Prologue: Opening Pandora's Box Chapter 10
"ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS!"
Makoto flinched from his spot in the gymnasium. He was not the only one. All the Ultimates who were previously chatting amongst themselves have dropped all they were doing (and in some cases, whatever they were holding onto) to cover their ears. Everyone glared at the source of the noise, who was standing behind the podium in the far back of the room.
Kiyotaka Ishimaru stood there proudly in his gleaming white prefect's uniform holding a megaphone to his face. He was not in his Hope's Peak Academy school uniform.
In fact, nearly all of the students gathered around the gym donned their casual attire instead of the brown clothing that was standardized for Ultimates. Makoto had seen the red-wearing Hina talk excitedly with Oogami, gushing about proteins. The dour Fukawa were seen stalking Togami, who was in the farthest corner of the gym with a look of boredom evident on his face.
Celestia was in her obsidian, gothic lolita dress, sitting on one of the bleachers with Hifumi standing by, his arms dutifully posing like he was her personal butler.
Makoto looked down at his own uniform.
It was very mundane in comparison. Just a regular, dull green hoodie draped with an open, unbuttoned jacket. His hoodie had an image of a red gas mask in a circle on the back. That was the reason why he bought such an outfit, because it seemed cool at the time.
The luckster stole a glance at the Ultimate Clairvoyant, wondering if Hiro remembered their previous conversation and the tarot cards. He still felt the 'Amatsu Mikaboshi' card and the 'Star Tarot Card' in his back pocket from when Hiro decided to give it to him. However, the porcupined-haired student was in the middle of coercing another student to sell one of their organs and immediately Makoto decided to not to open that can of worms.
"WE WILL BE HEADING TO THE OLD SCHOOL BUILDING SOON IN PRECISELY FIVE MINUTES!" Makoto's head immediately turned back to Taka as the Moral Compass continued his earsplitting speech. "I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE PROPER SCHOOL ATTIRE ON AT THE MOMENT AND ARE GROUPED WITH THEIR ASSIGNED PARTNERS! I WILL BE GOING DOWN THE LIST IF ANYONE HAD FORGOT WHO THEY WERE PARTNERED WITH!" He made a gesture to his mouth. "CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?!"
"We can hear you loud and clear, asshole!" snarled one Mondo Owada. The Ultimate Biker was jamming his thumbs into his ears and looked more than a little irritated at the Ultimate Moral Compass's shouting. "As if we could tune out your fucking shouting!"
"LANGUAGE!" Taka said. "PROFANITIES ARE NOT ALLOWED IN A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT!"
The two continued shouting amongst each other while the other students watched on in deadpan harmony. Makoto, Sayaka, and Leon were all standing by in their corner of the gym, holding onto their bags with uncertainty.
"Man, those two could scream." said Leon, holding up two manga to both of his ears, trying and failing to drown out the yelling. "Who the hell in their right mind gave Taka a megaphone?"
"Well, he is the Ultimate Moral Compass." said Sayaka who happened to be using a pair of headphones for ear protection as well. "That probably means that the school trusts him enough to use his talent to handle a large group of people."
"By making them deaf?" the red-head snarked. "Yeah, that's a totally good idea."
Sayaka rolled her eyes. "Trust me. His volume would be seen as a good thing in the idol industry. Do you know how hard it is to sing out to a crowd of fans who are constantly rooting and cheering? I had to drink honey tea afterwards to clear my voice out. It got so hoarse that it took almost a day to make myself heard again."
"Then lucky me, because I'm becoming a guitarist." The Baseball Star grinned, miming playing a guitar solo, not catching the eye roll from the idol and a grimace from the luckster, still traumatized by his 'music' sessions.
"Changing the subject…" The blue-haired girl's gaze turned back to the podium. It looked like things were still tense. Mondo and Taka had paused for a moment, panting in exhaustion. However, the fire in their eyes was not yet quenched and it looked more than likely that they would resume their bickering again. "...What do you think the Old School Building will be like?"
"Dunno. Probably some janky old museum for the Class of year eighteen-whatever or something along those lines?" Leon said, still strumming the strings of his air-guitar.
"You know, now that you mention it, just how old is this school anyway?" Sayaka pondered, putting a finger to her chin as her eyes brightened inquisitively.
"Hundreds of years ago…" a soft, timid voice replied. The three Ultimates turned their heads to see the shy form of their fellow Ultimate, Chihiro Fujisaki.
The programmer nervously shuffled her feet under the gazes of the other students.
"Sorry," Fujisaki whispered. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation."
"Don't worry about it." Makoto said, trying to smile reassuringly to the programmer. "If anything, you were just answering our question, so all is good."
She nodded. "Ah. O-okay. Well then. Hope's Peak Academy is hundreds of years old, as I mentioned earlier. The date of the school's founding is unknown, but it all traced back to one man named Izuru Kamukura, the first headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy."
"Izuru…Kamukura?" Maizono interrupted, testing out the name. Her face had scrunched up, trying to rack through her brain whether or not she knew the name. Giving up, she replied, "I never heard of the name before."
Fujisaki nodded. "Yes, that name is rather obscure. In fact, I didn't know who he was either until my first week at school. In fact, no one really knows anything much about him other than that he was the founder and dubbed the 'Ultimate Hope' back when he was alive."
"Huh?" Kuwata said dumbfoundedly, scratching his head in confusion. "Would've expected the founder of the most gifted school in Japan to be a little more well-known. Not me at least. I'm terrible at history and can barely remember the names of any of those old geezers in the textbooks."
"Wait." Makoto responded, catching something from an earlier conversation. "Fujisaki, how do you know about this guy?"
She jolted as the conversation suddenly shifted its focus onto her.
"W-w-well, I just happened to come across the statue of the founder right in the middle of the school's garden. I asked Matsuda-senpai who the man was and he gave me the information that I gave to you. Ah! There he is now!"
Everyone's gaze moved toward the direction where Fujisaki was pointing.
As if on cue, the crowd parted away to reveal one boy sitting on one of the benches in the room.
Like Hagakure, he had on a pair of sandals but that was where the similarities ended between the Ultimate Clairvoyant and their senior. Matsuda was a thin, scraggly man who looked to be one or two years older than the Class 78 students. He had a pale complexion as though he rarely came out into the sunlight and long, thin fingers that were currently turning over a CoroCoro Magazine. His grizzly, neck-length black hair was smooth and, oddly enough, had an ahoge just like Naegi.
However, what drew Makoto's gaze was the other teen's expression. His face had a constant scowl plastered on as though reading the contents of the manga offended him, and yet, he could not put it away. There was a coldness to his eyes and air of seriousness that made him seem far older than he initially appeared.
Those hard, gray eyes turned up to the group of Ultimates all looking at him.
"Well?" he snapped, putting his book down irritably. "If you have anything to say, spit it out. Your staring is making my reading even more unbearable than it already is in this goddamn, noisy chamber."
Chihiro gave a hesitant step forward.
"Senpai." she said respectfully to the older teen. "These are my fellow classmates, Kuwata-kun, Maizono-san, and Naegi-kun. They are the respective Ultimate Baseball Star, Pop Sensation, and Lucky Student this year. We were just talking about you at this moment." She turned to her classmates. "Everyone. This is Yasuke Matsuda."
Matsuda scrutinized the three strangers before him. "So these are this year's new Ultimates, eh?" He rubbed his chin and turned towards Naegi. "Don't look like much."
"You look like a hormone-addled monkey with that ridiculous red hair of yours. Lazy, unambitious, and not very popular with the opposite sex either." he said to Leon. The baseball player's face turned a shade just like his crimson hair and veins started popping from his head. However, before he could say anything, Matsuda turned to Sayaka.
"And you are some kind of loved-starved bitch..." Sayaka blinked rapidly. "...always doing all you can to gain love for the masses through deplorable means. In fact, I have no doubt that you put on some generic cutesy act to get crowds to love you so you can find some meaning in your life. And your songs are overrated." The blue-haired girl turned pink and gave a dark look that Makoto never saw on her face before.
"And you." His senpai finally exclaimed as he faced Makoto once more. "If I searched up the word generic…your picture wouldn't even make it on the web because no one would bother taking a picture of a guy like you. Honestly, you're probably the worst out of the three. Naive, too trusting, not willing to react. In fact, I'll probably forget your face in the next hour.
The trio was struck silent at the sheer audacity spouted before them. Leon and Sayaka were literally fuming while Makoto was too taken aback by Matsuda's analysis of him. Chihiro took a step forward. "Senpai. I'm sure you have your reasons but you shouldn't dismiss my classmates like that." she said it so softly, but there was a much more forceful tone than usual. "That was quite rude of you."
"Rude?" snarled Leon, his monetary silence forgotten at that very moment. "That was more than rude, Fujisaki. Who the hell does this bastard think he is?!"
The black-haired teen gave the younger boy a level look. "I'm just displaying my talent before you all. After all, I am the Ultimate Neurologist. Or has Fujisaki forgotten to mention that to you earlier?"
Sayaka stepped in, trying to hold Leon back from tackling the older boy. Her own temper, however, was still very much visible judging how hard she clenched Leon's white coat. Matsuda just gave them a flat look.
"What I said was merely my impression of you all. You're free to take it or leave it. I'm not going to sugarcoat shit for anyone."
Chihiro gave the group a guilty look. "Senpai...that's not what I was talking about."
He raised an eyebrow. "Then what were you talking about?"
The petite programmer opened her mouth to speak but lost her nerve under the teen's focus on her. She closed her mouth and turned back to the trio.
"I-it's nothing. I'm sorry."
Matsuda, who had returned to reading his manga, just gave an exasperated sigh and turned back to the group.
"Listen, I have no time for this. I'm only here because that stupid prefect made me. If it were up to me, I would still be in my lab, working." He then gave a scoff. "Although now the thing is missing, the school believes my research should be halted until 'further notice'. They even stopped docking my pay, the bastards."
"Research?" Makoto said, confused.
"Thing?" Sayaka mused.
"Pay?" Leon added, his eyes wide.
"Nothing you should be concerned with." The neurologist said. "All you have to do is go along and play with your little friends for the rest of your two years in the most prestigious school in the world and maybe you can achieve something that'll make the world acknowledge your talent." He said the last line with exaggerated sarcasm.
"You should be a little nicer." Sayaka said with her teeth clenched. "Maybe that's why you don't look like you have any friends."
"I'm not nice. I'm realistic. It's a waste of effort being friendly to people you won't ever see again. That's how the world works, Ms. Idol."
"Well, then, I can see how that talent works. You're just an asshole with a degree!" Leon shouted.
Matsuda looked unfazed. "You're still here? I suggest you leave if you're going to go on and on about your hurt feelings. Find someone who actually cares and maybe you can become friends with them."
Leon gave a huff and turned away, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Come on Naegi." Sayaka said, her lovely face soured, her anger barely contained. "We should go. I'm not sure how much more I can take."
"Yeah. Let's get out of here." the Ultimate Lucky Student responded. However, before he left, he saw Matsuda grip a hand on Fujisaki's arm.
"We should find somewhere else." he whispered so quietly to the programmer that Makoto almost couldn't hear what they were saying. "I don't want anyone else to hear."
Chihiro just nodded her head and the two were soon heading out the door.
Naegi's curiosity was piqued. This sounded really important. Chihiro did mention she was working for Hope's Peak along with Matsuda, so it was likely the two had a common interest. However, he was inwardly conflicted. On one hand, this seemed like really private information. If they really were working on something that was required by the school, then he really shouldn't go eavesdropping. On the other hand, however, he wanted to know what was going on. Maybe he could help the two out.
His curiosity won over his good sense.
"Hey Sayaka. Kuwata." He said to the two who were standing farther away, waiting for him.
"There's something I need to do. You two go on ahead without me."
Sayaka nodded her head in understanding, but Makoto could tell that Leon was a little reluctant.
"Fine. But I don't know how you can tolerate that guy. He's such a dick."
"It's fine." Makoto responded. "I'm not really mad."
"I didn't say that." the baseball player shot back. "I said that he's a dick. Just a general asshole, through and through. Almost as much as Togami."
The Ultimate Lucky Student didn't really know how to respond. He just shrugged and waved his two classmates off as they left.
He turned back around and saw Matsuda and Fujisaki had gone to the far end of the gym, behind the bleachers.
Nodding to himself, the brown-haired teen began sneaking along the walls, avoiding the crowd and hiding behind one of the columns as he listened in on the two.
"Are you sure it's okay to talk here?"
"Yeah. Just act natural."
Makoto climbed on the bleachers, hiding himself in between the rows as he spied through the cracks in the seats.
"You didn't have to act so rude."
A snort. "I was trying to get rid of them so we could have some privacy. It didn't take much. I act like this all the time."
The brunette heard a sigh. "Sayaka was right. Maybe you could've made more friends if you were nicer. You shouldn't push everyone away.
"Yeah. Yeah. Don't worry, Fujisaki. I have plenty of friends."
"You mean patients."
"Potato, potahto." He dismissed. "But that wasn't what I wanted to talk about. How's your end of the New World Program?"
The underclassmen gave a tired sighed. "Tiring. Someone's been sabotaging the equipment for the past month and nobody has found the culprit yet. And even the people I work with are really secretive."
"And that adds another failure onto the Steering Council's growing list of stress."
"Wait." Makoto leaned in closer at Chihiro's curious statement. "What do you mean 'another' mistake?"
"You remember the 'thing' that got stolen? Well, someone has also been taking my notes and I don't know who the hell took them. Gekkogahara is running herself ragged trying to find her therapist notes. She's been working nonstop since she discovered the disappearance of her research."
"That's terrible." Chihiro said, her voice heavy with sympathy. "What's the school going to do about it?"
"Cover it up." Snarled Matsuda and Naegi noticed that his usual bored-sounding tone was replaced by a much more angry growl. "They can't have anyone else noticing the sabotages. Oh no. They wouldn't want their precious, perfect school to not be as perfect as they make it be."
"Matsuda-senpai...I understand your anger. I really do, but there's nothing we can do about it."
"I know, I know." A deep sigh. "I'm just tired of being their tool. They're making us into their little guinea pigs."
"But, you said the New World Program was working."
"Yeah. But that's not the only thing that they're making me do. They are also making me go full Frankenstein, trying to make a monster."
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't look into it, Fujisaki-kun." Matsuda said. "For your innocence, I suggest you don't dig any deeper than you already have. It's better for your moral well-being if you don't know."
A silent pause filled the air. Makoto held his breath.
"How's Junko?" Matsuda said and to Makoto's shock, there was a hint of some unknown yet raw emotion in his senpai's words.
"Oh!" Fujisaki said. "I don't talk to her much, but she's...really enthusiastic. She's always hanging out with Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier."
"Of course she would be." Matsuda whispered to himself.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." The teen responded. "Anyway, we really should be heading back. Wouldn't want people becoming suspicious."
"Got you, senpai."
Makoto immediately bolted out of the bleachers so that Chihiro and Matsuda would not notice that he had been spying on them and quickly tried to find Sayaka and Leon.
Makoto's mind was filled with questions. What were they talking about? What were they working on? Why did Matsuda mention Enoshima?
His thoughts were interrupted by the familiar sound of Ishimaru's voice.
"HELLO, ALL. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO ME, THEN YOU ARE CERTAINLY DOING SO NOW!"
It looks like the fight was finally dissipated. Mondo was in the corner of the gym, still glaring at the Ultimate Moral Compass, but it also seemed like his throat got tired from all the shouting.
"I WILL BE GOING DOWN THE PARTNERS FOR THE TRIP. WHEN I CALL YOUR NAMES, RAISE YOUR HANDS AND FIND THE OTHER PERSON ON YOUR LIST.
"HIFUMI YAMADA AND AOI ASAHINA!"
"Gyahaha! Looks like we're paired together, Miss Asahina!" The chubby otaku gave a lecherous grin to the athletic girl, who, in turn, gave a shudder.
Her friend, Sakura, loomed over the Ultimate Fanfic Writer and, without a word, Hifumi immediately quieted down.
"BYAKUYA TOGAMI AND TOUKO FUKAWA!"
"YES!" squeaked an excited voice. Makoto turned towards his right to see the Ultimate Writer clasping onto the not-so-enthusiastic Ultimate Progeny who was gritting his teeth.
"I-I be in your c-c-care, M-master." she said, a visible red flush on her face.
"Don't touch me, you lowly prostitute." He snapped, ripping his arm away from her. "Who knows where those hands have been when not holding a pen?"
"YASUHIRO HAGAKURE AND SAKURA OGAMI"
"I got the Ogre?!" the Clairvoyant exclaimed, turning to his left.
Hiro was by no means short, but compared to Ogami, any man was. His neck had to be craned upward in order to look at the martial artist's face, and his hands were raised as though he was ready to block any punches coming his way.
However, his fear was unfounded, for the Ultimate Martial Artist was just giving the fortune teller a look that could only be described as mild indifference.
"MAKOTO NAEGI AND SAYAKA MAZIONO!"
"Ah!" Naegi said as he searched the crowd to find the waving arm of the idol.
"Naegi-kun!" Sayaka shouted as she ran up to him.
"Maizono-san!" he responded in kind, ignoring the jealous mutterings of his male peers.
"CHIHIRO FUJISAKI AND CELESTIA LUDENSBERG!"
"Oh my!" the gothita put a hand to her face, "It would seem that we are paired, dear Fujisaki-san."
Chihiro jumped from her spot in the crowd.
"A-a-ah." the programmer responded, blushing.
"JUNKO ENOSHIMA AND MUKURO IKUSABA!"
A pause.
The crowd looked among themselves to see if they could find the two Ultimates, but they did not show themselves.
"ENOSHIMA! IKUSABA!" Taka screamed. "STOP YOUR LAZINESS THIS INSTANT! THIS IS NO TIME FOR SLACKING!"
There was still silence.
"Tch. It seems that those two are absent." Celestia said, a small smile on her lips. "No matter. We will just have to continue on with our tour without them."
Taka gave a small cough. "A-Anyways... LEON KUWATA AND KYOKO KIRIGIRI!"
Leon raised his hand but the gloved hand of the Ultimate Detective was nowhere to be seen.
"Where the hell is she?" the baseball star muttered under his breath.
"KYOKO KIRIGIRI, PLEASE STEP FORWARD."
Just like Enoshima and Ikusaba before her, Kirigiri was, apparently, absent.
Taka gave a sigh. "That's the third person missing now. Really, absence should not be allowed in a school environment, but oh well. In light of the fact that Kirigiri-san is not here today, Kuwata will be having me and...Owada...as partners today."
Leon was not pleased.
"Are you serious?!"
"I know. I am sorry but I cannot have you going off by yourself. It is against trip rules."
The baseball star groaned.
"Typical. Just my luck to be packed between two muscle bound idiots because the hot chick is a no-show."
"Oi." The Ultimate Biker Gang Leader turned to the redhead and cracked his knuckles. "You calling me an idiot, asshole?"
"No, no!" Makoto interjected, putting himself between the two. "That wasn't what Kuwata meant, right Kuwata-san?"
"Uh. Right." the baseball star responded, looking a bit lost.
"THEN IF I CAN CONTINUE, EVERYONE, PLEASE LINE UP WITH THEIR DESIGNATED PARTNER. WE'LL BE COMING OUT IN TWOS AND THREES!"
The students did so and Makoto soon found himself next to Sayaka, the two walking together.
"I'm really glad to be spending the trip together." She giggled, putting an arm around Naegi's own. "It'll be like our own personal little date."
"A-a-a…A d-date." Makoto said, trying his best not to stumble, his heart thumping rapidly. "D-don't exaggerate."
"We have the entire day together." The bluenette said, a playful grin on her face. "That's pretty much a date."
"Hey, hey, hey, Sayaka. You're making the lucky guy blush!" A voice called out behind them. Makoto looked behind him and saw that Leon was there with Taka and Mondo.
"What do you think you are doing, Kuwata-san?!" the black-haired boy hissed. "You should be at the back of the line, not disrupting the two in the front. That's what the rules state, and we cannot break the rules!"
"Yeah, yeah." The red-haired boy responded. "Don't get your pants in a twist. But changing the topic..."
"Where the hell are Enoshima, Ikusaba, and Kirigiri anyway?"
The group of Ultimates pondered to themselves, thinking over Leon's question to themselves.
Makoto scratched his head. "Mukuro's the Ultimate Soldier. She's likely recalled by that mercenary group for the moment. What was their name again—?
"Fenrir?" piped in Sayaka.
"Fenrir!" he snapped his fingers.
"And Enoshima's likely doing some fashion show shit." piped in a gruff voice. Mondo Owada had been listening to the trio's conversation and decided to give his input as well. "After all, she's a very popular model."
Leon gave the biker a surprised look. "Didn't know you were into that kind of stuff Owada."
"Don't get the wrong idea! My mom's got all kinds of fashion magazines and she's on the front page for a third of them or something."
"Really now, Owada-san? I heard that Enoshima-san was the most sought-after model for her age." Sayaka responded. "That's a lot of magazines."
"She's got a really good face and figure, I guess. She's even done a couple of movies too."
"And what about Kirigiri?" asked Makoto.
"That's what I'm wondering." responded Leon.
"She's a detective, so she can be pulled from class whenever she is needed for a case." Surprisingly, Taka interjected with his own output. ""Even if that is the case, however, her absences are still unjustified in my book."
"That's the third time you've mentioned that, Ishimaru." Mondo retorted. "Don't worry, we all understand the importance of following rules and regulations and that crap."
"And it seems as though you could use some more lectures on that matter, Owada-kun." The Moral Compass responded. "Your behavior is not befitting of an Ultimate."
The two began arguing again as Leon sighed, enthusiastically going over to mediate his two partners.
Sayaka turned back towards Makoto.
"Are you still worried about those three?"
The lucky student paused, wondering if he should bring up his eavesdropping to Sayaka. Deciding against it, he shook his head.
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
Makoto gave a bright smile as he began walking outside the entrance.
"I'm sure everything will turn out fine."
The lavender-haired girl had her arms crossed, fingers tapping along the wrists of her jacket. She had an iron mask expression on her face, purple eyes scanning the layout of the edifice in front of her.
The old school building did not actually look pretty old. Due to the funds from the school, the structure was constantly being refurbished, courtesy from former Ultimate Architects. Although smaller than the present teaching grounds, that did not mean take away the majesty of the hundreds of years old monument. There were five floors inside with the ground floor containing the dormitory and living quarters for visiting students. Standard school quarters included a gymnasium, pool, cafeteria, and laboratory as well as a greenhouse and bathhouse that also added to the structure's appeal.
Indeed, the state of the art technology had been implemented inside the layout of the old school building in order to give it a sense of modernism. The security was so tight that it could even function as a bunker for the end times, although Kyoko doubted there would be a reason to use that.
"Perched high in the sky,
It looks down arrogantly,
Far from commoners."
Kyoko whipped her head in the direction of the words, recognizing the words in the form of a haiku. She stared at the speaker who was reciting those lines.
Sunglasses gazed up to the sky, the sun glinting from the black shades. The handcuffs jingled as the wearer walked up the school, but the noise did not seem to bother him as his shoes crunched on the drying glass in front of him.
"Brick and steel ahead,
Was where it all began from,
Born Hope and Despair."
Kyoko recognized the words to be some sort of haiku, but what was he talking about? Perched in the sky? Hope and Despair?
"Some are born in irrelevance
Others are gifted with excellence
But we are all humans at the end of the day
So why can't the hopeless have a say."
The gray-haired man paused and turned to Kyoko, seeing her staring at him with a blank expression on her face.
"Sorry." He began, trying to rub the back of his head, but having difficulty doing so with the handcuffs on. "Couldn't help myself. I often enjoy doing something new and I was practicing on some poetry before…" he raised up his bound wrists.
"You know I can't let you off the hook."
"I know, I know." he sat on the grass, putting his head on one of his hands. "How was my haiku?"
"Needs some work." she bluntly gave her input.
"Ouch. You wound me." the man gave a mock expression of pain, putting both hands to his chest.
"Mr. Hakashita." the Ultimate Detective said impatiently. "I believe that earlier you stated that you would offer your services in catching the perpetrators behind the Tragedy of Hope's Peak, correct? I do not have time to review your poems. Frankly, you are wasting my time."
"Oh, you're no fun." the man chuckled, leaning back on his hands. "Have some patience, young detective. The world is a vast, mysterious place. Why not stop to smell the roses? After all, a flower is the most beautiful when it is still."
The young girl just looked at him incredulously.
"Do you think this is a game, Mr. Hakashita?"
He picked at his teeth. "To me? Yes."
Kyoko breathed heavily through her nose. "You do remember our deal earlier, correct?"
(The prior night)
The Steering Committee member stared impassively at the Ultimate Detective standing before him and back to hands which were currently cuffed with metal handcuffs.
"I suggest you come along quietly for interrogation," Kyoko said calmly, flicking her braid. "I have quite a few questions I want to ask you."
Hakashita did not respond immediately, his gaze still glancing at the cuffs on his wrists. He turned his gaze back towards Kyoko, the young woman waiting for an answer.
"These are really good cuffs." He said. "Are these hinged?"
"Rigid." replied the detective, "You won't have as much freedom with your hands with the chained versions, and taking away your hand's mobility should be sufficient to keep you occupied for now?"
The man tapped on his cuffs, looking slyly around the room. "What if I try fighting you instead?"
The girl snorted. "I am far from defenseless. I know multiple different forms of martial arts, so I doubt I will go down without a good fight. Even if you do manage to overpower me, the noise will likely draw attention and I doubt you can reach the school exit in time. Besides, I don't have the key with me. You have to try searching all over school grounds to find it and believe me, it will be tedious."
"Of course you have combat experience." he muttered. "Then what's stopping me from trying to run away then?"
"Doubtful." Kyoko shook her head. "If you want to go through the door, you will have to go through me and I already told you about the drawbacks of such a skirmish. Additionally, we are at top a height where going through the windows would be suicidal. Even if by some miracle you survive the fall, your body would be in no condition to flee."
The man whistled. "Daaammmmnnn. You're good."
"Alright then. Why not interrogate me here then?" He tried to extend his arms, but realized the cuffs were still on his wrists. "The room can block out some noises if we whisper."
Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "And why should I do that?"
He gave an exaggerated stretch. "Honestly? I had a pretty long day and my poor old joints are too stiff right now. I would need the Ultimate Chiropractor right now." However, Hakashita put down his hands. "But on a more serious note, it would be highly suspicious if I come along with a student, even if they are the Ultimate Detective."
The lavender-haired girl pondered to herself. The man did have a point. Initially, she planned on sneaking herself and the suspect in the dead of night and going through the secret way she had entered earlier. The school gave her permission to go through the ins and outs of Hope's Peak, thanks to her occupation as detective.
However, a fully-grown man inside the girl's dorm would cause far more trouble than she'd like with the additional downside of her father, Kizakura, or the other staff getting involved, and she is toeing the line with this one.
"Besides," her train of thought was interrupted by Hakashita. "Whatever did I do wrong, officer?"
"Don't you remember what I stated earlier?"
"I honestly wasn't paying attention…"
She pinched her nose.
"You are one of the main members of the Steering Committee, a governing body for the school. A governing body that I have discovered has been tampering with the school and the lives of its students and teachers."
"One student, Hajime Hinata, went missing after he signed up for the Kamukura Project. The Steering Committee was overlooking the operation when suddenly-" she took out a file and laid it on Hakashita's desk "-the power went out and the test capsule inside miraculously disappeared."
"Additionally-," another file was put on the desk, "-the Tragedy of Hope's Peak Academy took place in the old school building, the exact place where the first years will visit tomorrow. 16 students, all members of the Student Council, entered the building weeks ago and were never heard of since that day. Nine were dead and six were announced missing. The missing students are Asukasei Hino, Karen Kisaragi, Shoji Yoko, Sosuke Ichino, Suzuko Kashiki, and Tsubasa Kamii."
"Only Soshun Murasame, the Ultimate Student Council President, was found and still living. However, he is in a catatonic state and currently undergoing recovery as we speak."
"I already know about this." Hakashita raised his hands dismissively. "Don't forget I'm a Steering Committee member. It's my job to know about the ongoing school. I know the ins and outs of the place like the back of my hand, places where not even the Principal knows about. And I can safely say that I only know about as much as you do on these matters."
"No, that's wrong." Kyoko said, giving the man in front of her the pointer.
"Well that's rude."
She ignored the whine. "There is an additional mystery. Something that seems like something of a lesser scale than the other two cases I just mentioned, but will tie everything together. These three cases that seem unrelated, unbound, will blend together to reveal the truth of this matter once and for all."
"Oh? Do enlighten me then."
"I will. The third case of the matter is none other than the Reserve Course."
"The Reserve Course?" the man laughed in front of her. "You must be joking!"
"I never make jokes." she said and her expression backed up the claim. "I never make jokes regarding my cases."
"Then continue, my lovely detective."
"Disregarding that response, Hope's Peak Academy's security is notorious for being able to keep out any trespassers that wish to set foot on school grounds, courtesy of Head of Security Juzo Sakakura. Teenagers without talent have no hope of entering."
She cupped her chin. "However, over the past two months alone, more people from the Reserve Course were popping up in Main Course grounds. The first case was with one Miss Kuzuryu from the well-known gangster clan. She was found after falling from the vents, apparently trying to sneak her way in. She was, of course, apprehended."
"I interrogated her and the process…did not go as smoothly as I hoped it would. However, what I did manage to get from the conversation was that she had an inside man. I crossed out the possibility that it could be support from the Kuzuryu clan due to an agreement with the school that clan members except for the Kuzuryus would not be allowed to set foot on school grounds unless given explicit permission, and the gang is known for keeping their word."
"There's a first time for everything."
"I agree that promises can be broken," Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "However, that does not excuse the fact that multiple other Reserve Course students were found in various locations in Hope's Peak Academy. I found one on the other side of the wall one night. Sakakura reported finding some on different days in the cafeteria, empty classrooms, and even a girl was found in the boy's restroom. He was forced to keep quiet for every single one."
"Do you recall Chisa Yukizome, the homeroom teacher for Class 77-B?"
Hakashita blinked. "Let me guess? Orange hair. Bright smile. Maid uniform. Can make a mean sandwich."
"Yes, although I don't know about the sandwich part. Anyway, she recounted an incident where a quartet of Reserve Course students were climbing up the fence to get across. She and Sakakura were there when it happened. Sakakura was about to report them, but you just happened to stroll along at the precise moment. Instead of punishing them, you instead gave them leeway inside of Hope's Peak which contradicts the rule that the majority of the rest of the Steering Council both now and back then have kept."
The detective paused.
"Are you keeping up?"
Hakashita's mouth was slightly ajar, looking dazed.
"Sorry, sorry. I'm not used to long speeches."
"Then it's about to get even longer."
"Recounting previous events, Kizakura offered me a visit around the Reserve Course. When I was interrogating the staff on the whereabouts of Hajime Hinata, I left Kizakura alone with the Reserve Course, they were initially hostile. However, when I came back, the class as a whole changed their perspective entirely."
Hakashita shrugged. "He must be a swell and charming fella then."
"People's opinions on others can't change that quickly…unless there was a reveal."
"Don't leave me in suspense! What is it? What's the reveal?!" he said dramatically.
"The reveal is…Kizakura isn't Kizakura."
"What!" Hakashita exclaimed. "I don't think I follow you. Do you mean to say that Kizakura that was partnered with you on the investigation surrounding Kamukura was not actually Kizakura?!"
"That's correct. There were many inconsistencies surrounding the 'Kizakura' that joined me versus the Kizakura I met before. One, he did not smell like alcohol. It is a well-known fact for those who know him that Koichi Kizakura is drunk and addicted. However, that marks only one at of several clues that will reveal the culprit."
"The second is that Kizakura is a loyal man." she looked down. "He would never betray Jin Kirgiri, who specifically told him not to reveal any details regarding the Kamukura and Tragedy to me."
"I can see where you're getting at, but I have no idea what any of this has to do with me."
The detective raised her head, a look of fierce determination on her face. "I'm glad that you said that."
"After all, the last bit of information is the most discriminating of all. After all, 'Kizakura', or the culprit as I'm going to call them, was friendly with the Reserve Course. Don't you see it. Someone must have been doing them a service for them to be on good terms…such as giving them an access into the Main Course."
"Who would happen to be so powerful to know the ins and outs of the school that not even the security would know where to look? Who has been seen with Reserve Course students on good terms? Who would have sufficient knowledge regarding the Kamukura Project?"
She lifted a finger and, uncaring of the rudeness of pointing, aimed a finger at the man in front of her.
"The culprit is you, Eisuke Hakashita!"
The man froze at the accusation before his shoulders began to relax.
"Really? I need a little clarification before you throw such a huge accusation against me."
Kyoko dropped her arm. "Still denying it. Alright. Fine. I can do this the hard way then."
"Two lines you mentioned earlier incriminate you as the culprit. Earlier, you mentioned knowing the place like the back of your hand." She raised a gloved hand, the studs shining in the face of the accused. "So well that not even the principal is as knowledgeable as you are."
"Although that could have been a simple boast, we both know differently. The Steering Committee members are higher in the hierarchy than even the Headmaster of the school, so it isn't out of the question that you possibly know areas that are not as well known to others."
"Secondly, another line that you said makes you more likely to be a suspect, Mr. Hakashita. Earlier when I mentioned going over to the Reserve Course building, you mentioned that me and Kizakura partnering up to discover more hints about the Kamukura case. I never mentioned anything about Kamukura, only Hinata."
"Let me cut through your words." the gray-haired man responded back. "Of course I know Kamukura and Hinata were related. After all, the two are one and the same."
Kyoko was taken aback. "What do you-"
"Like I said, I am a Steering Committee member." He leaned back on his hands. "I have the full scoop. After all, the project was overseen by us. We have the full details. So, why would we not know the full scope of the Kamukura Project, especially a committee member such as myself?"
"It...makes sense..." The Ultimate Detective whispered to herself. After all, Hinata had apparently signed for the project. Wait...did that mean that whatever was stolen from the operations was actually Hinata-kun? Did that mean Hope's Peak was performing human experimentation on a student?
"Well miss detective," Hakashita interrupted. "It seems like we are at a standstill. Unless you prove that I'm Kizakura, I believe you should just let me g-"
At that moment, the closet door burst open.
A blonde wig fell out along with a gray suit, fedora, and plastic face mask along with piles of other clothing in the heap. Kyoko raised an eye at the man in front of her who had fallen silent.
"That...that was from a friend who was into theater..." he said, but it was clear his story was falling apart.
"Don't lie to me, Eisuke Hakashita. It's over."
The man raised up his arms.
"Okay. I admit it. You got me." he said with a tone of respect. "Trying to fool the Ultimate Detective was an uphill battle and it seems like I failed in that in the end."
"Alright. You have all the answers, all the clues, to incriminate me." He held his cuffed hands. "Aren't you going to turn me in?"
Two gloved hands placed themselves in the desk in front of her, and Kyoko leaned in, her lilac hair dribbling the table's surface. "I don't have all of the answers yet. I don't know anything about the whereabouts of Hinata now Kamukura and I don't know where the missing Student Council members are."
"I'm sure you could figure that out without me."
"A real detective utilizes any source of information that is at their disposal, and unfortunately for you, it seems like you are that wellspring of knowledge."
"...what if I say no?"
Kyoko gave him a deadpan look. "Then enjoy a life behind bars."
Hakashita sighed."It seems like I have no other choice. Then how about a deal then?"
Once again, he tried extending one arm out, but had to use both arms out.
The detective narrowed her eyes. "You are in no position to be making deals with me. Why would I want to make a deal with you?"
"You don't have to take it. However, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Else, I'll be silenced forever…"
Her eyes widened. "Wait. Do you mean to say that you have accomplices?"
"I won't tattle. Not unless you agree to my terms. After all, fairness is a virtue. You hardly see it with the young folk these days."
Kyoko was still not convinced. "And what are those terms?"
"My freedom." whispered the Steering Committee member. Those words were soft-spoken, yet they seem to echo throughout the empty office. "I don't like being behind bars. It's stinky, it's dirty, and the food's terrible. Besides, you don't have any evidence regarding my accomplices."
The Ultimate raised an eyebrow. "Turning against your comrades?"
"Hey." he said in a tone of surrender. "That's just how the world is. You look after you. No need to worry about it. So do we have a deal?" He raised an arm.
Kyoko thought for a moment. There was no way she would ever let a criminal off the hook and there is a possibility that Hakashita will use this as an opportunity to escape. However, the chance of other culprits being involved was too risky to turn a blind eye to. The gray-haired man seemed like he was telling the truth now. She faced professional liars before and the man in front of her was a terrible liar. Additionally, he was cuffed, and she didn't have to keep her word.
After mulling it over, Kyoko decided to give her input.
"Fine. I will agree to your terms. Your freedom in exchange for the truth." She extended out a gloved hand. "You will keep your word, correct?"
He raised up both hands and shook that one arm. "I always keep my word."
(Present day.)
"How could I forget? I always remember the deals I make."
Kyoko walked across the lawn, still scrutinizing the elderly man in front of her. "You said to meet up at the old school building. I was planning on skipping the tour here, only to find myself here anyway. Why?"
An audacious smirk spread against the man's face, curving like the crescent moon. "The answer to all your questions is here." He was at a tree, knocking on the wood.
"I already searched the entire building and found nothing too out of the ordinary. What more is there–" She blinked. "Wait a minute. You said that you know areas where not even the principal knows about. Don't tell me—"
There was a loud metallic screech as Hakashita ripped open the trunk of a tree. However, trees don't sound remotely metallic.
Standing aside the sakura tree was Hakashita, giving Kyoko a smug smirk. The 'bark' of the tree was flung open, the metal door in line of sight. Inside was a small dumbwaiter, large enough to carry three people inside if they manage to squish.
The old man put one leg on the dumbwaiter and hopped right in.
He turned back to Kyoko.
"Well?" he asked her dumbfounded expression. "What are you waiting for? When looking for more answers, the only place to go is down!"
Sorry for taking so long. I had a bit of an author's block when writing this part and wanted to fit in as much I can. Disregarding that, here we can see Kyoko making a deal with the shady Eisuke Hakashita who promises her answers she is seeking. Now that will be a world-changing experience.