A/N: And with this chapter, comes the end of the Class vs Class events. The final one is finally upon us!
Before I say anything more, there is mention of suicide in this chapter...and as I always I will tell each and everyone of you to seek help if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts. Talk to anyone, your friends, neighbors, teachers, counselors, doctors...they are all willing to listen. So please please please seek help. Trust me, it isn't worth it.
So I will say, there are some elements in this chapter that will pull us closer to the despair half of this story. If I could change it, I would definitely call this first half Kibou-Hen, as it is mostly Daisuke and his adventures with Class 77. It doesn't truly become Zetsubou-Hen until after Junko and Mukuro fuck shit up. Trust me, that will happen soon enough. I honestly wanted to skip right to the beach chapter, but I want to do the concert, so I can at least give this arc a true proper end. The Beach chapters will only be a few, probably one or two at most, not an entire arc. After that, we will be able to welcome Class 79 into Hope's Peak Academy and get on with good old fashioned despair...which means I must watch the later half of Danganronpa 3 so I can get everything correct. There are some plot points I haven't mentioned yet.
Ryouta Mitarai is one of them...Daisuke is writing him a script, So he will interact with Daisuke a lot more. There are some other things that need to be fixed as well, as they go against the continuity of the saga. There is a part in The School Life of Mutual Killing, where the 267 Reserve Course students commit a mass suicide. That will still happen, but the event that happens during it, where Daisuke and Hisashi are discussing date ideas, will most likely be tweaked, as Daisuke and Hiyoko are in a relationship at this point, along with Sonia. However, I realized that Yuno's memories were fake in the first place, so it could be possible that entire conversation never happened, who knows what I can come up with.
As for the tragedy of Hope's Peak Academy...I will be trying to figure out how to work everything out. I wanted to include Daisuke in there somehow, and I have gotten some ideas...I have also figured out who Kiriko will survive the entire thing...however she will have her memories tampered with, so they won't include Junko in them.
I dunno exactly how this will end...well I do. It ends how it ends, but what I mean is what happens during the first year of the tragedy, while Class 78 is locked up tight within Hope's Peak Academy, how the Remnants of Hope get formed, and all of that stuff. I'm still working on all of that, and I'm also working on how Junko and Daisuke's final meeting will tie into the future arc...technically speaking, Class 78 has been locked in the academy for three years, but that will be fixed so it is instead two. What Monokuma refers to as three years would be the time that they all know each other.
I have also omit the part where Hisashi and Junko meet up, because that part already happened. there's a reason why Junko is in Milan for as long as she is, and that's because she's hiding her pregnancy from everyone. Only Mukuro knows at this point, and it won't be long until she gives birth to baby Junko, just before she's due back at Hope's Peak to cause the Tragedy.
Well, that's enough rambling for now...I shall continue doing what I do, best, so you continue reading my best and let me know how I can improve...as always, guess the references!
The song used in the middle half of this chapter is called One in the Chamber, by Famous Last Words, I recommend listening to it and following along with the lyrics, so you can get the full message. All of the italics for that part represents the screams, as it is a Post Hardcore song. I was going to include the companion song, The End of the Beginning, but I didn't know how I could have worked it into the story...I hope you all enjoy this chapter...there will be more plot advancement to come along soon enough! Also, I would recommend you also look up Best Friend by Yelawolf featuring Eminem when you get to that part, imagine Natalie Hoover, the woman who voices Sonia Nevermind, singing that song, and you'll basically have that moment. Snap into a Slim Jim!
Shout out to Hong Cong, all three of your ocs for Class 76A made it into this chapter, I forgot to give you a shoutout yesterday for Hoshiko as well, so consider this a massive shoutout for you!
The End of Hope's Peak Academy
Zetsubou-Hen
Chapter 34
Shazam!
Daisuke was sitting in the classroom like normal. It had been a day since the trial that put his father in jail. His friends were still surprised that he had donated so much money away. He had told them, that he didn't want soiled money, and that he wanted to give it to those in need. All of them of course thought it was a very admirable thing, and of course Hiyoko had called him an idiot for at least not keeping a little bit of it. He was sitting on the railing before the teacher's desk, looking at his phone screen, as he had been messaging Junko.
Apparently, she had just received the book he had sent her, and had already finished it. Daisuke found it impressive that someone could finish 42 chapters in only a few days, but when she started talking about the intricacies of the plot, he remained silent. He hadn't been expecting an airhead like her to start talking about the finer details, it really surprised him. His friends were all chatting among themselves, while Chiaki was expression her dominion over the little people in a game of Mario Kart. She had bought herself a Nintendo Switch and a copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and as much as he wanted to play it, he didn't want to punch someone.
Currently, she was playing against Takane, Kazuichi and Mahiru in a four player split screen race. Kazuichi had of course wanted to choose 200cc and was paying horribly for it. Takane had consistently stayed in Second place, passing Chiaki a few times, while Mahiru remained in fourth. Kazuichi himself was in last place, trying his hardest not to get eliminated. It was rather funny to watch.
The pink haired mechanic, along with the rest of their friends had been discharged from the hospital the night before. He was taken by complete surprise when his girlfriend walked into the room, in a tank top, showing off her tattoo. He had flipped out and asked if it was permanent, to which she answered yes. He had been a bit upset, but he had grown fond of it, and had been considering getting one to match hers. Fuyuhiko quickly talked him out of it. Sonia was still staring at hers, a smile on her face, apparently having made the right call. Ibuki however couldn't take not showing hers off, so she had come into class with a very questionable outfit.
She was wearing a black and pink tube top, with light colored straps. It had thin silvery lines and a ruffled black lining. She was wearing a pair of black and pink shoulder bands, with silver music notes on it. She also had two bracelets on her left wrist, and a choker with a heart tag on it, having a Tenor Clef on it. She was wearing a matching ruffled skirt, with black lining and silvery lines. She was wearing a bright pink belt with a pink bow on the back, resembling butterfly wings. The skirt had a pink frilled layer underneath, with a third layer being black. She was wearing long black and pink platform shoes, reaching up to her knees. It was a rather showy outfit, but she wanted everyone to see her tattoo, so she didn't really care. A lot of guys had been looking at her, but she hadn't been paying attention to any of them.
Daisuke finished his conversation with Junko, as she had to prepare for another fashion show. She had told him that once she was done her summer line, she would be heading back to Japan to be with her class. She had yet to meet any of them, but had told him her sister was among them, and that he should speak with her when he had the chance. He didn't know why she wanted him to speak with her, but he figured he could make friends with practically anyone.
"Hey howdy hey, I'm coming in!" a rather peppy voice called out.
Looking up from the phone, he noticed that the one that had just walked into the room was a member of Class 76A and one of his upperclassmen. She was a young woman that had tan colored skin, with a soft face and bright green eyes. Her dark red hair fell down her shoulders, stopping at around mid back. She was wearing a light gray sweater, along with a pair of black gloves on her hands. She was wearing a pair of dark jeans, and black boots. She was very curvaceous, something that Daisuke quickly noticed, especially since he couldn't help but stare at her Double D breasts. She walked further into the room, slight mechanical noises coming from her.
"Hey Akira, what's up?" Kazuichi asked, glancing over his shoulder after passing the finish line, getting himself in seventh place, despite his previous losses.
"Nothing much, just wanted to check on my underclassmen. Seeing as we all have a challenge in a day, I thought it would be nice to scope out the competition." She said, a smirk on her face.
"Yeah, except we only chose the game. We have no idea what kind of playlist Sayaka is building for it." Hiyoko said, glancing up from her book. The cybernetic woman shrugged, turning to face Daisuke.
"Still, that was but one of my reasons. I am here for a completely different reason. Daisuke could I see your hand?" she asked. He nodded, allowing her to look at his hand. She hummed to herself as she looked over his finger, tracing the stump.
"Well...I can certainly say you'll like this...it'll hurt for a little bit though." she said, reaching into her pocket. She reached into her pocket for a glass case, where a mechanical digit was laying. It was black in color, the top of it being a bright silver. It was smooth and lacked a fingernail, but it still looked really cool.
"Whoa, is that my new finger?" he asked, earning a nod from it.
"This baby is state of the art. It will latch onto the stump, and will drill directly into your nervous system. It will only hurt for a few seconds though. After that it will work as a real finger. On top of that, I figured you had a lot of files on your lap top, so I made it part flash drive. It can store five hundred gigabytes of information. Tell me what you think?" she said, handing him the finger. He looked it over, a curious look on his face.
"Well, might as well plug it in." he said with a shrug, placing the finger onto his stump, making sure it was facing the right direction. He grit his teeth in pain as the device connected into his nervous system. His hand only hurt for a few seconds. He opened and closed his hand a few times, paying attention to the finger.
"Wow, it feels like the real deal...it even feels warm!" he said, looking at the black digit.
"It's made so it simulates body heat. In order for you to use it as a flash drive, you'll have to pull the top of it off and plug a transfer cable into it. Don't worry that won't hurt at all. It may feel like a real finger, but you won't experience pain if you stub it or something." she said.
"Thanks Akira, I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you!" he said. The young woman blushed, shaking her head.
"No no, I'm the Ultimate Cybernetic Technician...it's my life work to make limbs for those who need them. This is merely practice, if you ever get your hand cut off, you know where to come!" she said, giving him a wink.
"I'm not gonna get my arm chopped off any time soon, but thanks Akira, this means a lot!" he said, giving her a smile. She blushed a bit, making some robotic sounds.
"I should go...got things to do, stuff to invent." she said, dashing out of the room. He rolled his eyes, glancing back at his hand.
"How exactly will this Beat Shazam thing work again? Will we have to sing too?" Akane asked, looking up from her arm wrestling match with Nekumaru.
"Not exactly, you have to listen to the song and guess it correctly. Everyone will rotate to keep it fair, you can finishing singing it if you want." Daisuke said with a shrug.
"So it can be any song, that means we all should pool our Epods together and listen to everything we got." Ibuki said, looking up from her music notebook.
"You think so?" Mahiru asked.
"Of course, we're going up against Class 76A, my girl Otoki is a DJ, that means she has heard hundreds if not thousands of songs. Her remixes are legendary, she can make a dull get together a full blown party. We got stiff competition." she said firmly.
"Wow, I've never seen Ibuki so serious...maybe we should do as she says." Sonia said.
"Right!" Daisuke said, clapping his hands. He looked at his friends, a smirk on his face.
"From we'll listen to every song we all have. So from now on, we'll rotate each others phones and Epods clockwise until each of us has heard every song we got. We got two days, and depending on how many songs we have, it may take more than that...so we all have to have a grasp on everything." He said. He dug his hand into his pocket, pulling out his sky blue Epod Touch. He handed it to Ibuki, who was the closest one to him. He also took Sonia's in return.
"This is gonna be great...do you have Spanish songs on this Daisuzu?" Ibuki asked, sifting through his playlist.
"Yes ma'am. I like to stay well rounded, I got English songs too, the only English I know is from music. Hope you like what I got!" he said cheerfully. He grabbed his Bluetooth headset and synced it up to Sonia's phone, going straight to her playlist.
"Hiyoko what the fuck is this shit?" Fuyuhiko cried, glancing at the blonde dancer. She looked at him, a brow raised.
"Traditional music numb nuts. I have to practice my dancing so I downloaded a lot of stuff to dance too." she replied.
"Anything with words?" he asked.
"Yeah, I got some other stuff on there, just skip all of the traditional music, you uncultured fuck!" she cried.
"Why I aught to kick your ass you fucking shrew!" he shouted. Of course while this was going on, Daisuke was listening to the full version of the Pokemon Sun and Moon theme, so he completely missed Hiyoko tackling the young gangster to the ground.
He discovered Sonia had a lot of English music, some songs he had heard, and others he hadn't. She had a surprising amount of Eminem, which surprised him quite a bit. He didn't know his girlfriend had a taste for English rap. She only had two hundred songs though, so it wasn't hard to listen to all of them. Once he was done, he handed her phone over to Ibuki, who had just finished with his own. He waited for a few minutes, taking a Mahiru's phone from Sonia.
"What the hell happened to Fuyuhiko?" he asked, seeing the young man was holding an ice pack to his face.
"Your bitchy girlfriend just socked me in the face! Didn't you see her?" he asked.
"I was listening to Alola by Rika Matsumoto, sorry!" he said, brushing him off. The gangster was about to retort, but a curt nod from Peko silenced him.
"I can certainly say Mahiru has acquired a taste for free form jazz." Daisuke said jokingly as he handed Ibuki the girl's phone, about half an our later.
"It's the saxophone, sue me." she replied.
"I agree, there's something about the saxophone that is just beautiful. Never Tear Us Apart is one of my favorite songs with the instrument." Takane said.
"I thought you said Witch Doctor was your favorite song with saxophone in it?" Kazuichi said, earning a wide eyed look from the white haired girl.
"Nonsense, I would like a song that childish." she said, shaking her head. He frowned.
"But you had it on repeat the last time we were doing homework." he said.
"Kazu sweetheart, you are confused...I do not like children's music." she said firmly.
"Taka it's alright, we're not going to judge you over your preference in music." Daisuke said.
"Yes we are, ha you like a kiddie song!" Hiyoko cried out, earning a slap to the head from Sonia, who was glaring at her.
"You're beautiful, I'm a loser alive...on a suicide mission to die! I love this song!" Mikan cried, clutching Daisuke's Epod in her hand. He rolled his eyes.
"Figured someone would like William Control out of all of us, wasn't expecting it to be her though." he said, taking a hold of Hiyoko's phone, which Sonia had been using minutes before.
They had spent several hours just listening to music, pouring over every song and memorizing parts of the lyrics in case they needed them. Most had grown rather bored of this task, but knew it needed to be done. Daisuke had finished with Chiaki's phone, noting that most of it was gaming music. He had taken a hold of Mikan's phone, sifting through her playlist. She had most of the same songs everyone else had, along with a few he hadn't heard yet. Then he stumbled upon an episode of Untold Stories of the E.R. Growing curious, he clicked on it, turning the phone onto its side to properly watch.
He sat back against the railing, completely enthralled in the episode he was watching. It had been a generic episode, some guy walked in with some broken fingers, another guy had a motorcycle accident, nothing to major. At least until a new patient was wheeled in with a metal pike through his neck. His jaw dropped as he looked at the screen, the blood was all over his neck, a bright pink in color. The doctor was stunned as well, looking the man over. He was still conscious and even texting his wife.
"Holy shit man...what the fuck?" he cried out, still engrossed in the show.
"What, something wrong?" Sonia asked curiously.
"Yeah babe, this guy fucking came to the hospital with a pipe through his neck." he said.
"No way, that's impossible." she replied, sitting down next to him. Her eyes widened when he rewinded the video, showing her from the beginning. Akane and Nekumaru had leaned over to watch is as well, eyes widening a bit.
"That guy is a total monster!" Nekumaru said, clutching his own neck.
"He's a beast, give him props for still being able to text with that thing." Akane added.
"Oh, are you guys watching that? I've seen that so many times I can recite it, if you think that's amazing, you should see the episode after it. There's a guy that has a crowbar through his brain." Hiyoko said.
"Yo, we should play this on the big screen, let me just sync it up." Daisuke said, syncing the video to the big screen television. It flickered a few times, as the episode came on. They all cringed at the sight of the pipe. That was how Class 77B spent the whole afternoon watching Mikan's medical show, all while the girl kept on listening to Daisuke's entire playlist, twice.
xxx
"Welcome back everyone, to Beat Shazam! I'm your hostess the Ultimate Pop Sensation, Sayaka Maizono! With me are the two remaining Classes in Hope's Peak Academy's battle of the classes. The reigning champs and my upperclassmen Class 77B!" the girl cried, pointing a gloved hand to where the 77th class was sitting. The crowd cheered loudly as they all showed their support for the winners.
"Their opponents are also my upperclassmen, and the juniors of the academy. Class 76A ladies and gentlemen!" She cried enthusiastically, pointing to her right where the 76th Class was sitting.
"I have to say, she looks really good in that." Daisuke muttered, earning a giggle from Sonia who was sitting next to him. He was of course referring to the Ultimate Pop Sensation, who was dressed in her idol get up.
She was wearing a light pink halter top, with a frilly hem. The area around the arm holes was light pink in color, blending in with the darker pink of the fabric. She wore a dark pink bow around her neck, with a bright blue jewel in the center. The top had a hole in the center, showing off a generous amount of her cleavage. The top left her midriff exposed, showing off her tone stomach. She was wearing a dark pink layered skirt, the top layer was light pink in color, while the other two layers we're white. She was wearing a pair of white leather boots, which had a slight heel on them. On her hands was a pair of white gloves, with frills on the edges. Her long blue hair was tied up into ponytails, with white hair ties. She sported a frilly pink bow on the right side of her head, and she was wearing her favorite Kitty Barrette on the left side of her head. She was owning the show, the camera belonged to her and no one would dare take it from her.
"So far, both teams are doing great! However Class 76 is ahead of the reigning champs by a single point. The scores are at nine and ten currently, and the competition has been fierce. First to twelve wins, let's have our next contestants come up." she said, the crowd breaking into applause.
Peko walked up to the buzzer, representing class 77, while Akira took the front for class 76. Sayaka stood between the two, glancing at the large screen that had been set in the center of the gymnasium.
"Alright, the battle begins now...guess that song!" Sayaka said, snapping her fingers. The beat picked up, the lyrics blasting through the speakers.
"You know I know how, to make them stop and stare as I zone out!"
Peko slammed her hand on the buzzer, before the lyrics could even finish. The flashing light on front of her lit up, bringing Sayaka's attention to her.
"Peko Pekoyama, what's the name of the song?"
"Club Can't Handle Me, by Flo Rida." she replied, earning a grin from Sayaka.
"That is correct! That brings Class 77's total to ten points, both classes are tied now. This is anyones game, so let's have our next contestants!" the idol cried. Fuyuhiko high fived Peko as he made his way down.
Class 76 sent down a short young woman. She was only four foot eleven, and had long dark purple hair and vibrant blue eyes. She was wearing a pair black ninja pants, along with some sandals. Attached to her waist was a belt holding various weapons, throwing stars, kunai's and even had two ninjato sheathed to her back. Her breasts were covered with long gauze, some of it being frayed at the edges. She was wearing a matching black robe over it. She had a black belt wrapped around her waist, and shin guards on her legs. This young woman was Rumi Shimada, the Ultimate Kunoichi.
She was a rather quiet girl, being mostly invisible to everyone due to her quietness. She was ignored most of the time, and that's how she liked it. However she changed completely when she got to know someone, she was classified by some of the guys as adorable, and had a love of foxes and sweets. Even though she was nervous walking up to the buzzer, she knew her classmates had their faith in her, so she wouldn't let them down.
"Rumi, good to have you up here again, same to you Fuyuhiko...what are your chances of winning this battle today?" Sayaka asked, glancing at Rumi who licked her lips.
"Um...I suppose we have a good shot." she said nervously.
"Like hell you do, we've got this in the bag." Fuyuhiko said.
"I wouldn't be so confident, even a Five star chef burns his eggs!" Sayaka said firmly, causing the boy to mutter a swear under his breath. Sayaka snapped her fingers, the music starting up again.
"I breathe you in with smoke, in the backyard lights...we used to laugh until we choked, until the wasted night...it was the best time of my life, but now I sleep alone, so don't don't wake me up. It was the best."
The song was interrupted by both contestants hitting the button. However, Rumi's was faster due to her ninja quickness. Sayaka turned to face the girl, a smile on her face.
"I actually met the leader of this band...they're really sweet. So Rumi, what's your answer?" the blue haired girl asked, giving her an expectant look.
"Bulletproof Love by Pierce the Veil!" the replied, a loud ding filling the gym.
"That is correct, Class 76 moves to eleven points, one more and Class 77 will have to eat their words!" Sayaka said.
Akira cheered loudly, wrapping her arms around the young Kunoichi as she headed back to her seat. Fuyuhiko just sat next to Peko with a huff, letting Hiyoko take his spot. The next one up for Class 76 was another young woman.
She stood at five foot six inches with shoulder length brown hair. She had bright orange eyes and fair colored skin, with a rather motherly figure. She was wearing a white button up blouse, a dark navy blue skirt, black leggings and white work shoes. Her name was Asuka Komura, and she was the Ultimate Elementary School Teacher.
Despite being young, she had a knack for taking care of children. Often times she would teach at Hope's Peak Elementary, because she was so good with kids. She had started teaching those younger than her at the age of ten, but didn't start becoming a professional until the age of thirteen, not at the age of seventeen, she was well loved by children everywhere. She had even gotten recommendations from various schools and the best teacher of the year award.
"Asuka, Hiyoko...you two have been able to guess every song correctly so far...even pulled your teams out of the penalty, let's see who wins first. Play the song!" Sayaka cried, snapping her fingers.
"I see the future and the fruit it brings.."
"This town forgot it's sense of reasoning!" Hiyoko continued, slamming her hand on the button. Asuka sighed, blinking angrily at the girl.
"Hiyoko Saionji says?"
"The World, a cover of the second intro to Death Note sung by Jonathan Young." She replied.
"Correct! Sorry Asuka, maybe next time...the teams are still tied at eleven points a piece! What is going to happen next?" Sayaka asked, excitement in her voice.
Daisuke gave Sonia a kissed as she walked past him, taking Hiyoko's spot. The blonde dancer and the princess also shared a quick kiss, much to the surprise of a few people, including some of their class. The Princess wasn't very affectionate to her fellow blonde, not many knew if she was in a relationship with her or not. She took her spot at the buzzer, at the same time as another member of Class 76.
He was a young man that stood at six feet two inches. He had medium brown colored skin, and bright brown eyes. He was wearing a baseball cap on his head, the bill facing backward. He was wearing a black shirt with a marijuana leaf on it. He wore a pair baggy pants, and some low top sneakers. Around his waist was a belt which wasn't going through his belt loops, rather it was hanging on to his waist. His name was Nehru Miyamoto, and he was the Ultimate Rapper.
"Ey yo sugar momma, mind passing me some skin?" the boy asked, earning a groan from Sayaka.
"I've told you once Nehru, I'm dating someone so I won't pass you some skin. Now then, both classes are tied at Eleven points, let's see who will be the grand champions of Beat Shazam! Let's play that song!" Sayaka cried, holding her hand high above her head. As soon as she heard the beat, Sonia slammed her hand on the button, but rather than answering, she continued singing, or rather rapping, much to everyones surprise.
God, please could you arm me with the armor
To calm me when there's drama like Gandhi
Could have gone the other way many times
Could have turned Dalai with the lama
But I squashed my beefs and things seem to be looking decent recently,
But don't jinx it
It's like Clint Eastwood looking for peace
Though maybe not finna enta' the priesthood,
But at least should make an attempt to show some remorse
And to be some sorta repenter
For the people I've been a menace ta'
Not a preacher, but a shit starter and finisher
Enta' the mind of a thick skinned, but a short temper
This patience of mine is thinner
Than twine is when I get attacked
So I might say something back that might offend you
So if you don't like when I rap
Or what I have to say on the mic then you
Might wanna act just like quarterbacks
And take a fuckin' hike when I snap cause I'm a sinner
(I got a best friend, best friend)
Plus balls and intestines
And they never been yes men
They gon' tell me when I'm fuckin' up
The minute I'm ever giving it less than
I'm about to vomit and I can feel it coming
Cause failure's something I can barely stomach
And I only listen to my guts
So unless you're my fuckin' belly button
Don't tell me nothin'
You ain't my (best friend, best friend)
Who you think I'm talking 'bout?
Lifts me up when I'm down and out
Still look to him without a doubt
Still got a (best friend, best friend)
Shout it out like there's never been a louder mouth
Should have never been allowed a mouth
Now that I got a higher power
Now when I black out power outage
They powerless, but they crowd around
They tend to flock like shepherds the black sheep
But I'll be the worst thing that these motherfuckers ever herd
When I'm counted out
You be D.O.A., they'll announce
But pronounce you dead when they sound it out
So prepare for a rival with your arch enemy
Surrounds you now
He's all around you
Not even the doctor's at the hospital
Are gonna shigy-shock you back to life
It's in piggy possible to revive you
That's word to the digy doc
Stigy stopping is not an option
Something I'm not gonna do
I'm the Iggy Pop of hip-hop when I walk in the booth
Dawg, I'm the truth like Biggie rockin' with Tupac in the suit
Talking to Proof dropping a deuce
Fill up a syllable clip like a re-fillable script, cock it and shoot
And who do you think's my Glock that I use
That I pull from to get my strength up against these haters
And he'll be waiting at the gate
When you get sprayed up, sending you hoes straight up
To deal with my (best friend, best friend)
"That classifies and an answer yes? But just to be sure, Best Friend by Yelawolf and Eminem." the princess said. Nehru dropped the pencil in his hand, jaw hanging wide. He shook his head, stars in his eyes.
"Please, marry me...you can be the Chanel West Coast of Japan." he said, much to her annoyance.
"My apologies, but I already have a man and a woman in my life...why would I leave them for you? You have good talent, but you are rather rude and uncouth, not to mention you annoyed me every time you saw me last year." Sonia snapped, causing the boy to visibly cringe.
"And you'll deal with me if you keep hitting on her man." Daisuke said firmly.
"You hold him down, I'll crush his balls!" Hiyoko added.
"Let's move on, how about we all celebrate the amazing win of Class 77B. They have bested Class 76 and everyone else in Hope's Peak Academy. Every single one of us fell to your might, and now you will be known as the best class in the entire academy, immortalized many years to come! And you'll have bragging rights until the next time there's a head to head match!" Sayaka said. The crowd exploded in cheer, all of them clapping for class 77.
Daisuke looked around the gymnasium, seeing some of his friends from other classes waving to and fro, whistling and cheering loudly. Loud pops filled the area, as rainbow colored confetti rained around them all.
"There's confetti everywhere, damn it...shit!" the janitor shouted, pulling the cord of his leaf blower. That seemed to cut into everyones mood. Sayaka cleared her throat, turning to face the camera.
"Well, all of us lost to the might that is class 77B...while all of our bonds were strong, they could not defeat these sixteen students. Better yet, all of these events got the academy enough money to send Class 75 to their final trip in Hawaii, not only that...thanks to your donations, they'll even be able to get enough money for souvenirs!" Sayaka cried cheerfully. She walked over to Daisuke and Chiaki, who were in the front of the class, bright smiles on their faces.
"So, what do you two have to say for yourselves? You are the representatives for this class after all." she said, holding the microphone to Chiaki. She shook her head, passing it to Daisuke.
"All of these events, all of these wins was because of you. I was stuck in bed with the flu, but you were the ones who defeated the Student Council and Class 77A. You deserve to speak." she said.
"Seriously...oh um...I didn't exactly prepare a speech or anything...all I can say is...thanks for the memories. This was fun, and we should definitely do this more often...these years in high school, they're rather short. So let's all work together to make them the best years possible...and if you want to take us on in paintball, we're ready to smoke you anytime." he said, giving the camera a wink.
"Say, there was something else you wanted to do here right? You had me, Leon and Ibuki set up the instruments here earlier...what was that again?" Sayaka asked curiously.
"I was hoping you would help me with something. I know our concert is two days from now, but I wanted to do this right now...do you think you could join me on stage?" he asked, pointing to where the instruments were.
"Sure...I guess so." she said. He handed his bag to Sonia, pausing to remove a single note from within. Leon walked down from the bleachers, along with Ibuki who were both following him.
"You sure you wanna do this here and not at the concert? I mean we've all practiced our parts." he said.
"I'm fine, I trust you bro...you're good on guitar and drums, so be my drummer for the day. Ibuki your on guitar, Sayaka gets bass." he said.
They all nodded, walking up toward their respective instruments. He walked toward the computer he had set up with Leon earlier that day. The crowd was watching them all intently, while some were screaming about Sayaka potentially doing a song live for them. After everything was set, Daisuke walked toward the microphone in the center of the stage. He licked his lips, sighing loudly...which echoed through the speakers. At least they were operational.
"Well...I got up here because I wanted to talk about something rather serious. I wanna talk about suicide." he said, pausing a bit to gather his thoughts. His friends continued checking their instruments over, while Otoki wondered over to the computer. She had promised to handle all of the other instruments they couldn't do live. He cleared his throat, silencing the crowd.
"As you all know, my father went on trial yesterday, and was sentenced to death, a rather fair punishment. But I'm not up here to talk about that, I'm here to talk a bit about my brother Ryuji...I didn't know him that well, I'll admit. But what I did know about him, was that he was annoying, got arrested too much, asked for money every week, and loved drinking. He pissed me off quite a lot." he said, earning some chuckles from the crowd. He looked around, spotting Erika among the new students, only a few of them had actually shown up. He saw Cameron and Megan as well, as he had invited them specifically for this.
"But what I didn't know, was that behind that facade, was a troubled man. He was dealing with his mother's hospitals bills after she passed away. His home was being foreclosed and he was in debt, the money that I gave him, wasn't used for alcohol like I thought, but rather used to pay mortgage. He was at the end of his rope, and he ended up killing someone while driving drunk. My bastard father...he abused that fact..made him feel guilt...and that eventually lead to him killing himself.
I'm not a saint, I won't stand up here and tell you I haven't thought about it, because I have." he said, lowering is bracelets a bit. He showed everyone the scar just above his tattoo, and the one on his left wrist as well.
"I tried killing myself when my ex-girlfriend left me. Ryusuke Fuji told her to destroy me in the worst way possible...so she kept on leading me on, told me she loved me, only to sleep with my then best friend. She used me for my money, stole from me, and shattered my heart. I felt horrible, I wanted to die...so I did...it slit my wrists and got into a tub, waiting to die. My sister found me half dead and took me to the hospital...it was a horrible day.
It was then that I realized I had to live for. But my father still kept on destroying me, day in and day out...until the day Chisa Yukizome came to my house, with my class. She saved my life...she pulled me from the abyss of despair, the edge of life and death. I had been contemplating doing it for real, with a more effective method. This is something I'm admitting now, because I didn't have the balls to say it then. One of my dear friends has tried to kill herself in the past, but thankfully she was saved. Ryuji however...wasn't."
He paused, taking a sip from the water he had brought with him. His heart was beating hard in his chest, as he looked at the crowd in front of him. His agoraphobia was threatening to kick in, but this time he was going to push through it.
"My brother honestly felt that this was the way, he wanted to pay for his sins. A filthy life that my father told him. It was him that drove Ryuji to pull that trigger, he talked him into it, and I will never forgive him for it. I still blame myself, for not answering that phone call, for not speaking to him and talking him out of it. My mind is plagued by thoughts of what could have been, if he told one of us what was going on, we could have helped him...but he took his secrets to the grave. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I learned the truth about him.
I wrote this song, the song about his final thoughts, or my interpretations of it. Based on what my mother Tami-Lynn told me, and about all of the stuff plaguing his life. The thoughts of foreclosure, debt and bills...this is a song, telling a bit of his final day, the crime he accidentally commit, and how a single bullet ended it all." he said, bowing his head a bit. It was his cue for the music to start.
Ibuki started the song off, strumming the beginning notes on her guitar, while Leon and Sayaka joined in, adding the beat and baseline. Daisuke was banging his head to the beat, his hair flying wildly around him. He gripped the microphone tightly in his hand, lifting his head up to face the crowd.
"I was a living soul just like the rest of you
A normal guy working nine to five
Keeping up with the bills because my mother was ill
I lost track of time
She lost her fucking mind
Eventually she died, I was broken and petrified
So I drink the medicine tonight, bottoms up here's to my shitty life!
Where have all my morals gone?
Lost away with the bottle, how did this all go wrong (It all went wrong)
It wasn't my intention but there's no redemption
For those who take away the lives of the innocent
I'm inebriated, I'm dangerous I can't...(I can't live on)
So there's one in the chamber, just waiting for me to end it all!"
Daisuke took another deep breath, losing himself in the beat of the song. He closed his eyes, the images playing in his mind, like an old film.
"I drank my sorrows down and poisoned my soul to the core
I drove away that dreadful night, couldn't take life not anymore.
Behind, the wheel...the tunnel vision, I couldn't see him
85 through the intersection, my sick transgression, I fucking killed him!
I saw the blood, what had I done?
Where have all my morals gone?
Lost away with the bottle, how did this all go wrong (It all went wrong)
It wasn't my intention but there's no redemption
For those who take away the lives of the innocent
I'm inebriated, I'm dangerous I can't...(I can't live on)
So there's one in the chamber, just waiting for me to end it all!"
"It's come to this, a pen and paper, a loaded gun.
I can't live on another day, with everything that I've done.
Dark, has taken all control
The accident had consequence, I took a father from his girl
And God can't even save my soul
This life is barely living, hollow man I have no feelings
Burn in fires down below
It's just what I deserve, because I am evil and despicable
One Shot, ready to let go, I put my finger on the trigger
Life, I want mine to be over!
Where have all my morals gone?
Lost away with the bottle, how did this all go wrong (It all went wrong)
It wasn't my intention but there's no redemption
For those who take away the lives of the innocent
I'm inebriated, I'm dangerous I can't...(I can't live on)
So there's one in the chamber, just waiting for me to end it all!"
Daisuke remained silent, catching his breath with his head bowed, tears rolling down his face. The song paused briefly, the sound of a gunshot echoing through the speakers.
"There's one, in the chamber! Waiting for me just to end it all!
End it all!" the boy screamed, reaching into his pocket. He unfolded the note, wiping his tears for a brief second.
"My mother is gone, so I guess I'll just leave this for whoever finds me. All I can say is I'm sorry. I can't live with myself with what I've done. I can't take the guilt, and the pain, the emptiness, it's all just too much. I'm hollow, I can't take life anymore."
The song wound done to the final notes, leaving a rather exhausted Daisuke. The adrenaline pumping through him was making him jittery. He wiped the tears away from his eyes, giving a grateful not to his friends for playing the song. He took another deep breath, turning to face the crowd.
"I want all of you to know, that there is always a choice. Don't ever thing that killing yourself is that choice, because it never is. You may feel at peace, but everyone else will never be. They will suffer your loss, for the rest of their lives. Please, if you feel like suicide is the option, talk to someone, your friends, family, councils, Christ talk to me if you have too...together we can stop this from happening. We don't need a tragedy like this...suicide is never the answer, so don't let it become yours. Thank you for listening." he said, bowing for the crowd.
Everyone broke into applause, there was no cheering or whistling, just the sounds of hands clapping. It was a rather moving song, and he could tell it had cleared a lot of doubt in anyone who was possibly thinking those thoughts. He noticed Megan and Cameron were hugging each other, thankful looks on their faces. He was sure his mother and Tami-Lynn had also been tuned into the show. Leon clapped his shoulder, giving him a smile.
"You were right, doing this song today made it more of an impact than during the concert." he said.
"Told you, I just wanted to get that story out there...with everything that's happened, I feel like Ryuji can finally be at peace." he said.
"He definitely will be, we're so ready for that concert...my sister is bringing our outfits so you'll need to be ready for that!" Sayaka said.
"Sweet, does that mean I get the sexy top? Just to let you know, my boobs aren't as big as yours so I might now fill it in." Daisuke said, earning a huff from Sayaka. Leon on the other hand broke into laughter, clutching his sides tightly.
"I hope you step on a lego." the idol said, walking away from the orange haired boy, who gasped audibly.
"You heathen! How dare you curse me like that?" he snapped, feigning anger. Daisuke shook his head, giving a final wave to the crowd before racing off after his friends.
xxx
Daisuke and the rest of his class were all outside, walking around the campus as a group. People were still rearing from the final event, and getting the campus ready for the concert two days from now. The Ultimate Story Teller had decided to lead his friends toward his mother's restaurant, to celebrate another win, and to speak with Cameron and Megan.
"You totally killed it with that song man, really hit me in the kokoro." Kazuichi said. The boy shook his head, brow raised.
"Did it now?" he asked.
"Course man, that it really gave me insight on Ryuji...it really sucks that he died because of Ryusuke." the teenager said.
"I know, a huge shame really...but now he's at peace so it's alright." Daisuke replied, a smile on his face.
"So, what do we do now? We won the title of Ultimate Class...do we get a trophy or something?" He asked.
"Hell if I know, I doubt they'll present us with an award or anything...but I've got to say, I had fun." Fuyuhiko said.
"Here here, the dodgeball tournament was great!" Akane said, a grin on her face.
"Paintball was better, I got to use my mini-gun without being shot at!" Nekumaru said.
"Please, if anything I have to say the spelling bee was the best. Even if we lost so many people, watching them squirm as they spelled all of our words was epic." Hiyoko said.
"Mhmm...it was totally epic...if only I was able to score some panties from it though, it would have made my day." Teruteru said, a perverted look on his face. Peko slammed her hand over his head, causing him to yelp in pain.
"Of course, we wouldn't have been able to do any of this without Daisuke, he was the one who came up with most of the events. He got us here!" Mahiru said with a grin.
"Sir Daisuke, the Dark Lord wishes for you to bequeath your sentiments to us." Tanaka said firmly, earning a curious look from everyone of their friends.
"I...have nothing to bequeath...we did this together...we put our friendship to the test, and we won. That's what truly matters in the end, all of us...we trust each other. I can say without a doubt, that you'll be my friends forever, and there's nothing in this world that will make me change my mind." he replied.
"That's so sweet of you...we don't deserve such an awesome friend!" Mikan cried, turning into a blubbering mess. Chiaki frowned, rubbing the girl's back to soothe her a bit.
"Aw sweetheart don't cry, there's plenty of me to go around." Daisuke said, causing Sonia and Hiyoko to huff. He chuckled, wrapping his arms around their waists.
"Of course I am taken at the moment, how's Makoto doing by the way? Heard you went on another date last night."
"He's super sweet, he wants me to meet his parents!" Mikan said.
"Aw, that's so adorable!" Mahiru cried, hugging the nurse tightly.
Daisuke was about to say something when someone caught his eye.
It was a young woman, with short black hair and gray colored eyes. She was wearing a short sleeved tee shirt, a brown skirt with black combat boots. She had a firm look on her face, her mouth turned into a frown. His friends stopped, catching his line of sight.
"You know her?" Fuyuhiko asked curiously.
"No...give me a second alright? I'll catch up." he said, tightening his hold on his bag as he walked after the girl. They all watched him go, shrugging it off, though Sonia and Hiyoko decided to stick around just in case.
Daisuke tapped the girl's shoulder, causing her to instantly turn around, he felt cold steel at his throat, making him swallow hard. She locked eyes with him, cool blue meeting soft gray. She retracted her knife, placing it back into its sheath on her leg.
"May I help you?" she asked, an emotionless tone in her voice.
"I should apologize...I should have said something first. You must be Mukuro Ikusaba correct? Junko's sister?"
Her eyes lit up a bit at the sound of her younger sister. She gave him a nod, a small smile on her face.
"Yes, Junko is my little sister...I remember her telling me to meet you, Mr. Del Rio was it?"
"Just Daisuke, or Dais...whatever you prefer. Junko's told me a lot about, good things...and some bad things...but I like to make judgment of a person by meeting them." he said.
"My apologies...I tend to upset my little sister quite a bit. She's in Milan right now and is in her words, "Like totally super bored". So she often texts her friends, most of the time telling them lies about myself." she replied.
"Aren't you the older sibling though? You should crack down on her a bit." he said firmly.
"It's alright, I'm only older by ten minutes...even then she's the dominant one of the two." she replied. His eyes widened at hearing that.
"You're twins? But you don't look at all alike!" he said.
"We're fraternal...she changed her last name when she became a model. Didn't want a connection with her icky big sister...I was sent to war shortly after so it's alright."
"Right, she said you were the Ultimate Soldier, a member of the now defunct Fenrir...must be tough being the sole survivor." he said.
"I'm fine...my comrades lay down their lives fighting for a good cause. I shall avenge them all in due time. However education is rather important as well, my sister was able to get us into the academy, but we've rarely spent more than a day here. She'll be back soon enough, and then our plans will begin." she said.
He tilted his head curiously, not really understanding what she was trying to get at.
"Plans? What plans?" he asked. Her eyes widened a bit, and she looked away, biting her lip.
"Nothing important...what I meant to say was our plans for tackling this school. We wish to receive the best education in the world after all...we are Ultimate Students for a short period of time, we have to make it count." she said firmly.
"Right...well Mukuro it was nice meeting you...maybe we could hang out some time? Before your crazy sister shows up again. Oh, and be sure to smile more, you look prettier with a smile." he said, giving her a wink. She flushed brightly, placing a hand on her lips.
"I do?" she said softly.
"Course, everyone looks good with a smile. You ever need help, just pop into Classroom 2-B, or better yet, text me...here's my number." he said, handing her a small card with his number on it. She nodded, gratefully accepting the card.
"Thank you Daisuke, I hope we can become great friends."
"Same here...see ya around Mukuro." he said, turning around. He ran off, catching up with Sonia and Hiyoko who were waiting for him. Mukuro watched him go, a genuine smile on her face.
"Perhaps...we could spare one." she muttered to herself, turning to face the academy of Hope. Thoughts of Despair were flowing through her mind, but she knew the time wasn't right. Only Junko knew when that time was, and she wasn't about to risk their plan, not yet.
xxx
Far below Hope's Peak Academy, was a large room. It was do deep underground, that no one would know it was there. There was only one way to reach it, and that would be via elevator, from a secret place within the main building of the academy. This room was entirely empty, save for a single pod in the center of the room. The floor was padded with bright lights, as was the ceiling. There was a large window on the far side of the room, which was made with one way glass. It was here that the members of the Steering Committee and some previously Ultimate Scientists and Neurologists were standing, conducting their research.
A young man was sitting on the bed, a firm look on his face. He had short spiky hair, with an ahoge on the top of his head. He was wearing nothing but a white hospital gown, several tubes hooked into his arms. One of the scientists walked over to him, along with a high member of the Steering Committee.
"Hello Mr. Hinata, are you prepared for the procedure?" the man asked.
"Of course, I spent the last few months getting batted with tests. It was rather hard to keep my parents from figuring it out." Hajime replied, earning a chuckle from the man.
"Worry not, your parents will be notified of this soon enough. You will be placed in his hyperbolic chamber for awhile. When you wake up, you will have no memory of your previous life, but you will be endowed with every talent imaginable. You will be the hope of the world...this is what you wanted, correct?" the man asked.
"Yes...I want talent, I want to be good at something, so that I can face her again. Even if I forget her, my heart will remember." He firmly replied.
"If that is what you believe...Hajime Hinata, just remember you will be known as the Ultimate Hope of the world. It is thanks to you that we are able to bestow your gifts to this daft world. When you wake up, a brand new hope will be waiting for you." the man said.
"Hope...sure." the boy said. He lifted his legs from the side of the pod, and lay back on it, settling into the bed. The scientist closed the pod, giving him a nod through the glass. Hajime blinked a few times, before closing his eyes for the last time.
An image of Chiaki Nanami filled his mind. She was happy, smiling and bright. She was with her friends, the 77th Class. Talent, a place where he could finally have talent, Hope's Peak Academy. He smiled as he started loosing consciousness.
"Chiaki...when we next meet...I'll have talent, then I can finally...prove my self worth." he thought. It was the last thing he would think about as Hajime Hinata. The next moment he would wake, he would be a completely different person. The wheels of fate had begun turning, and sadly, it would lead to nothing but chaos, chaos...and blinding despair.