Danganronpa: Twisted Tragedy (SYOC)

by SilverMark16

[Sequel to Corrupted Hope] Eighteen of Hope's Peak's finest awake to find themselves stuck in an abandoned theme park, Piero's Playground, the joyous place in the world! However, behind the smiles and laughs is a deadly game of tears and tragedy starring a Killing Game hosted by the eccentric Stanczyk and his twisted partner, Monoyena.

1. A World of Laughs and Tears (Part 1)

Prologue: A World of Laughs and Tears (Part 1)

---

Warning: This fic contains intense violence, lots of cursing, character death, gore and blood, sexual innuendos (thanks Maggi- Wait. You're not even in this fic. Meaning there are no sexual innuendos!... Maybe! Hooray!), and possible spoilers for the Danganronpa series. But hey, everyone lurking in this fandom has at least played the first Danganronpa so no need to worry much there! Right?

With that said, please enjoy!

---

"Mein Sohn, was birgst du so bang dein Gesicht?

Siehst, Vater, du den Erlkönig nicht?

Den Erlenkönig mit Kron' und Schweif?..."

---

"Okay Nicky. You got everything ready for school, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, Mom, I got it. And it's Nick, alright?"

"Haha, and you sure you don't need me to drive you to school today?"

"No Mom. I'm ten now! My birthday was yesterday. And I promised my friends we would walk to school togethe- Hey!"

Nick felt his mother wrap her arms around him in a tight hug. He was so caught off-guard that he surely had little time to react to everything. For a ten-year old to be so independent, he supposed it was his mother wanting to share her love for him. But still…

"Aw come on Mom!" Nick frowned. "Th-That's gross! Cut it out!"

"Haha, I'm sorry," his mother laughed. "Look at you. Only ten and already wanting to be independent and leave your mother. They grow up so fast! Oh, if only your father was here instead of Malibu!"

"Mom, come on," Nick raised an eyebrow, feeling a little bashful. "We talked about this. I'm ten now. Getting hugged by our moms at this age isn't cool…"

"Oh nonsense," his mother laughed. "Let me have this!"

"M-Mom, I'm serious!" Nick looked embarrassed.

He was glad his friends weren't here to see this…

…

"Get to school safely alright?!" his mother called toward him with a bright smile on her face. "Oh, and tell your friends I said, hi!"

"M-Mom, please!" Nick covered his face in embarrassment. "I got it! See ya! Sayonara! Good-bye!"

He frantically waved his hand toward his mother as he watched her laugh by the door. He sighed to himself as he tugged the straps of his backpack. His mother was a woman that just loved to embarrass him everywhere he went. Home. The mall. At school. He couldn't be glad enough to be a ten-year old boy, now.

Ah!

Freedom was among him!

He was going to live the life of an adult! Settle in and do whatever he wanted and not have to worry about anything else! That was the sweet life of being an adult! Right? No more embarrassment. No more having to stay in the same house with a mom that keeps coddling him…

(Yeah, sure kid. Continuing dreaming that way you little shit…)

Don't get him wrong, Nick loved his mother, but sometimes he just wished she could back off a bit for once. Let him have his alone time to himself and his friends and not have to worry about looking like a blushing mess. He sighed as he skipped along the sidewalk.

That sure was the life he dreamed of, wasn't it?

He took in a breath and exhaled.

It sure was…

A smile began to creep on his face as he sprinted past house after house. Freedom. That was a feeling! And what a rush that was! He began to mimic himself as an airplane, y'know, like most ten-year old boys often did when they were ten-years old. He laughed. He giggled to himself. He imagined freedom like it was no other.

The rush!

The excitement!

The glory and the joy and the laughs and the truck– Wait. Truck?

TRUCK!

Nick snapped out of his daydream in the Nick of time. A truck had pulled over the curb, forcing Nick to stop dead in his tracks and fall back onto his bottom.

He winced in pain.

He coughed slightly.

What the heck was that?

Had he not snapped out sooner and stopped himself, he'd be all over the rock, hard pavement right about now! He slowly opened his eyes, his heart pounding. That was seriously a close call. And really, although he had every right to get mad over how he had almost had his life cut short, he was relieved.

Relieved that he was still alive at least.

He allowed his breathing to steady itself before taking a closer look at the truck that had nearly ruined his day. The moment he did however, he widened his eyes.

"W-What the…?" Nick blinked.

It was…

…an ice cream truck?

Well, that was going to be a story for the ages.

Hey guys, guess what? I almost got ran over by an ice cream truck on the way to school! Sorry about that!

Nick shook his head and slowly stood up. He checked himself for injuries. No injuries of any kind but his butt still kind of hurt from that fall. He was kind of glad he wore those baggy shorts his mother forced him to wear. Really cushioned that heavy impact he faced. But aside from that, everything else looked fine.

Once again, a relief.

If he had hurt himself, his mom would never trust him enough to walk to school ever again! Best to keep this a s–

"Oh my goodness, little boy!" came a relieved voice mixed with a horrified expression.

Popping out of the driver's seat was a man wearing a mask with two X's over its eyes, a nice big smile, a golden crown, and a purple cape. Truth be told, it was a little unnerving, especially for a grown ten-year old boy like himself.

"A-Ah… w-were you the driver?" Nick blinked before clearing his throat. "E-Er, I mean, watch it next time! I was walking here!"

"O-Oh, heavens!" the man clapped his hands together with a worried expression. "Y-Yes! I'm terribly sorry! Oh my goodness! I almost ran over a child! That would've been really bad! I would've almost been out of a job!"

"Y-Yeah, well… just be careful next time!" Nick declared. "Also, I'm not a child! I'm ten now! So that means I have lawyers!"

"Oh nooo!" the man gasped. "Not the lawyers!"

The man was clearly humoring him now.

Ain't no way a ten-year old boy has lawyers.

"Please!" the man started to beg. "Let's keep this a hush-hush, okay child? I warned the company that wearing a mask and driving at the same time was going to result in some accident! And I was right! Er… almost. Um! Anyway, are you hurt?! Do you need an ice pack?!"

"No," Nick blinked before smiling at the man. "Which means you're really lucky today! I'll let you go with a warning!"

"Oh, thank goodness!" the man seemed relieved. Or maybe it was the mask that made him seem that way. "I get to keep my job!"

"Just stop wearing that mask next time," Nick ordered with a frown. "It's really creepy and you already saw what you almost did. So, be careful next time, alright? Anyway, I'd love to stick around but I need to go to school. My friends are waiting for me."

Nick prepared to leave after regaining the feeling in his legs and arms again. But after one step, the man quickly called out to him.

"W-Wait wait, little boy!" the man exclaimed. "I still feel really bad about everything! Look! I want to make it up to you somehow! So please, give me this chance to gain your forgiveness!"

"Forgiveness?" Nick blinked. He was unsure. "I mean… I'm in a hurry…"

"I– I have ice cream!" the man's mask smiled. "What's your favorite flavor?! I have vanilla, chocolate, rocky road, strawberry, mint chip… I have all the flavors you can think of!"

Nick stood still for a moment.

Huh.

He did like ice cream.

"Er… w-what else do you have?" Nick questioned.

"You want to see?" the man's mask smiled. "Come! Come! I keep all the delicious stuff in the back! Take your pick! All the ice cream you can have! All for free! I even have a nice birthday cake just for you!"

That gained Nick's curiosity.

Free ice cream?

A bunch of flavors he can choose from?

School didn't start until another half an hour so he could probably pack some to go. Ha! Ten-years old and this was already his lucky day! Nick smiled at the masked man and nodded his head.

"Alright!" Nick agreed to the man's terms before he hurried to the back of the ice cream truck.

The door slowly opened.

And peeking inside, Nick remained hopeful and smiled like any ten-year old child would.

But hopes and dreams fade.

And smiles waver.

And Nick's hopes and smiles started to disappear when he slowly saw the silhouette of the man creep up behind him.

That's when he finally let the realization hit him harder than that ice cream truck ever could.

"...Wait, how did you know it was my birthd–"

...

---

PROLOGUE: A WORLD OF LAUGHS AND TEARS

---

...

Hope's Peak Toronto.

It's been 10 years since Hope's Peak Academy opened its doors to the entire world.

Once a private elite school situated in the heart of Japan, Hope's Peak Academy has since established facilities in every sector of the world. With the preexisting awareness of its successes, it was no surprise that countries around the world would've pitched in to help build Hope's Peak Academies in some of their finest, most well-known cities. Canada was no different. And thus, came the birth of Hope's Peak Toronto, currently Canada's only Hope's Peak Academy.

Although it wasn't Hope's Peak NY, or Hope's Peak Shanghai or even Hope's Peak London, Hope's Peak Toronto was still a nicely built private academy that was able to gain a prominent presence alongside big hotspot tourist attractions such as the CN Tower or Ripley's Aquarium of Canada.

Though, comparatively, it was kind of small.

It had a small campus.

The height of its academic tower was not even close to the high skyscraper that was the CN Tower.

And… well.

It was also calm and serene.

Soothing to the eyes.

Quiet to the ears.

And overall, just a nice place to look at.

Especially with the leafless trees and the snow neatly patted across the pavement floor. Winter had come earlier than expected yet it never made that tranquil feeling disappear. Heh, despite how relaxed and simple Hope's Peak Toronto's campus looked, the intimidating feeling one would get if they stepped onto the grounds of Hope's Peak was still prevalent to any Hope's Peak facility in the world…

…

…To Alvin Tetch, however, the intimidation was never there.

Instead of intimidation, there was Hope. And with that Hope was the eagerness to get things started. Because today, Alvin Tetch was ready.

He was ready to start his New Life.

---

(Headmaster's Office)

Alvin felt his leg shake anxiously.

He double-checked himself in the mirror to make sure everything about himself had that perfect presentation that he had tried so hard to prepare early in the morning.

His main color was purple.

It was his favorite color after all.

He wore a purple suit with purple dress pants and black shoes. Underneath that purple suit was a white-collared shirt that was buttoned up appropriately. Tied around that white collar (no, not the Devil) of his was a purple tie adorned with yellow stripes. Neatly placed over his dark brown eyes were a pair of thin-framed glasses and to go along with his purple-obsessed appearance was a headband to tie his back-length clean black hair into a nice and neat ponytail.

He checked his face this time.

For a 35-year old man, his face still looked just as charming and handsome as it did when he was 18. His face was clean-shaven, his lips soft, and a perfect straight nose. Honestly, if he hadn't spent his entire life working for Hope's Peak International, he might actually make it big as a supermodel. He had a nice lean build. He had a nice firm jawline. He was appropriately 6'3. Everything about his appearance was just… perfect.

So why would he just throw that guaranteed chance away to work at a damn school of all things?

Well…

He exhaled.

He tried to assure himself.

Being in the Headmaster's Office was always a nerve-racking thing.

Today was no exception.

Perhaps it was even worse.

Despite looking like a simple office you would find anywhere, the Headmaster's Office always had an intimidating aura. Maybe it was because it was an office that belonged to the big boss of the entire academy. But at the same time, what did an office with a simple glass desk, two couches in the middle of the room, a nice black office chair with wheels, and a coffee table ever do to prompt anyone to feel nervous?

Whatever it was, it sure made Alvin continuously fix his collar, tie, and suit, despite already looking perfect. But hey, perfect wasn't nearly enough for him!

He tugged.

He pulled.

And finally…

"You can fix your clothing a thousand times," a voice caused Alvin to freeze. "Nothing will change. Just leave it alone, Alvin."

Alvin spun around to see a woman in her 30s.

Thanks to her red fashion designer-type boots, she rose at a hefty 5'7 for her height. Underneath her boots were a pair of black leggings and over her leggings was a red winter coat with a white fur collar. She wore white gloves and red sharply framed glasses over her beige-colored eyes.

Given her stance and the fact that she seemed to have her flip phone out– Alvin could also see that currently someone was being placed on hold –she seemed to have a very pompous look on her face. But even such an imperious face couldn't hide just how stunning she looked. Her skin tone was a nice light peach and there were definitely blush marks on her cheeks.

Her hairstyle on the other hand made her appearance much more unique as well. She had long orange hair that was tied into a spiky ponytail that quite clearly resembled the shape of a maple leaf, Canada's national icon. There was also a long fringe of hair that trailed down toward her chin.

"H-Headmistress Mabel Leve!" Alvin cleared his throat as he bowed his head politely.

…

(Mabel Leve ~ Headmistress of Hope's Peak Toronto)

…

"Oh, stop that," Mabel waved her hand toward him with an embarrassed look on her face. "We've known each other for a while Alvin. It's embarrassing to call your friend by their full name and title. I mean, what would you do if I went ahead and called you, Alvin Miles Tetch, huh? It would be a little awkward, wouldn't it?"

"A-Ah!" Alvin was taken aback by Mabel's criticism. Bowing his head apologetically, he felt his face heat up. "Y-You're right! Damn it!"

Alvin straightened himself up again and looked disappointed.

"Eh?" Mabel blinked. "What's wrong?"

"My perfect introduction today!" Alvin looked pained. "I was hoping I would've made a better impression but instead, I acted like a goofball. Damn. I'm sorry, Headmistress Leve!"

Mabel stared at him blankly before shaking her head in slight amusement.

"You never change, do you Alvin?" she chuckled to herself. She eyed the phone that was in her hand. "Oh. Excuse me for a moment."

She placed her flip phone carefully onto her shoulder and let her ear rest onto it as she spoke to whoever was on the other line. Typically for Mabel Leve, it was some shareholder or some bigwig at Hope's Peak International but then there were also the occasional scam callers she liked to mess with as well. Today, from the sounds of…

"Uh-huh," she spoke. "Yep… Yeah… You got it… Mhm… Right… Alright. Great. I'll call you later."

Closing her eyes, she snapped her phone shut, a little harsher than Alvin would've expected any responsible phone-wielder to do so. She also seemed a little irritated as well, but that's usually how she looked at the end of every phone call so… no surprise there!

"Er, a shareholder?" Alvin rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin.

"No, spam," Mabel answered, keeping her eyes closed.

Opening them back up, she pointed her flip phone toward him with a click of her tongue.

"Anyway, you got here a lot earlier than I expected," Mabel smiled to herself. "Good for you. That's exactly a quality you'll need for your promotion."

Alvin stood tall, acting as if he were in the middle of a drill sergeants roll call.

"Haha, at ease soldier," Mabel chuckled before gesturing toward the couch in her office. "Have a seat. Let's talk."

…

"Alvin Miles Tetch," Mabel read through his file. "You've been recommended and assigned as an active Ultimate Talent Scout for Hope's Peak Toronto since its opening five years ago. But before that, you've been an active Ultimate Talent Scout for Hope's Peak International for an additional five. That makes you a 10-year staff member at Hope's Peak. And now, look at you."

Mabel closed his file and slid it towards him.

"Congratulations, Alvin Tetch," Mabel gave him a smile of recognition. "You're officially no longer Hope's Peak's Ultimate Talent Scout and now an official teacher here at Hope's Peak Toronto."

…

(Alvin Tetch ~ The Former Ultimate Talent Scout)

…

Alvin slowly picked up his file, opening it slightly and reviewing it quickly. Then closing it shut, he gave Mabel a thankful look.

"After so long," Alvin couldn't stop himself from smiling. "Thank you, Headmistress Leve. This is perfect."

"Of course, keep up the good work," Mabel smiled. "Here at Hope's Peak Toronto, we look forward to big things for not only our students but even our staff too."

Her flip phone interrupted her speech of gratuity. With a sigh, she picked it up and placed it between her shoulder and ear.

"Leve," Mabel answered. "Uh huh. Yeah. Mhm… Yep… You got it… Okay. Bye."

Closing her eyes, she snapped her phone shut much harsher than she did the last time. Even that look of irritation had a little more displeasure than it usually did.

"Er, spam?" Alvin questioned.

"No, my older brother," Mabel shook her head. "Anyway, where were we? Oh right, we look forward to big things for not only our students, but even our–"

"Er, you already said that part," Alvin pointed out.

"Oh, did I?" Mabel blinked. Her expression soured. "Ugh. This is why I hate getting phone calls in the middle of important meetings."

Then, just put your phone on silent! was the first thing that Alvin thought behind his forced smile.

"I also assume that the reason you called me here isn't just to promote me, is it?" Alvin questioned. Best to move the conversation along, he figured! "I believe I'm supposed to start teaching today as well."

"You would be correct," Mabel nodded with a smile. "You're in charge of Class 1-C. All of them, eagerly ready to start the new program we've just started."

"The New Life Program," Alvin revealed.

"Precisely, so," Mabel smiled. "And as the assigned teacher to the class, you should also know what we're working towards with the Program."

"A second chance for Ultimates that feel like they need a new fresh start," Alvin nodded his head with a smile. "Hence the name, the New Life Program."

After a pause of consideration and admiration by how much Alvin was committed to his line of work– unsurprisingly, since Alvin was pretty much a perfectionist –Mabel gave him another nod of recognition and satisfaction.

"Excellent, you passed my test," Mabel proudly smiled.

T-That was a test? Alvin thought to himself with a blank look on his face.

"Great job, new teacher," Mabel chuckled. "Now that you proved yourself, how about we stop by Class 1-C and meet your new students?"

"That sounds perfect," Alvin gave his boss a grin as he stood up. The eagerness never wavered from his face as he turned to the door. He had prepared to march over but before he could, the sound of a flip phone ringing forced them to pause slightly.

Mabel sighed and glanced over to Alvin.

"Er, right after this call," Mabel gave her colleague a sweet smile.

Put your phone on silent, damn it! Alvin's mind could only yell.

---

The distance between the Headmaster's Office and Classroom 1-C was quite a few floors below. For a high 8-floor building, it was a wonder why a class that was for such an important program would be delegated down to the first floor. Then again, Alvin could think of many reasons for that.

His most prominent theory:

The New Life Program was a recent program. Construction for any classrooms would take a moment's notice so there was probably no time to even prepare a separate special room for this specific Program. Not until way later. At least, Alvin hoped that was the case.

To have his own classroom in a whole separate location than for this giant tower of a school… that would be the perfect dream as well…

Descending down the elevator, once they made it to the ground floor, Alvin and Mabel stepped out and traveled to Classroom 1-C, which was at the farthest corner of the hallway. Not a perfect spot for a special program but hey, he wasn't going to complain in front of his boss.

Then, with a smile, once the two stepped right in front of the door, Mabel opened the door for Alvin to walk into…

---

(Classroom 1-C)

"Ah. People."

"Oh! Is that our teacher? Oh wow! He's…"

"It would seem so. This must be our professor for the new program."

When Alvin and Mabel arrived at Classroom 1-C, four students were already inside the room, one girl and three boys, each with their own unique look that painted pictures for Alvin to remain fascinated by. Even though it was just four at the moment, to Alvin's eyes, these were for sure students glistening with Ultimate potential.

"Oh?" Mabel seemed surprised, however. "Where are the others?"

"Ah, one of the girls had to be taken to the Infirmary," the only female of the class, who seemed to have blonde hair tied into a braided bun, answered. "Or actually, I think the correct response would be to say she was forced to be taken to the Infirmary…"

"Was there a problem?" Alvin blinked. Of course, there was a problem! This was an imperfect start to what was soon to be his first ever class session. "Did she fall sick? Is she–?"

"She just looked a little pale," one of the males answered. This male had ringleted hair. "So, we thought she should at least get herself some rest before class officially started."

"I see," Mabel nodded. "As long as she feels alright. It would be a shame if a student got sick on the first day of class."

She sighed and shook her head.

"Some kids nowadays, though," Mabel tapped her chin with her flip phone. "Don't even bother to dress appropriately even during the middle of the winter."

Her flip phone rang once again.

"Ugh, sorry, let me take this really quick," Mabel sighed as she opened up her phone and prepared to answer it. "Alvin. Please feel free to get yourself acquainted with your students! And do let me know if you have any more questions… after my call of course."

Hurrying out the door to take the call, Alvin was left alone with the four Ultimates in the room. He had to admit, even though he had been an Ultimate Talent Scout for years, to be in the presence of students exhibiting Ultimate Talents at their prime… God. They were glorious. No. They weren't just glorious.

They were perfect.

Alvin smiled toward his new students and bowed his head toward the four.

"Well, if you didn't know already, I am Mister Tetch," Alvin bowed, politely. "I am ecstatic to be your instructor for the New Life Program. If you don't mind, I would like to get to know each and every one of you…"

…

The first student to step up to his offer was of course the girl with the braided blonde hair.

"It's finally nice to meet you, Mister Tetch," the girl politely bowed back toward him. "My name is Alina Summers. As for my Ultimate Talent, I am the Ultimate Maestro!"

…

(Alina Summers ~ The Ultimate Maestro)

…

Alina Summers was a girl who stood at a height of 5'4. As mentioned before, she had blonde hair tied into a braided bun, which almost sat on her head like a crown. Of course, there was no one else wearing a crown in this fic. Don't know why I pointed that out. Her eyes were a lime green color, and really stood out in general because they seemed really bright.

She was also wearing a red cape on her back tied by pink threads shaped into a lovely bow that fluttered whenever she moved. She also wore a fancy dress shirt with two white lines down the middle, where someone could presumably separate it if she allowed it. In fact, it was held together by four golden buttons. The rest of her shirt was also dark red with her white pants stopping a decent bit above her ankle. She also wore an ankle ring above her flashy red heels.

"Finally nice to meet me?" Alvin blinked, confused by her choice of words.

"Oh, well, Headmistress Leve mentioned you when she came into our class an hour ago," Alina gave a sweet smile toward her instructor. "So naturally, I was really excited to meet you."

That sweet smile didn't last long as Alvin watched her slowly avoid eye contact with him. She covered the lower half of her face with the side of her right hand. It seemed as if she were hiding a goofy lovestruck smile underneath her face.

"...I just didn't think our teacher would be so attractive," Alina noted, her eyes slowly widening.

"O-Oh, I'm flattered, really but–" Alvin seemed slightly flustered by this revelation.

He knew he was perfect in appearance, but the fact that a student would say that so outright and out of the blue. Well, it was enough to make him feel just as bashful as she felt in his presence. He cleared his throat, hoping to move the conversation along.

"Hehe, don't worry about it, Mister Tetch!" Alina pumped her fists cheerfully. "If you're worried I might be into you like that, I'm not!"

Alina folded her arms and firmly nodded her head. Her smile became a little prideful this time as she stuck her nose into the air.

"I have my own type of boys I prefer and you're simply much too old for me," Alina giggled. "So, you really don't have to worry about it!"

"Ah… thank goodness," Alvin fixed his tie, nervously.

His first time meeting his students and already he's blowing it. He had forgotten that Ultimate students also had their own unique personality and clearly, the personality of this girl is nothing but a bubble of positivity and cheerfulness. At least, according to that bright smile of hers.

"Er, Alina, was it?" Alvin regained his composure. "You mentioned you were the Ultimate Maestro, correct? That means you're efficient in all things music, yes?"

"That's right!" Alina closed her eyes, bobbing her head to the side with a cheerful expression. "Back at my original school, they called me the Master of the Orchestra! I led the school's orchestra, marching band, the choir, and I was also kind of forced to learn well…"

Alina folded her arms with a pause. She was also holding what seemed to be a conductor's baton that seemed to tap lightly against her chin.

"...The violin, the viola, the cello, the double bass, the piano, the flute, the drums, the harpsichord, the clavichord, the organ, the trumpet, the trombone, the tuba, the clarinet, the oboe, the triangle, the xylophone, the French horn, the saxophone…" she began to list off as quickly as she could.

"O-Okay, okay, so just about every instrument in existence!" Alvin was taken aback by how quickly she spoke.

"Mmm, I wouldn't say that," Alina continued to tap her conductor's baton onto her chin. "I still have yet to learn the cimbalom."

Th-The what?!

Alvin needed a moment to process everything she had just told him. But just based on what he was able to gather within that 15 second list, he had to admit that this girl was incredible in every way. Which only begged the question…

"Er, if you don't mind me asking," Alvin began. "Why join the New Life Project? I mean, you sound like an incredible young lady and have taken the time to master all of these instruments. Why would you want a new start to your life?"

"Huh?" Alina was slightly taken aback by that question.

Once again, she returned back to her thinking pose. Her baton smacked itself against her chin, but this time, a little harder than it usually did. It seemed like she had to really think about her reason. Then, finally, Alina gave him a smile of reassurance.

"Honestly, Mister Tetch," Alina began. "When you've spent your entire life learning nothing but instruments of every kind, it really…"

Alvin could see Alina's face soften slightly. Whatever the reason was, it made her seem kind of… sad. He stepped closer to her.

"Miss Summers, I didn't realize–" Alvin began, preparing to place a hand on her shoulder but before the palms of his hand could even make contact, Alina suddenly brightened her expression and stepped back, using her pointer fingers to stretch her mouth into a smile.

"But hey!" She tried her best to smile. "Now I'm here! And I'm hoping for fun, fun things in the future!"

Alvin blinked.

She was obviously forcing herself to smile.

But nevertheless, he retracted his hand and gave her a smile of reassurance. A smile that promised that the future would be perfect now that she was here in his class. He nodded and let her be for now but thinking about it now, he had to wonder.

Why did she feel so sad earlier?

He sighed to himself, knowing there probably wasn't much he could ask about that at the moment. Perhaps he needed time before these students trusted him enough to reveal all. He just met her for the first time. So, for now, it was time to move on…

…

…to the next student that sat beside Alina's cheerful demeanor.

Seeing that he was being approached next, the student stood up, allowing Alvin to give a more distinctive and thorough examination to the next Ultimate he was to speak to.

"Mister Alvin..." the student, who Alvin could see had a slim, battered, and pallid body, gave him a polite yet tired smile. Behind those dull eyes of his was clearly a student that was exhausted. And slowly but surely, he handed him a card. "My name is Kazuki Nobukatsu... of Nobukatsu Enterprises. I'm… the Ultimate Philanthropist. It's an honor and a pleasure to meet your acquaintance…"

…

(Kazuki Nobukatsu ~ The Ultimate Philanthropist)

…

Kazuki stood at 5 '10 and weighed at a measly 120 lbs. As mentioned before, his body and the way he moved was very lymphatic, giving the impression that the slightest form of contact against him would break him. His face was sharp, clean-shaven, and clear but gaunt. His angular dull eyes were sunken in and had a metallic gray coloration to them. His near pitch-black hair is straight, medium-length, and professionally styled in a side part. However, it was riddled with a myriad of gray streaks, something that Alvin found to be an imperfection for someone who was supposed to be 20 years old.

Kazuki also wore a formal outfit, consisting of the colors of midnight blue, silver, and black. He wore a perfectly pressed buttoned-up white shirt with long sleeves and a black tie enveloping the collar. The white shirt was adorned by a midnight blue double-breasted vest with a silver badge representing his apparent high status. The vest and shirt were subsequently enveloped by a high-quality and well-pressed midnight blue colored suit coat. For his lower half, Kazuki wears midnight blue suit pants held by a black belt with a silver box-framed buckle alongside two black leather Oxfords. He also wore black leather gloves over his hand.

Just based on this appearance alone, Alvin could instantly tell that Kazuki exhibited that clean public image any philanthropist should carry. But for the wearisome eyes, that needed a little work, he'd imagine.

"Mister Nobukatsu," Alvin gently took Kazuki's card and examined it.

It was clearly a business card with the Nobukatsu Enterprises insignia.

There was a phone number. Kazuki's name. Just by touching it, Alvin felt just how crisp it was. The font was something he imagined to be called silian rail. But that wasn't all. It had a subtle off-white coloring, a tasteful thickness about it, and oh my god, it even has a watermark.

Alvin stifled a chuckle, flipping it over several times before pocketing the card and handing him his own.

"Why thank you," Alvin chuckled.

"It's… not a problem," Kazuki rubbed his neck instinctively as he glanced away. He paused. Then, he spoke again. "Though... Mister Alvin. I wanted to inquire about something. If you don't mind me asking… that is."

"O-Of course," Alvin blinked. His first question! "Er! Anything! Anything at all! I am your teacher so…"

"Are… you here to kill me?" Kazuki turned to face him, his eyes going hollow and his face growing dim.

"E-Eh?!" out of all the thousands of possible questions Alvin was expecting, it definitely wasn't that!

"...Because if you are…" Kazuki looked down, his eyes drooping.

Then, suddenly he gave Alvin an exhausted yet welcome smile and extended his arms out as if he were announcing the opening of a new orphanage, company, or whatever exciting thing was being constructed in whatever city he was from.

"By all means… my battered body is yours for the taking," Kazuki closed his eyes with that same smile of assurance. "Just be very gentle with it. It's… delicate."

"W-Wait, I–" Alvin tried to say but before he could continue, Kazuki kept that pose steady and opened his eyes, glancing toward the sides with uncertainty.

"Oh… but before you do… Please allow me a request…" Kazuki spoke nonchalantly. "Before you tear apart my body and feed it to your other lowly... beastly friends… the least you can do is preserve my kidneys. There are some children down at my local children's hospital that desperately require it. Everything else… is acceptable to sell in your black-hearted operations."

"W-What kind of teacher do you think I am?!" Alvin exclaimed, his eyes widening in pure shock. "A-And what the heck are you talking about?!"

This was the Ultimate Philanthropist?

This was the one in charge of Nobukatsu Enterprises?!

This has to be an imperfect mistake!

"No!" Alvin shook his head frantically. "No no no! I'm not here to kill anyone! I'm a teacher! I've been assigned to take care of the entire class for the semester! And not only that, but I also just became one! I can't lose this promotion just to do… that."

Kazuki considered his response for a few minutes.

He dropped his arms but instinctively pressed his hand over his neck. He glanced away with glum-looking eyes but just based on his reaction, it also seemed like he was slightly relieved and satisfied with Alvin's desperate retorts.

"I see…" Kazuki slowly chuckled to himself. "I apologize for the misunderstanding… as well as any emotional stress I may have casted onto you…"

"I–" Alvin blinked. He wasn't sure how to respond but he supposed the best way was to accept that apology. Still. He had a lot of questions. "Well, I accept your apology but if I may ask, why did you think that about me?"

"Huh?" Kazuki allowed his jaded eyes to slowly blink before he held the side of his neck once again. "Oh… I assume that about everyone actually."

That's no way to be a good philanthropist!

"...But… If you were wondering… I wasn't always like this…" Kazuki closed his eyes as he smiled softly. "Back then… I used to have a lot of hope in humanity. I loved the people in my company… the city… They used to call me the "Man of the People" just based on the contributions I donated for the city I loved."

Kazuki placed a hand over his heart as he reminisced over happier times. That was when Alvin could see that the notably gloomy and anxious looking face he had imprinted in his mind softened into something more relaxed and, well, hopeful.

"But… when you achieve such a high level of prepotency at such a young age…" Kazuki's hopeful smile shifted into a grimace. "...There are those who would stop at nothing…"

He trailed off before placing his hand over his shirt collar and slowly lowering it, allowing Alvin to see a large horizontal scar across the right side of his neck. His face had a relentlessly dour expression and his eyes opened up to reveal shrunken pupils of morbidity.

"...until the one that stands in their way is exterminated… and later disintegrated… into nothing but ash and dust…" Kazuki coldly said.

Alvin widened his eyes.

Just looking at that scar, it seemed like he had survived a slashed throat wound but he couldn't be entirely sure unless he asked for the full story. Another thing to note: he didn't want to know the full story. Just seeing that scar was enough to tell him what he needed to know and hopefully move on.

He sighed bitterly to himself, however.

To think his own student had gone through so much…

…It was imperfect.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Mister Nobukatsu," Alvin looked away in slight anguish. "It sounds like it was a hard life. But I promise you. I'll help you find Hope in humanity once again!"

"There's no need to do that…" Kazuki fixed his shirt collar but rubbed his neck uncomfortably. After a slight pause, he gave Alvin a small hopeful smile. "...I still have a shred of Hope in me. And... there are still people out there I truly love… But… An iron shield can only sustain so much desecration… Until it finally shatters into fragments of what it once was… Please remember that… Mister Alvin."

With Kazuki's poetic response to end their conversation, Alvin gave the philanthropist a nod of understanding and left him to his own vices. Truth be told, although Kazuki seemed to have a sense of morbidity, he could still surprisingly sense that hopeful charisma of what a philanthropist should have, deep inside his heart.

A hope that was still there.

And it was Alvin Tetch's duty to help him reignite that fire that was long put out!

…

…right after he gets through these next few sets of introductions, starting with the young man with the ringleted hair who had spoken to him moments prior. Walking over to him, the young man with the ringleted hair noticed his teacher and pocketed his hands with a downturned smile and a shrug.

"So, you're Mister Tetch?" the male student smiled toward him. "It's nice to meet you. My name's Fábio Barbosa. The Ultimate Figure Skater."

The male student named Fábio glanced to the side as he shrugged his shoulders with a slightly skittish smile.

"Or at least, I used to be," Fábio's skittish smile slowly curved down into a small distant frown.

…

(Fábio Barbosa ~ The Ultimate Figure Skater)

…

Fábio carried a soft, lustrous kind of beauty – moderately tan skin rippled with light umber freckles indiscriminately around his body. His shoulder-length ringleted hair was kept natural and had 3A curls that tangled frame his heart-shaped face. His dark brown eyes were rather large and resembled that of a cat, although his nose was sterner and more bumped at the bridge. His ears were small and round, occasionally accentuated with stud earrings, and his frowning lips were also full.

Still, Fábio was a slim-ish 170 lbs and almost wispy in terms of his body. He was 5'9, keeping him level to most of his classmates, although his shorter height was countered by his svelte gait. He frequently wore baggy clothing to mask his willowy frame — making his body seem more proportionate. He had long and powerful legs and his body was generally in very good shape for an Ultimate athlete. Overall, Fábio maintained an overall powerful frame condensed into his average sized body.

Fábio also wore a deeply faded dark gray, thin fabric-ed, athletic zip-up jacket that cuffed at the bottom. It was slightly baggy around his toned frame, but fitted enough so it wasn't loose. An unassuming ice-skating logo was embedded on his breast pocket. He wore a similarly spacious pair of athletic stretchy pants that wrapped down his legs until the lower calf, where it was then intersected by a long black pair of socks with a deep maroon stripe weaving its way up the edge. Underneath the apparel was a juxtaposing pearl white cotton undershirt. Additionally, slung around his neck at all times was a small chain necklace with a golden key pendant. His hands were always covered by a pair of gloves as well.

"Fábio Barbosa," Alvin repeated the name.

Now that was a familiar name.

Where exactly had he heard him from–

"W-Wait!" Alvin widened his eyes. "Hang on! Fábio Barbosa?! Ultimate Figure Skater?! As in the Fábio Barbosa from Hope's Peak Brasília?"

"Heh, that's me," Fábio curled his finger over one of his 3A hair strands with a sullen look to the side. "Not entirely surprised that you have heard of me. After all, I was a big deal back on the Sao Paulo ice rinks."

"Not just that," Alvin shook his head. "You were Hope's Peak Brasília's headliner for a solid year! A gifted natural on the ice! A true prodigy! Born to be an elegant figure skater! At least, that was what the papers said…"

Fábio faced him directly, his eyes twinkling slightly, but it wasn't nearly as sparkly as Alvin would've expected to be.

In fact, in those tabloids that he had read about Fábio, there were always pictures of him skating away on the ice. They were still images, but they were images somehow displayed just how elegant and nimble Fábio could be on the slippery, wet pavements of the rinks. And throughout every picture, there was always a spark of determination in his eyes. However, now that Fábio stood right in front of him, that spark in his eye looked as if it were dying…

…Like ice, melting away…

"Tch, the tabloids always exaggerate everything," Fábio said, indifferently. "It's all part of the marketing Hope's Peak Brasília has to do to get more students into their school…"

"Huh?" Alvin blinked.

"As a teacher, you didn't know?" Fábio raised one of his soft eyebrows, slightly amused. "Hope's Peak Brasília is notorious for being one of those schools that try to objectify some of their top students. To them, we're like trophies on display. Before I came along, there were other Ultimates whose face you would see everywhere on campus, the streets, the billboards... Heh, in fact, for a whole three years, Hope's Peak Brasília did nothing but advertise this Ultimate Actress like she was Miss Brazil. Tch, it was really annoying..."

"O-Oh, is that so?" Alvin seemed disappointed.

Closing one twinkling eye and crossing his arms, Fábio noticed that disheartened shift and sighed.

"Listen, Mister Tetch," Fábio began to say. "I might be complaining too much here but I'll also admit, it was fun and all being a crowned celebrity in Brasília. I'll even say that I enjoyed gliding across the ice rink too…"

Fábio closed his other eye, placing one of his gloved hands underneath his chin as he smiled to himself. The reminiscence of older times made his expression more relaxed, kind of like what had happened with Kazuki just moments earlier. But almost too quickly, that relaxation shifted into… a kind of sadness.

"...But, unfortunately, that's all in the past now," Fábio said.

"So, is that why you came to Hope's Peak Toronto?" Alvin blinked. "Because of-"

"Heh, you got it," Fábio gave him a rather charismatic smile but his expression revealed something else. He rubbed the back of his neck as his eyes showed little joy in recounting what he had to go through. "The New Life Program. Hope's Peak Brasília can advertise their students all they want, but at least Hope's Peak Toronto is doing the right thing: advertising actual education instead of... trophy children."

Fábio perked his head and gave Alvin a slight wink, allowing his only open eye to shine a little brighter.

"Thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to… start anew," Fábio genuinely smiled. "After all, after everything…"

Fábio didn't smile after that.

Instead, he closed his eyes and deterred his face away from Alvin's look of bewilderment as he kept his gloved fingers halfway through his pants. He had trailed off from what he was about to say and kept his mouth shut. It was clear he wasn't comfortable continuing to speak about what he was about to say. So instead...

...He opened his eyes to reveal a melted gaze.

"...Again, that's all in the past now," Fábio mumbled.

Alvin stood there with a commiserative look on his face. He was already beginning to sense a pattern between the students he had met so far and it was the simple fact that all of them seemed to have their own issues and own sad imperfections in their lives. Honestly, even though he had just met these students for the first time, it made Alvin feel as if he needed to try harder to help them achieve what they wanted to achieve.

He uttered a soft sigh before moving on to the last student in the classroom…

…

…who was by far the largest of the people in the room.

Once Alvin walked up to him, the large male seemed to tense up.

Alvin paused.

He blinked.

Did he… do something wrong?

The large male had cupped his hands over his cheeks with a meek expression. His face had turned red. His forehead started to sweat. He even noticed that the large male's elbows started to tremble as well. Was he… nervous?

Why?

Alvin didn't think he was that intimidating of a person!

"Er, hi there," Alvin greeted with caution. "I'm your teacher, Mister Alvin Tetch. And you are…?"

The large male closed his eyes and slapped his cheek for a bit. Clearly, he was nervous about something and whatever it was, he was definitely mumbling about it right now. Upon closer aural inspection… it sounded as if…

"Oh no, he's hot," the large male jittered to himself, quietly. "He's really, really hot. God. That body of his. His face. It's so perfect. No, no. Daisuke. Snap out of it. It's never going to work out. He's way older than you, anyway. Oh… what's the point? No one this handsome is ever going to love you… Siiiiiigh."

"Er, pardon?" Alvin definitely caught some of that and he was definitely flustered by what he could immediately piece together how this large male was feeling.

Also, did he literally just say the word 'sigh'?

"A-Agh!" the large male covered his mouth, his face turning redder. "I mean- I'm D-Daisuke Kido, sir! Th-The Ultimate Fast-Food Employee!"

…

(Daisuke Kido ~ The Ultimate Fast-Food Employee)

…

Daisuke was a tan mixed-skinned young adult with a heavyset body type with his features being overall rounder and chubby. His body color was on the darker side, giving him a soothing orange undertone that seems warm.

Starting with his head, he had curly dark brown hair that ended up frizzing around his chubby cheeks. The left side of his curly hair was tucked behind his ears, while the right side covered his ear and curled around near his eyes and cheek. He had dark brown eyebrows that were curved and medium sized, usually in a worried expression. He had large green eyes, somewhat round, spaced apart from his small, curved nose. He also had light freckles splashed across his cheeks and nose along with both a chubby chin and chubby cheeks allowing his face to remain friendly looking. Finally, he had a wide mouth which usually showed a lazy smile.

For his body, he had a thicker neck connected to his large chest area, which was also quite expansive as it was also both soft and round. His shoulders and arms were broad, but curved looking and quite soft and plump to the touch. His hands were wide and chubby too, with his fingers being very soft but his palms, rougher. For the rest of his heavy body, he had a notable belly due to his heavy frame. For his hips and torso area, his torso curved into his wide hips and then connected to his large legs, creating a curvy look. For his legs, his thighs were wide and flowed down to the rest of his long legs, and snaked their way down, connecting themselves to large feet.

For his outfit, he wore an orange and yellow polo shirt, with the top half done in orange and the bottom half done in yellow. The colors were muted so as to not be too overwhelming. The collars of the polo shirt were folded down, with both black buttons connected. The polo shirt ended at his waist, where he then wore beige long pants that reached to his ankles. The beige pants are slightly worn looking, but they fit pretty snuggly against his legs. Finally, he also wore black sneakers which were lazily put on and looked worn down, along with white socks.

Overtop the polo shirt Daisuke wore a large dark green jacket. But that's not all. There were three shades of green to the design of the jacket. From the jacket's shoulders to chest area, it's light green, before being separated by a muted darker green line that was almost black. The line went down a slope and wrapped around his whole jacket. This line separated the light green from the upper area to an even darker forestry green on the lower area. The jacket itself also had an oversized hoodie and was also open due to the black zipper being unzipped.

To finish off the look Daisuke wore a few accessories. Daisuke wore large circular glasses to see. Daisuke also wore a dark green and black necklace that held an ID photo, probably for the fast-food chain he worked for. The beaded necklace was also long enough to reach below his chest. His ID photo was also just a picture of him with the same outfit on. Finally, Daisuke wore a black square cap with the symbol. The symbol was a spiral shape ending with a "C" in a circle.

For smaller details he had faint bags under his eyes with some hair on his legs and arms and was basically a big, round teddy bear.

"Oh, well it's nice to meet you Daisuke," Alvin smiled toward the large teddy bear. "Why don't you tell me about your talent?"

"H-Huh?" Daisuke blinked. "M-My talent?"

"Well, yes," Alvin gave him a polite and respected glance. "You are the Ultimate Fast-Food Worker, you said? That sounds perfectly intriguing! Please, tell me all about it!"

Daisuke fiddled with his fingers, staring at them with shaky pupils and sweating palms. Every once in a while, he would also push up his glasses due to how quickly they were sliding off of his face. His lazy smile also persisted as his face accumulated a little more sweat.

"C-Could it be?" Daisuke mumbled to himself. "M-Maybe he really is interested in me! Th-That would be a first! W-Wait. No no. He's just doing his job as a teacher. N-No. He's only interested in my Talent and not actually interested in me as a person… Siiiiiigh."

"E-Er, D-Daisuke?" Alvin blinked.

"A-Ah, M-Mister!" Daisuke gave him a mock salute. "M-My Talent?! W-Well, what exactly about it did you want to know?! I mean, it's exactly what you think it is… if you're thinking about it correctly."

Seriously, am I really that intimidating?

Alvin didn't look so happy. As far as first impressions went, he was definitely blowing it with this one. Similarly, Daisuke felt the same way, especially once he noticed just how displeased Alvin was looking regarding progress on this conversation.

"O-Oh man, you're screwing things up again, D-Daisuke!" Daisuke covered his embarrassed face. However, Alvin noticed that he also took the time to peek through his fingers every once in a while, before returning back to his flustered state. "S-Stupid idiot! S-Stupid stupid stupid! N-No one's ever going to be your friend at this rate… Groooaaan."

"Um, Daisuke," Alvin prepared to say. "You know I can hear the things you say, right?"

"Y-You can?!" Daisuke covered his mouth, his eyes turning white.

If Alvin didn't know any better, this was the moment Daisuke would inwardly feel the need to kill himself out of sheer embarrassment.

"Look, there's nothing you need to worry about Daisuke," Alvin cleared his throat and tried to give him his best smile of reassurance. "We're going to get to know each other to the best of our ability for the new year. So just calm down and tell me about your Ultimate talent. I'm genuinely curious."

But in return, Daisuke slowly released his hands from his face and glanced toward Alvin with a blink. His face was still red, but it was growing fainter and fainter by the minute. He looked down, clutching onto his jacket tightly.

"U-Um, sir, I-I mean, M-Mister Tetch," Daisuke looked down with a mumble. "I– I'm really sorry. B-But a-as far as my Ultimate talent goes… it's nothing interesting. Siiiiigh."

"Nothing interesting?" Alvin blinked before smiling. "I think you're mistaken about that. Here, we'll go through it together. You are the Ultimate Fast-Food Employee, correct? That means you must work at a fast-food chain of some sort. Which one is it?"

Daisuke stuffed his hands inside his jacket pocket as he glanced away timidly.

"...D-Do you promise not to laugh?" Daisuke questioned.

"I promise," Alvin smiled, placing a hand over his heart and swearing to whatever deity he worshiped.

"...C-Clucks Deluxe," Daisuke felt his cheeks grow warmer at the attention he was getting.

"C-Clucks Deluxe?" Alvin widened his eyes. "As in, that restaurant with their signature Poultry Plate?! I love that place! Their recipe is fantastically perfect!"

"Y-You really think so?" Daisuke placed his hands over his cheeks as he glanced away. His cheeks were starting to glow.

"Of course, I do!" Alvin smiled. "I just had some before I stepped on campus today!"

Daisuke paused for a moment. Then, he covered his face, allowing himself to peek ever so often at Alvin's next batch of reactions.

"Th-Then, how would you feel if I said that I was the one who created the signature Poultry Plate?" Daisuke awkwardly asked.

"Huh?" Alvin perked his head. At first, he wasn't sure if he heard him correctly, but it took his brain quite a while before he finally realized what Daisuke had just revealed. "HUH?! You mean, you created the Poultry Plate?!"

"A-And the Chicken Crisp Combo," Daisuke stood up straighter and held onto his jacket tightly. "A-And the Bawk Bawk Burrito! A-And the Daisuke Delight!"

Alvin blinked.

The fact that he hadn't clued in that his breakfast was literally named after his own student really made him question his basic IQ and critical thinking skills. He mentally slapped himself and continued his conversation with the large fast-food employee.

"I– I see!" Alvin let his disappointment of his own imperfection seep through.

And it didn't take Daisuke long to notice before he shrunk back into his own cave of insecurity once more. This time, he covered his entire upper face with his cap and mumbled his own troubles out loud.

"O-Oh, you did it again, Daisuke!" Daisuke belittled himself. "Y-You just had to go on and on and on about yourself, didn't you? O-Ohhh, w-what's the point if I can't do anything right? Siiiiigh."

"Ah, no that wasn't–" Alvin cut himself off and sighed.

If he continued this any longer, this Prologue would seriously go way over the 20K mark. But just based on his conversation with Daisuke, Alvin was sure that there was hope for this young man yet. As a former Ultimate Talent Scout, he could feel just how much potential this young man had. But his insecurity was seriously going to be a big hindrance in his life.

He made sure to keep a mental note of that going forward in the year…

…

Once Alvin had finished his conversation with Daisuke, on cue, Mabel Leve entered the classroom with a boy with jet-black hair that he had yet to recognize.

He'd noticed that Mabel had been on her phone for a while, given the fact that she had returned just in time he had finished his conversation with the last of the four students in the room. Whoever she had been speaking to, it had to be someone big.

"It was the brother again, wasn't it?" Alvin amusedly questioned.

"No, a scam caller," Mabel nonchalantly responded.

You were on the phone with a scam caller for that long?!

"Anyway, Alvin," Mabel's lips produced a smile as she pushed up the boy with the black hair close to the well-dressed perfectionist of a teacher. "I hope you've gotten to know some of the students in your class."

"Well, they're all such colorful people, I would say," Alvin chuckled before thinking, "If not, a little sad as well."

Alvin glanced toward the boy who had remained eerily quiet as to let the two adults to speak with one another.

"Oh, uh, who's this?" Alvin gestured to the boy.

"Ah yes, of course," Mabel smiled. "He's another one of your students! His name is–"

Her flip phone rang again.

"Ugh, excuse me," Mabel placed a hand over her phone and sighed. "I need to take this."

Please! For God's sake just turn your phone off, woman!

…

Unfortunately for him, Mabel had left the room to take another pressing phone call with whomever at this point. With a sigh, he figured he had no other choice but to talk to the next student he got to meet: a rather darker looking student compared to the likes of Kazuki.

"Er, hello there," Alvin waved before extending a hand. "My name is Alvin Tetch. I'll be your teacher for a new perfect semester with…"

"...Filthy…" the boy said, closing his eyes.

"Um, excuse me?" Alvin looked surprised.

"Your hands…" the boy spoke with cold, harsh disgust. "They're filthy. I can see the bacteria and the germs, pleading for their lives… begging to be released from the wasteland you call skin."

The boy raised up his hands, allowing Alvin to see the back of his hands.

"If you wish to shake my hands, please sanitize," the boy's eyes darkened. "Thoroughly…"

That sounded like a threat! Alvin was taken aback by how valiantly this young man could speak to someone his age.

Both he and the boy lowered their hands as if they were in some sort of Texas stand-off. The boy's cold, dead eyes never moved as he stared immensely at what Alvin would presume to be his soul. Especially, if he was starting to shake over how much of a ghastly, deathly aura a young boy could just give by standing near him.

"C-Could I perhaps just get a name and an Ultimate Talent, then?" Alvin asked with a fearful smile.

The boy closed his eyes to think.

Then, he sighed.

"...Riku Arakawa," the boy bluntly revealed. "Ultimate Doctor."

…

(Riku Arakawa ~ The Ultimate Doctor)

…

Riku was an extremely pale-skinned young man standing at a height of 5'10. He had medium length, straight but slightly messy jet-black hair with a singular white fringe among the mess of bangs above his sharp, brown eyes that seem to have heavy bags under them. His figure and physique were hidden well thanks to his regular outfit.

This regular outfit consisted of a plain black zip-up jacket with a high collar. Accompanied with this was a pair of slim fitting, matching black pants and black dress shoes. A simple design compared to the 669 words that was Daisuke Kido.

"Arakawa?" Alvin blinked. "W-Wait! As in the infamous Arakawa Family?! That means! You're–"

"Yakuza?" Riku turned to the side. His expression stiffened, allowing his eyes and other facial features to express murderous intent. "Keh. Yakuza is simply a term to exemplify a putrid breed. Filthy. Rotten. Foul…"

"Er, are you even allowed to say something like that?" Alvin questioned. "I mean, the Arakawas are the second most powerful Clan in the criminal underworld. There are even rumors some members operate outside of Japan as well. Y-You're not even scared that they'll do something to silence you?"

"Keh," Riku's mouth slowly curved into a twisted smile.

Now that was a laugh to give Alvin nightmares for a week!

Just looking at Riku now, his pupils had dilated. His twisted smile was void of any teeth. And his gaze was a death-evoking stare that he expected anyone involved with a criminal organization to have.

"Mister Alvin Tetch," Riku said. "You said it yourself. The Arakawa Family is the second most powerful Clan in the criminal underworld. Therefore, why should I be scared of a group that only plays second fiddle to the one that's truly on top of the world? You agree, right?"

"I… I guess?" Alvin was unsure on how to feel about his creepy student. But if there was anything he did notice from him, it was a sense of hatred emanating whenever the name, Arakawa, was mentioned. "But… If you don't mind me asking… Is that why you're here? Because of the Arakawa Family? If I know people, it sounds like you have a vendetta to settle against them…"

Riku perked his head with an unsettling observative gaze as he held up a syringe with an unknown liquid inside it. Then, menacingly, he flicked the tip with his fingers.

"O-Or maybe I should just keep my mouth shut and mind my own business!" Alvin stammered. "Yes! That sounds exactly like something a teacher should do when a student raises a weapon in the middle of a classroom!"

Riku nonchalantly squirted the substance out of the needle, allowing it to shoot directly onto the palm of his hand. Tossing the syringe away, he then began to rub the substance all over his hands. Just based on the rosy smell that emitted from that substance, Alvin finally understood that Riku basically kept hand sanitizer in a syringe for some kooky reason.

"Mister Alvin Tetch," Riku continued to rub the hand sanitizing substance on his hand as he gave a deathly gaze towards his teacher. "Do you really know people?"

"P-Pardon?" Alvin blinked.

"People is a term delegated to society as a whole," Riku flung his hands around to cool the sanitation process. "It's a term meant to describe what society truly consists of: Walking, talking, bags of meat, blood, and flesh whose only purpose is to further the advancement of medicine. That is what people truly are."

Riku took out a notepad and a pen, making sure to flip it around as he eyed his teacher thoroughly.

"Tell me, Mister Alvin Tetch," Riku began. "How about we get started and get to know something about you? You seem like a man with a complicated history."

Riku's eyes narrowed as his smile became a lot more sinister.

"How about it?" Riku spoke with his chilling smile. "Don't be shy. I just want to know if a bag of flesh like yourself is even worth keeping around…"

"H-How about no!" Alvin took a step back. "C-Come on! I'm your teacher! There's no need for that!"

The door opened swiftly and suddenly as Mabel Leve returned from her pressing phone call. Right in the nick of time too! Visibly, Alvin sighed a breath of relief. Riku on the other hand exhibited a look of annoyance. With the clicking of her heels, Mabel arrived with a huff.

"Sorry about that Alvin," Mabel exhaled. "School supplies just got delayed."

"N-No need to apologize," Alvin laughed. "I think I got to know Mister Arakawa here just fine!"

Riku glanced to the side in disgruntlement as he took out an apple from his coat pocket and bit into it, chewing it in disdain. He was definitely irked by the fact that he had been interrupted but instead of raising his voice on the matter, he simply walked away, shrouding himself toward the farther corner of the room.

And honestly, Alvin knew it would take a bit before he could get comfortable around this kid…

---

(1st Floor)

Alvin and Mabel stepped outside of the classroom, allowing the five students to mingle amongst themselves inside Classroom 1-C.

Or at least, try to–

Alvin clearly looked as if he needed to catch his breath after nearly being diagnosed by the Ultimate Doctor. Seriously, that kid had such imperfect issues! With a pant, the Former Ultimate Talent Scout turned to Mabel, who gave him a look of jocularity.

"What's wrong, Alvin?" Mabel chuckled, leaning against the classroom's indoor window. "Already getting tired? I mean, you did sign up for this after all."

"Please, I've already expected some of my students to be quite peculiar," Alvin laughed. "It'll take a lot more than an Ultimate with ties to the yakuza to bring me down."

Though it did come very close...

"Here, how about we go to the Infirmary?" Mabel twirled her flip phone around with a whistle. "The other students mentioned that some of them did go there."

"Yes," Alvin simply nodded in agreement. "I believe we can also check up on the student that didn't seem to feel well either..."

So, with simple agreements, both Alvin and Mabel walked further down the hallway before reaching the elevator. From there, Mabel led Alvin up the stairs directly to the 2nd floor.

---

(2nd Floor)

The 2nd Floor was no different than the 1st Floor when it came to classrooms and hallways, but the only things that were to note was that this was the only floor to actively have an Infirmary. Given the fact that students were only allowed access between the 1st to 3rd floors, it made sense in Alvin's mind to put the Infirmary strictly between the 1st and 3rd floors.

But before Mabel and Alvin could move forward, they found a roadblock in yet another swell interaction with one of Alvin's students. This time— thank goodness due to the abundance of males that had been introduced —it was a female student with almond-colored hair!

"Directrice Leve," the female student gave a vivacious pose, masking her face with her straightened out hands as if trying to make herself seem mysterious. "So, you have finally come, have you? And with a gentleman, no less!"

"Manon," Mabel nodded her head, fixing her glasses. "This is Mister Alvin Tetch. He's your teacher for the new semester! Please, show him a warm welcome!"

"Manon?" Alvin blinked. "As in… the famous actress?!"

This was definitely a name he had also recognized! In fact, he shouldn't even be surprised that he was recognizing names. These students were Ultimates for Pete's sake! But at the same time, to be in the presence of…

"Enchantée," Manon flung out her arms to her side and gave Alvin a polite mock curtsy. "This is correct! I am ze famous Ultimate Actress! Madame Manon Vivienne Levesque! Pleased to meet you, Monsieur Tetch."

…

(Manon Vivienne Levesque ~ The Ultimate Actress)

…

Manon had almond colored hair that reached the tops of her shoulders and gray eyes. She had pale skin and an ever-present mysterious smile on her face. She stood at an average 5'5 and had a relatively athletic build.

She wore a plain black short-sleeved t-shirt with hot pink stitching over a high neck long-sleeved black mesh undershirt with pointed gauntlet sleeves and a loop around each middle finger. Her mesh shirt was also tucked into a pair of high-waisted black pin up shorts and she also wore calf-high black hot pink laced-up boots.

"O-Oh!" Alvin looked completely starstruck. "W-Well, pleased to meet you too, Madame!"

To think that he was going to be Manon Vivienne Levesque's teacher! This certainly was an inch up away from that quack Ultimate Yakuza Doctor he nearly had a death trip moments ago! And yet, even though she was leagues under him and he was pretty much in charge of making sure she got the education she deserved, he still felt like a peasant compared to her grace.

"No need for you to treat me differently, Monsieur Tetch!" Manon leaned forward and wagged her finger toward him. "We are all ze same. All of us, Ultimates of unique talent! You just happen to be far older than most of us usually are! Hehehe~"

"W-Well…" Alvin chuckled. "Technically... I'm a Former Ultimate now but..."

As flattered as he was, he had to admit that there was something peculiar about her, though he wasn't sure what it was. He rubbed his chin and examined her with intrigue. Though, his gaze didn't go unnoticed behind both women in the same scene.

"E-Er, is something wrong Monsieur?" Manon perked her head, curiously.

"Alvin, I hope you realize that you're staring a little too intently at your female student… in front of the one in charge of your promotion," Mabel gave him an all-too innocent smile.

Oh, so, now your phone doesn't decide to ring!

"Ah, no no, you misunderstand," Alvin waved his hands in a desperate attempt to save his 30-minute career. "It was just… Manon. You don't seem at all like how you do in your movies and TV shows."

"Oh?" Manon definitely looked interested in where Alvin was going with this. "Do explain further, Monsieur!"

"Well, you don't really act like you usually do during the interviews I've seen of you or well, in the bloopers of Adventures of Riley Destiny," Alvin pointed out. "I don't know. There's just something different about you…"

"Well, of course there would be!" Manon giggled, placing the tips of her fingers over her goofy smile. "I am ze Ultimate Actress after all! Being different should be self-evident in my Talent, no?"

"Huh, I guess I just expected a little more…" Alvin wasn't even sure if he should be going through with this train of thought. "...At least, from someone of your caliber…"

"Mmm… I'm afraid I do not understand, Monsieur Tetch," Manon curled her fingers underneath her chin as her eyes started to tremble. Tears started to form from the corners of her eyes, but it was clear that none of those tears were actual genuine tears. "C-Could it be? A-Are you saying that perhaps I am not good enough for your class…?"

"W-What?" Alvin blinked. "No! No no! I–"

"Alvin," Mabel folded her arms, unimpressed. "Making your own students cry? I'm starting to reconsider this promotion…"

Well, it was clear that none of those tears were actual genuine tears unless you're Headmistress Mabel Leve.

Phone! Ring! Please!

Alvin's mind started to cry out in agony.

"Plaisanterie!" Manon stopped tearing up and stuck her tongue out, giving Alvin a teasing wink as she placed the top of her fingers underneath her chin. "C'était une blague, Monsieur Tetch! Hehehe~"

"H-Huh?" Alvin remained dumbfounded. "You were just… teasing me?"

"Of course, Monsieur!" Manon placed the tips of her fingers over her goofy smile once again. "It's a bad habit of mine. But my fans seem to like it a lot. I suppose you can call it one of my many charms, yes?"

Manon closed her eyes and giggled profusely.

She was clearly enjoying poking fun at her teacher. But the more he stood around her, the more he couldn't help but feel that behind her overly dramatic behavior, there was something else about her that he wanted to know more about.

Alvin rubbed the back of his neck, signifying that he had finished his introduction with the Ultimate Actress toward the Headmistress. Then, with a firm nod, Mabel glanced over to Manon and pushed her red-framed glasses up.

"Either case," Mabel began. "Manon. If it's not too much of a bother, could you go back to the classroom? Class is set to start soon so it's best that we get things started as smoothly as possible, alright?"

"Oui," Manon gave Mabel yet another mock curtsy. "I will do as requested, Directrice Leve! As for you, Monsieur Tetch! I look forward to learning from you! See you soon!"

She winked toward him and simply walked down the stairs, leaving the Headmistress and the Teacher to their own vices.

…

"Well, she seems nice," Alvin asserted with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Please, you spent that entire time criticizing how different she was compared to the big screen," Mabel shook her head slightly in disappointment. "Please keep in mind that these Ultimate students are still young. As their teacher and someone who's supposed to be responsible for their wellbeing, please don't ever forget to make sure that they are the priority. Got it?"

"A-Ah, of course," Alvin rubbed the back of his neck.

He was doing nothing but nearly getting himself fired on the first day. He needed to get other things under control. He was a perfectionist for goodness's sake! Everything he needed to do from now on had to be perfect!

The familiar sound of a flip phone ringing forced Mabel to groan in annoyance.

"Sorry, let me take this," Mabel stated before hurrying off to somewhere more private. Her voice slowly faded the further she walked off to that pressing call. And at this point, Alvin could really care less whether or not her phone rang. He glanced around and noted that the Infirmary was pretty much right around the corner, but something else caught his interest.

Right outside the Infirmary was presumably, another student, leaning against the door to the storage closet.

Best to get another introduction out of the way before Mabel came back!

"Ah, excuse me!" Alvin greeted the young student.

This time, it was a student with light pink hair, who seemed to mutter something to himself before he glanced up.

"Hm?" the male perked his head curiously before smiling to himself. "Well, look Isolde. We have a visitor. What can we do for you, Mister?"

Compared to the nervous Daisuke, the kooky Kazuki, the creepy Riku, and the overly dramatic Manon, this male seemed relatively normal. A relatively nice change in pace to all of the other Ultimates he'd been meeting.

"Are you by chance a student from Classroom 1-C?" Alvin asked.

"Sure, I am," the young man raised a curious eyebrow with a never-wavering smile. "And you are...?"

"My name is Alvin Tetch," Alvin greeted him politely. "I will be your teacher for the next semester. I hope we can get along in a productive class together, Mister…"

Alvin extended a hand out for the young man to shake.

"Santiago," the young male shrugged and took his hand, shaking it with a sincere smile. "Issac Santiago. I guess you also need my Ultimate talent too, right?"

Issac brushed his pink hair aside like what one of those male idols would often do to get the ladies to swoon.

"I'm the Ultimate Toymaker," Issac smiled sweetly. "Pleasure."

…

(Issac Santiago ~ The Ultimate Toymaker)

…

Issac, like any normal male, had a fairly average height and build. Standing at 5 '10 and weighing about 150 lbs, it was also fair to say that he was basically a pretty boy, with big cat-like yellow eyes and smooth fair skin that was free of any "discrepancies." In fact, for Alvin, it was like staring at a mirror of perfection.

His short light pink hair was meticulously maintained with the middle parted slightly to the left. Frosted white tips sat atop his bangs which gave him that signature pop idol look.

He wore a black turtleneck with a white button-up that had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and over. The top 5 buttons of the button-up would be undone whilst the whole thing would be tucked into his pair of brown high waisted parachute cargo jeans. In fact, those jeans would also be lifted to just below his belly button as the pant legs would also end a little above his ankle. He would also have on white ankle socks and white designer shoes.

Also, to note was his gold chain, two gold rings on his right hand, and a small thick gold hoop earring attached to his ear. And of course, the most peculiar accessory of all, was a small multicolored caterpillar toy that he kept wrapped around the back of his neck.

"The Ultimate Toymaker?" Alvin blinked. Just like Manon, there was something peculiar about him. Something he just couldn't quite put his finger on. But it couldn't be anything right? After all, he looked relatively normal compared to—

"Hm?" Issac raised an eyebrow, turning to the side and holding up his toy caterpillar close to him. "What's that, Isolde? Oh? Sorry. That's my bad."

Issac turned back to Alvin with an apologetic smile as he unwrapped the toy caterpillar around his neck and held it up, as if he were offering it up to him.

"This is Isolde," Issac chuckled. "The Ultimate Caterpillar."

…

(Isolde ~ The Ultimate Caterpillar)

…

Wait…

Why did I do that?

"You're kidding right?" Alvin blinked. So much for 'relatively normal', this young man just claimed that his toy caterpillar was also an Ultimate! Was he crazy or what?

"Kidding?" Issac perked his head, as if contemplating that answer before shaking his head with a smile. Of course, as he shook his head, his pink hair swayed around almost perfectly. "Why would I kid about something like this?"

Issac extended his arm out to Alvin, allowing him to fully grasp the complexity that was Isolde. And at this point of time, Alvin considered the fact that maybe he was going crazy cause he was pretty darn sure that toy caterpillar just winked at him!

"See?" Issac gave his teacher an alluring yet innocent smile. "Ultimate. Isn't she adorable?"

More like creepy!

"I made her myself once upon a time," Issac gazed down toward Isolde as his smile shifted into a somber look. "And ever since I did, we've been inseparable. I know everything about Isolde and Isolde knows everything about me. Isn't that right Isolde?"

Issac caressed his toy caterpillar for a while before slowly pecking it on the head.

"Heh," Issac chuckled to himself. "Love you too..."

Forget normal! Alvin groaned in his thoughts. Why are all my students so strange?!

After a moment of supplying affectionate care to his own creation, Issac looked up with closed eyes and a joyful beaming face. But behind those closed eyes, it seemed that he had caught onto Alvin's moment of discomfort.

"Tetch, was it?" Issac perked his head. "Sorry, is something the matter?"

"O-Oh, no no, not at all it's just that-" Alvin started to stutter.

That you're a little kooky? That it's a little unnatural for someone to kiss a toy like that? That the toy caterpillar just felt unnerving somehow? What the hell was he supposed to say?! This young man had clearly noticed his discomfort and now he was paying the price for it!

"Hey hey, calm down, Tetch," Issac chuckled, wrapping Isolde back around his neck as he waved his hand around innocently. "Look. I get it. I'm kind of a freak. I might look normal, but I know I'm not. So, if you're weirded out by me, just say it. I won't hold it against you."

Alvin glanced at Issac.

He had to admit that it was a little hard to read his expression at the moment. He wasn't sure if he was just forcing a smile or if he was kind of angry or sad about it but Issac was right about one thing. He did look normal. And what he had with Isolde was...

"No, no, it's my fault, Issac," Alvin placed a hand over his heart and bowed apologetically. "I shouldn't have acted so uncomfortable around you. If anything, you're not a freak or weird. You're just... quirky."

"Quirky?" Issac blinked.

He unwrapped Isolde around his neck and glanced at her with a soft chuckle.

"Heh heh, did you hear that Isolde?" Issac chuckled. "We're quirky."

Issac brushed his pink hair aside once again, with a happy sigh.

"Thanks, Tetch," Issac chuckled. "It's the first time Isolde and I were ever called quirky so..."

"It's no problem," Alvin gave Issac a sincere smile.

Issac blinked for a moment before raising Isolde up to his ear. Even though the toy caterpillar never moved or made a noise, it looked as if Issac really did believe that Isolde was talking to him. Then, with a nod and firm 'mhm's, Issac lowered Isolde and tilted his head.

"Hey Tetch?" Issac beamed. "Isolde wanted to say something to you. Is it alright if I pass along her message?"

"E-Er, sure thing," Alvin blinked. "W-What is it, Issac? I mean, Isolde?"

"You're looking for your students, right?" Issac held up Isolde as if she were some sort of camera. "Isolde wanted to let you know that the Infirmary is right over there. Four of my classmates are still there so feel free to say hi. You have Isolde's permission."

I didn't need permission from a toy caterpillar but… Alvin thought before nodding and speaking to Issac with uncertainty. "Er, thank you Issa– I mean Isolde. I greatly appreciate it!"

Issac held Isolde up to his ear, waited for a brief moment and nodded with a suave smile before lowering her down.

"Isolde says…" Issac began. "You're very welcome…"

Alvin had to say...

That despite how kooky Issac may have been, he still seemed like a really nice guy. He cursed himself for thinking otherwise and moved toward the Infirmary, using Issac directional cues as his guide.

...

And once he left, Issac raised an eyebrow as he heard the voice of Mabel Leve coming from the stairs to the 3rd Floor. Since the storage closet was right next to the stairs, he listened attentively to what was being said:

"Yes yes, I got it. It'll be done. This Program will be a success! I've told you this so many times so stop calling me!"

Issac chuckled to himself.

"Sounds like marital troubles," Issac patted his toy caterpillar on the head with a soft, yet jovial smile. "I'm glad we're not like that, Isolde..."

...

...

...

---

And so, this is the first ever chapter for Twisted Tragedy! :D

Prologue Part 1 is a done! Can you believe Prologue Part 1 was originally going to be an estimate of 25K words? :D :D ;-; Yeah, I've decided to split this Prologue in like... 3rds, I think. So, for now, here is the first half of the cast you've been introduced to :D

To my Corrupted Hope readers, do not fret! Daily Life Part 3 is in the works :D I just got too excited with Twisted Tragedy hahahaha XD But for the newbies that are joining us in Twisted Tragedy, welcome! The writing style is different! The structure feels more like the games! But also has that nice Netflix anime touch! :D

Either case, I've introduced 8 Ultimates and a Headmistress! So, by all means, do tell me who your favorites are. Did I do good with character interpretations? Did I do bad? Please! Let me know! :D The other half are coming out in the next part so stay tuned! ;D

(Seriously, I did not think this would take 3 Parts instead of 2 DX)

Anyway, see you guys in Prologue Part 2 and be sure to check out my friend, Otterplay's fic, Danganronpa: Algorithmic Alteration! It's like my fic but it's filled with Truths and Ideals instead of Twists and Tragedies :D

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Ultimates Introduced: 8

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Alina Summers - The Ultimate Maestro [Otterplay]

Alvin Tetch - The Former Ultimate Talent Scout [DarkAngelOfSorrows]

Daisuke Kido - The Ultimate Fast-Food Employee [CandleFire45]

Fábio Barbosa - The Ultimate Figure Skater [Rayy12]

Issac Santiago - The Ultimate Toymaker [oddlyillregular]

Kazuki Nobukatsu - The Ultimate Philanthropist [emberblitz321]

Manon Vivienne Levesque - The Ultimate Actress [Sempi]

Riku Arakawa - The Ultimate Doctor [theotakureader101]