Which Claimer? Dis Claimer
My lawyer, Mr Case, told me to make you aware that Dang Ol' Grandpa (I think that's what he said) belongs to someone named Spike Soft Chins (I was barely listening). Now that I'm typing this out, that's kind of a dumb name. Who would name someone something like that?
Chapter 1
— Beyond the Basic —
Akamatsu Kaede fidgeted with the hem of her jeans as the time ticked on. She sat at a local diner, outside on the patio, where three menus lay atop the table, and a large umbrella protruded from its center to block the harsh summer sun. She tapped the table's wooden surface with her fingers, pretending each plank to be a piano key, while she played a classical tune in her mind.
Her waiter delivered the sweet iced tea she had ordered, and Kaede reassured him that the rest of her party would arrive shortly. She chugged half of it on the spot, newly refreshed as it fought off the heat within her body. The melody in her mind began to simplify as she devoted her attention to her surroundings, scanning for any sign of her group. A few people passed by, none of whom slowed their pace or looked around, clearly having no business at the diner.
Kaede sighed as she reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone—a moderately sized pink device with a piano charm dangling off its side. Her intention was to check the time, but a surprise text awaited her, the name Saihara Shuichi displayed on the screen.
"What's your first impression of your group?"
A smile graced her lips as she read his words. After glancing at the time—2:12 PM—she typed her reply.
"They're not here yet. 12 minutes late. I'm a nervous wreck."
Kaede sent the message and laid her phone on the table, continuing her scan for anyone who looked familiar. Though she had yet to interact with her group, she hoped to recognize them because she had seen many students walking around campus in the past. But their unexplained delay only served to heighten her already tense nerves.
It was an afternoon in late July, a week after Hope's Peak Academy had let its students out for summer break. Kaede began her first term at the prestigious school a few months ago, entering its walls as the Ultimate Pianist. Despite still being a teenager, she had already made a name for herself with her musical talents, which led to her being scouted by Hope's Peak officials. She was excited to attend, and while her first term was certainly challenging, she did her best to make the most of it, learning new pieces to play and establishing friendships with her classmates.
However, the school's latest task had Kaede worried: a group project with her upperclassmen. She and her peers from Class 79 were each paired with one student from the 78th and 77th classes, and they needed to have a presentation ready for the start of the next term. The parameters for the project were few, and it seemed the school was giving them plenty of creative freedom, but since Kaede specialized as a solo pianist, working in a group was an unfamiliarity to her. They were to resume school in early September, so they had little more than a month to prepare.
Kaede took another sip of her tea and checked the time again. What was taking them so long? They were enigmas to her save for the brief details the headmaster had emailed her, which she hardly found useful. The student from Class 78 was the Ultimate Martial Artist named Sakura, and from Class 77 was the Ultimate Breeder named Gundham. As soon as she read their talents, her mind blanked as to what three people with such unrelated skills could possibly create together.
After a few more restless minutes of fidgeting and fake piano playing, Kaede noticed a woman and a man at the end of the street, walking together towards the diner. Their unconventional appearances would grab anyone's attention; the woman was the tallest, most muscular person Kaede had ever seen. Her skin was deep red and her hair long, white, and jagged, jutting out every which way like that of a witch. Her sleeveless shirt tightly hugged her rippling body, and her short skirt clashed with her less than feminine physique.
He, on the other hand, somehow managed to look more bizarre. Despite the sweltering July heat, he was dressed in an overcoat, jeans, and boots—all black, the worst color to wear in the sun—and had a purple scarf wrapped around his neck. How he justified such a wardrobe to himself, Kaede would never know. What scant amount of visible skin was pale, almost glistening in the sunlight; a sunburn would likely surface after mere minutes, but surely there were other ways to prevent that besides wearing such heavy attire.
Their strange appearances aside, Kaede had indeed recognized the both of them from school, and figured them for her partners. While the woman was clearly the Ultimate Martial Artist, there seemed to be nothing about the man that suggested he was the Ultimate Breeder. Even Kaede's own attire at least suggested her talent: a pink t-shirt depicting several piano keys along with the words, "the keys to my heart".
Kaede stood up and hesitantly waved to them, the slightest doubt lingering in her mind. There was still the chance that these two were just random students who happened to be passing by, and she didn't want to embarrass herself by flailing her arms at the wrong people. Luckily for her, the woman noticed her and waved back, prompting Kaede to sigh in relief. The man also looked in her direction, though he made no attempt at a gesture.
They both made their way through the diner's patio and over to her table, and she was able to see them in greater detail. The woman seemed even taller up close, easily surpassing six feet and being twice as wide as Kaede herself. Thick veins flowed underneath her skin, large scars littered her body, and her arms were so immense that she could likely snap Kaede in half with ease. On her shoulder slung a plain purse which, like her skirt, suggested a femininity that did not suit her.
The man had a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt over his left eye, and was wearing a heavy layer of eye shadow, features that stuck out against his pale face. The most striking detail was his heterochromatic eyes, one a vivid red and the other a dull gray, that served to amplify the intensity of his already fearsome scowl. If Kaede had to guess, a friendly interaction was the furthest thought from his mind.
She struggled to find the words to greet these imposing figures. "U-uh, hi!" She spoke louder than she intended, and covered her mouth with her hand. "A-are you, um, Sakura and G-Gundham?"
The woman smirked and let out a chuckle. "Yes, dear, I'm Ogami Sakura, the Ultimate Martial Artist." Her voice was deep and raspy like an old mystic who had experienced far too much in her lifetime. She extended her hand forward. "Pleased to meet you. You must be Kaede."
Hearing her own name spoken aloud by an upperclassman placed an uncomfortable spotlight on her, and she once again struggled to respond. "O-oh yeah, I'm Akamatsu Kaede, Ultimate Pianist!" Sakura's hand was quite large, each finger being the width of a piano key, so when Kaede made to grab it, she fumbled around with it multiple times. When they finally shook, Sakura was so forceful that Kaede's arm felt like a limp noodle flailing through the air. When it was finally over, her arm dangled lifelessly at her side, and she then turned her attention to the man, hoping for a less awkward introduction. "And you must be Gundham?"
He crossed his arms and snickered, and in a hauntingly deep voice he spoke, "So you are the composer of melodies? Name for me your deadliest tune, and if it is worthy of being heard in the Underworld, then I shall grace you with my denomination."
So much for being less awkward. Kaede was dumbfounded, and she stared at him waiting for any sign that showed he was obviously joking. He must have been aware of how ridiculous he sounded.
But nothing happened. His expression remained serious. She saw Sakura frown and sigh, perhaps already being familiar with the routine. Despite his odd word choices, Keade did feel she got the gist of what he said, so she replied, "Well, uh, there's Clair de lune by Claude Debussy. That's... one of my favorites?"
She awaited his reaction, his dual-toned eyes bearing into her, discomforting the already nervous pianist. He then closed his eyes and appeared to grin underneath his scarf. "Indeed, a tune most suited for the servants of Hell. Very well, mortal, you have passed the test." Though he said that, Kaede was doubtful he knew the song she was talking about, and he likely would have accepted any answer. Raising a hand above his head, he bellowed, "Now, be thrilled that you are bearing witness to my revelation. My name carries great sway in my realm, so it is not to be used lightly. Listen closely, for I shall not repeat myself. I am Tanaka Gundham, the Forbidden One, the Overlord of Ice!"
The awkwardness only multiplied. She was struck dumbfounded again. How was he expecting her to respond to that? At least Kokichi would sport a goofy grin and admit to when he was behaving strangely, but this guy's expression never changed. It was no act. Was he like this all the time? How does he maintain conversation? This was definitely the most bizarre introduction she had ever had with a person—if he could be called a person at all.
"I'm sorry, you're the over-what of what?" she finally spoke. "I thought you were the Ultimate Breeder?"
Gundham scoffed and appeared annoyed. "Yes, that is my title on this plane of existence, but it only applies to my temporary form. It fails to capture my true essence!"
Kaede figured that any further inquiry would be a mistake. "O-oh, well, it's nice to meet you… I guess." She offered her other hand to him, the one that didn't yet feel like dead weight, but he merely stared at it and made no effort to reciprocate.
"You'd best be careful, mortal. A fatal poison runs through my veins. If a being with low demonic energy such as yourself touches me, you shall not survive."
"Well, alright, then!" Kaede hastily retracted her hand, using it to brush aside the hair that clung to her face from the humidity. She was somewhat relieved that he refused, not wanting to risk losing her other arm to a hectic shake.
Their introductions apparently finished, they took their seats at the table within the umbrella's shade. Kaede's phone vibrated, likely a response from Shuichi, but not wanting to appear rude in front of her upperclassmen, she opted to place it back in her purse for now. She downed the rest of her iced tea, unsure of where to begin their conversation. Her confidence lowered when she saw their stiff postures and stern faces, appearing completely unapproachable. Frustration began to show itself, for Kaede felt it shouldn't be this difficult for a group of Ultimates to talk to each other; she had little trouble interacting with most of her own classmates, as strange as they could be.
She finally found a suitable topic to begin with. "Since you two showed up together, did you meet up beforehand?"
"No, Gundham and I happened to bump into each other around the corner," said Sakura. "I apologize for our delay. I hope you weren't waiting long."
"Oh, don't worry about it. It wasn't too long," Kaede lied. She was so anxious to meet them that she had arrived at the diner half an hour before their scheduled time. But now seeing them face-to-face, sitting beneath their physically imposing selves, made her almost wish she had canceled the outing altogether.
Sakura must have read her mind. "There's no need to be nervous, Kaede. I know we seem a bit abnormal, but I assure you we're just here for pleasantries. Isn't that right, Gundham?" He only offered another scoff.
Kaede's eyes widened and she held her hands up. "Oh, no, I wasn't—I mean, I didn't—!"
"Sorry, but your gaze betrayed you," Sakura said with a soft laugh. "It's a look I'm all too familiar with. I know it's uncommon to see a woman of my stature. You don't need to hide your surprise."
Kaede slumped her head, embarrassed at being called out. "I'm sorry. Normally I don't stare. I've actually seen you two around campus before. It's really obvious in hindsight that you're the Ultimate Martial Artist, Sakura."
Sakura's expression suggested she was no stranger to such comments. "I'll take that as a compliment. I've worked hard to maintain my physique, so if my talent is obvious, then it means I'm doing something right."
"Hmph, is there no mystery left in this world?" Gundham piped up. "You may be a warrior, but your lack of subtlety when it comes to your talent only makes you easier to read and to defeat."
"Uh, Gundham, are you challenging Sakura to a fight?" asked Kaede.
The so-called Overlord recoiled in his seat. "W-what?! O-of course not! An Overlord such as myself does not engage with quarrels among mortals!"
"Are you sure? It sounded like you were challenging me," Sakura said without a hint of jest. "Normally I don't attack people when provoked, but I suppose a 'supreme being' such as yourself is no mere person, right?"
"S-silence, fool! I was merely stating that those of the highest caliber, myself included, are much more subtle."
While his talent may not be obvious at first glance, subtle was still the last word Kaede would use to describe someone who looked like the poster boy of a metal band.
However, despite their less than friendly banter with each other, Kaede noted an air of familiarity between them. "Um, so this is my first time meeting you two, but you seem to already know each other?"
Their eyes met for the briefest of moments, and Kaede saw a battlefield laid bare between them, before it vanished with a sharp turn of their necks. She was apparently right, but not in the way she had hoped.
An awkward silence followed, and the three students grabbed the menus from the table and perused them. Because Kaede had arrived early, she already knew what she wanted, but she pretended to consider the menu to avoid any further uncomfortable interactions. The only sounds over the next few minutes were the chatter from the nearby tables and the passing traffic.
Eventually their waiter came by, and he froze in his tracks upon seeing Sakura and Gundham. Her bulky body and his cold, brooding eyes really brought home how normal Kaede looked by comparison, being a petite girl with fair skin, blonde hair, of average height, and wearing appropriate summer attire. She noticed the waiter's eyes linger on Gundham the longest.
"Can I help you, mortal?" he said coldly.
The waiter gulped. "Oh! Just, uh… I'm surprised you're wearing a jacket and scarf when it's so hot out."
Gundham let out a hearty bellow. "Please, I am the Overlord of Ice! The sun pales in comparison to my greatness!"
The waiter looked to Kaede, who glanced down and hid her face. "O-okay, then. Are you guys ready to order?"
"Yes, two waters, and fast!" shouted Gundham.
Kaede sighed. "Gundham, just take off your jacket and scarf if you're hot."
"Foolish mortal! You dare to—"
"I'm ready to order!" Kaede interjected, not wanting to hear another rant. "A refill of my tea, and a cheeseburger with fries, medium-well please!"
The waiter wrote her order on his pad and turned to Sakura. "A-and you, ma'am?"
"I would like a decaf coffee, the steak platter with a side of broccoli, and a small stack of pancakes. Thank you."
Kaede raised an eyebrow at her, an unusual order for a lunch outing. But she was actually more curious about Gundham's order, specifically how he would go about it. The waiter finally turned to him, becoming nervous once again.
"Bring me an ensemble of greenery worthy of the Roman emperor himself!"
Exactly as expected. He certainly didn't disappoint.
"Uh… do you mean a caesar salad?" asked the waiter.
"You're wiser than you appear, mortal. It seems you have a dark aura about you, though only enough to be a low-level demon."
"Th-thank you, uh, my lord?" He seemed unsure if his business was finished, so he looked around at everyone again. When no one said anything, he quickly scooped up their menus and rushed back into the diner.
"Well, that was an experience," said Kaede. "Gundham, you do know the caesar salad isn't named after Julius Caesar, right? Also, he wasn't an emperor."
Gundham hastily wiped the sweat off his forehead, clearly caught off guard. "Of course I knew that! That was a test, and you passed."
"Riiiiiight," she replied, turning her focus to Sakura. "Can you explain your order to me? Sorry, but I don't get it."
"Certainly, Kaede," she said politely. "I require a high caloric intake to maintain my physique. Steak and broccoli are high in protein, and as for the pancakes, well…" She blushed. "They're just really good."
"No argument there," Kaede said with a smile. She was proud of herself for managing to fluster both of them so easily. It was a boost to her confidence after their less than stellar interactions so far. "It's cool that you're still thinking about your talent even when you're away from school. I was hoping I wasn't the only one."
"There's nothing wrong with taking your talent seriously wherever you are," said Sakura with a hint of pride.
"Thanks, Sakura. That means a lot to me." She then turned back to Gundham. "You, though. I wasn't expecting you to order just a salad. It's not typical of men."
"Hmph, I am no mere man, symphonist," he sneered. "Performing the unexpected is exactly how I'm able to—"
"Gundham, will you please just get to the point?" said Sakura impatiently.
He regarded her as if determining whether or not to be offended, then he sighed. "I'm a vegetarian. Animals are precious to me, so I don't consume them. Rest assured that I do not cast judgment on you for your dietary choices."
His sentiment brought no comfort to Kaede, as she was sure he cast judgment on others for a laundry list of other reasons. "Well, now that we're all here, should we talk about our group project?" she asked.
"Of course we will! The Gods decree it! The time for business is nigh!" Gundham slammed his fist on the table, making Kaede's empty glass jump slightly.
"Uh, yeah…" she muttered in reply. "So you two aren't new to Hope's Peak like I am. Have you had to do a project like this before?"
"Not until now," said Sakura. "But Gundham's been here the longest, so maybe he says differently."
Gundham leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Hmph, this is a first for me, too. We've been paired off for such operations before, but it was always with members of our own sort, never a mix."
"Hmm, weird. I wonder why the school decided to do this," Kaede mused.
"Perhaps they wanted to encourage greater interaction between the classes?" Sakura offered. "I'll admit that I'm fond of the idea. The curriculum mostly keeps us among our immediate peers, so it's nice to branch out and meet others."
"Speak for yourself, mortal," scoffed Gundham once more. "This whole ordeal is a waste of time. There are few who are worthy to be in my presence, and a little excursion such as this will not easily increase that number."
Kaede was absolutely offended by that remark. "Wow, so we're not worthy, Gundham?"
He floundered, coughing into his fist and stalling for time. "Well, I suppose you will have the opportunity to prove yourselves. But do not waste it! You only have but one chance!"
Kaede gave a long, forlorn exhale. This was without a doubt one of her worst interactions with another person, possibly even topping when she met Miu—he could have rivaled the sultry inventor in terms of insulting behavior. But worse was that she was unsure of who to blame. Had she somehow wronged him, or was he this rude to everyone? What did his classmates think of him? Would it be too late to ask the headmaster for a different partner from Class 77?
"Moving on, what should our project be about?" asked Sakura.
Kaede shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe we should talk about our talents and figure out where to go from there?" To this, Sakura nodded and Gundham remained still. As neither had outright shot down the suggestion, she continued, "Well, as the Ultimate Pianist, I can play many songs on the piano, most of them classical. I've won a few competitions, actually."
"Congratulations to you on that, Kaede," said Sakura. "As the Ultimate Martial Artist, I train my body and mind extensively everyday. I know a variety of different fighting styles and have won tournaments in multiple countries."
Gundham then followed, "And as the Ultimate Breeder, I learn about many different animals and how to care for them. There are no competitions in such a field, so I have no fancy trophies, but I do have a blog where I inform the public of rare breeds." Hearing this, Kaede was left speechless and stared at him in awe. When he noticed, he gave a cocky smile. "Do my abilities impress you, symphonist? Understandable."
Far from it. It wasn't what he said that impressed her, but how he said it. It was the first completely coherent statement he had spoken so far, no exaggerated verboseness attached. It was also the first time he referred to himself as the Ultimate Breeder, sounding almost proud of the title, even though he callously dismissed it earlier. She could only wonder how to maintain this normal dialogue from him.
"And where does this leave us?" asked Sakura.
Kaede racked her brain as she glanced between her partners. Despite their clear passion for their talents, nothing was coming to mind. "Man, we're so different, aren't we? What are we supposed to do together?"
Another awkward silence. They avoided eye contact for a while, and Kaede began to tap another tune on the table. Thankfully their waiter soon returned with their drinks, placing a second glass before Kaede, a mug of steaming coffee before Sakura, and trembling as he set down Gundham's two waters. He was gone before they could get a word in.
Sakura pulled out a bottle from her purse. She opened it and sprinkled a white powdery substance into her coffee, then stirred it around.
"What's that?" asked Kaede.
"Protein powder," she stated. "It's a good supplement."
"Wow, you're super dedicated to your routine," said Kaede. "I'm impressed. I wonder what it's like to be a martial artist."
"Thank you, Kaede," said Sakura as she took a sip of her coffee. "Like any talent, it requires focus, hard work, and dedication. Anyone with those qualities can pick it up."
They were reassuring words to hear, down to earth and relatable, precisely what she needed during this uncomfortable social outing. Focus, hard work, and dedication, she repeated in her mind. It took great effort to be a renowned pianist, and these words reminded Kaede that anyone's talent would require just as much work, whether they were a martial artist or an animal breeder or a detective. It was a simple sentiment, sure, but true nonetheless, and it helped to ease her back into a relaxed state. Well, that and the sugary tea.
Gundham put away one of his waters in a single gulp. "So no one has any schemes to offer up for our success?" he said as he wiped his mouth. "Disappointing."
So much for feeling relaxed. "I don't see you coming up with anything," retorted Kaede.
"Teamwork is beyond the scope of my powers," he said, sounding oddly boastful. How he managed to admit an inherent fault with such pride, Kaede would never know.
Sakura scratched her chin. "Well, you play piano, I know how to fight, and Gundham… trains animals, correct?" She looked to him for affirmation, but he merely rolled his eyes. "What if Kaede plays a song, and Gundham teaches an animal to do moves to that song?"
Kaede bobbed side-to-side. "Well, it's a start, I guess. But what would you be doing?"
"I suppose I could perform some of my moves, as well," said Sakura.
"So both of you would be performing at the same time? But how would the audience know who to pay attention to?" Kaede immediately regretted asking the question, for what followed without missing a beat was—
"They would obviously pay attention to me since I'm the Chosen One by the Dark Gods of the Demon Realm."
The most shocking thing about his words was actually the lack of grandiosity to them. There was no loud proclamation or an evil cackle. He simply stated it as a fact.
Ignoring him and keeping her attention on Sakura, Kaede said, "I'm not sure. It sounds like we'd just be doing our talents individually but at the same time. The school might not be impressed by that."
"Forgive me, it was only a simple thought," said Sakura as she took another sip of her coffee, poorly masking the dejection in her voice.
Kaede quickly held up her hands in defense. "N-no, it wasn't bad! I just—! What I meant was—!"
"It's okay, you don't need to apologize." Sakura leaned back in her chair, folded her arms, closed her eyes, and all but disappeared from the moment.
Now came the evil cackle. "To offend the beast yields great consequences, symphonist! I hope you're prepared to face them!"
"Gundham, you're not helping!" Kaede pulled her hair and slammed her forehead on the table, staring at her feet through the gaps in the planks. Gundham's laughter persisted, no sign of stopping any time soon.
This was going nowhere. They had no ideas. Their talents were too different. It was too difficult for her to talk to them. How could they possibly work together? How were they supposed to accomplish anything? How would this be anything other than a complete disaster?
Kaede pulled her phone back out from her purse, no longer caring how rude she would appear in doing so. As she had guessed, the text from earlier was from Shuichi.
"Hey, don't feel nervous. You're great at talking to people. I'm sure you'll be fine."
Her mind nearly snapped, his words mocking her, a cruel joke from the universe. Her grip loosened and the phone collided with the table like a hammer. Her head sank once more, and she stabbed her fingers through her sweaty locks. She wanted to lose it, she wanted to laugh like a crazed lunatic, but Gundham was already doing enough for the both of them.
"Um, is everything okay over here?" came the waiter's voice.
Kaede looked up and saw him standing next to their table, concern etched on his face. He glanced between the three of them, clearly having no clue of how to proceed. No doubt he was ill fit to handle the commotion happening right now. Before Kaede could respond to him, though—
"Two more waters for me, mortal!"
The waiter trembled again at Gundham's demands. "Oh, y-you already finished them? That was fast."
"Hmph, you cannot possibly comprehend the desires of an Overlord such as myself," he sneered. "I must ingest the liquid of life to maintain this form! Now go!"
"O-okay, right away, sir!" he said as he scurried off in terror.
Kaede buried her face in her hands, frantically rubbing her eyes in circles until they became sore, desperately trying not to cry. Barely thirty minutes had passed since her partners had shown up, yet it was already clear how the rest of their lunch outing would play out. How was she going to survive today? How was she going to survive the next month with these two? How was she going to survive her remaining years at Hope's Peak Academy after this debacle?
Kaede grabbed her phone and replied to Shuichi.
"Shu, you're lucky you're not here right now. 'Trainwreck' doesn't even begin to describe this. If my partners mysteriously vanish tonight, it won't take a detective to figure out who did it."
Kaede threw her head back onto the pillow, overcome with frustration. She clutched her face and pulled, her cheeks sagging, eyelids drooping, eyes watering, vision blurring. She jerked from side to side upon the mattress, messing up the tidy blanket and sheets beneath her.
The only other sound in the room was the clicking of computer keys. Saihara Shuichi sat at his desk against the opposite wall, typing away on his laptop, his back to her. She tossed and turned on his bed faster, eyeing him like a hawk and desperate for his attention.
When he still hadn't acknowledged her, she shouted, "Aaarrrggghhh, this is impossible!"
Shuichi skewed his head slightly, but not enough for her to see his face. "Kaede, relax."
It wasn't the response she wanted to hear. She wanted him to look at her, to give her some real input. "I can't relax! What am I supposed to do?! I have nothing for this project!"
"You just met them today," he said, still typing away. "Give yourselves some time to iron out your ideas before you freak out. I'm sure you'll come up with something when you meet up again."
Kaede bolted upright and stared at the back of his head in annoyance. "Meet up again? Shu, I don't know if I can see them again! It was almost impossible to have a conversation with them!" She began to fidget with her jeans. "Sakura's kinda nice, but she's not very talkative, and I have no clue what planet Gundham is from! I'd rather be blindfolded and forced to play a piano with keys that are slightly smaller than normal!"
"That's… oddly specific," he said. "But cheer up. I'm sure you'll think of something." His words sounded dismissive and brought her no comfort, and the clacking of his keyboard never faltered. It was evident she came second on his priority list.
"What are you even doing right now?" she asked indignantly.
"Oh, a friend of mine sent me some critical thinking questions. I'm answering them to keep my mind sharp."
Kaede huffed and got up from the bed, strolling the short distance over to his desk. She looked over his shoulder and saw a word document on the screen. There were a series of questions, each describing a crime and asking for the culprit's identity using the clues given. There were so many words dotting the screen like ants that she couldn't tell where the questions ended and where his answers began. Just reading a single sentence gave her a headache, and she looked away before her brain overloaded.
"Geez, a friend sent these to you? They must know you're a detective freak."
"Well, she should know that," Shuichi chuckled. "She's the Ultimate Detective of the 78th class. Her name's Kirigiri Kyoko. Do you know her?"
Kaede tapped her chin repeatedly. "Kyoko? No, I haven't heard of her. I can't picture anyone." Despite that, the name Kirigiri rang a bell, but she couldn't place where she had heard it before.
Shuichi stopped his typing and looked at her. "Well, since we have the same talent, we've been talking to each other. You should meet her."
Kaede was upset that they were no longer discussing her problem, but she was at least glad that Shuichi finally pried his eyes off of his laptop and onto her. She decided to keep the topic going in the hope of maintaining his attention. "What's she like?"
His face fell slightly. "Oh, uh, she's… nice. Not too talkative, though."
Kaede frowned. "You do realize I just complained about how one of my partners isn't talkative, right?"
"Yes, I was listening to you, Kaede," he said firmly.
She picked up on his tone and decided to add some jest to her next words. "Then why would you think I'd wanna meet her based on that quality, you doof?"
"Oh, well…" He seemed to be grinding the gears in his brain, but he only managed a dumb grin. "You got me there, Kaede. I guess I wasn't thinking. Maybe I've been staring at this screen for too long." He closed his laptop—Kaede now beaming victoriously—and he stood up from his desk and walked across the room to sit on his bed. "Let me try that again. She can seem a bit distant, but when you've found something she wants to talk about, she'll open up."
"You're not a very good salesman, Shu," she jabbed as she plopped down on the mattress next to him. "Okay, tell me this: on a scale of Kaito to Maki, how sociable is she?"
Shuichi appeared tongue tied. "Kyoko? Hmmm…" The gears were moving again, and he eventually said, "She's definitely on the Maki side. I'd place her somewhere between Maki and Korekiyo."
Kaede gagged. "Oh god, that's…" She shook her head. "Again, lack of salesman skills, Shu. You're supposed to make me want to meet her, y'know?"
Shuichi's expression turned cross. "Look, I know she's not the easiest person to get along with, but she's still my friend. We share the same talent and have a lot to talk about, and that means a lot to me. You shouldn't be so quick to judge her when you haven't even met her."
He resembled a parent disciplining his child. Kaede felt the air between them turn sour, and she averted her eyes and said, "You're right. I'm sorry, Shu. I was just trying to tease, but..."
He softly laid his hand upon her shoulder. "It's okay, Kaede. I'm sorry I sounded so harsh. I know you weren't trying to be mean. How about we don't use the Kaito–Maki scale as an accurate measure of character?" His subsequent laughter helped Kaede to brighten up.
"You know, I'm glad you defended her like that," she said. "I'd have the same reaction if someone talked that way about you."
"O-oh, really?" he asked somewhat shyly.
"Of course!" she exclaimed. "You're really sweet and super smart. You're an amazing person!"
His cheeks turned rosy. "O-oh, uh, th-thanks. I'd, um, do the same for you, too." He cleared his throat. "I don't think I'd be the way I am now if it weren't for you, Kaede. I know I wasn't the most approachable person when I got here, but you took the time to get to know me."
Now it was her turn to become flushed. She raised her arm to brush her hair, attempting to obscure her reddening face. "W-well, yeah. I, um, I-I saw you by yourself a lot. I didn't want you to feel alone."
"Y-yes, and I'm very grateful for that," he muttered.
Their eyes locked, and everything else suddenly faded away. A lump formed in Kaede's throat, and she found herself unable to move, getting lost in his soft gray gaze and long curling eyelashes. This was far from the first instance of such an occurrence—in fact by this point it happened at least three times a week—but Kaede still hadn't learned how to break the trance. Against her will, she began to inch closer to him, and her mind went into a panic at the realization of what was about to happen…
With a slam of her eyelids, she finally managed to swallow the lump and pull herself back. She laughed awkwardly and didn't dare to watch his reaction, preferring to use this moment to study his bedroom and keep herself distracted.
It was her first time at his house—his uncle's house to be exact—and it was just as quaint as she had expected it to be. His room was almost an exact replica of his dorm at Hope's Peak: small with light blue walls and a single window that welcomed the orange glow of the sunset. He had a twin bed and a small desk that was free of clutter, and a meager amount of posters hanging about, one of which was an original depiction of Sherlock Holmes, while the others were of various nature scenes that Kaede found bland. A bookshelf sat in the corner, which Kaede inspected earlier and found mostly mystery and thriller novels along with some fantasy here and there; exactly as expected of a detective like him.
Her gaze eventually fell onto his nightstand, and the object resting upon it took her breath away. Beside the lamp was a photo within a small brown frame, and she picked it up and held it gently in her lap. It held a selfie of herself and Shuichi, sitting in the balcony level of a concert hall. They were both smiling, their faces nearly touching, an empty stage in the background for the show had yet to begin. Just after a month into their first term at Hope's Peak, Kaede had asked Shuichi to accompany her to an orchestra that was playing in town. She was pleased that he agreed to go, and she still remembered how well he had cleaned himself up for the occasion. Regardless, to find the photo framed in his bedroom, such an unexpected delight, sent the butterflies in her stomach aflutter. She wanted to simply place it back down and say nothing of it, fearful that any acknowledgement would only bring embarrassment—
But the heart was stronger than the mind. "Hey, Shu, you framed this picture?"
When he looked at her, then down to her lap, his eyes widened in surprise, and his pale face glowed like a furnace. "O-oh, uh, yeah. It was a lot of fun, so… I wanted to do something with it." He laughed awkwardly.
Her eyes lit up and she set the photo back down. "I meant it when I said you're really sweet, Shu. That reminds me, I actually framed that Sherlock poster you got me and hung it on my wall."
"Oh, yeah?" he mumbled bashfully. "I didn't think you'd actually like it."
"Of course I like it!" Her habit of shouting emerged yet again, and she covered her mouth. "Er, I mean, you love detectives, and I was happy you shared that with me, and also because…" She paused, swallowing another lump, and said faintly, "... you're my best friend."
All prior hesitation he had displayed vanished, replaced with a cheeky grin. Mockingly, he said, "I'm sorry, what was that? I thought I heard you say something."
"God, you're such a tease," she whined. "I-I said you're my best friend, Shuichi."
"Heh, interesting," he said, wrapping his arm around her. "Well, you're my best friend, too."
Kaede's heart wanted to burst from her chest. She quickly threw her arms around him and buried her head into the crook of his neck. "Shuuuuu, you can't just say things like that!"
He began to rub her back in circles. "Uh, you said it first, Kaede."
They sat there in silence for the next few minutes, the only sound coming from the crickets chirping outside. Kaede couldn't find a compelling enough reason to release the detective, and he seemed in no rush to push her away, either. Thoughts ran through her mind, the same ones that had come and gone many times before, and like always, Kaede tried to ignore them. Shuichi was her first real friend at Hope's Peak, and the risk of ruining that was too great, no matter how strong her desires were. With bitter reluctance, she managed to pull away from him, inwardly groaning as his delicate caresses vacated her back.
"What do you think I should do about this project, Shu?" she asked, tired of hearing the crickets do all of the talking. "We don't have much time, and I have no idea what to do."
Shuichi rubbed his chin. "I will admit, the lack of parameters is a bit overwhelming. It's harder to come up with something without clearer directions, but I suppose that's intentional."
Kaede tilted her head. "Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Well, we're students of the Hope's Peak Academy, right? The beacons of hope for the future and all that. All eyes are on us, and we need to show that a group of people can come together and create something interesting. If we can't accomplish this, then we don't stand a chance after graduation."
Kaede pouted. "Well duh, that part's obvious! I'm not struggling so much with the tight deadline or the unclear instructions, but with who my partners are. What exactly are a pianist, a martial artist, and an animal breeder supposed to create together? Not only do our talents have nothing to do with each other, but we don't seem to have anything in common!"
Shuichi only gave a solemn nod.
Kaede dug her fingernails into the bedsheets. "We should've been partnered off differently," she said in irritation. "Did you know that Maizono Sayaka is in the class above us? She's a professional singer and one of the most famous idols ever! The third-years even have a student called the Ultimate Musician! Why didn't they pair the three of us together?! We could've put on a concert or something!"
Shuichi sighed. "I hate to say this, Kaede, but I think that's exactly what the school wanted to avoid."
Kaede stared at him puzzlingly. "But why? If the point is to show the world that we're worth something, then an obvious group like that would be able to accomplish that, no problem!"
"Don't you see it, though? You just answered your own question," said Shuichi, now grinning. "I'm sure the three of you together would've been great to see, but as you just said, it's obvious. It wouldn't be nearly as much of a challenge."
Kaede could hear the faintest trace of excitement in his voice. It was clear he was enjoying conveying his thoughts to her, his deductive reasoning, as it were. He was such a detective freak, and it comforted her ever so slightly.
"Imagine if they put Kyoko, the other Ultimate Detective, in my group. Would you really be surprised?"
"I suppose not," she admitted. Then a question popped up that she somehow had yet to ask him. "Who are your partners, by the way?"
His faltering face and hastily shifting eyes sent off many alarms. She couldn't wait to hear this. "Uhhhh, you wanna know about them? Oh boy, where to begin?"
"Oh come on, Shu, they can't possibly be worse than my group."
He cocked an eyebrow. "Wanna bet?"
Kaede held out her pinky. "Loser treats the winner to lunch."
He interlocked their fingers. "I'll take that. Okay, so, my group…" He paused for a moment and inhaled. "The second-year student is the Ultimate Moral Compass. He's a stickler for order and won't hesitate to say something if you violate the rules of whatever establishment you happen to be at. He also seems pretty old-fashioned. In fact, I'm sure he would scold us right now because a boy and a girl are sitting on the same bed."
Why did he have to say that? Kaede was blissfully ignoring the fact that, despite them breaking apart earlier, they were still sitting fairly close together. Their hands on the mattress were almost touching, and she had to will herself to keep her distance. Their blushes returned, and their eyes locked again, though thankfully the trance stayed dormant this time, and they quickly shifted apart even further.
"A-anyway," he stammered. "However, my other partner is the Ultimate Yakuza. He belongs to a mafia family, and... I'm sure you see where this is going. Order and crime don't get along. You can imagine my frustration."
Kaede nodded, imagining the constant arguing Shuichi likely had to endure between his partners. As dysfunctional as she thought her own group was, they at least lacked a mafia member, and they did avoid outright hostility with each other. Even though she thought Sakura was a stick in the mud, she was still level-headed, and while Gundham's "Overlord" persona was odd and annoying to deal with, she believed he was capable of normal conversation under the right circumstances.
"So what did you wind up doing about it?" she asked.
"Well, in the moment, I couldn't do anything," responded Shuichi. "Both of them were quite overwhelming. I'm pretty sure not one pleasant exchange happened between them. I started to think, 'Why would Hope's Peak purposefully pair the three of us together?'. When I reached out to Kyoko, she told me she felt the same way about her own group, and we were able to come to a conclusion."
Kaede's attention was trained on him, the solution to her problem perhaps just around the corner. "Your detective instincts kicked in, huh?"
Shuichi chuckled. "I guess you could say that. For my group, we realized that there was a theme. The Moral Compass represents order, the Yakuza represents chaos, and I, as the truth-seeking Detective, represent neutrality. We're each one point of a scale. Don't you think it would be impressive if we came together to create something?"
"You three do sound incredibly different, so I suppose it would be a miracle," said Kaede.
"Exactly!" he exclaimed with a twinkle in his eyes, his own voice becoming louder than necessary. "Don't you see? Hope's Peak wants people of different talents and backgrounds to work together! That's the whole point of this project! It would be too easy if they paired all three musically-inclined students together. Everyone would be expecting a concert."
His goofy grin was too much for Kaede to handle, and she snorted in laughter. "God, you really are a detective freak. Look at that smile on your face. You love explaining things to me, don't you?"
Shuichi twitched uncomfortably and hid behind his hand. "U-um, w-well, I was just trying…"
Kaede lightly jabbed his arm. "I'm just teasing, you doof!" Then emptiness filled her stomach, and she frowned and hung her head in shame. "But wow, I didn't even think of this project that deeply. I feel dumb for even suggesting the concert idea. Of course that was too obvious! Do I even deserve to be an Ultimate with that basic level of thinking?"
Her shoulders were suddenly swallowed by Shuichi's firm grip, and he jerked her head back up. His expression was serious, his gaze deep, and she was mesmerized. "Kaede, don't say that! Of course you deserve to be an Ultimate! You're a brilliant pianist!"
She struggled to look him in the eyes. Her blush crept back. "You're just saying that."
"No, I mean it! I love it when you play!" he proclaimed passionately.
"Sh-Shuichi?" Her chest heaved rapidly, her breathing intensifying by the second. She became all too aware of the close proximity of their faces, a gentle breeze all that would be needed for them to connect. Maki's intense eyes would be a pitiful runner-up next to the redness of her cheeks at that moment. Her heart pounded uncontrollably as the butterflies lifted off by the thousands. Try as she might to say something—anything—her mind blanked before his piercing gaze.
As if he could read her mind, Shuichi too became aware of how close they were, and he released his tight grasp on her and scooted away. The warmth emanating from him was replaced with an unwelcome chill. Combatting the longing in her heart, Kaede took this opportunity to stand up and pretend to stretch her legs. She was elated that such an intimate moment had just occurred, having dreamt about it for months, but she was also thankful that it ended and ridded her of a potentially awkward situation. She found Shuichi so handsome and sweet that she was sure if they stayed that way for even a second longer, she would have thrown all caution to the wind and closed the gap between them.
"U-um, thank you, Shu," were the only words that she could muster.
"Y-yeah, of course," he mumbled. He stood up from the bed and sat back down at his desk, opening his laptop back up.
Kaede wandered over to his bookshelf, browsing its contents again just to keep herself occupied. She heard the familiar clacking of his keyboard, and she pondered for something to say as she glided over the many book spines with her fingers.
"So Kyoko helped you, huh?" she finally spoke.
"Yeah," she heard him reply. "She did most of the thinking, though. She definitely had a better grasp on this project than I did."
"But you said she was also having trouble with her own group, right? Did she say who her partners were?"
"She did. Her third-year partner is the Ultimate Gamer, and from our class it's…" His typing stopped, and he started to laugh. "Well, it's actually Maki."
Kaede's face fell, her hand slipping from the books. "Oh no." She grasped her forehead. "And you said Kyoko was already towards the Maki side, huh? Oh geez, they're probably quieter than a library. I at least hope the Ultimate Gamer is lively enough for the both of them."
Shuichi's laughing faltered and he scratched his head. "Uh, y-yeah, sure…"
Kaede raised an eyebrow at his response, but before she could consider it further, a thought clicked in her mind. "Oh, Kirigiri! I know why that name sounds familiar!" She snapped her fingers. "The headmaster's name is Kirigiri!"
"Yeah, Kyoko is the headmaster's daughter," said Shuichi.
"And you said she helped you figure this out? Couldn't she have just gotten the answer from her dad, though?"
His face hardened, and his firm tone returned. "I admit that the possibility is there, but I'm sure she didn't. Again, that would defeat the purpose if we don't realize it for ourselves."
Kaede decided not to push the issue any further. It was clear from how he spoke that he placed a lot of faith in Kyoko, and continuing to press on it would yield no positive outcome. She continued skimming through his books, barely processing any of their titles as her eyes glazed over.
"So what do you think I should do, Shu?" she asked.
"I think maybe you should get to know your partners better. You said you had nothing in common with them, but it also sounds like your conversations were based entirely around this project. Maybe try to learn who they are outside of school."
"You need to wish me all the luck in the world for that to happen," she said. "Are you gonna try that with your group, too?"
"You'll need to wish me all the luck in the universe for that," he said snickering.
Kaede giggled with him, and she felt a weight slowly lifting from her shoulders. A surge of hope began to envelop her, the idea of accomplishing this project no longer a far off possibility, the solution only an arm's length away. The challenge was still ahead, sure, but Shuichi's words gave her a new way to go about it, and she looked forward to seeing the results.
A tear rolled its way down her cheek. "Thank you, Shu, for believing in me. I'm glad I have you as a friend."
"You're welcome, Kaede. I'm always here for you," he said heartfeltly.
She wiped her eyes and stared at him, her heart swelling once again at how amazing he was. But that all came crashing down in an instant when, while wearing the cockiest smile she had ever seen, he suddenly said—
"By the way, you owe me a lunch."
"What?!" She placed her hands on her hips. Now it was her turn to be firm with him. "Who decided you won the bet, huh?"
"I think it's pretty clear that my group is definitely worse than yours," he said smarmily.
"Well, of course you'd say that! You had to make them sound bad!"
He wagged his finger at her. "But Kaede, I did manage to convince you of my group's horrors, right?"
"Yes…" she muttered.
"And you also called me a terrible salesman. Twice."
"Um, uh-huh." She knew where he was going with this, and she hated it.
His smile went from cocky to devilish. "So if my supposedly inferior salesman skills still managed to paint a picture for you, then that means I sold you on how powerful my story was. Ergo, my group is worse, so I win."
Kaede thrust her finger at him. "Y-you—!" She took slow, loud, irritated breaths. Finally, she sighed and drooped her head. "Sometimes I hate that you're a detective. Fine, you win."
Shuichi cackled, almost sounding like Gundham. Almost. "I'm going to make this an expensive meal."
"Oh, shut up!"
Pinkie's Thoughts
This chapter was tons of fun to write! This story came about because Kaede, Sakura, and Gundham are my favorite characters from each game (Kaede being my favorite of the series, hence why this is written from her perspective), and I thought about what the three of them would do together if they ever met. Shuichi, Kiyotaka, and Fuyuhiko are my second favorite characters from each game (at least Kiyotaka was at the time of writing this; he's since been demoted), hence why they're grouped together. Finally, Kyoko, Chiaki, and Maki are together because they're the main investigative partners in each game.
I did some research on Japanese schools. Since Hope's Peak Academy is in Japan, it would likely follow the country's academic year. The first term begins in April and ends in July, which is why Kaede's summer break only recently started. They then resume school in September, which is when the project is due. Remember to always learn about what you don't know!