An Unlucky Situation: Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc
Prologue: Welcome to the Academy of Hope
Location: ?
Date: ?
Time: ?
The sun shone brightly overhead. The skies were a serene blue, with hardly a puffy cloud in sight. The sounds of the city echoed around him, the sounds of revving engines, horns, and general movement, as society woke up and headed off on their daily lives. Towering over him was a lavish-looking building, made mostly of brick and mortar, though it also looked like it had more modern additions built onto it.
It stood at five stories, the front facade was made of brick, with large panoramic windows overlooking the front courtyard. There was a crest at the top of the building, which spelled the name of the place. Hope's Peak Academy. There was a large glass dome over a back section of the roof. Covered with large plexiglass panels. The more modern additions to the academy seemed to blend in as if they were growing right out of the bricks, large pieces of metal bracing them in criss-cross shapes. There were open iron gates, as were the doors leading to the Entrance Hall; three arching doorways opened up into the building.
It was an entrancing yet haunting building. And standing in front of it was a normal-looking young man. He had smooth black straight hair, falling to his shoulders. He was wearing a pair of glasses on his face. He was wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt, with white suspenders on his shoulders, holding up his acid-washed black jeans. He was wearing a pair of brown knee-high boots on his feet. Over his shoulders, he was wearing a light jacket, with a school blazer over it.
His name was Akira Yoshikawa, and for all intents and purposes, he was a normal boy.
"I never thought I would be standing here in front of this academy." he thought to himself, as he shielded his eyes from the sun. "The Academy of Hope. A government-funded institution that selects only the best of the best. Hope's Peak Academy has gone on to create some of the finest talented individuals around the world. It's said that anyone who graduates from this school leads a life full of hope."
Several birds flew overhead, the wind picking up slightly, the scent of freshly blooming sakura trees filling his nostrils. It was early spring in Japan, so the Sakura trees were blooming everywhere. The path leading up to the Entrance of the Academy was lined with such trees, making it look almost magical. The sunlight would hit the trees just right, making for a very picturesque scene, one of hope and purity.
"And here I am… a regular ol schmuck being selected to attend this school." the black-haired boy said, glancing at the paper in his hands.
It was a letter, sent to him by the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy. Previously, he had been a student of the Reserve Course, paying money to the academy to attend. Reserve Course Students didn't like the Main Course. They had to take entrance exams and were treated like regular students at other schools. The only difference was that you'd get the prestige of having graduated from Hope's Peak Academy. But a high school diploma from the Reserve Course was meaningless.
Why did he pay to get in? Because he wanted his parents to be proud of him. His entire life, his parents had said he would never amount to anything. No matter how hard it was he tried, he was never good enough. He wanted his parents to love him for who he was, but that would never happen. Not if he kept being a normal boring person. So he decided to get a job, so he could pay for his tuition fees.
When he told his parents that he had been accepted into Hope's Peak Academy, they laughed in his face. They didn't believe him. He proudly displayed his records to them, but instead of pride, they looked disappointed. After all, he had been paying for the Reserve Course, not the main course. Even if he got good grades, all he would be would be second best. At least until the annual lottery.
He hadn't been paying much attention to the announcements from the Headmaster when he addressed the student body. He had just been focused on finishing up a project. So when they did the raffle, he hadn't been expecting anything different. But those words would forever be ingrained in his mind for as long as he lived.
"And the winner for this year's Ultimate Lucky Student drawing is… Akira Yoshikawa of Hope's Peak Academy's Reserve Course. Congratulations young man, you shall become a part of the main course in the coming year. All of the relevant materials will be sent to your home. I hope you have a wonderful time studying here."
He remembered the looks everyone gave him, their heads snapped in his direction. His eyes had been wide as he stared at the television monitor. He let out a chuckle which evolved into a laugh. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd get into Hope's Peak Academy, and here he was, winning the Ultimate Lucky Student lottery. It had been a whirlwind of events, as everything was transferred to the Main Course. He was allowed to leave school before the third semester ended, so he could spend time with his family.
For the first time, they had been proud. He still remembered the party his father had thrown for him, and how happy his mother had been when he showed them the letter. He finally had what he wanted, the love and admiration of his parents. Their acceptance. Even if it was just the title of Ultimate Lucky Student, he still got in.
And here he was, standing in front of the Academy of Hope, as part of Hope's Peak Academy's 79th Class. He looked back down at the paper in his hands, seeing his name typed in big bold letters at the top.
"Mr. Yoshikawa… Congratulations, you have been selected as part of Hope's Peak Academy's annual lottery. Included with your acceptance letter is a general guide for Hope's Peak Academy, including details about all of our facilities. We will host an orientation at 8:00 AM on your first day, where you will be introduced to the rest of your incoming class. We await your attendance…"
"Even after everything that's happened… standing here is making me feel so lost. Out of place. I've been wanting to come to the Main Course practically since I started attending the Reserve Course. But now that I'm here… I feel nervous. I'm just an Ultimate Lucky Student, surrounded by way more talented people. An average Joe of sorts. Despite that, I do have my unique skills…
I worked my ass off to keep my straight A's. As a result, I am extremely well taught. My old teacher told me I had extreme attention to detail. I always sought perfection. If I was going to turn in a report, it needed to be as neat as possible. I took calligraphy over the summer just to improve my handwriting. I even convinced my brother to give me his college-level mathematics books so that I could study them during my off time. He thought I was insane. But I wasn't… I was just preparing for my future…
And here I am… entering Hope's Peak Academy by sheer luck.
Maybe I should get a lottery ticket."
Standing there, looking back at the academy of hope, Akira shuddered a bit, still nervous. He had been waiting for this for most of his teenage life and yet, he couldn't even move. He was frozen in place.
"What the hell is wrong with me… I'm already here. I gotta stop acting like a pussy and just get in there." he told himself. Folding his letter in half, he placed it in his back pocket, stepping into the academy proper.
He looked around for a moment, but he didn't spot anyone else. The paper had said that the meeting would start at the main hall at 8:00 AM. He glanced at the clock on the wall, seeing it was only 7:25. He glanced at his watch to make sure the time was accurate, only to find the same time. He frowned.
"God, it's still early. Of course, I would get here early, I should have slept in."
Shrugging his shoulders, he started looking around, spotting the doors that led to the first-floor plaza. He had seen pictures of it online, but being able to see it himself was completely different. He glanced at the clock, lips pressed into a thin line.
"Well… I doubt they'd get mad at me for exploring. I am a student here, so I'll just make sure to be back before 8:00. Alright then, Akira. Time to check out where you'll be studying for the next few years of your life!" he excitedly said, grasping the door handle. As he opened it, he felt a twinge of pain in his head, causing him to groan.
"What the… hell?" he thought, looking up. Everything began swirling, all of the colors and sounds blending into a hodgepodge of nothingness. It wasn't long before he passed out.
xxx
"Um hey… are you okay? Can you hear me?"
Akira felt something poking his cheek. He didn't know what it was, but he tried brushing it away. Everything around him felt cold as if he had fallen asleep on the floor. He felt another, much harder poke, causing him to slowly open his eyes.
"Hgn… what?" he muttered, vision blurred.
As it cleared up, he saw the figure of the person who had been poking him. It was a girl, a very pretty girl. She had long blue hair falling to her waist. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, with a big bow at the front, bearing the crest of a school on it. She was wearing a blue pleated skirt, along with thigh-high black stockings and brown shoes. She had soft ivory, almost pale-colored skin, and bright blue eyes. She almost looked like a porcelain doll. She had a worried look on her face as she looked down at him.
"I didn't mean to bother you or anything. It's just… it isn't a good idea to take a nap on the floor," she said.
"On the floor?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes. Slowly, he rose to a sitting position, glancing around the room for a moment, confusion filling his mind. "What the hell?"
He was in a classroom. At least, that's what it looked like. There were several wooden desks and chairs positioned in neat rows across the room. The walls were covered in a gaudy blue leopard print wallpaper that made him a bit sick just looking at it. The front of the room featured a chalkboard, with some words written on it, which he didn't bother reading. There were cubbies behind him, in fact, he had been on the floor sleeping against them. Each one had some sort of textbook inside it. Everything was slightly blurry, but he had managed to see a lot of things rather clearly.
He opened his mouth to say something, only to close it, feeling a twinge of pain in his head. "I swear to God, if she put acid in my Gatorade again, I'm going to-"
Akira remembered he wasn't alone, shifting his gaze back to the person who had woken him up. His vision was still a bit blurry, and that was when he realized he didn't have his glasses on. He felt around his shirt for a moment, placing them on. "Ah there we go, now I can… holy shit, Sayaka Maizono?"
"Oh.. you know who I am?"
"I don't think there's anyone on this planet who doesn't know who you are. I just never expected I would get the supreme honor of being awoken by you," he admitted, grinning. His smile fell as he scratched his neck. "But uh… why… am I asleep?"
"I don't know… I woke up in that supply cabinet over there. I don't know why I fell asleep inside it. As I was about to leave, I heard a bump and when I came over, I saw you." she admitted, looking a bit nervous. "What about you… do you remember how you got here?"
He tilted his head a bit, narrowing his eyes. "I don't… Well… I woke up a little early and left home. My parents told me they were proud of me and gave me cab fare so I could take a cab instead of the subway. I got here at 7:25 and then… that's it."
"That's… it?"
"Yeah… is that weird?" he asked, as he finally stood up from the floor, brushing his clothes off.
"Sort of… But well… that's the same thing I experienced. My manager was the one that dropped me off. She told me my idol group was going to be visiting after a week to do a charity concert. I arrived at 7:30 and woke up here." she admitted, glancing over her shoulder. "How odd that two people had the same experience."
"Really odd." he thought, narrowing his eyes a bit. He shifted his gaze around the room, taking notice of the metal plates on the windows. He swallowed the lump in his throat, glancing back at the idol. "Um… would you mind explaining that to me?"
She followed his finger, seeing what he was pointing at. She frowned, crossing her arms as she did so. "I was confused about them too. I checked them out earlier, they're thick metal plates, and they're bolted on with industrial nuts and screws. They didn't even spin when I tried to unscrew them."
"That's ominous," he replied, pursing his lips. "What's going on here? I lose consciousness the second I come to school and wake up in a classroom? With a famous idol no less? What's with the plates?"
"Hey um… could I trouble you for your name? You already know mine, I'd like to know who my sleeping buddy is."
"Right, here I am belting out your name as if I was your friend or something, haha. My name is Akira Yoshikawa. I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student." he said, holding his hand out. Sayaka smiled, shaking his head.
"Sayaka Maizono, Ultimate Pop-Sensation. It's nice to meet you,"
The pair heard voices just outside of the classroom they were in, causing them to jump. Akira stuffed his hands in his pockets, giving her a nod. "We should probably get out of here and see who else is here."
He decided to take the lead, slowly opening the classroom door. They stepped into the corridor, noticing the darkened violet lights. It was a spacious corridor, with wooden support columns. To the very left was a sign that read "Hotel Despair". To the right, the corridor extended, and he noticed he and Sayaka had been within Classroom 1-B. Across from them was Classroom 1-C and to the left was Classroom 1-A. The pair ended up bumping into two others, who had been looking around the corridor themselves.
"Whoa look at that! We're not alone!" came the boisterous call from the taller girl.
She was wearing a long-sleeved white blouse, with a loosened pink tie around her neck. She wore a black skirt, held in place with a chain belt. Long black skeleton stockings adorned her legs, and a pair of sneakers on her feet. She had long black hair, with red and pink dyed strands, and her bangs were also dyed pink and blue. She had three piercings on the outer edges of her lip.
The second was a tall boy, wearing a white high collar leather coat. He was wearing a white tee shirt with a grunge skull design on the front. He wore a pair of black jeans, held up by a black studded belt. He was wearing white sneakers on his face. Bright orange spiky hair decorated his head, a matching goatee growing from his chin. He looked a bit confused, eyes lighting up a bit when he saw them.
"Uh… hi?"
"Heyo~ The two of us woke up in the dining hall and thought we were all alone here. It's super crazy, you know? What's your name?" the girl said, making him back away slightly.
"A-Akira Yoshikawa, have you ever heard of personal space?" he said, only for her to giggle.
"Nope! When you are with me, there is no such concept as personal space! It's great to meetcha, Akira! I am Ibuki Mioda~ I'm the Ultimate Musician!" she said, shaking his hand tightly. "I can already tell we're gonna be the best of friends!"
"Hm… I wasn't expecting to come to school with the Sayaka Maizono. And what a lovely young lady she is." the orange-haired lad said, grinning. "Sup? Name's Leon Kuwata, I'm the Ultimate Baseball Star, nice to meetcha!"
The Ultimate Pop-Sensation returned his smile with one of her own. "It's nice to meet you, Leon, are you a fan of mine?"
"Of course I am! I doubt there's a boy my age who doesn't love your music! I'm a huge fan!"
"Forget that. Ibuki, you said you woke up in the dining hall?" Akira asked, interrupting the pair. She bobbed her head up and down, pointing to the left with a snap of her fingers.
"It's that way~ It was so wild too! I remember going to a party with my friends from my old school and the next thing I knew, I woke up here! There's lots of good food too!"
"I see… was it the same for you, Leon?"
"Pretty much, yeah. I was dropped off at the front of Hope's Peak Academy and the second I walked in, I just blacked out. It was really weird too." he said, pursing his lips a bit. "It's what I get for staying up all night, I was probably just really tired."
Akira narrowed his eyes in thought. "Hope's Peak Academy…. Right, that's why I was here early… I entered the building and then woke up in this classroom. Not only that, these two experienced the same thing me, and Sayaka did… What's going on here?"
"Anyway, we're gonna be late for orientation, we were told it started at eight and it's way past that by now. So we gotta vamoose! See ya at the Main Hall!" Ibuki said, taking off down the hallway. Leon, who had been sneaking glances at Sayaka, finally spoke, having been snapped out of his thoughts by Ibuki's departure.
"I'm gonna head that way myself. Maybe we can hang out later after orientation?" the baseball player asked, earning a nod from the pair. "Cool, see ya later then."
Sayaka gave him a polite wave as he walked off, though the second he left, her smile dropped entirely. "I don't like the way he was looking at me."
"You and me both." the Ultimate Lucky Student responded, lowering his sleeve for a moment. He noticed it was already 8:15. "Shit… Ibuki's right, we are late. We should go, but a bit slowly. If he tries anything, I'll protect you."
"Oh I appreciate the gesture but I can defend myself too. I'm not a doll you know. You thought that earlier, didn't you?"
"Huh? What the…"
"I'm psychic."
He only blinked in confusion, earning a giggle from the pop star. "I'm kidding~ I just have really good intuition."
"Ugh… God, I thought you like… scanned my mind for dark secrets. Come on, that Leon kid must have gotten way ahead by now." he replied, taking the lead. The young man paused for a moment, staring at the end of the hall, seeing a pair of red felt-covered double doors. He narrowed his eyes for a moment as he stared at them. "Where do you think those doors lead?"
Sayaka looked at them for a moment, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know but… There's something about them I don't like.
Akira remained silent, not having much to say. He had a lot more questions about what was going on, hopefully, he'd get answers soon.
xxx
Akira and Sayaka didn't run into anyone else on their trip through the school. They had spotted a set of crimson doors, but they weren't open, so they had no idea where they led. There was an A/V Room, as well as a School Store, but neither were opened up as well. The First Floor Plaza was wide and spacious, with a sakura tree at its center, and four benches surrounding it. The fresh scent of sakura bloom filled the entire hallway, the little petals beginning to drop down. Akira wondered how it was that this tree got any sunlight, but looking up, he noticed what looked like skylights. However, like the rest of the windows, it was bolted shut.
Stepping into the main hall, they were greeted by a myriad of people, all of them standing around awkwardly. Akira hadn't expected so many people. He was led to believe each class was split into 16 students, but judging by how many people there were, it far exceeded that. Sayaka's nervousness disappeared, if only slightly. She still stuck close to him, he could tell she was a bit unnerved by what was going on.
"First we wake up in a classroom, run into other Ultimates who experienced the same thing as me and Sayaka, and now all of this. Also, what's with that giant metal door? That wasn't there before." the Ultimate Lucky Student thought, a pensive look on his face.
"Excuse me!"
The black-haired boy looked up, surprised to see a tower of white standing before him. It took the form of a young man, taller than he was, with bright red eyes and spiky black hair. He was wearing a white uniform, decorated with many medals and pins. He wore a crimson armband around his arm, which had the katakana for "Hall Monitor" written on it. He was wearing white slacks and combat boots. He looked like he was fresh out of boot camp. Akira adjusted his glasses, brow raised.
"May I help you?"
"Do you have any idea how late you are?"
Akira slowly lowered his sleeve, noticing it was a quarter past 8. He gave him a nod. "25 minutes?"
"Yes, exactly! You should have been here at 8:00 on the dot. Four of you are extremely late, and it is unbecoming of Ultimate Students! I am going to report you to the Headmaster post haste so that you are punished for your tardiness!"
"Dude, cool your jets! It's not like they could help it." a blonde girl snapped, glaring at the white-clad boy. "I'm sure they're late for a reason, you know… the same one all of us are freaking out over?"
"What would that be?" Sayaka asked. Another boy stepped forward, glancing around for a moment before speaking.
"As it turns out, we all have a similar experience. All of us woke up in different parts of the school. None of us remember entering the academy proper either. We were awake one second and asleep the next," he said.
"Huh…" Akira muttered, bowing his head. "So… Sayaka, Leon, Ibuki, and I aren't the only ones experiencing the same thing. What the hell? How can so many people experience the same thing? It makes no sense!"
"Everyone, listen!" a short brunette suddenly said, grabbing everyone's attention. "Instead of standing around, why don't we all go around and introduce ourselves? At least that way, we'll know who everyone is."
"Hm… not a bad idea."
"Tch… Now's not the time for friggin' introductions!" the gruff-looking biker returned, clearly annoyed. The gothic lolita however shook her head, a small smile on her face.
"I disagree. It may be good to at least find out who we all are before digging into the bigger problems here. I mean, how are we even supposed to talk to each other if we do not know each other's names?" she asked, earning silence from the others.
She did have a good point. How else would they be able to get answers if they didn't at least know each other's names? Before anyone said anything, they split off, breaking off into groups to introduce themselves. He turned to Sayaka, to see what she wanted to do, but she had wandered off into a nearby group, leaving him alone. Shrugging his shoulders, he decided to do the same.
"This'll be interesting. The forums didn't have a lot of information about the 79th Class. The only name was mine. That's weird. I've looked up to these Ultimate Students for a long time, yet I didn't know any of the talents of the ones already here. Unless…"
"Pardon me, could I trouble you for your name?"
He shifted his gaze, locking eyes with a very beautiful girl. She had long cascading blonde hair, tied up into a ponytail with a sparkly black ribbon. She was wearing a white shirt, with a pea-green dress over it. She wore long black stockings and red shoes on her feet. She didn't have a single blemish on her face, her cornflower blue eyes were shimmering, and she had an alluring smile as well. He turned to fully face her, giving her a small smile.
"It'd be my pleasure, Miss. My name is Akira Yoshikawa, I happen to be the Ultimate Lucky Student," he said, holding his hand out. She shook it in return, surprising him with her firm grip. "Whoa… good grip!"
"Yes, I've been told. Let's just say I've been practicing for a while, it's something I've grown accustomed to. Ah, of course, my name is Sonia Nevermind. I'm the Ultimate Princess."
"The Ultimate Princess?" he thought, tilting his head. "That's the first I've heard of an Ultimate Princess. Are you like a daddy's girl or something?"
"Oh no… well I suppose? I'm my father's only heiress, so suppose I am?" she said, not sounding sure of herself. She narrowed her eyes for a moment, only for realization to dawn on her face. "You must be confused, I'm not a bratty princess, I'm an actual Princess."
"Eh? An… actual Princess… you mean like… Royalty?"
"That's right. I'm from the European country of Novoselic. It's a fairly small country, but it is ruled by an absolute monarchy. My father is the current king, and once his time is over, I shall be the next in line. I've been training my whole life for when that day comes. So I don't have many friends."
"That… sounds rough, and here I am being a dumbass," he said, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. "Is it okay for you to be here though? What about your Princess duties?"
"There's nothing to worry about. It is because of those duties I was initially noticed. From the age of 5, I was trained in self-defense. I was taught to drive a tank, fire an RPG, and pilot a helicopter. By the age of ten, I learned 30 languages, and by fourteen, I was hosting parties for various dignitaries. It was tiresome, but good training for my future. I'd like to think this time here in Japan will be a… vacation of sorts."
"You're extremely dedicated to your role and your country. Thirty Languages? Hell, I can hardly grasp English, that's impressive." he admitted, a small smile on his face. "Well, I do look forward to getting to know you then, Princess Sonia. It'd be awesome if you considered me your first friend here."
"Of course, on one condition?" she said. He gave her a nod. "Just call me Sonia."
"Ah… but isn't that…" Akira paused, smiling. "Alright, I'll do that, Sonia. Well, I'll leave you to it, there are tons of others to speak to."
"Mhmm… I look forward to our time together."
The blonde took her leave, leaving the boy completely stunned. "Wow… a Princess! An honest to goodness princess, and she sounds like such a sweetheart too. Ha… take that, Mom and Dad… I'd never meet anyone important my fucking ass!"
"Hey dude, what'd she say to you?"
"Eh? What?" he asked, being pulled from his thoughts. Standing before him was a young man, dressed in a light blue jumpsuit, the top half being tied around his waist, exposing an oil-stained white shirt. He had long spiky pink hair that fell to his shoulders, kept in place by a backward baseball hat, a strand of which was braided at the side of his head. He gave him a nod, gesturing with his head toward Sonia.
"That pretty girl, what'd she say to you?"
"Her name?"
"Oh… anything else?"
"That she's a princess?" Akira said, crossing his arms. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you'd think she'd tell me. Why not speak to her yourself?"
"Wha… me? I can't do that man… I'd probably put my foot in my mouth. I can't speak to pretty girls, I get tongue-tied. Oh wait, I didn't tell you my name huh? Name's Kazuichi Souda, I'm the Ultimate Mechanic. Nice to meet ya, dude."
Akira nodded, shaking his hand. "Akira Yoshikawa, I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student."
"Ultimate Lucky Student… oh so you're like the other one"
"Other one?" he thought. Seeing the confusion on his face, Kazuichi decided to elaborate.
"Yeah, there's another kid here with the same title as you. It's part of the annual lottery drawing, where a normal student gets their name picked? I thought you knew this, you were picked, right?"
"Of course I was, why wouldn't I have been?" he asked, getting a bit defensive.
"Whoa… didn't mean to offend you or anything dude, it was just a question." the pink-haired mechanic said, scratching his neck. "Though I gotta say, it is odd that there's two of you in the same class with the same title."
"That… is weird. I was led to assume the same thing. By chance, were you told what class you were going to be entering?"
"77, why?"
"Huh… no reason. Whelp, I gotta go, nice meeting ya, Kazuichi," he said, swiftly leaving. The Ultimate Mechanic looked at him, shaking his head before approaching another student, keen on introducing himself.
"Kazuichi was told he was going to be a part of Class 77… but I was told I was going to be a part of Class 79-A. What the hell…" he thought, narrowing his eyes. He reached for his back pocket where he had placed his acceptance letter, to confirm what he had been told, only to find out it was missing. "Oh come on… I'm pretty sure I slipped in here before I walked in. What is going on today?"
"Are you alright? You look rather frazzled?"
Glancing ahead, he spotted the girl who had wanted everyone to introduce themselves. She was wearing a bright red track jacket, with a white tank top underneath, and light blue sports shorts. She wore white crew socks and sneakers. Her brown hair was tied into a ponytail, and pinned to the back of her head. She looked rather concerned.
"Oh… I think I misplaced my acceptance letter. I was told to bring it and confirmed my Ultimate status so I'm kind of worried. I'm sure the Headmaster will understand when I explain it to him." he said, narrowing his eyes for a moment. He gave the girl a once over, his lips curving into a frown. "You look familiar… Do we know each other?"
"I don't think we do. What's your name?"
"Akira Yoshikawa."
"Hm… nope, I don't know an Akira Yoshikawa. I guess it's nice to meet ya. My name's Aoi Asahina, but my friends just call me Hina. Sup?"
"Nothing much I guess," he said with a chuckle. He stared at her face for a few more seconds, his eyes widening slightly. "Ah… I think I know where I know you from now. Do you frequent Kandagawa Bakery? I feel like I've seen you there before."
She gasped, giving him a nod. "Yes! I go there almost every day! They have these really good cream-filled donuts. Oh, they're my favorite~ I probably eat my weight in dough a week, but I'm pretty active so I usually burn it all. Swimming is a great means of exercise."
"Swimming? Ah… you must be the Ultimate Swimmer then?"
"Yeppers, that's me. Hehe… I'm technically in love with all sports, but swimming is by far the one I love the most. My brother calls me "The Little Mermaid" due to how fast I swim. I was even made an Olympic Cadet!" she said, a look of pride on her face.
"Whoa… that means you're heading to the Olympic Games soon, right? That's a huge honor. Not gonna lie, I'm kind of embarrassed. Here I am, speaking to a future Olympian and I just got in here by pure luck alone."
"Don't think like that. Winning the lottery is still extremely cool. I mean, you were picked from a gazillion names! That's gotta mean something, right? It's like the universe was giving you the chance!" she cheerfully said.
"I guess you're right. Something wanted me to be here and well… here I am," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Well Hina, I hope we can become great friends. I'm a terrible swimmer so maybe you could teach me?"
"Yes! I'd love to! Swimming is a great way to become friends. By the way, how do you spell your name?"
Akira spent the next few minutes explaining which letters he used to spell out his name. After she jotted it down on her palm three times, she ended up memorizing it, promising to never forget it. At the other end of the Entrance Hall, there was another small group of people, though they weren't chatting with one another. He decided to speak with the blond-haired boy first.
The boy was rather short for his age, with buzz-cut blond hair. He was wearing a fancy black pinstriped suit and a golden watch around his wrist. He wore matching slacks and shoes, his fingers decorated with expensive-looking rings. He was one of the few people Akira knew about, and it was hard not to know who he was. He gave him a curt nod, holding his hand out.
"Akira Yoshikawa, It's an honor to finally meet you, Fuyuhiko."
The boy merely shook his hand. "You've heard of me?"
"I have, your sister and I were in the same class. She always told me how kind you were even though you tried to look tough. We didn't talk a lot but she was one of the few friends I had in that shithole."
He remained quiet for a moment before chuckling. "Oh right… I think she did mention you. You're that 'good for nothing fuckboy' that thinks about nothing but his grades. She pays you to do her homework, doesn't she?"
"Yes… Christ, I didn't think she called me a Fuckboy to anyone else. Goddamn it,"
"Hey, it's a term of endearment. My sister doesn't make many friends, for obvious reasons," he said with a shrug. "You should know though, I don't intend on making nice with anyone here. So don't bother getting too friendly or anything."
"Sure, I'll stay out of your hair, though if you do need help on school projects or something, hit me up."
"Yeah, sure."
With that, he moved on, heading to where another young woman had been standing. She was busy drawing mustaches on some of the pictures pinned to the bulletin board. She was very pretty, with long blonde hair tied into a long ponytail with a bow. She was wearing a fancy silk pink kimono, with a beautiful obi and matching wooden sandals. She was another person he was quite familiar with, mostly due to her traditional dance recitals.
"Having fun there?" he asked, hoping to break the ice. She looked at him, giggling as she did so.
"Yes, all these stupid old guys needed a bit of facial hair. They look a lot better now," she replied, turning back to the board.
"I'm sure they do. I'm Akira, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Saionji."
"Yeah sure, whatever."
He wasn't expecting to be dismissed like that. He had heard a lot about her online. Hiyoko Saionji was a hard-working girl who was set to inherit her family's dance studio. He had expected her to be a well-refined young lady, not… a rude person. Maybe it was the fact they were all stuck in an odd situation?
There was something else that kind of took him off guard. He hummed, narrowing his eyes a bit in confusion. "I… wasn't expecting you to be so tall."
"Huh?" she said, looking away from him, confusion written on her face. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"I mean… the most recent recital I saw online, you were a lot shorter. It's weird… that recital was only two weeks ago."
"You're probably misremembering, dumbass. I've been tall for a long time now. The last time I was short was early last year before I hit my growth spurt. Sheesh, don't you know how puberty works?"
"Well… yes but…"
"Then you have your answer, now leave me alone. I wanna keep drawing mustaches on these old guys." she barked, turning back to the board. He didn't say anything, instead, he just walked away, far more questions on his mind than before. He decided to continue on his way, spotting another student nearby.
She was wearing a gothic Lolita dress, which looked handmade. She had pale skin and crimson red eyes, her long black hair styled into matching twin drills. She was wearing lacy black stockings and red-heeled slippers. Akira ended up waving at her, a small smile on his face.
"Hello, I hope I'm not bothering you."
"You are quite alright dear, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Celestia Ludenberg."
"Celestia Ludenberg… that name surely stands out." he thought, shaking her hand. "Akira Yoshizawa, I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student."
"Oh? A lucky student? So you are the second one who holds that title here, how intriguing." she noted, tilting her head a bit. "I was led to believe the raffle was only held once a year, not twice."
"That's what I thought too, but I guess this year was different. It is weird though. I haven't figured out what's going on. I don't remember any other students being named the Ultimate Lucky Student when my name was drawn. I remember that memory vividly. I was sitting in my Classroom, Class 2-A of Hope's Peak Academy's Reserve Course."
"You were already a student here?" she asked, her crimson eyes filled with surprise.
"Yes, I was part of the Reserve Course. I'm sure you've heard of it, right? It's a normal school for untalented people who still want the prestige of graduating from Hope's Peak Academy. Guess the Steering Committee needed a few more shekels from the untalented drek of society." he admitted, frowning. "The fees were really expensive, but I still wanted to come here so I paid them."
"That's… quite sad, darling. Far be it from me to say something like this but perhaps it would be best to spend your money wisely. It must be odd coming from someone who bets it all away, huh?"
"It is, but it's still solid advice. Though I have to ask, why the elaborate accent and the fake name?" he asked curiously.
"Hm? This is no mere elaborate accent. I descend from French and German nobility."
"Huh… you are Japanese, right?"
"Of course."
"Then would you mind telling me what part of France or Germany Japan is located in?" he asked, causing her to laugh.
"Oh darling, if you wish to know that, you'll have to beat me in a game, and I doubt you are skillful enough to do that. Though I am curious about that luck of yours. We shall see. I have a good day,"
With that, the Ultimate Gambler excused herself from his presence. He briefly wondered why it was she went through so much trouble to hide her identity. Then, remembering she was known as the Queen of Liars, it all made sense. "She's certainly an interesting woman. I'll have to watch out for her."
The Ultimate Lucky Student headed on his way, almost bumping into another girl. She was standing by herself, a pensive look on her face. She was observing people as if trying to figure out who they were or why they were all trapped there. She was very pretty, with smooth long violet hair falling to her lower back, a single strand braided, framing the side of her face. She was wearing a violet blazer, over a white blouse, with a matching red tie. She wore a dark violet skirt, along with black knee-high boots. She felt his presence, looking away from the crowd, and directly at him.
He felt rather nervous at her gaze. Her eyes bore into his own as if she was staring right into his soul. Neither said a word for a moment, before he broke her gaze, clearing his throat a bit before speaking. "So um… I'm Akira Yoshikawa."
She didn't say anything, making him frown. He briefly looked away, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "May I have your name?"
"Kyoko Kirigiri."
"Kirigiri?" he questioned, tilting his head. "Huh… that name sounds familiar to me. I feel like I've heard it somewhere before."
He tried to recall where it had been he had heard it, but his mind was drawing a blank. It was almost as if he had forgotten it completely. He sighed, scratching his head. "Damn, now it's gonna bother me for a while."
"I suppose we're done here?"
"Ah… oh yes, I guess. I gotta ask though, you're like everyone else right? An Ultimate? Would you mind telling me your talent?"
"I would rather keep that to myself if you don't mind. I'm not obligated to tell you." she coldly replied. He gave her a forced smile.
"You're right. I'm sorry to have bothered you, I'll stay out of your hair."
He moved right along, sparing a glance at the young woman. She gave him another look, her expression changing slightly but returning to that neutral cold look she was wearing before. He decided he'd avoid her whenever possible. He didn't want to upset her.
"Well, I've been meeting some really interesting characters today, huh? I can tell it's gonna be a really fun time." he thought to himself. Continuing on, he approached another person he was familiar with, the heir of the Togami Conglomerate, Byakuya Togami.
He was a tall young man, wearing the fanciest suit he had ever seen. Between him and Fuyuhiko, Byakuya had him beaten. He had short blond hair, and fair-colored skin, and was wearing a thin pair of glasses on his face. He was standing off to the side with his arms crossed, much like Kyoko, watching everyone. He didn't even bother looking at him when he walked up to him, giving him a small wave.
"Good day, Mr. Togami. I'm Akira Yoshikawa, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Right. It seems you already know of me so I'm not going to bore myself with introductions. You can move along."
"Okay… so that's how it'll be, gotcha." the Ultimate Lucky Student said. He decided not to stick around any more than he already had. Turning away, he spotted a man with some wild hair, sitting down against the wall. He looked almost like a bum, wearing baggy clothes and flip-flops. He was holding a glass ball in his grasp, looking into it rather intently. He cleared his throat, grabbing his attention. "So… have you figured out who sank Atlantis yet?"
"Either the Aliens or the Romans. I'm willing to bet it was the Aliens though, after all, they're the ones who helped the Egyptians finish the pyramids and kidnapped all the Mayans," he said, looking away from his glass ball. "Hey wait… you're totally yankin' my chain, ain't ya?"
"Perhaps a bit, can't say I've ever really believed in fortune telling myself," he said, holding his hand out. "Akira Yoshikawa, I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student, you?"
"The name's Yasuhiro Hagakure. I'm the Ultimate Clairvoyant. Call me Hiro for short, and take it easy, yeah? I know I will." he said, in a rather laid-back tone. Akira shrugged, giving him a thumbs up.
"Sure, still you seem too laid back man. Aren't you worried about what's going on? There's like 25 of us in this room, stuck behind a metal door. Not only that but all of us woke up all over the place."
"I like not thinking too hard about that kinda crap. It's probably just Hope's Peak Academy's orientation procedure. I wouldn't worry too much. But yeah man, maybe when all of this is over we can grab a couple of brewskies. My treat."
"I'm… not old enough to drink. Hasn't stopped me though but we can't really go to a bar or anything," the black-haired lad said, causing Hiro to frown.
"I totally forgot, I'm already 21 so it's probably weird for me to say stuff like that. I uh… got held back, like a lot. Anyway, hit me up if you wanna hang out or something. We can get real deep into Lemuria and its civilization."
"I'll clear my schedule." he returned, giving the man a wave as he walked off. He shook his head in disbelief. "Lemuria? 21? Man, how the hell is he still in high school? Probably spends all of his time and money on bud and booze. He looks like the type. Oh well, seems like a fun dude to be around. Maybe I can screw around with his fortune-telling stuff, hehe."
The next person who caught his attention was a short young woman, who was examining her expensive-looking camera. She was wearing a collared, short-sleeved shirt, with a light green dress over it. She wore a bright red checkered tie, long black socks, and brown shoes. She looked up from the device, a firm look on her face.
"Oh… hi."
"Hello, that's a nice camera you've got there, miss. I take it you're the Ultimate Photographer?"
"Yep, that's right. My name's Mahiru Koizumi, you're Akira Yoshizawa, right? The Ultimate Lucky Student? I overheard a bit of your conversation with Celeste earlier." she replied.
"That's me. I'm still wracking my brain for a potential explanation about that if I'm being honest. I know my memories aren't fake, I was sitting in that classroom after all." he said, frowning as he narrowed his eyes in thought. "You'd think they'd make more fanfare about it. I mean, I don't think anyone from the Reserve Course has ever made it to the Main Course."
"Huh… you're from the Reserve Course?" the red-haired girl asked.
"Yeah, I am. Is that a problem?"
"Of course not. I'm just surprised is all. I have a friend in the Reserve Course, her name is Sato. She wanted to be accepted into Hope's Peak Academy alongside me, but she was rejected. I think it's completely messed up how this academy forces people to pay such outrageous fees."
"You and me both, they raised them to 2 million yen a month from the previous 600k. It's insane. Makes you wonder what the hell they need all that money for." he admitted, shaking his head. "Anyway, have you taken any good pictures recently?"
"No, not really. I could have sworn I had a lot more, though. I've been pouring through my memory cards, but a lot of them are corrupted. If I had my laptop, I'd be able to at least look at the data for when they were taken. But guess I won't get that luxury soon."
"Now that she mentions it, my backpack is missing. I had my tablet and my laptop in there too… I hope nothing bad happened to them." he thought, frowning. "Well, I hope we can get along, Mahiru. Maybe you'll get the chance to take some cool pictures soon."
"I'm sure I will, I'm counting on you from now on, Akira."
"Huh?"
"Yeah, you need to be a good classmate and stuff."
"Oh… yeah true, don't worry, I will. You need help for anything, I'm your man," he said, politely excusing himself. "That was weird, who the hell just says that?"
Akira pulled his sleeve down, noticing about half an hour had passed since he had woken up. How the hell was it that he was already so tired and all he had been doing was speaking to other people? At least there weren't that many left for him to speak to. He decided to keep going, not wanting to take much more time than he already had.
The next person he decided to approach was the Hall Monitor who had yelled at him and Sayaka the second he had entered the main hall. He had finished speaking to another person before turning to face him, giving him a salute. "Hello friend, my name's Kiyotaka Ishimaru, I'm the Ultimate Moral Compass. It's an honor to meet you, Akira."
"Right, it's an honor to meet you too. I've heard about you before, on the forums. You've been going to school every day practically since you could walk. You have the longest-held attendance record in the world and have straight A's too. That's pretty impressive."
"Hahaha… surely you jest. I am merely doing what I can to prepare myself for my future. Not only that, I am a stickler for the rules, if you hadn't noticed. I must apologize to you for earlier. I take tardiness quite seriously. I'll be letting you off with a warning this time, but next time, I'll take you to the Headmaster's office."
"I'll strive to be punctual next time," he said, glancing away for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. "So, is it true that you're the grandson of the former Prime Minister, right?"
"That's correct. Our family name doesn't mean much now, but I've decided to bring honor and prestige back to our name. It's why I try so hard and follow the rules. They are what separate us from the animals after all."
"Fair enough, I do recommend toning it down a bit. It's our first day, so once everyone is used to this, have at it."
"Will do! I'll let you off with a warning this once, I hope we can become good friends and classmates, Akira. Ah, and feel free to call me Taka for short."
"Understood, see ya soon."
The Ultimate Lucky Student kept on the move, looking around for a moment. There were still a few others he hadn't spoken to. As he turned to approach another student, he ended up bumping into someone, hard enough that they fell to the floor. He ended up cringing, glancing to the floor for a moment.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there."
"I-it's okay. It happens a lot." the girl meekly replied. He held his hand out, giving her a small smile.
"Here, let me help you up."
She hesitated for a moment before taking his hand, the young man pulling her to her feet. He adjusted her apron, straightening it out a bit. She flushed, glancing away after a moment. "T-thank you."
She was a bit shorter than he was, with plum-colored hair, that looked like someone had attacked it with scissors. She was wearing a light pink shirt, with a white apron that had a red cross on it. She was wearing a lavender pleated skirt, which had a few tears on the hem. He noticed she was wearing white shoes, but what surprised him the most was the bandages she was wearing. He coughed into his fist, looking away for a moment.
"You aren't hurt are you? I couldn't help but notice the bandages."
"O-oh? No, I'm okay. They're just for aesthetic purposes, hehe." she said, a nervous look on her face as she faced the boy. "Um… I haven't told you my name have I? Oh but do you even care about it? A lot of people have told me they don't care about it."
"Why wouldn't I? How would I address you?"
"Y-you could call me stupid or Pigshit, that's what Hiyoko calls me," she admitted. He didn't know why but that really pissed him off. He placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a light squeeze.
"Listen, don't let people call you awful names like that, okay? You were given a name for a reason, people should call you by that name, nothing else," he said firmly. The Ultimate Lucky Student smiled at her. "So, would you mind telling me what your name is?"
"Y-yes. My name is Mikan Tsumiki, I'm the Ultimate Nurse."
"It's very nice to meet you, Mikan. You have a very pretty name, don't you worry, I'm not gonna call you anything else."
"You're being so nice to me, and we've only just met," she said, sniffling a bit. "I'm sorry, I don't want to get any of my gross tears on you."
"It's fine, sweetheart, I don't mind. So, the Ultimate Nurse eh? I guess I'm glad I have someone here to help me heal if I get hurt. Though I don't plan on getting hurt anytime soon." he cheerfully said.
"People often don't plan on getting hurt, it just happens. I'll happily help you heal back up. From the bottom of my heart, I hope you and I become friends." she said, giving the boy a genuine smile. She paused for a moment, cheeks flushing. "Um… I'm so nervous… I spent all of last night thinking of several topics. I came up with 5,000 of them but I'm drawing a blank."
"Five thousand? I think that's a little excessive. Anything will do."
"Oh… I just… I didn't think I'd get this far. It's been such a long time since I've made any friends." she said, only to cringe, looking away. "Ah… not that you w-wanna be friends with me or anything. Forgive me for being so presumptuous. I'll do anything you ask, please just don't hit me!"
"Jesus Christ, what the hell happened to this girl to behave like this?" he thought to himself. It was clear she had been abused in the past, likely physically judging by the reaction. He merely smiled at her. "We are friends, Mikan. I wouldn't mind getting to know you."
"R-really? T-thank you so much~" she said, only to burst into tears shortly after. He looked around for a moment, seeing several people looking in his direction. He sighed, bowing his head.
"Great. Now everyone is gonna remember me as the guy that made a girl cry, and I didn't even say anything mean," he said. He just wrapped his arms around the girl, quietly hugging her while she cried into his shoulder.
After a while, he got Mikan to stop crying. He promised he'd talk to her again after a while, leaving on his way. He glanced at his watch, seeing it was nearly 9:00 AM. He ran his fingers through his hair, leaning up against the wall.
"God, I'm so fucking tired." he thought to himself. He couldn't believe not a lot of time had passed since he had woken up, and yet so much had already happened. He wondered what else was in store for him. He needed a nap after this. "I think I'll take a page from Byakuya's book and just stand here. I need a break."
He still couldn't help but wonder what was going on. It was just a weird situation he found himself in. Just what was going on? He wondered if he'd get his questions answered. He didn't know why, but he felt something in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know what it was, but it wasn't a good feeling.
"All I can do is hope for the best and prepare for the worst… Huh… why does that sound so familiar to me?"
He leaned back against the wall for a moment, losing himself in thought. He had almost fallen asleep when he heard someone calling out to him.
"Hey there, hope I'm not bothering ya, we haven't introduced ourselves yet."
He opened his eyes, giving the young man a nod. He had spiky, brownish black hair, with a large ahoge coming from the center of his head. He was wearing a short-sleeved collared shirt, with a gray colored tie. He wore a pair of slacks and Converse sneakers. He looked rather normal for an Ultimate Student. Akira held his hand out, giving him a smile.
"You aren't bothering me at all, dude. The name's Akira, good to meet ya."
"Hajime Hinata." he simply said, shaking his hand. "I heard from Makoto that you also have the title of Ultimate Lucky Student. I wasn't expecting two people to have it."
"Yes, neither did I. I'm still wondering why there are three of us, but I'm sure we'll figure it out soon." the young man said with a shrug. "What about you, what's your special talent? Business?"
"Pfft, nope. I might look like a businessman but I assure you, I'm not. I… actually can't remember my talent."
Akira's brows furrowed a bit, taken by surprise. "You can't remember?"
"Yeah. It's really weird. I can remember everything about my life, my childhood, the last school I went to, everything. But when I think about my talent, I keep drawing a blank. Leon thinks that I'm a cop but I'm really not."
"Hm… I also think that you're a cop."
"Wha… seriously?" he said, a look of shock on his face. Akira burst into laughter, shaking his head.
"Sorry, I just had to. Don't worry man, I'm sure you'll remember your talent soon, and if not, the Staff will tell you what it is," he said. The frown returned to his face, replaced shortly after with a look of worry. "Though… don't you think it's odd that no one has come to address us? The meeting was supposed to take place at 8 o'clock, yet it's already 9:03. No teachers have shown up, no higher-ups, not even the Headmaster."
"I noticed that too. Something really weird is happening here but I haven't figured out what it is. A part of me is worried, but another part of me is just confused. How is it that 23 of us wake up inside a school that's sealed up with iron plates?"
"I'm not sure… something tells me I don't want to know the answer either." the Ultimate Lucky Student said, sighing. "Oh well, I gotta finish introductions with the last few people I haven't met. It's been great to meet ya, Hajime, I look forward to getting to know you."
"Same here man, take it easy."
Returning to what he had been doing a few minutes prior, the Ultimate Lucky Student set out to address the last few people he hadn't met. It didn't take him long, as he found a group of three, amicably chatting with each other. The first was a girl he easily recognized, the famous Junko Enoshima, who he had seen on several fashion shows and magazines. She was just like Sayaka, almost inescapable.
The second was a short young man, with auburn colored hair, that was slicked back with gel. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with a suit vest over it, tan corduroys, and polished shoes. He had fair-colored skin and bright eyes. The final person in the group was a spiky-haired teen, with an ahoge almost as large as Hajime's. He was wearing a hoodie, beneath a black blazer, regular jeans, and red sneakers. Among the three, he looked the most normal. Average even. He waited for a moment before jumping in, an apologetic look on his face.
"Hey, hope I'm not interrupting you guys, just felt the need to introduce myself."
"Oh no, you aren't interrupting us at all. You're Akira, right? The second Ultimate Lucky Student." the auburn-haired boy said, smiling. "I'm the Ultimate Graphic Designer, Hikaru Yoshitsune! If you ever need to design any ads, or websites or just need some cute animations, I'm your guy."
"Good to know," he said, glancing at Junko for a moment. "I gotta say, you are a lot prettier up close, Miss Enoshima, forgive me for saying that."
"Pfft, sure sure. I'm glad you think so. But don't give me any of that Miss shit, just call me Junko. I hope we get along great~ I can be a little moody though so uh… excuse all of that." she said, grinning. She wrapped an arm around the final boy, holding him close. "Go on Makoto, don't be shy."
"Ah… okay, um… yeah, I'm Makoto Naegi. You're just like me right? An Ultimate Lucky Student?" he questioned. Akira nodded. "I'm still getting used to there being two of us with the same title. I wasn't expecting-"
"Two Ultimate Lucky Students? You and I both. I'm still trying to figure it all out but I've drawn a massive blank. Seriously, all I remember is sitting in class, the Headmaster announced my name, and boom, a whirlwind of movement and now I'm here." he said, crossing his arms as he looked at the ground. "I'm starting to think there was an error and that no one corrected it. I mean, if this academy is researching something as ambiguous as luck, then that means something like this has to have piqued their interest."
"I didn't believe in luck myself, at least until I went through a pretty go at it. The only reason the lottery was redone for me was because the first winner's letter was burned in a fire. I ended up stopping a thief with a soup can I had dropped earlier that day, and he had stolen a mailbag. Turns out, her letter was burned because of me, and then in the drawing, I was picked instead."
"That's one hell of a story, I certainly would say the two of you are lucky," Junko said, glancing at Akira. "What about you? What's your crazy story?"
"I don't have one," he admitted, frowning. "I was a student of the Reserve Course, I used to pay a lot of tuition fees just to attend here. My parents always said I wouldn't amount to anything. I studied hard in every subject but I just never got noticed. I decided to transfer to Hope's Peak Academy's Reserve Course, and when I told my parents they just laughed at me. The only one who believed in me was my sister. The only thing I remember doing was going to a fountain."
"A fountain?" Hikari asked, tilting his head a bit.
"Yeah… I was on my way home from school and I ended up bumping into this lady. She yelled at me and pushed me to the ground. When I tried to get up, my fingers brushed against something. That something turned out to be a gold coin. It was legit too, I took it to this pawn shop I always passed by on my way home, and the owner confirmed it. He told me he'd buy it from me, and offered me a hefty amount too but I declined. I don't know why, but I just needed to keep that coin."
He closed his eyes, vividly remembering the story as he did so. "The day I went to that fountain, I was down on my luck. My grades came back, and all of them were straight B's. My parents told me that even my sister did better than I did, reminding me of just how useless I was. I told the two that one day, they'd eat their words, and that I would make it into the Main Course. It was raining that day, but I ran all the way here to Hope's Peak Academy. I just stared at the building for a long time, before glancing at the fountain. I don't know what compelled me to walk to it, but I did. I made a wish, I wished to the heavens for something good to happen to me. Something that would get my parents to accept me for who I was. That Monday, the lottery was held and my name was picked."
"Marvelous! That's such a heartfelt story! I wasn't expecting something as simple as a wish to give you what you wanted. I always thought wishing wells and fountains didn't really exist but… perhaps all of the Hope that poured out of the academy made it real?"
"Pfft, get real, Hikari. I doubt Hope would turn a regular old fountain into a wishing well. Akira just got lucky." the fashionista said, smiling at him. "Not to impugn on your luck or anything, it's still a great story."
"It's quite alright, I know how unbelievable it might sound. Lady Luck is a fickle lady, maybe she felt bad for me that day. Or maybe another power granted me a reprieve. Whatever the case may be, I am now here, surrounded by people far more talented than me. I feel like a fish out of water."
"I know how that feels. I sure hope we get used to it," Makoto said, scratching his cheek.
"Oh, you will! All of us will be the best of friends, I just know it!" Junko cheerfully said. "Come on, we need to finish introductions. I wasn't ready to speak to so many new people today."
"Neither was I. Nice meeting you guys." the black-haired lad said, adjusting his glasses as he walked off. He looked around for a moment, making a mental note of who he hadn't spoken to yet. Only a few of them were left, making him sigh with relief. "Finally, the hell will end. Maybe then we can figure out what the hell is going on here?"
Shoving those thoughts into the back of his mind, he approached one of the three girls he had yet to introduce himself to. She kept her outfit rather simple, a long-sleeved white blouse with a red ribbon tied around her neck, a tan-colored skirt, black leggings, and matching shoes. She had gray-colored hair, tied into English braids, a thin pair of glasses on her face. Her eyes were closed, and she was leaning against the wall. He noticed the green-colored carrying case leaning against the wall beside her, it didn't take him long to figure out what it was.
As if sensing his arrival, the young woman opened her eyes, brilliant crimson met sky blue as they stared at each other. She didn't say anything, merely giving him a nod. "Good morning."
"Right, good morning to you too, Miss. I hope I'm not bothering you or anything," he said. She shook her head, making him smile. "Oh good well… I'm Akira. It's nice to meet you."
"My name is Peko Pekoyama. It's nice to meet you too." she replied.
"Pekoyama… wait, you wouldn't happen to be the number one swordswoman in Japan, would you? The woman capable of slicing through a bus with a katana, right?"
"Yes, that happens to be me. However, it's two buses that I can slice through," she admitted a look of pride on her face. "I've practiced quite a lot of sword styles during my many years. From European Styles to Chinese Styles, I've mastered them all, though I happen to enjoy the ones from Japan the most."
"I don't blame you, Samurai have a lot of really great styles. Since you've mastered them all, does that mean you know how to use Ninten ichi ryu?" he asked.
"That was one of the first styles I managed to master. My former master thought I would never be able to learn it, because I was too inexperienced. But I managed to prove him wrong when I picked up the basic styles. It's quite easy to learn once you memorize everything. Miyamoto Musashi was quite simply a genius."
"I agree, he's a legendary master of the sword. If I had what it took, I'd love to practice it too. But I'd likely just cut myself with the blade, haha."
"Hm… taking in your appearance, you seem a little lacking in muscle mass, but that shouldn't be a problem. If you are interested, I wouldn't mind teaching you. I was told I need to make more friends so, if you'd like, just let me know." Peko said. Though her first was firm and almost monotone, he could tell she wasn't used to speaking to people. He merely nodded.
"Sure, it'd be awesome to learn from the Ultimate Swordswoman. Though please go easy on me, I'll be a total noob."
"Don't worry, I'll start you off with stances. You won't hold a bokken until you can master those, and believe me, it'll take you a while."
"Sounds like fun. We'll talk a little more later, I have a few others I need to speak to. It was nice meeting you, Peko." he said, taking his leave.
The next person Akira decided to approach was a brooding young man. He was a bit taller than he was and had a rather unique hairstyle, his hair styled into a pompadour. He was wearing a black high collared coat, with gold decorative markings on it. He was wearing a baggy white shirt, with matching pants and shoes. He gave the boy a nod as he approached, his hair bobbing a bit.
"Name's Mondo Owada, nice to fuckin' meetcha," he said, shaking Akira's hand. "Akira Yoshikawa, right?"
"That's right. You're the leader of the Crazy Diamonds, right? I heard every bike gang in Japan has you as their de facto leader. You're a tough dude, look forward to getting to know ya."
"Hell yeah," he simply said. Akira didn't want to stick around, it wasn't that he didn't like the biker, but he didn't want to do or say anything that'd annoy him. Moving on, he approached the last person he had yet to speak with.
She was a short girl, with sandy blonde hair falling to her shoulders, and bright brown eyes. She wore a bright green cardigan over a light-colored shirt, with a matching dark pea-green skirt. She wore knee-high black socks, and tan-colored Mary-Jane shoes. She had a nervous look on her face, though it changed almost immediately when he approached her.
"Hi. You're Akira Yoshizawa, right? The Ultimate Lucky Student?"
"Yep, that's me. Guess you were told about me already huh? It's nice to meet you too, Miss…?" he said, holding his hand out.
"Chihiro Fujisaki, I'm the Ultimate Programmer." she returned, shaking his hand.
"The Ultimate Programmer, I've heard about her. She was responsible for creating a voice recognition program that the police all over the world use. She's been programming since she was 9 years old, a total computer whizz." he thought to himself. She narrowed her eyes for a moment as she looked him over.
"This is going to sound strange but… have we met before?"
"Huh? No… I don't think we have."
"Strange… I've had that feeling with everyone here. It's honestly rather baffling to me." she said, a pensive look on her face. "It must mean something, right?"
"Perhaps you saw our pictures on the online forums for Hope's Peak Academy? I know the school itself posts details about the incoming classes. Maybe you memorized all of the pictures and just feel that sense of familiarity?"
"Maybe."
"So uh… Do you make any interesting programs? Other than the voice recognition program."
"Oh, you know about that? Hehe… that was one of my proudest accomplishments. Me and my dad worked on it together. As for another program… I am delving into artificial intelligence. I was invited personally by the Neurology Department. Apparently, the Ultimate Neurologist and the Former Ultimate Therapist wanted my help creating a machine that would help people with Alzheimer's."
"Really? That's fantastic! So many people would benefit from something like that. You're like a programming superhero, Chihiro. Seriously, it's really cool stuff!"
She flushed a bright smile on her face. "Thank you, Akira. People rarely praise the ones who program things. It's nice getting recognized for my work."
"You deserve it. I have a feeling the two of us will get along great. I might not know a lot about programming but I'm always looking into learning new things." he said happily.
"I can teach you some basic programs if you'd like? They're super easy to learn. You might even be able to make your own simple platformer game. It's really fun!"
"I look forward to that."
After a few more brief words, Akira took his leave, returning to the center of the room. With him meeting Chihiro, he had officially introduced himself to everyone present. 23 people in total, himself included. It was quite an interesting number. He had read on the forums that classes were capped at 16, but there were eight more students than normal. He leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes in thought.
"Wonder what's going on in this place… there are metal plates on the windows, and a huge metal door blocking the entrance. A metal door that I don't remember seeing on my way in. I'm surrounded by Ultimate Students from different walks of life and a princess. Not only that but there's another Lucky Student here… what's up with that?"
Several questions floated through his mind, but a single one stuck out more than the others. Where was the Headmaster? And why hadn't he arrived yet? Soon, he would get that answer, and it wasn't going to be pretty.
A/N: Ah Shit, Here We Go Again...
I know I said I would never write for this series again, but I genuinely found myself enjoying it again. I played through Chapter 1 of THH and had a surge of ideas. Things I hadn't thought about in years. It's been hard working on stories, mostly because I don't have my laptop and my tablet is a piece of shit. I honestly should have saved up for an iPad and not settled for an Android tablet, because everything with AndroidOS shit for me. But that's beside the point.
Honestly, I'm writing this mostly for me. I just felt the need to post it because I enjoy sharing the things I write with people. I'm likely gonna be crossposting this on A03 as well. It took FFN about 3 months to finally fix the goddamn analytics. This ancient dinosaur of a site is a pain in my ass sometimes. But it's brought me some good memories.
I will say, the only chapter I played for DR was Chapter 1. I haven't touched SDR2 since 2017 and I refuse to play that piece of garbage DRV3, and I likely never will. So characters will be out of character as I am going off of memory and from Wikipedia. I chose to write it with partial knowledge of the series, going from memory, because I feel like it will give me a new opportunity to flesh characters out in different ways. It's been really fun working with these characters again.
What was it that drove me to write this again? Back in the day, I posted cringe. In the present day, I still post cringe. I have so many issues with my old DR work that it makes me embarrassed to have written it. Christ a lot of that stuff was garbage, and I touted it as if it was good. I'm glad I lost everything before 2017 because if I had access to that shit back in 2019 I probably would have continued it. My stuff before Legacy was just not good. Thankfully, I improved with time haha.
As I said before, this is being written for me. If you like it, fantastic! If not, oh well. I'm just glad to be able to work on a series I hold dear in my heart, even if there are tons of things that, in retrospect, I do not like. So uh... I hope you like it...?
Whelp... That'll do pig, that'll do.