Prologue: Ultimate Introductions PT 1

POV: Hanako Ume


With the commencement of the Ultimate Introductions underway, everyone scattered the room. The Dining Hall was already incredibly spacious, so it was the perfect place for anyone to stretched their legs with plenty of easy mobility — considering our numbers couldn't hold a candle to the amount of students usually dining here during their lunch hours. Finally started sounding like a more apt place for "The Break Room".

Some sat down on the blue plastic chairs surrounding the large table Shingora stood on prior and began their chat. Others loitered the beige walls of the Dining Hall and chatted there. A few even ventured into the Kitchen despite the fake body still making its home inside. But a few others, like the exhausted Yama, seemed to have chosen a more reserved route and sat our event out, relaxing on the black sofas lining the sides of the Dining Hall.

I brought Emi over to those sofas, thinking she needed a suitable resting spot after everything she has been through. Kuroki eventually spotted me along with Shingora and made their way over to us. After making sure Emi was perfectly comfortable, I ran straight toward them; an influx of exhilaration coursed through each step!

"Awesome job, you guys! You two seriously came in amazingly at the last minute!"

"Aw, no problem! So, how's Emi?" asked Shingora.

"She had a few episodes but is doing fine now, and it's all thanks to you two!"

"Nice! I'm glad then! But Kuroki and his quick thinking deserve most of those thanks than I do, especially at that last hurdle! I wouldn't have overcome it without him!"

"You're right," I turned toward Kuroki and joined a hand in both of mine; a big smile naturally grew on my face. "Thank you so much, Kuroki! You saved Emi!"

Suddenly, Kuroki snatched his hand back and gave me his signature sigh instead.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I didn't do that in thought of you nor her," Kuroki stretched his face out and formed a grimace look. "I only did it to avoid nauseating myself from witnessing a potential atrocity. It was never an act of good faith, I assure you."

"Oh, come on, the sincerity doesn't matter here! You did save Emi. And me, sort of. I... really appreciate you always having my back when I most need it."

Despite my grateful words, Kuroki looked away from me, carrying the same stone cold expression he wore 24/7. I didn't take it personally. After all, it wasn't the first time Kuroki saved my butt and acted like that upon resolution. I could never tell if showing even a hint of concern was just too embarrassing for him or he truly didn't care, and everything he did for me was only pity choosing to step in. Honestly funny considering how long we'd known each other, yet…

"Oh, wait! I almost forgot!" Shingora ran past me, swiping away my attention. Not only because of his loud voice but also where — or I should say who — he was running toward. "Here. This is yours, right?"

Shingora fell on a knee and held out his hands to Emi, as if proposing to her. What laid in them was the hot glue gun Yama discovered while investigating the Kitchen. When Emi saw it, her eyes widened, and she instantly grabbed it out of Shingora's hands.

"M-My hot gl-" Emi slapped her free hand straight onto her mouth. Her pupils vibrated as if ready to explode at any minute. Shingora, in response, smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder, causing Emi to jump and yelped in her seat. Oh, what a relief she kept her hand on her mouth when she did that!

"If anyone asks, tell them we left it in your hands for safekeeping. As a sign of our trust," Shingora said, giving a wink.

Emi then arose what was possibly the most colossal, dumbfounded expression I ever saw someone made. The hand covering her mouth slowly unhinged and landed to join her other hand atop the hot glue gun, like fluttering snow. She tightened both grips on it before looking down at her swinging feet — her face breaking free of bewilderment and reverted to her usual uncomfortable expression — but she gave Shingora a nod. Shingora returned with a grin right after and patted her twice on the shoulder before leaving Emi in her solitude…

"Whew! I'm beat! I'd love a good cup of joe right now!" Shingora commented, stretching out his entire body.

"I know what you mean. I barely did anything and even I'm mentality exhausted," I said.

"Don't say that! You were a bounty of help, too! Without your moral support, Emi might have broken down, and that would have made things a lot worse."

"I guess, but it feels like nothing comparing what you guys did. I just wish I could have done more."

"Nah, don't worry about it! It's the men's job to handle pressuring situations, anyway! We just have the mentality for dealing with them, y'know!"

"Oh yeah? I think a certain someone I know would prove you wrong," I giggled.

"Is there now? I'd love to meet them one day then! Oh! Speaking of which, since we're all here, why not start our Ultimate Introductions amongst ourselves?"

"Totally with you there! I'm actually curious about where you get your incredible leadership skills, Shingora! Right, Kuro-"

"Count me out."

Abruptly and bluntly said, Kuroki turned his back to us and walked away. Of course, I-

"Wait! Kuroki, where are you going?! Aren't you going to introduce yourself?!"

"We already did; what would be the point?"

"I meant properly! Last time was just the spur of the moment, y'know? Let's use our break to the fullest and learn more about everybody!"

"No thanks. My breaks require peace and quiet. Last I checked, interactivity would create the exact opposites. Therefore, I don't see the need."

Remaining entirely terse, Kuroki walked off. Tempted as I was to call out and convince him to stay, I didn't. Knowing Kuroki, it'd be like talking with a brick wall. Instead, I sighed a tired sigh - relieving everything built up from what transpired so far - and shifted my attention back toward Shingora.

"Sorry. Kuroki's kind of not good with people."

"More loathes them, I'd say."

"Y-Yeah. That might be a bit more accurate," I nervously laughed.

"It's fine, we don't need Kuroki. Just us two are enough; it's only introductions after all."

"Right! I'll start us off!"

I took a deep breath, taking in the cleanse air that has long awaited its settlement into our atmosphere. Absorbing it into my nostrils and filling me up with power, I began:

"Hi! My name is Hanako Ume! First-year at Shinzai and people call me the Ultimate Florist!"


Name: Hanako Ume

Talent: Ultimate Florist


"Ultimate Florist, eh? That must explain the flower pin clipped on your head, correct?" Shingora mentioned, pointing at said flower pin.

"Aw yeah, you noticed! I know it's a stereotypical girl appeal, but I can't help adoring flowers so much! They're so beautiful, so full of life! They give off such a gentle and warm feeling through a single gaze, but what's amazing about flowers are their utility! Each individual flower represents something special, whether it'd be an emotion or tone. They're useful for just about everything!"

"W-Wow... You're pretty passionate about flowers, I see."

"Oh! S-Sorry, I didn't mean to go off on a ramble! Gosh, I'm always prone to doing this!" I caressed both my cheeks, which sent out a soft heat over my face. "People normally don't realize the true depths of flowers all too much, so, um-"

"No, it's all right! Honestly, you're not far from the truth. Even I don't think of flowers as nothing but mere eye candy. But I'll admit, certain ones do give off their own distinct vibe whenever I see them."

"Yeah! The vibes are what makes me so drawn to them! They're incredible!" I squealed, hopping exuberantly.

"Ahaha, I bet! So what exactly do you do, anyway? I'm afraid I don't quite know what a florist does aside from their flower relation."

"Oh, nothing complicated. A florist is someone who arranges flowers and sells them out to the public. My love for flowers mostly derived from my family. My parents own a flower shop in our area called Flourishing Futures. Our motto is:"

I brought my index finger up and pointed straight at an empty space near Shingora, who naturally followed and appeared bemused. The stance was a signal for my brain to go through the cabinets of my memory, searching for the exact one that showed how my parents presented their motto. Pointed left, pointed right; vice versa.

"'A Flourishing Path Needs a Nourishing Road!'"

Bringing both hands together and shoot them apart, high into the air!

"Thus Flourishing Futures; where a healthy future can shine the brightest!"

Ah! And the smile! A big, happy, blushing smile!

"Bravo! What a welcoming motto!" Shingora clapped immediately, but then suddenly stopped and put his hand up on his chin. "Flourishing Futures?"

He closed his eye, contemplating my family shop's name. Did he recognized it by chance? His contemplation didn't take long, only a few seconds, until Shingora's eye instantly popped wide open.

"Wait, I know that shop! I saw ads of the same name on the internet and posters all over town!"

"Yep! I put those posters up myself!"

"All of them?! By yourself?!"

"O-Of course not! We put up those posters everywhere in my area. I don't think I'd have the energy left to survive the next day doing that! My family assisted me, but I put up most of the posters. Me and my siblings even had a contest once, and yours truly won it in a landslide!"

"Still, that much work would take such devotion! You might even give some marketing companies a run for their money!"

"Oh, it's nothing, really. I monitor my body regularly, staying fit as a fiddle to accomplish jobs like those as best I can! I want to be helpful as possible for the ones I love! No matter what, I never go under a hundred percent! Oh, I also came up with a lot of the ideas that Flourishing Futures still used today, including the posters! But my most favorite part, above all else, is arranging flowers. It's like an art project; making sure everything looks the nicest as can be to satisfy the customers' needs! It's even better when I use flowers I've grown personally!"

"You grow your own too? That's amazing! People could also call you the Ultimate Gardener then!"

"Possibly, but gardening's more so a side hobby for me. Some members in my family are much better at it. Specifically, my sister! The best sister you could ever-"

I then abruptly paused, just noticing how dry my throat became. I felt a crashing sense of shame falling down on me, like a series of rocks dropping on my head and sliding off my back to leave their remaining abrasions.

"Oh, uh, I should probably stop here, shouldn't I? It's not fair hogging all our time talking only about me."

"Oh no, no! You can continue if you want."

"Nah. That's enough out of me. My face already feels super hot from excitement. Let's talk about you now, Shingora. What do you do?"

"Well, if you insist," Shingora closed all gaps between his fingers and slapped a karate chopped, shaped hand straight on his forehead. "Shingora Orameshi, third-year! The Ultimate Bodyguard, at your service!"


Name: Shingora Orameshi

Talent: Ultimate Bodyguard


"Ultimate Bodyguard? Hmm, I guess by the uniform, it shouldn't be surprising. But I was expecting something like Ultimate Body Builder or maybe the Ultimate Sumo Wrestler based on your build."

"I get the body builder part, but aren't sumo wrestlers usually obese?"

"Huh…? Oh yeah, I think you're right! I must be imagining a regular wrestler then. But you do look like someone who could pin anyone down easily."

"Not wrong there. I happened to take a wrestling class back in elementary school and continued up until after middle school. I took those classes for training and learned how to pin someone down so I could nab any criminal on the spot when I became a police officer!"

"Police officer? Didn't you say you were a bodyguard?"

"Yes, but a police officer was a field I originally pursued and still do. Some circumstances happened here and there, though, and I ended up being a bodyguard instead. Like you, I put a hundred percent or more into what I do. Off duty, I usually hung out at the gym so I could achieve the body needed to continue doing an adequate job!"

"Whoa, awesome! You're prepping up real good, I'd say! If it were me, I'd make you a police officer on the spot! You're already a super reliable guy!"

"Wish I could agree with you, but I still got a lot to learn before taking on the role of an actual police officer," Shingora's voice took a descended tone and looked down at the floor thoughtfully before he sharply shut his eye. "Thinking back on the fake body incident... I was a real mess! I should have acted more rationally instead of jumping to conclusions and yelling off Emi like that."

"It's not your fault. Everyone else panicked too. The body's surprisingly realistic!"

"Even so, it still doesn't excuse my actions…"

Shingora's face turned stern and stared vehemently at his giant hand, which he tightly gripped, creating a sound akin to crumpling paper. I felt every ounce of Shingora's conviction emanating from him just by being near him. No, he was practically conviction on legs; he always carried it with him. I just hadn't noticed it until now because of everything that happened.

"But you know what, I'll get better," Shingora lessened his grip and opened his hand before he firmly closed it again. "Every failure brings a new experience. And every new experience brings a new lesson… AND WITH EVERY NEW LESSON COMES A NEW PERSON! No matter what, I'll definitely strive to be better! Hanako, I swear this on my grandmother's grave, I won't let you see that side of me again, ever again!"

"Whoa! C-Calm down, okay?"

"Don't worry! I'm a man of my word, so you can bet our promise is safely secured!" Shingora flashed a wide, childish smile.

"No, I mean... You're being loud again."

Instantly, Shingora's mouth hung in disbelief. I suddenly, but unsurprisingly, felt multiple eyes staring behind my head until their presence eventually vanished.

"Ah... AH HA HA HA HA HA HA! See, what did I tell you?! I still got a long way to go before I can be an exceptional police officer!"

"I still stand by what I said, but I completely understand what you mean. Self improvement never hurts!"

"Kukuku! My, my, you two are quite the buoyant bundle, aren't you?!"

I almost instinctively turned around. A habit I got from managing the front desk of Flourishing Futures while I conversed with a family member, but the voice didn't arise behind us. In fact, it sounded like they were right next-"

"Oh, hey, Tsukiko."

"Helloooooooooooo!"

I couldn't help but screamed when the girl Shingora called Tsukiko suddenly appeared in between us! My scream re-invited the stares to take a glimpse at the back of my head. And it took much longer before I stopped sensing their presence.

"Ack ack ack ack ack! What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Tsukiko snorted, confidentially pushing up her cerulean rectangular framed glasses, shielding her crystalline arctic blue eyes.

Ugh! Enough with the jump scares already! The girl that magically teleported before us was the light blue frizzy haired girl, the only other person who spoke with Monokuma face to face. I shot my head down at her, preparing a scolding, but... Wow, her blue eyelashes were ravishing! Whatever eyeliner she used must be crazy impressive! For someone as spontaneous as Tsukiko, her face ironically emitted an air of radiant beauty, like the type you'd find on a princess straight out of a fairy tale!

"Oooooooooooh, what's up with the curious stare, Hanako? Cat got your tongue? Oh, or did… Did you develop a crush on me?"

"Huh?! Oh, n-no, it's not-"

"Aw, I'm flattered, honestly! But, hmm…" Tsukiko rubbed her chin while scouring her eyes all over my face intently. "Yeah, you're definitely not my type! Better luck next time, girlfriend!" Tsukiko snapped her fingers and stuck a tongue out.

Huh?! What was wrong with me?! Wait… Why in the world was I even worrying about that?! Ugh, and her radiance just blew away, regrettably. Even more so when you checked out her attire. Surprised her hands still had any breathing room inside that oversized lab coat she lugged around — the hem's scattered all over her feet even; wasn't the cotton white shirt she wore underneath enough?

I heard a loud tapping sound below Tsukiko's loose white bull denim shorts. I curiously glanced down and discovered the source being Tsukiko's pure white sneakers. Everything about them looked normal, except the abnormally huge toe cap I swore could be mistaken for clown shoes picked up off a circus!

Although her beauty was undeniable, Tsukiko appeared weird overall. On the other hand, everyone else has unique clothing options too, so she fitted right in I guess! Guess you got to hand it to Ultimates and their ability for standing out more than the average joe.

"So what brings you here, Tsukiko? You need me for something?" Shingora asked.

"Well, if you must know, good sir!" Tsukiko cleared her throat and her voice became deeper, with a fancier, British-like tone. "I am, how you say, in search... of my beloved."

"Oh. I didn't know you were in a relationship. Is it actually someone here?" Shingora inquired.

"Yes, yes! Positively, absolutely, undoubtedly, and indubitably a hundred percent certain he's among our numbers!"

A simple yes was enough, y'know?

"Ah, would you fellows like to hear about our romantic revelations of each other?"

"Sounds nice, but no thanks. Maybe another time," Shingora declined.

"Good! Now where do I begin? Perhaps our recent encounter would suffice, no?"

"I-I suppose, but didn't I say-"

"Ah, it felt like our mystical engagement happened yesterday; funny because this story occurred mere minutes ago! Something day of the month, blah blah, twenty who cares? One compliment after another devolved into a conversation about a certain company that changed the world. The very group who invented and started the modernization of flying cars!"

"Uh, I was there, so can we cut it short from here? Honestly, just thinking about Electronic Notions hurts my brain!" Shingora groaned.

"But of course! My apologizes, dear Shingora. While on the topic, I do believe I saw my dear Cookie idling with you over yonder. Mind telling me where he scooped off to?"

"Cookie…? W-Wait! You don't mean Kuroki, do you?!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, yes! Correct! Cookie, my chivalrous knight in shining armor, is who I'm referring to and am yearning to find!"

"F-First off, it's Kuroki! Second off, since when were you his girlfriend?! He never told me anything about this!"

Tsukiko's zeal disappeared and stared at me with an expressionless face. Shingora watched too on as I stumbled over my words, realizing I was the reason for the awkward silence settling in. Not sure whether I should be thankful, Tsukiko's face made a smirk and...

"BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA AHA," she uncontrollably snorted more and more like a pig in distress at being hunted; tears briskly rolled down her cheeks. Tsukiko's body shook about frantically, making the camouflage goggles loosely hung around her neck swinging like a merry-go-round. "O-Oh my goodness! You're too funny! I didn't expect such a trigger out of you, flower girl!"

"W-What?! What do you mean?!"

"I was kidding! Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidding! I know nothing about your precious Kuroki; I only wanted to pull you two's legs! BUT, I didn't expect such a heated reaction! The way you spoke to me had loads of, hmm, vigor! You sounded more than just shocked," Tsukiko said, sticking her tongue out again.

"W-W-W-What?! Huh?! W-What are you saying?!"

"Nothing, nothing! I pulled your leg again, ah-hahahahaha!"

"Um," Shingora intervened, "sorry about Tsukiko. She jokes around a lot, so it's better if you don't take her too seriously, okay? By the way, why's your face beet red, Hanako? You have a fever?"

"M-My face isn't red! It's perfectly normal, I'm telling you!"

"Whoa, and you called me out for being loud! What's gotten into... Oh... OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH," Shingora nodded to himself multiple times before marching up and slapped his hand on my shoulders. "Hanako, here's some advice: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! TAKE THE PLUNGE AND GO TO HIM!"

"W-What are you talking about?! Take what plunge?! I don't have anything to say to Kuroki!"

"But he said nothing about Kuroki… Soooooooo, why's he the first thought on your mind, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?" Tsukiko playfully asked.

"I- w-well, I... W-Who are you?! The Ultimate Comedian?!"

"Well, if you must know..."

Tsukiko swung one of her arms aside, creating a slight wind that lifted the bottom hem of her lab coat. Her smirk became eccentric, her crystalline eyes seemed shined to a polish, and her entire stance was one a character would use during a dynamic entrance in a generic shounen battle manga.

"To you mortals, my name strikes fear into thy hearts! Any credit card information guaranteed mine! Social security number, mine! Even your internet browser history isn't safe, winky face! For I am the one and only, Tsukiko Amagi, the Ultimate Hacker!"


Name: Tsukiko Amagi

Talent: Ultimate Hacker


She ended her introduction with an even more dynamic pose, taking the swung arm and slapping her entire palm on her face, fingers spread out… Did she do something? I could have sworn I heard a "da-doom" noise when she did that. Probably… No, definitely my imagination playing tricks on me.

"Well? Well?! Is it not fantabulous?! Are you astounded to be in the presence of the top-notch, number one, ultra mega awesome and genius hacker in the whole wide world?!"

"Um... No? I've never heard of you in my life."

"Same here," Shingora replied, correlating with me.

"EXACTLY," Tsukiko shouted, pointing a finger at us. "What? Did you expect disappointment? Well, sorry to disappoint YOU, but one calling themselves a hacker without having a natural instinct to keep out of the limelight is no hacker; at most, they're a disgrace! Congrats, you two passed my test! An A for you both!"

... Shingora was right. Ridiculous wouldn't even be enough of a descriptor for her.

"Onto a previous topic, why did you approach us, Tsukiko?" Shingora finally asked. "Don't tell me messing with us was your only aim."

"Perceptive as always, Shingora! We're becoming such fast friends, aren't we? I already know everything about ya! Did you know my eyes can uncover every single smidget of information on someone just by looking at them? I can even see your life span and predict when to throw your last day on Earth party!"

"Would you stop fooling around and answer my question already? I'm losing my patience," Shingora crossed his arms.

"Phooey! You're no fun! Your name's official crossed off my 'Last Day on Earth Party Preparations' list! Fine. As I said before, I'm looking for your Kuroki friend."

"So that part wasn't you pranking us?" I inquired.

"I may act like a troll, but I ain't one 24/7! I can have my serious moments too, DAWG!"

Your speech patterns needed a re-work before convincing people otherwise, then...

"Okay, but why are you looking for him, anyway?" Shingora asked.

"I wanted to ask why he lied."

"Lie? What lie?"

"The lie about the hot glue gun being an invention of Electronic Notions."

W-What?! Someone actually caught that?!

"... What do you mean? It had to be a device from Electronic Notions. The hot glue gun's like no other. It's powerful, fast, and the cherry on top, Electronic Notions' initials are on it — marking it as their product!" Shingora fiercely stated.

"To the uninformed, those facts ring true, but to the well informed - especially one as great as I - the deceit is clear. Shame. Kuroki almost got an A too. Ninety-nine percent of what he explained was the truth, but the one percent he told exposed the sham. And before you ask how I know it's a lie, I answer with this: there's no way someone who got so much of Electronics Notions facts accurately correct would suddenly slip up at the simplest and easiest fact there is to remember."

"A-And what fact are you talking about exactly?" I asked.

"It's regarding the initials. I don't give a rat's ass how you'd cut it. Electronic Notions never carved their initials into any of their inventions!"

"How... can you be so sure?"

"You seriously asking me that, honey? This is coming from the Ultimate Hacker here! I know everything there is to know about Electronic Notions since their conception. Even facts Electronic Notions themselves obscured, thanks to some extra digging. My oh my, let me tell you, if someone released a single hidden detail regarding them, that company would be in some serious hot water!"

Uh oh. If anyone else heard all that, Emi would be up for the chopping block again! She wouldn't make it through another episode!

"U-Uh... How do we know you're not lying?!"

"Lying?! Mou?!" Tsukiko replied, her mouth opened in disbelief.

"Yeah. You might be trying to cause trouble again. So it'd be right to assume you're only throwing out false facts without backing them up just to stir up another scene!"

Tsukiko stared at me with another expressionless look. Except it didn't take long for her to bring up a reaction.

"All right, so what you're saying is you won't believe me if I can't provide any evidence to support my out of this world information gathering skills? Easy!" Tsukiko reached into the right chest pocket of her coat and took out an item. "This right here, ladies and gents, is a pen."

"Yeah, we both can clearly tell," commented Shingora.

"Of course. I ain't taking a jab at your low IQ. What matters is how this pen was created. Look closely at it."

As told, I scanned the jet black pen, which Tsukiko joyfully swayed. The only other thing of note was the white tape wrapped around the barrel, but otherwise… Geez, if you wanted an analysis, you could at least held it still!

"I don't get it. What's this pen proving?" I asked.

"You are not allowing your mind's eye to scrutinize every nook and cranny of this magnificent and other worldly pen."

"..."

"Translation: try harder! It helps if you pay attention to my fingers, too."

Her fingers? I took her advice and switched to scanning her fingers. They were rubbing the pen.

"Wait a second…"

I glanced back at the pen and then back at Tsukiko's fingers. Finally, I looked back at the pen and the missing pieces had arrived and fitted together to form the complete puzzle. When the pen swung far from my field of vision, I followed it closely and noticed two small blue dots on the back of the white tape wrapped around the pen's barrel. Behind each dot was a letter coated in sea blue, both were in a vodka font style. Could it be...?!

"E.N.? Electronic Notions?! They made this pen?" I answered.

"Correct, flower girl! Another A-know what, forget it. I'm bored with the teacher shtick now," Tsukiko said, her eyes hanging lazily.

"Cool, but what's your point? What does showing us that pen do?"

"Heh heh. Fun fact, flower girl. This pen is Electronic Notions' first ever invention."

"Wait, back up!" Shingora exclaimed. "You're telling me the company that modernized flying cars' first invention was something as simple as a pen?!"

"Yep! Crazy, isn't it? But it's not surprising either. Recall what Kuroki said about Electronic Notions' budget," insisted Tsukiko.

"If I remember correctly, he mentioned the company didn't have a very high budget starting out," I replied.

"Yes! Because of that, the company couldn't go big early game. So they started with something small; like a pen."

"Electronic Notions' known for upgrading modern devices, no? What makes this pen so special?" Shingora asked.

"Thank you for asking, and so I will answer. Unlike older pens, this one can manually adjust how much ink it uses when writing with it!"

That was all?! How would that be useful?

"I bet you're asking 'How would that be useful?' right?"

She could read my mind too?!

"Short answer: conserving. Long answer: you never know when you'll need more ink, so having it last longer by controlling its usage in the first place can be efficient. I can't remember the last time I had to run out and get more ink for my pen. Also because I don't write often."

"Uh, your point, Tsukiko?" asked Shingora.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, sorry! Now watch! Get a good, strong look at my point!"

Tsukiko's fingers twitched before breaking apart, forcing the pen into a descent straight to the floor. Then it happened. It caught me off guard because any normal pen falling from that height could work fine, no problem. Tsukiko's however, did more than just stopped working; it completely shattered into pieces! Small black pieces of sharp plastic now laid dispersed on the floor.

"Ah! Your pen! It broke!" exclaimed Shingora.

"Mhm! Isn't it strange? Any other pen would still be in one piece, no problem. But this one came apart the moment it hit the floor. It's because the plastic's weak. As you recall, the company didn't have a high budget, so they made plenty of sacrifices to create an upgraded product of an everyday used item. Materials were definitely a challenge the company had faced starting out. They had to make do with what they could get their hands on," Tsukiko picked up a piece of the pen and held it up. "Can you still say Electronic Notions originally carved their initials into their products, including this fragile as heck pen? I don't know about you, but trying to do so would definitely have me quitting on the very first day!"

… Dang it! I wanted so badly to say something back, but what she said was irrefutable! Carving initials into the pen required a lot of force. With its durability though, withstanding that much would be slim. My god, could we never catch a break?!

"And so ends my testimony. Was it sufficient, your honor?"

"Y-Yeah. I see your point," I conceded, reluctantly.

"Good. Now again, where's Kuroki? I want to smack some sense into him! I mean, ask him some questions!"

"Don't know. He went off somewhere on his own," Shingora replied. "I bet he's still here in the Break Room, though. I can't imagine a person heading out into the hallway right now."

"Aw, okay! At least talking to you two for a bit kept me entertained. Thus," Tsukiko brought back her previous formal tone, "I will continue the search for my beloved so I can teach him not to stick his hand into the cookie jar and replace the stolen cookie with snakes! After all, it's the journey which truly matters - not the destination. Ta ta!"

Tsukiko dropped both her hands into her the pockets of her lab coat and walked passed us.

"Wait!" I yelled.

Tsukiko turned around and looked at me curiously.

"Uh, Tsukiko... Well,you see," act subtle! ACT! SUBTLE! "What are your next moves after confronting Kuroki? W-Will you expose his lie?"

"Hmm, probably not. It's not like what I'm doing is important, anyway."

OH THANK GO-

"Actually, on second thought, maybe what I'm doing is more than meets the eye? I am actually curious about who pulled the body prank myself. Plus, the chaos that would ensue, oh la la," Tsukiko said, with a smirk and a scratch on her chin. "Hmm, what to do?"

"I-I'd say you keep the discovery to yourself!" Shingora quickly suggested. "Getting back on the fake body incident will do nothing but get in our way. And as you said, it's not important. If Kuroki was telling the truth about anything, it'd be that."

"Hmm, you might be right. Okay. For the sake of not wasting time, I'll keep quiet. BUT, I do still want to talk to Kuroki for my own personal reasons! Anyway, I'm off! Bye-onara!"

The moment Tsukiko started walking away, an enormous sigh escaped my mouth. Geez, hopefully that'd finally close the book about the fake body or Electronic Notions for good now!

"Ah, wait, Tsukiko! One more thing!" Shingora exclaimed.

Tsukiko stopped and turned around once again. "Man, do you guys like me that much? Even though I'm a hacker, I've always dreamed of having a fan club."

"Sorry. Something just occurred to me. I'll make this quick: have you seen the twins around lately? Haven't seen them since we first met up here in the Break Room."

"The twins, hmm? Ah-ha! I have actually! Me and green suited bushy brows saw one of them while out in the pitch black hall of doom."

"Only one? What about the other?"

"Don't know, and I'm not sure which twin we met up with. She was looking for her sister; they ended up getting separated. We split up to help find her right after, and I haven't seen either since."

"I see. I'll ask Taroko if he has seen them then. Thanks."

"No problemo! Now if you'll FINALLY excuse me!"

"Right! Sorry again!"

Tsukiko, once again, walked away from us; putting more speed into her steps that time.

"Shingora," I sighed heavily, "I got to thank you again for helping me out back there!"

"It was nothing. I'm sure Tsukiko wouldn't have said anything anyway. She messes around a lot, but as far as I can see, it's only to play harmless tricks."

"Yeah. That girl sure is one of a kind, if I could put it in nicer words."

"Ha ha! She's not a bad person, I assure you. She just got some maturing to do."

"I suppose you're right. First impressions aren't always accurate," I sighed. "Eheh heh, hopefully the other introductions will be smooth sailing. I'm already tired."

"You should rest up before doing anything else. We've been through a lot today."

"Nah, I can keep going. As long as everyone else's calmer, I think I'll be fine."

"You say that, but don't forget we're Ultimates. We're not known for our calm sides," Shingora said, with an amusing smile.

"Aha, yeah, true. But I'll still trudge through it. Before that, shall we continue our talk before Tsukiko showed up?"

"Love to, but I think I should start figuring out the twin's whereabouts. You don't mind if we postpone it, do you?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine with it! We don't know what's going on, so we shouldn't even think about abandoning a single person. You go do what you have to do, Shingora."

"Thank you, Hanako! I've truly appreciate everything you've done to help me so far!" Shingora smiled and saluted.

"I should be the one telling you that. I don't know what me and Kuroki would have done if you hadn't found us. Oh, sorry for running off when we first met and calling you a monster..."

"Ha, ha! It's okay! I never took it personally. We're all confused — scared. We don't know what's happening or what will happen. Which is why we must band together and either find a way out or solve the mysteries surrounding our conundrum. Until then, I won't let anything happen to anyone!"

"Yeah! I'll do my best too! I want to get out of here with everyone!"

"Likewise! All right, I'll see you later!"

Shingora gave me one last smile, nodded, and did what everyone we talked with had done: turned around and walked away. Right then, a crunching sound rang out.

"Dah! I forgot about the remains of Tsukiko's pen. If left here, someone might get hurt."

Shingora crouched down and picked up the pen pieces on the floor, dropping them on his hand, and repeated. There sure are a lot of pieces though…

"Let me help you! It's the least I can do after saving me so many times today."

With haste, I ran over and crouched across from Shingora. I picked up the pen pieces and dropped them onto my hand like he did.

"Ah, thank you. My god, the plastic reduced more than I thought!"

No kidding. It'd definitely be a pain alone, but together, the process ended up not only faster but fun! Yeah, if we worked together, we'd finally returned to our normal, everyday lives. To do that, though, we must get closer and continue learning about each other. Names, talents, everything! But with people like Kuroki and Shingora on our side, our chances of a happy ending looked highly likely!

What could possibly go wrong?