A.N: Hello again, everyone! Wow, what's happened, two chapters in less than a week?! Who are you, and what have you done to Moiloru?! More seriously, I've had a little more free time to write these past few days, hence the reduced delay. I wouldn't get too used to it, unfortunately... Anyway, please enjoy!

Chapter Fifteen: Teacher of a Lifetime

13th of March, 2011

Makoto and Chihiro nodded and did as they were told, entering the classroom and looking for a seat. Plenty were still available, and the Ultimate Lucky Student ended up sitting in the second-to-last row, on the second chair to the right, just behind Junko and in front of Mukuro. He quickly noticed that the room looked pretty plain in comparison to everything they'd seen so far, but the boy didn't complain.

A little bit of normalcy wouldn't hurt him.

"May I get your names for my attendance record, you two?"

Everything matched, from voice to appearance, and if he could recall the Headmaster's words during the orientation ceremony, the name did, too. Makoto realized that the coincidences were starting to pile up in mysterious ways.

For a moment, the Luckster wondered if those could simply be dismissed as coincidences in the first place.

"I-I'm Chihiro Fujisaki..."

"Hm, Fujisaki-chan... Ah, there you are, sweetie," the young woman said with a friendly smile, going down her list and making a checkmark next to the petite girl's name. "You are the Ultimate Programmer, correct?"

Chihiro blushed at the unexpected pet name. This was a rather informal way for a teacher to call one of their students, but it made most of the audience – the rest of the class – smile. "T-That's right..."

"And what about you, young man? Could I get your name?"

"M-Makoto Naegi, ma'am..." he stuttered, only partly focused on what was happening around him. I don't think she recognized me... Not that I can blame her. There's not much about me worth remembering, except if you're Maizono-san, apparently...

The teacher nodded. "Naegi-kun... There's your name. You're the Ultimate Lucky Student this year, huh? Heh."

Makoto's face turned pale. It only took a single word – a single sound – to break the semblance of composure he'd worked to create. 'H-Heh'...? W-What prompted that chuckle?! He wondered, all kinds of scenarios suddenly running through his head as his new teacher smirked at him. And why can't I get called sweetie, too?! This world's unfair...

"Well, let us wait for the others to arrive. With some luck, and since this is the first day of class, everyone will arrive on time... Or maybe I'll win the lottery tonight, who knows...?"

That last statement, spoken in such an ironic tone, showed just how much the young teacher believed this was going to happen. She was quickly proven right, too, as 8:30 came around, and three people were still missing.

"S-Sorry we're late!" exclaimed Sayaka as she and Leon eventually reached the classroom, panting heavily. "I-I'd forgotten my e-handbook in my room and had to go back to get it!"

"I-I went with her... W-We tried to rush to get there on time, but..."

The young woman shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You two look like you've run a marathon, so I'll believe you. Try not to make it a habit, though. Go find a seat and give me your names for my record."

Both the pop sensation and baseball player were quick to comply. To Makoto's satisfaction, Sayaka took the seat to his right, and to Leon's satisfaction, he managed to nab the seat to the girl's right. The Ultimate Baseball Star could barely hide the broad grin on his lips.

"And now we wait for our final guest..."

To... nobody's surprise, really, the student who the rest of the class awaited was Mondo. Recalling Chihiro's earlier words to him, Makoto figured this was to be expected – and recalling Mondo's personality, this was to be expected even more.

"Yo."

Sixteen pairs of eyes turned to the entrance and identified the biker standing there nonchalantly, leaning against the doorframe. Some giggled, and some looked away. There was someone who did neither of these things, however, and merely crossed their arms.

"Yo, Owada-kun," the young teacher greeted back, voice filled with sarcasm. "Get your butt on the seat behind Maizono-chan immediately, will you? You've made your classmates wait enough, so spare them the bratty antics."

Undoubtedly surprised, the biker tried to match the glare he received from the long-haired woman. Not a second later, he put his hands inside his pockets and walked inside the classroom. "Hmph. Got it, teach."

Wow, that was unexpected... Makoto thought as Mondo complied. He got some funny looks from a few of his fellow Ultimates, which he shot down with an intimidating glare. It's clear Owada-kun was testing her, but she didn't back down... That's pretty brave... Even if I were a teacher, I clearly wouldn't be able to address someone as intimidating as Owada-kun like this!

"Alright, now that the sixteen of you are here, allow me to properly welcome you to Hope's Peak Academy and introduce myself," the young woman said, quickly moving on. "Headmaster Kirigiri may have brought up my name during his speech yesterday, but my name is Yuki Yoshida, and I'll be your homeroom teacher for the year."

That's it! Yuki Yoshida is the name of the woman I bumped into at WcDonald's on the day I received the letter from the Headmaster! Makoto recalled, a lightbulb figuratively appearing over his head. It was such an essential day to him that even a minor inconvenience like this wouldn't leave his mind. I couldn't be 100% sure before, but now there's no doubt!

The Ultimate Lucky Student was unsure of what to make of this. An idea did pop into his head, though: if his classmates had been scouted by the school, could this encounter with his to-be teacher have been planned by Hope's Peak? With no evidence to support that theory, Makoto decided to leave it be for now and focus on the matter at hand: the class.

"There'll be homeroom every morning where we'll discuss your progress regarding your Ultimate talents, organize activities together, and I'll also answer all the questions you might have about this school," Yuki explained calmly, arms crossed on her desk. "We will also do things such as holding the election for Class Rep, though that will only be in a month's time. But in case some of you are already interested in being a candidate..."

Suddenly, the Ultimate Moral Compass felt he was being watched by many of his peers.

"Are there any questions? Anything you may be confused about? Feel free to ask. There are no stupid questions in my class."

Hina's hand shot up. "I have a question, Yoshida-sensei!"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Is it true that classes aren't mandatory here?! The Headmaster said this yesterday, but I can hardly believe it!"

Yuki chuckled. "Heh, I should have known this would be the first question," she said, unable to hide her amusement. "As he probably explained, classes are indeed not mandatory at Hope's Peak for Ultimate students. Instead, you are to work on your talents frequently to prepare for the Practical Exam at the end of the year." A sigh. "However, while you probably think that I'd love to be paid doing the bare minimum, I'd prefer it if I could see the lot of you occasionally, yeah?"

Makoto was impressed. Without changing her tone, their new teacher managed to put her point across to the whole class. It was a recommendation – the Headmaster had explicitly laid out the rules for them – but everyone could tell this was one they would have every good reason to follow.

"Alright, thanks! I... I think I'll skip math, for examp-"

"However," the Ultimate Swimming Pro's smile dropped very quickly. "Your investment in the different classes will be judged by your other teachers before the Practical Exam." Yuki shrugged. "And who knows, maybe if you work enough in class, your exam will be easier...? Just saying. Any other questions?"

Note to self: go to class, Naegi.

"I have one if you don't mind," Sakura said.

"Of course, go ahead."

"I wanted to wear my uniform, but realized it did not fit me at all, hence why I came wearing my own clothes. I was curious to know the school's policy regarding wearing the uniform."

"Ah, excellent question! I can see that some of you have chosen to wear your own clothes, which is theoretically not allowed by the school, though you won't hear me chew you out for it," Yuki explained. "Try to wear it as often as possible, even if I understand you kids need to express yourself and your tastes." She scratched her temple. "You might wanna go see the Headmaster regarding this problem you ran into, though..."

Sakura nodded. "Yes, I certainly will. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time this has happened to me. Women with builds similar to mine are rarely taken into account. Thank you."

"No more questions?" Yuki asked her students, and after a few seconds, no hands went up. "Alright then, with this out of the way, I'll go down my attendance list again to familiarize myself with your names a little more. First off... Aoi Asahina-chan?"

"Here!" the bubbly swimmer replied, raising her hand enthusiastically. "But please call me Hina, ma'am!"

Yuki chuckled. "Alright, duly noted, Hina-chan. Next is... Junko Enoshima-chan."

"Right the fuck here!" the strawberry blonde exclaimed dramatically. "Though I'm so fucking beautiful that you would have recognized me, anyway."

"Alright... Just please mind your language, okay?" the young woman admonished gently. "Chihiro Fujisaki-chan?"

"H-Here...!" the programmer said shyly, raising her hand very slightly.

"Okay, thank you. No need to be so nervous, though, sweetie," the teacher reassured with a kind smile. It was clear she had taken a liking to Chihiro. "Toko Fukawa-chan?"

"I-I-I'm right h-here... T-Though I-I'm sure no o-one cares..."

"Please do not say that, Fukawa-chan. I do care, and I'm sure your classmates do, too," Yuki told the Ultimate Writing Prodigy. "Yasuhiro Hagakure-kun?"

"Y-Yes! I-I'm here!" Hiro said, panicking for some unknown reason.

"Thank you, Yasuhiro-kun." Yuki sweatdropped. "Next is... Mukuro Ikusaba-chan."

"Here," the Ultimate Soldier merely said, her voice monotone.

"Alright! Kiyotaka Ishimaru-kun?"

"Right here, ma'am, and ready to embark on a wonderful educational crusade with you and my new classmates! Let us make the best of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Also, please call me Taka!"

Yuki laughed. "My, what enthusiasm! Thank you, Taka-kun. Next is Kyoko Kirigiri-chan?"

The Ultimate Detective raised her hand. "Here," she said. "Pleased to meet you." That last part surprised Makoto a little more.

"Same to you, Kirigiri-chan." The smile Yuki sent the girl's way was not returned. "Leon Kuwata-kun?"

"Yeah, right here!"

"Thank you. Next is Celestia Ludenberg-chan?"

"Here, ma'am," Celeste answered gracefully. "Feel free to call me Celeste. Using first names is not considered rude where I grew up."

"Ah, well, that's good to know, Celeste-chan. Sayaka Maizono-chan?"

"Here!" Sayaka responded, looking at the class's new teacher with the angelic face that had allowed her to reach the top of the idol world. "It's nice to meet you!"

"Thank you, Maizono-chan. The feeling is mutual," Yuki replied, and neither Makoto nor Leon could hide how cute they found their classmate to be. "Makoto Naegi-kun?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Makoto answered, somewhat taken out of his thoughts of the pretty bluette sitting next to him. "N-Nice to meet you!"

The long-haired teacher smirked at him. "I'm not going to eat you, Naegi-kun. You can relax, alright?" Though she looked at him teasingly, Yuki's voice was reassuring, allowing the Ultimate Lucky Student to regain some calm, especially when some of his classmates chuckled at his expense.

Damn you, nerves! If I can't even stay calm while Yoshida-sensei takes attendance, how am I supposed to enjoy my life here?! Makoto wondered, frustrated at himself. He sighed and tried to think of something else.

"Sakura Ogami-chan?"

"Yes, ma'am. It is an honor to meet you."

"The honor's all mine, Ogami-chan. Then, we have Mondo Owada-kun, though I hardly need him to tell me where he's sitting," she said, giving the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader a disapproving glare.

"Yeah, yeah, right here..."

"Second-to-last on the list, Byakuya Togami-kun?"

"Here."

The Ultimate Affluent Progeny didn't bother with anything but a single word spoken in a tone that displayed his lack of interest in the class, and Yuki didn't seem determined to draw more out of the Togami heir at the time.

"And finally, we have Hifumi Yamada-kun."

"H-Here, ma'am!"

"Alright, that's the sixteen of you!" Yuki put down her list and smiled at her new class. "I'm delighted I get to be your homeroom teacher, Class 78th. It's a real honor to teach at this school, and I have no doubt we will have a wonderful year together. Now..." She reached inside her bag and fished out a small device. "How about a few pictures to commemorate the beginning of our journey together?"

The suggestion was met with great enthusiasm by a large part of the class. After temporarily rearranging the tables to free up some space, the students got in the frame - some with more excitement than others (AKA Byakuya, Toko, Kyoko, and Mukuro).

"Okay, say 'cheese!'"

The flash went off, and Yuki smiled at the picture she'd just taken. Makoto was standing right next to Hina, trying not to completely hide Chihiro – who was right behind him – from the photo.

"Alright, does anyone want a pic of their own? I'll transfer them on my e-handbook and send them to you later so you can have them, too."

With that offer, the most eager students walked over to the podium and started asking their classmates to do various poses. For example, Leon asked for funny faces but didn't get as many as he'd hoped.

Once it was Makoto's turn, he honestly had no idea what to ask for. A normal picture would have to do. A normal picture for a normal guy. The boy realized it was more fitting than anything.

The Luckster waited for the preview to focus and pressed the trigger. In a moment, a unique moment had just been immortalized forever. Sure, it was far from a perfect picture, as a few of his classmates weren't interested enough to smile, and Taka's salute was hiding Junko's face, but it wasn't what really mattered.

In Makoto's mind, it wasn't the picture itself that held any significance: it was simply being there. It would save a perfect copy of the moment, but that was actually hardly needed, for the young man already had one stored where it truly mattered.

Inside his heart.

Under the protective gaze of their new homeroom teacher, Makoto and his classmates savored the beginning of their journey. Symbols were amazing, but living the moment was so much better.

To be continued...

A.N: Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review, and I hope you all have a nice day!