and all.
"Hi!" Ichijou said with a smile.
The boy scratched his head, admitting, "Sorry, just a little surprised to see you, Ichijou-san. Kobayashi-san was going a little crazy because you fell or something."
Putting his hands behind his head, Mitsuzi insisted, "Don't worry, I didn't hit the ground too hard."
The boy laughed a little awkwardly, before looking over at Kasumi. He spoke, a tad nervously, "Hello to you too! Um..."
"Kasumi: it's the only name I know. I can't seem to remember much," the girl with the long pale purple hair replied.
"Eh? Really?" the boy gasped. Kasumi simply nodded.
Swallowing the orange slice, the girl snorted, "A likely story."
Kasumi sighed, "Well, I can't exactly prove it, can I?"
"Don't you get smart with me..." the girl warned. Kasumi stopped, swallowing, suddenly a little fearful for her physical wellbeing.
"A-anyway," the boy with the tie stepped in. "I'm Furugori Y-Yasuo, the Super High School Level Computer Engineer. I was just messing around and well, I guess I made a pretty good computer! As in, one of the best in the world, apparently," he explained, scratching his head sheepishly.
Ichijou suddenly gasped, "Ah! What if it gets stolen while you're gone? You said they're about this big..." Ichijou mimed out with his hands the approximate size of a computer.
Furugori shook his head, saying with confidence, "Not this one, no way. Normal computers are about that big, but this one takes up about half of our spare room..."
Ichijou nodded, "Oh, I see. Never mind. It'll be fine, probably."
Furugori laughed nervously, "Okay, now you're making me worried."
Ichijou continued, "It's just the way you described it! Computers sound useful, I want one now!"
Furugori smiled, "Maybe I can help out! Well, if we ever get out of here, that is."
"We'll find some way to get help, don't worry," Ichijou insisted.
As the conversation wound down, Kasumi looked over to the large girl, whom ate silently. Sensing the gaze, she swallowed her food, before saying, "Minami Fuyuko, Super High School Level Contractor."
Raising an eyebrow, Kasumi parroted, "Contractor?"
"Did I stutter?" Minami said firmly.
Kasumi sighed bitterly, "No, but I wasn't particularly interested anyway. I just wanted to give you the chance to brag about your Talents as I have with everyone else. It's not as though I have any." Glancing aside, she noticed Ichijou and Furugori were staying quiet, looking aside as they avoided getting involved in the conversation.
Minami stood suddenly, and Kasumi took a cautious step back. "Fine," Minami hissed, before continuing, "I manage the worksites of construction sites, advise architects and engineers, using the budget to hire laborers like electricians, plumbers, carpenters, framers, roofers, drywallers, ironworkers, and others, oversee them as they work, and do everything I can to insure the building is constructed within the timeframe given within the budget allocated."
Kasumi nodded, before thinking of Ganaha, suggesting, "It sounds like hard work, nothing you'd want to be away from for long."
Fuyuko grabbed her helmet, holding it by her side, asking, "What of it?"
Kasumi shook her head, "Nothing..." The conversation over Minami took her last slice of orange and left.
Once she was gone, Furugori breathed a sigh of relief, "Whew, I thought she was going to hurt you for a moment there, Kasumi-san." Wiping her forehead, Kasumi didn't admit it openly, but she'd thought the same thing.
"Oh yeah, Furugori-san, there was something we wanted to talk to you about!" Ichijou blurted, suddenly recalling something.
The Computer Engineer asked, "What is it?"
Kasumi explained, "Earlier, I used the phone in the Ranger Station on the lower level. I used 'Line 3', and someone picked up. However, the only Lines we can reach right now are 0 and 1, 1 being the one over there, by the treeline, and 0 being on the Level below. Is it possible that it was a trick? Someone manipulating things regarding the phones to trick me into thinking something was amiss?"
Furgori averted his eyes, thinking, "W-well...I haven't seen if anyone was over there messing with the phone recently, but I can give it a look. I think it'd be pretty hard to mess with it and not leave any trace."
"It would be appreciated," Kasumi nodded. Speculating, she said, "But if it hasn't been tampered with, then there is someone else here, presumably on the Third Level, if we say that this one is the First Level and the one below is Ground Level."
Looking in the direction of the slope upward, Ichijou wondered, "How did someone do that? Super High School Level Rock Climber?"
Kasumi admitted, "True, it could have been possible when you take Talents into account."
Looking up at Kasumi, Furugori suggested, "H-have you met Ishihara-san yet? D-do you think he might be able to get around that boulder blocking the road with a glider? Then he might be able to take the road until he f-finds help."
"There's also the forest route," Kasumi mentioned.
Ichijou scratched his chin, "I think Nagasaki-san would be useful, but I also..."
"Think she might not be?" Kasumi finished for him, thinking about her anxiety. Ichijou nodded in agreement. After a moment, Kasumi said, "Let's wait until Ishihara-san and Tamura-san get back before we start making any plans though." Remembering Kobayashi's suggestion that they might meet closer to mealtime, Kasumi asked, "What time is it?"
Furugori turned his wrist, checking his watch, answering, "Th-three-thirty-three. So we've been conscious around six hours..."
"Hmm, and when did you fall, Ichijou-san?" Kasumi asked.
"Eh? Oh, a bit after eleven I think," Ichijou answered. Kasumi nodded, estimating that she woke up a little before that, about one and a half hours after the others.
After a moment of silence, Furugori picked up his snack, taking it to the Kitchen, leaving the two alone. Recalling something, Kasumi asked, "Ichijou-san, would you mind if I borrowed your ElectroID? I'd like to give it a look, if you don't mind. I'd take a look at mine, but, well..."
"Oh, no problem!" Ichijou said, handing it over without much thought. "Oh, I'll need that back later, I've got to get into my room somehow," he added. Kasumi nodded as she took it, taking a seat at the table. After a moment of thought, Ichijou said, "I'm going to go see if Ishihara-san and Tamura-san came back yet! See you later, Kasumi-san."
Kasumi nodded, "Thank you for the help, Ichijou-san. I appreciated it." The Luckster gave her one last smile before he headed out, leaving her to her business. As she turned on the ElectroID, Furugori returned from the Kitchen, leaving without another word to Kasumi, whom didn't look up from her business. Alone for now, she was a little glad for the quiet, especially when compared to before, when she first awoke. Then, she was alone, but at least now, though she sat in solitude, she knew there were others.
Looking at the ElectroID's menus, Kasumi began to flip through. The Report Card section seemed to have data on the group of them. Mugshots, height, weight, likes, dislikes, Talent...all except for her. Her page was lacking in information compared to the others, having no Talent or likes list and only one dislike: 'strange people'. Looking at her mugshot, she could see her pale purple hair and blue eyes just fine, but where the name was, there was only the word 'Kasumi'. It didn't even include the lone bit of her family name her own ID displayed. She was a little confused: what if Ichijou had dubbed her as 'Kasuka' instead? Would it display that name? What did it look like before he encountered her? She supposed she could ask, but it didn't seem like it would answer much, but there were two possibilities. One was that it was very advanced technology, and the other was that they were being observed, and the thing was being updated as information about the kids here became known. Looking around cautiously, she only saw a monitor in the corner, like the many around the whole Resort, but there were no cameras of any sort...
Moving on, hoping in the back of her mind no one came to her and asked 'do you think I'm strange?', she went to the Rules.
Rule 1: Students are not allowed to leave the Resort unless given express permission by the Headmaster.
That first rule alone made Kasumi's mind flare with questions. Headmaster? Was he here? Perhaps on the Third Level? And Headmaster of what, exactly, Hope's Peak Academy? Brushing that aside, she read the rest:
Rule 2: The Period of 10 PM to 7 AM is 'nighttime'. During this time period, the Resort Restaurant and Storage Units will be closed and locked until morning.
Rule 3: Sleep is only allowed in the Lodges or a bed, such as those in the Medical Building. To sleep elsewhere is forbidden.
Rule 4: Violence against the Headmaster is forbidden.
Rule 5: Vandalism is forbidden. You may not break or disassemble any doors or walls.
Rule 6: Destroying or tampering with monitors or hidden cameras is forbidden.
Rule 7: Rules may be added during the course of the Exam. There will be an announcement in the event that this occurs, ensuring all Students are aware of the changes.
Reading through them again, Kasumi frowned. The worst thing she'd learned was regarding the hidden cameras, which meant they were being observed. The other rules were disgustingly specific. Kasumi's stomach churned in displeasure: it felt like she was being toyed with.
Backing up and going to another menu, she found the Resort Map, which had diagrams of the locations on the two levels. The First Level she had already explored, but there were two things of note on the Ground Level. One was an unlabeled building somewhere in the woods, not too far from the blocked tunnel. The other was a blurred line near where the forest opened up into the wilderness beyond, where they had hoped escape might be possible, but it was beginning to seem less and less likely.
Kasumi jumped when she heard the sound of static, turning her head to see the monitor turn on suddenly. The noise stopped, and after a moment, she heard the sound of a bugle playing reveille, as if to awaken those listening. But it wasn't quite right, it was off, there was the occasional misplayed note, and the pitch overall was lower, resulting in an eerier sound. When it ended, Kasumi saw a rounded silhouette appear on the monitor. She then heard a sickeningly cute voice make an announcement.
"Ahem, Aaaahem. Mic check, mic check... Upupu~ Would the Hope's Peak Students of the Arashimine Resort Class Trip please come to the Auditorium on the Ground Level! We know you're eager to get started, so without further ado, please, waste no time!"
And Despairingly Displaced begins! And don't worry, there may be another bunch of weirdos to get used to, but you can expect some familiar faces to return later. Just hope it's not just Tachibana again.
To help you keep track of these guys, here's an aid, the Report Cards! /YPRa0DQf
And a quick FYI, I will be having Free Times for the first Chapter, but I won't be doing a vote, they're already chosen. You'll see the first Free Time voting poll after the first Trial for Chapter 2. I figure I'll give you a little more time to get familiar with these fellas before you start choosing who to see a little more of.
I'm glad to be seeing the support/hype for the sequel! Trust me, I'm just as hyped to finally be uploading it. Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I've never done a sequel to anything, so this is new to me. I can only hope you'll find it satisfying when all is said and done.
And lastly, for the unfamiliar, my update schedule is 'every other day'. The last two days (5-6 and the Prologue) were exceptions due to the short chapters, but from here on, you can expect a steady schedule UNLESS a combination of work and a tough to write Free Time holds me back a day or so, though in that case I'll get back to the normal schedule asap. So expect the next chapter on June 1st, the another new one on the 3rd, and so forth.
