Danganronpa: Ultra Despair Girls Academy

Chapter 1: Hazing the New Girl (Part 1)


Komaru lifts her head with a sudden gasp and sweat on her forehead. She found herself in a classroom, sitting at a desk with a notable mark of drool left on the desk's surface. She takes a deep breath and exhales before wiping the spit from her cheek and chin. Komaru looked around them to see it was a regular classroom, but nobody was around. No students, no teacher, nothing is written on the chalkboard, a bunch of empty desks and a teacher's podium. Komaru notices a few windows to the side with window blinds covering the view. She pulls on the blinds and discovers the outside windows are layered with bricks from the outside.

Komaru looks at the windows with a sigh, "Just my luck, I get a chance at freedom from being cooped up in an apartment in Towa, now I'm stuck in a classroom in who-knows-where," she says, folding her arms and trying to process her situation. A familiar-sounding voice comes out, "Too bad you don't have super strength, or a stick of dynamite, or a rusty spoon to dig your way out," Komaru nods in agreement but comes to the shocking realization that she wasn't alone in the room.

"Who's here? Show yourself!" Komaru shouted, darting her eyes around the classroom until two tiny adorable paws clung to the edge of the teacher's podium. Suddenly the same black and white bear that Komaru remembered launched himself out and landed softly on the podium, sitting upright. Komaru's eyes were instilled with fear at the sight of the bear, knowing that a full-size one could slaughter humans on sight. Komaru reaches for her hacking gun but learns it is missing from her hip. The hacking gun was her primary weapon against rogue Monokuma robots. Still, now that it's gone, she was utterly defenseless against this Monokuma.

While Komaru was distracted, Monokuma cleared his throat and began his introduction, "Puhuhuhuhu~ Welcome new students, or I should say, 'student' since I only see one." His head turns with his red eye locked on Komaru's location, "Isn't that right, Miss Naegi?" Komaru stopped checking for her hacking gun, and her eyes met with Monokuma's, "You know my name?" She asked, "Why am I here? And where am I?" Komaru's expression swapped to hostility towards the small Monokuma.

"Isn't it obvious?" Monokuma asked, "You're now in the St. Kuma's Despair Academy for Girls; what was once a boring boarding school for girls has been renovated and under new management." Monokuma stands up on his tiny legs before leaping across the podium to the top of a student desk and hopping from desk to desk towards Komaru with cute leaping sounds. Komaru instinctively thinks Monokuma will attack her, so she runs to the back of the classroom. She pulls the desk chair from the corner bottom desk of the room and holds it up against Monokuma with two hands, holding the metal legs out at Monokuma. "Don't come near me! One more hop, and I'll smash you to bits!"

"Puhuhuhuhuh~ It's cute how you think a chair will stop me," Monokuma said. At the same time, he hopped over across to the final desk with Komaru taking a step back, keeping the chair up. Komaru shouts, "I'm serious!" A drop of sweat comes down the temple of Komaru's forehead with stress, unsure how this Monokuma will act. Monokuma puts one paw on the metal leg of the chair; all of a sudden, the chair's leg bends to the small bear's paw until Monokuma's strength pulls the chair out of Komaru's hands. Komaru stood stunned by the small bear's hidden power, frozen in place.

Monokuma holds the chair up and tosses it behind him towards the front of the classroom. The chair crashes into the chalkboard, leaving a deep scratch mark on the surface. Monokuma's high-pitched cartoonish voice comes out threateningly, "Miss Naegi, since it is your first day and you're already confused, I'll let this slide. Just know I'm a bear who doesn't tolerate rowdy students like you." He points to the desk where Komaru previously sat that still had the spit mark on it. "Return to your desk, and I'll explain everything, and you better listen to what I have to say…." Monokuma's red eye glows brightly, with the sharp teeth on his black half open when he speaks his following haunting line. "…Or else I'll be forced to use unpleasant disciplinary action."

Komaru, without hesitation, immediately rushed back to her desk and sat down with her hands on her lap. Komaru stood with her back straight and facing forward to the classroom. Monokuma looked at her, "That's more like it," he replied. Monokuma jumps from desk to desk until he stands on Komaru's desk right before her. "Listen well because I will only explain this once, and there will be time for a few questions later," said Monokuma when he waddled back and forth on Komaru's desk.

Komaru patiently looks at Monokuma, who then begins his lengthy explanation. "You, Miss Komaru Naegi, have been accepted into St. Kuma's Despair Academy for Girls. Where we foster, nurture, grow, explode, destroy, and turn all the lovely adorable girls who attend into upstanding women of society, who spread misery and despair to everyone around them." Monokuma laughs in a cheerful manner, but his laugh is just oozing with a vile tone. Komaru's eyebrows furrowed into a discomforting glare at Monokuma, "So why was I selected? And how come I'm the only one here?" Komaru asked.

Monokuma turns to Komaru and pulls out a thick wooden ruler behind his back. He smacks it down on Komaru's desk with a loud snap, making her sit up straight like an obedient dog. "Hold off all your questions until after the lecture, Miss Naegi. I'm Monokuma, your homeroom teacher and the headmaster!" He pauses before lightly tapping the ruler on his cheek. "Hm… since this an all girl's school, it wouldn't feel appropriate to have a male headmaster and homeroom teacher," Monokuma responded. He digs behind his back, slowly pulls out a pink clip-on hair bow, and puts it on the left side of his head. "Ta-da! I am now, Miss Monokuma! Headmistress!"

Komaru sat there with an eye-roll, "You can't just put on a bow and say you're—"Monokuma smacked the ruler on the desk again, making Komaru silent before she could finish her sentence. "Now, Miss Komaru, We at St. Kuma accept all forms who identify as female, regardless of characteristics or personality," Monokuma leaned her head towards Komaru, where she could see her reflection in Monokuma's red eye. "There are some that don't take kindly to such opinions, but since you're new here and you were probably raised like a sheltered mouse. I'll let it slide… One more outburst like that again while I give my lecture and I will be forced to punish you." Komaru purses her lips with worry in her eyes; she swallows her fears with a nod, "Y-Yes Mister— I mean, Miss Kuma. Headmistress… Ma'am."

Monokuma clears her throat and continues, "You might be wondering why you're the only one here at the moment… Simple, you're a freshman. This is your first time at highschool according to your profile, though while I'll be lenient on you since this is your first day. The other students may not hold as much lenience or kindness as I. My belief is that a good hazing builds character, just like American cheerleaders who pick on the shy awkward girl." Monokuma leans up against the ruler as a supporting cane. "Now, as for your other fellow students. They are in their various appropriate stations, and some will offer you a challenge, but the rest will try to do everything in their power to kill you."

Komaru's expression can only be described as 'confused terror' with her eyes darting around, trying to find the exit to the classroom. Monokuma raises the ruler and taps it against Komaru's cheek, "Oh, don't worry, you survived the hell that was Towa City. You've killed bigger, rugged, and handsome versions of other Monokumas in the past." Monokuma said with a blush on her cheeks. "Besides, I want to see if you're more than capable of handling the dangers of the world without any handouts from a rich stooge like the Togami Corporation and their hacking gun." Komaru's eyes brightened at the mention of her hacking gun then she remembered what happened to Toko; anger enveloped her when she slammed her hands on the table before standing up abruptly. "Where's Toko?! Is she okay?!" Komaru cried.

Monokuma has a bored expression, picking her bear ear with her small paw finger. "Who? Do you mean the loser writing prodigy who looks like a spinster who's trying to score with Byakuya Togami, yet he's beyond her league? Is she even that relevant of a character?" Komaru shouts at Monokuma, "I'm not playing any of your stupid games until you tell me if she's okay!" Monokuma pulled her finger out of her ear and sighed, "I like it better when we could've wiped your memories clean, but we're on a tight schedule," Monokuma lifted the ruler and gave a swift jab of the ruler's edge to the underside corner where Komaru's jaw and neck meet.

Komaru gags before falling back in her seat, holding her neck while she lets out a hard cough. Monokuma pulls her ruler back before and clears her throat; she continues to speak and waddles back and forth with the ruler resting on her shoulder like a heavy sword. "Now, you will be staying here for a while, a room has been prepared with all the necessary amenities you'll need. A soft bed, a bathroom complete with a shower and bath fixture, toilets, a closet stocked with your uniform and unmentionables." Komaru, still reeling from the jab, coughs out her voice, feeling a bit hoarse. "What's stopping me from leaving?"

Monokuma stops before turning to Komaru's gaze, "If you feel like leaving, you can't… not until you do all your tasks. Like that one game where a bunch of students are trapped in a facility and have to figure out who the killer is… you know what I'm referring to wink wink, nudge nudge?" Monokuma nudges her small bear elbow against Komaru's shoulder. "Besides, even if you try to leave, security won't let you out until you complete your Student Report Card for each task," said Monokuma.

Komaru can finally breathe and speak normally again. "And what happens if I try to leave?" She asked the small stuffed bear. Monokuma aptly responds, "How do you feel about getting sniped in the head by a high-powered railgun from the distance of a full-sized American Football Field? Because that's what'll happen if you try to leave." Komaru's face looked pale, and she tried to speak up, but Monokuma interrupted by stating, "Oh, and don't try to weasel your way out by saying, 'I'm just a normal girl who can't do anything.' After what happened in Towa City, that excuse won't work here."

Komaru stares down at her hands laying on her thighs, her fingers twitching and shaking. "Puhuhuhuhuhu~" Monokuma laughed, "What's wrong? All the color on your face is completely drained!" Komaru tried to come up with something to say, but with this new predicament, she didn't have any power to skew this situation in her favor. She has no choice but to play with Monokuma's sick game. "So, are you going to cooperate, Miss Naegi?" Monokuma asks, pressing the flat end of the ruler under Komaru's chin; she lifts her chin and makes eye contact with the girl.

Komaru reluctantly answered, "Alright… I'll play along." Monokuma smiled with a cheery expression, "Good girl, we might be able to curve that rebellious firebrand of a spirit you have here." Monokuma digs behind her back, pulls out a rice cracker in a plastic wrapper, and hands it to Komaru. The rice cracker was a shoddily made shape styled after Monokuma's face. "I'll give you more if you behave yourself," Monokuma replied after handing over the rice cracker. Komaru stared at it momentarily, irritated at just looking at it. She slips the cracker away into her skirt pocket, knowing this Monokuma she'd smack her if she didn't accept the gift.

Komaru followed Monokuma out of the class into the long empty hallways. Lights show a somewhat lit hallway with wooden support beams along the walls. The floors were also wooden, with a bright shine and fresh wood smell, like the interior was recently built. The decor didn't look like a typical Japanese school; it looked more Western and old-fashioned, like one of those older fancier schools in the United States. The atmosphere felt overbearing on Komaru, like she didn't belong or wasn't worthy of walking through hallways like these.

Komaru looks to Monokuma with concern, "Hey… This isn't some foreign school from overseas now, is it?" Monokuma kept waddling her little feet along, keeping her focus forward, "No, this is just how the school looks on the inside. We've been making renovations for your arrival, and we're almost finished." Komaru noticed the wooden doors had nameplates on the front, but all the names were scratched out, with the names barely legible to read. The two continue walking until they arrive at the only nameplate not scratched out, and the kanji reads "Komaru Naegi." Monokuma stops in her tracks and turns to Komaru, "You will be sleeping here during your stay," Monokuma holds up a card bearing the emblem of her red eye on the back. "And this is your key. Keep it with you at all times and don't lose it. Making another takes a lot of hard work out of me," said Monokuma.

Komaru takes the card and looks the card carefully. The card functions as both a key and an ID card, showing her name, gender, age, and portrait with her eyes closed and spit leaking down the corner of her lip. "Did you take this picture while I was unconscious?" Komaru asked Monokuma. Monokuma replied, "Well, how else do you take someone's photo when they're unconscious. And besides…" Monokuma's cheeks blush, "Girls look cute when they're sound asleep." The moment Monokuma said that phrase, an icy chill crawled up Komaru's spine like a boney hand, her face flushed with embarrassment and disgust. Komaru whispers softly that Monokuma wouldn't hear her, "Gross."

Komaru sees the door's card reader and swipes it across; a clock goes off, indicating the latch unlocking. When she opened the door, the interior looked like a regular apartment; there was a window to the outside, but it was covered by thick curtains. A large king-size bed was near the window, a nightstand drawer with a lamp to the other side, a long empty desk, and two doorways near the entryway. The whole design seemed to match a modern-style hotel room, with one door seeming to be the closest and the other door probably leading to the bathroom. The only thing that felt out of place was an old CRT TV hanging from the corner of the room with two antennas sticking out from the top.

Komaru peers around the room carefully and looks at the nightstand, noticing an old electric clock nearby showing the time to be 21:50 PM (09:50 PM). Komaru looks back to Monokuma near the doorway. Monokuma responds, "I'll let you get comfortable since this is your new home for a while. We serve breakfast in the cafe area between seven to eight and your first activity will be at eight thirty. I suggest you better get a good nights rest." Monokuma waddles her way to the door with Komaru glaring down at the bear. "Oh," said Monokuma, "If you're mad, I'd advice against throwing your frustrations at the walls… I don't take kindly to vandalism of school property. Sweet dreams, Miss Naegi." With that, Monokuma closes the door behind her.

Komaru stares at the door with a whirl of emotions erupting, all the things she wanted to say to that arrogant bear. "If I end up seeing that bear one more time today…" she muttered until the old CRT TV turned on. Static shows until the image becomes clearer, showing Monokuma sitting behind a desk with a cigarette holder, reading glasses with a chain wrapped around her thick bare neck. "This is a message from your headmistress Monokuma. To all my lovely buttercup girls, it is now night time and that means lights out, you will need your beauty rest. Tomorrow will be a bright and productive day, I expect you all to come in attendance, bright and early." Komaru watches with an eye roll at Monokuma's words.

"Good niiiight, sleep tiiiight, and don't let the bed bugs bite. ~" As Monokuma ended the transmission, Komaru lifted her pillow and threw it at the TV! However, the pillow fell in an arc on the floor and barely reached the TV. A frustrated Komaru stands up from her bed and retrieves her pillow off the ground. She crawls under the bed's heavy blankets, stares at the ceiling, and asks herself, "Am I ever going to live a normal life?" She turns sideways before shutting her eyes, "Toko… Makoto… Can anyone hear me…?"


Meanwhile, in a large room with various monitors along the wall, one of which shows footage of Komaru's room. The other monitors display dark areas in front of a desk to a tall executive chair with Monokuma sitting on the seat. "Are you all positioned and ready for Komaru's awakening?" Monokuma asked, speaking into a microphone. Seven monitors display Monokuma's red as the logo and, along with seven voices speaking in unison, "Yes, Headmistress Monokuma." Monokuma nods her head, "Good. Some of you need to be patient until she arrives at your stations… For now, I'll have Komaru deal with A." The one known as 'A' spoke from the monitor, "I will not disappoint Head Mistress!" Monokuma rubs her tiny paws together sinisterly, "Good… good… The rest of you have your duties. You are all dismissed!"

Each monitor went off, leaving only Komaru's still left on; Monokuma turned her chair away from the screen and came face to face with three silhouettes. Each was a high school girl but varied in height, hairstyle, and even uniform style. Monokuma lets out her trademark laugh, "Puhuhuhuhuhuu~ I'm getting antsy thinking of what carnage will come these next few weeks. You three will have different orders from the rest." Monokuma leans back in her oversized office chair and puffs from her cigarette holder. She exhales a thick cloud of smoke toward the three females. "I've been getting reports of noises and suspicious activity within the school. Perhaps someone survived the 'Exodus' and I want you three to investigate and eliminate any nuisances that may interfere with my plans," said Monokuma. "Think of yourselves as… my Hall Monitors. Keep Komaru away from other areas if you must, but don't kill her. No matter how annoying, or even if she gets violent, keep her alive."

"Why?"

"Huh?" Monokuma eyes the one high school girl to the right, "Isn't it obvious?" She asked, "I want dear Komaru to be filled with so much hope, but have it all taken away and let the despair crush her soul." Monokuma lets out another puff of smoke but directs it to the one on the right. "I'll let that slide since you were newly added, but I expect some loyalty out of that mouth of yours."

The girl on the right chose to stay silent.

Monokuma turns her chair back at them and says, "You're all free to go, I've got my own schemes to work on." With that, the three girls vanished from their positions, leaving Monokua alone in the dark room.

To Be Continued…