Danganronpa - American Academy of Atrocity (DISCONTINUED)

by Josh W. S

The tragic nature of Hope's Peak sparks to life once more to wreak incredible havoc among fifteen new students in the United States of America. Nestled in the center Staten Island, Hope's Peak Institute is the site of a brand new killing game. Some will kill, some will die, but everyone will change, in one way or another. (DISCONTINUED)

1. Prologue

DANGANRONPA:

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ATROCITY

(Inspired by Kazutaka Kodaka's

game series of the same name)

(All rights to the Danganronpa series are reserved by Spike Chunsoft.)

By: Josh W. S.

PROLOGUE:

Faint Odor of a Dark World

As the wheels of my bike rolled across the pavement, I breathed heavily. I was late for orientation, quite late in fact. I was behind by exactly four hours, twenty-three minutes, and eleven seconds. I somehow ended up falling asleep despite all the stress about school, and my parents were too busy back home to get me up and out of the hotel room. Despite feeling like I made the biggest mistake of my life, it was easy to forget, at least in the moment.

I felt the wonderful brush of cool wind on my forehead, not the sweat. I heard the sweet, harmonious chirping of the local bird life, not my strained breaths. From time to time I would look up to see the night sky. Speckled with far off stars, and front and center of my view was the night's sun. It provided ample light upon the street my rusty bike chains were raging against.

At the forefront of my mind, ignoring my senses, both positive and negative, was the letter that sent me on this road to begin with. Hard to believe it was two years ago! My father's exuberant cheers and my mother's dilated pride in me still rings as fresh as yesterday. I never could have imagined seeing an acceptance letter to Hope's Peak Institute!

"To, The Sugimoto Residence.

We here at Hope's Peak Institute, the American branch of the Hope's Peak family of schools, formally accept your son, Christopher Sugimoto into our Ultimate Initiative. Your child has shown exceptional promise and talent in his field, as such he will henceforth be recognized as the Ultimate Mathematician. He will be fully eligible for enrollment when he is in his junior year of high school.

(Hope's Peak reserves the right to strip students of admission if they begin to decline in their talent)"

I never would have thought I'd make it into the Ultimate Initiative. I always thought my skills with numbers would be looked down upon, but it turns out I'm one of the best of the best! Back when I was a freshman, I was more than ready to leave Dawkins High, and being a junior now, I can safely say that sentiment has only gotten exponentially greater. Soon, I will be in touch with new (better) people, and I can forward my knowledge of math without judgement.

I squeezed the brake handle, turning in and stopping at an empty bike rack. I couldn't help but let out an awkward chuckle as I looked at the few cars scattered around the parking lot. I turned around and took a proper view of the school- a gasp shot from my mouth as I laid eyes on the school and realized just how spectacular the place was!

The school was quite long and divided into three floors. In the center of the smooth tan stone walls, often separated by big panes of glass giving the rooms a view into the world outside was a part that shot further up, adorned with an analog clock, and under it, the school's iconic sigil. It was a crown above a shield, in the shield, a single dip pen, its split tip pointing towards the top left corner. Looking down properly only tripled my awe.

They must have an Ultimate Botanist or something, because I saw a big plane of well cultivated grass and beautiful trees. Split via a wide stone walkway leading to the entrance, the trees were kept to one side according to their kind. I think the left side had American Sweetgums and the right had Japanese Maples. They complimented each other quite well with their fiery red leaves.

I was finally snapped out of my gawking by a roaring engine and harsh swerve into a parking spot near me. I couldn't help but fall on my butt with a yell. The car was deep orange, with black spots tattered on the hood and a big, black T and O on the driver-side door. The tall driver stepped out of the car. Taking off their white helmet showed a blonde teenager. She quickly offered a gloved hand to me.

"My bad mister! Weren't expectin' a loiterer on the track!" I grumbled but took her hand. As I stood, I corrected my glasses and pushed my white strands of hair out of my eyes.

"T-track!?" I stuttered. "What do you mean 'track'!? This is a school parking lot, not some course for a drag racer!"

"That's where yer wrong pal, every road is a course waitin' to be roared across! Besides, I'm kind of a professional!" I couldn't deny her car and clothing weren't exactly congruent with that of your average illegal street racer. "Anyway, who are ya exactly? Some sort of four-eyed thief!?"

"N-no… Why would you think that? Do I look like thief material?"

"Ha, 'at's for sure! You probably couldn't bust a door rot half to hell!" Ouch, I was hoping you wouldn't be THAT harsh. "I 'ssume you're a student 'ere. Well-" Just then a rapid beeping was going off from her pocket. She pulled out a small black stopwatch.

"Darn, I gotta head 0ff-"She began to sprint down the walkway, and I pathetically reached out towards her and muttered,

"Please wait..." I sighed and followed her, even though she had already disappeared behind the double doors leading into the school. I walked over the cobblestone, reaching the doors in about quadruple her time. I went through the glass doors, looking around I saw nothing but pitch-black. It was off-putting, that girl just went through here.I called out into the dark.

"Hello? I'm uhm, I'm late to orientation… Anyone?" An uncomfortable silence was returned. I took a deep breath and laughed at myself. Come on, she must have just run off to her dorm room and switched the light off already. I mean she was certainly rather speedy getting into the building; surely all the others were currently sleeping as well. This is what you get for waking up at ten p.m., Chris.

I reached a hand along the wall and walked left down the hall, hoping to find a switch. It wasn't long before a corner was hit, and as I turned, a shiver went down my spine. Suddenly my nostrils were assaulted by a bizarre, yet vaguely familiar smell. All I could really think about was rusty iron.

I advanced further into the darkness, and the odor only got stronger and stronger. I gagged as it became even more potent. Then, as I pushed on looking for a light, I nearly tripped over something large and heavy. The scent was as prevalent as ever.

BANG!

My eyes opened sluggishly. I was face-first on a white vinyl floor. I lifted myself up and looked around me, overcome by confusion. An empty classroom? All the desks were completely empty, and the windows were obfuscated by globs of black paint. I felt a slight weight in my fleece jacket. Turning around I saw an open closet with nothing inside. Why was I… Oh, that's right, I'm in Hope's Peak. But why had I just fallen out of a closet, and why is no one here?

Ding dong, bing bong.

"Ahem," A cheerful voice rang out over an intercom, catching me so off guard, I nearly fell into one of the desks. "I know all of you must be really confused right now! No worries, this is all part of the traditional Hope's Peak Entrance Ceremony! Please gather in the gym post-haste! All your questions will be answered shortly!" The microphone clicked, and the voice stopped. I felt like I could still hear the microphone feedback, but that wasn't high on my priorities list.

"Entrance Ceremony?" I spoke to myself, "I thought orientation would cover this, but maybe it's just for those that missed it?" Yes, that's it. One of the students probably stuffed me in the closet after… After what? Dang it, I can't recall. No, I should probably find my way to the gymnasium instead of thinking over that just yet.

I stepped out into the hall and looked around anxiously. I saw a girl with garnet hair wandering the halls. She was holding a tablet that was half black and half white with a red circle in the middle in her hands with an aimless and puzzled look on her face. "E-excuse me? Are you one of my classmates?"

She noticed me and almost jumped with surprise. The girl put her fingers to her chin and nodded, although she didn't seem too sure of herself. "Do you know where the gym is?" Without hesitation she shook her head profusely. "What's with the tablet? It doesn't look like anything I've seen before." She dug her hand into her pockets and pointed at my jacket.

"Huh? My jacket?" I was sure it was heavier than I remember it being. I delved into my dark blue fleece jacket and felt something large and rectangular. Surely enough it was the same kind of tablet. Examining it, I pressed the circular button at the bottom and strained my eyes a little at the sudden flash of blue light. My name appeared on the screen, under it were the words "Student E-Handbook". "Does yours say the same thing?" Looking over her shoulder I saw the tablet wasn't even on. I reached over without thinking and turned it on.

Her name was Emily Ainsworth according to the device. Looking up at her I was greeted with an incredibly embarrassed expression, along with a prevalent red on her face. "I'm guessing you're not that good at technology, huh?" I awkwardly chuckled before quickly receding into my own tablet as a response to her frown. I spoke aloud the apps I saw. "Notes, Report Card, Rules, Map… Ah!" I clicked on the map app and saw what seemed to be a display of the school's layout, with my location being marked in real time. "Oh, the gym is downstairs. Would you like to accompany me?" Before I could slap myself, she gleefully nodded. "G-great!... U-uhm I mean-" I took a deep breath, "Before we head off, my name is Christopher. It's nice to meet you, Emily. Let's go."

We walked down the hallway lined with different classrooms. None of the light was natural, all covered up by the paint coating the windows, instead it was only the ambient lighting from the ceiling. Blocking that peculiarity from my mind, Emily and I went down a flight of stairs to the first floor. Taking a right from the base, there were two red doors with a black plaque next to them reading "Gymnasium" along the wall. I pushed them open and entered the massive room.

Entering, we saw a group of students gathered around, talking amongst themselves in front of a stage in the back of the facility (although one was off in a corner with his arms crossed.) The sound of the heavy doors swinging open caused the lot to turn and take notice.

"That makes fifteen of us. We should be expecting one more." Said an African American girl with a worried expression on her round face.

"Ms. Omar, the announcement made no mention of a specific number, let alone sixteen." The voice belonged to a suited fellow. His voice was deep, and I couldn't quite key the accent. "Why would you ever craft such an assertion anyhow?" The girl quickly sparked back.

"Because you damn idiot, this is Hope's Peak! You should all know what's going to-"

A boy looking quite like Omar tugged at her sleeve and shook his head. "Y-yeah, you're right. We'll be fine..." Despite saying that her voice remained shaky and unsure.

I found myself frozen at the front of the room, staring at all the people that were aware of my fragile appearance. My legs felt light and were shaking. A hand fell on my shoulder. Looking to it, Emily was smiling warmly and nudging me towards the bleachers.

"Th-thank you." I followed her and took a seat, sighing. I suppose I'm not as ready as I thought I was.

"Ahem! Students of Hope's Peak Institute Class One," The voice that rung over the intercom before aired again, "please turn your attention to the podium in the center of the stage!" All our heads rotated to the podium, where the voice originated from. Before our very eyes, a bipedal bear jumped up on the stand. It was plump thing, only two feet tall. Divided through the center of its whole body, one side was white and the other was black. A single black pupil and a normal small snout presented themselves on his right side. On the left, his eye was a jagged red line, reminiscent of a lightning bolt. And his mouth continued into a thin, sinister smile.

"Oh my- OH MY GOSH! I LOVE that design! Who made this teddy bear? I NEED to have a chat with him STAT!" Blurted out a small girl in a high-pitched voice.

"Shut up shorty!" The bear snapped back at the small girl, causing her to quickly recede into her bright pink hood. "I'm not some pretty teddy bear ya know! I'm your headmaster!"

"Is this some kind of fucking joke? Principles usually aren't some damn robot bear." The guy standing away from us spoke up. "Sure, maybe you could fool these dumbasses, but I for one find this comedy act to be flat."

"How ya know it's a bot?" Rung a familiar voice.

"Because, you moron, what else would it be? A fucking puppet? Jesus Christ I'm surrounded by mental defectives."

The bear stared at him. It grumbled, and before I could gather any courage to speak up, it continued speaking.

"Kids these days, so foul mouthed! I assure you this is no joke. I, Monokuma, am your new headmaster! The last one quit a while back, so this position was on short notice." A blush appeared on its white cheek, and it rubbed its head. "No applause, no applause, just doing my duty!"

We were all left speechless. What the heck is this? Why is some machine here giving our entrance ceremony? "Anyway, I'm so glad to see you all standing, and your cognitive faculties are amazing! Sooooo I'm sure you're all very, very confused about all of this. Well, you see, artificial intelligence tech has gone crazy lately, and I-"

"Mr. Monokuma, I do not believe that is the point we are stuck on." The professional looking accented fellow from earlier had spoken.

"Yes, yes, yes! You get a gold sticker, Rhamesis!" Our headmaster reached down and returned his hand with a star sticker that read "Monokuma says: 'You Did Something!'" He immediately passed it off to the small, high-pitched girl, causing her to squeal in excitement.

"IT'S SOOOOOO CUTE!" She exclaimed.

"Last time I do anything nice for you. If you're confused about why you woke up where you have, and why you've been called into a gym (with a handsome ursine no less) and why you probably have a crick in your neck, wellllll, I'll answer all of that IF you do two things." Another tall man with a bow around his chest asked,

"What exactly are those conditions?"

"I'm so glad you asked! I'd give you a sticker, but we're all out, sorry! The first thing is... hang out!"

"H-huh? Ha-hang out? That- that's it?" I stammered through that sentence, a cold sweat going off my forehead.

"Well of course there's something else, but that's later. Until noon tomorrow, get to know each other and explore the school! When twelve strikes, I'll summon you all back to the gym for your second task. Oh, and due to previously unforeseen circumstances, the school advises you do not leave campus, otherwise you will face swift consequences. I hope you guys get very, very friendly with each other, very, very fast... puhuhuh..."

And there he went, disappearing back behind the podium. The laugh chilled my bones like they were being rubbed by blocks of ice. Once more, I completely froze up, the giggling echoing in my ears. I instinctively targeted my eyes straight on the ground. What must have been a mere five minutes felt like infinity. I would occasionally see people's shoes as they walked by, until a forest camo pair of boots and pants stopped in front of me.

"May you please look at me?" The voice was soft, but powerful. I looked up to see the man with the bow. He seemed Asian, with no European descent like me. His brown eyes were peering into mine, but in an almost comforting way. "Please, tell me your name." His hair was jet black, tied in three ponytails. He was wearing a white cotton shirt, the sleeves torn off at the upper forearm. "Sir."

"O-oh! S-sorry! Can you repeat that?"

"I would like to know your name, please."

"Y-yeah of course, it's Christopher Sugimoto. P-please just call me Chris." He smiled and reached a hand to me. It was missing his last and ring finger, replaced by a bandage leading up to his middle forearm. I couldn't refrain from looking at the wound in disbelief. "S-sorry. Y-your hand just-" I shut myself up and took his disfigured hand.

"Don't worry about it Sugimoto. I am called Jiomada Daigo. I apologize for the intrusion, but you looked out of it." He pulled me up to my feet. I glanced to my left to see Emily had departed. "I told your friend I'd see to you. She didn't say anything, but she made it quite clear her refusal to leave you. I told I'd find her with you later."

As if anyone would want to stay near me, but I appreciate the attempt at cheering me up.

"I see. Thank you Jiomada. Say, what's your talent? Ultimate Archer? Hunter?"

"My talent? Well, it certainly incorporates those. Ultimate Survivalist."

"Th-that's! That's awesome! Definitely cooler than mine." I chuckled the last comment off, proceeding to return my skill. "They said I'm the Ultimate Mathematician, for what good that's worth. I m-mean especially compared to yours." Jiomada smiled as he let go of my hand.

"That's quite a useful skill, Sugimoto. You really shouldn't compare our talents; they serve vastly different purposes."

"One keeps you and others alive, the other makes you look like a dork with nothing better to do with your time." He began to frown and shake his head. "Hey, why are you calling me by my last name?" I felt it was a good thing to move on before I make myself depressed again.

"Hm? Your last name? Oh, you're not Japanese, are you?"

"Only partially. I'm Japanese American, my great grandmother was from London."

"I see. In Japan, it's custom to refer to others by their family's name, however I can refer to you as Christopher if you'd truly prefer."

"Oh n-no, it's fine, I was just confused." This is probably the first time I've spoken to a native Japanese person that wasn't some distant relative over the computer. "Do you think we should go join the others?"

"Indeed, we should do what the bear says, for now. At the very least, we might come to a better understanding of what is happening and why." Jiomada turned towards the exit, walking through the doors before turning to see me stationary, looking around. "You're welcome to accompany me, you know?"

"O-oh, y-yeah. Sorry, I'm not used to this."

"None of us are, I'm afraid." I don't mean exploring a school under the watchful eye of a robot, but nevertheless, he's right. We're on even playing field, all of us just as lost and confused as the other. I walked with him as he continued. Heading right from the exit, we reached the end of the hall, where the fellow who spent his time spewing profanities at Monokuma, was leaning against the wall. He was clothed in a blue denim jacket and jeans, with a black undershirt. On his left was a door with a black sign to the side reading: "Classroom A-3".

"What do you want?" He didn't even bother to make eye contact with us, instead glaring straight ahead at the wall. I fell silent; a little bit scared to utter anything. Thankfully Jiomada took the initiative.

"We don't necessarily 'want' anything, but I would request to please hear your name, friend."

"First, we're not friends. Second, why the hell should I tell you that?" He crossed his arms, propping his foot against the wall.

"Sir, we are in this together. Perhaps we do not need to be friends, but we should at least have basic knowledge of the other."

"Jeez fella, you're right! We DON'T need to be friends in the slightest! Now, go away." Jiomada had to take a deep breath before continuing.

"I am asking you as respectfully as I can, please inform me of your name."

"And I am respectfully telling you to piss off, pal. I fell out of a damn closet this morning, I'm lost, and I have a headache, and your mere presence is making it worse."

"That's how you woke up too?" I blurted out.

"Yeah." After he said that the hall fell silent. So much so that it began to feel uncomfortable.

"That's it? Just 'yeah'?" I felt a heat wave cross over my forehead. Talking to this guy was so stressful, almost angering.

"Yeah, I fell out of a goddamn broom closet."

"Wh-where is it?"

"Oh goddamn- down the hall, across from the stairs. Now go investigate it and leave me be before I shove you in there myself." He finally looked us dead on. His green eyes seemed full of scorn and contempt for us.

I balled my hand into a very unimpressive fist, shaking like a leaf during a windy autumn morning. Jiomada softly laid a hand upon my wrist. He tilted his head toward down the hall. I took a deep breath and began to walk away with him. "Look at you, needing to be pulled away like a frenzied chihuahua." I almost pivoted back to him, but Jiomada tightened his grip. He looked behind us to say,

"We are sorry to bother you, sir." And with that, we continued on our way.

"Why should WE apologize?" I yanked my hand free, rubbing my forearm lightly.

"Because we bothered him. He did tell us to walk away earlier on. And to his credit, he didn't seem very open to conversation from the start."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean he can just insult and swear at us all! You should have hit that bully!" -

"I'm sorry, Sugimoto, but that's not the way you deal with conflict. I agree, we were not deserving of his anger; however, we smack him we certainly deserve whatever he throws at us. For now, you'd do best to forgive and move on."

Shut up, I know all too well that forgiving them just makes them think you're a pushover. I wanted to tell him what I really thought, but just like before, mustering up that courage was beyond difficult. "I believe that's the closet." In front of it was the cheery girl with the sticker, about four feet, eight inches tall wearing her bright pink hoodie. She was pouting and muttering to herself. "And I believe we weren't the first ones to spite our man."

"Oh- hey!" She near instantly perked up when she heard Jiomada. She swiftly pivoted to us. Getting a better view of her, she had smooth, pale skin, bright blue eyes, and freckles dotted around her cheeks. Her hair was dyed baby blue, parted in the middle and swept back, tied in two large pigtails reaching her lower back.

Her pink hoodie had a white needle on the left midsection, a baby blue colored thread going through it and up to her shoulder and down to her waist in a wave pattern, and her cuffs were capped off with red hearts. A pink, knee-length skirt, white knee-high socks, and pink Mary Janes, with a blue tinted buckle, adorned her bottom. "That meanie! He told me to shove off to some janitor's squalor! There aren't ANY pretty fabrics! Only gross stuff, like mops, and brooms, and sprays-"

"W-wait wait, chill out-" I attempted to calm her down, my palms facing her at chest level like at any moment she could pounce on me.

"How!? I was promised a treasure trove of the prettiest clothes, the cutest colors!"

"Jiomada, please help me..."

"I don't know, Sugimoto. It might be best to let her vent for now." We sighed and I forced a weak smile as I listened to her rant about cleaning supplies.

"Ugh, how could anyone do that to a poor girl? Someone as adorable as me should never be treated to dusty navy-blue custodian jumpsuits! It's outrageous, shocking, abhorrent! If it was light blue, MAYBE I'd be willing to try and touch it up, but it's NAVY!"

"I like navy-blue..." I weakly uttered, tugging at my jacket.

"Too bad! It's appalling, disgusting, atrocious! Not like baby blue! Baby blue is beautiful, elegant, lovely!"

"St-stop saying the same thing thrice- please just tell us your name..." I had a quite exaggerated look of sadness on my face, although at least a little bit of it was genuine.

"Oh, my name? Why, my name is Tesla Minnie! The Ultimate Adorable!" She spun around and put the back of her left hand under her chin and shot a peace sign with the other, smiling like a kid on Christmas morning. Jiomada sighed and returned a kind smile.

"Minnie, I hate to be rude, but we would like your actual talent, please."

"That is my actual talent! Though I suppose you'd like my secondary talent, huh? While my primary skill is being the cutest darn thing anyone's ever seen, Hope's Peak recognizes me as the Ultimate Tailor. Unfortunately."

"Forgive the extra inquiry, but why is that unfortunate?" Jiomada responded.

"Why is it unfor- it's bad because people don't get to know the true me! Yes, I craft the most wonderful, most exquisite, most brilliant garments the world over, but that's just another factor to the expansive formula that results in my sheer lovableness!" I'll give you this, you've got an expansive vocabulary when referring to yourself.

"Yes, I can see why... that would put a damper on you. Regardless, thank you for the introduction. I am Jiomada Daigo, Ultimate Survivalist; Christopher Sugimoto, Ultimate Mathematician." When you put in that order, it really does seem meager in comparison.

"Hey, Tesla, did you catch that guy's name back there?" I spoke.

"Nope. I asked his name, he told me to leave him alone, I insisted, and he told me to go here for a glorious treasure."

"Did he actually tell what said treasure was?" I began to be more and more confounded by this girl, just saying that made me feel like I was talking to a four-year-old.

"Nope, I just assumed it was something I'd adore." That's more on you for getting your hopes up. I opened the closet and, as she said, it was what you'd expect. Not very big, had generic cleaning supplies and a janitor's coverall in the back hung up. It certainly would be able to accommodate the guy's size, so maybe he wasn't just lying. "Do you guys wanna help me seek it!?"

"We must politely decline your request, Minnie. Perhaps we could search with you later?" Asked Jiomada in his kind voice.

"Sounds like a plan! I better see you two next morning!" She skipped away to, and up, the stairs, giggling.

"I didn't consent to that, Jiomada." Jiomada laughed and patted my shoulder.

"I'll make an excuse for you then. She seems like a nice girl, although perhaps a bit self-enamored."

"'A bit' is quite the understatement. Still, Tesla seems nice, I guess. Where to now?"

"I wasn't aware I was tasked with making that decision. However, I suppose I could suggest we finish with this floor" Looking past him was a hallway that ended in a T-intersection. There was a set of bathrooms next to the stairs, across from them, another classroom, classroom A-6. Jiomada opened the door and looked around.

He stepped out and shut the door. "The room is completely empty. A few desks, and a whiteboard, nothing out of the ordinary." I nodded and waited for him to move on. Instead, he stood still, looking at me. "Where we go next, is up to you."

"W-why can't you just take the lead?" I complained to him, but he stood his ground as if he was latched to it.

"I am yet to be able to articulate the reason, but I assure you said reason is a valid one."

"I-… Fine. Let's go see what's at the intersection." He smiled and gestured for me to go in front of him. I wanted to refuse, but it felt like that would be taking his kindness for granted, so I took the front, heading to the end of the straight. The end of the hall was just a red wall, but to the left and right were more rooms. Down left, two rooms side-by-side, the right labeled as "Library". The other was tagged as "School Store". "Do school's usually have an entire room dedicated as a market?"

"Ah, well, it is Hope's Peak after all. Maybe we'll see an entire zoo."

"Are you a fan of animals, Jiomada?"

"No, actually. I widely prefer to not be in their company in any way, shape, or form. Especially deer and rabbits." How specific of you. On our right was another class on the far wall. The hall ended with a massive grate, completely blocking access and vision to further down the corridor. Looking back to the left, I started walking down to the store.

"H-hey, maybe I'll find myself a nice calculator." I tried my best to smile. We entered through the door, finding the room completely dark. I stepped in first, fumbling around for a light switch. Instead of finding a switch, I found the floor. I tripped over something long, crashing down into what sounded like cymbals. The light was flicked on, and I sat up, rubbing my head.

"Are you alright, Sugimoto?" He went over and offered a hand, to which I eagerly took. Having been lifted, it turns out I tripped over a long replica spear. And sure enough I had crashed into a bunch of cymbals. "Is this what American markets are like normally?"

"Uh, haha... No?" I looked around at the bizarre collection of objects tattered among the room. A sewing machine, a trombone, a basketball, a gumball machine, a vending machine full of candy, and quite a few other nonsensical objects caught my attention. "Is that a pair of night vision googles and an entire wall mirror?" A feminine voice came out from near the door.

"Entschuldigung, hallo. Sind sie Christopher Sugimoto und Jiomada Daigo?" She was holding two tablets, and as I began to dig through my pockets, Jiomada returned her question.

"If you're asking if those are our names, that is correct. If you don't mind, we'd prefer our tablets back, please." The girl looked at us with one eye, the other blocked by her black hair. I returned her gaze, balling my hand up at the thief.

"Sprichst sie Deutsch?" She said, ignoring my pathetic fist.

"I'm sorry? May you repeat that?" Jiomada's request was met with a heavy sigh from the girl. He coughed into his arm, grabbing my hand and prying it opened of its clenched state. "May we know your name?"

"Ich heiße Leah Schwarz, und ich spreche Englisch." She cleared her throat. "I am called Leah Schwarz. I was hoping to meet at least one other who spoke my tongue. Oh well. Sorry about the snag, I was hoping for something of more value." Leah held out the tablets to us. We grabbed ours and pocketed them, Jiomada taking his rather politely with a smile.

Leah was wearing a thick, black choker around her neck. Her hair was incredibly well kept, medium length. It was mainly black, the ends shiny silver. It was combed to the right, a portion of it blocked her right eye from our view. Beneath the necklace was a black bandana tied around her lower neck.

Her shirt was cotton, the same color as her hair. Above it was a white vest made of wool only buttoned to below her chest. She had two breast pockets; one was accompanied by a patch of the flag of Germany. The other was circled by a gold color, connected to the pocket from four half-black and half-red lines equally apart. On her hands were full black gloves, on her legs she had a black leather belt with a silver, oval buckle, holding up black wool pants, and on her feet was a black pair of round toed cowboy boots.

"Was stealing them n-necessary at all?" I asked, trying my best to remain composed for Jiomada's sake.

"Nein, but it helps to keep up on my practice. On the bright side, I have your names now. As I'm sure you could gather, I'm the Ultimate Pickpocket."

"We appreciate you being straight to the point. Ultimate Survivalist, Ultimate Mathematician." Jiomada informed her.

"Wunderbar. I hate to cut the introductions short, but I request you two vacate the room."

"May I ask why, Schwarz?"

"Because I've seen all there is to see here, and I'd wager my gloves and pride you have not. There's a door to the library right," Leah stood up and threw down a cooler, mannequin, and small statue of Monokuma, revealing a door behind them. "Here."

"Are you wishing to be alone so you may rob others?" I put my hand to my ears, the crashing noise lingering in my head. It was hard to actually make out what Jiomada had said.

"I have no intention of mugging anyone here. All I wanted was your names, and that's what I received. Plus, you have my name now, so that's fair, ja? I just want to be alone in the dark. I like it that way." I could hear her, although it wasn't entirely easy.

"Fine then. We hope to see you later, Schwarz." Jiomada went to the door and pulled it ajar. "Sugimoto? Are you coming?" I looked up at him, moving my hand down from my left ear.

"Huh? O-oh, y-yeah I'm coming." I came through with him. The library wasn't anything too spectacular, rather par for the course. Although, the selection of books wasn't average. They were divided by broad subjects; a sign above the shelves read their categories. Math, racing and cars, hunting and surviving, tailoring, even thievery. Of course, there were exactly fifteen different shelves, but one seemed to lack its proper sign. I checked the untagged collection, grabbing a book at random.

The title read: "25 Tips for Proper Posture". Looking beyond the books, a check-in, check-out desk was in the back, made of tough mahogany. In the center of the library were two long rectangular tables made of the same material.

And on the end of the left table, close to the door of the library that leads to the hall, was Emily. Somehow, her hair didn't immediately catch our attention, the red standing out amongst the brown aesthetic of wooden furniture. It was combed to her right, reaching down to her shoulder, parted in the middle. Her eyes stood out to me further, being red themselves. More so, she held a little hairpin with a sun on it in the left side of her hair above her eye. She was wearing a light brown blouse, sleeves reaching her elbows, a red string bow tied beneath her neck. At the waist, an A-line skirt, red as her hair with yellow suns all around it. She wore white ankle socks with dark brown loafers.

She was writing in a small flip notebook. I greeted her, "Hey, Emily." She nearly bolted out of her chair when I spoke. Emily grabbed her chest and took a few deep breaths, looking up at me and smiling once she had calmed. Emily flipped through a few pages of the book, writing in it and handing it to me. I looked at it, and it read:

"Hey Chris! I found a notepad in the store, so I can talk now!" Jiomada was at the survivalist section of books, combing through a few titles here and there, so I sat down to Emily's left. I put the notepad down and looked at her.

"Why would you need a notepad for that?" I tried my best to not come off as rude or nosey, but I genuinely wanted to know. It's not like this was a particularly convenient way to communicate. She didn't answer, only looking away with a face dejection, fidgeting with a red beaded bracelet on her left wrist. I looked down at the table. "I see... I'm sorry I asked." How long have you been mute, I wonder? It must be hard, being trapped in your own mind like that...

She smiled and turned back to me, sliding the pad back to her and writing in it once more. She turned it around on the table for me.

"Please, don't apologize. I've gotten used to the questions; it shows you care." I smiled back. In a way I could sympathize with her, albeit nowhere near on her exact level, on the idea of feeling silenced. In my case, however, it mostly chalked up to choice.

"Jiomada already introduced himself to you, right?" She nodded, pointing to Jiomada and popping a thumbs up and a bright smile. Looking away from his book, he returned the smile at Emily. "Hey, Emily, I have a question." She looked back at me, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head to the side. "I haven't asked yet, what is your talent?"

The room grew awkward yet again, as she discontinued eye contact with me, instead opting to stare right at her notepad. Emily did not grab it, only glared at it. Jiomada put the book back in the shelf and softly took a grasp of my shoulder.

"Sugimoto, I believe we should go now. We hope to see you again soon, Ainsworth." Emily weakly returned a wave, not even bothering to look in our direction. We left the room in silence, out into the hall. I was gripping my left forearm, rubbing it softly as I stared at the white floor. Before my friend could say anything, a violin played a somber tune.

"This- this is so... SO DEPRESSING!" I turned around to identify the familiar voice. Monokuma was in front of the library door playing a violin. "Who knows what kind of effect this could have on the world!? Will the market stay healthy by the end of the month!? Will the GOVERNMENT still exist by the end of the WEEK!?" His high-pitched voice mostly drowned out the gloomy music, and I could not decide which I'd rather be hearing right now. The headmaster's incessant whining was cut short by Jiomada.

"I'm sure they'll be fine, Monokuma. There's always tomorrow, I'm confident they'll move on from one inadequate interaction."

"Eh?" He stopped bowing the instrument. "I don't care about that! I... I... I lost a bet of five dollars!" I looked over at him, straining my ears a little bit. Monokuma began to sob violently. "In thirty-five years, it will be worth twelve dollars! Oh, momma, you always said I had a gambling problem." Then he giggled and chucked the violin in the air, allowing it to smash into pieces on the floor. "I should never have betted her life on a roll of four. Oh well, at least I got that fancy bear conditioner in the end!" Ignoring the awful joke, I spoke to him.

"Wh-what was the bet about?"

"Oh, the bet was about whether or not you'd urinate yourself."

"W-why would I do that!? That's disgusting!"

"Fair point. I just thought those pretty girls would make you have an accident, like those stereotypical high school TV shows with that one socially inept nerd kid. Just look at those glasses, you totally fit the bill for the role!" Our principal's taunting was all too familiar, yet I couldn't refrain from physically reacting with tremors.

"G-go away you... you... robot... f-freak!" Monokuma laughed in my face louder than I'd ever been laughed at before.

"I can't believe that's the best you got. You should get the aloof guy to teach you a thing or two. That kid's got killer lines! I went to him earlier and he called me 'what Harvey Dent's fursona would be if he was overdosing on goddamn Xanax.'"

"I don't care, leave us alone! Or I'll-" I started to shake once again, scornfully clenching my fist by me side. Suddenly, I got pulled away. Monokuma giggled before disappearing through the floorboards. Jiomada walked me down the hall, letting go at the end. "S-sorry. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Sugimoto, but you NEED to stop clenching your fist like that when you get upset." I looked down at my hand, releasing the fist I had made, sighing. "One day, you may do that in front of the wrong person. Then a real fight will start, and I don't want that to happen to you." He placed his mutilated hand on my shoulder. I looked at his hand and grabbed it, gently pushing it down.

"You're right... I'll try to keep conscious of my body language." I looked at the blocked off hallway. Past the grate the hall turned left, forming a right angle. I turned to my right, noticing a hall against the wall I had missed. "'Route to dorms'?" I read aloud. I looked down the hall, it too turning in left. There was an arrow pointing towards the corner, in it was black text claiming the dorm rooms were this way.

"I was starting to feel tired myself. Let's head in, we're certain to meet more of our classmates; we can call it a night as well."

"Wait, it's not that late, is it?" Jiomada wiped at his eyes, blinking slowly.

"It sure feels like it, but we can look elsewhere if you want."

"No, no I think seeing the dorms is a good idea." Honestly, I wanted to retire the day as well; I wasn't really hoping to run in to anyone new today. We strolled down the hallway, taking the turn and heading into the dorm area. Soon, we had hit a four-way intersection. Looking straight ahead was a small lounge area, with two three seat sofas and a recliner, both colored a disgustingly bright neon pink. Someone was standing over at the vending machine.

"How unlucky of me." He spoke to himself. Leaning up, he held a small bottle of milk in his hand. The man's sunset orange blazer over his black undershirt, complete with a dark green tie, was as noticeable as his strong, foreign voice. He noticed us and lowered his head and chest in a deep bow of forty-five degrees. "Good evening. I believe we have yet to be properly introduced, my colleagues." Jiomada returned the bow, planting his arms straight down against his sides, tilting forward only about fifteen degrees.

I sighed, wanting to walk off and find my room, but Jiomada's immediate greeting of respect caused me to hold off from abandoning the scene. I didn't want to upset him. The two returned to their normal stances, straightening out their backs. "I sincerely hope what I did was not considered disrespectful. I've worked with those of origin in Japan and have witnessed them bow as such." Jiomada smiled at the man and took a seat upon the ugly couch.

"What you did was quite alright, but the way you did it is too formal, my friend. As we are colleagues, it is most appropriate to lean a mere fifteen degrees. That is eshaku, what you performed is saikeirei, which is only done for someone of very important status."

"Ah, yes I understand. I extend my gratitude, sir." He cleared his throat, corrected his dark green tie, and took a seat at the equally revolting recliner. "By the gods- My manners have unfortunately escaped me. My name is Rhamesis Aetós Nemesia, practitioner of law as a prosecuting attorney for eight years. I am a foreigner from Greece, with limited experience in the American legal system, having only three years of cases whilst residing in this nation."

"You've been practicing law for eight years? How old are you, if it is alright to know, Nemesia?" Asked Jiomada, who was listening with captured attention.

"Your question is void of offense. I am twenty-one years old. As the Ultimate Prosecutor I was often busy with more pressing matters, which lead to numerous instances of my previous school holding me back every year for excessive absences. By all accounts, I am still a freshman." Jiomada leaned forward, his palms together.

"Hope's Peak must have made quite an exception for you then. I find it hard to argue with their decision, especially if you've worked courts from thirteen years old." If that is the case, Rhamesis must be a genius! He's... amazing... I turned around and walked back to the intersection, a hefty sigh escaping my mouth.

Instead of waiting for my new friend, I took a left, going past a second hallway, and to where I saw two rows of rooms along the walls. I turned into the hall. The very first door on the left was mine. A sketch of me was posted on the door, under that was my full name. Right beside my picture was another sketch. I didn't quite recognize the guy, but my mind was drawing a very faint memory of him. The drawing was written with: "Conner Cocorema". N-no... is th-this...? I examined the image closer, and I realized who Conner was. An overwhelming sense of deep-rooted sadness and resentment I thought I'd never feel again spread through my mind like venom through the veins of a hunter who figured the snakes were long gone.

Looking at the picture once more, I remembered the swearing, the vitriol, and the thinly veiled anger that was lobbed at me for so long. And now, the same kind of person I fled from would be here with me every night for the next two years. I fumbled with the doorknob, desperate to get inside and lock it behind me.

The door crashed loudly against the wall once I shoved it open. I immediately ran in, slamming it right back into its frame. There was no turn-lock, instead there was an electronic card reader. I scrambled through my pockets, scrounging for any card I might have been given. I only found that tablet once more, nothing else.

I gave up, turning around and heading straight towards a bed. I could feel myself starting to swell with tears as a collapsed onto the mattress. I didn't even take off my jacket or glasses. I threw the provided blanket over me. Alone, I shed a couple silent tears, and after a few shuddered breaths, I fell asleep.

"Wake up." I felt a hand shaking my shoulder. In an absent state of mind, I weakly murmured and shook their hand off. Persistently, my shoulder was disturbed again, this time with vigor. "Wake up damn it." My eyes drifted open, and turning over, I spotted Conner waking me.

He was holding a keycard in his other hand, waving it around. "Finally- Jesus Christ. Take the damn card." I sat up and scooted back into the headboard. I shuddered as I watched Conner give an annoyed sigh. "Please? You're wasting time for both of us." In response to my incessant desire to huddle up away from him, he placed the card on the nightstand next to my bed.

"Listen, Chris, was it? As long as you don't bother me, I won't bother you. Deal?" I shakingly met eyes with him, mine still with visible dried tears. He scoffed and crossed his arms. "Please?"

"... Okay." I responded quietly, ceasing eye contact. Conner walked away and sat down at his bed to my left. It was a good distance away from mine.

"I'm the Ultimate Marksman." He aired, not looking at me, but the ceiling as he laid back, yawing and running his hands through his buzzcut.

"I- I thought you didn't want me to-" He cut me off, adding,

"I don't want you bothering me. That's why I'm answering your questions, so you don't fucking accost me with them later. So, ask them now." I took a deep breath. I cycled through many different questions I felt worth asking.

"Where did you get the key?"

"Monokuma called for us all to meet in the gym again. That's where he gave us our lock keys. Since you were, I assume, here lazing about like a jackass, I had to retrieve yours for you."

"What time is it right now?"

"Almost ten. An announcement will play soon, according to Monokuma, that will mark Nighttime."

"How's Jiomada?"

"The one with the recurve? Why and how the fuck would I know?"

"I see..." I'm sorry for just leaving like that, Jiomada. I'll make it up to you, I promise. "Why do you hate us?" Without thinking, that came out of my mouth. Fear overwhelmed me again.

"I don't hate you, or anyone else here." He looked over at me, with the same look of disdain he gave us earlier near the classroom. "Trust me, it's better this way." I felt oddly calm, although now I was more so confused.

"Then why have you been cursing and insulting us?"

"Because we're not friends, and I'd prefer to keep it as such." I looked down at my knees. I felt somewhat foolish crying earlier. I'm glad to not be hated, but the way he treats us is still upsetting. Before I could say anything else, Conner ended us off, saying, "Now, I'm gonna go to sleep. Wake me up and you will sure as hell regret it." With that he rolled over, facing the wall.

Ding dong, bing bong.

"Ahem!" Monokuma's voice played over the intercom again. "It is now ten p.m., the beginning of Nighttime! The gymnasium and dining hall are hereby restricted to enter for the night. Please remember to sleep in a dorm room or suffer consequences for rule violation. Goodnight, and sleep ever so tight!"

The microphone went off. I relaxed my body, undoing my balled-up posture against the headboard. I was still worried plenty about Conner. He's a bully all the same, even if he doesn't expressly hate any of us. Three deep breaths helped me to relax. As long as you avoid him, he'll leave you alone. Things will be fine... A yawn escaped my lips, and, taking the cue my body had provided, I quickly let myself be taken by sleep.

Ding dong, bing bong.

The announcement bell awoke me. I sluggishly rubbed my head, listening to our principal. "Ahem! It is now eight a.m.! Rise and shine my adorable students! Do whatever you want for the next four hours, just remember we have that gym meeting at twelve. Have fun cuties!" An elongated groan was shared after the announcement ended.

"Fan-fucking-tastic, I already have a headache." Conner got out of bed and stretched, immediately sitting back down on the bed. I got up and look at him, wanting to ask what he was doing, but the threat he gave last night was still there in my mind. Conner must have noticed my curiosity, answering for me anyway. "I'm not gonna get up and wait around for the next four hours. I'm going the fuck back to bed. See ya then, four-eyed wonder." I was a little irked by his comment but decided to leave it for now. After all, the glasses have been a common target for years.

A bell ringed sharply from the door. I looked over at the door, wondering if I was just hearing things. "Someone's at the door, get your goddamn card and tell them to piss off!" Quickly grabbing the card and swiping it over the lock, I opened the door.

"H-hey sorry J-Jioma-" Instead of my Japanese friend from yesterday, there was Emily. "Em-Emily!?" I walked out and shut the door promptly, wanting to avoid aggravating Conner. "What are you doing here? Where's Jiomada?" She rubbed her chin with her index finger and thumb, ultimately leaving me with a simple shrug. "Is that about where Jiomada is, or why you're here?" Emily held up two fingers, then combined her hands, now holding two digits from one hand. "One plus one equals two. I knew that."

I was shot a look of bewilderment at my idiotic answer. "O-oh you mean both?" A fervent nod was returned. "G-got it. Hey, can't you use the notepad instead of this?" Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock, bringing her hand to cover it. She ran across the hall to a room on the right, quickly returning with her notepad. She ran her hand across her forehead, as if to wipe off nonexistent sweat.

"Emilyyyy! You woke me upppp!" Complained Tesla, who was coming out of the room Emily left, rubbing her eyes. "I'm tired, exhausted, fatigued! I don't wanna be uppp!"

"T-tesla can't you just go back to bed?"

"No, I can't! Once I'm awake it's too hard to go back to sleep! It sucks!" Emily looked at me and Tesla, frowning and tilting her head. She went over to Tesla and gave her a hug. Tesla's whiney attitude dissipated as Emily's arms wrapped around her. "Aww, thank you Emily! Unsurprising, as I am the most charming young girl alive! Who wouldn't want to embrace me?"

Emily backed up from Tesla, smiling very widely with her eyes shut. "I'm still expecting you to help me later Chris!" I smiled as well, albeit weakly. I was really hoping you'd have forgotten about that. "You guys wanna get some breakfast at the dining hall?" Emily nodded strongly.

"Oh, s-sure. Do you know how to cook, Tesla?"

"Not at all!" Don't look so proud about that. "But I heard the dining hall restocks with an assortment of food every day from Monokuma."

"Wh-what? How does that work? Are there more people here after all?"

"I'm not sure about that. He never mentioned any actual workers. Enough chatter! I'm hungry, starving, famished! I wanna eat soon so we can find my treasure!" Emily looked back at me, patting her stomach in agreement.

"O-of course, let's go." We went down the hall. Before the intersection, down the hall I skipped over last night on my way to my room, was a large blue door with a white fork and knife side by side. "This must be the dining hall, huh?" As I said that, Tesla was already halfway through the door. "Ho-hold up, Tesla!" Emily and I followed her through the door.

The hall was very spacious, with four main rectangular tables with fifteen seats on both sides. There was a pair of water fountains, both on opposite ends of the room. In the back was an open door to the kitchen. A pair were sitting together, both African American. They were very similar in height. Emily tugged my arm, walking towards them. I resisted a little, before seeing Emily's face turn sad. I relinquished, following with her over to the pair.

"Oh, hello Emily." Said the girl. The boy, who was only an inch smaller than the girl, smiled up at Emily, placing his left hand on his forehead, close to his ear. He moved it outwards to Emily. She looked around, confused.

"Oh, that's right! I'm sorry, I forgot you didn't know ASL." Said the boy. "Hello Emily!" Emily sat down across from them, smiling ear-to-ear, inviting me to sit next to her. I joined her, looking anxiously at the two. Their appearance was uncannily similar to the other. "Hello to you too! My name is Jessie, and this is Jessica!"

"Jessie! Shush!" Jessica snapped. "Don't just tell them who we are like that!" Jessie just giggled at her complaint.

"C'mon sis, they're gonna find out eventually! Anyway, we are the Omar twins!" That explains the roughly congruent faces. Their cheeks were both round, thin blue almond eyes, and their chins were short.

Their choice of attire was also quite alike, both consisting of many different references to, what I assumed, were other cultures. Jessica wore a dress that stopped at her waist, patterned with red triangles and white, black, and green stripes, and a necklace ending with an elephant charm. Her leg was wrapped in a tattoo reaching her ankle from her knee. She also wore white moccasins with red stripes along the sides.

"I am the Ultimate Linguist; Jessica is the Ultimate Historian! Together we are the Ultimate Twins!" Jessie was pumping his fists in the air, his sister grabbing his arm and pulling it down.

Jessie was garbed in a white undershirt, a dark brown tunic. His pants were made of tough leather, ending with fur boots. At his neck was a fur collar, joining a blue cape that enveloped his left arm.

"Will you calm down? You're acting like you just got informed about D-Day!" Jessie laughed again, giving his sister a strong hug around the neck.

"Nope!" He giggled, letting go of his sibling.

"Wow- You're uh- you're very friendly, Jessie." I was able to smile back at Jessie's friendly attitude.

"Hey, so is Jessica. She's just caught up worrying about silly stuff."

"It's not silly, Jessie! We could die here-"

"Sister, stop." I was taken aback by her sudden worries about us dying. "Daddy and Mommy wouldn't want you to be thinking about scary stuff like that..." Jessica silenced, looking down at the ground. "As long as we're together, nothing bad will happen. We promised them!" Jessica looked up slowly and forced a smile for her brother.

"Y-yeah. You're completely right Jessie." She embraced her brother. "Oh gosh, we got sidetracked there, huh. What's your name?" Jessica turned her eyes on me.

"I-it's Christopher Sugimoto. I'm the Ultimate Mathematician. I know, not that grand, but it's something, right?"

"I think that's a neat talent!" Exclaimed Jessie.

"At least we know yours." Spoke Jessica.

"H-huh? You mean Em?" I looked over at her. She was averting her gaze from us. As if a blessing from the god of social interaction was granted, Tesla finally came back from the kitchen.

"Here you go! I wasn't sure what you guys would like, so I just picked at random!"

"Th-thank you?" I spoke. Emily turned back to us, smiling and taking the plate Tesla was holding, nodding her appreciation. She handed me my own plate of food. Tesla had put scrambled eggs, toast, bacon and toast with scrambled eggs on top of it on the plate. "Oh, well thank you, Tesla. This actually looks really good!" Tesla, with pure glee, jumped in the air.

"I'm so glad you liked it! Aren't I just the most brilliant, amazing, spectacular girl ever?" I just liked the food, calm down... Probably best not to bring that up. "Oh of course I am, no need to remind me!" She giggled and went back to the kitchen. Emily and I ate quietly.

"Hey, Jessie and Jessica, what's with the outfits?" I winced at my own words, thinking I may have offended them.

"Well, what I'm wearing is traditional Celtic tunic and trousers. The cape is actually from the Italian Renaissance! And sister here is wearing a dashiki, a traditional African dress. The necklace is for Thailand, and her moccasins represent the native population of the Americas." I sighed in relief. Jessie was very kind to us as he explained. The Tailor came back out with her own plate.

And on it were pancakes with strips of butter forming a smiley face, drowning in a tsunami of syrup. Before I could inquire about whether that was a good idea or not (it's not) Tesla was already chomping into it. In disgust, Jessica reprimanded her like a child.

"S-slow down, you blasted jackanape! You'll go out like Alekhine if you don't!" Tesla, rather predictably, didn't listen. Jessica grumbled and cursed under her breath. I asked Jessica something to distract her before she possibly attempted corporal discipline.

"Uh... H-hey what about the tattoo? I've never seen anything like it." She turned away from the unruly girl to me and Emily. She looked down at her leg, where a visage of an ocean pattern circling her shin and calf, forming four stripes, and a lizard and gecko between the lines.

"It's a Polynesian tattoo. It... tells a story."

"A story of what?" Spat out Tesla. To that, Jessica did not respond. It's none of our business, but I am very interested. Maybe Jessie could elaborate later. "So-sorry..."

We passed the next hour talking with the Omars about their knowledge of history and languages. Eventually, we arrived at a conversation about Julius Caesar. I stopped Jessica halfway through, in desperate need of elaboration.

"Wait, wait, let me make sure I follow: Julius Caesar, who was only twenty-five at the time, was kidnapped by pirates?"

"Yes, a band of Cilician pirates. Caesar was on his way to Rhodes at the time." Jessica explained.

"Okay, so Julius gets captured, and he's at a ransom of what?"

"Well, he WAS held for ransom of twenty talents, but Julius thought that was a pitiful amount, so he told them to raise it to fifty talents."

"He raised his OWN ransom!? Why would anyone do that!?"

"I mean, he WAS Julius Caesar. He would even tell them to shush while he tried to sleep, and subject them to his poems." As I continued to shoot questions off about the absurdity of that event, Emily put her fingers to her lips and mimicked a giggling motion.

"Hey Christopher, what is five million, one hundred seventy-six thousand, nine hundred ninety-three divided by nine hundred eighty-five?" Asked Jessie, suddenly. It took a few moments to think it through, coming back with the answer in about fifty-five seconds.

"Five thousand, two hundred fifty-five and eighty-three million, forty-five thousand, six hundred eighty-five ten millionths." Jessie and Jessica looked at me in awe, causing me to turn red in the cheeks. "It- it's not that hard, ya know? I'm sure you two could do it no problem!"

"We're not Ultimate Mathematicians. I must say that is beyond impressive." Said Jessica. Thankfully, Tesla accidentally saved me from this conversation.

"Owwww..." Tesla was holding her stomach, wincing in pain. "My tummy hurts..." Jessica sighed and stood up, grabbing Tesla's arm.

"Come on you dullard. Guide me to your room." Jessie stood up, stepping in front of his sister.

"I don't think she needs you to boss her around-" Jessica shut him down, pushing past him. "J-Jessica!" She continued out of the dining hall with Tesla, who was groaning and whining about her stomachache and how tight Jessica's grip was. Jessie turned to us. "I'll go with them, sorry to leave you guys hanging!"

"It's f-fine Jessie. I just hope Tesla's okay. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"She pushed past you rather roughly-"

"Don't worry, Chris, I'm fine." He began to run to the door. "See you two at the gym!" He shouted on the way out. Left alone with each other, Emily began to write in her notepad. I looked over her shoulder.

"We should get going ourselves, Chris. Have you met everyone yet?" I shook my head; to that she wrote more. "Then let's go!" She stood up and grabbed my hand and pulled me up. I blushed a little bit, at the sudden hand holding.

"Hey, let's go upstairs. I haven't gotten a good look around there yet." She turned; her red eyes full of joy as they peered into my purple irises. She nodded once, but strongly. "Off we go then!" I felt like I was embarrassing myself and she was too sweet to admit it to me. Nevertheless, we took the hallway out of the dorms, and went to the stairs next to the gym.

As soon as we got up to the top of the steps, a blinding light assaulted my vulnerable eyes. I lost my footing, slipping and falling backward. The impact I felt was a lot lighter than I thought it would be. Is this... is this what death feels like? My neck... it must have broken on impact... Heaven feels very stiff and hard…

"You're not dead yet, brother!" I heard faintly in my ear. I opened my eyes to see the ceiling. Suddenly I was dropped to my feet. "Hoo! What a save!" I rubbed my eyes and turned to the bombastic voice. On the stairs was a massive man standing at a whopping six feet and three inches! He was VERY well built and muscular, and only then had I realized he had caught me.

He was only wearing turquoise tights that barley extended past his upper thigh. On the front was a white pit bull. The only other articles of clothing on him were turquoise boots with white toes and laces and two white knee pads.

"S-so I'm not d-dead?" I stuttered, in awe at his excellent bodybuilder physique.

"No, you're not." Spoke someone behind me with a very rough, hoarse voice. "You still walk amongst the realm of the living." I turned around to see a caramel skinned man with a flashlight and pen in his hand. His voice was that of a harsh smoker who hadn't skipped a day in the past five years.

He was bald and spectacled with thin, round glasses with a blue frame. He wore a knee length coat of pure white, and it was completely closed. A pocket on his left breast was characterized by a crimson cross. On his hands were blue latex gloves.

"A-are you the one who just-"

"Yes. I wanted to evaluate your reaction time. It seems pretty standard, so that's a good sign. I will check up on my test in more detail later."

"T-test? Y-you almost killed me! What if that guy wasn't there!?"

"On the contrary. I told him to be there, just in case you lost your footing, I wouldn't want you losing your cervical spine in the process." He looked up at the big man through his glasses. "Thank you, Perry."

"You are welcome! I've caught a lot of small guys jumping at me, so that was a cakewalk!" Emily softly grabbed my enraged fist, shaking her head. I took a deep breath and shook it, releasing it into an open palm.

"Oh dear, we appear to have upset our fellow classmate. I'm sorry you feel wronged, but this information may prove quite useful to saving your life, do you not agree?" I took a step back from the creep, wanting to run far, far away. "I sense fear and apprehension. Perhaps familiarity would prove comforting?" He took his glasses off, clipping it on his coat's collar, and put his hands behind his back. He stood straight and true, his chest confidently out. "Doctor Derrick Ecfem, the Ultimate Doctor, at your behest. I implore you to simply call me Dice.

"And before you utter your moniker, I already know who you are. Short, brunette hair, with two prominent white strands in front of his ears. The jacket with the violet cross on the hood and violet streak down the left arm. Yes, I know you, Christopher."

I stayed quiet for a while, feeling a chill down my spine at the creepy manner Dice conducted himself with. Emily stuck a hand out to Dice, to which he gave his own. They shook hands promptly.

"Nice to meet you, I g-guess." I turned to the large guy. "And you're Perry?" Perry laughed and leaned forward, flexing both arms. With a powerful yell he confirmed Dice's words.

"Hell yeah, brother! I am the one, the only, Perry 'the Pitbull' Perryman! The Ultimate Professional Wrestler, entertaining boys and girls, men and women, for YEARS!" I stepped even further away. I could not decide who was more off-putting in this current moment, the doctor nearly killing me for a reaction time test and somehow knows my name, or the guy shouting bombastically while showing off his ridiculous body.

"Nice to meet you as well. U-uhm-" I frantically looked around me, spotting a hallway down the left of the head of the steps. "S-sorry to c-cut this short but- We're really running on some borrowed time, so we need to go!" I grabbed Emily's hand this time and ran off.

Emily grabbed my wrist and softly pushed it away from hers. She huffed a little bit after the sprint, grabbing her knees. I took my own time to heave and recover. I dragged us quite a way, and I couldn't help but feel bad for her. "Emily, I'm so sorry." She looked up, and despite her exhaustion, willed a smile to me.

A violent scream erupted from behind a nearby door. I froze in place, looking over at a bright red sliding door from where the shriek came. Emily glanced over, a face of worry overcoming her smile. She immediately went for the door. I was too scared to act in that moment. Whatever was happening, what could I do? Spout off about trigonometry?

She threw the door open, grabbing me by my arm, rushing in. She, and by proxy, I, stopped as soon as we saw who the scream came from and why. A five-foot guy was bandaging up a kid's arm. He was of the same height. The one being bandaged was Caucasian, while the one wrapping him up seemed to be of Hispanic ancestry.

"Will you be silent, man? I'm doing as best I can."

"How, Vega!? My arm was nearly torn off!" Vega, the one healing the other, shushed him harshly.

"It's only as bad as you think it, friend. What's your name?"

"C-Collin. Collin Lithia." Collin exhaled sharply after Vega had finished tightening the wrap. Vega put his palms together and spoke to himself out-loud.

"Lord, please allow my Irish friend here to heal quickly, and even rebound stronger than before." He uncoupled his hands and turned to us. He had a tape recorder hanging from his neck via a black strap. He wore sunglasses and had a big yellow backpack on his black tank top. "Did his scream alarm you?" I nodded, staring at the blood that drenched Collin's hand. "He was blindly reaching into a vent, and as he was recoiling his arm, he nicked it on a stray glass shard."

"It was worth it! I got me cap!" He got off the gurney he was on and rolled his shoulder. His green t-shirt was slightly stained with his blood, as well as a bit of his white shorts.

"W-what cap? You don't have anything on." I said, confused. The Irishman chuckled, reaching into an orange satchel that laid at his waist. Suddenly, a sound of jingling filled the air as he whipped out a small white drawstring pouch. Opening it and placing his palm below it, a storm of bottlecaps rained onto his hand.

"No bloody collector would tolerate losin' their very own vintage Teksi-Cola bottlecap!" I was in absolute awe over how many old bottlecaps he had managed to shove in that one bag. Soon they began to clatter on the floor. "Oh, golly hell!" He cursed, leaning down on one knee and collecting his items.

"Maybe you would not have slit your arm open if you did not swing those around." Vega spoke sternly. "Even for an Ultimate Collector, you come off as pathetic and unintelligent."

"Oh, blah blah blah, why don't you go back to swingin' through bloody vines?"

"I am an Ultimate Explorer, not a blasted ape!"

"U-uhm, guys?" They stopped bickering between each other and looked back at us. "Why was there g-glass in a vent?"

"'Ell if I know, I was too busy spillin' over to care."

"I am unaware as well. Rest assured I shall scour every nook and cranny of this school, or my name isn't Vega Fernández!"

"Yes, yes, whilst yer gloatin' on about your fancy name, their names remain a mystery!"

"Oh, you're right. I am Christopher Sugimoto, and this is Emily Ainsworth. I am the Ultimate Mathematician." Emily offered to shake Collin's hand. He pocketed his filled-up bag and made sure not to stain her hands with his blood as they met to shake.

"What about the lass? She the Ultimate Silent Treatment?"

"Oh, n-no no, she…" I looked at her, and like the last times she was visibly uncomfortable. Vega picked up for me.

"Collin, she is mute. Unable to communicate her thoughts in words, let alone her talent. I have already prayed for her to be one day cured of her ailment." I assume they had met already, to be expected of an Ultimate Explorer, he must have already encountered everyone else by now.

"Oh. Of course, my sincerest apologizes. Would you like me limited edition Nokamon card? It's a Glitziard, I 'ave a spare!" Emily politely declined Collin's offer with a shake of the head. Vega looked down at a watch strapped to him.

"It is nearly twelve. We should head downstairs so we won't be late once we are called." Collin groaned and stretched his arm.

"I'm sure Monokuma isn't expectin' us to arrive at the exact minute, ya know?" Collin protested. Vega quickly responded to Collin's complaints.

"It is always beneficial to be early, Collin. The Lord often rewards those who work hard and meticulously. Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor, my friend. And arriving on time shows a great deal of attention, a desirable trait if you wish to be one of the aforementioned 'rulers.'" Vega went over to the door, peering over his shoulder at the collector. "Now, come along." Collin loudly groaned again but followed Vega out of the office.

Time's almost up. I wonder what will happen when the clock strikes. But something is still nagging at me. What happened two nights ago? I need to talk to that girl; she must know something.

"Hey, Emily?" I got her attention as she looked at me. "You should go too. N-no offense- Just-" She grabbed my arm tightly and shook her head. "Haven't you met everyone already?" She looked down in thought for a few moments before nodding yes. "I haven't. I don't want you to run late on my behalf. Please?" Hesitantly, she let go, and with utter dejection, she took herself out of the room.

I looked to the ground, ashamed to just shrug her off like that, but I had to talk to someone specifically, and I can't just drag other people into my problems. I exited the nurse's office, looking around. I sighed, strolling down the hallway to the stairs. Looking down the left was the classroom lined hall I started at. One woman was standing at the end where a grate blocked off the path. "H-hey, have w-we met at all?"

She turned to me. One half of her face was covered by a bright white facemask. Her gown was elegant and silver and sparkly. The one half of her mouth I could see sneered at me.

"I'm sure we've met at some point, but I forget so many… Especially people of YOUR status…" She covered the left side of her face with her white glove, opening her fingers to glare with her yellow eye.

"U-uhm… My 'status'?"

"There are two notable statuses in this world, my boy. Those worthy of being in the Ultimate Supermodel Zaiyla Paulina's presence, and those who aren't, boy." I was taken aback by how snobby and pretentious this girl was being. "Perhaps I shall sign an autograph later, my dear…" I scoffed, annoyed. I stopped myself from tightening my hand, taking it upon myself to simply leave down the stairs without adding anything.

When I hit the foot of the stairs, a blonde girl dressed in a racer attire was standing around the front of the gym, chucking her stopwatch in the air and catching it. I approached her quickly.

"Y-you're- The girl I met the other day, right?" She nearly dropped her watch, fumbling around with it as I had clearly broken her concentration. She threw it in her pocket and laughed.

"Yep! That's me! Yer the clumsy one who crashed on your bottom!" She laughed loudly at her comment, but noticing my unamused look, she swiftly stopped. Her white jumpsuit was adorned with plenty of logos of brands I recognized.

"Don't remind me, please. You're an Ultimate Driver, right? I could tell by your ride."

"Ain't you perspective! That's me, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner herself, Tina Ocelot! I know, the star power is blindin'!" She started laughing again, again stopping shortly after.

"Tina, what happened two nights ago?"

"Uhm…" The southern racer began to muse. "I scared ya, we had some chat, and… I don't remember."

"Wh-what!? You don't remember?" She scratched the back of her head.

"Yep. Sorry, I just don't. Besides runnin' inside the school, everything comes blank to me." I grumbled in slight frustration.

"D-do you remember any particular smell? You know, anything kind of strong?"

"I seem to recall something'. A smell… Iron. Yeah, it was iron, no question. Sure as grits is grits." What the hell are those? N-never mind. I was hoping you would know something about what happened, but no. I'm just as confused as I was the other day, arguably more so. "I hope we can go soon, my baby's waitin'."

"I'm sure you'll get to your partner soon, Tina." She looked at me inquisitively, briefly opening her mouth before the intercom rang.

Ding dong, bing bong.

"Ahem!" Echoed Monokuma. "It is time for us to meet in the gym! I hope you all have had all sorts of fun with each other, but now we're off to the second task! After this meeting, your Entrance Ceremony will officially conclude and your tenure at Hope's Peak Institute can finally begin for real!"

Tina immediately sprinted into the gym. I followed her. Entering, it seems most people were already waiting inside. As soon as I saw Jiomada, I wandered over to him. He was in conversation with Leah over his bow.

"Dein Freund ist hier, Jiomada. Auf Wiedersehen für jetzt." Leah left and Jiomada shifted to see me.

"Hey, Jiomada, where were you this morning?"

"Good afternoon, Sugimoto. Ainsworth requested to spend time with you. I did promise you to her yesterday. I'm sorry if that was a mistake on my part."

"No, it's okay, I was just curious." Jiomada smiled and put his palms on his hips.

"I'll come by your room later, maybe we can collect her and hang out somewhere. Would that be okay with you?" I looked up at Jiomada, his pleasant smile making me smile in return.

"Sure! O-of course, that would be really fun! Thank you!" Jiomada's mouth went agape to share a "you're welcome", I presume, but Monokuma arrived and interrupted us.

"Please turn your attention to the stage once more!" He demanded. We did as he said, seeing him sitting on top of a TV set. "Did we all have funnn? Make a lot of friendsss?" Various responses rang out to the questions.

"Fuck no." Spouted Conner.

"I could never befriend these peasants." Said Zaiyla, who just shoved past me.

"Everyone here was really fun to talk to, but that guy bamboozled me towards a musty closet!" Whined Tesla.

"I nearly bled to death, so it coulda been better." Muttered Collin, who was rubbing his bandaged arm.

"Wonderful responses, wonderful! This is exactly as expected! Before I give you your next special task, I need to know… Did anyone try going beyond the blocked areas and glass?" Asked the bear.

"I tried, but soon realized I should not break our principal's rules." Aired Vega.

"No sir, I dared not defy the laws you've set." Responded Rhamesis.

"Of course not. There is simply no other place worth being in right now, in this place filled to the brim with curiosity and mystery." Spoke Dice in his previous foreboding tone.

"Good… good." Monokuma said, his voice starting to lose its naturally cheerful tone. "That is oh so fortunate. Will you, my darlings, please lay your eyes upon this screen?"

We all turned our attention to the blank CRTV screen. Suddenly it flickered to life. On the screen was a most disturbing sight. Inside a small, dimly lit room, was a man, his eyes and mouth covered by thick white cloth. I could feel my heartbeat rise as I noticed an obvious trickle of blood streaming down the side of his head. The man seemed to be asleep, slumped against the wall sitting down. "Please observe our friend and what happens when he crosses that line…"

A black streak was painted on the floor near him. The footage was fast forwarded by Monokuma, holding a remote. "Ugh, it's like watching your favorite subpar anime and getting an ad during a filler episode!" He stopped on a frame of the man, stood up and awake.

We could just about make out his worried, muffled cries. Conner began to charge forward, seething and cursing at the bastard bear.

"What the fuck is this!? What are you doing you son of a bitch-" Rhamesis shot his arm out, stopping Conner.

"This footage is clearly prerecorded. Whatever happens on that screen will be out of our ability to control, Mr. Cocorema." Conner begrudgingly stayed his ground, grinding his teeth and looking on. A sharp whistle was heard through the screen. It came from the other side of the room. In a panicked state, the blinded man began to follow the only audible noise.

For seemingly no reason, the man had stopped, right before the streak on the steel floor. Shivering, he was profusely jerking his head left to right. Monokuma grumbled, pressing fast forward once more. For a split second I could've sworn something blue entered the frame.

Right as the man finally stepped over the line, the scene we witnessed instilled incomprehensible shock and fear in our hearts. The screen shook, and the scratchy image was replaced by a thick layer of red, with chunks of white and pink fragments dotting around. The man's head had been completely obliterated, blown apart from the inside.

I fell backwards, throwing up my breakfast from earlier. Shouts and gasps erupted among us as the image we had seen began to settle in our minds as an unmistakable reality. We had just witnessed a man's brains forcibly eject from his previously intact skull.

"Th-that's…" Said Leah through a shocked state. "Jesus..."

"Je-Jessica, I'm… I'm…" Jessie began to stammer and sob. Jessica embraced him tightly, blocking his view from the grisly, crimson sight. Whispering to her brother, Jessica was quite clearly breaking as well.

"This ain't a funny joke no more!" Spat Tina, dumbfounded.

"Puhuhuh… If you don't want to join our friend here… All you have to do is do the second task… Then you can leave without needing a visit to the local neurologist…" Monokuma's devious voice violated our ears. Whatever joyous façade he put on earlier had completely vanished to the wayside, in its place remained something brimming with unspeakable darkness. With utmost malice, our headmaster, no, our captor, told us three words that infected us with more fear, more anger, more despair than we had ever experienced, deep within our very souls.

"Kill each other."