It wasn't long after I left the arcade that a new building came into view among the grey buildings of the walled city. A short distance away from me was a humble edifice, the outer walls coloured in a soft pink-ish colour with big, dark purple flowers of many sizes and shapes painted onto them. The outer ring of the building had a bunch of flower pots with various colours and types of flowers blooming from within them, and the sign above the glass entryway read 'Floral Fantasies', the dot above the 'I' being cleverly replaced by a flower.

As I approached the building, I noticed a girl in a dark blue kimono that reached just around the knees, dotted with silver drawings of flowers - can't get enough of this motif around this place, can I? - and a silver belt-like fabric that seemed to tie into a knot behind her back. Her bottom half was concealed by the skirt-half of the kimono, as well a thin black stocking that climbed her legs up until the mid-thigh, and silver high heels. She also boasted cobalt blue hair that was tied into a bun on top of her head, with - guess what - white flowers woven into it so it could stay propped up.

Next to her was another lady. Well, maybe lady isn't the most appropriate way to describe her, as she is just around my age, I guess... but she was certainly dressed very maturely. She wore a plain white shirt with a black pair of sunglasses hanging from the collar. She also had a black business jacket, as well as a black pair of gloves, black pants and black high heels. The only thing that wasn't black on her, actually, was her beautiful, straight shoulder-length white hair and her emerald-green eyes.

"You have been staring intently at us for quite some time, young man. Is something the matter?" the woman in black woke me from my observations quite monotonely, almost as if she was bored by my sudden appearance.

The cobalt-blue girl turned to her side and was met by a blushing me. "Oh hello there!" her voice was much more emotional, and it had a silky smooth tone that played itself like music to my ears.

Embarassingly, I decided to step forward and introduce myself. "Hello" I scratch my arm, mustering a playful, yet shy smile. "I'm Tsukushi Hananari, nice to meet you. SHSL Defense Attorney" I held my hand out, waiting to be met by either one of the girls in front of me.

"Oh, you must be the one who had yet to wake up!" the girl in the kimono twirled a piece of her hair around her index finger before making both her hands meet mine, shaking them simultaneously. "I hadn't had the pleasure of speaking with you yet. My name is Kikyo Namikaze, but you are more than welcome to call me Kikyo. I am the SHSL Hair Stylist." she said, politely a grin on her face.

KIKYO NAMIKAZE - SHSL HAIR STYLIST

Hair stylist, huh? That's a pretty interesting talent. Granted, it won't give you much fame, fortune or anything inbetween - or at least I wouldn't think so - but it sounds cool enough.

I turned my eyes to the other woman who simply observed me as she tapped the bridge of her nose with her glove-covered index finger. "And you are...?"

"What makes you think I'd be willing to tell my own personal information to a stranger?" she addressed me with suspicion, making me tilt my head, eyes widened. What a weird gal - although I kind of understand her point. We really are just a bunch of strangers who got thrown in here, and we don't know each other. "For all I know, we can have the SHSL Serial Killer in front of us, pretending to be another person in order to gain our trust. Or the SHSL Spy, trying to gain some precious information on all of us."

"Y-You do have a point..." I stuttered. What would you expect me to do, anyway? Up until now, no one had any problems with telling me their name.

Kikyo decided to hop into the conversation and give me an interesting detail. "She also didn't tell me her real name. However, she prefers to go by the nickname 'Blackjack 21', or simply 'Blackjack'. And she's the SHSL Information Broker." she explained, air-quoting the nickname.

BLACKJACK 21? - SHSL INFORMATION BROKER

"Miss Namikaze, I have told you before that it is not a nickname. It is simply the name I choose to go by in my business." she corrected Kikyo's statement, receiving an apologetic shrug from the hairstylist.

"So... defense attorney, yes? That sounds like quite the job." Kikyo tried to make conversation, a big, warm smile on her face.

"That's right! It's a lot of work, but I can manage." I answer truthfully, recalling all the times in court where I thought I was done for, only to be saved by my random epiphanies. "Hair stylist is a pretty interesting talent as well! I take it you do your own hair?"

Kikyo chuckled at the question. "I do, actually! Not to brag, but I quite like the work I do on myself! Most hair stylists can't do it too well, but I guess I was gifted, yes? Again, I'm sorry if I sound conceited." she scratched the nape of her neck.

"No, no, not at all!" I laugh lowly, turning to Blackjack. "How about you, Blackjack? What does an information broker do?"

She eyed me, green eyes digging into my soul, making me flinch if only for a split second. "I search for information, and sell it for a price. That is about it." a succint explanation, to be sure. Seems like this one isn't too keen on talking.

Suddenly, the very reason I came around here popped back into my mind. "Have any of you seen a prosecutor? The SHSL Prosecutor, to be precise."

"Ah, Miss Nakajima, surely." Blackjack responded, startling Kikyo into recalling something as well.

"She was here a while ago!" at those words, I immediately deflated. Pursuing this god forsaken attorney is starting to feel like a wild-goose chase. "She left with Eita and Asuyo a little bit ago, said they were going to the diner." she added a new location for me to try - and probably fail - to find the prosecutor, if my past three ventures were any indication.

With a defeated sigh, I picked myself up and said goodbye to the two girls, hoping to leave for the diner, until a boy caught my attention as he left from inside the flower shop. He wore a full body brown jumpsuit, much like the ones janitors wore in big company buildings, brown working boots and a grey cap on his head, from which protruted strands of short, shaggy black hair. His eyes were covered by the tip of the cap, but the glimpse I caught of them made them look hooded and amber-coloured.

"Listen to this, ladies." he began, almost as if he was being forced to talk. His voice was lazy and drawn-out. "That good-for-nothing boxer left crumbs all over the supermarket aisle because he decided to destroy all the chocolate cookies! And now he's telling me to clean it up!" he complained. "Do I look like a janitor? NO! But now that I know there's a mess over there, I can't help but go clean!"

Oh god, no. Not the cookies.

"Who're you?" he groaned as he looked at my chest, careful not to let his eyes be seen - for some reason. "Haven't seen you 'round before, have I?"

I hurriedly held my hand out, similarly to how I did to Kikyo and Blackjack, and hoped for him to shake it. "No, no, I overslept and I'm going around town for the first time now. The name's Tsukushi Hananari, SHSL Defense Attorney. Glad to meet you!"

"Defense attorney, huh?" he scoffed. "Too much work. I'm Kiyoshi Ikeda, but you can call me Kiyo. SHSL Custodian. And before you even think about it... no, that's not the same thing as a janitor."

KIYOSHI IKEDA - SHSL CUSTODIAN

It's like he took the question right out of my mouth, and by the rage he seems to have against being called a janitor, I'm glad he did. "Now I need to go to the supermarket and clean that health nut's mess. God, I hate litter..." he ranted as he moved away from us and towards the supermarket, taking the road I came from.

"That was Mr. Ikeda" Blackjack added, rather uselessly. He'd just introduced himself to me, I'd assume I wouldn't need a reassurance of his name. "He abhorres any kind of littering or trash on the floor, so try to not anger him."

"Wouldn't dream of it." I raise an eyebrow at Blackjack's suspicions and turn around, facing the road in front of me. "See you later, girls, it was very nice meeting you!" I excused myself with a wave, receiving a wave from both the girls, as well a goodbye smile from Kikyo. Blackjack, however, had the deadpan expression that was starting to look more and more like her signature look.

A good few minutes into walking a curvy road, surrounded by locked buildings, houses and shops, I ended up in front of a grey building with a red neon sign reading 'DINER: OPEN FROM 7AM TO 10PM'.

Pretty weird timespan...

Unphased by that information, though, I decided to walk in. The inside of the diner was like everything I imagine a retro diner to look like. Black and white checkered floor, red stools along a white stand, red booths with a plain white table, neon signs of burgers and hot dogs dotted around the white cement walls, along with a few framed documents or something. The western wall had a square hole in it that led to the kitchen, I'd assume, if what I saw beyond it was to be believed. The only thing missing to make this a perfect set for an 80's movie would be a flirty waitress with an outdated hairdo and a yellow and red striped outfit, a white apron an- I should stop.

"Excuse me?" a male voice broke me from my thoughts. Why I always am lost in thought after I go inside a building is beyond me, though. Maybe I just like taking in my surroundings. "Is everything alright, sir?"

I was met by a young man with soft, elegant features to match his formal, equally elegant outfit of choice. His high-collared black tuxedo jacket did quite a bad job at hiding his black vest and white dress shirt underneath - yeah, white button-up shirts seem to be a trend I skipped out on - and black pants, as well black dress shoes and thin, clean white gloves. A golden chain connected his breast pocket to one of the golden buttons on his jacket, presumably part of a pocket watch. His gentle face was adorned with red hair, much similar to mine, although not nearly as messy as my own. He also boasted light brown eyes.

The politeness I was treated with right off the bat took me by surprise, I admit. "I'm fine, thank you." I approached him, as well the other boy sat down on the booth who had now began ignoring me for some reason. "I don't think I've seen you, right? I woke up a little bit ago."

"Then you must be the one who wouldn't wake up at the hotel, correct?" I see my reputation here precedes me. What a rotten first impression to make... "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, new master. My name is Yuki Batora, SHSL Butler. My services are at your disposal from this moment onward, if need be."

YUKI BATORA - SHSL BUTLER

"My name is Tsukushi Hananari. Nice to meet you, Yuki" I smiled and held my hand out, immediately being met by his colder, smaller hand. His pale fingers then moved from my hand to his breast pocket, confirming my hypothesis, before glancing at it and putting it back in place. "Nice watch."

Yuki looked at me with a genuine, warm smile. "Why thank you, Master Hananari. It is a family heirloom." he nodded, patting his chest right where the watch was lightly, with a certain pride to his expression. "Would you like to sit down and have a cup of tea with us? It would be my pleasure to serve you my signature infusion."

I sat down in the booth hesitantly, not wanting to disturb Yuki but eventually caving in to his offer. "Thank you, Yuki." I said, being answered only by a nod as he pushed open the door to the kitchen. I could peek all I wanted, but I couldn't seem to get a good view of what he was doing through the large window on the wall. Realizing I've been ignoring the elephant in the room, I look back at the other boy who was sat down with the Butler, only to be startled by finding him already looking intently at me. I can't really complain much - I do it a lot too - but I'd like to think I'm a bit more discreet.

His hooded, light-purple eyes gave him a drowsy and uninterested expression, almost making him look half-asleep, although it'd be a more convincing act if he weren't staring directly into my eyes. The messy locks that framed his face neatly were platinum blond in colour, making the rebellious ahoge he had pointing to the right stick out like a sore thumb - although not in a bad way, particularly. He wore quite a few layers of visible clothing, starting by the white button-up shirt - need I say anything more - under a light-brown blazer, under a black and white jacket, that looked a little bit like a sweater, if anything. By his side, he had a white coat with black detailing, a.k.a. another layer of clothes. He also wore black pants and shoes which, again, sounded like a staple.

Makes me feel like everyone's wearing a uniform or something.

"Is... something the matter?"

"Nothing at all." his voice was monotone, almost robotic, but had a nice ring to it. It was almost... pleasant to hear. "I was just looking at you. Is there something wrong with that?" he continued

"N-Not at all..." I shrugged as I stuttered and a bit of an awkward silence lurked in the air.

Suddenly, Yuki appeared by our side, a silver tray with a teapot and a white, porcelain cup with purple drawings on it. "Here's the tea, Master Hananari. I hope you enjoy." he commented as he sat down in the stool by the side. "I see you've met Master Kurogane, yes?"

"Kind of..."

"Kind of?" said the other kid. "You haven't talked to me." his voice was still as monotone as before. "I was here, lost in thought."

Yuki showed legitimate curiosity in his statement. "What were you thinking about, pray tell?"

"I sense immediate danger. A big catastrophe that has only now began to unfold upon us. Batora, don't you feel it?" Yuki nodded negatively, eyes widened and his usual small smile now vanished, replaced by slightly parted lips. "I feel death."

"D-Death?" I couldn't contain my surprise, and neither could Yuki, judging by how he gasped. "What do you mean, death?"

He rested his elbows on the table, intertwined his fingers and let his sharp nose rest on the back of his own hands. His soft, almost angelic features made him look a bit feminine, but even so, he sounded menacing. I mean, talking about death with little to no emotion in one's voice is quite strange. "Yes, death. Murder."

Yuki took his hands up to his chest. "Master Kurogane! Please don't say such things!"

"It's my prediction, anyway." his expression was still deadpan and without any emotion, making this topic of conversation all the more uncomfortable. "And my calculations are always accurate."

"There's a first time for everything, master..." Yuki tried to stay hopeful and shrug it off, but there was something in the air that made those words believable.

The other boy shot a glare at the Butler and then closed his eyes again. "That is true. Only time will tell." he stood up and made his way to the front door. "The name's Eita Kurogane, SHSL Estimator. Nice to meet you, Hananari." he walked out without another word.

EITA KUROGANE - SHSL ESTIMATOR

What was that all about...?

"Pay Master Kurogane no mind, please." Yuki pleaded. "He is probably trying to scare us, Master Hananari. Enjoy your tea, please." he pushed the tray further onto the table and closer to me.

"I'm so sorry, Yuki, but I really need to go... I'm searching for the SHSL Prosecutor, as well as going around town and all that. Do you mind if I skip on this one?"

Yuki's eyes turned down and his face dropped, a little bit disappointed before perking right up again. "I know! There are a few takeout cups in the kitchen, would you like me to pour the tea in there for you to consume later?" I thanked him for the offer and left the diner with a white plastic cup, sealed with a black plastic so the heat would stay inside the actual container. The cup didn't feel warm at all, though.

Item Obtained!
Yuki's Special Tea

Yuki's signature herb infusion, made with all the love and care of a professional butler. It is an unlikely mixture of ginger, peppermint and lemon that actually tastes good, despite sounding absolutely despicable. Yuki always carries spare baggies of this special tea around him so he can serve it to anyone on the fly.

The walk from the diner to the ranch was one of the longest, if not the longest one I had between any two buildings - possibly being a close second to the walk between the hotel and the supermarket. The ranch itself was divided into three sections from what I could gather at the entrance. There was a set of open-air pens with loads of cute little animals inside like pigs, cows and sheep to my left; a vast orchard to my right; and between the two, a grand building - similar to a barn - erected out of light brown wood with darker wood setting the corners and the sides apart from the walls themselves. The doors to the barn were slammed open, and from the inside, I was just drowning in the smell of manure and wet fur. On top of said open doors, was a plaque similar to the hotel's where the words 'WELCOME TO YELLOWSEED RANCH' were engraved neatly.

There were horses inside, though, and I like horses. Like, a lot.

Ignoring my darling little equestrians for a second, I turned to my left and ventured inbetween the 'moo's and the 'bah's, the overpowering smell of manure still very much present in the air. Pigs, rabbits, cows and sheep were scattered around the grassy expanse, and the farthest entrance from the little 'hallway' was to a small pond with ducks in it. The cool thing about the duck pen, though, was that there was a guy resting his back on the wood column that acted as the corner between two sides of the rectangular space, throwing little pieces of bread to the green and gray ducks at his feet.

I walked a little further, my feet rustling the grass undernath them making the boy turn around suddenly, making his features more prominent. He had a small nose and a little scar on his cheek, partially hidden by his messy, jet black hair, its bangs almost concealing bright red eyes. His clothing, believe it or not, had no white button-up shirts at all. I know, shocking. He was sporting a white, warm-looking turtleneck shirt under a black coat, the strap of a Nikon camera wrapped around the back of his neck. As far as legwear went, he was wearing dark blue jeans and shiny black flats.

"Oi!" he waved, gesturing me to come on over to his side. I walked over to the pen and rested my elbows on the criss-crossed wood that made the walls. "Hello there, haven't seen you around." he turned back around and rested his butt back on the wooden corner, throwing another little piece of bread to the baby duck below him.

"I'm the heavy sleeper." I joke.

"You're the one who wouldn't wake up then?" he said after laughing. "We waited a bit for you, you know? Banged on your door quite a while, as well. Heavy sleeper is a little bit of an understatement, right?" he laughed again, dropping another piece of bread. Despite his laid-back attitude, he struck me as polite, with his clear and melodious voice.

I laugh quietly. "I guess. I'm Tsukushi Hananari, SHSL Defense Attorney. Nice to meet you!"

"Likewise." he dropped a piece of bread and held his hand out, shaking mine vigorously. "I'm Yatarou. Yatarou Nekomirin, SHSL International Tour Guide. I know, it's quite the long title, and it makes my introductions a bit winded, but I hope you can look past that." he turns back around.

YATAROU NEKOMIRIN - SHSL INTERNATIONAL TOUR GUIDE

"Are you all alone here?" I ask, reviving the conversation.

"You haven't been to the plantation yet? Or the stables, is that right?" he asks, dropping his last piece of bread farther away from him before quickly rushing out of the pen, leaving the satisfied ducks to go back to their daily lives. "Most people prefer the cute horses or the peaceful wind rustling the leaves over coming down here with a bunch of stinky animals. I quite like animals, myself."

"So do I!" I state after agreeing with his previous statement. I guess it'd be expected for one to choose fruit trees over walking, talking, breathing pieces of beef and pork. Not that I see farm animals that way! Just saying, most people do.

"Well, that means you haven't met our lovely neighbourhood Gardener yet, isn't that right?" he cheered, wrapping an arm around my back and pushing me to the front of the ranch. "Come now, I'll take you to her." I nodded and started walking alongside him to the front gate and around the stables, until we reached the refreshing shade of the orchard.

In the distance, I noticed some girl tilling land right beside the stable wall. "Is that her?"

"Right you are." he whispered. "She's a little shy, just so you know. I'm sure you'll do a good job of talking to her, though, isn't that right?" it's around this point that I notice a habit forming in his speech - or his catchphrase to put it simply. Not that I mind, I might have a few ticks of my own that I don't notice half the time. "Excuse me? Chigusa?" he called, making the girl turn around. I notice a bit of a startled look on her face as she noticed my presence.

Yatarou and I approached the tan girl, her features becoming ever closer. Her light brown hair dropped down from under a straw hat with a green ribbon on it, and was tied into two french braids, one on each side of her face, contrasting her sharp eyes that were as green as nature itself. Around those emerald orbs, were the thin white rim of her glasses. She wore a plain white t-shirt with denim overalls covering the lower half of it and strapping around the shoulders. The bottom of her overalls stopped around the mid-thigh, making her legs bare, were it not for the knee-length, clean white socks with a red stripe on the upper hem. She also wore dirty white sneakers that definitely looked like they'd seen better days - they looked worn out from all the walking and well, gardening.

"H-Hello there, Yatarou... who's your friend there...?" she took her hat off and fanned herself with its wide rim.

When Yatarou gave me a light push, I stepped forward. "I'm Tsukushi Hananari!"

"Oh, hello there..." her voice was weak, which was somewhat understandable due to her short and fragile build. "I'm Chigusa..."

When Yatarou said she was shy, he wasn't kidding. This poor girl looks exhausted just from talking to me.

"It's um... nice to meet you, Tsukushi." she held out her hand, and mine met hers instantly.

"Me too! By the way, I'm the SHSL Defense Attorney. You're a SHSL student too, right?" I ask, trying to keep a conversation rolling.

She nodded, a weak smile on her face. "I am... Chigusa Takagawa, SHSL Gardener."

CHIGUSA TAKAGAWA - SHSL GARDENER

"Gardener?" I repeat, receiving a nod from her. "An interesting title! What do you do exactly?"

"Well, not much... I till the land, plant a few seeds, water them... it's very refreshing to see the fruits of my work."

Was... Was that a pun?

"I see..." I nod assuringly. "Sounds like a lot of work!"

"Oh, it is... But I don't mind. Gardening is my passion." she reassured back. "Um... about lawyer-ing, though... or law-ing, perhaps... how is it? Do you find it fun? Is it a lot of work? I'd like to learn about it." for someone so shy, she sure is curious.

I was taken aback by her sudden questions, but began answering them nonetheless. If memory serves, she was the first person to show any interest, after all. "Well..." I begin. "I like it quite a bit. There's a sort of aura around courtrooms that I really like. It's not so much physically tiring as it is mentally. You have to be on your toes for a long time, trying to get your client acquitted, and swerving around the prosecution's argument, while building your own with your evidence. It's fun, I guess, but also exhausting. Much like gardening is for you, I'd imagine."

She smiled and nodded. "That's exactly right..."

"Speaking of prosecution and courtrooms and the like, though... have any you seen the SHSL Prosecutor? I've been searching high and low for her and I haven't seen hide or hair of her yet. I'd like to meet her."

"Akahana? She still hasn't left the Central Plaza, I think." Yatarou chimed in. "There's a gate on the outer wall there. It leads to the town center, or the plaza. She was over there with two other people, I think..."

"There's a Central Plaza?" Chigusa asked. "I haven't seen it..."

"Yeah!" Yatarou pointed backwards to the outer wall - well, technically, he pointed towards an apple tree - and cocked his head to the right. "There's a graveyard and this weird, giant blue diamond thingy. Akahana was pretty amused by it so she went around town asking everyone about it. No one knew what it was, though. Or at least I don't think they did."

Maybe this is the final stretch, Tsukushi.

Time to sprint over there before you miss her again.

I made my way towards the wall that divided our current sector from the main circle in the center of all these walls - the GPS on my Electro-ID was a pretty useful tool. Underneath a cylindrical tunnel that went on for a little less than sixty feet, the flickering candles, hung on the walls in golden candelabras that reminded me a little to much of medieval times, were the only source of light around the dark corridor. On the other side was... well, more walls. A giant circular wall towered over, surrounding me, although it was pretty big in diameter. A bunch of doors similar to the one I'd just exited out of presented themselves around the perimeter, but they were all blocked by thick metal doors.

To my right, I found the source of Yatarou's confusion - the giant blue diamond-looking structure. Although a jumbled mess of shapes, making the blue gem have its fair share of spikes, it was nothing short of a breathtaking sight. The way that the sunlight glistened off the stained glass-like gem, reflecting the beams of light in different directions, was marvelous, and the sun entered through the big, gaping hole in the middle of the rock. It was quite the geological marvel, and I'm not one to fanboy over rocks, I tell you.

To my left, was a much grimmer sight. A small rectangular stone wall surrounded what seemed to be a little patch of grass, tombstone-like rocks erecting themselves from the ground. Even from far away, I could distinctly see the moss growing on the surrounding rock, and the rusty iron spears that rose from inside said wall. That must be the graveyard...

You know what? All this time I missed that damn prosecutor, but it's gonna be real different now. Yatarou told me she'd be at the diamond thingy, so I'll start looking for her by the graves! Yes, a logical conclusion, indeed... I'm really proud of myself on that one.

"Hello there?" I approached a couple that seemed to be lost in conversation. Taken aback by the sudden third person, the boy who'd been standing with his back turned to me, spun around and faced me.

He was not a muscular guy, by any means, but he wasn't skinny as well. He had this lean, yet average well-built body structure that doesn't stand out too much, although his face was a different story. His facial features were as youthful as a high school student could be, being borderline babyfaced, and his clear skin was only tainted by a spot of darkness - a beauty mark - under one of his almond-shaped brown eyes, perfectly framed by his short, jet-black hair. His outfit consisted of a black sleeveless jacket that, as it was unzipped, gave me a sneakpeek of the white t-shirt he hid underneath. He also had black bermuda shorts and brown oxford shoes.

"Why hello." he addressed me with a courteous bow. "It seems we have yet to meet, isn't that so?"

I simply nodded and outstretched my arm for what felt like the sixtieth time today. "Don't think so, I woke up but a couple hours ago, after all. My name is Tsukushi Hananari, the SHSL Defense Attorney! Nice to meet you."

The boy simply held out his hand, meeting mine in a gentlemanly handshake. "It's quite a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hananari-san. They call me Shizuka Matsuoka. As for my talent, I'd like you to take a guess." he challenged.

"Oh, I don't know..." I started listing random titles that popped up in my head, ranging from a SHSL Soccer Player to a SHSL Fashion Designer, all the while reaching the performative arts and languages, skimming for possible talents. The result was always the same, though, a negative shake of the head. Be it as it were, though, Shizuka here boasted little to no distinguishing features to set his talent apart. That is unless, he was going for the SHSL Normal Teenager look.

"Those were quite creative, yes." he chuckled. "But not quite. I am the SHSL Street Magician. The Criss Angel to Hanamichi-san's David Copperfield, if you're familiar with the big names in the magic industry. Again, it is a pleasure to meet you." he bowed.

SHIZUKA MATSUOKA - SHSL STREET MAGICIAN

"Is that so?" I ask, tilting my head to the right. "I find it weird that you'd have such a similar talent to Yori's. To each their own, though! I'd like to see you perform sometime, if at all poss-" I cut myself off as I eyed the girl behind Shizuka. She was glaring at me with fury buried deep in her pupils. "Miss, are you okay?"

"Don't you talk to me like that." she spat coldly, making me flinch. The girl herself was not a short, fragile little lady like I was used to seeing - she was tall and sturdy-looking. She wore a long, mint green top, its long sleeves peeking out below the hem of her black jacket's sleeves, along with a bird brooch on her right chest area, and black leggings. Her hair was a shoulder-length, wavy mop of chocolate brown, contrasting the paleness of her skin and angular jawline, and harmonizing with the dark brown of her oval eyes. Holding the chocolate waves was a mint green band that matched the top she was also wearing.

What bug bit this sack of butterflies?

"Listen to me, little pipsqueak!" the girl stomped over to me, dark blue pump heels smashing the grass underneath her. Her index finger was outstretched, and was now pointing directly at me, poking my chest. "I waited so long for you to turn up so we could hurry up and divide our dorms by gender!"

"Dorms? What dorms?"

"The rooms at the hotel, you ignorant buffoon!" she was flaming, eyes squinted and a bit angry. "We're all stuck here, and we don't even have organized living space! What do you have to say for yourself?"

I was at a loss for words. No one had ever talked to me like this over sleeping a little too much. "S-Sorry...?" I mumble out an excuse, which, although heartfelt, fell a little short of the girl's expectations.

"Ugh, I guess it's okay." she regained her composure and became the very epitome of peace. Something I didn't expect this suddenly. "Sorry for the outburst. My name is Asuyo Uemura, SHSL Landlord. Organization in group living is key, so we must file ourselves accordingly while we remain here."

ASUYO UEMURA - SHSL LANDLORD

"It's very nice to meet you." I nod, meeting her hand in a shake, like I'd done with Shizuka. "As I said before, I'm Tsukushi Hananari. SHSL Defense Attorney."

"Defense Attorney?" Asuyo seemed to remember something. "Would you look at that! We have two attorneys on our hands!" That sentence made me recall the motve why I came here. I really hope these lapses in short-term memory are secondary effects from me not remembering what the hell happened before we came here, because if not, I'm in some deep trouble with all the cases back home.

"Speaking of which..." Shizuka eyed around him and looked straight at the blue diamond. "I believe Nakajima-san said she would spend quite a while by the sundial over there. Maybe, if you're quick on your feet, you might catch up to her." he pointed to the giant diamond on the other side of the circular plaza.

I just nodded and waved them goodbye as I made a sprint over to the... sundial? The hell is that...?

It was nothing more than a forty-second long run before I was by the blue gem. In front of it stood a girl I had yet to cross paths with, which made me all the more hopeful.

From the side, the pensive girl scratched her scarred chin as her bright blue eyes darted all over the shining diamond, long black eyelashes being ever noticeable. Her auburn red hair was tied up in a bun above her head, much like Kikyo's, although this girl's is a bit more composed. As far as clothing went, I spied a white, short-sleeved blouse under her navy blue jacket, a yellow prosecutor's badge shining discreetly from the lapel. The blue on her jacket complimented her knee-length skirt of the same colour quite well, and a pair of white stilletos adorned her feet. Even with a profile view, her cheekbones were prominent and her lipstick shone a blood red that could be seen from a mile away. Behind those red lips, however, there were pearl-white teeth.

"I'd appreciate it if you refrained from looking at me so intently." her soft voice spoke up after a sophisticated clear of the throat - is that even possible?

I blushed and stepped forward. "I'm sorry about that. I've been searching high and low for this Prosecutor...?" I end my sentence in a questioning sense, as if I was asking her if she was it, which I sincerely hope is the case.

"Well, you've found her."

Jackpot.

"Oh, thank god! I've been looking all around Valley Views..." I sigh in relief.

"What for?" she turned to me.

"Well, I'm also a lawyer." she had her eyes widened as I told her. Then she eyed me from top to bottom, biting her bottom lip. What a time to be judging my clothes.

"A lawyer, yes? It's a pleasure to have a fellow colleague around. My name is Akahana Nakajima, SHSL Prosecuting Attorney. I look forward to working with you."

AKAHANA NAKAJIMA - SHSL PROSECUTING ATTORNEY

"I'm Tsukushi Hananari, SHSL Defense Attorney!" our hands met in a shake before a loud ring echoed throughout the area. It seemed to come from one of the public speakers that were hung on the street lights between the graveyard and the sundial.

"Dear students of Hope's Peak Academy's 42nd Class, please meet at the Sierra Resort in thirty minutes. Now that all of you have had the time to know each other better, it is time for the MKG activity to commence! I repeat, Sierra Resort in twenty minutes. This is a public service announcement by Headmaster Monokuma."

A/N: If I were you, I wouldn't expect updates to roll in this quickly, but again, I'm really excited about this story and all, and I wanted to get character introductions over and done with so we can get into the real fun! As you can expect, Monokuma's gonna be introduced next chapter! Unfortunately, I'll have to go on a hiatus for a few weeks since I have no means of publishing, but I hope it'll be as short-lived as possible!

Tell me: from all 16 students, who do you like best? What do you think of Tsukushi as a protagonist? Tell me all about it in the reviews!

Also! I've submitted two OCs that got accepted into two Danganronpa fan stories I'm really excited for! Links to both of them are in my profile if you feel like checking them out - you will not be disappointed. Yamazaki out!