Class 77-B started their Wednesday with a revelation that three students of another class that they thought they were friends with were their adversaries. Only thing they could say about it was nothing. The class was filled with deafening silence. Even cheerful students didn't do much, all they could do was to contemplate about their future and possible incidents that could happen at them.
Chiaki, who had her hood on, just quietly observed her classmates, on how the whole event affected them. It was a sight she never wanted to see, but she had no power to change what happened before. Her heart felt particularly heavy that day, especially after seeing how her classmates were affected by the whole thing.
"….Awful….just...all of it...awful. To think it would turn out like that…." Chiaki thought to herself as she kept looking at her classmates. Not a single one had a smile on their face, understandably so. They couldn't get over so quickly, considering how everything turned out. Looking at them made Chiaki feel even worse, but deep down, she was taking the responsibility to herself. She felt like she was one that shouldn't have let that happen, but was powerless to do so.
"Everyone is just so down...even Ibuki..." Chiaki's mood worsened when she saw Ibuki resting her head on her table, just blankly looking at the window. The musician was, at least for Chiaki, never like that before. At that point, Chiaki stopped looking at her classmates. It was getting too much for her. Then she remembered that if she had any issues, she could always turn towards her teacher. Chiaki pulled out her phone out of the bag, only to encounter one big issue. She has already received Chisa's message in the morning.
"Hey sweetie. I'm having a problem at home, so I'll be late. Expect me after lunch break. I'm sorry I couldn't be on time….".
On one hand, knowing that her teacher would come late didn't help her mood very much. Even though she could just send a message, Chiaki had a feeling that all it would do was putting a burden on her teacher, even if the latter person was more than welcome to bear it. On other hand, it gave her an idea. A memory on how Yukizome felt when she had to expel her own student for the sake of safety of others came into her mind, she couldn't bear to see her like that. Best she could do was to cheer up her class before she would arrive.
"...at the very least I still have time, Chisa can't see us like that….but I do have to tell her the truth that...that students we thought we were friends with were actually working for that mafia.." Chiaki "To think that they would actually be under Daft Capo….unbelievable, but we can't deny the truth...Just that I wish the truth didn't hurt sometimes." Chiaki thought about it even more before she glanced over to her classmates again. Unfortunately, she laid her eyes upon the one person who was visibly affected the most: Kazuichi, who tried his best to keep his tears in.
"…..Poor Kazuichi….to have his friend be the enemy...I can't imagine how hurt he feels…." lamented Chiaki as her heart became even heavier upon seeing her classmate in such state. She started looking at her table, contemplating on what to do. She really wanted to do something about it, but she wasn't sure on how to do it. More time passed, worse the silence felt.
"This silence….I'm not sure if I can handle it….Nekomaru, please say something. You always seem to pull us out of these situations…" Chiaki silently pleaded for anyone to start, but then she saw that even Nekomaru Nidai, one of if not THE loudest students in the academy was completely quiet. He seemed to be rather contemplative about the whole incident. It made Chiaki realize that unlike before, she had to take the initiative. She couldn't bear to see her classmates like that anymore.
"...Even Nekomaru? Then...then it leaves me no choice. I have to do it. I've promised them so much, but now I must live up to them. I have to do it, I have no other choice other than failure." decided Chiaki as she stood up from her chair, walking towards the table where Chisa usually resided. Immediate attention from her classmates was gained, wondering on what was she doing.
"...What are you doing?" asked Fuyuhiko, concerned about her sudden action. Once she reached Yukizome's table, she stood there almost as if she were their substitute teacher. Her lip was trembling and so we here arms, trying her best to regain her composure despite anxiety kicking in at full force. None than less, despite her self doubts and fear, she began or at the very least, she attempted to.
"Ahem….guys…So...erm" stammered Chiaki, not exactly sure on how to start her speech to cheer up her classmates. Her gaze faced the floor, partially due to her issues with eye contact under such situation. All of her classmates saw that it wasn't normal for Chiaki to do that.
"Is she...pushing herself to do that?" Hajime thought to himself, preparing to be on standby in the case of her succumbing to stress. Concerns of others raised as well.
"...today started really badly, didn't it? To think that it would happen...to us...just why? Why did it had to happen?" Chiaki managed to put some words together, but then realized that her start was really not the best. Then, even she was hiding it through out all time, one side of her got revealed, even for just a moment. "...I'm sorry, I'm bad at this. I'm really really bad at it. There's a lot of things where I am horrible at-".
"Hey hey hey, Chiaki, don't be too harsh on yourself! Please, you did what you could!" Hajime suddenly stood up while reassuring her that she didn't do anything wrong. Rest of her classmates had a bit of a shock when they saw how
"I told you all so many promises, but I haven't fulfilled any of them! Anything I could do, it was too late!...If I knew better…" Chiaki continued to criticize herself for what she deemed to be her own failing. The feeling spiraled for her, but she was still trying to fight it.
"Stop tearing yourself apart, goddamnit! It's been enough!" Fuyuhiko ordered her to cease it, as harshly as he could, but out of worry for her.
"...If I knew…that….then it wouldn't have happened...the day would have been better off if…" continued Chiaki, but subconsciously she did tone it down. Possibly due to her own worry for her classmates. However, there were certain reactions that she did not expect at all.
"….Sorry, I gotta go…" said Kazuichi as he suddenly stood up and went out of the classroom. It was kind of clear that he couldn't take it anymore. He wasn't the only one to leave the classroom.
"I will rethink about something." Ryota stood up as well, with a stoic expression on his face, but he managed to hide his emotions much better than the mechanic friend. The leavings have caused total silence again. It was starting to dawn on Chiaki that despite her efforts, it just wasn't going to work. Feeling of failure started to engulf her, yet she didn't want to quit. She was just lost on what to do.
"...Chiaki, it's fine. Don't fret too much about it." Ibuki suddenly spoke up in a much quieter and softer tone than she has ever before. It was almost like there was a completely different person in place of her….or perhaps it was side of Ibuki that was never shown before.
"What? When did you become so….calm?" noted Gundham, genuinely startled by that side of Ibuki. The situation became so bizarre that it made people show sides they did not expect. "These times….they have become dangerous…".
"I know what you feel, Chiaki. You probably feel like it's your responsibility, right?" asked Ibuki, wanting to know that Chiaki tearing herself was because she wants to carry burdens of others, relieving them of pain while stockpiling it only for herself. Although she was completely startled by Ibuki's words, she nodded. "Don't worry too much about us. Like, I getcha, you don't wanna see us feel bad...but now, it's kinda inescapable isn't it? Not that we will forever feel like that, but we can't repress it. Just let the feeling flow naturally. We're gonna pick ourselves up, just that we need some time. However….we do appreciate your efforts for trying to make us happy. It makes us glad that there's a person that is here to support us. You're not horrible, Chiaki, far from it, actually. The class wouldn't have been the same without you.".
"Yeah, we're not gonna crumble at all. If anything, this whole thing made us stronger. We will move forward, no matter what happens to us." added Hajime, partially to motivate his entire class, but partially to reassure Chiaki herself. Any bad feelings Chiaki had before were replaced big a big blush on her face, flustered to be told that her classmates appreciate her. She stood there silently, still flustered, until a small, yet beautiful smile appeared on her face. When her classmates saw her smile, they felt at ease, even those who weren't as close to her.
"...this is why believe in you all. I'm not strong enough alone, but together, we can do it. Together, we can do so much...but we need to stick together, even if the worst happens, right? Lets do our very best...if we can…I know I've already made so many promises, but...I will always be on your side. I will never betray anyone." Chiaki just let her feelings out before another wave of embarrassment hit her for being true to herself. "Ah...sorry….I'm sorry for embarrassing you all now…".
"...You know what? Chiaki is right. We should be together in this. It's the only choice we have and if we don't….our enemy might win." Sonia broke the silence as her own smile returned, reminding them that despite everything, they will fight on.
"What, are we gonna let those Daft Capo bastards win? No way in hell!" somehow, perhaps the blue moon already happened, Hiyoko said her sentiment without dissing her own classmates. Even Mikan, her usual target, was spared from it. Apparently, Daft Capo drove her to such lengths that no matter how she felt about her classmates, those gangsters will always be beneath everything.
"…..Hahahaha! Not even in HELL, they won't get it!" smirked Nekomaru as he returned to his usual self. With them getting their mojo back, the atmosphere of the class started to feel lighter, hopeful even. They might have lost friends in such short amount of time, but they will move forward. They need to, if they want to overcome their enemy.
"That's what we can basically do, right? Our very best, even if it seems bleak." said Hajime, reminding them on what to do in such times.
"Yeah, we still have each other, even if some have turned out to be enemies. No one on our side is gonna become a member of that mafia!" Ibuki's energy returned, she was back to her Ibuki self. It was the final thing needed to overcome any doubts and worries. Well, almost final thing.
"...Heh…" quietly giggled Chiaki, just observing her own classmates returning to their positive themselves. No longer she felt heavy, instead her heart was surrounded with warmth.
"We have already sworn to our cause, and we will sure to keep it that way." Peko crossed her arms as she gave a determined look.
"Have we?" Gundham suddenly fired a question which startled the entire class. After so much believing, there was still doubt.
"...Huh? What do you mean, Gundham?" Chiaki tilted her head, curious on what made Gundham doubt. She didn't want to assume, instead she wanted to listen to him. Truth be told, he didn't ask that question because he was a contrarian, but because Figottoni's words about loyalty stuck with him.
"Let me ask you this….are you fully committed to your cause? To what lengths will you go through. I am not asking to destabilize, but to believe your words." questioned Gundham while also wondering on how would Chiaki and her friends (including him, to an extent, although he had different measures prepared) deal with Daft Capo after the incident with Zapatta, Suifta and Figottoni.
"I will commit to it fully, even if the world ends. I will do it in a way that no one gets hurt anymore….definitely." declared Chiaki with an unexpected amount of certainty in her voice. When it came to her friends, she was sort of different than usual.
"Hm...such conviction...My advice for it is...keep going." advised Gundham, impressed that she seemed to be living up to her words.
"We shouldn't let them kick our asses. It should be us kicking theirs!" suggested Fuyuhiko while also hinting that they might have to go on offense one day. Constantly playing the defense gets tiring, Hope's peak did not have much for attrition.
"DAMN RIGHT, MY BOY!" boastfully approved Nekomaru, cementing not only the return of him, but also the entire mood changed from sorrowful and contemplative one to a much more hopeful one.
"Now, who's for showing Daft Capo the real us?" asked Chiaki if they're ready to face the future head on. All of them who were present there raised their arms, agreeing that they won't let Daft Capo win that conflict. "Heh….I knew that I put faith in right people...but now...I'll come back soon.".
"Wait, Chiaki!" Hajime wanted to check on her, but he was too late. His friend already left the classroom to deal with two more things. However, once she was outside of the class alone, her irises shrunk as she stared at the floor, realizing how messy she was through out the entire time.
"….Oh goodness, I made a total fool out of myself. It would have been much more easier if it was Miss Yukizome instead of me. Or anyone else really, I'm like….the worst for it….but I have to check on Kazuichi and Ryota first." Chiaki thought in her head, but she decided that checking her friends was more important than herself. She started exploring the hallways, wondering where would they be.
"Where is he?" Chiaki looked around to find either of them, but to no avail. Suddenly, she heard sounds of someone crying. "Oh…."
She rushed off to where she assumed the source of such sound was. After running for a bit, she found Kazuichi sitting all by himself, letting tears flow on his face. Despite those two not being as close as, in comparison like Chiaki and Hajime, she instinctively went out to reach for him.
"Hey, Kazuichi?" Chiaki sat down near him, wanting to help him out.
"….h-hey….d-don't worry, I'm fine. I swear I'm fine..." Kazuichi tried to deny it to not make her worry, but tears on his face sold him out. Chiaki just wanted him to let it out, and perhaps even to cheer him up. It seemed rather difficult though, especially how she considered her speech earlier to be a flop.
"...You still feel pretty hurt about that, right? I understand it…but know that all of them saw you as a friend, despite….that…." consoled Chiaki, but her words were enough for Kazuichi to let his true feelings out.
"...Goddamnit, why did it have to be them? Why did they have to feel that way?! If they hated us from the get go, it would have been so much easier….but no, it had to be like this!...and...and the worst thing is, they were like the only people who genuinely thought I was cool…" snivelled
Kazuichi while also accidentally confessing an insecurity he had for a long time. Even at Hope's peak, he felt like a loser. Some of his actions didn't help much in curbing that feeling.
"That's wrong!" Chiaki suddenly shouted as she pointed at him, accidentally startling him in the process.
"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Kazuichi as the feeling of sorrow was replaced with confusion. Was there another person that they genuinely thought they were cool?
"I think that...you're pretty cool too. Everyone in our class has something cool to offer." revealed Chiaki, turning out that there was that person. Her trust and belief in her own class was unlike any other.
"Please don't tell me you're just joking about this." Kazuichi couldn't believe it that there were more people that thought he was cool, considering what happened in the morning. To have someone on his side was an odd concept to him.
"No way I would joke about this. I mean it, all of it." insisted Chiaki, giving him a rather determined
"O-oh...then...what do you find cool about me, if I can ask?" stuttered Kazuichi as he had somewhat of a sheepish smile (with sharp teeth) on his face, scratching his own head as well.
"For example, how passionate you are for machines. You really know about them and I think that's not only cool, but useful. Machines are also pretty cool….I think." explained Chiaki to him on what she thought was cool about him. He was even more startled than before upon revelation that Chiaki herself also likes machines.
"Wait a sec, you're into machines too? Oh heck, I didn't know that, you should have told me!" Kazuichi's mood took a drastic turn, into a much more cheerier one. As if he was activated.
"In fact...what do you think of this?" asked Chiaki as she brought out her phone to show him one picture. It was something that she thought Kazuichi would like: F-16C Fighting Falcon single engine multirole aircraft, belonging to the 157h Fighter Squadron of South Carolina Air National Guard. The example of such fighter aircraft was quite armed, carrying two AGM-88C anti radiation missiles, two drop tanks, two AIM-9X Sidewinder heat seeking air to air missiles and two AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM active radar guided missiles. The fuselage's hardpoints were also occupied AN/ALQ-13 electronic countermeasure pod and LITENING targeting pod. That was the usual loadout for a Supression of Enemy Air Defenses missions, where planes would do their best to shut down enemy radars of surface to air missile systems. Kazuichi recognized the jet on the spot, although it is one of the most famous military aircraft of all time, so it would have been easy to recognize even by those not interested in aviation.
"F-16? Oh, that one is very rad! Such a sleek looking beast!" Kazuichi gave out compliments to the plane itself, making Chiaki rather happy that he recognized it on a spot.
"So you know of it?" Chiaki tilted her head as she was about to go into fangirl mode.
"Of course I do! Fighter jets are awesome!" chuckled Kazuichi as he put his hands behind his head, finally defeating the bad mood once and for all.
"Heh...I think this one is my favorite, but it probably has to do because I saw it in a lot of video games. Falcon BMS does come to mind when it comes to it. It also reminds me of a spaceship, such as one seen in Gala Omega." Chiaki told him about her experience with the F-16 itself, seeing it more in video games than in real life, though she did want to see one in real life, just to get a feeling of it.
"I can say you've got good taste in jets! F-16 is pretty popular not only among pilots, but mechanics too! Not only that, a lot of countries use it too and I do mean a lot!" praised Kazuichi while also giving her more info about the jet itself. Not only did she manage to cheer up her friend, but she also was going to obtain new knowledge.
"Oh? Can you tell me more about it? I'm no expert about it, you seem to be well versed into this, I think…"politely requested Chiaki, wanting to hear more about her favorite plane.
"It was built as the "low end" fighter, meant more for being easier to maintain, easier to operate and most importantly cheaper at the cost of raw performance, such as fuel for example. Compared to older types, F-16 is considered to be significantly really easy when it comes to maintaining it. I've heard some mechanics of older planes, such as...hm...F-4 Phantom, were actually jealous of F-16 mechanics." Kazuichi told her about the plane itself, recalling some of the stories he heard about while he was reading on the internet.
"F-16 is low end? Huh, never knew, it always felt really advanced to me...though I do recall it was built in the 70's." Chiaki tilted her head in surprise. To her, F-16 looked rather modern, even if it first flew in 1974. Probably helps that it's not only still in service, but in production as well even to this day.
"It originally was intended to be low end, but frequent updates made it very capable, if not one of the most capable fighters out there. It's still in production and it sells like hot cakes for a reason." elaborated Kazuichi.
"Oooh, that's right! I do remember in BMS on how each variant differed. Like, F-16C Block 50 has a different layout compared to F-16A." Chiaki recalled during her session of BMS on how different each variant felt. For example, earlier variants had their MFD's with green lines, while later ones had them in multiple colors. However, her curiosity gained a new level, she wanted to know something from Kazuichi himself. "But now...what would you say to be your favorite fighter jet?".
"Change six into four and you'll see it!" suggested Kazuichi in order to see his favorite plane. Chiaki did just that and with the tap on the enter, an entirely different plane appeared. A rather ginormous looking beast of a plane, with two tails, two engines and cockpit meant for two people: pilot and radar intercept officer. It was just as sleek as F-16, but it was far more tough looking. In a way, a flying muscle car that could swat down bandits from miles away, even up to one hundred nautical miles.
The plane in question was none other than the legendary Grumman F-14 Tomcat, the defender of the fleet for the United States Navy up until its retirement in 2006. However, it's still in service with a certain Middle East country that tries its best to maintain such a beastly aircraft.
"Oh, that's the one that appeared in in the game based around that movie! Top Gun!...I think." Chiaki managed to recognize it, thanks to plethora of games that movie received, including the one where some players thought that speed and altitude are not necessary information for such game. No wonder why landings gave them an issue.
"Correct-a-mundo! That movie made me love it, aside from the fact that it looks like a beast! What do you think of Tomcat, Chiaki?" cheered Kazuichi while asking her opinion on it.
"It looks….big...like a boss plane….Wait a minute…." Chiaki thought without a doubt that it was a cool looking plane, but then she noticed that its wings differed in pictures. In some, they were fully extended, but in some they were fully swept. She got confused for a bit. "In this picture, it has wings like that, but in that one, it has wings swept. What's up with that?".
"Oooh, that's variable sweep-wing! Some planes, such as Tomcat, can automatically change the angle of their wings. It depends on speed, faster they go, the bigger will be the sweep. It allowed all sorts of cool things, like at slower speeds, it could turn really well." Kazuichi explained the mechanism of such concept which some planes from various origins utilized.
"Planes could change angle of their wings in real life? That's...that's really cool! I would definitely wanna try out Tomcat in a video game." Chiaki started fangirling over it while also thinking about how to fly it in video games. For sure, it would be a different experience than F-16. Where as F-16 was very gentle to the pilot, F-14 was a bit more demanding.
"There definitely has to be a video game about it, it's one of the most beloved aircraft of all time." assured Kazuichi, since it is literally the most beloved naval plane of all time, up there with legends such as Hornets, Corsairs and Phantoms, if not even outclassing them. Although, the movie helped a lot for its fame, along with its actions in Gulf of Sidra during 80's, where hostilities between United States and Libya were quite high.
"Then I will definitely look into it! Retro or new, anything will suffice." decided Chiaki that once she comes home, she will definitely play a game with it, simulator preferably. She appreciated simulators because they gave her a perspective on air combat, compared to arcade flight games, where most of them still think that missiles chase their target (pure pursuit) instead of attempting to intercept them (lead pursuit). There were some exception, like that one arcade cyberpunk flight game where the player could switch factions.
After so much talking about planes, it seemed like one of her tasks actually succeeded.
"Man, perhaps this day ain't gonna be so bad after all. Sure...that happened, but you know what? Something good happened too!" Kazuichi pumped up his fists, prepare
"So..are you feeling better?" Chiaki asked just in case, sporting a smile upon seeing her classmate get his energy back.
"You bet! Man, I'm feeling pumped up! In the mood to take a look at an engine of the aircraft! Yo, I have to thank you too!" confirmed Kazuichi while giving her a compliment.
"I-it wasn't really that much...just thought that you would like the plane, that's all." Chiaki immediately downplayed her actions as she waved with her hands.
"And you know what? Even that's cool! I think I am ready to return to the class as reborn Kazuichi!" Kazuichi still gave her a compliment, despite her downplaying it just before he was about to set off and return. "Alrighty then, I have to go!".
"Hey, before you go...I have a thing to say." Chiaki managed to stop him just in time to address one thing before he returned to the class.
"Hm? What's up, Chiaki?" asked Kazuichi.
"I'm sorry for running away earlier." apologized Chiaki for that time where she just suddenly disappeared where she had to deal with the enemy student.
"Eh, it's no biggie. I getcha clearly. I mean, you had to deal with him, right? Man, when I saw him, I lost it! But no worries, because it's all cool. See ya soon!" reassured Kazuichi before he dashed off, fully energized once and for all.
"See ya." said Chiaki, happy to know that she made another person happy. However, that was only half of a task, one person remained. "Well...that went better than expected. Planes seem to make some people happy...I'm glad they do, but now...I have to check Ryota.".
She went on, searching for him. For the time she took, she didn't find him in the hallways at all. Chiaki then started inspecting other places of Hope's peak academy, such as other classrooms. As she went on, she found herself in front of the dining hall, with the person she wanted to talk to still not found.
"Where even is he?" wondered Chiaki before she had a sudden encounter with a familiar person.
"Hey, Chiaki? You're here too?" Makoto greeted her, who was also standing in front of the dining hall as well. The small ahoge boy talked in a rather more exhausted tone than usual. It seemed like the revelation affected class 78th as well.
"Oh, Makoto? How are you?" asked Chiaki as she tilted her head.
"I'm kinda tired, to be honest. I've had to reassure the entire class that things are going to be okay, despite what happened." answered Makoto, revealing that he had to do the same stunt as Chiaki did in her class as well. The gamer gal was surprised upon hearing that, not expecting that he would do literally the same thing.
"You too? Well...I understand, I did it as well. It was...difficult." said Chiaki, admitting that she had struggles with it.
"Yeah, for me too...but they did manage to cheer up. I do believe in them, even if some can be a handful to handle. We are gonna overcome that mafia, no matter what." Makoto related to her while he also said things that wouldn't be unlikely to come out of her mouth too.
"Well...you do have an amazing ability to make people happy. It's why people, including us, trust you so much." Chiaki gave him a complimented along with a warm smile, causing him to get flustered on the spot.
"E-eh, I don't think I did it too well. I just spoke from what I've felt." Makoto downplayed himself, not unlike the how Chiaki herself does it.
"That is more enough for be to be amazing, I think." insisted Chiaki, making him even more embarrassed about himself, even though all she wanted was for him to be happy. At the very least, his mood did get better when Chiaki joined, just that him taking compliments wasn't his forte.
"T-to be fair, you also have an ability to make people happy. I saw it how much they gather around you." Makoto gave her a compliment as well, which caused her to be flustered.
"Erm...I don't think so. I tried, but it was terrible…" Chiaki downplayed herself again as her face was completely red.
"It wasn't terrible at all. Like you said, it's more enough that you speak from what you feel. That already is amazing enough." insisted Makoto, just like Chiaki did before. It only made her blush even harder.
"...Ehehe…" giggled Chiaki with her cheeks being completely rosy. She didn't know how to respond but she wanted to return him a favor one day. One idea was to include him in her little group. Then she reminded herself about her task. "I have one more thing to do, then I will return. I'll come back….wait hold, on I have a question.".
"Yeah?" wondered Makoto.
"Where's Ryota?" asked Chiaki.
"Oh, I actually saw him going to the dining hall. He didn't say much to me." Makoto pointed towards the dining hall, giving her an answer. She felt slightly silly over it, since it should have been obvious.
"Ah, thanks. I'll check there." smiled Chiaki as she prepared herself to confront Ryota.
"No problem. I hope it goes well." Makoto gave her wishes as she stepped forth, going inside. Makoto was right, Ryota was right there, sitting behind a "bar" all by himself, drinking a glass of water. Even though his expression remained unchanged, she could already tell that Ryota was in a similar position as Kazuichi before, except he was a lot more covert about it.
"Oh, Ryota is here…..alone…" lamented Chiaki upon seeing him just be there without anyone on his side. A feeling resonated with her, that feeling of loneliness, but at the very least she could give him a company.
"...Hey, Ryota." quietly greeted Chiaki as she sat down next to him. Ryota just looked to her without saying a word. The animator fellow saw from the get go that she wanted to cheer him up, to mend pain that the reveal caused.
"You have come here to check on me, right?" asked Ryota.
"...Yeah. You still feel pretty hurt about it, right?" nodded Chiaki as she tried to console him, but Ryota remained silent through out it, almost like if he was hesitating to say a word. Even though it was hidden, pain was still present. To Chiaki, it was dawning on her that Ryota was a different deal than Kazuichi.
"…Allow me to ask you something: how much do you believe in trust? I mean trust as in, the concept itself." Ryota gave her a question that she required some time to think about. Aforementioned question broke silence for a moment, but it returned as quickly. Chiaki thought about trust as a whole and how much does she rely on it.
"Well...I do believe in it, quite a lot, I think. It's what keeping us together, but...it does need doubt to be valid. Belief without doubt...is simply a lie." replied Chiaki once she got pieces of her answer together. The experiences she went through made her more lean on side of doubt, not as in fully overtaking trust, but blind trust was something she wasn't capable anymore, especially after what one of her classmates turned out to be.
"Hm...you still have faith in it. What just happened proved me that only thing worth of trust is food." noted Ryota, startling Chiaki over the fact he has seemingly stopped believing in the concept of trust all together. To think that the reveal hurt him that much was making Chiaki's heart heavier.
"Um...I understand why, but...you don't trust your friends?" asked Chiaki, with her voice trembling a bit. A fear that her class will crumble appeared, that Ryota would grow so distrustful that it would cause a chain of events that would lead to the class splintering.
Then he said something that would puzzle her for a long time.
"I do not have friends. Ryota Mitarai does." bluntly stated Ryota, causing her to think about his words for a moment. The way he phrased himself seemed like that someone else was Ryota and not him.
"But...you're Ryota, right?" asked Chiaki, utterly confused on what he meant. However, Ryota remained silent.
"...Perhaps one day you would learn the truth. Maybe for you, sooner than most." Ryota said his departing words as he stood up and went towards outside. "Excuse me, I need to address something.".
"Wait, please-" Chiaki pleaded him to stay, but it was too late. Ryota was already on his way to finish his business, whatever he had. The half of the task was deemed a failure by her. "Aw, bummer...that was a total flop, wasn't it?".
Then, as she was about to return to Makoto, she started thinking more about his words. They seemed rather contradictory upon closer inspection.
"Hmm...he did say the truth will be revealed sooner for me...so that means he does trust us, just that...he finds it difficult to lean on?" Chiaki wasn't sure how to feel on it. Did he completely abandon trust as a concept or did he still cling on to it, even if its just her and her classmates. Upon thinking about it more, she realized how much grief has Ryota went through. "...That's honestly sad to think about.".
Chiaki exited the dining hall, returning to Makoto, who was more or less in the same place. The Naegi wondered how come that it was so quickly done.
"Hey, I'm back. Sorry to keep you waiting." apologized Chiaki for delay, even though there wasn't one.
"It's okay. There were no worries to begin with. How did it go with Ryota?" reassured Makoto while curious about how her talk with Ryota went, but he didn't want to be too intrusive.
"….I'm not too sure how it went…" contemplated Chiaki whether or not should she consider her talk with Ryota a success or failure, although she leaned towards latter. Still, she couldn't ignore Ryota's choice of words.
"The revelation from yesterday really got him shaken, didn't it? Before it happened, he was always hanged around Figottoni. They seemed to be close friends too...man, it hurts even thinking about it." Makoto related to how Ryota felt, even if those two weren't close.
"It does...it damaged his belief in trust...but even though he was hiding it, he did hint to believe in us...it's strange…" said Chiaki, still wondering what were true feelings of her animator friend.
"I think that he does see you all as his friends, despite what he said. He knows who to believe in." stated Makoto, having quite a decent amount of faith in him, just like he did with everyone he considered a friend.
"I hope so…" murmured Chiaki before a thought appeared in her mind. A thought that she wanted to tell her short ahoge friend. "...hey, Makoto?".
"Yeah?" Makoto tilted his head.
"How close would you say our classes are?" suddenly asked Chiaki.
"If you want my opinion on it...then our classes cannot be separated by anything. Miss Yukizome said to us that no other class has such relationship before or after." answered Makoto with a strong amount of confidence in his voice. The Ultimate (Un)lucky student had a polar opposite treatment of trust compared to her classmate. The sheer amount of trust alone made Chiaki smile.
"Then...lets keep the bond strong, shall we? Together, we will be stronger than anything." Chiaki gave out a promise before she suddenly grabbed his hands, startling him in the process. But once the blush went away, he regained his determined look.
"It will be maintained, that is gonna be my promise. I will do anything to keep class 77-B and class 78th together!" promised Makoto as both of them held hands as close they could, in order to keep promise as strong as they could. Then, another hand grabbed both of them, from an unexpected visitor.
"Don't forget, you are not alone in this fight." said a soft, reassuring voice that sounded remarkable like Kurisu. In fact, it was Kurisu.
"K-Kurisu?!" Makoto and Chiaki both stammered, completely shocked by her sudden appearance.
"Hehehe, what a surprise, right? You two are like puppies together." chuckled Kurisu before she expressed her regrets about her group not reacting in time. "But we've heard what happened to you guys...I'm really sorry you had to go through it. Truth be told, we wanted to visit us ever since your classmate got expelled, but couldn't….once again, I'm really sorry.".
"It's okay, Kurisu. Not only we believe we can power through, but it makes us more than happy that you guys are on our side." reassured Chiaki that there was no ill at all, but deep down she was happier knowing that Future Gadget Lab will be on their side.
"And we will be, until the end of time. Almost all of us have come to visit you, including Suzuha and Faris. We are all waiting for you outside. Will you come with me?" promised Kurisu before she invited them to go outside, where the rest of the gang, from their classes to the lab itself, waited for someone. Both dorks nodded. "Then, lets go.".
They let go off their hands as they all started walking towards the entrance of the school, but not encountering a certain yakuza duo on the way, who seemed to go to the opposite direction. Their appearance was just as much of a surprise for them as their appearance was for the duo.
"Fuyuhiko and Peko?" piqued Kurisu while all three of them wondered
"K-Kurisu, the hell? Oh, sorry, we didn't expect your arrival here." stuttered Fuyuhiko but he regained his composure. Peko was a lot more covert in terms of showing surprise, greeting them as if was a normal day.
"Nothing to worry about, we were just passing by. How are you today?" piqued Kurisu as she wanted them to tell them about a thing they were planning to do.
"We're fine, but we have one more thing to do, just in case." answered Peko
"What would that be?" Kurisu raised an eyebrow.
"It's very personal. We would prefer it if further questions weren't asked." cautioned Peko that their business was something only they should know.
"Just saying this in advance, we're fine. Don't worry about us, what happened in the morning is a norm around here. Like you've said, we're gonna get this through." reassured Fuyuhiko in advance, especially remembering how much Chiaki struggled in the morning. At the very least they could tell they were fine. However, curiosity among the trio rose, but they didn't pry much further.
"...Alright. We will respect your wishes." nodded Chiaki, while other two agreed that they would follow his wish. Once again, Fuyuhiko was surprised by them, but he tried to hide it.
"...Thanks. We'll come back, that can be guaranteed. Just...let us do this thing." Fuyuhiko let out a small smile before he and Peko went towards their destination. The trio went towards their goal as well, but Fuyuhiko's words stuck with Kurisu for a moment. There was something about them that she wasn't comfortable accepting it.
"Betrayal as a norm?..They went through a lot more than I thought…" lamented Kurisu, although she kept it to herself.
Meanwhile, Ryota was busy buying snacks in a nearby market, but they weren't for him. After he finished it, he seemed to go towards some kind of ordinary house. The door of the house was unlocked, as if the one inside knew he was coming. Once he entered it, he went towards the living room. Except….it wasn't much of a living room as it was a homemade animator studio. Multiple monitors were accompanied by drawing pad, where the animator used to make art. Along with the general equipment, there was also plethora of Ghibli merchandise, specifically just Blue-rays. Totoro, Porco, Ponyo, you name it, there were all there. They seemed to be owned by one short scrawny, almost Chihiro Fujisaki-like boy, who was hellbent on drawing every single cell of animation to perfection. The tiny boy in question was none other than Ryota Mitarai, the real one.
On other hand, the stout person or Ryota Mitarai as they knew at Hope's peak, was known as Ultimate Impostor. Not a single person on the planet knew anything about them.
"Hello. I have brought you something to eat. You really need to do it." greeted Ultimate Impostor as he offered snacks and drink to a very exhausted looking Ryota, who was just to pass out.
"...Not before I finish it. It has to be perfect or else it will fail." declined Ryota, insisting on finishing his project despite rather obvious traces of his declining health.
"Ryota, you haven't treated yourself for hours, days even. Please do, you're nearly about to pass out." Ultimate Impostor calmly, yet forcefully demanded him to have a drink. They offered him a bottle of water, just so that he would have enough energy for the day.
"...Alright." Ryota had no choice to accept their offer, even if it was more of an instinctual response. He drank down water in the bottle in the matter of seconds. The Impostor sat down and brought up a conversation that they felt necessary to discuss.
"There is something that I have been keeping in you in the dark about, but I must reveal it to you. The day has come, thanks to our circumstances." began Ultimate Impostor to tell him about all sorts of events that happened in their school, from the attack of an octopus to the recent spy reveals.
"Did something happen to the school? To our classmates?" asked Ryota out of worry for his classmates, even if he hasn't ever seen them in person. All he knew was hearsay from the Impostor.
"Where do I even begin...on how should I explain it?" Ultimate Impostor wondered on how to tell their situation as believable as possible, considering how utterly bizarre it was.
"W-what happened to them?! Please, tell me about it!" Ryota's concerns about his classmates rose even more as he almost started panicking.
"Your classmates are in good condition. They have yet to be seriously injured. However, one of our classmates did get expelled due to being a threat to us. It was Komaeda, if you are curious." reassured Ultimate Impostor while revealing to him that one of their classmates was out of the school for good. Ryota got curious on why was he expelled, but felt some kind of guilt for it.
"At the very least others are alright…but...what circumstances do you speak of?" Ryota took a breath of relief upon hearing it, however the situation still sounded ominous to him.
"Our school is currently waging a conflict against a mafia that tries to assert control over it." continued Ultimate Impostor while also finally telling him that Hope's peak is under attack by Daft Capo.
"M-mafia?! They have to be stopped, the hope of our academy cannot be tainted by them!" Ryota started panicking again while having zero idea on what even the mafia looked like. He imagined it was a yakuza or even a mafia out of roaring twenties. Little did he know the truth behind Daft Capo.
"...That very word has become dubious after dealing with Komaeda. Anyway, it doesn't matter, since we are not letting them have it. I assure you that Hope's peak will not fall under their clutches." commented Ultimate Impostor while also promising that no one will fall under the claws of that criminal syndicate.
"Wait...are you all going against a mafia...alone?" asked Ryota once he noticed that Imposter seemed to imply that they will fight against their enemy completely alone.
"Alone as in our class only or as in academy only?" Ultimate Imposter demanded for some clarification.
"Both!" Ryota wanted to know about each outcome.
"We aren't alone. From the academy, class 78th assists us and as of external help, we got help from none other than Kurisu Makise and her colleagues." revealed Ultimate Impostor another surprise for his animator friend. Mitarai realized that he missed out so much while he was busy perfecting his animated film.
"No...that has to be made up…..Kurisu Makise assists us?!" stammered Ryota, finding it hard to accept that a famous neurologist joined their cause.
"Correct. However, that's all we have. We cannot rely on governmental organizations for us, since the mafia has capability to erase themselves from public eye. Not even the World Wide Web is safe from it." added Ultimate Impostor, a fact that deeply unsettled his friend. Any help from governmental branches was already out of the question and to him, the enemy became far more abstract than he initially imagined.
"W-what kind of enemy is that mafia? Is there even a chance against them?" Ryota begged to know as his anxiety skyrocketed. His skin turned completely pale upon imagining what kind of their they were facing.
"Perhaps...but I do have a concern. I am not entirely sure to what lengths will that mafia go to achieve goals, so I have one request: you need to move." requested Ultimate Impostor.
"B-but I have to finish this before deadline! It has to be made or else-" Ryota initially declined, since he had an animated movie to finish and the deadline was rather soon.
"Ryota, your life could be endangered. We can move all equipment you need there as well. I know where to put you." Ultimate Impostor "Do not fret, I will assist with moving the equipment.".
At the same time, Fuyuhiko and Peko went to another part of Hope's peak: Reserve Course Department. Here, the talentless folk enlisted through high monetary prices. Compared to the treatment of Ultimates, Reserve Course students were treated nothing more than forgettable folk at best. After navigating through hallways and a lot of students with less than cheerful attitudes, they found the person they were looking for: a blonde haired gal that looked remarkably similar to the heir of Kuzuryu clan himself. She was sitting on a table, with her legs crossed, sporting a rather confident look on her face. That person was, quite in fact, Natsumi Kuzuryu, who has often referred to herself as the Ultimate Little Sister.
"Oh, if it isn't my big bro! What brings him here?" Natsumi Kuzuryu greeted in a rather pompous way. However, she noticed that her brother was in an unusual, quiet mood. Something went wrong, she thought. Little she knew about what was her brother going to tell her.
"..Sis, you need to get outta here." Fuyuhiko didn't even hesitate to tell her to move somewhere safe, somewhere deep within Kuzuryu clan's territory.
"Eh? Why? What's with that sudden demand?" nagged Natsumi, still blissfully unaware of what was Hope's peak dealing at that moment.
"Okay, listen. I'm gonna make it very short. Hope's peak academy is currently being attacked by a mafia." revealed Fuyuhiko, causing a bit of a shock for other Reserve Course students.
"Wait for real?" quite a lot of Reserve Course students gasped upon the fact, despite being so far unaffected by the Hope's peak versus Daft Capo conflict. Maybe.
"Hmph! Just a mafia and I need to get out? What kind of excuse it that? We're Kuzuryu's, all criminal syndicates fear us! What's gonna one measly mafia do?" scoffed Natsumi while expressing pride of being a part of a yakuza. Considering that both Fuyuhiko and Peko saw what Daft Capo was doing in person, that attitude got him irritated really hard.
"The issue is this isn't a fucking measly mafia. It's an enemy that even Kuzuryu clan has never seen before." Fuyuhiko scolded her for overconfidence regarding dealing with an enigmatic adversary.
"It's also an enemy that erases every trace of their existence, even on World Wide Web." added Peko, a fact that even got under Natsumi's skin.
"...That has to be bullshit, right? You know that nothing can be erased from internet, right?" doubted Natsumi, but the sheer prospect of it painted a new light on the conflict. Kuzuryu was know all over Japan. Daft Capo was completely hidden in the shadows.
"So I thought...but they have proven otherwise. They have already infiltrated within the ranks. There's a pretty big chance that they're in reserve course too." cautioned Fuyuhiko while expressing fears he had for a long time. At the very least at that moment he could curb his fears by taking her sister safe. "Sis, we need to take you home, somewhere safe. Safe from them."
"….I'm only going with your demand because you sound so serious about it. You will have to explain everything at home." begrudgingly accepted Natsumi as she joined them to go home, a temporary safe place.
"Alright then...I'll tell you everything about it." promised Fuyuhiko as they all went on their way home, just to take his sister there, where she would be free of danger from Daft Capo.
More time passed as, by total coincidence, Fuyuhiko, Peko and Ultimate Impostor, who was still known to them as Ryota, returned to the entrance of the school, where almost everyone from class 77-B and class 78th (aside from Ludenberg) awaited them. Even Future Gadget Lab gang was there, from the main group to even, unfortunately for Hajime, the catgirl herself.
"We have returned. We apologize to keep you waiting." greeted Peko as the duo stepped forth.
"I have also returned." Ultimate Impostor announced his return just the right time. It was almost like if those four were in sync.
"Ah, welcome back. I'm glad you three have returned. We're just waiting for Miss Yukizome." Chiaki happily invited them to come forth, but soon enough they found out there was another person coming, rushing as fast as she could. Finally, Chisa Yukizome arrived.
"Speak of her, there she is! Everyone, give her a big "Wazzaaaaaaaaap!" when she's close!" cheerfully suggested Suzuha as she waved at her, being the first one to unleash a "Wazzap" on her teacher friend. Once the rushing teacher reached the fountain, she stopped herself, taking some deep breaths to regain her energy. She forgot her coffee that day.
"Heyyoo! Sorry I've kept you all waiting, but your teacher is back!" Chisa waved at them as she joined in, finally ending the wait for her. Thus, the class 77-B decided to have a "class" outside, where they would all hang around until it was time to go home. As they all were having fun, the mad scientist and his childhood friend sat on the bench, observing them in the process.
"Hey, Okarin." Mayuri initiated the talk.
"What's on your mind, Mayuri?" asked Rintaro as he looked at her.
"Mayushii's been thinking about the school itself. Why is it called Hope's peak academy? Mayushii's not sure if there is a mountain called Hope?" wondered Mayuri, imagining how would a mountain called Hope even look like.
"I don't think there's any mountain called Hope. At least not in Japan. I personally think it's because they thought the name was cool." rationalized Rintaro while he honestly had no idea why the school got such name in the first place.
"Maybe because of that but more I watched them, more I get on why its called Hope's peak." noted Mayuri while she pointed at others just having fun. Rintaro looked where she was pointing and started to understand. One sight particularly caught his attention: Chiaki hanging around with Chisa, Hajime, Chihiro, Ibuki and newly included Makoto. Something about the "Springy Ultra Gamer Rabbit" reminded him of Mayuri big time.
"Heh...yeah. It could be that too." chuckled Rintaro as they all just enjoyed their afternoon, after everything that happened. A spark of a break was definitely needed.
It was end of their classes for the day. All of students went home to take a rest. In the mean time, Chisa was strolling down to her office, thinking about all sorts of stuff.
"Hm hm hm, another day is done! I'll make it up for them, because me being that late is unacceptable! No more of that, Chisa! No more! They were probably really worried for you too….what kind of teacher even am I, for not being able to do anything normally?" Chisa thought to herself while also tearing herself apart for not being an ideal teacher (for Hope's peak's higher ups standards). Despite her best efforts to make her class happy, she still received pressure from above. But happiness of her students was more important to whatever the higher ups said. "...but at the very least, as long as students are happy, it's all good!".
On her way, she met the Ultimate Talent Scout, Koichi Kizakura. Usually laid-back, but that day he was not. The way he walked showed that he was concerned about something. Something big, perhaps.
"What's wrong, Kizakura?" asked Chisa, immediately noticing his off putting behavior. He never was like that, but something must have happened.
"Yukizome, some real weird things have been happening as of late." revealed Koichi in a deeply worried tone in his voice. The Housekeeper could tell that the issue was serious.
"What's been going on?" further asked Chisa as her own worries started to stack up.
"Our security has been disappearing. Every time a new guard gets hired, they disappeared day after." fretted Koichi, revealing his discovery for what was happening behind the scenes. Such revelation caused Chisa's irises to shrink, with her skin becoming pale.
"...W-what? How could it happen?" quavered Chisa, gulping down her saliva.
"I seriously don't know, they just vanish without a trace. Even if we try to call them, it's nothing but static." further added Koichi, making the situation sound even worse.
"...Kizakura, when did you find out?" shivered Chisa as she was starting to hug papers she was taking to her office.
"Yesterday, although I have a hunch that this has been happening for a long time. We need to report to the headmaster as soon as possible." suggested Koichi to report as soon as possible.
"...One more thing…What's the chance that the mafia is behind it?" Chisa agreed with his suggestion, but wanted to know one more thing. Considering that Koichi was already aware of it, they could deal with it easier.
"Likely. Very likely. I can't imagine anyone else doing it." theorized Koichi.
"….We need to do something about it now." declared Chisa as they both had a change of plans. They went towards the headmaster's office, where they would inform what was happening to the school. It was fortunate that students weren't aware of it, or else their grasp on the conflict might have taken a different turn. A turn they wouldn't never want to take.