PROLOGUE: Welcome Back to Despair


Hope's Peak Academy. I still can't believe it.

Two years ago, when I learned that scouts were considering me for enrollment at Hope's Peak, I literally jumped for joy.

…And when I learned they were no longer considering me, I locked myself in my room and cried.

One year later, the same thing played out all over again. It was hard, but I forced myself to move on. Being the Ultimate Fangirl just… isn't good enough for a place like Hope's Peak. They want creators. People who make things. Not just… people who admire them from below.

Or so I thought.

Now—after so much heartbreak—it's finally happening. I'm actually, really, truly joining Hope's Peak Academy's 180th class. Even if it's just for one year… it's the best possible way to finish high school. It's a dream come true.


How should I dress? Should I wear something flashy that shows off my talent? That is sort of a Hope's Peak tradition. But how would I even do that, as the Ultimate Fangirl? I guess I could wear my Nagito/Hajime shirt… ugh, no, that'd be stupid.

In the end, I go for simple. Just a navy-blue sailor fuku with a red necktie. Kind of like what Kaede wore in the prologue of V3. I honestly just feel like a normal person inside—so I might as well dress like one.

But I have to show off my fangirl status somehow. So, I put on my pixelated Kyoko and Chiaki earrings. And I attach a little pixelated Kaede pin to my headband. Nothing that stands out too much. Just a little token of my love for Danganronpa.

Well… hopefully that won't offend anyone. Danganronpa is kind of a controversial franchise. Which maybe isn't too surprising, since it's based on actual historical atrocities. But the killing games ended a long time ago! We've all moved on! I don't see how it's any different than a media franchise about the Roman Empire, or Genghis Khan, or something. Plus, it's not like it glorifies Monokuma or the Masterminds—they're literally the villains! And it's getting people interested in history, at least! I mean, even if they're writing slashfic of historical figures… that's still engaging with history, right?

…Sorry. I get kind of defensive about this.

Anyway—I'm almost ready now. I check the mirror one last time. A smiling, freckled face. Excited hazel eyes. Waist-length auburn hair. And, of course, my ahoge. That's another subtle reference. I spent a long time styling that ahoge. It makes me feel like a protagonist.

I'm ready now. After years of waiting… I'm finally ready.


There it is. Hope's Peak. A magnificent building, standing before me in all its glory.

I smile, and take a step forward…


"Are you like… alive? Or whatever?"

…What?

Where am I? What happened?

"Do you need, like… CPR? Or whatever?"

I open my eyes. A gyaru girl is looking down at me.

"Oh, good," she says. "You're, like, awake. Or whatever."

"Um…" I reply groggily. "What…?"

"I think we're, like, the last two people to wake up. Pretty lame, right?"

I look around. Everything's still a bit fuzzy. But I notice I'm in a drab, metallic room. There are people scattered around, engaged in various conversations.

"So," says the girl, "d'you think you can like, stand up? Like… on your own?"

I realize, now, that my head is resting on this girl's knees. "Oh… sure," I reply, lifting my head.

The girl takes my hand, and helps me to my feet. Once we're both standing up, I notice that she's several inches taller than me. She has very tanned skin, bleached blonde hair, and glossy makeup. Her white button-up shirt isn't buttoned all the way up, and her short skirt is a little bit too short, especially for a tall girl like her.

"So," she says, "like, everyone else is introducing themselves to each other? So, like… I guess we should do that, too?"

"Oh," I reply. "Okay." I rub my head. "Um… I'm sorry, but… can you go first? I'm still, um… adjusting."

"Like, sure." She smiles. "So, like, my name is Rin Ono, y'know? And I'm, like, the Ultimate Golfer, or whatever. It's like… nice to meet you, I guess?"

RIN ONO

ULTIMATE GOLFER

"Yeah, nice to meet you," I reply, smiling back. "Ultimate Golfer, huh? That wouldn't exactly have been my first guess."

"Oh, yeah? So, like… why not?"

"Wait… did I say that out loud? Crap!" I facepalm. "I'm sorry—I'm still waking up. That was a rude thing to say."

Rin laughs. "Even if it was, like… who cares? I still want to know, y'know?"

"I just meant… when I think of golf, I think of, um…"

"Like, stuffy rich people, or whatever?"

"…Something like that, yeah."

Rin rolls her eyes, smiling. "It's, like, totally true. I, like, grew up totally dirt poor? Like, rummaging-through-the-dumpster-for-lunch poor? And, like, golf helped me escape from that life. I hang out with all the stuffy rich people now. But that doesn't mean I have to, like, act like them or anything, y'know?"

"Yeah, I get it. That's pretty inspiring story, actually."

"So, like… do you have a name? Or whatever?"

"Oh… sure," I say. "My name is Koi Amaki. And as for my talent—I'm the Ultimate Fangirl."

KOI AMAKI

ULTIMATE FANGIRL

"Ultimate Fangirl?" Rin repeats, raising an eyebrow. "Not, like… Ultimate Fan Artist? Or, like… Ultimate Fanfic Creator, or something?"

"I know how it sounds," I say quickly, "but there's actually a lot of work that goes into organizing and participating in fan communities. I'm one of the top moderators on lots of servers and forums for all of the biggest online fandoms, and I've helped start up a bunch of new conventions, which I'm involved in heavily, and I helped make them popular. Plus, when it comes to cosplay contests, everyone wants me as a judge, because…" I'm rambling now. Can you tell that I'm insecure about this?

Rin just laughs. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry if I like, insulted you, or whatever."

"No, it's fine," I say, sighing. "I just—I know it's not as impressive as what you accomplished. I know you worked really hard to get to where you are, and that my talent relies on people like you—someone who creates fans, by doing something impressive—and I know a lot of Ultimates have annoying fans they have to deal with—so I was worried you would think… um. I just, um, didn't want you to think of me like that." I'm rambling again. Rin's smile is waning. Time to change the subject. "Um… anyway… do you know where we are? Or why we're here?"

"Nuh-uh," says Rin. "I just woke up, so I have, like, no idea what's going on."

This place looks familiar, actually. Eerily familiar. But… no. That's impossible. I repress the thought.

"I, like, don't even know who these people are," says Rin. "D'you, like, recognize any of them?"

I look around. "Oh—I do recognize someone, actually! C'mon—I'll introduce you."

Does Naomi even remember me? I don't know—but I'm too excited to care. I can't believe she's here! "Naomi!" I call out. "Hey!"

Naomi turns, and sees Rin and me approaching. She's wearing a businesslike suit, and her bright-red hair is tied up in a professional-looking bun. Even her brown eyes have a hint of red in them, which makes her glare kind of intense. But I approach anyway, and start rambling. "Hi, I don't know if you remember me—we had a panel together at MangaCon, plus we've interacted at a bunch of other conventions—I always ask for an autograph, because I am such a big fan—seriously, you're so amazing, you're a legend you're—"

"Yes, I remember you, Koi," Naomi says coolly. "You're a rather… unavoidable presence in my fandom."

"Yeah… I guess I sort of am, haha!" I laugh, trying to ignore the coldness of her gaze. "Anyway—this here is Rin Ono, the Ultimate Golfer. Rin—this is Naomi Shimizu, the Ultimate Mangaka. Her work has had a huge influence on me—she's been writing award-winning manga since she was nine, and she's basically the reason I became such an otaku nerd in the first place."

"It's nice to meet you, Rin," says Naomi.

NAOMI SHIMIZU

ULTIMATE MANGAKA

"Like, same," says Rin. "So, like… what kind of manga do you write?"

"Actually," says Naomi, "I've written hundreds of titles for just about every genre."

"And it's all amazing!" I add. "But right now, her most popular series is an isekai—the For Some Reason, I'm Trapped in Another World Where Everyone Except Me is a Cute Guy With a Quirky Personality series. Riku is totally my husbando! I'm going against the grain, though—most fangirls will tell you that Ichiro is best boy."

Naomi sighs. "Yes," she says icily, "many fans are enticed by that aspect. Though, those fans seem to have missed the entire point of the series. The world literally revolves around the protagonist—a clueless, carefree girl who completely ignores the suffering she's causing, as all guys compete to become cuter and quirkier—and force themselves into homosexual relationships they do not want—in order to appease the one girl with the power to destroy their universe. Slowly, the males lose their free will and humanity, and become unrecognizable parodies of their former selves. I intended the series to be a satire of female fandom communities… though, some fans would rather ignore that point."

"Um…" I mutter, feeling utterly defeated. "I mean, I did sort of pick up on that, but… it's not our fault that Riku and Ichiro are so hot. You're the one who drew them that way."

For a moment, Naomi stares at me blankly. Then her face softens a bit.

"I suppose you have a point, there," she says. "Well, it was nice catching up with you, Koi, but I must go meet the others now."

"Yeah, it was nice…" I begin, but she's already walking away.

Okay, so Naomi definitely does not like me. In fact, it's possible that she despises me. But I'll win her over eventually! I just have to keep trying, and not make a complete idiot of myself!

…Well, that plan is doomed from the start.

"So, Rin," I say, "who should we…"

But there's an empty space where Rin just was. Now she's across the room, talking to some strangers. She must've abandoned me during Naomi's long… lecture.

Now what? I'm all alone, and totally confused about this situation. I look around. Yes, this place is definitely familiar. And I know exactly why. Once again, I repress the thought.

I notice a man standing alone. Well, he's probably a high schooler like me… but he just looks like someone you'd call a "man" instead of "boy." He's very tall, broad-shouldered, and wearing a full suit and tie—a black suit, and a navy-blue tie. It… looks really good on him. Like, really good. Like, my heart's fluttering from just one glance at him. And it only gets worse when he turns his head, and his cool-blue eyes lock with mine. He smiles a little. He has this perfectly chiseled face, and smooth, dark hair that's combed back a bit. I stride toward him. Keep it cool, Koi, keep it cool.

"Hi, I don't think we've met before!" I say, a bit too loudly and quickly. "I'm Koi Amaki. I'm the Ultimate Fangirl! I know how it sounds—but there's actually a lot of work that goes into organizing and participating in fan communities. I'm one of the top moderators on…" I give him the whole spiel I gave Rin, but my voice is high-pitch and obnoxious now, and I'm rambling on and on like a complete idiot and just totally embarrassing myself, oh God I'm still talking, what am I doing, why am I like this.

"It sounds like you lead an interesting life," he replies when I finally shut up.

No, it sounds like a crazy person just went up to you and started ranting out of nowhere.

"So… what about you?" I ask.

"Me?" he says. "I'm Hiroto Oshiro, the Ultimate Attorney."

HIROTO OSHIRO

ULTIMATE ATTORNEY

He has a strong, deep, soothing voice. Like he wasn't hot enough already. "Wow—so you're an attorney!" I say needlessly. "That is so cool. Oh, do you shout 'Objection!' really loudly in the courtroom, like in the Felix Rite: Based Attorney games?"

"Well, I do raise objections," he says. "But not quite as dramatically as Felix Rite does."

"You remind me of Felix Rite, actually," I say. "You have the same sort of handsome face, and you have similar eyes and hair… and you're both really good attorneys," I add quickly. "What's it like, anyway? Being an attorney?" I'm trying to move past that "sort of handsome" comment, but I'm pretty sure it'll haunt me for the rest of my life.

"What's it like?" he repeats. "Honestly, most of the time, it's pretty thankless. I specialize in criminal defense, and most of my clients really have done terrible things. Typically, my job is to get them as light a sentence as possible. But it's never good enough from the client's perspective, and it's always too good from everyone else's perspective. I get a lot of hate mail—people telling me to stop helping these scumbags. Even my parents are nudging me to cut out the pro bono stuff and get a high-paying corporate job. I'm trying to find a way to do both, but…" His face hardens. "There are so many people who've just been… cast aside, and thrown in cages, and forgotten. Even if they've done something horrible, I think everyone deserves at least one person on their side." He has this intense gaze, like he's daring me to disagree. He clearly cares a lot about this.

"Yeah, I agree," I say. "That's really noble, what you're doing."

His face softens, and he smiles warmly. "I guess I can count on the Ultimate Fangirl to be the one person on my side."

"Haha, yeah." Ugh, how am I supposed to form words when he's pointing that precious smile at me?

"Hiroto, my man!" someone shouts. "I thought I recognized you!"

Suddenly, another boy has joined us, and is shaking Hiroto's hand enthusiastically. This new boy is wearing a very expensive-looking striped suit and a black tie. He has greased-back dirty-blonde hair. "Hi, Ryu," says Hiroto. "How've you been?"

"How've I been! Hiroto, I just woke up in this God-forsaken room with absolutely no knowledge of where I am or how I got here. Other than that, I've been fine. Who's the girl?"

Hiroto laughs. "This is Koi Amaki. She says she's the Ultimate Fangirl."

"Um, hi," I say lamely.

"Koi Amaki!" Ryu says enthusiastically. "This man right here is a treasure! My uncle was completely fucked on absolute bullshit charges—he'd barely committed half those crimes—and Hiroto was the only man in Japan who could unfuck him. Turns out, the police had been planting false evidence throughout the case. Hiroto made it all disappear. It was like goddamn magic."

"Koi, this is Ryu Minamoto," Hiroto says, smiling.

"The Ultimate Yakuza," Ryu clarifies. "Pleased to meetcha!"

RYU MINAMOTO

ULTIMATE YAKUZA

"Ultimate Yakuza?" I say, trying not to sound frightened. "Oh—like Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu! I loved his portrayal in the Danganronpa 2 video game, he's such a… cool guy." I was about to say "cutie pie," but I think this guy would whack me if I did.

"Well," says Ryu, his smile waning a bit, "the Kuzuryu clan is a bit old-fashioned—and that was a long time ago, anyway. But more importantly, you can't trust everything you see in a video game. The media loves to exaggerate, when it comes to the yakuza. What they won't tell you about is all the good work we do—providing aid to disaster areas, giving jobs to the poor and homeless, keeping the streets safe from burglars and other petty criminals. And, yeah, we need funding for all that shit. Some people call it 'extortion.' But is tax collection any different? Fuck no. The government only hates us because we compete with 'em. And we do a better fuckin' job, that's for sure."

Wow, this guy should be the Ultimate Public Relations Manager. No one's ever tried this hard to sell me on organized crime.

"It's great that you're doing so many good things," I say carefully. "Though, I think we'll have to agree to disagree about using organized crime as a method."

Ryu scoffs. "What, you think disorganized crime is better? 'Cuz it's one or the other. Tough shit—the world's a rough place." He puts his hands in his pockets. "Government's just organized crime on a bigger scale, anyway. No one gives them the same shit."

This guy has really bought into his family's pro-yakuza stance. But… his heart is in the right place, I think.

"Um… on a different note," I say, deciding to change the subject, "do you know anything about what's going on? Why are we in this room that…" I say the thought I've been repressing. "…That looks like it's straight out of the prologue of Danganronpa 1?"

"Fuck if I know," Ryu spits. "It's some sick shit, whatever it is."

"We definitely have grounds for litigation," says Hiroto. "No matter how you spin it, we were kidnapped. Even if it was intended to be some 'prank' against the transfer students."

"Wait, you guys are also transfer students?" I ask.

"You haven't figured that out?" says Ryu.

"Um, well, I was the last person to wake up, so I'm a little out of the loop."

"Yeah, all sixteen of us here are transfer students. We're all coming to Hope's Peak for our senior year. And now we have to deal with this shit."

"…Sixteen?" Oh, wow, I hadn't bothered to count. Sixteen people? In Hope's Peak? Waking up in a room that looks like it's been sealed shut?

"Pretty ominous, isn't it?" Hiroto says darkly.

"It's fucked up," says Ryu. "These asswipes made a big mistake, though, when they came after me. Soon as my family finds out, there's gonna be hell to pay." He cracked his knuckles. "In the meantime, I think I'll go introduce myself to that hot gyaru chick over there. Be seeing you two around." We say goodbye, and Ryu walks off.

"A prank, huh?" I say. "Do you really think that's… all this is?"

"I have no idea what this is," says Hiroto. "It's pointless to jump to conclusions, though, until we know more."

"Yeah, good point."

We stand silently for a moment.

"Well," says Hiroto, "there are still some people I haven't met, so…"

"Oh," I reply. "Um, yeah—same."

"It was nice talking to you, Koi."

"Yeah, it was nice. And, um, hopefully it'll keep being nice. You know—since we're both going to Hope's Peak now. So, we'll be able to talk again, which would be nice, hopefully. I mean, I think it would be nice." God, I'm stupid. How do I even dress myself in the morning?

Soon enough, Hiroto's gone, and I'm searching for my next introduction.

"Um, hi," says a voice behind me.

I jump, startled, and turn around.

"Oh, sorry," a boy says. "I just, um…" He seems nervous. "Your name was Koi Amaki, right? The Ultimate Fangirl? I just… happened to overhear. I mean—I wasn't eavesdropping, or anything. Just, um… passing by."

"Yeah, that's me," I say.

"Oh. Um. Good."

We stare at each other for a minute.

"And you are…?" I prompt.

"Oh, right," he says. "I'm… Kenji Sasaki. The Ultimate Linguist."

KENJI SASAKI

ULTIMATE LINGUIST

He's also kind of cute, but in a very different way than Hiroto. Kenji's more of a boy-next-door type. Average height, average build, average brown eyes, average slightly-unkempt black hair. He's wearing a normal gakuran uniform. Everything about him seems normal. It's kind of comforting.

"Oh, really?" I say. "You must speak a lot of languages, then."

"Yeah. I speak over three hundred languages."

"Wow, that's amazing."

"Thank you."

Silence.

"Um," I say, "you must have traveled around the world, learning those languages."

"Yeah. I've been to almost every country."

"That's really cool."

Again, there's silence. The Ultimate Linguist doesn't seem much for conversation. I guess there's a difference between knowing a lot of words and knowing how to use them.

"So," I say, "what do you think about—"

"Well, it was nice meeting you," Kenji suddenly blurts. "I'll talk to you later. Bye."

And then he's gone.

…What the hell? What just happened? He came up to me. Why'd he suddenly run off like I'm some ticking time bomb?

This isn't even the first time a boy has done something like this to me. Am I just really ugly, or something? I don't understand boys at all.

Anyway, I see another boy standing alone, so I walk over to him. Short, brown hair. His blue eyes meet mine, and he smiles. This guy's pretty cute, too. (Yes, I'm aware that there's something wrong with me.) He's wearing gym clothes, revealing arms and legs that look strong, but not super bulky or anything. He looks like someone you'd see in a Hollywood movie.

"Hi, there!" he says enthusiastically, waving. "You're a person I haven't met before!" He's speaking Japanese with a slight, but noticeable American accent.

"I'm Koi Amaki, the Ultimate Fangirl," I say. "What about you?"

"Hi, Koi! My name is Jeffrey Silverstein, and I'm the Ultimate Kabuki Actor! But you can call me Jeff!"

JEFFREY SILVERSTEIN

ULTIMATE KABUKI ACTOR

Jeffrey Silverstein? Kabuki actor? Well, there is a name and a job that I wouldn't have expected to go together.

"So, um…" How do I even ask about this? I choose my words carefully. "…How did you get into kabuki theater?"

"It started when I was very little," Jeff answers. "I was living in Japan, because my parents were in the military, and got stationed there. It was then that I first saw kabuki performed onstage—and fell in love. Even after returning to California, I didn't give up on my dream. I became fluent in Japanese, and dedicated my life to the study of kabuki!"

"Oh, that's neat. I guess all your hard work paid off, if you got into Hope's Peak."

"It sure did! What about you, Koi? What kind of fans do you make? Handheld fans?"

"What? I don't…." Oh. Oops. "No, not that kind of fangirl. I'm… an enthusiast for various forms of media. You know, like… anime, books, video games—that sort of thing."

"I see," says Jeff. "Then, what kind of media are you most enthusiastic about?"

I think. "Well, in terms of books, the Larry Plotter series is definitely my favorite. And if I had to pick a favorite anime, Half-Metal Chemist would probably be my choice. But the one thing I fangirl over more than anything else are the Danganronpa video games! …Which is kind of ironic, given the situation we're in right now."

Jeff looks contemplative. "I've gotta admit, there are gaps in my knowledge of the history of Danganronpa," he says. "I know about the first three killing games, and the fifty that came later, but I'm not sure what happened in between."

"It's a bit complicated," I reply. "The first three were part of the Despair Wars. After that, people thought the Despair Wars were over, and that we could move on… but violent outbreaks kept popping up everywhere. Rebuilding was really hard, and we lost progress just as often as we made it. The only thing that gave people hope… was to watch the first three killing games. Ironically, they were made for the opposite reason—to create despair—but watching people overcome that despair created a hope that nothing else could replicate. So, during one really bad bout of violence and destruction, Team Danganronpa… tried to replicate that hope, by starting a new killing game. Whether that worked or not—well, today, we know that the effect was exaggerated. But things just happened to get better after that, and Team Danganronpa got credit for it. It took fifty years to overturn that mistake. Fifty more killing games. People literally worshipped them—there's a whole religious aspect that I'm not even getting into, because that's a whole other can of worms. Of course, by the 53rd game, there was already a backlash starting to form. Shuichi Saihara added fuel to that backlash, and helped everyone realize how pointless and horrible the killing games were."

"I see," Jeff says, scratching his head. "So, during the last killing game, when the Mastermind told the survivors that the original killing games were fake—"

"She was lying. Tsumugi Shirogane lied about all sorts of things—if you watch V3 from beginning to end, you'll notice a whole bunch of holes in her story. The video game did a great job of capturing that. It's my favorite game in the series—Shuichi is basically my top husbando."

Jeff nods thoughtfully. "With all that in mind," he says, "I think I understand what's going on here."

"You do?"

"Yes." Jeff smiles. "This must be an interactive history lesson!"

"Um…"

"Haha! I knew that Hope's Peak was unusual, but I never thought they'd go this far!"

"Y-yeah…" I'm not so sure, but I don't want to ruin his good mood.

After that, I'm looking for another person to meet. The words "Speedy the Porcupine" catch my ear, and I immediately rush over to the source—two boys conversing. One is very tall; the other is about my height—quite short for a boy. "Oh, are you guys talking about Speedy?" I blurt out. "I was so into Speedy's Adventure 2 as a kid—I know people are always trashing the 3D games, but I think that's misguided—I mean, Speedy Colors and Speedy Generations are, like, two of the best games in the series, right?"

"Nah, sorry," says the shorter boy. "For me, it's the 2D classics or nothin'."

"Whole series is overrated, if you ask me," says the taller boy. The much taller boy. He's probably taller than Hiroto—but unlike Hiroto, this boy is thin and lanky. For some reason, this guy… really stands out. It's not just his height. He has this sort of… relaxed, low-key charisma. I don't know. Maybe it's just his deep, gravelly voice.

"Well," the shorter boy replies, "my opinion counts way more than you plebs, seeing as I'm objectively better at every one of those games. And I've got the world records to prove it."

"Wait—I recognize you!" I say. "I've seen you at conventions—you're the Ultimate Speedrunner, um… Tsubasa Haneda, right?"

"Guilty as charged!" the boy says, giving me a thumbs-up, smiling.

TSUBASA HANEDA

ULTIMATE SPEEDRUNNER

He's wearing baggy jeans, and a loose, black t-shirt with a game controller design on it. He has several ear piercings, and yellow-green spiky hair that's sticking out in all directions. I'm getting sort of a punkish vibe from him, overall.

"Yeah, I think I remember you," he says. "Koi Amaki, right? The Ultimate Fangirl, or something?"

"Yep and yep," I reply cheerfully. "We've never really interacted, but… it's nice to see you again, anyway."

"Yeah, totally!"

I face the taller boy. "And you…?"

"Jun Mujun," he replies. "Ultimate Hacker, if you were wondering."

JUN MUJUN

ULTIMATE HACKER

Jun Mujun?Well, there's a fake name if I've ever heard I guess that's to be expected from an anonymous hacker.

Honestly, there's something about this guy I find so intriguing, and mysterious, and… well, cool. He has this relaxed pose—a slouch, really—but he somehow make it look cool and confident. His black hair has blue highlights, and it's hanging around his head in big, messy locks. He has a narrow face that's kind of mature-looking for a high schooler. There are little bags under his eyes, like he was up all night working on some project—which I find kind of hot, honestly. (YES, I'M AWARE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME.)

"So," says Tsubasa, "you into any other games? Wait, actually—last time I saw you, you were going on and on about the Danganronpa games… I think."

"Yeah, that sounds like me," I reply.

"Danganronpa, hm?" Jun says, smirking. "Well, isn't that interesting."

"I'm not usually into visual novels," Tsubasa says. "They're not great speedrunning fodder. 'Course, that hasn't stopped me from getting the world record on every single Danganronpa game." He grins. "And I'll do the same thing for this weird-ass ritual!"

"…Ritual?" I repeat, bewildered.

"Well, what the fuck else could this be? Obviously, we're in the middle of some freaky initiation ceremony for the transfer kids."

"He thinks we're being hazed," Jun says.

"I'd bet money that's what's going on," says Tsubasa. "Just watch—any moment, 'Monokuma' is gonna pop out and throw us into a mock class trial or something. Pretty exciting, right? I'm all pumped to set a new Hope's Peak transfer student record!"

"I… hope that's all it is," I say, frowning. "But I… I don't know. I… have a really bad feeling."

"Sixteen students," says Jun. "Hope's Peak. Sealed room. It's not looking good." He shoots me a grin. "Well. Let the optimists dream." It's a smug, satisfied grin—that kind of cocky boy grin, you know, that makes you want to just smack it off his face, or maybe kiss it off his face? (I hate that I'm like this.)

I've just walked away from those two, when…

"You're no fool, are you?"

"Gah!" I cry, startled, as I turn around. A girl is staring at me. She's wearing an elegant red kimono. Her black hair is clipped up in a traditional Japanese style; a pretty pink flower is sticking out of it. This girl is beautiful, without a doubt… but something about her blue-eyed gaze unsettles me.

"Ohoho!" the girl laughs. "I apologize for startling you." Her laugh is… kind of creepy. Her smile is kind of creepy, too. Somehow, it seems both genuine and calculating at the same time. "Koi Amaki, is it? The Ultimate Fangirl?"

"Y-yeah," I stutter. "How…?"

"Oh, I just happened to overhear. I suppose, Koi, that you are not much of an origami fangirl?" She takes the flower out of her hair. "No, I suppose not—or you'd have recognized me right away." She unfolds the flower—I didn't even realize it was made of paper—and then just… goes crazy with it. I have never seen fingers move this fast. Within seconds, there's a paper crane in the palm of her hand.

"Wow, that's incredible!" I say—and I really mean it.

"For most people perhaps," the girl says, her smile unwavering. "You still do not recognize me, I suppose?"

"Um… sorry," I say awkwardly. "I, um, don't really know much about origami."

"Ohohoho! Well, then, Koi, today is the day you learn the name of the Ultimate Origamist… Emi Togami!"

EMI TOGAMI

ULTIMATE ORIGAMIST

"Togami?" I repeat. "So, that means—"

"Ohohohoho! I suppose you were not about to make a comment associating me with my bastard dead cousin? No, no, no—you are far too clever to make such an error."

Wow, this girl is terrifying. I definitely don't want to get on her bad side.

"Yes," she says, stepping closer, "you are a clever one. You know exactly what is going on here. Even as the fools around us deny it." She steps a little too close. "We clever ones ought to stick together," she says quietly. "Only the strong will survive what's about to come." She steps past me. "I look forward to working with you, Koi." Then she walks away.

I'm practically shivering now. That was the scariest thing to happen to me all day—which is saying a lot, considering that I've apparently been kidnapped.

I look around, searching for someone new. One girl catches my eye. She sticks out a bit, because… well, frankly, her skin is paper-white. She's wearing a sailor fuku with a white top, blue necktie, and a short blue skirt. But her skin almost seems whiter than the fabric of her blouse. Her hair is just as white, too—it's in a pixie cut, and topped with a white sailor hat.

Her pink eyes find me. She smiles widely and starts waving. "Ahoy, stranger!" She runs over to me. "I hope you've prepared yourself! Because you're about to meet Akiko Narumi—the Ultimate Sailor!"

AKIKO NARUMI

ULTIMATE SAILOR

"Oh," I reply, "so you're, like… a ship captain?"

"Captain, crew, you name it! As long as it's on a sailboat, I can do it better than anyone!" She pumps her arm. "I've sailed all around the world, over and over and over. I've even come up with new routes that shipping companies use all the time now, because they're way safer and more efficient than the old routes. I just have an eye for that kind of thing! Pretty cool, right?"

"That is cool. Like… your life seems way more interesting than mine."

"Haha, it probably is! That's okay, though—it's a really high bar!" She puts her hands on her hips and winks. "So I still want to hear alllll about you! I can tell just from looking at you that you're a really cool girl!"

"Well… I don't know about that, but…"

I introduce myself, and—at her prompting—tell her a little bit about myself. There's a question at the back of my mind, and I'm not sure how to ask it. Eventually, I just go for it.

"Hey, Akiko," I say. "Um… can I ask something?"

"You don't need to ask if you can ask. Just ask!"

"Um. I hope this isn't a rude question, but… you're albino, right?"

"Haha, you got me!" Akiko replies cheerfully. "Yep—I'm white as a pearl." She winks. "And I'm pretty as a polar bear in a snowstorm!"

What the heck does that even mean?

"Well," I continue, "the thing is… doesn't sailing… involve being out in the sun a lot?"

"Haha, c'mon—I'm albino, not a vampire! I just gotta keep slathering on the sunscreen. Plus, I try to stay below deck around noon, especially on a sunny day. And if all else fails, I can always hide under my parasol."

"Oh," I reply, chuckling awkwardly. "I guess you're plenty prepared, then."

"Yep!" says Akiko. "I mean, sure, I've gotten skin cancer four times, but—"

"Four times?"

"Yeah—but it's no big deal. I've recovered every time with a clean bill of health!" She pumps her arm. "Plus, I've recovered four times, so I'm basically immune now!"

"That's… not how it works…"

This poor girl doesn't seem to know her own limits. But… it's kind of admirable, in a way.

Akiko stares off wistfully. "It drives my poor mom crazy," she says. "She used to yell and scream at my dad for dragging me to his sailboat… even though I was the one dragging him." She closes her eyes. "The smell of seawater, the sound of waves crashing and seagulls chirping, the feeling of wind in my face, as the boat rocks me back and forth…" She opens her eyes. "Not even the big, bad, mean ol' sun can keep me away from all that."

She's still staring off wistfully. A minute passes. Um… are we done?

"Hey, Koi," Akiko says quietly. "Do you see that girl over there?"

Now I realize Akiko wasn't staring off into space—she was staring at a girl in the corner. A very short girl—less than five feet tall, for sure. She's wearing a plain, black dress, with a white collar, and a skirt that goes down to her ankles—a rather modest school uniform. There's a pink armband around her left upper arm. She has light-brown hair, and pigtails that begin below her shoulders and reach down to her legs. She's staring at her feet and sliding them around awkwardly, like she's not sure how she got into this predicament of being alone in the corner, or how to get out of it.

"Yeah, I see her," I reply just as quietly. "What about her?"

"What about her?" Akiko's voice is an excited whisper. "What about her? Are you kidding? Just… everything about her! She's so… she's so… adorable!" Akiko is straining to keep her voice down. "Oh my gosh, she is so cute and tiny and precious and little and perfect and small. I just want to… I just…" She almost squeals. "I want to pinch her little cheeks!"

"You… what?"

"I want to pinch her tiny little cheeks! I want to pinch her cheeks and pat her on the head and tell her what a good girl she is! I… I…" Akiko seems ready to burst. "I'm going to do it! I'm going to pinch her cheeks!"

She runs off. "Akiko, wait!" Oh God, what is happening, how did I get involved in this.

"Ahoy, stranger!" We reach the short girl. "I hope you've prepared yourself! Because you're about to meet Akiko Narumi—the Ultimate Sailor! And Akiko's newest friend—Koi Amaki, the Ultimate Fangirl!"

The short girl is giving Akiko a slightly panicked look—an appropriate reaction, considering the cheek-pinching she's apparently in for. "Um, h-hello," the girl says quietly. She looks back down at her feet. "It's n-nice to meet you…"

Silence.

"So—what's your name?" asks Akiko.

"It's, um…. Mizuki T-Tenshi… um…"

More silence.

"So—what's your talent?" asks Akiko.

"I'm, um… the Ultimate Moral Compass, I-I guess…"

MIZUKI TENSHI

ULTIMATE MORAL COMPASS

"Oh, like Kiyotaka Ishimaru!" I say excitedly. "That's great! I love Taka—he's basically my top husbando."

"Um… that's, um… right…" Mizuki trails off. She's still staring at her feet—she seems to be allergic to eye contact.

"So, what's it like?" asks Akiko. "What does an Ultimate Moral Compass do?"

"Um… w-well, I've, um… started several organizations that, um, p-provide support to…" She keeps talking, but at this point she's too quiet to hear.

"Um, sorry, but I didn't catch all of that," I reply.

"Yeah, you're gonna have to speak up a bit," says Akiko.

"Um," says Mizuki. "I help advise them to, um, p-properly allocate…" Again, she gets quieter and quieter until she's just whispering to herself.

Akiko and I glance at each other, then look at Mizuki again.

"Wow," says Akiko. "You're really shy and awkward, huh? That's okay, though—it only makes you cuter!"

You could stand to be a bit shyer yourself, Akiko…

"Um…" Poor Mizuki has no idea how to react. "Well… that's, um…"

She trails off. This conversation seems to be going nowhere.

"Well," I say, "I still have a few people left to meet, so…"

Akiko doesn't take the hint. She's still gazing down at Mizuki, beaming. Mizuki's still staring at her feet, and rubbing them against the floor a bit.

"Can I pinch your cheeks?" asks Akiko.

"Akiko!" I gasp. "Mizuki, I'm sorry about her. I think I'll just… drag her away now."

"Um…" Mizuki's blushing. "I-I suppose… if you really want to… it's okay…"

"Yaaay!" Akiko cheers.

And then she… actually does it. She grabs Mizuki's cheeks by the handful, and just… goes to town on them. Squeezing, pinching, pulling, and rubbing to the full extent of her abilities. "Oh. My. Gosh," says Akiko, who seems like she's on the verge of tears. "This… is the most fun… I have ever had… in my entire life."

"Um…" I mutter, backing away. "I'll… just be going now…"

Boy, I really wandered into a den of weirdos, huh? Not that I have room to judge…

"I sense a strong chakra approaching," says a male voice behind me.

I turn around—and meet the next weirdo.

"Are you the source?" he asks. This boy's wearing a… full black bodysuit, and a military-style green camo vest over it. He has intense violet eyes, and violet hair that's spiking upward. He's also wearing a headband with a metal plate over the forehead, and the Hope's Peak crest carved into it.

"Um, I doubt it," I reply, "since I'm just the Ultimate Fangirl, and not a warrior or anything. My name's Koi Amaki… what about you?"

He crosses his arms. "I sense great potential within you, Koi," he says. "Should you ever seek the shinobi path, come find me, and I shall train you. For I am Takeru Tao, the Ultimate Ninja!"

TAKERU TAO

ULTIMATE NINJA

"No he's not," says a boy standing next to us.

"What?" I reply, baffled.

"He's not a ninja," the boy elaborates. "He's the Ultimate Child Caregiver."

"Wait… really?"

"Hmph," Takeru says, looking away. "Indeed—that is the guise I assume when I walk amongst civilians."

TAKERU TAO

ULTMATE CHILD CAREGIVER

(NOT A NINJA)

"Oh," I say excitedly, "just like Maki Harukawa… was pretending to be." Except, it's what this guy is pretending not to be. Unless he's just pretending to be just pretending? Ugh, now my head hurts…

"The kids love Takeru's whole ninja routine," the other boy says. "His parents, not so much." This boy is pretty tall—several inches taller than Takeru. He has well-groomed black hair, and sharp gray eyes behind thin-rimmed glasses. He's wearing a black suit with a bowtie.

"It sounds like you two already know each other," I say.

"Indeed," says Takeru. "I am assigned to lead his kin down the shinobi path."

"He takes care of my little brother," the taller boy explains. "I'm Shingo Chiba, by the way. The Ultimate Accountant. Pleasure to meet you, Koi."

SHINGO CHIBA

ULTIMATE ACCOUNTANT

"Accountant?" I repeat. "That sounds, um…"

"Boring?" Shingo suggests. "You might be surprised. There's more to my job than math and paperwork. I have to, quite literally, account for everything. As soon as I enter a room, I take note of every piece of furniture, every appliance, every painting on the wall, every tile on the floor—and I'm constantly estimating values in my head."

"His observational jutsu is without rival," says Takeru. "Should a team of shinobi attack, Shingo would immediately know their numbers, their relative positions, and the weapons they wield—all within a mere instant. His powers of psychic retention are no less exceptional."

"I have near-perfect memory," Shingo translates.

"Had he taken a different path, he might have been the greatest shinobi of our era. Yet he has chosen the way of the scribe—and in this, too, he has risen above all competitors."

"So," I say, "is there anything you've noticed about… this room we woke up in?"

"Unfortunately, I don't have enough context to figure out anything useful," says Shingo. "All I can tell you is what you've probably guessed. This room is completely identical—down to the exact positions of the bolts—of the room Makoto Naegi once found himself in, long ago."

"That's what I was afraid of," I mutter. "So… this really is an exact replica of the Entrance Hall from the first killing game."

"The other thing I'll note," says Shingo, "is that this is definitely an expensive production. Much too expensive for a simple prank, or some kind of initiation ritual."

"I sense a sinister motive at work," Takeru says darkly. "An evil presence lurks in the shadows. We must all be prepared to do battle."

"Unfortunately… I think you might be right about that," I mutter.

Well, there are only a couple people left to meet. I look around, searching…

…But what catches my attention is a smell, not a sight. A wonderful smell. A sweet, beautiful, glorious smell. I walk toward it…

…And find myself face-to-face with a complete mess of a human being. She has long, blue hair that's frayed and tangled and unkempt and just… a disaster. She's wearing a yellow sweatshirt that's too large for her, and a navy-blue skirt with little tears in it. Clearly, this is not someone who puts much effort into her appearance.

But she smells amazing.

"Hi," I say. "I'm Koi Amaki, the Ultimate Fangirl. You're one of the few people I haven't met yet, so…"

"Hm?" the girl mutters. She has dark-brown eyes—almost black—and they have this hazy look, like she's just barely maintaining her grip on reality. "Oh. Hmmm. My name is—"

"I'm Yuna Koyama, the Ultimate Dietician!" another girl suddenly interrupts. "Nice to meet you, Koi!"

YUNA KOYAMA

ULTIMATE DIETICIAN

Wow, I completely overlooked this girl. I mean, literally—I looked over her. Because she's tiny. Teeny tiny. Like, I thought Mizuki was short, but this girl is even shorter by several inches. She's wearing a white lab coat that goes down to her knees, and her violet hair is tied up in a ponytail.

"Um… hello, Yuna," I reply timidly. "Actually, I was just meeting—"

"What—her?" Yuna interrupts, pouting. "Whatever. Her name is Momoka Ito and she's the Ultimate Perfumer. There—bing bang boom, you're all introduced. Happy now?"

"Hmm," says the hazy-eyed girl.

MOMOKA ITO

ULTIMATE PERFUMER

"Oh, interesting," I say. "So, Momoka, what's it like…"

I stop talking, because Yuna is grabbing handfuls of my stomach.

"Yuna!" I shriek, slapping her hands away and stepping back. "What the heck? You can't just do that!"

Yuna, ignoring me, touches her lip contemplatively. "You're in decent shape overall," she says, "but you could definitely stand to lose a few pounds. You haven't been overdoing it on the desserts, have you?"

"That—that is so rude!"

"Hey, I'm trying to save your life here! Do you have any idea what all that junk food is doing to your body? Do you? No? Then stop harassing the experts and let them do their job!"

"But, I mean… there are nicer ways to—"

"At least you're in decent shape," Yuna interrupts. "Unlike this fatty over here." She grabs Momoka's stomach. "This poor girl thought she could float through life on smells alone, and now just—look at her. Just look at all this."

"Yuna, stop!" Okay, for one thing, Momoka isn't even that overweight. I mean, she's maybe a little on the heavy side, but it's barely even noticeable. But that's not even the issue, here! "You can't just grab other people's stomachs out of nowhere!"

"Um, hello? Were you even listening to me? This is a matter of life or death!"

"Hmmm," says Momoka. "She thinks, because she's tiny and cute, that she can get away with all sorts of annoying things…"

"M-Momoka!" Yuna stutters, letting go and stepping back. "D-did you just… call me cute?" She smiles widely, blushing. "Aw, that's so nice, Momoka! Thank you! You just made my whole day!"

"Um…" I mutter, sighing. "I think you missed her point, though…"

A familiar noise interrupts my train of thought.

Ding dong, bing bong.

Everyone freezes. All conversations come to a halt.

And then there's a voice.

A horribly familiar voice.

An evil, high-pitch, infamous voice.

"Ahh, to all incoming transfer students! 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!"


Author's Note: don't be alarmed! I know it's a bit overwhelming to meet 16 characters at once. In future updates, I'll add student profiles to help you keep track.

Anyway... welcome to Danganronpa Revival! Think of this as sort of a fanmade sequel to the Danganronpa games. I was inspired by various other "Fanganronpas"—most directly, Fractured Fates. I'm excited to finally share this project. I've already written the entirety of Chapter 1—including the trial—though, not including Free Time Events. Since it's already written, updates should come regularly.

Speaking of Free Time Events… yes, this story will have FTEs. In the games, you get to choose which characters to spend time with. In Danganronpa Revival… you, the reader, will make that choice! There'll be four FTEs in Chapter 1. I'll choose the characters based on reader reviews. There won't be any FTEs for a while—but if you want to start voting on characters now, feel free!

I have more to say, but I'll save the rest for future updates. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy! I know I enjoyed writing it.