A/N: (Spoilers if you haven't seen Danganronpa Mirai-Hen Episode 9, skip to the story)

It is with great sadness that I bring you this chapter of The End of Hope's Peak Academy. Today, we have lost someone special to us...at least they were special to me. one of my favorite characters has moved on, and it's quite a tragedy. After last weeks episode, I just wanted to find out if Togami had made it, but no...they just leave it off as if he possibly survived, only to drive the dagger deeper into my chest. Fuck, it wasn't enough that Kizakura left us last week, but now Kyoko has been added to the list, in such a bullshit fucking way. I absoltely loathe Munakata more than anything now, not only for killing Chisa, at least that's my head cannon, but also for killing Juzo, and I'll admit, he was a dick, but he was doing everything for his friend, and he just betrayed him.

But no, we had to lose Kyoko out of everyone, after almost loosing Hina, they just hit us with this. I suppose the creators wanted to give is two doses of despair this week, seeing how Zetzubou-Hen is starting to show the beginning of the tragedy. whatever the case, fuck this shit. I am salty and livid as fuck, but I will have to accept it and move on.

So, for the Ultimate Detective, who we have lost after many hardships dealing with a hard life, I dedicate this chapter to Kyoko Kirigiri, may she live forever in our hearts.

End of Spoilers

I worked hard on this chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it. Don't be detered if you read the above, I hope you all have a wonderful day.

The End of Hope's Peak Academy

Zetzubou-Hen

Chapter 2

Daisuke's Decision

The green dirt bike came to a stop in front of one of the gas pumps. He shut the engine off, bringing down the kickstand so it wouldn't fall over. He looked around, finding the other people more interested in filling up their own gas tanks. He smirked, getting off the bike and stretching. Pulling out his wallet, he pulled out several notes, and slipped them into the slot. Before selecting the gas, he placed the nozzle inside the tank, hitting accept before he started pumping it.

A black car pulled up to the pump across from him, a little slower than he was expecting it too. He looked at one of the windows, but it was tinted, so the only thing he saw was the silhouette of a person. It was a bit odd, seeing a car with windows that were that tinted, but he passed it off, not really caring about the other people around him. He finished pumping the gas and placed the nozzle back on the rack, closing the gas tank tightly. He got back onto the back and started it, revving off a few seconds later, the black car followed.

He got to the stop light, and waited for it to turn green. Looking over his shoulder to see if he was clear to turn, he spotted the black car behind him. He furrowed his brows, but thought nothing of it and when the light changed, he sped off turning up the side street. Sparing a glance behind him, he saw the black car was still following him. He narrowed his eyes, looking around for a way to lose it, he smirked, seeing a nearby field. He sped up, driving over the curb and into the field.

"Ha! That's why I love dirt bikes, their the perfect off road vehicle." He said with a grin, seeing the car come to a stop before the field. Speeding up, he easily cut across the field driving through an alleyway and into another street. He didn't see the car again. Coming up to another light, he stopped behind a white car, seeing a couple of kids in the back seat, slapping each other silly. He smiled a bit, remembering how crazy he and his sister drove their mother when they were playing in the back seat of their car. He frowned a bit, thinking about his mother.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have driven off like that. Mom is gonna kill me...but there is no way in hell I am going back, at least not now. That lady wants me to attend Hope's Peak, then she has to catch me!" he said with a grin, speeding off as the light turned green.

He drove around the city for a few minutes, not knowing exactly where to go. He finally decided on heading to the theater. He spent a lot of his free time there in the past, seeing a lot of the performers practice their acts and routines. It was also where he felt the most inspired with his writing. Most of the stories he had written had been written in the theater. He often times pictured himself up on that stage, reading his stories to large crowds of people, who were there solely for him.

He pulled over, parking on the side of the road, and once he made sure the motorcycle was safe, he walked toward the front doors of the theater. As soon as he grasped the handle, he felt a hand on his shoulder. His eyes widened, and looked back, seeing the grin on the young woman's face.

"Jesus Christ how was she able to find me that fast?"

"That black car you got away from? Those were Yakuza...sorry Daisuke but you can't hide from me forever." She said. He looked behind her, seeing the pink haired kid from before standing by a red dirt bike, his red dirt bike. Had he fixed it? It was going to take him months just to fix the transmission, how the hell was able to even start it? He sighed, shaking his head.

"Alright, you caught me. I suppose those were the terms yeah?" he asked.

"Indeed, so would you like to go back to your house? Your mother isn't to happy with you." She said.

"I figured...alright then, let's go back." he said, letting go of the door. He walked back to where Takashi's bike was, and he got on it, swiftly starting it.

"Whoever owns that bike has kept in great condition." the boy said, getting his attention.

"Oh, yeah this is my friend's. It was a gift from his dad when he was younger, he's been fixing it up ever since...how were you able to fix up my bike though? My uncle said it would take months to get the transmission fixed." he said. The teen smirked, exposing his shark like teeth.

"Well, you are talking to the Ultimate Mechanic. I can build, take apart and fix any engine, machine or anything electronic, you name it, I can fix it. Names Kazuichi Souda." he said, holding his hand out. Daisuke nodded, returning the gesture.

"Daisuke Fuji, Ultimate Story Teller." He said. He felt Chisa getting on the back of his motorcycle, and looked back, eyeing her oddly.

"This is so you can't run away from me!" she said firmly.

"I wasn't going too." he said, as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He blushed a bit, feeling her chest pressed against his back. There wasn't anything he could do about it. He waited for the cars to pass before speeding off, heading back home. It was around four in the afternoon now, and the sun was starting to set. In his mind, he figured he would have a few more hours before he was home free, being followed by Yakuza though? And a crazy homeroom teacher? He wasn't expecting that.

"Are you alright Daisuke? You seem a little tense." Chisa said.

"Yeah well, when you are driving home with a well endowed woman on the back of your bike and know that you are going to get your ass chewed out by your mother, you would be a little tense too." he said.

"If I recall it is your fault that you ran off." she said.

"Don't tempt me. Crashing into the ass end of a truck wouldn't be to hard for me." he admitted.

"True, but I doubt you would. I feel no malice coming from you." she said cheerfully. He groaned internally.

"This girl is way to peppy. Why did the academy go and hire her?"

"You are probably wondering why the academy hired me right?" she asked.

"How did you know I was thinking that?"

"Intuition...well if you must know. I am the Ex-Ultimate Housekeeper, one of my friends was the one that ended up getting me the job. I want to make sure all of my students build wonderful relationships with each other, so they can stop being rotten oranges." she said.

"I'm sorry, you lost me there."

"You'll understand soon enough Mr. Story Teller." she said, pinching his cheek. He cringed, not used to that happening to him.

"You know, I am driving here." he said, reminding her of their current situation. She rolled her eyes, letting go of his cheek which he wished he could rub. Still, her being a graduate of the academy? It made a lot of sense really. It wasn't long before they got back to his neighbor hood. He parked in front of Takeshi's house, the young man had been just arriving after leaving his club. He shook his head, crossing his arms as the two of them got off the bike.

"Mind explaining what the hell this is?" he asked. Daisuke tossed him the keys.

"Bro, I'll tell you later. Right now I have something to deal with." he said, grasping his bag strap. He swallowed hard as he headed toward his house. Takeshi looked at Chisa, a curious look on his face. He was a young man of fourteen, in his final year of middle school. He had spiky brown hair, and bright brown eyes. He was wearing a black long sleeve shirt, with a matching pair of black jeans and shoes. Underneath it, he wore a red tee shirt. He had a tan backpack strapped to his back.

"You must be that homeroom teacher he was talking about. What did you do chase after him?" he asked.

"Something like that...hmm...what's you name?"

"Oh me? I'm Takeshi Komuro, I attend Fujimi Middle School and I happen to be a Zombie Enthusiast. I have preparedness plans, maps and places I can hole out in case zombies start roaming the world. I even own every zombie flick ever made. Ugh...even that dreadful toilet one." he said.

"There's a toilet zombie movie?" Kazuichi asked, gaining his attention. Takeshi nodded, a grim look on his face.

"Yes, it's called Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead. I found it on Netflix one night and watched it with Daisuke. He laughed his ass off, I was just appalled. How could they call that a movie? It was worse than Grave Mistake." he said. The young mechanic could feel the teen about to go into a tangent. He was rather interested though, as he was a fan of the zombie genre, and he wasn't doing anything at the moment.

The first thing Daisuke noticed when he stepped into his yard, was all of the people standing in it. They all looked at him, their gazes on his figure. He met their glares with one of his own, they were invading his property, silently judging his every step. He was sure the blonde girl in the kimono was grinning behind her long sleeves, and the girl with the camera was jabbing her in the ribs for it. The girl with the glasses seemed to have a pensive look on her face, and he could see the sword slung across her shoulder, at least he assumed that's what it was. He didn't give them anymore of his time and just walked through his open door. Man if this was Spain, the house would be loaded with flies by now.

A sweet scent hit his nose as he walked into his hallway, avoiding the large brolic man that was at the entrance to his living room. Fear had washed over him for a brief second, but luckily he wasn't even looking in his direction. Holy shit he was huge. He saw two more students there, a girl that looked like a rock star, and the blonde haired girl that had spoken in Spanish to him. He also noticed the emo looking young man standing by the window, with four hamsters poking their heads out of his muffler every so often. He opened a single eye, looking directly at him. He cringed, feeling him staring into his soul. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around, seeing the grinning face of his sister Erika.

She was only a year younger than him, and in her last year of middle school, the same one Takeshi was in. She was still wearing their uniform, a skimpy looking sailor outfit, made up of a white short sleeved shirt, with a collar, a bright green ascot, and a short skirt. She had on black socks, and her formal shoes, which she would normally take off by the door, but since everyone else was wearing their shoes inside the house, it didn't seem to matter to her.

She had their mother's light tan skin color, but shared their father's hair color, it being a bright lime green. Her eyes were a bright olive in color, a trait that she had also gained from their father. She had a small nose, and bright pink lips, due to her lipstick. She was also well endowed for a girl her age. That grin was boring into his soul.

"So, you had the bright idea of skipping school for an entire year big brother? What kind of an idiot does that?" she asked, her voice was slightly accented as she had learned Spanish before Japanese, and even when they were living in Spain, she didn't speak it often. He sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"Sis, don't start giving me crap for my decisions. Wasn't it you that got held back a year for skipping class all the time?" he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"What? Don't make this about me you idiot! I don't have talent, I'm just a normal middle school girl, yet you are the one that skipped out, on Hope's Peak Academy of all places. The hell is wrong with you?" she cried out. Daisuke looked around, feeling everyones eyes on him. It was embarrassing to say the least. If he were wearing his hoodie, he would have surely hidden behind his hood.

"There is nothing wrong with me Erika. I just...didn't feel like going." he said softly.

"Didn't feel like going? Given such a wonderful opportunity and your reasoning is that you didn't feel like going? What kind of bullshit response is that?"

"Erika, a young lady shouldn't use that kind of language." Maria snapped. Daisuke hadn't even seen her walk into the hallway. There was a brown haired girl poking her head out of the kitchen, a churro sticking out of her mouth. He decided to ignore her, looking up at his mother, who had a disappointed look on her face.
"I know momma, but you can't deny that what he just said is bullshit." she said.

"It may very well be, but that isn't a reason to swear. We have to hear his reasoning first, then we can determine if it's crap or not." the woman said. Erika crossed her arms, giving her brother an expectant look.

"Alright, let's hear it. I'm sure all of your classmates would love to hear it as well."

He hated being put on the spot, and now that all of those people were looking at him, it made him feel more nervous than before. If people knew about his fear of crowds, they would laugh at him. Here was the Ultimate Story Teller, a person who told stories to people, large crowds of people, sometimes thousands at a time, and yet he was scared of all of them. Why? Even he didn't know...he just was. He had never gotten stage fright as a kid, so why did he get it now as an adult? He closed his eyes, imagining himself alone on a stage, with no one but his sister and his mother there watching him, of course there was an extra pair of eyes in that crowd, a pair he wished wasn't present at this time. He let out the breath he was holding, opening his eyes and looking at his family.

"You want to know the reason why I didn't show up at school for this past year? The reason why I lied about being part of Hope's Peak Academy's alumni? Here it is, I feel my talent is useless." he said.

"Huh?" Erika cried, completely taken aback. She had heard his stories before, seen him recording his audio books. This was the first time she had heard him say he found his talent useless.

"Why do you feel that?" Maria asked curiously.

"Because, look at me. What am I good at? Reading...that is it..that is all I do. Sure, I write my own short stories, but half of the stories in my story book are things I find online, a personal collection that I just happen to like. I am nothing more than an average teenage boy, with nothing special. I stand on a stage of lies, just telling everyone stories I pass off as my own." he said, growing a bit angry.

"It doesn't matter if those stories aren't yours big brother. You are good at what you do, if not the academy wouldn't have asked you to attend right?" his sister asked. He looked at her, glaring into her eyes.

"I'm good at what I do? Speaking isn't something anyone can be good at, it is something everyone does. What makes me different from some random bozo on the street doing the same thing? What makes me different from a Politician giving a campaign speech on television? Nothing, they are doing the same thing I am doing. That isn't talent, that's just me being me." he replied.

"Daisuke, I didn't raise you to be like this. I raised you to do what you love doing, just like I'm doing what I love doing. I don't need to have this side business, but I do it because I love cooking traditional Spanish food. Your sister likes fashion and design, which is why she carries that sketch pad with her everywhere. If you didn't like doing what you do, then why are you carrying that book with you right now? If you think it's just something that anyone could be good at, then why don't you just give it to someone else?" his mother asked. He unconsciously tightened his grip on his messenger bag.

"Momma is right, you tensed up. If you didn't like telling stories, then you wouldn't have reacted the way you did." she said.

"It doesn't matter how I am reacting. What matters is what I am saying...I am nothing, just a normal person. Dad was right, I should be working toward a career, so that I could be a real working person in the future." he said, looking at the ground. Maria finally understood what was going on. She tightened her grip on the wooden spoon she had been holding, snapping it in half. Erika looked at her in shock, staring at the broken utensil.

"So...this is what all of this is about? That asshole father of yours drilled this into your head didn't he? He told you that you wouldn't amount to anything doing what you love? He's going to get fucking earful from me." she said, pulling her cellphone from her pocket, quickly dialing the man's number. She excused herself, stepping into the nearby bathroom.

"Somehow I knew that bastard was involved with this. God I wish he was dead, useless excuse of a man." Erika said, glaring at the wall.

"You can't deny he isn't right sis." Daisuke said.

"But he isn't right. Our dad is a piece of worthless shit...do you not remember what he did to mom? What he did to us? He mentally abused us, told us all we were a worthless family, and then left us on the street for some other woman and her kids. We had to move to Spain with Abuela just so that we could survive. Do not stand there and tell me that what he did is justified, because if you do then you can go join him!" she snapped, brushing past him toward the stairs. He heard the door slam a few seconds later. The silence was tense, if anything. He just stood there, not knowing what to do. He turned around, looking at the door.

"I bet all of you are wondering why I think my talent is useless, judging me silently with your gazes of curiosity. I'm not going to tell you shit. My talent is useless and that is what I am sticking with, and I would appreciate it if you were all out of my house by the time I came back." he said, walking out the door.

"Well...that was rude." Hiyoko said, after a few minutes of silence. Everyone glared at her.

"This is serious Hiyoko, now isn't the time to be enjoying a persons misery. We have to talk to him." Sonia asked.

"Right, like talking to the person who literally kicked us out of his house is going to go by well." Fuyuhiko said, looking up from where he was standing.

"Well we can't just let him get away." Mikan added.

"Everyone...I think we should let him have some time alone to think this out. I have to talk to his mother and find out the possible reason why he says his talent is useless. It may shed a light on this whole situation." Chisa said firmly. They all nodded, feeling a bit guilty about their attitude toward their fellow classmate.

"Aha, Ibuki has an idea. Why don't we all throw him a party? We can make him feel appreciated and junk. Ibuki can handle the music." the musician cried, an excited look on her face.

"That isn't such a bad idea really. I'm sure Teruteru wouldn't mind making some food." Sonia said.

"I don't mind at all, if I had a little more to work with that is." the Ultimate Chef said, poking his head out of the kitchen. Chisa dug her hand in her apron pocket, pulling a wad of yen from within.

"Take this and buy everything you need. We'll give Daisuke a welcome party and make him feel like he belongs in the academy." she said, handing the money to Sonia, who gave her a firm nod.

"How do you even know he's coming back? You heard him, he's useless, so it's useless to throw him this party." Hiyoko said. Chisa grinned, placing her hands on the smaller girl's shoulders.

"Oh, Daisuke is coming back to this house, you know why?" she asked. The blonde shook her head, making Chisa's grin widen a bit.

"He is going to come back because you are going to find him and drag him back here. And if you don't I'll spank you until your bottom is red." she said.

"What? That's cruel and unusual punishment!" the dancer cried.

"Heh, serves you right for being a rude little shit all day." Fuyuhiko said. She grit her teeth, balling her hands under her kimono sleeves.

"I don't even know where the hell he went, how am I supposed to bring him back?"

"If you wanna know where my brother goes to when he's in a pissy mood, try the big fountain that's in the middle of the big park. It's only three blocks from here, and that's usually where he goes. He likes reading stories to the elementary school kids." Erika said from the top of the stairs.

"Oh boy, more walking. Just what I love doing!" Hiyoko cried, sarcasm laced in her voice.

"You brought this onto yourself Hiyoko. Next time, you need to be more positive, and filled with Hope. Now, run along, and before you ask no Mahiru cannot go with you." Chisa said, pushing the girl out the door. The short blonde mumbled a few swears under her breath before heading off toward the park. At least she remembered where it was since they has passed it on their way there.

Daisuke had once again found himself at the park. He didn't know why, he hadn't actually planned on walking there, but he found himself there nonetheless. Thinking back on it, he did like to come here whenever it was that he was upset. He found himself at the fountain in the center plaza. It was a large stone fountain, with two dolphins carved out of the finest stone imaginable. In the center of the two dolphins was a beautiful looking mermaid, it was so detailed that if you really wanted, you could could every single scale on her tail. Her long hair served to cover her up, as her chest was bare. The water was coming out of the urn in her hands, as well as the blow holes on the dolphins backs. It was one of his favorite places to be, as it was relaxing and in the summer it was slightly cooler being around it.

Looking around, he saw several kids running about. School had let out an hour ago, so it did make sense. He sighed, sitting down at the bench in front of the fountain, placing his head in his hands.

After what had happened back home, he just needed to get out of there. He didn't need their glares, and he didn't need their silent judgment. It was bad enough to have his mother yelling at him, but he didn't need his sister thrown in the mix. He was annoyed, and ashamed with himself. He however wasn't wrong in saying anything. He felt his talent was useless and he was sticking to it.

But was he really going to follow his father's advice? He of all people should be the last person he should listen to. That man had only brought grief to their entire family, especially with his affair. Being tossed into the streets at the age of ten wasn't exactly an event he would categorize as a life experience, but he had learned from it. It was then that he had learned to love his story telling, and began collecting and writing stories, slowly building up his story book to the size of the tome that it is now. He took the book out of his bag and placed it on his lap, flipping to one of his favorite stories.

"Hey look Nagisa, it's Mister Daisuke, let's go say hi."

Daisuke looked up, already recognizing the voice. It belonged to one of the kids he usually read to, a nine year old girl who was a student in Hope's Peak Elementary School. She was wearing a navy blue blazer, with a white shirt underneath, and a bright red bow tie. She wore a matching skirt, short black socks and black shoes. Her long bubblegum pink hair was tied up into long twin tails, with black ribbons. She was wearing a tiara on her head, which was light pink in color, and had some short horns on it, making her look like a little devil.

Her name was Kotoko Utsugi, and she had gained the title of Lil Ultimate Drama from the elementary school. She spent most of her time at the park, acting out several plays she wrote herself. No matter what it was, she could always act it out, and get a decent amount of people to watch it. The biggest thing she had acted out was the entire play of Hamlet, all by herself, and had nailed every character personally. The girl had a lot of potential. She was also one of Daisuke's most avid listeners, having been the one that requested the audio books in the first place.

Being dragged by his arm was one of her friends, a young man that was slightly taller than her, wearing a similar uniform to her. Instead of a bow tie, he was wearing a long red tie, tucked underneath his blazer. He also wore a pair of navy blue shorts, white socks and black shoes. He had short light blue hair, two strands sticking up making it look like had ears on his head. His eyes were a light shade of blue and his face was a bit red.

His name was Nagisa Shingetsu, and he had gotten the title of Lil Ultimate Social Studies. No matter the test, so long as it had to do with Social Studies, he would ace it. He had the highest grades in the school for that particular subject, and was able to quote things from memory. Due to that, he was almost never let out of his house, so it was a rare sight for him to be at the park. The two stopped before him, with Kotoko giving him the brightest smile she could muster.

"Hi Mister Daisuke."

"Hi Kotoko, hello Nagisa. How was school today?" he asked, closing his book.

"It was super boring. But Monaca made it really fun, and our teacher brought some cookies for us. It was so totally awesome, like that time I found 5,000 yen underneath my mommy's car." she cried excitedly.

"Leave it to you to get side tracked." Daisuke said, chuckling a bit.

"It is what makes Kotoko unique. I hear her mom is trying to find a producer to get her on television. They might start her off on a sitcom." Nagisa said.
"Really? That's wonderful, it's about time someone recognized your talent sweetheart. You've worked really hard for this!" he said, giving the girl a pat on the head. She grinned brightly, a small blush on her cheeks.

"Well, I am the best actress. Do you think you could write a story for me? So I can pitch it to the network." she said.

"Hmm...I've never written a script for a sitcom...but there's always a beginning to everything. Sure thing Kotoko, I'll write you the best damn script I can come up with. And I'll make sure it's original too...we can even put it up for everyone at the park." he said with a smile.
"That would be totally awesome." she cried, pumping her small hand into the air. Nagisa fixed his tie, swallowing the lump in his throat. If he knew his friend well, she would want all of them to be a part of that play, and he wasn't a good actor.

"You know, it's great seeing you outside Nagisa. Every time Kotoko or Masaru are running around here, I ask them about you and you are always doing homework. It's okay to take breaks every once in a while, or else you'll only harm yourself and your school work." he said.

"I know, my parents were out of town for the day, so I figured I would hang out with my friends for a bit, but Masaru has detention and Jotaro is working on an art project, Monoca is at home as always...so it's just us today." he said, gesturing to Kotoko, who was trying to peel a chestnut. He took the nut from her hands, and pulled out his pocket knife, slicing the shell.

"You know, your mom should invest in a chestnut knife so you don't have to struggle like this." he muttered.

"You know how my mommy is. She wouldn't give me a knife even if it was for my personal protection." the girl replied. After a second, he handed her the peeled chestnut, and she took a bite out of it, smiling a bit.

"So what are you doing here Daisuke? Working on a story?" Nagisa asked.

"Um...something like that. You see...academy finally caught up to me. I told the two of you how I was scouted by Hope's Peak right?" he asked, earning a nod from them.

"You said you were thinking about it, but that was a year ago. Why wouldn't you want to go Mister Daisuke? Isn't your talent special?" Kotoko asked.

"That's what I thought too. But honestly, Story Telling isn't an art form, not to me. It's just..talking...reading books out loud, it's all it is. Half of the stories in my book aren't even mine, they just caught my interest and I added them in."

"You're kidding right? I haven't heard a lot of your stories Daisuke, but the ones I did hear were amazing. If Hope's Peak Academy scouted you, that means they can see your talent. I'm assuming your father insulted it again right?" he asked.

"Smart little guy aren't you?" the older teen joked, chuckling a bit. He looked down at his forearm, seeing the rose tattoo he had gotten for his birthday back in Spain. It was a beautifully detailed bloom, with bright red petals, and a bright green steam. The leaves were very detailed, and small sharp thorns stuck out of the steam at a few intervals. Below it, in cursive writing was the phrase, "Every Rose has it's Thorns". He still didn't know why he chose this design, it was on impulse, he guessed.

"But yeah, you are right. My father said story telling isn't a talent, and that I shouldn't waste my time with it. He said I should get a real career...I didn't bother telling him the academy scouted me, I didn't tell my mother or my sister either, and I've been skipping ever since. What's the point? If one person doesn't believe in you, especially one of the ones that should. Then what's the point?"

"Well, the point is simple. I believe in you, Mister Daisuke, and so does Nagisa, and Masaru, Jotaru even Monoca believes in you. Everyone you read to believes in you, and so does your family. So what if your father doesn't believe in your talent? You don't need him...just like I don't need my father. All he does is jab me with his tools and makes my teeth hurt, and puts on that disgusting paste, yuck!" Kotoko said, once again going off topic.

"He is a dentist." Nagisa added. Daisuke chuckled.

"I think you are right sweetie. I should just...follow my heart, instead of what people say. But I feel like a normal person, like what I am doing isn't really a talent." he said. Kotoko sighed, shoving the last of the chestnut into her mouth. She took a hold of Daisuke's story book, flipping to a random page. She had looked through it several times, but there was one that she always loved listening to.

"Read me this story, I know it will cheer both of us up!" she said, turning the book to him. He looked it over, a smirk on his face.

"I've read this to you so many times I can tell it by heart." he said.

"Then do it. Do iiiiitttt." she said, poking his stomach. He chuckled, patting the spot next to him on the bench. She sat down, pulling a few more chestnuts from her pocket, which she started peeling with the help of his knife. Nagisa sat down to his right, looking at the pages of the worn looking tome.

"There was this one time I was coming home late from work, I didn't know how late it was. All I remember was the fact that it was dark. The wind was blowing against my face, brushing a bit of the cold drops from the sky against my skin. I knew I had to hurry home, lest I get stuck outside in the cold rain.

I finally got home, opening the door lightly. I had moved out from my parents house months ago, so I was still in that mindset, expecting to see them there, waiting for me happily as I made my triumphant return home from work. I closed the door behind me and took my boots off, placing my keys on the hook beside the door.

I strolled into the darkened kitchen, pausing to flick the lights on. Normally I would just walk around in the dark, but I was hungry and was planning to make something."

He paused to flip the page. He looked at his friends, grinning since he had their utmost attention. Nagisa had his eyes closed, most likely picturing this all in his mind. That would make it all the better.

"As I focused on making my meal, I realized I hadn't checked the mail. Thunder boomed outside, so I decided to hurry. I raced toward the front door, throwing it open with a bang as I made my way to the mailbox before the down pour started. Once I had my mail securely in my hand I made my way in. I didn't know it, but I had made a grave mistake.

I returned to my kitchen, only to see the meal I was cooking was gone completely, the stove was even off. It found this extremely weird. Had some bum gotten into my house when I wasn't looking?

I sighed, deciding on making myself a quick sandwich before heading to bed.

My room wasn't anything special, it was bigger than the one in my parents house, with a few things inside it. The few things that I was able to take. I lay down on my back, staring at my ceiling, willing myself to sleep. I heard something in my kitchen, making me gasp in fear. It started shaking, the wind rattling the windows didn't make me feel any better.

Several pots and pans fell to the ground, and now I was sure there was someone inside. I stood up from my bed, and grabbed the metal bat I kept under it, holding it tightly in my hands.

I crept slowly down the stairs to the bottom floor, hearing a snarl as well as several things being tossed around. I made my way to the kitchen, the light of the fridge illuminating the darkened room. I gasped, unable to see anything, just the mess. I made my way into the kitchen, closing the fridge door. Whatever was inside, must have gotten out. I turned around, preparing to head to my room when I saw it.

A large shadow, with large beady red eyes, its large maw was covered in foam and slobber. I let out a scream, almost dropping my bat as I jumped away from it. It took a step forward, the creaking floorboards bending under its weight. It exhaled, flaring its nostrils, further scaring me.

"What are you?" I whispered, scared beyond belief.

"I am what you fear at night." It growled. Its voice was devoid of emotion, and all I could sense from it was the desire to kill.

"Please...don't kill me...I'll give you anything you want." I said, tightly closing my eyes. I was at deaths door, and I would do anything to get away from it.

"Anything?" It wheezed, its rancid breath filling my nostrils.

"Yes, anything."

"In that case..." it paused, seemingly thinking its options over.

"Imma need about tree fiddy."

My eyes widened in shock. I flicked the switch, throwing the room into the light. It was about that time I noticed the shadow, was actually an eight foot tall crustacean from the Paleozoic era. I looked at him, anger filling my mind.

"Goddamn it Monster! I ain't giving you not goddamn tree fiddy, get your own damn money."

Kotoko burst into giggles, almost falling off the bench. The same couldn't be said for Nagisa, who was just confused beyond all hell. The blue haired boy looked at Daisuke, brows nit together.

"What was that even about?" he asked.

"That was the story of the Loch Ness monster and how he needed tree fiddy." he said.

"But...that doesn't make any sense. That creature is just an urban legend, a myth!" he said.

"Aw don't be like that you dolt! It's a story, it's supposed to be fun!" Kotoko said, recovering from her laughing fit.

"I suppose so. It was all so vivid, and you still think you don't belong in Hope's Peak Academy?" he asked.

"It's just a story, I'm sure if someone else read it, it would have the same effect." he said with a shrug.

"I don't think so. You have to share this with the world, just like how you share it with us. Mister Daisuke, if I didn't pursue my acting, then I wouldn't possibly be hired to be on a sitcom. And if Nagisa didn't pursue his love of Social Studies, he wouldn't be at the top of the class. Do you like Story telling?" Kotoko asked.

"More than anything. Why live this cruel reality when you can lose yourself in a good story?" he asked.

"See, there's you answer. Face it head on, even if you face ridicule and even if no one likes you, as long as you like what you do then that's all it matters. That's what you taught me through your stories." the pink haired girl said firmly. He smiled, giving her a hug.

"Thanks Kotoko, I think you opened my eyes. I will pursue this, I'll go to school, to Hope's Peak Academy, where a I belong." he said.

"Oh good, there you are." a voice said, catching their attention. It was coming from a familiar looking blonde girl, wearing a golden, flower print kimono. She looked pissed off, and tired.

"Um...do I know you?" Daisuke asked.

"No, but you should if you are coming to school with us. My name is Hiyoko Saionji, I'm the Ultimate Traditional Dancer...now get your ass off that bench and lets go to your house." she said.

"Hey, you shouldn't talk like that in front of kids." he said, a bit pissed at her use of language.

"Like they haven't heard it all before. Kids these days are exposed to the internet so early, with their smart phones and video games, who cares if they learn to swear or not?" she asked.

"I do. These two are precious friends of mine, and I will not have them swearing like sailors because of you." he said.

"It's alright Mister Daisuke. I'm used to hearing all of those bad words on a daily basis. I won't repeat them, but you should go home so you can tell your mommy that you'll be going to Hope's Peak. Maybe you can work on that story there and make more friends." Kotoko said, her tone full of encouragement.

"Yeah, better your craft, and write more stories. Next time we see each other, I want to hear all of the good things you've written." Nagisa said. Daisuke stood up, placing his book in his bag. He took the knife from Kotoko slipping it into his pocket.

"Alright, I'll do just that. Thanks you two...I really appreciate this talk we had, if it wasn't for you, I probably would have dropped out of the academy." he said.

"It's no problem. You inspire us to better ourselves, so in return you have to do the same." Nagisa said. He patted their heads, a smile on his face.

"Thanks. How about you both go get yourself some ice cream, as thanks for listening to me." he said, handing them both some money. Kotoko's eyes lit up, and she hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, you are the best Mister Daisuke. Come on Nagisa, I'll race you to the ice cream stand." the girl cried, breaking into a sprint.

"Hey wait up! Sorry Daisuke, thanks a lot." Nagisa said, running off after her friend. He smiled, giving them a wave.

"Alright, can we go now?" Hiyoko snapped.

"Okay, jeez. No need to be so rude." he said, walking back in the direction of his house.

"Rude? I'm being rude? My legs hurt like hell, I've been walking all day without a rest and they feel like they'll break at any second. On top of that I have to deal with someone who thinks their talent is useless. And all of the gummies I have left are yellow, so I have no sugar going through my system." she cried angrily. Daisuke cringed, trying to ignore the looks everyone was giving him. He tugged on his ear a bit, trying to get his hearing back, since the girl had yelled her mini rant right next to it.

"What the hell do you want me to do about it? I'm not the one that dragged you out here, Chisa did." he snapped back.

"Well...there is one thing you can do for me." she said, a grin tugging her lips. He saw a lot of his sister in this girl, just by that grin alone. It wasn't long before he was sauntering up the street, the petite blonde secure on his back, with her arms wrapped around his neck. This was more embarrassing then misreading a few lines during a live performance. Everyone was looking at them as if they were some cute couple. He was really starting to hate himself.

"You must be happy with yourself." he said, once again ignoring the stares he was getting.

"Oh I am. It's great to not only force you to carry me back, but humiliating you is an added bonus."

"You are a cruel mistress, aren't you?" he said, voice laced with sarcasm. This made the blonde laugh rather loudly.

"Please, I could have you act like my personal horse and have you give me a horse back ride back to your house. Be happy that I am being this generous with you!" she said, a beaming smile on her face.

"I can't believe this shit. I am so over this!" he muttered to himself.

Daisuke, though angry, was a bit happy about his current situation. It reminded him of the times he would take his sister home, after a long day walking around the city, or playing at the park. It was something that they hadn't done since the time they were kids, so he at least appreciated the nostalgia. Thinking back on it, perhaps Kotoko and Nagisa were right after all, and he should genuinely give the academy a try. The worst that could happen was him not liking it, and if he didn't he could always drop out. He nodded to himself, and was actually looking forward to his first day.

"So, aren't you gonna talk? Story tellers tell stories right?" Hiyoko asked. He rolled his eyes.

"I do tell stories, but I'm not sharing anyone of them with you." he replied.

"Ugh, so uncultured. Why are you part of our class in the first place? You didn't even show up."

"I didn't show up because I felt my talent was useless, but that was just an excuse. Those two kids, they made me realize that I was just putting myself down. I'm going to give the academy a fair shot, and I'll join you and the rest of my classmates. So, in all honesty, I hope we can become great friends!"

"Ha! Learn your place! You and I will never be friends, not even close." Hiyoko huffed, looking away from him in a huff.

"Jeez, no need to be so rude." he cried in annoyance. The girl didn't bother with a reply.

Soon enough, they reached his house, seeing that everyone had now retreated inside. Having come back, he realized that he had to apologize to everyone at some point for being a douche earlier. It was embarrassing getting into an argument with your family, with a bunch of unknowns watching, even worse when you had to apologize to them. He set the blonde down, who started brushing her kimono free of wrinkles. She ran her fingers through her hair, looking at the ground.

"Thanks for carrying me here, but don't expect me to thank you for everything. A slave has to do what his master orders." she said, hiding her smirk behind her kimono.

"Sure thing squirt." he said, opening the door.

"Don't call me squirt!"

"I call them like I see em." he said with a shrug. He looked inside his house, seeing all of the streamers hanging around, and the loud music coming from the living room. The girl that looked like a rock star, literally appeared before him, grabbing his arm tightly.

"Hiiii, you're finally back. Ibuki is so happy that you came back!" she cried out.

"Not like I had a choice...I do live here after all. Um...who are you?"

"Oh right! Ibuki is my name, the Ultimate Musician. How do you like the music? Sweet huh?" she asked.

"Yeah, how did you know I was into Post Hardcore?" he asked, hearing the thumping base and shredding guitar coming from the other room.

"It was just a guess. From a single look, Ibuki guessed that you liked that kind of music." she replied.

"And by that she means she probably sifted through your room trying to find something. It's the most obvious answer." Hiyoko said, shaking her head. Daisuke rose a brow looking at the Ultimate Musician who had a slight blush on her face.

"Ibuki should probably head back, the next song is due any minute now." she said, quickly excusing herself.

"Ugh...that's so like her, not respecting other people's things. But it isn't my house so I don't really care." the blonde said, walking toward the living room, she quickly found her friend Mahiru, who was snapping pictures of everyone. The large muscular guy was by the window, keeping a watchful eye over everyone.

"Ah, welcome back Daisuke."

The teen looked down the hallway, seeing his homeroom teacher and his sister holding trays of food in their hands. He looked at them curiously.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"Ibuki thought it would be a good idea to throw you a party. After all, you will be joining us starting tomorrow and she felt this was her way to welcome you into the fold. It's sort of a welcome party for everyone, seeing as they all skipped class too." she said.

"How do you even know I was going to show up?" he asked curiously.

"Intuition. Now you better enjoy yourself mister, don't start moping around, I've seen enough of that today." the woman said.

"Get used to it." he muttered dryly, walking toward the stairs heading up toward his room. He opened his door, looking briefly inside.

"Why the hell is there a girl sleeping on my bed?" he called out from the top of the stairs.

"So that's where Chiaki went. Do you have video games in there?" Chisa cried out.

"Uh...yes." he replied.

"That explains it. Don't mind her, she'll wake up in a few minutes and be fine and dandy!"

He rolled his eyes, setting his messenger bag on his desk. He spared a glance at the sleeping girl, seeing his Ps4 controller in her hands. She had at least taken her shoes off, which he was glad for. Her small frame was bundled up with his comforter, light snores coming from her. She was wearing a hoodie, under a brown blazer. She was wearing her hood, which had kitty ears on it, her face was neutral, so he couldn't even tell if she was having a happy dream or not. He decided to leave her be and headed back downstairs, his plan to just spend his time in his room had been foiled, so he might as well enjoy the party.

"So then, he falls into the pond, and when he runs out, his pants had come down and there were three bullfrogs inside. It was the cutest thing ever." his mother said, making several people break into laughter. He stood there wide eyed, seeing his mother on the couch with the photo album in her lap.

"Jesus Christ my life is over." he said, looking at the ceiling.

"Aw, it isn't so bad. Just think of all the hope you you'll be able to have now that you are going to join us."

Daisuke shared a look with the lanky white haired teen beside him. He shook his head brushing past him into the kitchen. Seeing the brunette from before eating everything in sight made him turn around, walking back toward the front entrance. He sat down on the front steps, just looking at the sky.

"Well...it could be worse, I could still be at the park moping all day, instead of being here...surrounded by weirdos."

"You know, not all of us are weirdos."

He glanced over his shoulders, locking eyes with the blonde girl that had spoken to him in Spanish earlier. She seemed to be around his age, and a little more mature than the other students. She was almost...regal in a way, but he knew this girl had a weird quirk like everyone else. He shook his head, looking up at the sky, seeing the twinkling stars. He hadn't realized how late it was until after he saw them.

"Are you sure about that? There's a girl sleeping in my bed, another girl is eating everything in sight, there's a Yakuza in there too, and that big guy...It's hard for me to get used to it all." he replied.

"Yeah...I understand you. It was really odd for me the first time too, I came a long way from home to be in this academy, and I've learned a lot already. I don't have many friends, mostly due to them not showing up to class but...I really hope that we all become like a family, and that includes you too Daisuke. Your talent isn't useless, so ignore whoever said that, because they are wrong." she said firmly.

"I know...and I'll honestly give the academy a try. But you can't blame me for behaving this way...it'll take some time to get used to. Thanks for checking on me miss."

"Of course, my name is Sonia by the way. Sonia Nevermind of the Novoselic Kingdom. I happen to hold the title of Ultimate Princess."

"You're a princess?" he asked, eyes wide with shock. She giggled, hiding it behind her hand.

"Yes I am. Everyone makes a big fuss when they find out, but please just treat me as you would another person." she said.

"I don't think I can do that, that would be disrespect...how about I just call you Lady Sonia? That way I'm still being polite, at least until I get to know you better." he said.

"That's fine. I hope we can become great friends...would you like to return to the party? This was thrown just for you after all." she said.

"I'm...I uh...I wanna stay out here. It's quieter...I just...it's too much to handle right now." he said.

"I understand...how about I keep you company? We can get to know each other a bit more."

"I'd like that." he said with a small smile.

xxx

Daisuke yawned loudly as he made his way to school. It was odd being up this early, with the intent of actually going where he said he would be going. All of his classmates had stayed at his house until midnight, being forced to leave by Chisa so that they could get enough rest for their official first day as a class. The party came to a full swing when Ibuki brought out the karaoke machine, and people had started singing their hearts out, with Nekumaru being the most over the top, as he shouted literally every lyric to Katy Parry's Firework, at a very horrible key. It was funny to watch at least, and the food had been delicious, thanks of course to the Ultimate Chef.

Now he stood outside of the academy entrance, looking at the building that held his future. He swallowed hard, his hand tightening around his bag strap. He let out the breath he was holding, and walked past the gates, headed toward the front entrance.

"Hey kid, you aren't allowed on school property. Get out before I use force on ya."

He looked to his right, seeing one of the guards looking at him, a sneer on his face. He was dressed in a black uniform, with a white utility belt around his waist. He had a pair of handcuffs and a baton attached to his belt. Daisuke straightened up, pulling out the letter Chisa had left with him in case this happened to him.

"I'm a student here. I was supposed to be part of class 77 but I've actually been skipping school for the past year. I'm supposed to meet up with Headmaster Kirigiri to get my Student Identification and Dormitory key." he said. The grip on his suitcase tightened a bit as the man walked over to where he stood, yanking the letter from his hand. He read it over a couple of times, chuckling to himself.

"Am I suppose to by this crap? Where did you get this letter? Google? And a forged signature? Do you think you can pull a fast one on me? Why don't you beat it kid, I got shit to do and dealing with regulars like you isn't one of those things." he said, tossing the letter to the ground.

"Dude really? I know it's early but come on. That isn't a fake letter, did you even see the watermark? How do you think I can forge that?" he asked.
"I told you to beat it kid, unless you want me to toss you out by force." the man said, a smirk on his face. Daisuke simply grabbed the letter from the ground, pulling out his cellphone. He flipped it open, dialing the number Chisa had given him. He placed it against his ear, looking directly at the guard who matched his glare with a fierce one of his own.

"Daisuke? Why are you calling me? You better not be bailing out on me mister! Don't be a rotten orange!"

"Actually, I'm outside right now. Why don't you come down here? There's a douche bag guard not letting me in." he said.

"Really? Put him on for me."

Daisuke cringed, not really liking the tone of her voice. He walked over to the guard, handing him his phone.

"She wants to talk to you." he said simply. He narrowed his eyes, placing the phone to his ear. Seconds later, Daisuke heard shouting on the other end of the line, with the guard trying to squeeze in an apology every time, after a minute he just hung up, telling him to head on into the academy.

After getting some directions, he made it to the Headmaster's office. The large oak doors were closed, two large flag poles sat outside of the office, one bearing Japan's flag, and the other bearing the crest of Hope's Peak Academy. He rose his hand, giving three knocks on the door, waiting for a response.

"Come in."

He took a deep breath, opening the door. He stepped into the office, seeing all of the awards and degrees framed around the room. The carpet was a bright blue in color. There were a couple of couches there, one of them being occupied by Koichi Kizakura, who looked up at him, a surprised look on his face. Behind the large oak desk sat the headmaster of the academy, Jin Kirigiri. The man stood up, giving him a bow, which he politely returned.

"I take it you are Daisuke Fuji correct?" the man asked.

"I am. It's an honor to finally meet you Headmaster." he said.

"Kizakura told me a lot about you, and your talent with story telling. Honestly, I didn't think you would ever show up. I'm glad you changed your mind son."

"I'm glad I did too sir. To be honest, it's thanks to Chisa Yukizome that I am here. If she didn't come to get me, I would probably be at the park beneath that apple tree. I was lead to believe that my talent was useless, but a lot of people don't think it is. I want to learn for myself if it is or not, so I decided to come here. To join my classmates." he said.

"A wonderful decision. For your sake, I hope you have a great time here. Now, there were a few problems regarding some things that we weren't aware of." he said. He walked over to a filing cabinet, and pulled it open, pulling two things out of them. The first was a slick black device, no bigger than a smart phone, with the crest of the school emblazoned in gold on it. The second was what looked like a room key.

"As it turns out, due to class 78's ceremony being a few days ago, all of the spare dorms had to be given to the incoming students. The Reserve Course students that pay tuition we're also given the spare rooms. After some deliberation with the higher ups, we found you a place to stay. A student of your class volunteered to be your roommate, as she had a dorm all to herself." he said.

"She? I'm bunking with a girl? Isn't that a bit iffy?" he asked curiously.

"Pfft, no! Hope's Peak Academy has co-ed dorms. It just takes a lot of haggling from the Steering Committee to allow it. Bunch of sour ass old folks." Kizakura muttered, taking a swig from his flask.

"Um...if it's alright, I guess I don't mind. I did share a room with my sister when I was younger, so I am used to it. Who was it that volunteered?" he asked.

"Princess Sonia Nevermind. When looking around for spare dorms, she was the one who came forward and requested for you to stay with her. She must really trust you if she's willing to allow you to share a room with her." the headmaster said, handing him the room key. He looked at it oddly, seeing his name laser etched into it. It would be his room key for the next three years at the academy.

"Um...we did talk a lot last night. I think she's my first real friend in this academy...it actually makes me a little less nervous being here." he said.

"That's good son. No need to be nervous, you are among friends here. Now, the second thing you will get while attending the academy is this eHandbook. It holds all of the regulations associated with the school, along with the time tables for the various stores and cafes located on campus. It also has detailed maps of the old building, and the four plazas. You'll be staying in the Hotel part of the old building, classes aren't mandatory, as you already know but I do encourage you to attend them, it's not as if Chisa is going to let you skip anyway. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me, Kizakura here or any of the other faculty members, we will assist you with anything you have." he said cheerfully. Daisuke nodded, the grip on his messenger bag loosening a bit.

"Thank you headmaster. I really appreciate all of this, for being so patient for my answer, I shouldn't have made you guys wait so long." he said.

"It's alright, sometimes it takes time for us to find what we're good at. Other times, it just hits us in the face. I hope you enjoy your time here in Hope's Peak, and make many friends. Relationships are just as important as talent after all." the man said. Daisuke nodded, giving him a bow. He turned around, pulling his suitcase along with him, for now he would head to his new dorm and put his things away. As he looked out the window, seeing the bright blue sky shining bright with the light of hope, he realized that everything would be alright, and that he had been nervous for nothing. It was time to stop fooling around, and embrace his talent. He would prove to people that it wasn't useless, starting with the people that wronged him. It would be a great year, he was sure of it.