1.5 Years Earlier

Hajime Hinata watched the morning sun crown over the Main Course building of Hope's Peak Academy. It was the same ritual he performed every morning since he arrived at the academy. On his way to the Reserve building, he would always take a moment to stare contemptuously at the ivory tower that he would never be able to ascend. The young man couldn't help but immerse himself in envy and self loathing.

(Is there anything worse than being mediocre?) Hajime asked himself.

Yes, there was. Those who are truly mediocre typically realize that they are mediocre, and they are able to happily accept their station in life. However, those who have just a little extra kernel of intelligence or potential, they are the most cursed of all. When they are young, they are filled with an insidious hope. They might score well in tests and become labelled as "gifted." They are then told by their parents and teachers that they are special and that the world is their oyster.

(Lies. All of it.)

As they age, these hopeful youths begin to discover that their potential has been greatly over exaggerated, by those around them. They watch as the true geniuses in their generation begin to take full bloom, while they stagnate. They begin to realize that the difference between themselves and a true genius, might as well be the distance between the dirt and the stars.

That is true despair, to be teased with promises of greatness, only to realize that it was all for the self congratulation of your elders. Simply being a notch or two above average simply doesn't mean much in the real world. It might mean the difference between middle and upper middle class, but it would never bring you into the realm of true genius and exceptionalism. So, these hopeful youths are often destined to scramble and scrounge for whatever taste of greatness they can latch onto, like beggars fighting over scraps of a fine steak. Some of them seek to be closer to greatness, so that it might rub off on them. This is what Hajime Hinata chose to do.

He lacked talent. He lacked hobbies and interests which he could devote himself to and perfect. He lacked athleticism. He wasn't even the most studious among his peers. Nevertheless, he hungered for greatness. If he didn't possess it inherently, maybe all he had to do was seek it out. There was one place where he knew he could do that. Hope's Peak.

Hope's Peak was only for the truly exceptional. Only the absolute paragons of talent and genius had a chance of attending. However, that all changed when they announced the Hope's Peak "Reserve Program". It was essentially a conjoined academy for those like him. The mere upper crust of the talentless masses. Hajime dedicated the past year entirely to his studies and begged his parents endlessly to front the costs for tuition. He told them that this school would change his life forever, that its name alone would set him on a path to life success and a lucrative career. He even tried to convince them to use his college savings to pay the tuition fees.

Despite having only enough funds for one semester, Hajime submitted his application. Somehow, he caught the eye of one of the board members and received a unique, but questionable offer. He could attend the reserve course with a full scholarship, in exchange for his participation in a secretive scientific endeavor.

In the end, Hajime was successful in attaining this goal. For once, he really dedicated himself to a singular, attainable objective, and he had achieved it. Here he was, at the proverbial doorstep of Olympus, but was he actually any closer to fulfilling his ambitions?

Hajime walked through the Hope's Peak courtyard to a solitary bench next to a large stone fountain. He checked his watch and the note he had been given. The time on the note read "7:30AM". The old man was a few minutes late. Hajime straightened and fidgeted with his tie. He wore a black business suit, which was well within the Reserve Course uniform requirements. In fact, it was even more formal than what most of the other guys wore.

Finally, he recognized an elderly, hunched figure approaching him. Kazuo Tengan had his hands behind his back as usual, and he greeted Hajime with a friendly smile.

"Good morning, Mr Hinata. I just wanted to check up on you, see how you are acclimating to your life here at Hope's Peak," the old man said, taking a seat next to Hajime

"You mean the committee wants to check up on me to see if I've got an answer for them. They're getting impatient, right?" Hajime responded, bluntly.

The old man smiled innocuously. "Well, I would be lying if I said they weren't eager to get an answer out of you. It has been two months since you arrived here. A lot is riding on you. You are the only one in the Reserve Course who meets the ideal requirements, from a genetic and physiological standpoint. You're the one they need," he said, in a somber tone.

Hajime was silent. He looked up at the Hope's Peak building, deep in thought. Tengan paused for a moment before continuing.

"I know it's not an easy decision to make. You would be choosing to become an entirely new person. I can't blame you for not wanting to go through with it. In fact, if you want my personal advice, Mr Hinata, I can tell you this. Greatness is severely overrated. Exceptionalism, talent, genius, power. These things do not equate to happiness or satisfaction in life. In fact, it is generally the opposite." Hajime looked at the old man with confusion and bewilderment. This is not what he expected to hear from him.

"Uh, is that really something that the headmaster of Hope's Peak should say?"

Tengan chuckled heartily, so hard that he coughed. "That's "ex" headmaster, my boy. So, I can say whatever I like. Plus, I'm not getting any younger. So, I might as well start telling the truth. The greatest lie that has been told to your generation, is that you need to pursue lofty careers and earn the respect and adoration of strangers in order to have fulfillment in life. That simply isn't the case. So many of you pursue these lofty goals and end up as smoking craters of disappointment. In the end, happiness is actually a lot easier to attain than people realize. That's the big joke of life. And that is why, I think it would be best if you turned back now. There is nothing for you here at Hope's Peak."

Tengan said, standing up and putting his hand on Hajime's shoulder. He looked down at him, and Hajime could see the earnestness in his eyes, with a hint of regret. "This is off the record, Mr Hinata. The committee wouldn't approve of me saying this, but I am advising you to give up these blusterous ambitions of yours. There is no shame in being average. Go home. Find a nice girl, settle down, enjoy your life. If you decide to follow my advice or if you choose not to, just give me a call. Farewell, Hajime," he said, before he slowly walked away. Hajime checked his watch and realized that he should probably get moving. Class was going to start soon.

Hajime managed to arrive 5 minutes before class started. He ignored the chattering of the other students and went straight to his desk in the back, next to the window. He rested with his hand on his cheek, staring out the window, as he usually did, through most of class.

Instead of daydreaming, this time he was fixated on Tengan's words. Why would he tell him these things? And why did it rattle him so much? Was Hajime's entire perspective wrong up until this point? What was Hajime really doing here, at this academy?

His thoughts were interrupted as the teacher called roll. "Imako Moto… Hideyo Hisekawa… Hajime Hinata… Mr Hinata?" Hajime sprung back to reality after his name was called a second time.

"Uh… Here," he said, a bit awkwardly, receiving a disapproving look from the teacher.

"Try to not zone out before class has even started, Ok Mr Hinata?" The teacher said with a sigh. After the roll call was taken, the teacher addressed the class, whilst adjusting his glasses. "As some of you may have heard, we have a new transfer student. Please do your best to welcome her," he said, before beckoning her into the room.

That was when Hajime first laid his eyes on her. She strode into the room with a cocky grin on her face. She had blonde hair and a nice figure. Her cheeks had a subtle natural blush to them and she had an aura around her that was unmistakable. The way she carried herself and the look she had in her eyes brought one word to his mind.

(Trouble.)

"Please introduce yourself to the class, Miss Kuzuryu," the teacher said, politely, as everyone's eyes were on this new girl.

First impressions are critically important, especially in a high school setting. Usually, people decide in the first 15 seconds of meeting you, what kind of person you are and how they will view you, from here to eternity. Because of this, first impressions are important to most people. Not to Natsumi Kuzuryu.

"Ok fine. My name's Natsumi Kuzuryu. I'm not sure how I ended up getting shafted into a class filled with a bunch of rejects and plebs like you, but don't expect me to stick around long. I'll be moving up and out of here in no time, so I have no interest in becoming friends with any of you jagoffs. I just wanted to clear that all up" She said, with a smug grin

(Is this girl brain damaged or something?) Hajime wondered to himself

An awkward silence hung over the room. She just stood there with a condescending smirk of glib self satisfaction. Only a few of the girls murmured to each other. Even the teacher was shocked speechless. Looking flustered, he collected himself and sighed.

"That will be enough of that, Miss Kuzuryu. Please find yourself an open desk," the teacher grumbled, allowing her little arrogant outburst to slide. Hajime reached a grim realization as he looked to his right. The desk adjacent to him was vacant. Not only that, it was the only open desk in the room.

( Damn it to hell. )

The blonde girl sauntered down the aisle to the back row, stopping at the desk next to Hajime. She glanced down at him and narrowed her gaze. "What are you looking at?" She asked, standoffishly.

Hajime averted his eyes from her. He had not intended to stare at her. He was simply grappling with this new, blonde-haired problem that was being added onto his already growing list of worries. He assured himself that he could simply ignore her and that she would likewise ignore him. Realistically, he wouldn't need to deal with her that much, on a daily basis.

"Hajime Hinata. Since you aren't doing anything productive, how about you show Miss Natsumi around the school," the teacher ordered, with a tired sigh. Hajime's eyes glazed over with contempt.

(Screw you too.) he retorted, in his mind. He slowly turned to look at the uppity girl who had her arms crossed and was staring down at him.

"Y ou heard him. Get the lead out of your ass. Looks like you're gonna be my personal tour slave," she said, stifling a chuckle.

(Are tour slaves even a thing?!)

Hajime escorted his new classmate through the halls of the Reserve Course building. She followed reasonably close behind, in a confident stride.

(How did I end up in this situation?) Hajime wondered to himself.

"This honestly isn't too much different than normal high schools. The classrooms, gym, practice building, club rooms, and pool are all in the same building, but are located on different floors. First we can head over to-… Hey!" Hajime realized halfway through his description that Natusmi was playing a game on her cell phone as they were walking, paying zero attention to him.

"What the hell? Are you serious? I'm supposed to be giving you a tour here, and you're messing around on your phone?" he asked, more than a little annoyed.

Natsumi chuckled and sneered at him. "Look, I'll be honest with you. I really, really don't care about any of this crap. I just saw this as a good excuse to get out of that boring classroom."

Hajime couldn't hide his shock at the girl's audacity and bluntness.

"What? Did you think I actually wanted to hang out with you or something? Fufufufu~ wow, that's kinda sad," she snickered.

Hajime closed his eyes and gritted his teeth into a forced smile as he clenched one of his fists at his side.

(This… bitch…)

At this moment, he had forgotten all about his existential identity crisis and his delusions of grandeur. Somehow, this chick was able to clear his head, albeit through pure annoyance and rage.

"So, when do you think that nerdy, four eyed dipshit is gonna expect us to be back? I want to milk this break for all it's worth."

Hajime actually found himself somewhat amused by the sudden jab at their teacher. The bluntness of the insult was both unexpected and humorous to him. It managed to slightly ease his anger from earlier and improve his mood by a few notches. If nothing else, this girl's abrasive personality could at least be funny, when directed at someone they both disliked.

"Honestly, he probably doesn't even care when we get back," Hajime replied, truthfully. Hajime was a slacker and Natsumi was already a bad egg. The teacher was probably glad to be rid of both of them for a while.

Natsumi crossed her arms. "So it's just like I thought. There's nothing serious about this Reserve Course. This is all just some scam for fleecing money outta suckers," she said, matter-of-factly. Hajime perked up at this. This was the first thing she had said that could allude to some kind of intelligent point.

"What do you mean by that?" Hajime asked, with genuine curiosity.

"Look, buddy. I know a few things about racketeering. Say that you go to an Italian restaurant in the west that's tied to the mafia. You may go in and order a plate of spaghetti, but that place isn't there to serve you spaghetti. It's there to act as a cover for the mafia's operations. Some guys are in the back of the place, cutting and dealing drugs. It may look like a restaurant, and yeah, it technically is. But that place wasn't made to sell you food. Just like this place. This may look like a school, but really it's just here to drag money of sad, delusional plebs like you, so the school can spend it on shit they actually care about."

What Natsumi said actually kind of blew Hajime's mind. It seemed like she had already figured this place out. In truth the Reserve program was really just a scheme to funnel money into the pockets of the academy's research department. More specifically, it funded the Izuru Kamukura project. Unlike Natsumi, Hajime was actually privy to this information.

"Ok, that makes sense, but let me ask you this, Natsumi. If you know that this place is a waste of time, why did you even enroll here? It looks like the joke's on you. I guess you're just a "pleb" like the rest of us," he shot back at her.

Natsumi's pupils dilated. Her brow furrowed in anger and she stepped in close to Hajime, standing on her tiptoes, to get her face up to his height level.

"You better take that back, you fucking soyboy! I'll have you know I belong to the Kuzuryu family! My father is the leader of a 30 thousand member clan, that goes back centuries! My brother is the Ultimate Gangster, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, of the 77th Hope's Peak Academy class!"

.

Hajime was taken aback by this sudden burst of information. He hadn't put the pieces together when he heard her name earlier. This bratty girl was connected to Japan's most powerful Yakuza family? That would explain her attitude, but if it was true, she might actually be dangerous.

"Woah, wait. Kuzuryu clan as in… Yakuza? That's nuts… But you never answered my question, Natsumi. If you're so exceptional, what are you doing here, in the Reserve Course?" he asked, backing away from her a bit, as their faces were still close.

Natsumi looked away towards the ground, gritting her teeth. For a moment, he could catch a glimpse of shame and desperation on her face. Then she placed her hands on her hips, re-asserting her confident, smug demeanor.

"Psh. This place is just a temporary stepping stone for me. I needed to get closer to Hope's Peak and this was the best way to do it. Now that I'm here, I won't stop until they recognize me and transfer me to the Main Course. My brother is waiting for me, there,"

Hajime looked at her with deep scepticism. Not only did she sound delusional, but he was starting to worry she had some kind of "brother complex," However, her words felt familiar to him.

"Ok, fair enough, but don't you actually need an ultimate talent for that to happen? That seems like a hole in your big master plan" he said bluntly. Natsumi fumed and clenched her fists.

"I do have a talent, you dickweed! I am the Ultimate Little Sister!" She said in a haughty voice, closing her eyes and placing her hand on her chest.

(I think this girl is the Ultimate Bullshitter.)

Hajime scratched his head awkwardly, as Natsumi stood there, basking in her own glory. "Uh… ok. But is that actually a real talent? How do you even quantify that? Do you really think they'll let you into Hope's Peak just based on that?"

Natsumi scoffed and looked at him with a glare of disgust and disdain.

"Do you think I care what your opinion is?! I'm getting into Hope's Peak, one way or another," a fter that she sighed and let her arms fall to her sides. "Fuck, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I don't even know why I'm talking about this with you. You're just pissing me off," she said in a dismissive tone.

Hajime wiped his forehead and let out an exhausted sigh. Just talking to this girl sent his blood pressure through the roof. It was like a form of exercise. He ended up taking her on a full tour of the school. She thankfully put her phone away this time, but she seemed bored off her rocker and she constantly made snide remarks. By the time the "tour" was over it was around 11:00 AM. Hajime checked his watch.

"It's getting about that time. You should probably grab some food before the crowds get bad. I already showed you where the cafeteria is already. I guess I'll see you later then," Hajime said, turning to walk away. But as he did, Natsumi grabbed the sleeve of his shirt angrily.

"Woah woah! Where do you think you're going?" She asked in a peeved tone of voice.

"Uhh, to get food? I... need it to live?" Hajime responded sardonically. "What's your deal?"

"Use your brain, idiot! I'm not just gonna go in there, find somewhere to sit by myself and eat my lunch alone like some kind of goddamn incel loser. Plus, if I'm there alone, who knows what kind of uggos might try to approach me. You are coming with me. End of story," She ranted, angrily, with a hint of blush on her cheeks. Hajime's eye twitched a bit and he looked at her awkwardly. He inevitably caved.

"Fine. Geez. Whatever. If it means that much to you, we can have lunch together."

Natsumi smugly smirked in victory. "Good boy. Just don't let it go to your head," she said, with a snide grin.

The pair arrived at the cafeteria. They were a bit early, so the lunch rush hadn't hit yet. There wasn't much of a line and there were plenty of free tables.

"Looks like we beat the crowds. This should be-… Uh what are you doing?" Hajime turned to see that Natsumi had casually taken a seat at one of the tables. He raised an eyebrow at her in confusion.

"You realize that they don't bring the food out to you, right? This is a cafeteria, not a restaurant," he sighed in annoyance.

"Oh, I know that. That's why you're going to go up there and bring my food to me," she said, with an arrogant grin. Hajime clenched his fist tightly. He stomped over to her and placed his hand down on the table, leaning in, hovering over her, glaring down into her eyes.

"Do I look like a damn waiter to you?" Natsumi crossed her arms and leaned back, a little surprised by his response.

"Woah… You're actually kinda scary when you're like this," she said, with some earnestness. Then a smug grin crossed her lips. "You seem like the kind of guy who gets pushed around a lot by the whims of others. Piece of advice. You should stand up for yourself more often," she said, looking up at him calmly.

Hajime pulled away, blushing a bit and calming himself down.

"Uh, thanks… I guess? I could give you some personality advice too, but I would probably need an entire book..." He said, shaking his head.

"You're welcome. Now, I would like the steak on rice and a salad on the side, with french dressing. Also, I'll need something to drink, obviously," she listed off, haughtily. Hajime was taken aback.

"You're still seriously expecting me to get your food for you!?"

"Come on, just be a gentleman for once in your life. You could have already gotten the food in the time you've been arguing with me," she barked, crossing her arms. It was at that moment Hajime realized it was time to take the path of least resistance. Carrying two trays of food was much easier than carrying on this conversation any further with this unbelievable young woman. Hajime had lost this round. He went through the line and picked up both their meals. He returned with trays in each hand. He set hers down in front of her and set his down as well.

"Well, let's eat," he muttered. All this frustration had worked up his appetite.

"Hold it! What the fuck is this?" she asked, holding up the milk carton with a look of utter revilement on her face. Hajime had already stuffed a mouthful of curry and rice in his mouth at this point. He looked up at her, with a bored expression.

"Uh, it's milk," he managed to mumble in between bites.

"Yeah! And guess what? I'm lactose intolerant! Are you trying to poison me or something?" She asked, tossing the carton to the side. It clumsily slid off the table and fell on the floor. Thankfully it didn't burst. "Now, go grab something else. Nothing milk based!" she growled angrily.

At this point, Hajime couldn't even muster any anger towards her. He was starting to believe that fate was playing a cruel joke on him. So, he might as well play along. He stood up rigidly. In a mocking fashion, he imitated a medieval servant.

"Of course. Right away, princess. Is there anything else your heart desires?" He said in an overly dramatic voice, bowing to her, comically. Surprisingly, Natsumi's face turned beet red and she seemed to recoil and withdraw as he did that, looking away from him. Her voice was softer and less assertive now.

"D-don't call me that… Just get me some water," she almost whimpered, her face still crimson.

Clearly, Hajime had touched upon some strange weakness of hers. It was truly bizarre to see such a radical change in her tone and demeanor. He shrugged it off and got her a bottle of water. By the time he had returned, she had already begun eating without him. He expected no less. The meal they shared together was a surprisingly quiet one. Hajime noted that she was a lot more tolerable when she didn't talk. She could even be considered cute, but he still had ample reason to avoid her in the future. She was nothing but a headache.

The rest of the day went by reasonably fast. Natsumi didn't give Hajime any more trouble and he was able to resume his usual task of blissfully fantasizing about the Hope's Peak Main Course. His thoughts were interrupted when the intercom chimed its usual tune, signaling the end of the day. Hajime didn't waste any time in packing up his things and heading to the usual spot, on the way home. He really needed this today.

She was waiting for him where they usually met. A short haired, petite girl with a brown school uniform, beige hoodie, and pink cat backpack sat on a park bench, next to a large fountain. It was the same spot he met Tengan earlier that day. It was located in a courtyard near the gates of the Main Course building. Around the fountain, there were many benches, which were usually vacant. There were hedge bushes and gardens in the surrounding area, making it one of the more serene locations on the campus.

The girl's head was angled downward, as it usually was, engrossed in a handheld game. Chiaki Nanami was her name. She was known as the Ultimate Gamer. Hajime approached her, but she didn't notice him at first.

"Hey, Chiaki. Whatcha playing?" Hajime inquired, standing with his hands in his pockets. Chiaki looked up at him with her typical drowsy expression, and smiled warmly.

"I'm playing the new "Bracer" game. It's a reboot of a very old series that hasn't had a sequel in many years. It's a dungeon crawler made for co-op. I thought you might like it" She explained, handing Hajime her extra handheld.

Hajime took a seat next to her and fired up the game. He chose to be the wizard, while Chiaki was the barbarian. Hajime struggled with keeping enemies at a distance, but Chiaki backed him up. The two made a formidable team. Chiaki was obviously bearing most of the weight of combat, while Hajime lagged behind.

"Man, are there any games you don't totally smoke me at? It must be amazing having a talent like this. You know... something that sets you apart from the crowd" Hajime said with a smile, as Chiaki still focused on the game. She appeared as if she was ignoring him, but she was actually taking in every word he said. The girl was accustomed to multi tasking.

"Yeah, I guess..." She replied in an unenthusiastic voice.

"You guess? What do you mean by that? It's amazing! Your talent, I mean. That's why you're in the Main Course. I wish I had just a tenth of the talent you have..." he said with a sad smile. Chiaki seemed troubled. She didn't like where this conversation was heading.

"I don't think I ever told you this, Hajime, but going to this school wasn't my idea. My parents are really the ones who helped to get me scouted and pushed me to come here. I would have been content just playing video games at home or with friends, to be honest."

A puzzled look crossed Hajime's face. "But you're the Ultimate Gamer. With a talent like yours, you're bound to get lots of attention and recognition, no matter where you are."

"And that's the problem isn't it? When I was a kid, I just played games because they were fun. Now, even when I'm alone, I always have this feeling, in the back of my mind. I feel like there's a spotlight over me and I need to make sure I meet everyone's expectations. I sometimes think about other people out there in the world who are working hard, right now as we speak, to beat my speed runs and high scores. And when I think about all that stuff, games start to feel less fun. It's not something I ever really wanted."

Hajime watched her face as she said this. He couldn't help but detect a little sadness in her eyes.

" I guess that makes sense. A hobby loses some of its fun if it starts to become your job, doesn't it? Man, that actually does sound kinda bad. I'm sorry, Chiaki ."

"It's not that, necessarily," C hiaki sighed, as she paused the game. "Since I'm the Ultimate Gamer, I pretty much don't have a choice in what I do in life. Neither do the other Ultimates, really. Obviously, the common sense thing for me to do would be to use my talent and play games competitively. Or I could branch out into game design or something, but that's still the same field. Do you see what I mean? It's like my path has already been chosen for me. I'm not complaining necessarily. I love games. But these thoughts do worry me sometimes."

Hajime struggled to take all this in. It really conflicted with his idealistic view of the Ultimates. He imagined them all as confident, poised, forward thinking individuals with no qualms about their station in life. Maybe he was wrong. "I guess even Ultimates can have an identity crisis,"

Chiaki nodded and smiled. "Yes, we can. But this is why I'm sort of... jealous of you."

Hajime was startled by this confession. "Wait, what? Jealous of me? That… makes no sense. I'm a nobody. I have no special talents or anything," he insisted, raising his hands up in front of him in protest. Chiaki scowled and her cheeks puffed angrily.

"You are not a nobody, Hajime! The fact that you don't have any talents isn't a bad thing. It just means that you can choose what you want to be. You are free to be anything you want. You're like… a wild card. Or an avatar in an RPG where you can choose to build up your character stats however you want."

Hajime looked at the ground, blushing slightly. This girl really had a way of lifting his spirits. "I guess I never really thought about it that way. But still… At the end of the day, I'm just average. People with talents will always be the ones that people truly admire and look up to." C hiaki got up and stood in front of Hajime, bending down. Her fists were clenched and her arms were pressed to her chest.

"Heyhey, you're being a dummy right now, Hajime," she said innocently, with such a soft voice that it didn't feel like an insult.

"What do you mea-" he sputtered before being interrupted.

"There is more to life than being talented, Hajime. There's friends, family, memories, and delicious fast food. And also there are things you care about and want to protect. Talent doesn't mean anything in the end, if you're not happy," she scolded, in her own adorable way. Then, without missing a beat, she sat down and resumed her game. Hajime was speechless. Since when did Chiaki offer such insightful advice? He always thought she was some kind of cute, quirky shut-in, but the girl actually had some real wisdom to offer.

"Maybe you're right," he said, as he stood up, watching the sun set, painting the sky orange. "Thanks Chiaki. You've given me a lot to think about. I'm gonna head out. I'll see you later."

Chiaki watched him leave, lazily waving to him as he walked away. As she looked back down at the game screen, a warm smile crossed her lips.