Um, hi? Sorry, I'm not really good things like this...This is my first-time y'know?

Oh God, not that kind of first time, sorry! I could've worded that better...

Anyway, my name is Setsuna Arai. Nice to meet you.

I'm your average, clumsy, high-school student, who happens to be really good at this one thing.

I looked at myself in the mirror, butterflies threatening to burst out of my stomach. Was I wearing the right clothes? Did I do my hair right?

My wavy, long silver hair was styled in a 'messy-cute' sort of way, with various strands sticking up. Hopefully, it looked more modelesque than bed head-esque. My golden eyes were filled with anxiety, and I had to force myself to try and calm down. My skin was paler than usual due to my nerves.

I wore a white button-up shirt with a dark purple-colored skinny tie, which was decorated with the symbol of the school I hoped to one day attend - Hope's Peak Academy. I debated whether or to tuck my shirt into my dark purple skirt, but decided against it. Maybe it'd make me seem cool? Lastly, I wore black tights and my plain, black penny loafers.

Sighing, I mustered up the courage to step out the door (I kinda tripped over my own feet before doing so, but that's besides the point).

Before I knew it, I was in front of Hope's Peak Junior High. I marveled at the sight, and took a mental note to tell my parents how good of a job Makoto Naegi did.

I made my inside the admissions office, where a lady confirmed my information. Geez, that was probably the most annoying part of attending a new school - the paperwork.

But I was happy to actually be attending school rather than hiding from the Ultimate Despair in the Future Foundation's basement...

At last, my paperwork was finished. Just as I was about to make my way further into the school, a group of masked figures appeared out of nowhere. I tried to scream, but someone immediately grabbed me from behind and put a rag in front of my mouth and nose.

Then the world was black.

The unmistakable scent of blood greeted me as I slowly came to. The air felt hot, and I could feel the sweat dripping down my forehead.

I tried my best to stand up, but to no avail. It was like I hadn't used my legs for a millennium. And of course, I was laying on my stomach, so I couldn't observe my surroundings.

I helplessly flailed around, probably resembling a beached whale or a baby bird trying to fly.

When it seemed all hope was lost, a voice rang out. "Uh, do you need help, dude?"

Unfortunately, I wasn't expecting the voice, so I screamed.

"Woah!" The voice, clearly belonging to a male, exclaimed. "Chill out, girl!"

"S-sorry..." I apologized, calming down when I realized he wasn't a threat. "Can you please help me up?"

"Sure thang." The boy said. I heard him move towards me. "Alright, I'm going to flip you over on three. One, two, three."

He grabbed my shoulders and flipped me over. The first thing I saw was him.

Although the lighting in the room was dim, his neon green eyes stood out (which I'm 99% sure are contacts) and looked at me with intrigue. His messy black hair slightly obscured his right eye. Almost everything he was wearing was neon green. His sports jacket, shoes, and fingerless gloves were all colored the obnoxious shade. He also wears a black hat with neon green stripes, and white headphones around his pale neck.

It might've been my imagination, but as I looked at him, I could swear that the neon green on his clothes and in his contacts was glowing in the dark.

Speaking of dark, the room we were in was basically just that. I could tell that the floors and walls were made of wood, but other than that, any objects or doors weren't visible.

"Kay', now let's get you up." He wrapped his arms around my underarms and hoisted me up.

"Woah, be careful!" I squealed. My legs felt like jello and I still could barely move.

"Chill out, dawg, I got you." He reassured, smiling. He seemed way too chill for what was going on.

"Um, do you know where we are?" I asked as he continued to hold me.

"No idea, dude." He shrugged. "This room is almost completely empty and the only way out looks to be locked by some kinda code."

I nodded. "I see...Do you remember what you were doing before this?"

The boy looked up in thought. "Uhhhh...oh, that's right! I was in the admissions office of my new school, and all of a sudden, these guys come outta nowhere and...I guess knocked me out."

"Me too." I sighed. "I thought the Ultimate Despair were gone..."

The boy tensed, and I thought he was going to drop me for a split-second. "Y-you think this is the work of the Ultimate Despair?"

"I mean, it seems like it right?" I clarified. "Getting knocked out after coming to school and then waking up in a creepy place?"

The boy frowned. "It's possible..." But then he relaxed. "Anyway, it's a little awkward that I'm holding you and we don't even know each others name yet. My name is Yoshiharu Nakamura, but most will know me by DJ YOSHI. I'm the Ultimate DJ. How do you like me so far?"

Yoshiharu Nakamura ('DJ YOSHI') - Ultimate DJ

I laughed. "You seem chill. DJ YOSHI, huh? Is it OK if I just call you Yoshiharu instead?"

'DJ YOSHI' looked at me in surprise, perhaps a little flustered. "Uhhhh, sure I guess, considering we started this 'thing' together. But you're the only one who can call me that!"

"Alright, Yoshiharu," I grinned. "How is it being the Ultimate DJ?"

Yoshiharu smiled and he closed his eyes. "DJing...it's a way of life, dude...The ability to manipulate people's emotions to feel how you feel is a power no one can truly control."

"Wow, that's pretty deep for a DJ." I bluntly stated. But Yoshiharu didn't seem to care as he opened his eyes and continued to smile.

"When I get the chance, I'll show you." He offered. "My beats are so sick not even Hippocrates can cure them!"

Oh god. Yoshiharu is definitely a sweet guy, but I could tell his vocabulary probably consists of words like dawg, bruh, and radical...

"My name's Setsuna Arai, nice to meet you! And I know it sounds a little strange, but I'm the Ultimate Test Subject." I introduced myself.

"Test subject? That sounds pretty cool." Yoshiharu admitted. "But whatsit mean?"

"Basically, you know when doctors want to try out new things, like a medicine to make you never throw up or a cure for allergies? I'm the girl they come to." I explained. "I've probably participated in around 1,000 experiments, ranging from silly things like a drink to make you sing better to more serious things, like a pill to forever stop panic attacks."

"You'd think my body would be all deformed and stuff," I continued. "But for some reason, I never suffer long-term effects from the tests. I guess that's what makes me the Ultimate Test Subject. Also, I don't know what it is, but every test I take, whether it be written, physical, or whatever, I always ace it. I'm not that smart, and I'm not that athletic, but it just happens."

"Dude...you're really awesome!" Yoshiharu praised.

"As if," I blushed, quickly shaking my head. "Hang on..." The longer we spoke, the more strength I felt return to my legs. And now, I think I can stand up on my own...

I slowly leaned off of Yoshiharu, and immediately stumbled. Then tripped. Yoshiharu quickly tried to help me up, but I waved him off. I steadily began to lift myself off the floor, and eventually stood completely up.

Even though my head kinda hurt from tripping and I felt a bruise forming, I was proud of myself for standing up on my own.

"Woohoo! My arms were starting to get tired..." Yoshiharu dramatically threw his arms down and sighed.

"Puh-lease," I playfully rolled my eyes. "Alright, now that I'm up and moving, let's try to get out of here."

"I told ya, the only way out is locked by a code." Yoshiharu pointed to a wooden, beat-up door with a keypad next to it.

I walked over, and it looked like I needed to enter 5 digit number.

"Any ideas?" Yoshiharu asked.

"Maybe..." I glanced down in thought. Then, I slowly put in a familiar 5 digit number.

The door creaked open.

"Hey, it worked!" Yoshiharu yelled in surprise.

"11037...the Ultimate Despair are so predictable." I sighed.

Yoshiharu silently nodded.

"Alright, let's see what's out there." I said, trying not to sound nervous. Slowly, the of us made our way out of the door and into the hallway.

And we were met with an unexpected sight.

We were definitely in a school, that was evident by the long hallway and classroom labels, but the school we were in looked to be abandoned. The wood throughout the hallway was rotting, and several pieces of trash lined the floor. The windows were boarded up, and the only source of light was candles scattered on the window sills. Also, there looked to be splashed of dried blood or something all over the floor. I hoped it was just fruit punch.

"Gross!" I squealed, noticing a roach crawling on the floor.

"This place screams haunted..." Yoshiharu gulped, moving a little too close to me.

"I'm not sure about haunted, but it's definitely an old, creepy building..." I frowned. "I wonder where we are..."

"Maybe the old Hope's Peak Building?" Yoshiharu suggested.

"No way." I shook my head. "The old building didn't look anything like this, and the other buildings in Hope's Peak were destroyed during the Tragedy."

Yoshiharu sighed, but then his eyes brightened. "Yo, look at that thing on the wall!"

I looked at the wall, and noticed a piece of paper. Upon further inspection, it appeared to be a list.

Potentials

Aya - Horror Novelist

Ayano - PS Teacher

Azato - Comedian

Chiharu - YA Novelist

Hikari - Tactician

Hiru - Arsonist

Jao - Puppeteer

Kazuko - Gunslinger

Kazuo - Seamster

Magane - Music Thanatologist

Matsuda - Informant

Matthew - Electrician

Michie - Psychologist

Nicholas - Jester

Noriko - Ice Skater

Shion - Parkourist

Shinya - Cryptanalyst

Tomoe - Bodyguard

Tomomi - Shrine Maiden

Toshiyuki - Toymaker

Usui - Marine Biologist

Yoshiharu - DJ

A large black smudge separated Yoshiharu and my name.

Setsuna - Ultimate Test Subject

"I guess this is the names of everyone in here, but potentials?" I frowned. "This doesn't sound very good..."

Yoshiharu seemed to feel the same saw, as he nervously paced around.

"Well, we should probably look for everyone, yeah?" I asked, trying to lift Yoshiharu's spirits up. "I'm sure being with more people will be better than just us two."

Yoshi nodded. "Yeah, you're right...We should probably check these doors first."

I nodded in agreement, and the two of us started to open doors. Or at least tried to open doors. All of them seemed to be locked.

"What the heck?" I was starting to get frustrated. 11 doors and none of them are unlocked?

"Yo, Setsuna, there's another door over here." Yoshiharu called from the other end of the hallway. I rushed over, and sure enough, there was a double door with windows. But upon pushing it, nothing happened...

"OK, really?!" I sighed in frustration. "Not only do we not know where we are, but we're trapped in a hall-"

My words stopped dead in their tracks as one of the 11 doors opened. And two people stepped out. These must be two of the people on the list!

"HEY!" I called as I jogged over to them. They - a girl and a boy - both looked at me with a blank expression.

"Um, hi, I'm Setsuna, and this-" I pointed to Yoshiharu who was still on his way towards us. "Is Yoshiharu - er, DJ YOSHI, I mean."

"Uh, hi...I'm Aya Hoshi, the Ultimate Horror Novelist." The girl awkwardly introduced herself, avoiding eye contact with me.

Aya Hoshi - Ultimate Horror Novelist

Because of her slightly taller than average height and mature face, she looked to be the type of person who looked older than they really are. Her dirty blonde hair is tied into two braids, reaching her waist. Her eyes are a beautiful shade of blue, and her light skin contrasted her dark clothing.

She wears a pastel purple sweater with a weird black X in the middle, under a black leather jacket. Additionally, she wears black leggings with black ankle boots, and a black choker.

"My friends love your books!" I informed Aya.

"They seem like interesting people." Aya responded, in a quiet voice that I could barely hear.

"Yeah, they're into those kind of books." I was, of course, reffering to the twisted, sickening stories Aya is popular for writing. I read one of her books, and couldn't sleep for about a week.

For a teenager, Aya has done a lot. Her first book, which she published when she was 10 immediately reached the top of the best sellers lists. The story was so popular, the prime minister apparently almost made a law forbidding people telling spoilers about the book.

"And you are?" I turned to the boy who remained silent. He glanced up from the ground and looked at me.

"Akatsuki, Shinya. Ultimate Cryptanalyst." His voice had a serious tone to it and his expression was blanker than Aya's. Geez, people, I know we're being held in a building against our will, but would it kill you to smile?

Shinya Akatsuki - Ultimate Cryptanalyst

His appearance is probably the most lively thing about him. His messy bright red hair is framed by blue-tinted ski goggles, and his amber gold eyes held no emotion. I also noted that I had to crane my neck to meet his eyes.

His skin, like everyone I've met so far, looked sickeningly pale. His outfit is as plain as his personality (so far). He wore a thin white jacket, over a white shirt, and khaki's that only reached half-way down his calves. His red hightops and golden chain necklace with a tag stood out the most.

Cryptanalysts...they break codes, right? I can't say I've really heard of Shinya or his talent, but he must be extremely intelligent if he holds the title of the Ultimate Cryptanalyst.

I could tell Shinya wasn't really the talkative type so I changed the subject. "Ah, I see! All these rooms must have a pair of people inside them..."

"No, really?" I could hear Aya mutter. Was that sarcasm in her voice?

Before I could say anything, another door opened. Just as I suspected, two people walked out.

"Hey, Shion, what shoes do pedophiles wear?" The boy asked as soon as he left the room. He didn't wait for an answer. "White vans!"

Then he cringed. "Ooo, that was a little cruel, sorry!"

The girl rolled her eyes, walking up to us. "Do you know where we are?"

"No, sorry..." I shook my head. "No idea."

The girl sighed but nodded. "Yeah, I figured...Anyways, hey. The name's Shion Akamine, Ultimate Parkourist."

Shion Akamine - Ultimate Parkourist

The first thing I noticed about Shion was her slender body, perfect for parkour. Her hair is straight and brown, and reaches her mid-back. Her large eyes are hazel, and her skin is tan, most likely due to her athletic talent. I couldn't help but notice that she was a little shorter compared to me, Shinya, Aya, and Yoshiharu.

She wears a white crop top over a black tank top, with the image of a girl's silhouette running. She also wears a white-rimmed black skirt and black heeled boots that reach over her knee.

I couldn't imagine how flexible, agile, and graceful Shion must be. Parkour requires all of those things and more. I've never tried it, I could only imagine how hard she must've worked to become the Ultimate Parkourist. I shivered, thinking about how her skills must've been an aid to her during the Tragedy.

"I'm Setsuna, this is Aya, this is Shinya, and this is DJ Yoshi." I pointed to Aya and Shinya, as well as Yoshiharu who finally joined us.

"Sup." He waved. Aya and Shinya either didn't hear me or didn't care.

"So what, is this another killing game?" Shion frowned.

"Heyyy, don't say that, Shion!" The boy suddenly appeared next to me, frowning. "You'll jinx us!"

"And who might you be?" I smiled, looking at the lively young boy.

He smiled back at me. "I am Azato Hitotose! The ULTIMATE COMEDIAN...But pllleeeasssseee, call me Zato!"

Azato Hitotose - Ultimate Comedian

Zato, like Shion, is on the shorter side. His shaggy, mossy green hair has a cowlick, and he also has a variety of yellow, cross-shaped hair clips in his hair. His eyes are blue and almond shaped, looking full of energy and happiness.

His outfit is a little more put-together than I would've thought for someone like him, with him wearing a dark green overcoat over a white dress shirt and a golden tie. He also wears a light green scarf with a yellow stripe and light blue jeans with dark brown shoes.

All of these people's personalities so far have fit their talents, and Zato is no exception. His infectious smile fit his comedian talent to a 't', and while the joke he made earlier may have been a tad insensitive, it was pretty funny.

"Azato, just because you don't want there to be a killing game, doesn't mean the universe will listen to you." Shion crossed her arms.

"B-but I really don't want there to be another killing game..." Zato whimpered. "It'd not be very punny at all." I snickered at the casual pun.

"You think this is another killing game?" I asked Shion, who shrugged.

"It seems like it..."

"What'd you guys think?" I turned to Aya and Shinya, trying to get them engaged in the conversation.

"Everything that's happened so far seems to make up the components of a killing game..." Aya replied, glancing at the ground.

"It's obviously another killing game." Shinya stated bluntly.

"What makes you so sure?" I frowned.

He did nothing but look at something behind me. Turning around, I saw it. I must've not been paying attention very well, because as I looked around, it was on all of the 11 doors.

Monokuma's iconic red eye.

A/N: Of course, this is only a taste of what's to come! Please let me know if I'm potraying your character correctly.