I can't leave either girl behind. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings on the first day!

"Wait!" I cried out. "Ryoko, you can come with us too!"

Ryoko perked up, relief clear in her face. Thank god. So, I guess I will be roaming around with two girls at my heels for a while… that's definitely not something I'd expect.

The girl Sayaka suggested we speak with first sneered at us as we approached her. She had two braids, thick wire-rimmed round glasses, a purple librarian's sweater vest atop a wrinkly unkempt collared shirt, and a noticeably long skirt. Overall, the de-facto image of the traditional book-ish look.

"Wh-who are you?" she snarled at me. "The Ultimate Playboy?!"

"What? No. Where did you get that from?!"

"W-well… y-you have two girls at your hip, the librarian explained. "And now, y-you're probably here to tell me how h-horrid and u-ugly I am, aren't you?!"

"Oh no, it's nothing like that!" Sayaka insisted. "I just wanted to tag along with Makoto because we went to middle school together!"

"W-well, wh-what about the redhead?!"

"Oh, she's still with us?" Sayaka feigned surprise before waving her hands in front of Ryoko's eyes. "I don't think she knows what's going on right now."

Ryoko puffed her cheeks out at the insinuation she was slow… not that it was wrong. "My name's Ryoko Otonashi. We just wanted to introduce ourselves. Then we'll be on our way!"

"Yeah. I'm Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student… not the Ultimate Playboy. This is Sayaka Maizono, the Ultimate Pop Sensation."

"Ugh… f-fine! I-I'm T-Toko Fukawa…"

Toko Fukawa… the Ultimate Writer, I believe. She's known, under the pen name Arufa Kako, for her romance light novels, which have sold millions of copies worldwide. She's even made the New York Times Best Seller List. Her magnum opus, So Lingers the Ocean, was such a hit with women that it resulted in sailors and fishermen soaring to the top of the "Hottest Men" polls everywhere. Though, I'd have imagined her to be lovey-dovey, rather than… this.

"Wh-what?!" Toko hissed. "S-stop staring at me! I-I know I'm ugly!"

Jeez, her self-esteem must be through the floor…

"I don't think you're ugly!" Sayaka reassured her. "In fact…"

"Y-you're trying to get m-me to join your little harem, a-aren't you?!" Toko's voice was laced with venom and disdain. "W-well, don't waste your t-time with m-me! I-I don't associate with p-people like y-you."

"It's not a -"

"Well, okay then," Sayaka interrupted. "I guess if you want to be left alone, we don't have any reason to stay here."

"G-got that right…."

Sayaka walked away, and I nudged Ryoko, getting her to follow. Toko definitely is not easy to get along with, if not impossible. And I certainly didn't set a great first impression.

After Toko, we approached the fierce-looking teacher's pet from earlier, the guy who was mad at me for being late. As the three of us walked up to him, he scoffed disapprovingly.

"Makoto Neagi!" he scolded. "What is the meaning of this?"

I didn't even do anything this time…

"Meaning of what?"

"This!" He pointed at Sayaka and Ryoko, who were uncomfortable, "This immorality! I understand and find it commendable that you offered the forgetful one a helping hand, but… do you really need two women at your side?!"

Oh brother, is that what it's about? Can't I just be nice to people without everyone thinking I'm a playboy?

"Ryoko's still here?" Sayaka said, glancing at Ryoko.

"I think so…" Ryoko mumbled. She's… either not getting Sayako's hint… or doesn't care.

"Anyways," Sayaka continued, "I'm Sayaka Maizono, the-"

"Ultimate Pop Sensation!" Mr. Teacher's Pet finished. "Yes, I have heard quite a lot about you. I am Kiyotaka Ishimaru! Though I would much prefer if you called me Taka."

Oh, so that's Kiyotaka Ishimaru. I probably should've expected that. Taka graduated as valedictorian from a really high-end private school. He was the top student every year, from his freshman to senior year. Throughout his time there, Taka did a lot with his community's public morals community. He has a reputation for valuing the rules above all else, earning him the Ultimate Moral Support Compass title.

"Now," Taka continued, "Back to the issue at hand. When I say life is worth putting every ounce of energy into, I don't mean into making it!"

"There is no issue," I explained. "I just didn't want to be mean and leave Ryoko behind!"

"But did you really have to take Sayaka?"

"What?!" Sayaka gasped, clearly offended. "I'm just sticking with Makoto because I know him!"

"Yes, you may know him, but…." He paused. "I… suppose that you're right. I apologize for lashing out like that!"

"It's okay," I reassured. First Toko and now Taka? Why does everyone think I dragged along with both of these girls because of an ulterior motive?! I'm not like that! On the bright side, at least Taka thought that because of an honest misunderstanding, rather than… what Toko did.

Suddenly, there was a beeping sound coming from Taka's pocket. He pulled out a stopwatch and turned it off.

"Well, it looks like we're out of time! I should move on to someone else! Goodbye!"

Taka walked away, leaving the three of us alone.

The next guy we encountered was the wannabe-rockstar guy. The one with auburn hair, a ton of piercings, and a goatee. His dress shirt looked more like a jacket because his color was propped up, and his undershirt had a grunge skull decal spray painted onto it in a poor attempt to be intimidating.

"Hey, uh… are you Ryoko's brother?"

The rockstar turns around, confused. Then notices Ryoko's red hair. "Naw, man, but damn, her hair's all-natural. I wish I could get my hair that shade without dying it."

Ryoko seemed disappointed but… strangely relieved. "Nice to meet you, uh…."

"Name's Leon Kuwata. 'Sup?"

The three of us introduced ourselves after he said that.

Leon Kuwata… the Ultimate Baseball Star, and a genuine athletic specimen, but…

"Wait, you?!" I blurted. "Seriously?!"

"Uh, yeah, me. Wait, you weren't expecting to see some guy with a clean cut, were you?" Leon grilled.

"Well, yeah," Sayaka replied. "Whenever you're on TV, your hair is short, and you're in your uniform."

"Man, I knew people who say that!" Leon huffed. "This is totally embarrassing! Seriously, I can't believe people only recognize me in that stupid fucking uniform. Man, even worse, it was a girl who said it."

"What do you mean by that?" Ryoko asked. "Do you not like your talent?"

"Fuck no! Baseball sucks! Who the hell wants to hit balls with bats and run around? 'Cuz that's pretty much it!"

"At least you know your talent…." Ryoko muttered under her breath.

I was puzzled by Leon's acceptance into Hope's Peak. "Wait, if you hate baseball, how are you… the Ultimate Baseball Star? And why join the majors?"

"I don't know! It's kind of like a curse. Doomed to be good at something you hate, y'know?"

"I wouldn't really call it a curse. I'm not really good at anything."

"Well, I'd rather have been admitted here as the Ultimate Guitarist or something. But no, once I post one song online, all the critics are on me, saying how much my hard work is trash!"

"I mean…" Sayaka didn't continue that thought, but she seemed to find Leon's story amusing.

"Honestly, I'm kinda jealous," Leon admitted. "Of you, Sayaka. Being known for my music is a dream come true!"

"Ah!" Sayaka gasped. "Yeah. Yeah, it's nice, haha."

Sayaka seems a bit nervous because of that… I wonder why?

"I guess that's pretty much it," Leon chuckled. "I'll see you around, then. Hopefully, we get all this shit figured out!"

"Yeah, you too," I said as we left.

Leon seems like a nice guy… but still, I wonder why Sayaka seemed like she was trying not to laugh when he mentioned his music.

"It's because his music kinda sucks," Sayaka whispered.

"Huh?"

"You were wondering why I was trying not to laugh."

"How did you -"

"Psychic, remember?"

"Wh-what?! I thought you just had good intuition!"

Sayaka giggled. "I'm just teasing you! I'm still not a psychic."

"But uh… how do you know about his music?"

"Trust me, word gets around fast when a record label makes an idiot out of themselves. And producing Leon's work just cause he's an Ultimate in one field… doesn't translate into the other."

I nod, accepting the answer. This stuff's way too complicated for me.

The next student we approached was the, uh… big guy. The one with a hamster's face.

"I am Hifumi Yamada!" he announced. "But if you would like to call me by my pseudonym, 'The Alpha and the Omega,' I don't mind!"

Hifumi Yamada… the Ultimate Fanfic Creator… I don't really know much about him other than that. And honestly, he's exactly what I'd expect a fanfic creator to look like.

"First, let me ask you," Hifumi began, "what do you know about the world of 2D?"

"The what?" Ryoko asked.

"Well, in that world, I am well-known and well-regarded as the Ultimate Fanfic Creator!"

"What's a fanfic?" Sayaka asked, equally confused as Ryoko.

"Bwaaah! You don't know what fanfic is?!" Hifumi gasped. "How could you?!"

"I guess that a pop star wouldn't have time for, uh… geeky stuff," I suggested.

"Yeah," Sayaka agreed.

"Geeky stuff?! Oh, no, no, fanfiction is art! The same as any written work."

I guess it technically is art, but you can't deny writing fanfiction is a little geeky. Not being geeky is a bad thing, though. I actually like watching a good anime once in a while!

"And… what's going on with you three… kehe… yes, that is good fanfiction material."

Please don't tell me he isn't thinking about what I think he's thinking…

Hifumi dramatically pointed at me, who deadpanned, "We have an honest to god anime protagonist here."

"I don't have a harem!" I insisted, getting pointed looks from almost all the students in the room.

There's a glint in Hifumi's eyes that Makoto just… didn't like. "Ah, but that's what an anime protagonist would say."

"Real life isn't anime, y'know!" Sayaka huffed, coming to my rescue. "People can be around two or more girls without it being a harem!"

"Oh yes, I am aware of that! I was simply saying that it was like an anime!"

Okay, this guy's a little weird. And no offense to him, but… I don't really want to talk to him anymore.

"Um… I… guess it was nice meeting you?" I awkwardly laugh.

Catching on to what I was doing, Sayaka said, "Yeah, we better get going! Bye!"

"Hmpf," Hifumi huffed. "Likewise!"

The fifth person we approached was the dark-skinned girl. She wore cut-off jeans and knee-high socks with a tank top that barely contained her… ah… assets. The ensemble was completed by a red track and field jacket and a ponytail.

"Heya!" she beamed. "I'm Aoi Asahina, but my friends call me Hina. 'Sup?"

Aoi Asahina. She was already a three-time Olympic swimming gold medalist, despite her Olympic debut only being earlier this year, earning her the title of the Ultimate Swimming Pro. She absolutely blew her opponents out of the water in every event she participated in… no pun intended. I've also seen a lot of frankly creepy comments about her appearance.

We introduced ourselves after her.

"Oh, jeez, three names at a time," she sighed. "That's going to be hard to process. Um, lemme see… Makoto Neagi, Sayaka Maizono, Ryoko Otonashi. Makoto Neagi, Sayaka Maizono, Ryoko Otonashi. Makoto… yeah, okay, I think I got it!"

"I've been doing that too. Both for everyone else's names and… my own, so I don't forget it," Ryoko confessed.

"Woah, seriously? Not even I forget my own name! Why is that, though? Do you have, like, a condition?"

Wow, that's a bit blunt, but she isn't exactly wrong.

"I think so," Ryoko admitted. We all waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't.

"Uh," Hina cleared her throat. "Sorry. I guess it was a little mean to say it like that."

"It's okay. I don't really remember anything. At all. My life before waking up here is… nothing."

"Oh, shit! Seriously?! That's horrible! Do you know why?"

"If I knew, I'd probably have forgotten it."

"Jeez. I hope you get better, then… hey, wait a minute! You're Sayaka Maizono!"

"Oh!" Sayaka gasped. "Yeah, I am! Are you a fan?"

"Well, kinda. I do enjoy it when one of your songs plays on the radio. I'm just saying how it's weird to see a super-celebrity standing before me!"

"I mean, you're a celebrity too."

"Oh, jeez, that's even weirder to think about!"

"To be honest, I think you're in commercials and stuff as much as I am. Especially for swimwear."

"True, I guess. Listen, I'd really love to continue this conversation. Seriously, I would… but Taka is walking over to us right now, so I think we should wrap it up now before he gets on our case."

"It was, uh, nice meeting you." I just realized I've been sitting here in near silence for the entire conversation. "Hopefully, we'll get to talk more next time."

"Yep, you too! Looking forward to it." I wonder if Aoi even noticed?

The three of us walked away, seeking someone else to talk with.

Up sixth is a short girl who at most came up to about mid-torso on me. If I knew you have to be a high school graduate to be here, I'd have assumed her to be at most a second-year.

"O-oh, wow," the girl stuttered. "U-um, hello, you three. Nice to meet you. I'm Chihiro Fujisaki…."

Chihiro is the Ultimate Programmer, known for making a lot of cutting-edge computer programs, some even used daily by everyday people, making many lives more manageable. She does streaming online, in which she has gotten a rather large fanbase, primarily because of her timid personality.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I tend to get a bit nervous when meeting new people."

"Don't worry about it," I reassured. After saying that, we introduced ourselves to Chihiro.

"Um… I didn't really expect to have to introduce myself to three people at a time…."

"It's okay," I assured her, "Just do your best."

"Oh, yeah, okay, I'll try. Um… anyway, I hope we can get along."

"Me too," Sayaka spoke up. "You seem like a sweet person."

Chihiro blushed. "Ehe, thanks."

Chihiro seems really nervous right now. I know that everyone's probably scared, but Chihiro's perhaps the most worried of anyone.

"I'm sorry," Chihiro apologized.

I blinked. "Huh? What for?"

"I… don't really know what to say right now… I practiced a lot in front of the mirror, but, um… only for talking with one person at a time."

Wow, she's been practicing conversation? That's… honestly, understandable. She's probably introverted, so… maybe this wasn't the best idea. New situations can be scary.

"It's fine!" Sayaka reassured her.

"I'm not used to talking with people either," Ryoko added. "In fact, I've never talked to anyone ever before today."

"Huh? How is that possible?! If that's true, you wouldn't be able to talk."

"Oh yeah. I think I have, um… what was it?"

"Amnesia?" I suggested.

"Yeah. I can't remember anything before coming here."

"Wow, um, I hope you remember stuff," Chihiro struggled to keep eye contact. "Eventually."

Chihiro is starting to seem really nervous right now. I think we should leave her now, so she doesn't get too overwhelmed.

"It was nice getting to know you, Chihiro," I said. "But we should probably get going now."

"Yeah! Thank you…"

The seventh person we approached was the pink-haired, purple leather-clad pale girl who defended me when Taka was unreasonable a few minutes prior. She was playing with her custom gloves, trying to readjust them, when she noticed us.

"My name is Kyoko Kirigiri."

Kyoko Kirigiri… I have never heard of her. I don't think she even came up once in the online discussions.

"What are you doing at this school?" I asked.

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, if you're at this school, you probably have an Ultimate Talent, right?" I clarified. "And, uh… wait, you do have an Ultimate Talent, right?"

"Of course I do," Kyoko stated. "I just… don't remember it at the moment."

Ryoko gasped. "Just like me!"

"Oh? You forgot your talent as well?" Kyoko intently studied Ryoko up and down. "That's… quite a coincidence."

"What about your other memories?!"

Kyoko backed away as Ryoko got in her face. "I still have most of them. It's just anything related to my talent that's a blur."

"That seems like quite a coincidence," I observed. The girls paid it no mind.

"Maybe you guys can try to remember your talents together!" Sayaka suggested. "Like, a life-changing self-discovery journey!"

"Maybe," Kyoko replied. Wow, her face is like an iron mask. It's pretty much impossible to tell what she's feeling right now. She'd be a great poker player. I would've guessed that that would be her talent if there wasn't already an Ultimate Gambler here.

"That's all there is about me… You can leave now," Kyoko rudely ordered.

Sayaka's demeanor shifted in an instant, from friendly to standoffish. "Oh, okay," Sayaka replied, having no problems walking away.

"It was nice to meet you, Kyoko."

She didn't bother replying as I nudged a fascinated Ryoko away from her. I don't blame Ryoko. Finding someone like her in this situation would be a ground-breaking discovery for anyone in her predicament. Though… it's too much of a coincidence that two people have amnesia. And one is only missing memories of their talent? That can't be natural.

The next girl we approached was standing away from everyone else. She wore a standard military uniform with a green camo vest over it.

"Hello," she introduced herself. "I am Mukuro Ikasaba… but you might know me as the Ultimate Soldier."

The Ultimate Soldier… nobody knows anything about her, but she has gotten a lot of speculation. Some say she has over 300 confirmed kills. Some say that she once slaughtered an entire Junior High using only a knife. But I took those rumors with a grain of salt since… well, it's the internet.

"Hm…" Mukuro muttered, looking at Ryoko up and down. "You… why do I recognize you?."

"Oh?" Ryoko perked up. "Really? Who?"

Mukuro sighed. "It's probably nothing…."

Ryoko… slouched. "Alright, then."

We introduced ourselves soon after.

I scratched the back of my neck. "So, um, I've heard a lot about you."

Mukuro seemed tense, so I clarified my statement. "Online, I mean. Mostly speculation. I'm honestly curious if it's real."

"That is not something I wish to disclose," Mukuro stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, Makoto, don't be nosy," Sayaka teased.

I winced. "Sorry for bothering you."

"It's no issue," Mukuro insists, a small smile on her face. "At least you apologized. Just don't do it again."

"I… want to know how you recognized me," Ryoko interrupted. "I remember nothing about my past life. Please, anything can help me."

Mukuro turned away. "You just reminded me of someone. Probably just a coincidence, though."

Ryoko looked dejected. "Oh, okay…"

"Come on, guys, let's go," Sayaka said, leaving Mukuro alone. Once again, I had to nudge Ryoko for her to leave again. She's almost as secretive as Kyoko, and she actually remembers her talents.

Next up is the intimidating pompadour guy with a trenchcoat.

"Name's Mondo Owada," he said. "Nice to fucking meet you."

Oh jeez, that's the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, isn't it? He… really fits the part, to say the least. Mondo's the leader of the biggest biker gang in Tokyo, the Crazy Diamond. He's feared by both the rival gangs and the police. I better not say the wrong things or end up somewhere at the bottom of a lake.

"N-nice to meet you too!" I stuttered.

"Hell yeah."

We stood there in silence for about three minutes before Mondo stated:

"You don't have to stand there like a bunch of fucking idiots, y'know."

"Isn't there… anything else you want to say?" Sayaka asked.

"No."

"But…"

I cut off Ryoko before she could say anything. "C'mon, Ryoko, I-I think we should listen to what he says."

Ryoko pouted. "Okay…"

As we walked away, I saw that Mondo was looking at me with… approval? Weird.

This person was wearing a karate gi and had long hair and big muscles… honestly, I couldn't tell if they were a girl or boy. They were even more intimidating than Mondo.

"I am Sakura Ogami," she boomed after we introduced ourselves.

Oh, thank god, I was about to ask if she was a boy or a girl… I'm sure I'd get turned into a human meatball if I did that. But now, I remember. She's the Ultimate Martial Artist. She has fought in over 400 matches and never lost once, competing in martial arts tournaments worldwide. I think she just earned an Olympic gold medal.

Some call her Ogre, the famed missing link between primates and us. One commenter said, "To any incoming Hope's Peak students reading this, let me warn you, avoid her at all costs if you value your life."

…

I'm really hoping they were exaggerating.

Sakura looked the three of us over. "Hm… muscular qualities of an average high school graduate… not enough to be my training partner."

"Training partner?" Sayaka asked.

"Even at school, training is still necessary to keep fit. I've got my eyes on that swimmer girl. I saw her at the Olympics this year, and her performance was impressive."

"Yeah, I saw that on TV!" Sayaka exclaimed. "What you athletes do is just so impressive!"

Sakura smiled. "Yes, I spent years training to be in peak physical condition. I started in middle school as a skinny every-day girl."

"Wow, cool," Ryoko commented absent-mindedly.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Like Sayaka said, it's really awe-inspiring."

"Still, there's more than one kind of strength," Sakura admitted. She turned to me. "It seems yours might not be physical but lie elsewhere. I'm looking forward to finding out."

The next boy we approached was a blonde man in a three-piece suit with a silver pocket watch in his jacket pocket. He looks like he would be in a business meeting rather than a school. Whatever your definition of the .1% is, he's it.

The man sighed as we walked up to him, stating: "Name's Byakuya Togami."

That was the most half-assed introduction I've heard… not that I can really complain about it. As put rather bluntly by people online, Byakuya's talent is being rich. Apparently, he was the heir of his family's massive financial conglomerate… which he inherited as soon as he turned 18. Byakuya already had started numerous side businesses before taking over, all of which had been massively successful. It's no wonder that since taking over an already successful corporation, its international value has increased by 20%. This has led to him becoming the youngest trillionaire in the country and earning the title of Ultimate CEO.

"I'm done with my introduction. This conversation is over."

"What? You can't end a conversation as soon as you start it, silly!" Sayaka teased.

"Tell your lackey to watch her mouth," Byakuya clucked at me. "Nice job with that, by the way. Wouldn't expect someone like you to get underlings right away."

"Um, thanks?" What is he talking about? Lackeys?

"I thought that this conversation was over," said Ryoko. Byakuya scoffed at her. I bet he thinks she's being snarky… but I'm pretty sure Ryoko's genuinely confused.

"How much longer are you going to stand there?" Byakuya scoffed. "Go away. I'm getting sick of looking at you."

His aura says to me, "You and I will never be on the same level," like a king in training… needless to say, we took his advice.

The second to last person we approached was the gothic lolita vampiress with weird loopy hair.

"I do not believe we have been introduced," the girl said, with such a thick accent it sounded fake."My name is Celestia Ludenburg."

"Celestia… Luden… huh?"

"Yes, that is my name. Though I would much prefer you refer to me as Celeste."

This girl is the self-styled Celestia Ludenburg. She's the Ultimate Gambler. They say that she never lost a bet in her life. Apparently, she once entered an underground gambling tournament when she was sixteen and won, earning the title "Queen of Lies." She went on to win the national poker championship three years in a row, lying about her age so she could get in at the age of fifteen.

Ryoko seemed even more puzzled than I did. "What's your real name?"

"What are you talking about? Celestia Ludenburg is my real name."

"You are Japanese, right?"

"Why yes, I am. My parents just got a little creative in the naming department."

"Oh, that's cool," Sayaka commented. "I think Celeste is a pretty name."

"Me too," Celeste agreed.

"Oh, and that outfit," Sayaka beamed. "Such great taste!"

"I am aware, thank you."

"I still doubt Celestia Ludenburg is her real name," Ryoko said.

Celeste was quite forceful. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"But-"

"Don't bother," I told Ryoko, "She's known as 'Queen of Liars', y'know."

"So you've heard of my gambling exploits," Celeste clucked, "Yet I have never heard of you."

"That's probably because I'm not famous," I explained.

Celeste smirked as if looking down on me. "Ah. Yes, that does indeed explain it…."

Last but not least was the guy who, frankly, looked like a hobo.

"I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure! Hiro for short! Take it easy, yeah? I know I will!"

The Ultimate Clairvoyant… known as "Supernova" by the psychic community. Honestly, I don't really buy into all of that psychic stuff. I always just assumed that it was all fake. But apparently, this guy's predictions are the real deal… I'll have to see for myself.

We were about to introduce ourselves, but Hiro interrupted us. "You…" he pointed at Sayaka. "Your name is Sayaka Maizono! I knew that by reading your mind."

"Well, yeah," Sayaka said. "Knowing my name isn't that impressive. I'm, like… really well-known."

"Aw, man! I totally blew my introduction! Now I bet you guys think I'm totally lame now, huh?"

Honestly… yeah. But I'm not going to say that out loud since that would be rude.

"Man…" Hiro grumbled. "I can't believe that a guy like you gets bitches!"

I blinked. "Huh? A guy like me? What's that supposed to mean."

"Well, you just got here and have two girls next to you!"

Sayaka frowned. "Don't blame Makoto for being a lazy bum. If you spent less time seething in jealously, maybe you could spend more time trying to fix your life."

"I'll have you know that I predicted I'd find the love of my life here at Hope's Peak!"

"And how correct are your predictions?"

Hiro looked smug. "I'm right at least 30% of the time."

"Well, unless the love of your life is your right hand, I'm gonna say this is definitely the remaining 70%."

Sayaka's roasting moved Hiro to… not so manly tears. "I swear, once this prank is over, I'm gonna find myself a girl!"

The fortune teller accidentally dropped his crystal ball, shattering across the floor. "Oh shit, I spent a fortune on that!"

Sayaka's smile never left her face.

…

I've… never seen Sayaka like this before… she's terrifying.

"Anyways," Sayaka chirped, "It's nice to meet you, Hiro!"

"Y-you too," Hiro blubbered as Sayaka walked away. I muttered an apology on Sayaka's behalf and followed her, along with Ryoko.

After we were all done with introductions, we met back up where we started.

"Okay," Leon said, "Now what?"

"Well, there are some important things we need to talk about," Sayaka led. "So let's get down to business! Firstly, Makoto, the same thing happened to all of us. We all walked into the school, passed out, and woke up somewhere in a school!"

"That's weird," I noted, "that we all got knocked out. I thought it was just me!"

"So did I!" Mondo yelled. "That's why we're all freaked-the-fuck out right now!"

"Also," Kyoko stated, "All windows were covered with metal plates. That is definitely not normal."

"I know, I saw that," I mumbled.

"I couldn't find my stuff anywhere either," Hina added. "And my phone is gone! I swear it was in my pocket when I got here."

"You're right," Chihiro agreed. "I haven't seen my PDA either."

"And then there's the main hall," Kyoko observed, "The front entrance is blocked off by this vault. We can all confirm this wasn't here when we first arrived."

"It's like they're trying to keep us in," Mukuro said silently, "Or keep others out."

Ryoko looked scared. "I don't know which one is worse."

"Woah, wait! Maybe this is part of the school's orientation procedures!" Hiro suggested.

"It's a weird-ass orientation procedure if you ask me!" Mondo snapped.

"Look, I'm sure the school headmaster will show up soon and clear this up!" Hiro said confidently. "I'm sure of it! In fact, I predict it!"

That last bit did not make me feel better… but sure enough, I could feel everyone's tensions evaporating. But then…

Ding dong bing bong!

The room's monitor switched on.

"Ahem, ahem, testing, testing!" A cartoony voice called out. "Mic check, one, two! This is your school broadcast system! Am I on? Can everyone hear me?"

That voice seemed playful and unconcerned. Totally out of place in this situation. I couldn't help but feel a deep, unnerving dread about it. It was like hearing someone laugh at a murder scene.

"Ahh, to all incoming students!" the voice continued, "I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at… right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience. That's all. I'll be waiting!"

The monitor shut off.

"What was that?!" Chihiro gasped.

"That was our headmaster!" Taka barked. "His voice may have sounded… a little strange, but he is still our headmaster and deserves our respect."

"That didn't sound like a headmaster," Kyoko breathed.

"I'm not listening to a goddamn cartoon character!" Mondo snarled. "I'm getting the fuck out of here!"

Mondo stomped up to the vault door and started to punch it.

"See?" Hiro said proudly. "That was the headmaster. There's nothing to worry about! Let's go, guys. The school faculty is probably waiting for us!"

Sayaka seemed unconvinced. "This doesn't feel right."

I want to agree, but…

"We have to play along for now," Kyoko insists. "Maybe get some answers."

Mondo was not pleased. "We'd be playing right into their bloody hands! I'm not down for that!"

Leon scratches his head. "There's no choice, man. Whomever that is got us right where he wants us."

"Is it even safe to disobey?" Ryoko asked me.

Most seemed to agree with Ryoko's mindset, but Mondo wasn't giving up. "Do what you want then! I'm getting out of here.!

Hiro left the room. Some of the others - Taka, Chihiro, Hina, Byakuya, Mukuro, Hifumi - followed suit. And I just noticed that Sayaka and Ryoko were still with me.

"Well, I think we should go," Sayaka said. Ryoko nodded. While the two didn't exactly seem to get along, they were growing on one another.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"Stupid hatch!" Mondo screamed.

Sayaka shook her head. "I don't think that helps."

As I glanced across the room, I saw Kyoko looking at Mondo, then she turned to me. Looking directly into my eyes, she held out her hand and motioned for me to come to her.

Does she want to talk with me? But can I send the girls alone? And what about Mondo?

Will Makoto go to the gym with everyone else, go see what Kyoko wants to talk about, or try to calm Mondo down? Find out the next chapter.

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