Mokomichi noticed the huge blocks of rock the moment he passed the courtyard. There were two on the left side of the Izuru Kamukura statue, and two on the right side, each sectioned off with its own square of boundary tape. So, they're going to make the statues right here? That's….Mokomichi was not an arty type by any stretch of the imagination, but that didn't make much sense to him. I suppose there must be a reason. I wonder, what does Teranaga think of this? She's probably here already, she must have seen this.

Mokomichi blinked for a moment, before shaking his head and making his way to the West Building. He had been wondering about the clubs-he hadn't bothered with going to check out the clubs on the Main Course, but he knew that at least some of his classmates had. Had they been truly invited to try, or had it all been lip service in the end. Mizuki probably would have meant it, but he didn't see her joining a club or anything like that. The Student Council, maybe, but not a club. But still…

There was a part of him that wanted to do the ridiculous, to actually go over to the Main Course building, find Mizuki, ask her how things had gone in that regard. But even though it's Teranaga, she's still a Main Course now. I should not have to drag myself to her. She should come to me. So he did not follow his urge. Instead, he just kept going, brooding, and all the while looking around for a flash of familiar red hair.

"Heeeeey, Yamashita-kuuuun!"

Mokomichi turned to see the student that he knew as his year group's resident weirdo. It took him a moment to dredge up an actual name for the grinning boy.

"Morning, Kagane-kun."

"Please, I keep telling you, Kaneda is fine! But anyway, wonderful morning, isn't it?" he asked as he walked in step with Mokomichi.

"Mhm, I guess."

"Oh come on, don't be like that! Smile! The day's just beginning, after all, it can't be bad yet!"

Mokomichi smirked at that, he couldn't help himself. The boy sounded like such an older brother (not that, as an only child himself, he could claim to be an expert on what an older brother should sound like). Then again, if Mokomichi did remember right, Kaneda did have a little sister.

"By that logic, you can't say it is wonderful already." He pointed out.

Kaneda frowned at this, his eyes opening for a moment in surprise. But he quickly brightened again, letting out one of his recognisable cackling laughs.

"You've got me there, friend!" he declared. "But anyway, how are you? Everything alright?"

"Yes, I suppose. You?"

"Oh, I'm just peachy! Why wouldn't I be? Have you signed up to the Talent Exchange Plan?" Kaneda changed the subject quickly.

"Yes, I have."

"Ooooh! Yamashita-kun, I didn't expect it of you! Here, have a sticker!"

Mokomichi sighed internally as they drew to a halt near the willow tree he had been near to with Mizuki yesterday, and watched as a very happy Kaneda dug through his trouser pockets and came up with a couple of sheets, which he then shoved at Mokomichi.

"There you go, friend, choose!"

Mokomichi sighed again, and thought, what the hell, why not? He considered the colourful offerings, and eventually picked a vivid emerald-green smiley face, which he stuck to his bag. The colour reminded him of something, and feeling odd, he turned to Kaneda and thought of something to say that would keep the conversation at least somewhat normal.

"Yo, Yamashita!"

Mokomichi turned at that moment, and saw two of his classmates-and with them, an escape route. Phew.

"See you later, Kagane-kun!"

"Kaneda, please! See you later!"

Grinning, Kaneda ran off, and Mokomichi went to his classmates with a huge sigh of relief.

"Morning." He greeted them.

"Did I hear you say you joined the Talent Exchange Plan?" one of them asked as they headed into the building.

"Maybe, if you were behind me. Or eavesdropping." Mokomichi shrugged. "Why?"

"That's what I should be asking you!" his classmate asked. "I thought you couldn't be bothered with the Main Course."

"I can't."

"Then…?" his other classmate asked, quizzical.

Mokomichi thought of the willow tree, of red hair and green eyes and the day he'd learnt what a collapsing world looked like. He remembered a promise that may have also been a challenge, a challenge that he had posed. He brought to mind the desire to see what happened once a legend became real. But he could talk about none of them. Especially not her. He did not want to.

So, instead, he shrugged. Slowly, deliberately, with an air of what he hoped was nonchalant bafflement.

"Why not?"

His two classmates gave him a baffled stare, and then they both shrugged themselves.

"Suppose I can't argue with that, even I'm curious." One of them said.

"Anyway, did you see….."

The conversation changed subject, much to Mokomichi's relief. But even so, his mind kept going back to all the things he had not wanted to say.

…

If Keiko had been smaller in stature, she would have probably been floating, or at least walking in that floaty way people like Yuna and some of the other younger year students she knew did when they were happy. Even though the trainers she usually wore when going to the lab had long since become a size too small for her, her footsteps as she crossed over the courtyard to the East Building were still light. She'd been looking forward to her first lab session of the year all day.

"Yo, Usui-san!"

Keiko turned to see Sho walking across the courtyard, not seeming to be heading anywhere in particular. She noticed that his school uniform seemed slightly stained with oil or something similar today.

"Hello, Nakajima-kun." She greeted him. "Is everything alright? You look awfully…"

"Ah, yeah." Sho said with a practised ease. "One of the scouts was having trouble with their helicopters so I've just been fixing it up. I'm free the rest of the day though so I am going to chill a bit. Even SHSLs need their downtime, right?"

Sho grinned beguilingly, and at that moment, a grumble clearly emanated from his stomach.

"Nakajima-kun, you haven't eaten today, have you?"

Sho gave a sheepish grin.

"Ah, well, I had breakfast…" he replied. "But that helicopter, man that was a doozy."

"Make sure you eat now, okay, you don't want an unhappy tummy now, do you?"

Sho raised an eyebrow at her teasingly, and Keiko stared back for a moment, utterly baffled before it hit her. Agrh, I need to stop doing that! Feeling her face go slightly red, she scrambled to apologise.

"Ah, sorry, that wasn't meant to come out like that! I'm so sorry!"

Sho laughed.

"It's cool, don't worry about it. And rest assured I'll be getting myself a bite to eat, okay…. 'Mum'?"

No, I'm not 'Mum'. Not yet, not yet. But Keiko simply smiled and nodded.

"Take care of yourself then, Nakajima-kun."

Sho saluted her, and then sauntered off. Keiko quickly scuttled off, hoping to outrun her embarrassment. Gradually though, as she got closer to the East Building, she slowed down, and felt her face cool a little.

There were a few other main course students milling around the building, heading to or leaving various lab or workshop sessions. She greeted the few she knew, and they smiled back at her, but she didn't slow down or stop until she reached the corridor that 'her' lab was located on.

Lab 22, Lab 23, she mentally counted as she walked past each room, even though as a third year she knew them all well now. Observation Room 3, Lab 24….ah, Lab 25.

The clock on the bookings screen read 12:50, and showed the room was currently 'UNOCCUPIED'. Under this, the list of that day's future bookings were clearly displayed, and her name and time slot were the first on the list. She double-tapped it to bring up the check-in screen, then took her Electro-ID from her lab coat pocket, and scanned it on the reader underneath.

'Welcome, KEIKO USUI, SHSL LAUNDERER'," the check in screen now read. 'Are you taking this session alone?'

Keiko tapped the 'Yes' button. The screen blinked, and then a new message appeared.

'Thank you, Usui-san, you are now booked in for Lab Time. Please enter.'

The door made a slight click sound, and Keiko pushed on it. It opened smoothly, and letting out a soft sigh of relief, she went through and closed the door softly behind her. She put her bag down in the safe area, and after taking out her notepad and pens, she sealed it off, before going to put on a pair of goggles and gloves. She logged into the computer, and got up the information she needed on the screen. Laying out her notebook on the table next to the computer, she took a look at her notes to see what she needed to set up, then went and did it.

And as she bustled around, she finally felt at peace.

…

Mizuki walked up to the entrance of 99B and paused, taking a moment to collect herself. She wasn't nervous, as such, but she needed that moment. It was entirely possible that Azuki hadn't seen her message, but on the other hand, it wouldn't do any particular harm to go and see if she could make first contact in person. Go on, Mizuki…

"Excuse me?" she asked, poking her head around the door, where a small group of students were eating lunch out of bento boxes-none of them Azuki. One looked up.

"A first year! What are you doing here?"

"Do you know where Sawada-sempai might be?" she asked. "I want to talk to him about something."

"Ehh, you a fan?"

Mizuki opened her mouth to reply, but another of the second-years jumped in.

"If it's an autograph or whatever, it ain't happening, honey. That boy is so stuck up for a celeb, even if he is totally cool online."

"I know, right?" the first exclaimed.

"But did you see the video he put up last night? That was here!"

"Yeah, I know! How did we miss Fumi-kun wandering around the school?! We may even have managed to catch an autograph or selfie if we'd known!"

Mizuki just stared at them, still smiling, then carefully cleared her throat.

"I am here about his work, but it's more a buisness related matter." She clarified when they looked at her.

"Oh?" the girl who had initially answered her raised an eyebrow. "That's a new one. Well…you could try the canteen. If not, then he's probably hiding and yeah, no point bothering then."

I suppose that's the most I'll get here.

"Alright," she nodded. "Thank you."

"Good luck, kiddo!" one of the girls called out as Mizuki left.

Purposefully, she headed down to the canteen, and looked around. At a glance, Azuki was nowhere to be found, but it was crowded. Perhaps I should get some lunch while I am at it…she went to join the queue, and continued looking around.

"Teranaga-san!"

Mizuki startled, and turned.

"Kang-sempai." She greeted, surprised at how relieved she was to see a friendly face. "Hello."

"Are you alright?" Minah asked.

"Yes, I am. I don't suppose you've seen Sawada-sempai anywhere, have you?" Mizuki inquired.

Minah frowned prettily for a moment, then shook her head.

"Sawada-san? You mean from Class 99B? I'm afraid not. Were you wanting to see him urgently?"

"Buisness matters." Mizuki said, and she would have left it at that if it wasn't for the fact that Minah looked concerned, and she had been the first friendly face here.

"His charitable works have a similar focus to most of my philanthropic ones," Mizuki explained. "I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to work together here."

"Oh yes, that makes sense," Minah nodded. "And I think he is interested in helping the Reserve Course too."

"Mhm."

"But yeah, I haven't seen him around. But he does tend to keep to himself-I think he can find the popularity overwhelming. I could ask someone to pass on a message?"

"No, that's fine. But thanks for the offer."

The girls stopped their conversation as they selected and paid for their food, and then walked around, looking for a table.

"Do you have anyone to sit with today?" Minah asked her suddenly.

"No, I don't."

Mizuki had only met Minah yesterday, but she knew what would come next, and was glad of it.

"Well then, come and sit with us."

"Okay."

…

Crossing the boundary was always a risk.

Of course, Kumori knew that there was technically no real boundary between the Main Course and the Reserve Course. No chain link fences or electric gates partitioning off the West Building and its grounds from the rest of the school, no alarms that would go off if someone tripped a laser that shielded the Main Course's vast lands. Nothing so obvious. But all the same, the risk was there, and in the months he'd been coming to be tutored by Riko, he'd learnt that caution paid. And so it was caution that he used while crossing across the courtyard to find the East Courtyard, the one with the benches that Riko often liked to use when the weather was fine as it was on this nice Tuesday afternoon ("you'd fall asleep if we were in a classroom or the library all the bloody time. " Riko often liked to say).

As he walked, a few milling Main Course students gave him an odd look, but thankfully, this time, none of them approached. Though he did hear two of them whisper to themselves about him. But that, in comparison to what could happen, is nothing. The relief made him smile slightly, and when he walked past the Izuru Kamukura statue (and the squared off blocks waiting to be carved into the likenesses of the other principals), his stride quickened.

When he got to the East Courtyard, he instantly spotted Riko sitting at a bench in the middle, books spread out. Apparently sensing his arrival, she looked up and her usual scowl was replaced by a broad grin.

"Kumori!" she called out.

"Splendid afternoon, isn't it, Riko-kun?" he replied heartily as he swiftly went to join her.

"Hmm, I don't know about that."

Riko's smile faded away, and Kumori looked carefully at her.

"Is something-"

Riko cut him off with a tired wave of the hand.

"It's more of the usual bullshit, you know? Anyway, get your books out. And redo your ponytail, it's coming loose."

Kumori blinked, and reached up to his inky hair. Sure enough, the ribbon that he used it to tie it into its usual loose ponytail was coming out. Good thing I didn't lose it. Quickly, he re-tied it and then got his books out.

"Right, now then….."

The next hour or so were very productive, and Kumori was glad of it, but eventually, he began to tire, and it was at that moment two Main Course boys strolled up to them.

"Oho, this looks very cosy." One of them said.

"We're studying." Riko said bitingly.

"Is that what they're calling it now?" the other boy-who seemed vaguely familiar to Kumori, though not in a threatening way-asked.

"Uhh….." Kumori stuttered, looking at the textbooks, exercise books and pencils they had spread out.

"You're an idiot, Nakajima." Riko told the second boy shortly, going slightly pink.

"Oh, Izumi-Chan, I'm hurt. Surely you know me better than that?" Nakajima said, putting a hand to his chest and assuming a mock-hurt expression.

"Yes, which is why I said you're an idiot. Now can you kindly piss off? Like I said, we're studying."

"Geez, chill. We're supposed to be friendly to Reserve Course students and all that shit, right?" the first boy said.

"I…no need to force yourself if...you do not want." Kumori managed.

Both boys stared at him, and Kumori twitched uncomfortably. Was that the wrong thing to say? But after a moment, Nakajima shrugged and grinned at them.

"Well, enjoy your 'studying'!" he said, winking.

Riko sighed heavily as the two boys sauntered off. The pink had faded from her cheeks, but it seemed to have leeched some of her usual colour, too.

"Riko-kun?"

"Well, now would be a good time for a break, wouldn't it?" she sighed heavily, leaning back and staring at the blue sky for a moment.

"Riko-kun, has something happened?"

"Like I said, Kumori, same old bullshit," She said, still looking at the sky. "Just the same old."

Kumori sensed that Riko wanted to say something more, and he waited. Sure enough:

"They want me to write an essay. A commemorative essay."

"Oh?"

"You know, the entire history of Hope's Peak from the moment it opened and blah-de-blah," Riko waved a tired hand. "And all the wonderful things that came from it like the Fujisaki Programming systems all schools use and the At Sushi restaurant chain and …I'd be here all day if I listed every frigging one now, wouldn't I? They want to turn it into a history book, or something."

"That's….."

"I know, 'wonderful opportunity' right?'"

Riko laughed bitterly.

"I would have said 'interesting', myself." Kumori said carefully. "I don't know what to say….I guess, like most people our age says, 'that sucks'."

Kumori chuckled awkwardly, and Riko gave him a bug-eyed stare, before shaking her head tiredly, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Kumori, never say 'that sucks' again, please."

"Whatever you say, Riko-kun."

There was a silence, and Kumori waited, and Riko eventually returned to looking at him, expression carefully neutral.

"So…..the centenary, what do you think about it?"

"Well….a hundred years is a long time for something to exist." Kumori started, and then paused.

What do I feel about this? Before he could really formulate any sort of answer to that, Riko snorted, rolled her eyes heavily and fired another question at him.

"Are you going to go for the Talent Exchange Plan?"

Kumori just stared, earning him a heavy sigh.

"I mean, I know that loads of people will say that technically, we're already doing that. And yeah, SHSL Scholar helping with studying, perfect example, blah blah blah. But these aren't skills that you want, are they?"

"Well, no, I just need to keep my grades up. Not that I am not eternally grateful to you, Riko, for still continuing to tutor me and-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get the point. But your dreams….maybe you could actually go for them. There's no hope for me-hope, hah! But you…."

"I….."

Kumori took out his ID and laid it on the bench table, unlocking it and accessing the Talent Exchange Plan form. It stared up at him, just as he stared down at it for a moment before returning his gaze to his close friend. What could he say, to try and make her feel better? There was nothing he could do, after all, to free her from the chains that her talent bound her in. He thought of his own dreams and ambitions. There was certainly no SHSL of the talent his dream consisted of in the school currently, but then again, it wasn't the talent he wanted, just the dream.

But such a silly dream.

"I….can't."

Now it was Riko's turn to stare down at the form for a moment, before looking up at him with a soft expression that made his voice catch in his throat. Riko was good at many things, most beyond the talent she was defined by, but softness was not one of those things.

Riko-kun, talk to me.

"Boil it down to the skills that you think it involves, then you can write those without actually mentioning it. I'll help you."

Kumori hesitated. Could I…could I really? Could this year really actually mean something? He sighed. It was not as if he would know if he never tried. So with some misgivings, he nodded and pushed the ID over slightly so that Riko could see it better. Then, they worked together to fill it in.

…

Today had been a good day for Hana.

She had, after much hesitation, gone to seek out that brash first-year student who'd been trying to drum up interest in a Reserve Course-only Drama Club and signed up to it. And then that afternoon, she'd found out that she'd been put forward to help with the designing of the statues of the other principals. Who had noticed that she drew, she had no idea (she hadn't even thought anyone important at this school would have even bothered noticing anything one of the so called lower classes were interested in), but they had and it was wonderful and also a little scary. It'd made her feel better enough about life that she'd decided to try and make an effort in the class straight after the announcement, and she'd written a letter to Riku to tell him about it, posting it on her way home. And now she was actually at the front door, she was still smiling-mostly on the inside, but still smiling.

"I'm home!" she called out as she opened the door and stepped in.

There was no answer, but she hadn't been expecting one. If her parents were home at this time, they'd probably be knee-deep in work in their studies, and wouldn't even hear her. So she just headed upstairs, and started to get changed.

"Meow." Came a noise from her pillow.

"Oh, hi, Misty," Hana greeted her fluffy white cat as she hung up her school uniform. "Have you had a good day? I have, surprisingly. Let me tell you about it…"

Hana continued to softly prattle to her cat, who remained curled up on the pillow regarding her and looking for all the world as if she found it all intensely interesting. Well, I suppose Misty doesn't see me happy all this time…but then, all too suddenly, she was interrupted by the sound of her father calling her.

"Hana! Come to my study!"

"Coming, Dad."

Misty mewled sympathetically, and Hana went to hug her for a brief moment before heading out of her bedroom and across to her father's study. The door was closed, and she knocked before pushing it open gently.

Her father was busy writing something, but he looked up at the sound of her.

"I'm here now, Dad."

Why do you want to see me? She wanted to ask, do you want to ask me about my day, and actually care about it?

"The Talent Exchange Plan, have you enrolled on it?"

Never mind, then.

"No, I haven't."

"Whyever not? We're not sending you to that school just to waste away. Here's a golden opportunity for you to actually make something of yourself. Get yourself on the level of someone with an SHSL."

"It doesn't actually happen, Dad," Hana managed to say. "There aren't Reserve Course students who become SHSLs."

To her surprise, this made her father laugh, rather than rage at her for impertinence. But somehow, this seemed worse, and Hana stiffened.

"Perhaps if you were actually making an effort, you'd know that there is," he said. "I was at a buisness meeting, which Shishikane-san and Mori-san were attending as well, and Mori-san happened to mention that his son is on the Student Council of the Main Course with a girl called Mizuki Teranaga, a name that Shishikane's daughter has mentioned too. You recognise the name?"

Hana knew the Mori family, vaguely, and had been aware that their eldest son was on the Main Course, but hadn't realised that Shishikane's daughter had started at the school. Wasn't she at boarding school? Maybe she's joined the Reserve Course. Hana wondered what it was she should feel, or do, about that, but forced herself to answer the question at hand, which wasn't about either of those two families.

"Teranaga Trade?"

"Mhm." Her father displayed no pride in her correct answer, just steamrolled on. "Anyway, this Mizuki Teranaga was on the Reserve Course until the untimely demise of her parents, at which point she took time off to deal with their affairs…and now she's on the Main Course. SHSL Philanthropist, no less."

Hana thought she could sense a slight sense of disapproval in her father's voice, though she couldn't imagine why. Philanthropy meant money, buisness, something high-flying, unlike writing stories or scripts, unlike acting or drawing or any of the things that were important to Hana. Because nothing that's important to me is ever good enough…

"So it is indeed possible, and I do not know why you are not taking the opportunity. "

There was a pause, and Hana stared. Is there a question here? What do I say?

"You don't get anywhere without effort, Hana, I have told you countless times. Rather than prancing around writing stories and mooning over that boyfriend of yours, you should follow in Mizuki Teranaga's footsteps. Stop being so lazy, for once in your life."

"But…." Hana dredged up the words about the new club, about the statues, but her father shook his head.

"I don't want to hear the protests. I want to be able to tell people my daughter is getting herself on the same level as SHSLs and following in the footsteps of that girl, so I want you to get your ID, or log into the computer-in fact, you can sign in to your school's site right here and now, and fill in whatever it is you need to fill in right in front of me."

Still, Hana hesitated, and then her father delivered the final blow.

"You know what will happen if you don't make an effort, don't you?"

Riku. The thought of a final, irreversible separation tore at her heart. And just like that, her father had her. Meekly, she nodded, and her father nodded triumphantly, gesturing at his computer.

"You may even gear it towards all that acting lark, if you so wish, since I hear you can choose to gain whatever skill you want." He added as she logged on, as an afterthought.

"Thank you, Dad." Hana said, the obligation of it feeling like glass in her throat.

Over the next hour, she painstakingly and painfully filled in the form, the dancing words even more restless from the pressure of her father standing over her shoulder, telling her off for being lazy, telling her that a girl her age should know how to spell properly. But somehow, despite that and the rising resentment within her, she managed it to her father's satisfaction, and after that hour, she was finally able to escape.

And escape she did, practically running back to her bedroom, flinging the door open, almost slamming it shut, and diving into her bed. Misty meowed and padded the few steps from the pillow to Hana, who hugged the large cat tightly, stroking her thick fur and crying into it. Thoughts and feelings swirled and swamped her, but out of all them, one shone through clearly:

I hate this Mizuki Teranaga person.

Characters introduced this chapter:

Kumori Kurogane, Class 2B (created by: zephryr)
Kaneda Kagane, Class 3A (created by: Trust Me I'm Me)

Almost done with the character introductions, though with that being said, there isn't necessarily going to be the structure of 'chapters introducing characters, then continue' so there might be a chapter in between that doesn't have new introductions, but all the character introductions will be done before a particular plot point which is going to come up in about...three to six chapters, thereabouts? And as I said, there are only a few left now-three, to be precise.

But anyway, hope you like this, and as always, if you can, do leave feedback.