I didn't deserve to be here.
Jin: We're almost at the end of the paperwork Mikan. I just need your signature, then do a few more things on my end, and you'll be free to go as an official student of Hope's Peak Academy.
Not after what I'd done. Not after what I almost did.
Jin: Mikan?
Why was this happening? I didn't deserve forgiveness.
Jin: Are you alright?
Mikan: Mr. Kirigiri… I…
Jin: Getting cold feet? It's okay. Take all the time you need.
Mikan: I-It's not just that… How can you just… Just… I don't deserve to be here! I'm a monster!
Jin: *Sigh*… Mikan, we've already talked about this. Please don't call yourself a monster.
Mikan: Eek! I'm sorry!
Jin: Mikan…
The headmaster sighed as he leaned back into his seat. I shrunk under his gaze, the paperwork forgotten for now.
Jin: Look, Mikan. I'm an educator, not a therapist. I don't think there's any words I can say to you that more qualified people haven't already. But I can tell you this.
He leaned forward, a fire burning in his eyes.
Jin: Hope's Peak runs on all kinds of talent. The good… and the bad. You think you don't deserve to be here? Heh, trust me, we've had worse. Much worse. You're far from the first student here that's done… problematic things. Especially with your class.
Mikan: …
Jin: But… That's also part of why Hope's Peak exists. We want you to cultivate your talent and yourself in a safe space that will give you help, you know? You don't have to forget your past, or pretend it never happened. But you can move past it, make it not define you, and choose the person you want to be. A kind of fresh start, you know?
Mikan: A fresh start, huh…
Mikan: …
Mikan: Heh heh. I… I think I like the sound of that.
Mikan: I'm still not sure if I deserve to be here, but… I can give it a shot.
Some of my confidence restored, I picked up the pen. I stared at the paperwork for a few seconds and then, steeling my resolve, I quickly signed it and handed it back to Mr. Kirigiri. The headmaster shot me a kind smile, and I answered back as best as I could, though mine was probably a lot shakier.
The headmaster signed a few more things, and then set his pen down with a sense of finality.
Jin: Congratulations Mikan. As of right now, you are officially a student of Hope's Peak AcaA̷c̷a̷A̵͚͠c̶̡̀a̵̠͛Ȧ̴͔̚ͅc̵̜̀ä̵͇̥́A̶̜̮̫̳͋̕͜c̸̺̥͙̓̀̃̎ȧ̶͈̣͙̞̮͌Ǎ̵̧̦̘̥̑̆c̸͍̫̀a̵̲͇̅Á̵̟͉̩̮c̴̨̯̫͉̹̖̅͋a̸̖͚̥͔͛̓̒͘Ḁ̷̧͎̫͚̺͑̂̋̃͛͘c̷̬͎͐̎͊͊̒̐a̴̫͛͛̅̒͊Ä̸̢̫͉́̅c̷͉͗̏̔̂̏à̶̱̤̖͍̖͗̅̓A̶̘͗͛̓̀c̵̣̪̻̫̯̉̆̾̏̅̕͝à̵͇̬̼̮͌̎̎A̸̫̩̘̞̰̗͛̋͋
?: Hey, are you okay?
Where was I? Was I lying on… sand? Ugh, why did my head hurt so much?
?: Please don't be dead. All the others have woken up already, so…
With a groan, I opened my eyes, and winced at the sudden light. A boy was standing over me, but my eyes were still adjusting, so I couldn't make him out in detail.
Mikan: …
?: You okay? You're, huh, kinda staring at me funny…
Without thinking, I sweeped his legs from under him. As he fell over with a surprised shout, I shot up from my lying position, and efficiently pinned him to the ground.
?: Wha-
The boy gulped, not making a sound as I pinned him down and observed his face. Then after a few seconds, I realized what I'd done and let him go in a panic.
?: What the hell was that?!
Mikan: I-I'm sorry! It's just that you were the first thing I saw when I woke up, and I wasn't expecting that, so I panicked and my instincts took over, and… and…
Mikan: Please don't hate me!
?: Wow, it's okay, I don't hate you!
Mikan: Please forgive me! I can let you draw on me if you want!
?: Whu? D-Don't say something that weird so suddenly! Look, you didn't even hurt me, so just help me up and I'll forgive you, okay?
?: To be honest, I think the others are way too carefree about this, so I'd say your reaction was a bit appropriate…
Whimpering at my own ineptitude, I held out my hand for the boy. Looking at him in more detail, I could see that he was about my age, and dressed in black pants, a white shirt, and a tie. He looked pretty average for the most part, but had two unusual features. First was his spiky brown hair and frankly impressive ahoge. Seriously, how did that thing stay up? It almost looked like a horn! Second were his heterochromatic eyes, light green on the right and bright red on the left. I didn't say it out loud, but I thought it looked a bit cool.
After helping him up, we both looked away, embarrassed. Trying to ignore the awkward atmosphere I'd created, I looked around and saw that we were on a… beach? A very nice, very tropical looking beach, that was very much not the place I last remember being at.
Mikan: So um, what's going on? W-Where are we?
?: I wish I knew… Last thing I remember, I was walking through the gates of Hope's Peak Academy, ready to start my first day, when I felt a weird sensation. Next thing I knew, I was waking up on this beach, with the others. As far as I can tell, we're on a tropical island.
Mikan: The others?
?: Yeah, there's 16 of us in total, including you and me. All Ultimates. All with the same story.
What was the last thing I remembered? I was at… Hope's Peak? Signing documents to become a student? What? That made zero sense… And the more I thought about this, trying to find details to justify and give context to me becoming a student of Hope's Peak Academy , the more the memory seemed to slip away. I'd never received any invitation, and never set foot inside the building. What the hell would they even want with someone like me? What was going on? Thinking about this made my head hurt. Literally. So, for the time being, I decided to continue the conversation.
Mikan: Um, if it's okay with you, could I have your name?
?: Ah, sorry, should have done that from the start. My name is Hajime Hinata , and I guess I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student.
Mikan: Excuse me, b-but you don't seem all that thrilled about your Ultimate title?
Hajime: Well, it's just that I've admired Hope's Peak Academy as long as I can remember, and to become the Ultimate Lucky student you just have to win a lottery. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be here, really! But I was hoping I could develop my own Talent worth admiring and being noticed for, not just because I got lucky.
Hajime: And now to top it all off, right after I walk through the gates I find myself inexplicably transported to a deserted island. *Sigh*, oh well. And what about you?
If everyone here is an Ultimate from Hope's Peak, then my best option is probably to try and blend in.
Mikan: M-My name is Mikan Tsumiki . Um… From the bottom of my heart, I hope we can get along. And I'm the Ultimate… Chemist.
Hajime: …
Hajime: Huh.
Mikan: You d-don't believe me? Ah, I'm sorry!
Hajime: Well, it's just that you were surprisingly strong when you pinned me, so I was expecting something more physically inclined. Also, I don't think I've heard about Hope's Peak accepting an Ultimate Chemist this year. And your outfit doesn't really scream "chemist".
I looked briefly at my own outfit, an unremarkable white skirt and pink shirt combo, designed to blend in crowds, along with the small duffel bag where I kept my "equipment".
Mikan: So what? J-Just because I'm a chemist I should be wearing a lab coat all the time?
Hajime: I guess not…
Mikan: Hope's Peak just admitted me late! I'm really good at chemistry, please believe me! I have vials in my pocket, I can mix something on the spot!
Hajime: Alright, I believe you!
I could tell he was still skeptical, but that was good enough for now. I should try to act less suspicious in the future.
Hajime: Look, how about we go ahead and try to meet up with the others? They already left to explore the island, but the place doesn't look that big. I looked up who our classmates were going to be beforehand, so I know who most of them are already. I'll introduce them to you.
Mikan: Oh, okay.
Mikan: …
Mikan: Hajime?
Hajime: Yeah?
Mikan: W-Would it be okay if… if we were friends?
Hajime: …
Mikan: Aaaah, did I say something weird?! I'm sorry!
Hajime: No, it's fine, it just felt a bit sudden. But yeah, I'd love to be friends with you Mikan.
At that, he shot me a small smile.
Mikan: Hehehe, thank you.
I couldn't believe it, I'd made a friend! I was still in a strange situation and had to stay on my guard, but maybe this day wouldn't be so bad after all…
As it turns out, we didn't have to go very far to meet our first person, as a boy was standing a little further down the beach. He was tall and thin, with long dark hair, and had on an impractical looking suit that would have been white had it not been completely covered in paint splotches of various colors. Completing his look was a mouth covering mask and a beret, also white and covered in paint. True to his appearance, he had in front of him an easel and canvas, not a care in the world as he painted the scenery in front of him with precise, methodical strokes. No points for guessing what his talent was about.
Where did he even get the equipment? Did he have it with him after waking up here? And why didn't he do or say anything while I had my scuffle with Hajime, surely he was close enough to have noticed it?
?: Kehehe, and so the last one wakes.
Pausing his work and turning towards us, I could see he had piercing golden eyes. Despite myself, I felt a bit unnerved, my hand instinctively reaching towards my bag, where I kept all my vials and syringes.
?: Greetings again, Hajime. And to you, new girl, you are probably thinking, "Who is this?", so I shall answer.
?: My name is Korekiyo Shinguji , and I am called the Ultimate Artist. But please call me Kiyo.
Mikan: Um, I'm Mikan Tsumiki, Ultimate Chemist… I-If it's okay with you, could I see what you're painting?
Korekiyo: But of course. What kind of artist would I be if I kept my creations to myself?
Kiyo turned the painting towards Hajime and I. It was a jaw dropping rendition of the beach and ocean, with striking colors and details. I could truly see why he was called the Ultimate Artist. There was just one problem. In the middle of the painting… was me pinning Hajime to the ground.
Mikan: Eek! Why did you… Why did you include that ? And do I really look that scary?
Korekiyo: That's for you to decide, isn't it? I just captured what was in front of my eyes…
Hajime: Kiyo…
Korekiyo: Kehehe, my apologies. But to answer your first question, as an artist, I believe it is my duty to showcase the beauty in all things. Not just the natural world, but in people as well, both the good and the bad. Emotions, love, peace, violence as well, I find it all beautiful. Rest assured, if I felt either of you were in danger, I would have intervened.
Mikan: Um…
Hajime: *Sigh*… Kiyo's quite the phenomenon in the art world. He's traveled the world since he was young, and he has pieces displayed pretty much everywhere. He's not just restricted to paintings, he's done sculptures and other stuff. Some of his subject matters are quite dark, but I guess there's always people that find meaning in that kind of stuff.
Korekiyo: I take it you are not a fan.
Hajime: Well…
Korekiyo: I assure you, I do not mind. Still, this situation we are in is quite intriguing, no? Though I do not approve of being kidnapped, I must thank our mysterious captors for bringing us to an island of such beauty. Kehehe…
Hajime: Uh, sure. Well, it was great talking to you Kiyo, but I still have to show Mikan around, so see you.
Mikan: Oh, um, goodbye…
As we awkwardly walked away from the artist, me and Hajime shared a glance, both of us probably thinking the same thing. Kiyo didn't seem like a bad person to me, but there was no denying he was creepy, and proud of it. Still, despite that, I couldn't say I completely disagreed with his talk of finding beauty in everything… not that I'd say that in front of Hajime.
Our next stop was a small airport not too far from the beach. I suppose one being there made sense. After all, someone had to have brought us here, and assuming we were far from the continent, a plane was the fastest way to do so. As we entered the building, I could even see that there were planes already waiting for us on the runway.
Mikan: Hajime, look, planes! Maybe we can get out of here after all! We just need to find someone that can pilot a plane.
?: Bzt, wrong!
Mikan: Eek!
The girl who had loudly disagreed with me certainly looked eccentric. She wore a black jumpsuit tied around her waist, a white sailor shirt, and had short, messy black hair with a bunch of white, blue, and pink highlights. And… was that a wrench sticking out of her hair?
?: Those planes would totes be able to take us off the island, but someone removed the fricking engines! I mean, even Ibuki isn't a miracle worker, you know. Not much I can do if the engine is missing, and I don't have the parts to make one from scratch. Not that I'd want to leave now, this place is awesome !
Mikan: S-So, you're Ibuki? I'm Mikan Tsumiki, Ultimate Chemist. I hope we can get along…
Ibuki: Introductions! "I," "Buki," "Mio," "Da!" Put it together and what do you get? Ibuki Mioda ! And I'm the Ultimate Mechanic!
At that, Ibuki took the wrench out of her hair and proudly posed, holding it over her shoulder. Was I seeing things, or did her nose just get longer? How was she doing that?
Hajime: As the Ultimate Mechanic, Ibuki can fix pretty much any machine. If she's saying she can't make the planes fly, then I don't think anyone can…
Ibuki: Oh, relax Hajimeme, we're on a paradise tropical island! This is probably just a welcoming field trip organized by Hope's Peak!
Hajime: A field trip that they didn't tell us anything about and required them to knock us out to bring us to the destination?
Ibuki: Hell yeah!
?: T-That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard…
So far, both Kiyo and Ibuki had looked pretty unique, and I thought I'd reached the limit of how eccentric Ultimates could get. But nothing prepared me for seeing an actual robot.
The girl that had just insulted Ibuki had silvery skin, visible joints on her neck and fingers, and circular markings around her eyes that reminded me of glasses. Her hair was one solid metallic mass, with two flowing protrusions that look like a mix between long braids and chains. By contrast, her outfit was remarkably normal, a traditional school uniform with a long skirt.
Mikan: W-Wha? You're a…
?: Yeah, I'm a r-robot, you got a problem with that? You probably think I'm the most hideous thing you've ever seen, don't you?
Mikan: N-No, I don't, why do you…
?: Don't bother trying to l-lie to me! I know it's true.
Geez. Looks like someone here is even more of a nervous, self-deprecating wreck than I am.
?: Whatever… My official d-designation is T0-K0, but you can just call me Toko . I'm the Ultimate Robot, if that wasn't obvious…
Ibuki: OMG, an actual robot! So cool! Do you have any badass sci-fi functions? Can you fly? I want to look at your insides, can I, can I?
Phrasing…
Toko: Get away from me you pervert!
Ibuki: Wait, I just remembered! Toko, why did you call Ibuki stupid?
Toko: Because you are!
Ibuki: GASP!
Did she just say "gasp" out loud?
Toko: S-Seriously, nothing about this whole situation alarms you? You t-think we're just gonna spend a few days here and go home no problem? I'm literally a r-robot and even I know that this isn't how you do a normal field trip.
Hajime: Finally, some sanity… Say, Toko, I've never heard about you before, what exactly does it mean that you're the "Ultimate Robot"?
Toko: W-why do you want to know, creep?
Hajime: I'm not a cree-
?: I can help answer that!
The new guy looked relatively normal compared to my last three encounters, but still weirder than Hajime and I. He was very pale, with wild, spiky white hair that also had an impressive ahoge, though compared to Hajime's, his was longer and thinner. His outfit was an immaculate black suit that looked somewhat awkward on him. I didn't know much about fashion, but I could tell that that thing was expensive . The oddest aspect of him by far was his robotic left hand, which looked pretty similar in model to Toko's.
Mikan: You're… Keebo Idabashi, right?
Hajime looked disappointed that he wouldn't get to do the introduction. I may have been a bit of a lost cause when it came to celebrity culture, but even I knew who Keebo Idabashi was. The heir to the extremely rich Idabashi Conglomerate, he was set to inherit an absolutely massive fortune once his father handed the reins to him. Not only that, but he had launched several successful tech companies of his own, becoming the youngest billionaire in Japanese history. Whether that was his genuine talent or nepotism wasn't my place to say.
Oh, and the fact that a few members of the Idabashi family had made use of my "services" in the past also helped with me recognising him. I never saw him in person or even communicated with him, but I'd done my research.
Keebo: That's right, I am Keebo Idabashi , the Ultimate Affluent Progeny. But please, treat me like any of the other students here! I do not want my social standing to cause any rifts between us. Oh, and I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Toko. She is truly a fascinating piece of technology, isn't she?
Toko: Shut up creep, and s-stop following me! I'm a person, not a "piece of technology"... I bet you just want to sell me on the black market, huh?
Keebo: I would do no such thing! And I apologize for my choice of words. I am genuinely curious about you. After all, my father collaborated with Professor Fukawa to develop the technology behind you. I just wanted to see what the fruit of their labor looks like.
Toko: Really not helping your case here…
Keebo: Toko is quite special, you see? Though artificial intelligence has rapidly evolved as a domain over the past few years, in order to qualify as the Ultimate Robot Toko is truly a cut above the rest. Despite her metallic body, her mind is essentially indistinguishable from a normal human's.
Keebo: Her existence was planned to be kept a secret from the world until the start of the school year, so that's why you've never heard about her, Hajime.
Hajime: You sure know a lot about her, huh…
Keebo: Well, I've read the documents detailing her technology, but I've never met her in person before.
Ibuki: Will you share some of these with Ibuki? Building a robot has been my dream since foreeeeeeever!
Keebo: I'm afraid they're trade secrets… Besides, I don't have them with me right now anyways.
Toko looked increasingly uncomfortable with the discussion, so I decided to change the subject and give her a break.
Mikan: Umm, Keebo, if you don't mind me asking, what's your take on this situation we're in?
Keebo: Well it's certainly unusual, but I have hope that everything will work out. Besides, once my father hears about this, our army of lawyers will sue our kidnappers out of existence. Until that happens, we should just enjoy this beautiful tropical scenery!
Hajime: Well, that's certainly optimistic. In any case, I think it's time for us to go. I still have to show Mikan around the island.
Mikan: G-Goodbye, everyone!
Keebo: Goodbye.
Ibuki: Bye bye byyyyyyyyye!
Toko: Whatever…
Well, that was certainly something. Ibuki was fun, but my introverted self would probably have to spend time with her in moderation. Keebo seemed nice enough, but he was pretty insensitive and lacking in social grace. Hopefully being around us peasants would do some good for him. Toko… yeah, talking with her was unpleasant, I was not going to lie. Still, I saw a lot of myself in her, and I couldn't imagine that her unique circumstances did any good for her social life. Poor girl.
Next on our list was Rocketpunch Market, a large supermarket that seemed out of place on such a small island. After entering it, we immediately spotted a blonde girl browsing the snack shelves.
Mikan: H-Hello. I just wanted to introduce myself…
The girl turned around, and wow. She was gorgeous. With long blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a strong, commanding aura, she honestly looked like a princess out of a fairy tale. She wore a simple, but elegant knee-length black and white dress that was decorated with a bunch of flag pins from all around the world. An odd choice, but she somehow made it work. Honestly, I thought she could make any outfit work.
?: Oh my, it's so nice to meet you!
Mikan: Umm, I'm Mikan Tsumiki, Ultimate Chemist, and it's nice to meet me too, I mean me too, I m-mean you too!
Way to embarrass myself in front of the pretty girl. I wanted to die.
?: *Giggles*. I believe I should introduce myself. My name is Sonia Nevermind , and I am the Ultimate Anthropologist! I may cause trouble here and there, but I hope we can get along well.
Hajime: S-Same here... I'm Hajime Hinata, Ultimate Lucky Student. I hope we get along, too.
Looks like I wasn't the only one under Sonia's charm.
Hajime: Umm, I wanted to ask, but Sonia, you're not Japanese, right? Also, I haven't seen anything about you when researching who my classmates were going to be.
Sonia: Indeed. This may be hard to believe, but… I am actually the princess of a small European Country called Novoselic.
Hajime: WHAT?
Mikan: WHAT?
Actually, that made a lot of sense.
Sonia: This may be why you haven't heard of me, Hajime. You see, Hope's Peak academy originally wanted me to be accepted as the Ultimate Princess, but I refused. If I am to be recognised, I want it to be on the path that I chose for myself, not something that I was born as. It took a lot of negotiation, but eventually, Hope's Peak accepted me as the Ultimate Anthropologist.
Sonia: Please, do not treat me any differently from our other classmates. Back in Novoselic, I did not have many friends outside of my social standing… So me being here is a new experience for me. It is "totes awesome"!
Mikan: Y-Yes ma'am!
Hajime: So, Sonia, what do you do as an anthropologist?
Sonia: Well, anthropology is broadly speaking the study of humanity as a whole, though I specialize more in the cultural aspect. I speak over 30 languages, and I've traveled the world since I was young. I've published several papers, but all under an alias I'm afraid…
Mikan: T-That's impressive!
Sonia: Right now, I was examining this shelf, which has snacks from all across the world! It may seem silly, but studying the differences between snacks of various countries is fascinating, and is itself a form of culture.
Sonia: Ah, but do not let me keep you my friends. Please keep exploring this island to your heart's content. I shall extol your virtues!
Extol?
Hajime: Um, th-thanks… Come on Mikan.
Both of us left Sonia behind with some reluctance. Walking through the supermarket, we found another person browsing shelves towards the back. He was tall, with light stubble and dark brown dreadlocks that stuck out in every direction. He wore a dress shirt and pants that would have looked somewhat fancy were it not for the black jacket left untied across his shoulders, and he had small reading glasses resting on his nose.
As he turned towards us, his face split into a huge grin.
?: Yo, Hajime, new girl, how's it hanging?
Mikan: I'm g-good, thank you. I am Mikan Tsumiki, the Ultimate Chemist…
?: And I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure - Hiro for short! Ultimate Writing Prodigy! Take it easy, yeah? I know I will!
Hajime: Hiro, under his pen-name Supernova, has written several award winning books. He started with fiction, but recently he's dabbled in self-help books and spiritual guides. Apparently, his latest novel, Visitation of the Ghost , was such a hit with various demographics that it caused a nationwide increase of interest in the occult.
Yasuhiro: Hehe, you're gonna make me blush. You know, for a while now I've been looking for something I was good at, and when my mom told me to try writing a short story something just clicked, you know? It feels like this is the path that Supernova was always destined to walk on!
Hajime: Oh, I see…
Looks like this hit a little too close to home for Hajime. I should try changing the subject.
Mikan: So, Hiro, were you looking for anything?
Yasuhiro: Oh yeah, I was looking for some quality brewskis. And what do you know, there's a bunch. Looks like our chaperones wanted us to have a little fun, heh?
It was then that I noticed the shelf Hiro had been looking at was filled to the brim with various alcohol bottles.
Mikan: Eek! B-but, we're too young for that…
Yasuhiro: Oh, I'm actually 21. I've been held back a few times, see, and… well, it's a long story. But, you know, that doesn't mean you shouldn't drink either. Live a little, yeah?
Hajime: Maybe later, Hiro… We still have a bunch of people to meet.
Yasuhiro: See ya!
It looked like we'd seen everyone in the supermarket, so Hajime and I went on our way. Hiro had been nice, but even among the others he seemed way too carefree for this situation, and something told me that outside of his talent he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Sonia… I still can't believe I'd met an actual princess, and one that was so humble at that. Counting all the people we'd met so far, I realized we still had 8 to go. I hoped none of them were too eccentric, though as demonstrated so far that was a tall order for Ultimates.
Still despite the strange situation, I couldn't help but be happy. I'd never made so many friends in my life before! But… did someone like me really deserve that? No, I couldn't think like that. Right now, I was just Mikan Tusmiki, the Ultimate Chemist. The others didn't need to know anything else. And maybe, just maybe, for once in my life I could stay in one place without bloodshed following me.