Beta-Reader: Zephyrius29 (Ideas)

Chapter 5: Peko's Practicality, Gundham's Grace

Hope's Peak Academy

Reserve Course Entrance

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Noon Time

There existed a fine line between the reserve course students and the main course students. The obvious one was that the former had no talent while the other had an abundance of talent.

Peko Pekoyama stood straight with her arms closed and watched carefully. Her target was soon to be leaving for his lunch break, and that would be her time to strike. She had gone over a plan ever since she was assigned the duty by her master. She intended to do as she was told and perhaps more if it could be afforded.

Hajime Hinata, the boy she had seen yesterday, was the subject of her investigation. Her first impression of him left little for her to consider. He was neither impressive nor disappointing. He was average, and for the Super High School Level Swordswoman, that was perfectly fine with her. He was easy to manage, or at least that's what appeared to be on the outside.

"There's something I can't quite put my finger on." Peko placed a hand on her chin as she spoke out loud. "What about him makes me reconsider?"

Did he have a hidden ability? A hidden talent? While it seemed a far-fetched thing to consider, it wasn't without some form of credibility. The silver-haired girl trusted her instincts without hesitation, and if her instincts told her to not underestimate this boy, then she couldn't, no matter what her logical side told her. It was not a question of whether or not he was special though.

It was a question of what to do?

Peko's approach to this next encounter would decide how the dynamic would go moving forward, and she couldn't say that she knew how to be a social person very well. The amount of people she had connected to in her own class could attest to that. How she was going to go about establishing any sort of connection, was the only unknown to her. She knew that her plan relied upon a connection, something of the sort so that she could at least get started. Now that she actually had to think of something to say that would come off as casual yet informative at the same time made her reconsider.

"Have I really thought this over?" Peko frowned in deep contemplation. "Maybe I'd be better off with a more concrete plan in-place. I cannot fail this mission for young master. He is counting on me."

"Hey, Peko right?" That voice sounded familiar. "What are you doing here?"

Caught in one of the most awkward of situations, Peko realized that she had been spotted by the person she was supposed to be watching. She didn't know whether to be angered or embarrassed with her own incompetence. She, a trained and experienced swordswoman, was completely caught off guard by a normal teenage boy.

Curses. Peko grimaced inside and out. It would seem fortune doesn't smile upon me.

Regardless of her luck or lack of luck, she couldn't remain here without saying a word. That would only paint her in a more suspicious light. Anything but silence would do, even if she made herself to look like a fool.

"I was… wandering for a bit." Peko quickly rattled off something. "I suppose I wasn't paying much attention to my direction."

"Oh. I guess… that's understandable." Hajime looked like he was somewhere between suspicious and confused.

That was the best thing you could say? Peko just wanted to smack herself with her weapon. Are you touched in the head, Peko!?

Out of the corner of her eyes, the warrior wanted to see how Hajime was reacting so she could decide quickly on her next course of action. He seemed just as unsure of what to say as she was. That brought a small amount of relief, but an awkward situation still remained between them.

Even worse yet, they were receiving stares, and it wasn't hard to understand why. A Reserve Course student talking to a Main Course student was not something that was seen often, or not at all for that matter. Add this to the fact that there were many students who were breaking for lunch and the situation could only get more tense.

"So how long have you been training to be the ultimate swordswoman?" Hajime began to hurl questions at her. "It must be quite the tale."

Hajime's question seemed to come out of nowhere. Peko could only stop her train of thought and look at him again. It was like he was trying to avoid the circumstances of their awkward meeting.

"It's been something I've done my entire life." Peko decided to roll with it. "I've trained with my destination already having been decided for me."

"That's a lot of dedication." Hajime looked at the ground. "I'm not sure I could stick with something that long. What's your level?"

"My level?" She repeated his words.

"You do have one, don't you?" He questioned with some timidness. "That's how a person's skill is measured, I thought."

"No, I have no need for such vain things." Peko explained bluntly. "Unlike those that practice kendo with the intent of gaining prestige, I practice and perfect kendo to use the blade as it was intended to be used. The sword is the weapon that defends and attacks and I must be able to do so at a moment's notice."

"That's not something you hear everyday." Hajime appeared impressed by her answer. "You sound like a true warrior, like a samurai who's dedicated to nothing else but simple and noble goals. I wish I could be like that sometimes."

Peko was certain that was a compliment to her, and knowing that, she was not sure what to say. The way she carried herself left her so distant from others. Most people could sense her dangerous nature and shied away from her. The only exception to this rule was her young master and the rest of class 77-B, but the former had ordered that they keep contact to a minimum and the latter may not be wary of her, but it was far from friendship. When was the last time she'd heard someone compliment her?

"Oh, w-well, thank you." Peko, for the first time in a long time, felt feeble. "I-I've never heard someone tell me that before."

"Really?" Hajime gazed at her in confusion and amazement. "I would think someone like you would get all sorts of compliments about being cool and awesome. I think you are! I mean, who doesn't think swords are cool?!"

Again with the compliments. It was a little more than she was prepared to deal with. Maybe she was more detached from normal society than she realized. Her life alongside her young master had left little room for contact with the world. Perhaps it was for this reason that she couldn't control her embarrassment.

"T-thank you." Peko was sure she was blushing now as she sputtered lightly. "I'm n-not used to hearing nice things like that."

Dammit, why was this happening? She was supposed to be in control of this situation, but control was being wrestled away from her grasp, and by someone who shouldn't stand a chance against the Ultimate Swordswoman. While she did appreciate the comments of approval, it made her angry with herself all the same.

"I know little about kendo," Hajime said with an enthusiastic laugh, "So I'm sorry if my lack of knowledge offends you. It's just so cool to be able to talk to a true master swordswoman. I never thought I'd be able to get to talk to one, but here I am."

"No, it's quite alright." Peko recovered while trying to retain some dignity. "I wouldn't fault you for something you didn't know about."

"If more people were reasonable like you," he commented, "I think a lot more problems in the world could be solved."

Was he even aware of the things he was saying about her? Fighting down another blush, she went along with the topic.

"Kendo requires more than training with a blade." She imparted her own wisdom. "It requires a mind that can handle the blade. A sword needs to be handled with care, and because of that, intense mental discipline is essential."

"I see… so you you must meditate a lot." Hajime concluded based on her information. "Right?"

"Yes, that is correct." Peko nodded her head, but frowned. "Everyday, I meditate so that I may better my talent and skills. However, my dedication to excelling has led me to be... isolated from others."

"There's no one else for you to talk to?" That piece of info caught his attention. "Seriously? How does the Ultimate Swordswoman not have anyone to talk to?"

"Perhaps there are people to talk to," She lamented, "But I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Oh, yeah." Hajime snapped his fingers. "You're classmates with Ibuki, right?"

"Yes." Peko replied.

"I just remembered that fact." Hajime deviated a bit. "Anyways, if you're concerned about talking to other people, you're not alone. The key to getting better is practice, just like you working on your talent."

Such a simple bit of advice, yet there was no fault in it that she could perceive, because she believed it herself. She applied it to her swordsmanship whenever she picked up the weapon. That was the only way to remain the very best.

"Yes." Peko couldn't find a more suitable word. "I agree."

Whatever she had expected going into this entire thing, it wasn't this, but she couldn't say it was an unpleasant experience.

My instincts were correct. Peko mentally noted. Hajime Hinata is not what he seems.

Hope - - - Despair

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Late Afternoon

Gundham Tanaka was many things. He was a Warlock. He was a lord of the dark world. He was a warrior (though few people knew that). He was the caretaker of the Four Dark Devas of Destruction. He could go on and on about his list of titles and his many accomplishments, it would take an entire book to list them all off.

Suffice it to say, he was not a man that was easily pleased. Nevertheless, the people in class 77-B were anything but dull. Akane Owari was incredibly athletic. Hiyoko Saionji was a walking contradiction. Ibuki Mioda was really loud. Kazuichi Souda was smart, albeit cowardly. Mahiru Koizumi was like a scolding mother. Nekomaru Nidai was intrusive on all matters. Teruteru was… very passionate. Chiaki Nanami was unusually intelligent. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu was distant, but dangerous. Mikan Tsumiki was timid, but helpful. Peko Pekoyama was a warrior. Ryota Mitarai was secretive. Nagito Komaeda was an enigma. Sonia Nevermind was very regal.

Gundham acknowledged that for all of their faults, being with his classmates was one of the main highlights of his day. Sure, their synergy was a work in progress, but it was there to be sure, and they all kept coming back for more.

As he pondered his current situation, three of the Four Dark Devas seated on his lap, made a collective squeak to get his attention, and he returned to the world to gaze upon them, a smile gracing his lips.

"What is it?" He asked gently. "Share your worries with me."

They began to 'speak' to him, and he listened with rapt attention. They were sensing him in deep thought, and they wished to know what it was that was on his mind. Truly, it surprised him how much they could read him like an open book.

"I am just thinking of my classmates." Gundham relayed his thoughts in few words. "They may be weak and human, but they are… mildly entertaining."

It was more than he expected coming to this academy. Even in an institution that recruited the best of the best from all over Japan and even overseas, there could be some dull characters. It would seem that luck would bless him with classmates that retained his attention with relative ease.

Still, he still preferred his solitude all the same. Acceptable or not, he was used to being alone, and that would not go away after years of him being alone. He would indulge in the chance of forging friendships, but he would do so at his own pace, a cautious and watchful pace. Some would call it paranoia, but he was not about to completely let his guard down yet, not until he knew for certain.

With time, everyone's true colors will come to light. Gundham worked out. Time is the ultimate power.

And speaking of time, it would seem that Invading Black Dragon had been gone for a bit, not enough to be concerned, but enough to be curious.

Invading Black Dragon, or Cham-P had gone off, most likely to get away from his brothers and sister. Even if he was the most calm and rational of all the Dark Devas, even he needed his space from time to time, and now he was getting it.

"Um, excuse me?" A disturbance reverberated.

Gundham craned his head up from his position on the grass to note who had dared to speak to him. It was not a voice he recognized, and when he saw a face, he could say that he did not know this person.

He appeared to be a lowly human, and if that was all that he could see in this circumstances, the Super High School Level Breeder would have been more than a little biting in his manner, but the human held something, or rather someone in his hand: Cham-P.

"Cham-P." Gundham, despite being in the presence of a stranger, adopted his soft tone. "What has been going on?"

The Dark Devas leaped into his own hands and began to relay what had occured. Apparently, he had been doing nothing in particular when the scent of food came to his nose. The trail had led him to this human, who had a bag of seeds, and even better, the boy had shared some of those seeds.

Perhaps a reevaluation of this human was needed.

"You risked much approaching me, mortal." Gundham stood up, the Dark Devas scurrying to his shoulders. "I applaud you for your courage."

"… I'm grateful… for your words." He sounded confused, and rightfully so.

"Hehe." Gundham couldn't help but chuckle. "Perhaps introductions are in order. Your gall and Cham-P's favor has earned you that much. I am known as… Gundham Tanaka! I will one day rule this world, so it would be in your best interest to remember the future ruler of this world."

"Right…" The boy stuck his hand out. "My name is Hajime Hinata… and I'm guessing you're an Ultimate."

This boy appeared to not be struck with any sort of fear of any kind. If anything, he was more confused than he was before introductions.

"I am known as the Super High School Level Breeder." Gundham regaled the mortal. "And shaking my hand is not advisable. You would not survive physical contact with me. You are only mortal. I am something much greater."

"Okay…" The Hajime human retracted his hand with a strange look.

"Now then, I shall ask a question of you." Gundham said, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes. "Which tribe has declared you its master?"

"What?" Hajime tilted his head.

"Whose master are you?" Gundham posed his question again with a tint of impatience. "Answer truthfully!"

"Um… I've been a master to no one." Hajime answered, albeit with hesitation. "At least I don't think so."

"Hmm." Gundham was disappointed in this answer. "That would explain your low power level, and yet… there is something else."

This mortal might be lowly, but there was no denying that there was potential. Gundham's powers gave him the ability to look at a person and see much more than what appeared to be on the surface, and while he there was no denying that his newest acquaintance was not powerful, there was something locked inside.

"Do you perhaps possess another name?" Gundham brought up his next question. "A name other than Hajime Hinata?"

"Um, no?" Hajime replied with a perturbed inflection. "My only name is Hajime Hinata."

That sounded truthful enough, but what if he had another identity, one that he even was not aware of? It wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility, even for a man who personified normality.

"So I see." Gundham spoke while processing his thoughts. "In any event, you are blessed to have met with an Ultimate and survived."

"Well, you're not the only Ultimate I've met." Hajime seemed nervous at this change of subject. "I've met some others. You see, this girl, another Ultimate, Ibuki Mioda, she got me to join her band."

"You know of the she-devil whose sounds painfully pierce that atmosphere?" Gundham inquired, knowing where he stood on Ibuki's music.

"So you know her as well?"

"She and I share a classroom in common."

"Wait… then you're also classmates with Mikan and Chiaki."

Gundham perked up at hearing the name of two of his other classmates. How could a simple mortal know of his classmates?

"You know of others with power." Gundham looked Hajime in the eye. "How did this come to be?"

"Luck, I guess." The brown-haired human shrugged his shoulders. "Although I think one of your other classmates might be offended by that. If I remember correctly, it's the Super High School Level Lucky Student, Nagito Komaeda?"

An insignificant being would never have the power to be able to known of let alone speak to others that vastly outranked him in power and in skill. All of this talk was only beginning to make the Ultimate Breeder wonder just who this was.

"It would seem that I have underestimated you." Gundham felt the need to recant his previous insults. "You may yet have more power than I first sensed. This is a much more preferable outcome."

"Outcome?" Hajime inquired.

"As the future ruler of this world, I must have subjects that can entertain me." Gundham elaborated on his words. "The more I have, the less boredom I will have to endure. Boredom can lead men to do… unstable things."

"Oh… well… I'm glad I could be of some help." Hajime stumbled on his own words.

"Consider yourself blessed. Few can be said to stand in such good graces with one such as myself, especially when meeting for the first time."

They were not friends; it would be unrealistic to say so, but just as Gundham was reluctant to admit that his classmates were tolerable, so too was he reluctant to admit that Hajime Hinata was… interesting.

He would see where this path would take him. It was an unknowable path, but life was always fraught with risks. One more wouldn't hurt.

Despair - - - Hope

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Early Evening

Hajime closed his geometry textbook with a sigh. He was finally done with all of his schoolwork, and he now had some time to kill. He was thankful that today's workload was light, but just the same, he needed to keep up his grades. His parents were sacrificing a lot to get him here, and he wouldn't be wasting what he was given, especially anything that pertained to Hope's Peak Academy.

It had been a normal day in terms of his classes. Lectures, answering questions, taking notes, the usual business, and if that were all he had going for him today, then it would be nothing to remark about.

What had been unusual about today was his meeting two more Ultimates. He didn't know if this was the power of some deity, the power of luck, or just events happening. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do to classify this turn of events as good or bad, but he did want to know where it would lead him. After all, it wasn't everyday that a normal, talentless student like him got to mingle with one Ultimate let alone multiple Ultimates. Save for Natsumi Kuzuryuu, he couldn't think of anyone else who interacted with the Ultimates.

"What should I do now?" Hajime looked around his dorm room. "I've got a good chunk of time before I need to get some sleep."

The got up and began to pace, racking his brain for something to do. He wasn't just going to sit in his dorm room and do nothing, but what could he do?

As Hajime paced back to his desk, something white on his desk caught his eye. It was the business card that Miss Yukizome had given him. The moment he laid eyes on it, he got an idea, and idea that made him hesitate. The teachers of the Ultimates did live nearby the Academy, but that didn't mean they were on-call 24/7. Teachers, contrary to some beliefs, had lives outside of school. Hope's Peak Academy couldn't be different.

Then again, Miss Yukizome always struck me as standing out from the crowd. Hajime recalled his interactions with her. I don't know if I can compare her to a normal teacher.

With trepidation in his movement, he grabbed his phone, activated it, and looked at the number. It was a business number.

"Is she even available?" Hajime began to wonder to himself. "This can't be her personal number."

Then he decided to just go for it. Miss Yukizome said he needed confidence in himself, and overthinking things was just going to make him lose his resolve. He steeled himself before dialing her number, then holding the receiver to his ear.

"Chisa Yukizome here." The Ultimate Housekeeper answered.

"Miss Yukizome, i-it's Hajime." He felt himself stutter slightly.

"Hajime!" She seemed excited to hear him. "I was wondering if you were going to call. How can I help you?"

"I…" He didn't even know what he was calling for, so he came up with something quickly. "I… just needed to talk about something."

"Huh, well fancy that." Miss Yukizome commented. "I actually have something I wanted to talk to you about too. I was going to wait until I saw you next, but since you're asking to talk now, I guess now we can."

"Okay, like right now?" Hajime queried for details. "Where?"

"There's a small cafe a block from the academy." She explained. "I'll send you the address via text."

"Sounds good." Hajime affirmed. "I'll get going."

"Then I'll see you there."

Hope - - - Despair

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Early Evening

Hajime had taken only a few minutes to get himself ready. He opted to wear a simple shirt and tie that signified his old high school. He traded his dress pants for jeans and put on his sneakers. It was an odd mix, but since they weren't meeting on academy grounds, he felt that this wasn't a completely formal setting. Then taking his wallet and making sure that he had the right street, he took off in a light sprint, not too much to work up a sweat, but still faster than a fast walk.

It only took him five minutes to reach the cafeteria. It was a simple bakery and coffee shop. Although he had eaten dinner, it wouldn't hurt him to have something snack and sip on, although he wasn't sure yet.

"You're early, Mister Hinata." A voice addressed him. "I appreciate it."

Hajime had just reminded himself not too long ago that teachers had lives outside of school, though even as he faced her, he couldn't help but feel slightly surprised. If he didn't know any better, he would say that she was simply another person going about their business. It was surprising what a change of clothes did to a person's image.

"Miss Yukizome." He bowed respectfully.

"Hajime, while we're outside of school grounds, you don't need to address me so formally." She lightly admonished him. "Even my kids in homeroom don't address me formally."

"But they're ultim-" Hajime stopped himself from saying something self-deprecating. "Then what should I call you?"

"Just call me Chisa." She smiled. "If you're so dead set on respecting your elders, then you can do so at school, but we're not at school."

"Right… Chisa." Hajime felt uneasy talking to her like this.

"We'll work on it." Chisa patted him on the shoulder. "Now come on, we can talk inside."

Neither of them purchased anything, just opting to sit in one of the more secluded spots in the cafe. Although there were people inside, there weren't many. Maybe five other people were inside.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Hajime wanted to get that question out of the way.

"Well, I managed to get you a pass into the main campus grounds." Chisa started off. "The headmaster gave his express permission."

"Was it easy to get his permission?" Hajime could already guess the answer.

"Actually yes, oddly enough. All I had to do was explain the situation, and he just said yes with only a few questions."

That didn't phase him one bit. The headmaster was well aware of who he was. The man was the one who had reached out to him in regards to the Hope Cultivation Project. The fact that Jin Kirigiri allowed him onto campus grounds wasn't what was piqued his interest, but rather the implications behind that grant of permission.

"Huh, well that is… strange." Hajime feigned ignorance on the matter. "Do you know why?"

"I think I have an idea." Chisa grinned at him. "I mean, a Reserve Course student who somehow manages to make friends with Ultimates from the same homeroom class? That's something to take note of."

"Well you can add two more Ultimates to the mix." He leaned back in his chair. "Peko Pekoyama and Gundham Tanaka."

"You met them too?" She perked up at this. "Today?"

"Earlier today." He said. "By accident, really."

"Peko isn't know to do things by accident." She pointed out. "And Gundham is very… selective on whom he interacts with."

"They're from your homeroom too." Hajime deduced with a scoff of disbelief. "At this rate, I might as well meet the whole class."

"Who knows?" Chisa shrugged. "You might just get your wish."

A couple of weeks ago, the Reserve Course student would have dismissed that idea as nothing more than a fantasy, an ideal world for him. It was why he was so unprepared to meet so many in such a short span. Hajime wasn't one to believe in the supernatural or a higher power of any kind, but he wasn't about believing in one coincidence after after another either. It was just too perfect. Was a chain of coincidences even possible?

"Are you sure that you're not setting me up to meet your class?" Hajime came up with an idea out of left field. "You seem awfully chipper about all this."

"Well, why wouldn't I be?" Chisa only continued to maintain her pleasant face. "My students get to make a new friend and I genuinely like you."

She might not have said it many times, but the fact that she continually chose to spend time with him told that she at least had an interest in him in some capacity. He wanted to believe that they could become friends. Sure, it might be considered unusual, even inappropriate in some eyes, but she was an Ultimate, the type of person that he admired so much. Her willingness to be here was more than he had dared to hope for.

"You don't look convinced." Chisa said with a raised eyebrow. "What's it going to take to get rid of that paranoia?"

"Time, I guess." Hajime sighed and placed his hands in his lap. "I've always wanted to be talented, or at least to be with people that have talent, but… the people from my old high school told me I was reaching too high, that I wouldn't ever get that far."

He hated to think of his time at Kodaka High School. He could hear those taunting voices, telling him that he should just accept his fate and join the crowd like an obedient little dog. Not a single person at his former high school shared his belief in the ability to rise above oneself. It got even worse when the news came that he had transferred to Hope's Peak Academy. They stopped trying to whisper, and instead opted to mock him for not having any true merit for getting into the best preparatory school in all of Japan.

"I never had any friends at my old schools." Hajime had to get this topic off his shoulders. "If I reached too high, people would always shoot me down, and transferring here only made it worse. Even here, nobody wants to reach for the main course. The Reserve Course is all they want, but I just can't accept that."

He bit his lips and tried to calm down his anger. Emotional topic or not, he wasn't about to lose his composure in front of anyone, especially not a teacher. He was just explaining the reasons why he was so hesitant to accept the hand the the Ultimates were giving him. She had to know why he was this way.

"I want to graduate from Hope's Peak Academy and say that I got there because I truly belonged there." Hajime refocused his mind and continued. "But I know that I don't have a natural-born talent, and as much as I don't want to listen to everyone telling me that, I know it to be true. So the fact that a bunch of Ultimates are befriending me when other normal people couldn't stand me? What am I supposed to think?"

That was everything he needed to say. It probably wasn't what she wanted to hear, but since she asked what was keeping him so high-strung about everything happening to him, now she didn't have to wonder. His own internal anger and frustration aside, he was curious to see what she would say in response to this.

"I think I understand the problem." Chisa spoke softly and sympathetically. "You clearly value outside opinions more than you might think, and while it's important to be considerate of others, you need to have some nerves too. If you believe that you can do something, then it's your job to tell people that you can. Even if the whole world tells you that you can't, you have to plant yourself like a tree and tell them that you can and that you will."

"But how do you find that kind of self-faith?" Hajime half-asked, half-begged. "Where does that kind of strength come from?"

"It starts by believing that you can." Chisa looked him firmly in the eye. "You'll never make it far without believing in the possibilities, however small. If these past two weeks and change are anything to go by, people have confidence in you. I know that Chiaki and Ibuki do."

They had confidence in him. It was so alien to hear that, but it was also just what he needed to hear too. If he could somehow reach into the lives of Ultimates and have them remember him, then he wasn't a failure. He would be someone to a someone.

There was hope yet.

I'm now more available to write now that I'm finished college and that I've spent this entire year on the Dean's List. One less thing to worry about, right?

But enough about me. This chapter was one of the most difficult because writing for Gundham is always tough. His character presents some strange quirks and mannerisms that I can't say I know much about, or anything about to be honest. Peko, on the other hand, is an easier character to write about, but no less interesting.

I also finished Danganronpa V3, and I have to say, it's ending makes me wonder what's going to happen in the future for the series. It could be the end, although it's not really certain yet. Also, now I can't decide which protagonist I like better. Guess I'll have to write more stories and develop my understanding more.

If you guys liked this chapter, please leave a review. Also favorite and follow too. The more support I get for this story, the more of a priority it will become for me.

I hope you all enjoyed reading.

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."

Walt Disney