A.N: Hello again, everyone! Today... is a special day. It had been in my mind for a few months now, and I finally began to work on it. If you have been reading my Naegiri series, the title of this fic will be familiar. I started writing this series in 2020 when I was only a beginner at writing fanfiction, and the more I reread it, the more I felt it could be vastly improved. So I'm writing the original story, The Academy of Hope, again. Still, writing the original was a ton of work, so I won't be deleting it. Instead, both versions will be available, in case anyone is curious to see how they compare.

If you haven't read it, then welcome on board! I hope you'll like it and that you'll be curious enough to read the other stories in this series! If you have already read it, reading this new version won't be a total waste of time, as there will be brand new scenes and many improvements! The main events won't change too much, although I plan to make some slight edits. In any case, this new version will be the new "canon" to the series once it's complete.

Now, in terms of schedule, don't expect frequent updates on this story. My priority remains on my other main fic, The Hope Foundation (which is the sequel to this fic, actually), since a version of this fic already exists. I'll still try to update it as often as possible, though. No promises, but I'll do my best with how busy I am.

Enough notes for now! I hope you like this first chapter! Of course, spoilers for DR1.

I (obviously) do not own Danganronpa or any of its characters.

Chapter One: Prelude to the Journey

18th of June, 2010

"Hey, Naegi-kun! Did you fill out your application form yet? Today's the deadline, you know?"

If you wanted to define Makoto Naegi in one word, 'ordinary' or 'average' would be prime candidates. He lived the average high-school life, with a few friends and good enough grades not to get into trouble with the teachers.

If you asked him, this was more than enough. Following the trends was something he enjoyed doing, and he didn't specifically crave anything more. If he could graduate, get into college, find a job, and start a family, he would be just fine with that.

And yet, today was a special day. Indeed, every student in their first year of high school was eagerly awaiting one thing and one thing only: the Hope's Peak Academy Lottery.

"Nah, we'll never get in, and you know that just as much as I do," another student told Makoto's friend, dismissing the idea with ease.

"Hey, you didn't need to remind me!" the first student argued, crossing his arms and pouting. "Well, it's unlikely, that's for sure… Though if Naegi-kun forgets to fill his application, it increases our odds!"

Makoto rolled his hazel-colored eyes. Hope's Peak Academy was a name every student in Japan had heard of. After all, it was nothing short of the best high school in the whole country, if not the whole world. Anyone who graduated from Hope's Peak was said to be set for life, which was obviously every student's dream.

"I actually filled it yesterday," he replied to his two classmates, referring to the application form. "I'm so unlucky at everything, so I'm not getting my hopes up, but who knows? Maybe a miracle could happen?"

He shrugged for emphasis. Truthfully, he didn't believe his own words one single bit. Applying to Hope's Peak Academy was free for any Japanese student in their first year of high school. Of course, this meant competition was tough.

"Well, even if it did happen, I think I would be freaked out among all of these Ultimates!" the first student said, his voice betraying his nervousness. "There are plenty of rumors saying they can be scary! Well, I guess they're the elite of the elite, so they probably can afford to be condescending."

"Yeah, when you put it like that, I guess there are also some downsides. Imagine being that one random dude! Must be something, lemme tell you!"

There was a little catch in this selection process. Built upon a reputation of teaching the elite of the world, Hope's Peak Academy wasn't for just anyone to attend. To be scouted by the school required talent.

Ultimate talent.

Whether it was in music, sports, science, literature, or something else, the students of Hope's Peak Academy were carefully chosen for their impressive talents. The so-called Ultimates often had enough potential to reign over their respective fields as adults and were supposed to bring hope to the world.

And, among them, was a single ordinary guy.

The title of Ultimate Lucky Student would be awarded to the student whose name was drawn in the yearly Hope's Peak Academy Lottery. They would be able to attend the school like the other Ultimates and receive the same privileges after graduation.

Of course, every student sought the title. Every year, thousands of students had their dream ruined for a single one of them to join the elite of the elite.

And today was the last day to apply for the lottery. The odds were slim, to put it lightly, but Makoto figured it was always worth a shot. If by some miracle, he were to be chosen, he would be thrilled. If not, his daily life would resume, and you wouldn't hear him complain.

"Guess all we can do now is wait, right?" the boy stated. His two friends nodded in agreement with him. The teacher entered the classroom, prompting everyone to get back to their seats.

Makoto stared through the window with his head resting in his hands.

Hope's Peak Academy… Now that would be something…

24th of July, 2010

Man… How could so many things happen in a single day?!

Makoto tiredly opened the door, not in the mood for anything at the moment. Today was the final day of school before summer break, so this was supposed to be something to look forward to.

However, a series of events had played out to ruin the young man's day. This went from his grocery bags tearing open to literally being taken hostage by a robber and ending up being questioned by the police.

Without a doubt, this was the worst day of his life. Not even close.

He seriously doubted that anything could make it better now. At least, he had been able to draw a single conclusion from this whole ordeal: he was probably in the top one percent of the world's unluckiest people.

Whatever that was worth, honestly. He knew he wouldn't put this on his resume.

"Oh, Makoto! You're back!"

The boy noticed his little sister run up to him with something in her right hand. Her name was Komaru Naegi, and she was a year younger than he was. And just like every girl her age, she adored pop idols to an unhealthy degree.

They fought a lot, but he still loved her dearly. Right now, however, Makoto didn't think he could bear having anyone stand in-between him and a well-needed rest.

"Yeah…" he replied without much spirit, walking towards the living room of the Naegi household with tired eyes. I'm absolutely beat… Way to start summer vacation… He thought ironically.

"Is… something wrong…?" Komaru asked, seeing her brother walk past her without another word. She got frustrated when he didn't even reply. "Hey, stop being a jerk! I asked you a question!"

Makoto sighed as he sat on the sofa in front of the television. The news channel was on, but it didn't seem very interesting.

"Sorry… Just had a terrible day, that's all," he explained, slumping on the sofa like he was about to drop dead right there and then. "I need sleep. Like, tons of sleep."

"Oh, no, you don't! Not after you read this!" his sister suddenly told him, handing him what she had been holding. "It's a letter for you. Dad found it in the mail earlier. He asked me to give it to you since he's on the phone with his boss at the moment."

This surprised Makoto. After all, if his friends from school wanted to tell him something, they could just text him. A love letter was also quickly ruled out (even if he wouldn't have complained…).

What could that letter be about…? He wondered curiously, accepting the letter with a nod. Well, no better way to know than to read it, I guess…

"You'll love to read this, Makoto!" Komaru said, barely able to stay still. The boy knew his sister was the energetic type, but this was taken to an extreme. "And I think your day is going to improve from 'terrible' to 'freaking awesome' really quickly!"

"That much, huh?" he said, a small smile making its way back onto his lips. Shaking his head amusingly, he opened the letter and retrieved a bunch of documents inside. "What is… this…?"

At this moment, everything around Makoto froze in place. His brain paused, and he couldn't move a muscle, no matter how hard he tried. His eyes were stuck on the letter in his hand, reading it again and again until it made sense.

Yet, no matter how much he reread it, it still seemed unreal. He was waiting for the alarm clock to ring and wake him up from this nightmare of a day that had just turned into an unexpected dream.

"Have you glitched out or something…?" He barely noticed Komaru wave in front of his eyes, trying to see if he was still there. "Mom! Dad! I think Makoto's broken!"

His ears picked up on the sound of his parents joining them from upstairs. Still, all he could do was stare at the letter until tears welled up in his eyes.

"Naegi Makoto,

We recently held a lottery to select one ordinary student to attend our school. As a result, you have been selected, and we invite you to join us as the Ultimate Lucky Student.

Included is an orientation guide for Hope's Peak Academy."

"He does look broken; you're right! You still with us, son?"

"Poor thing… He was so surprised that he's not even responding anymore!"

He heard them perfectly fine, of course, but he just didn't know what to say. His parents, Takeshi and Yumiko Naegi, were respectively an employee at a printing house and a social worker for students in need. He loved them as much as they loved him and his sister.

"N-No way…" he finally muttered, his tears falling on the letter. When he saw the crest on the orientation guide, he knew it wasn't a dream. "I… I was selected to attend Hope's Peak…?"

His family smiled as they snuggled close to him on the couch. His father wrapped his arm around his chest, while her mother placed a soft hand on his thigh.

"Congratulations, Makoto," Yumiko told him, emotional tears of her own in her brown eyes. "We're all so happy for you."

"We're definitely celebrating this tonight, son!" Takeshi added with infectious enthusiasm, ruffling the boy's messy bundle of hair. "This is a really special occasion, after all!"

It was a chance in many thousands. What he and his friends had called impossible back then had actually happened. He had been the one to have his name drawn from the Hope's Peak Academy Lottery.

Not someone else. Him.

He would be the one to attend Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Lucky Student. It seemed so unreal. Indeed, how could it be real? How could an unlucky guy like him win a lottery?!

Only a few hours before, misfortune after misfortune was happening to him. Now, he had just earned the prized title of Ultimate Lucky Student.

Makoto sniffled his tears and took a deep breath.

All of a sudden, the average Makoto Naegi had become somebody special. In a single moment, his life had just taken an unexpected turn. As they said, the tables had just turned, and the ordinary high-school student had become one of the so-called and mysterious Ultimates.

Maybe… today wasn't so bad, after all…?

To be continued…

A.N: The main difference you'll find with the original version of this fic is that I'm going to be much more rigorous. The canon timeline of Danganronpa sucks and is inconsistent, so I'll always have the date of the upcoming scene before it plays out. That should help everyone keep track of what's happened when.

Also, I'll be using honorifics in this new version, as you've probably noticed. I'm still new at this, however, so if you spot a mistake, feel free to point it out. Still, it'll be a mix of Japanese honorifics and English nicknames, so expect to see Taka calling Makoto "Professor" or Hifumi calling his classmates "Mr." or "Ms."

In any case, I hope you liked this first chapter! If you did (and even if you did not, actually), please leave a review! I hope you all have a nice day!