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The school is bigger than I expected. It looks out of place in this urban area and I can’t help but wonder if anyone realised how out of place the high school looks while developing it.
Still, despite how it looks, the school is anything but a joke.
They apparently bring in students who are experts in every field possible. The government funds the school - obviously - and it’s widely considered as a “privilege” to attend the school. Graduates of the school are said to be set for life after graduating. It’s been going for hundred of years and only sends the cream of the crop out into the workforce. The goal of the school is apparently to raise hope in the nation’s future, which probably is why it’s called, “Hope’s Peak Academy.”
To attend the school, you have to already be attending high school and be the very best at whatever the fuck it is that you do. So ordinary people who aren’t exceptionally good at something cannot attend the school, which is why it’s so famous. The school also scouts it’s students out so it’s not like anyone can waltz in and say, “Hi there, I want to attend this school.”
And who’s the idiot standing at the gates of this “ultimate” school filled with “ultimate” people?
Me.
The name’s Mondo Oowada and I’m - well, I’m supposed to be the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader but it’s not like I really deserve that title.
Anyone who doesn’t live under a rock knows my name so I’m sure you probably know who I am but in case you don’t, I’m the leader of Japan’s biggest biker gang - the Crazy Diamond. I’m kind of like a celebrity in the gangster underworld, except instead of everyone wanting my autograph, it’s more like everybody wants to kill me.
It may sound pretty rough but it’s really nothing I’m not used to. It’s been my whole life ever since I was a little kid. My big bro, Diaya, founded the gang and was the leader before me. We created the gang together and I was always he second in command. He was the leader but he got my input on every single decision he made, even though we both knew he was way smarter than I’ll ever be.
But Diaya’s not here anymore…
He’s gone and now all I have is me, my gang, the weight of a boulder on my shoulders.
But I can handle it. I’m the strongest fucker ever. Nobody can defeat me. Even the biggest crime gangs fear me.
And why wouldn’t they?
After all, I’m fucking strong.
The fact that I’m standing outside of Hope’s-fucking-Peak is proof of that.
So there’s no need for my heart to be pounding so loud…
Or my fists to be clenched so tightly…
Or for my hands to be shaking…
Or for my body to be sweating bullets…
I mean, they’re not doing any of those things - I mean, like I said before, I’m the strongest biker gang leader ever so I don’t get scared - I’m just using them as examples.
I’m fine, I can do this.
I’m strong.
I still can’t really believe I’m standing here. I have to admit, I was curious and I may have been a bit nervous, so I decided to look up on the millions of threads online dedicated to the school to see who my peers are. Even though I’m technically an ultimate myself, I was shocked by the things people said about these “ultimates” - they sound like people straight from a movie or something. I can’t believe people like that really exist, though then again I guess I am one of them.For example, I heard a lot of talking about the Ultimate Gambler, Celestia Ludenberg. Either her parents are stuck up fucks and gave her the snobbiest name they could think of or Celestia-whatever isn’t her real name and she gave it to herself - which makes her the stuck up fuck. She’s apparently gone years without a single loss and has won millions from her time as a gambler. I have no idea how the fuck someone goes undefeated that long without cheating but it must be genuine, otherwise Hope’s Peak wouldn’t have scouted her out.There was also the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, Byakuya Togami. I read all of three sentences about him the closed the tab since he sounded like a stuck up dickhead and if there’s one thing I cannot stand, it’s ungrateful, self-entitled assholes who think they can walk about like they own fucking everything.
Definitely not looking forward to meeting him.
If there’s anyone I’m least looking forward to meeting, it’s the Ultimate Hall Monitor, Kiyotaka ishimaru. Being not exactly the most well behaved student, hall monitors generally don’t really like me all that much. I have enough shit to worry about, I don’t need some fat-headed prick stalking me so he can constantly lecture me about every little thing I do wrong.
I know I’m a fuck up, you don’t have to fucking spell it out for me!
Still, if I have to beat a few people up to get some decent fucking respect, that’s fine by me.
I was embarrassed as fuck when I found my name on one of the forums. I was hoping no one knew about me but at least there was less information about me than some of the others on it. There were a few other people on it - the Ultimate Martial Artist, the Ultimate Fanfic Creator, the Ultimate Gambler, the Ultimate Swimming pro, the Ultimate Programmer, the Ultimate Clairvoyant, the Ultimate Baseball Star, the Ultimate Fashionista…
They sound… interesting, to say the least. Nothing that I can’t handle.
After all, I’m strong.
There is another person who is supposed to be joining us though, the Ultimate Lucky Student. The school recently did a random draw so one ordinary person would be selected to attend the academy. I couldn’t find out anything about whoever it was, despite the draw ending a while ago but I’m sure I’ll meet them all soon enough.
Anyways, there’s no fucking point in standing around here, twiddling my dick like a dumbass or something. I might as well head in.
As I walk into the Entrance Hall, I notice it’s suspiciously empty. Where is everyone? I mean, I did come slightly early - for once in my life - but I thought at least a few people would be here. I check the huge clock hanging on the wall to make sure my watch doesn’t somehow have the correct time but it reads the same as my watch - 7:10am. We’re supposed to be meeting up at 8:00am so why is no one else here?
Oh well, maybe I can walk around a bit and hopefully run into someone-
Suddenly, although I had only taken one step, everything around me seems to spin and I begin to feel light headed, like some sort of daze has come over me.
What the fuck-!?
My vision suddenly blurred and everything seems to twist and bend. It's like an illusion from some sort of fucked up amusement park. Everything seems to melt away and blend together into something else entirely. It’s like an endless cycle. Swirling, blending together, melting away, then swirling again…
Around and around….
And around and around…
And around and around and…
Around and around…
Around and…
Around…
And…
And…
Suddenly, everything goes black.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I’m...awake...I think?
I’m...somewhere…
I can’t see anything…
But…
I can hear something…
Is that….a voice?
Is someone speaking to me…?
I….I feel like I know that person…
Like…
Like they’re someone important to me.
But who are they?
I can’t make out what they’re saying…
It’s all just a muffled mess.
I should…
I should try to do something.
I have to figure out what’s going on.
But I feel so comfortable and relaxed here…
It feels so good…
My body feels heavy and it won’t move no matter how much I try to make it.
Whoever is with me whispers something into my ear and suddenly, a warm, safe and fuzzy feeling takes over me.
I’m...I’m safe…?
Y-Yeah…
I’m safe here…
I’m safe…
Nothing is going to happen to me…
I should just close my eyes…
And…
Go…
To…
Sleep…
My vision begins to blur again and my consciousness fades away. As I’m about to lose consciousness, the person says something to me and even though I have no idea what they’re saying, I reply without thinking.
“Yes.”
--Ngh…I open my eyes and find myself asleep on a desk in a random classroom I’ve never seen before in my life. My mind feels foggy and I have no idea what the fuck happened to me.
“What...the...fuck…?”
Where on Earth am i? Wasn’t I in the entrance hall a couple of minutes ago? When the fuck did I get into a classroom? Was I attending some boring class or something and dozed off? But in that case why don’t I remember anything after entering the entrance hall?
“Umm…” I hear a small voice mumble something from behind me and instinctively jump in my seat and whirl behind me to look at whoever made that noise.Standing there is a blonde haired girl in a skirt. Her hands are over her mouth and there’s evident fear in her eyes as she stares at me.
...Shit.
I immediately feel bad for scaring the poor girl and mutter under my breath, “...Sorry.”“O-Oh, it’s no problem. I-I’m sorry if I startled you…” the girl says, crossing her hands and looking downwards sadly.
She looks like she’s about to cry…
“You didn’t startle me!” I exclaim, maybe a bit louder than I intended, “A-And uh, it’s okay.” Well, she doesn’t look like she’s going to cry anymore but she still doesn’t really look happy...Maybe she might know what the fuck is going on here? “So do you know what we’re supposed to be doing here or…?” I ask.Yeah, I know I fucking suck at socialising. I don't know why, I just do. The only kind of socialising I’m actually good at is talking with my fists! The problem is even worse when it comes to people I find attractive. N-Not that I find this little girl attractive or anything - I mean, she is cute but she's just not my type. In saying that, I’ve been rejected ten times in a row as of late so what I think is my type may not actually be my type.
Either that or I’m just way too fucked up for anyone to actually like.
“N-No, I’m afraid I don’t. I just woke up here not too long before y-you did. I-I’m sorry, I’m not of much help.” the girl replies, looking sad again.“Nah, it’s fine.” I tell her, hoping that will cheer her up a bit.
I mean, it’s not like it’s her fault we’re...wherever we are…
“We should probably look around.” I say. One time, when I was younger and Daiya was still the leader of the gang, we got knocked out by a rival gang and brought to their base. I was freaking out by Daiya was as calm as ever. The first thing he said was for us to look around and see if we can reach anything to untie ourselves with. It was because of him that we ended up being able to escape.
I can do this.
I can be like Diaya.
I can be better than him.
I am better than him.
I’ve just gotta get my shit together and look around to see what the fuck is going on.
There’s a large and pretty fucking obvious surveillance camera dangling from the ceiling near the blackboard. “What the fuck is that for?” I ask out loud, although I was pretty much just saying it to myself.“For security reasons, I-I guess…” the little girl replied.Maybe I can look out the window and try to guess from the surroundings where we are?I approach the window but quickly stop in my tracks.
The fuck!?
Any normal classroom would obviously have windows but for some reason, it looks like a metal plate has been bolted over it.
Maybe I can try smashing it?
I clench my fist and punch the plate as hard as I can.“Oww!!! Fucking fuck shit balls dicks!” I yell in pain as I grip my aching hand.“Are you okay!?” the girl asks me, her eyes wide with concern.“Y-Yeah, I’m fine…” I reply, blushing slightly.
I guess punching metal may not have been the smartest idea…
Shit, this chick probably thinks I’m an idiot or something…
Well, at least I know it’s definitely metal now. It’s pretty thick and solid too. But why the ever loving fuck is there metal on the windows?I look over at the clock. It’s now apparently 7:55am.
Wait a fucking minute, if I came at 7:10, that means I’ve been out of it for forty five fucking minutes!?
Just what the fuck happened to me?
They also have a television in the classroom. I guess it’s not all that out-of-place. It is a government funded school, after all. They could’ve at least invested in a flat screen or something, though. Cheap ass bastards.“O-Oh, ummm…” the girl beside me mutters.I turn to face her and ask, “Yeah? Did you find something?”“W-Well, um, I forgot to mention this when you first woke up b-but there was this piece of paper left on your desk.” she tells me.“What!?” I shout, much louder than I had intended to and making the girl jump.“S-Sorry…” I quickly apologise, “But why didn’t you say this sooner?” “I-I forgot...I’m sorry!” the girl says glumly, staring down at the floor.I sigh and take the piece of paper from her. It looks like a pamphlet, except drawn by a two year old. Maybe it’s some orientation guide? I flick it open and find something written inside.
"The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this school will be your entire world."
The fuck is that supposed to mean?
If this is a joke, it’s gone past the point of being funny.
Anyways, I wonder if I can try to piece together possible scenarios as to what happened to me.
“Maybe...I passed out in the entrance hall, then someone carried me back here. In which case, this must be a classroom inside Hope’s Peak. But even if that is the case, it still raises more questions…” I mutter, not really to anyone in particular.This whole thing is strange and fucked up. And what’s the deal with those metal plates? It’s like a fucking prison in here. Why the fuck would a school have that?“You...You passed out in the entrance hall too?” the girl asks.“Huh? Uh, yeah.” I reply.“That’s exactly what happened to me too! I got here at about 7:00am and then suddenly passed out in the entrance hall.” she explains.The fuck? I could understand if it was just one of us who happened to pass out. That could probably be a coincidence but both of us passing out? In the same place? And she was there just before me. Why didn’t I see her unconscious there? “It’s nearly 8:00am, s-should we head to the main hall?” the girl suggests.She’s right. We can probably find out more information when we get there. The others are probably there too so we can meet our classmates.Speaking of which, I never asked for her name or introduced myself.
Man, I’m such a fuck up.
“Uh, I’m Mondo Oowada, by the way. Nice to meet you.” I say.Her eyes immediately widen as she asks, “Oh, you’re the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, right?”Looks like she was looking up the forums online too. Glad I wasn’t the only one. “Yeah, that’s me.” I reply.“I-It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Chihiro Fujisaki and I’m the Ultimate Programmer.” Chihiro says.Chihiro, huh? Alright then, guess we had better get going. Chihiro opens the door to the classroom and with a bright smile, he turns to me and says, “After you, Oowada-Kun.”
Shouldn’t I be the one holding the door open for her?
I blush in embarrassment, feeling kind of pathetic as I awkwardly head outside into the hallway. Chihiro follows behind me as we walk.Even the fucking hallway gives off a weird feeling about it. This whole thing is strange as fuck. What the fuck is going on?
Guess all I can really do is go to the main hall for now.
There’s a sign outside the classroom. Apparently the room we were in is classroom 1-B. I can see 1-A not too far away too. I head over to the other classroom but it’s locked. Guess we can’t go in there right now. There’s also a hallway with a sign saying, “Despair Hotel.” Why is there a Hotel in a school? And if this is Hope’s Peak Academy, why is the hotel called “Despair”?Maybe it’s a place for people to stay overnight.“Anyways, let’s head to the main hall.” I say.Chihiro nods and quickly follows me to the main hall.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As we head into the main hall, there’s a group of other people standing there. “Oh, look! More new people are here!” a girl with brown hair says, gesturing to Chihiro and I.“U-Um, hi. S-Sorry if we’re a bit late. I-I’m Chihiro Fujisaki and t-this is Mondo Oowada...” Chihiro mumbles.I look around at the different people gathered here, trying to see if I can guess what their talents may be in my mind. I wonder which one is that Hall Monitor…“So that makes fourteen of us. Do you guys think anyone else is coming?” a blue haired girl asks.“Of course not! It is now exactly 8:00am. If anyone else comes now, they’ll be late and I am sure no decent student would come late to school on their first day!”
Well, I think I know who the hall monitor is now…
“You guys are all new here too?” Chihiro asks.“Yeah, we’re all new here. Today’s supposed to be our first day of class.” a guy with red hair says.I don’t really know what to say, so I just stuff my hands into my pockets and stare at the floor. Someone suddenly comes up to me and flicks the side of my head. “Hey dude, what’s your problem? You haven’t said a word since you arrived. Are you mute or something?” the person asks me.
The fuck did he just say to me!?
I turn to glare at the guy who said that - his hair looks like a fucking toilet brush - and angrily snap at him, “No, I am not fucking mute! Get the fuck away from me, unless you’ve got a death wish, asshole!” Immediately, the guy cowers away, muttering quietly, “Sheesh, fine then, I’m sorry…”For the record, I don’t react like that to everyone. I just have some problems when it comes to anger management and Holy Hell do I hate annoying people. Suddenly, the door flies open and a brown haired boy comes running into the room. “Woah, hey! Another new kid!” someone says as we all stare at the dude who just ran into the room.
Talk about a fucking entrance.
“So that makes fifteen people now, right? I wonder if everyone’s here now.” Chihiro says.The dude who just entered stares at us like we’re some sort of Gods or something before finally saying, “Um...How’s it going? My name is Makoto Naegi. Sorry I’m late! A bunch of stuff happened, and then all of a sudden I was just...asleep.”
Him too? Okay, now this is definitely not a coincidence.
“Woah, you too!?” the guy who tried to fuck with me a few minutes ago asks.“Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser.” a girl with two long and curly pigtails that are obviously fake says.“So strange... I declare beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is a strange situation indeed!” a fat dork says.The boy looks at us with confusion written all over his face. “Umm...What are you talking about? I honestly have no idea what’s going on right now.” Makoto says.
And we do?
Before anyone else can say anything, the dude who I assume is the hall monitor guy suddenly exclaims, “Just a moment! There is a potent issue that we must address!”
I don’t know why but the first thought that comes to me is that he’s about to lecture me on something. I swear to fuck if he even thinks about giving me a lecture, I’ll-
“Makoto! Your tardiness is unacceptable! Surely you were aware the meeting was to start at 8 a.m. sharp! To be late on your first day is unspeakable! I must report you, and you must accept your due punishment!” the hall monitor guy yells, pointing accusingly at Makoto, who cowers into the corner.
Yeeeep, I am now 98% sure it is him.
At least it wasn’t directed at me but man, that dude definitely has a stick shoved up his ass.
“What’s your problem? It’s not like he wanted to be late! He didn’t have any control over it.” a blonde haired girl with pigtails snaps at the hall monitor.
Thank fuck someone has their head screwed on right.
“Everyone just calm down!” the girl with the brown pony tail exclaims, stepping between the hall monitor and the blonde girl, “Listen, why don't we all go around and introduce ourselves?”For some reason, the idea irks me a bit. I mean, I want to figure out what the fuck is going on. I don’t want to sit around braiding each other’s hair. “The hell!? Now's no time for friggin' introductions!” I point out.“Perhaps, but it may be good to at least find out who we all are before digging into the bigger problems here. After all, how are we even supposed to talk to each other if we do not know each other's names?” fake-haired girl says.“She does have a point…” Chihiro mutters.Okay, she does but...I just hope this doesn't take too long. We need to find out what the fuck is happening as soon as possible.“Okay, let’s get the introductions out of the way then worry about other stuff after!” the blue haired girl says.I sigh and lean back against a nearby wall, far away from the majority of the other people there. I don’t see a reason to join in so I’ll just sit back here and wait until their love-fest is over.
I mean, who would even have the balls to come speak to me anyways?
After a couple of minutes, I’m so bored that I feel like I could fall asleep standing up. Suddenly, to my surprise, a voice says from next to me, “Have you introduced yourself to everyone yet? I’m afraid I don’t recall hearing your name.” I look up and see the hall monitor guy towering over me. “Oh, yeah, I-I um…” I stutter, trying to think of a response.Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m easily flustered or anything. He just happened to catch me off guard. I doubted anyone would actually come up and speak to someone like me. “I’m Mondo Oowada.” I eventually tell him.Immediately, his eyes spark with realisation as he asks, “Oh yes, you’re the leader of that biker gang, correct? Crazy Diamonds, right?”I’m surprised he’s heard of us, to be honest. I thought he would always have his nose buried in law books or ancient history books. “Yeah, that’s me.” I say.
He better not tell me off for being a biker.
“It’s quite an interesting and dangerous lifestyle you’ve chosen for yourself and though it’s not one I would personally choose, I must admit I admire the effort you’ve put into what you’ve created.” the hall monitor says.
That was...surprisingly nice of him.
“Uh, thanks.” I awkwardly say, not knowing what else to say in response to that.The hall monitor sticks out his hand and says with a smile, “I'm Kiyotaka Ishimaru. I believe in bold simplicity! Let's work together on our educational crusade!”I shake his head before replying with a brief, “Sure…” I remember reading about this guy online. He went to a famous primary school and won top honors every damn year. He’s practically a flawless honor student. He’s also done some work with his community's Public Morals Committee. He apparently is known to “respect rules above all else.” He definitely sounds like someone with a major stick up their ass but based off of the conversation we just had, maybe he isn’t as bad as I was expecting…
Maybe.
“Oh, if you want you can call me Taka for short.” Kiyotaka says.Taka, huh? “Right, got it.” I reply.“You know, Mondo, you have a nice name.” Kiyotaka suddenly says, again catching me off guard.H-Huh? Where the fuck did that come from?“Did you know it means world in Italian? Your parents must love you very much to have named you something so special and meaningful.” Taka continues, as if what he’s saying is not at all completely random and weird.
I highly doubt that…
He suddenly places both of his hands on my shoulders and I instinctively tense up at his touch. “To keep your name from losing it’s value, you must devote yourself every single day! Life is worth putting every ounce of effort into it, right? Right!” Taka exclaims, not even giving me the chance to respond.
I...have no idea what the fuck he’s going on about now…
What a weirdo…
“Are you going to introduce yourself to the others?” he asks, tilting his head at me.My plan had been to just sit back until things actually started moving but I guess I might as well talk to some people...“Yeah, I think I will.” I reply.--I approach a brown haired girl with glasses and braided hair. “‘Sup?” I ask.“W-What's it matter to y-you?” the girl snaps back.
Sheesh, excuse me for asking.
“Y-You probably w-won’t remember my name a-anyways, b-but I'm T-Toko... Toko Fukawa.” she says.
...Who?
“Uh, so...What's your talent?” I ask.“H-Haven't you heard of m-me!? D-Do you e-even read?” Toko snaps angrily.
Geez, what's her problem?
“Bit hard to read when I’ve got about twenty thousand rival gangs wanting my head on a pike.” I grumble in response.“I’m the U-Ultimate Writing Prodigy. I wrote a novel when I was t-ten t-that was a huge hit and began my writing career and then t-two years ago, I realised my masterpiece - ‘So Lingers the Ocean.’ I-It’s a love s-story and a huge hit with women. Because of it, fishermen quickly shot to to the t-top for every ‘Hottest Men’ poll.” she says, beginning to lecture me and pointing at me with disgust written all over her face.Fishermen? Seriously? What happened to that time when dudes who wear leather jackets, ride motorcycles and do underage drinking and smoking were considered hot?“I-I’ve won countless literary prizes and all of my books have been instant best-sellers!” Toko continued her rant.“Okay, okay, I get it, you’re a writing prodigy. Sheesh.” I said.The conversation stopped there, leaving an awkward silence. I nervously rubbed the back of my neck, wondering if I should continue the conversation or go speak to someone else. “...W-What? I-It's not polite to stare, you know. Stop staring at me like I'm some filthy creature!” Toko suddenly snaps at me.
I-I wasn't even staring at her!
...Was I?
“I-I wasn’t-”
“Don’t lie!” she snaps, cutting me off, “I know exactly what you were thinking! You were thinking you've n-never seen such an ugly woman. You just th-thought it was sooo funny!”Where the fuck did she get that from? I wasn’t even thinking about her appearance. If she said I thought she was psycho, though, she may not be too far off the mark. “I-I wasn’t thinking that!” I exclaim.“Don't bother trying to l-lie to me! I know it's true. Otherwise, you... I know you can't stand looking at me!” she snaps accusingly at me before staring back down at the floor, “Wh-Whatever, I don't really care. I'm used to it.”
Ooookay, I’m officially leaving…
--I approach a blonde haired girl with pigtails. She looks kinda familiar…“Hiii! I'm Junko Enoshima. Charmed, I'm sure!” Junko Enoshima, huh? Where do I know her from…“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asks, her arms folded.Her eyes suddenly widen as she says, “Wait a minute, don’t tell me you don’t know who I am?” “Uhhh…” Well, technically I do know who she is...kinda…I mean, I recognize her from somewhere, I just don’t know where.“I’m the Ultimate Fashionista. I’ve been on, like, tons of magazine covers and stuff.” Junko says.Fashionista? I guess I must’ve seen her on a cover or something… “I knew I had seen you somewhere before but for some reason I feel like you look different in person…” I say.She's got more charm and presence than any high school girl in the country, that’s for sure. I guess that’s why she’s the Ultimate Fashionista.“Huh?” she asks, looking confused, “Oh, are you talking about my cover photos and junk?” She laughs, the dimples on her cheeks looking prominent as her grin stretches from ear to ear. “Ahaha, well of course! Those are totally photoshopped.” Junko says.“Photoshopped, huh?” I say.“Yeah, you know--edited to hell and back. With like, computers and junk?” she says.“So in other words, they’re fake.” I say, perhaps a bit too blunt.“Come on, don’t say it like that! You're gonna make me all depressed. It's totally normal these days to photoshop the crap out of cover photos. They make the eyes and junk super big, and tweak the skin so it looks all ceramic and porcelain.” Junko explains.“That’s...cool I guess…”
I really don’t understand fashion…
--I approach a purple haired girl standing in the corner, appearing to be thinking about something. “Uh, hey.”“...Hello.” she says after a while.“Soo, what’s your name?” I ask.“My name is...Kyoko Kirigiri.” she says.Kyoko Kirigiri...I don’t think her name was on the forums I read. I wonder if she’s the student that got picked from that draw? “So what’s your talent, anyways?” I ask.“Why should I tell you?” she asks rudely.The fuck is that supposed to mean? “Well, why not?” I ask.“What if I don’t want to?” she asks.“What’s the big deal? Not like you’ve got anything to hide, not that it’ll really give away much.” I say.“I don’t have to tell you, do I?” she asks.“Uh, well...no, but-”“Good. Then I won’t.” she says before turning away.
What a bitch…
Her face is like an iron mask. If she doesn't want to tell me anything, no point in asking.
Fine then, I don’t care. If she doesn’t want to tell me anything, it doesn’t mean shit to me.
--I approach a buff looking woman with tons of muscles and scars all over her body. Admittedly, I’m kinda impressed. She looks like someone who would do well in my gang.“I am Sakura Ogami.” she says.I remember hearing about her before. She apparently competed in a martial arts tournament in America and won, despite being a girl. She’s thought over 400 matches and has never lost a single one. That takes a ton of skill.She apparently also goes by the nickname Ogre. Some say she is the closest known relative to the primates - the famed missing link. If you ask me, it sounds like a loud of bull. I do remember one comment said, "Any incoming Hope's Peak students who are reading this, let me warn you right now... If you value your life, avoid her at all costs." I doubt we’ll have any problems but if she or anyone else tries anything, I swear to fuck they’ll be bloodshed. “Hey, you.” she says suddenly.“Yeah?” I ask.Randomly, she began to run her hands up and down my body started to poke and prod at me.
Uhh...Is this normal?
“Um...What are you...?”
“You have fine muscular quality and quantity. Far above that of most whom I’ve encountered. Perhaps the two of us can be training partners.” Sakura offers.“Sure, why the fuck not.” I reply.The Ultimate Martial Artist just offered for me to be her partner…--I approach a red haired guy. “‘Sup?” I ask.“Yo! The name's Leon Kuwata. What's up?” he asks, raising his clenched fist like he’s asking for a fist bump.A grin and fist bump him. I like this guy. I think I may have heard of him, too. He played for the national high school champs as their cleanup hitter. “So you’re the Ultimate Baseball Star?” I ask.“Huh? What's wrong?” he asks.“Well, nothing. It’s just, since you’re the Ultimate Baseball Star, I was kinda expecting you to have a more sporty-looking traditional baseball player type.” I reply.“Like, with my head shaved or something?” he asks.“No, like...That one article and picture of you online, for example.” I explained, “I expected you to look closer to how you looked in that.” “What!? Aw man, you found that picture of me playing baseball? Seriously!? I hate that picture!” Leon exclaims, suddenly looking irritated.Well, I guess he does kind of look like a dork in it…“This is not cool. This is SO not cool... Seriously, I'm like, mega embarrassed right now. I didn't have a choice, okay? Shaving your head like that is part of national championship regulations! But now I refuse to cut my hair. And I'm not gonna dye it back to normal either!” he continues to rant.Not knowing what else to say, I awkwardly say, “Um...Good for you, I guess?”“Actually, can I be totally honest with you?” he asks before leaning in closer, like there’s some sort of big secret.“Uh, sure.” I reply.“I don't like baseball. Like, at all. I've never gone to a single practice.” He's never practiced, and he was still his team's star player? How the fuck is that even possible?“And as soon as I got accepted here, I quit baseball for good! I have my own dream for the future!” Leon exclaims, “My only path in life is getting into music! You can feel that star-quality aura I have, right? I'm gonna be a singer, so all I need is a songwriter and someone on guitar, and we're set! This new version of me that's chasing after my dream is, like...super cool to the max!” Is he for fucking real? I never would’ve expected to hear that coming from the Ultimate Baseball Star…But whatever, if that’s his dream, I won’t judge.--I hope this is not going to be awkward but I’ve decided to talk to that guy with a toilet brush on his head. “Uh, hey…” I say.“Eeek! Stay back, man! You’re not here to beat the crap out of me again, are you?” he asks.
He sounds like a fucking girl…
“Nah, I just wanna introduce myself.” I reply.“Oh, well in that case...I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure--Hiro for short! Take it easy, yeah? I know I will!” he says.
He looks, sounds and speaks like the kind of guy who would drop out of school.
“So, what exactly is your talent?” I ask.“I’m the trend setting Ultimate Clairvoyant. In the psychic community, I’m known as ‘Supernova’ so if you want to call me that, I don’t mind!” Yasuhiro replies.Fortune telling, huh? Honestly, that’s all a bunch of mumbo jumbo to me. I doubt there’s any truth to it. My future is my own to decide, not some creep with a crystal ball in a tent.“Ahh... Okay, I give up.” he suddenly says.“Give up on what?” I ask, confused.“I saw it. I looked right at it... Seriously, I totally saw it!”“Saw what!?” I snap, a bit harsher than I intended but I mean, come on dude!Spit it out already!“A guardian angel with a crazy black pompadour chasing after Bigfoot running off with a skyfish in its mouth. And that guardian angel...is YOUR guardian angel!” he says.
...What kind of drugs is he on? And where can I get some?
Wait, a guardian angel with a black pompadour? Could he mean…?
Nah, that’s just a load of bullshit. There’s no way he really saw what my guardian angel looks like…
Right?
“Nah, I'm just kiddin'.” he says finally.Thank fuck…“But hey, we should grab some long beaches sometime and get real deep into Lemuria and its civilization.” he says.“What? You do realise we’re in high school, right?” I ask.Besides, hall monitor guy would kick our asses if he found out. Not that I can’t take him.“Oh, I'm actually 21.”“WHAT!?” I shout.The fuck is he doing here, then!?“I've been held back a few times, see, and...well, it's a long story.”
A few times? Yeah, no shit. I bet that is a pretty long fucking story…
--“Heya! I'm Aoi Asahina! But my friends just call me Hina. 'Sup?” the brown haired girl with a ponytail says.I think I’ve heard of her too. Apparently, she’s been breaking records in every swimming competition she’s been in since elementary school. She’s even been selected as a future Olympic cadet. There’s been a lot of talk about her ability and appearance - among some other disgusting things that I am never going to read. “So uh...what was your name again? Sorry, totally forgot!”How the fuck do you forget the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader!?“Mondo Oowada.” I tell her, again.“Oh yeah, I knew it was something like that!” she says.“Uh, it is that.” I say.Is she related to toilet brush guy? They’re both annoying as fuck...“Sure, sure, got it! Here, I'll hammer it into my brain right now!” she says before begining to repeat my name over and over while moving her finger across her palm as though she’s writing something, “Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada..Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada...Mondo...Oowada…”Holy shit, she’s actually making me dizzy…“Uh, the fuck are you even doing?” I ask.“You don't know? If you wanna remember someone's name, you gotta write it on your hand three times!” she says.At first, I think it’s some sort of weird joke. However, her expression is completely stoic and serious.Oh fuck, she actually believes that shit!?“I've never heard of that before in my life…” I tell her.“Hey, by the way...how do you spell your last name?” she asks.“Uh, Owada. O-W-A-D-A.” I literally spell out for her.She looks at me with confusion for a moment, like I’m some sort of alien from outer space speaking some sort of alien language. “Umm...Well, I have no idea. Hahaha! I'll just figure it out later and write it down.” she says.Well, she’s certainly not the brightest crayon in the box…“Anyways, glad to meet ya!” she says.“Uh, yeah. Same.” I awkwardly reply.
Where the fuck does she get all that energy?
--
Well, this guy looks like a pompous asshole.
“Name's Byakuya Togami.” he says in an irritated tone, as if I am wasting his time.“Mondo Oowada. Nice to meet you.” I reply through gritted teeth because I can already tell I’m gonna hate this guy.He doesn’t respond and just stays silent and looks away, disinterested. Talk about a half-assed introduction. “So who are you, anyways?” I ask.Suddenly, he finally bothers to look at me, giving me an icy glare as if I’ve just said the most outlandish and unforgivable thing possible. “Who am I? Who am I? Who are YOU is the better question, I think.” he snaps back rudely.
Don’t lash out at him. Don’t lash out at him. Don’t lash out at him. Don’t lash out at him.
“Listen asshole, excuse me for having better things to do than research some arrogant fuck who thinks he’s some important king or something. I just thought I should ask about yourself since we’re going to be classmates and shit but if you’re gonna be an insufferable dick about it, then I’ll just leave your royal pain-in-the-ass-ness to your lonesome self.” I snap back, far past the point of anger.“Fine then, you ignorant swine. I suppose I must educate you on one of the most powerful people in the world. I am the heir to my family’s massive financial conglomerate. I am and have been for many years, managing business operations. My personal assets are probably worth more than your entire life, though that’s not saying much considering you’re nothing more than some lowlife biker who thinks he’s actually worth something.” the dick lectures me.I feel my fists clench and I’m struggling as hard as I can to contain my anger. What’s this guy’s fucking problem? He doesn’t know shit about me! My hands shake as I fight back the urge to punch the dick in the face.
Don’t start a fight. Don’t start a fight. Don’t start a fight. Don’t start a fight. Don’t start a fight.
Byakuya looks down at my clenched fists and asks, “Oh? Are you actually stupid enough to attempt attacking me?” I growl angrily but refuse to respond because I know that if I do, I’m going to lash out and scream at him. Then I’ll be unable to control myself and end up beating the shit out of the asshole. That’s the thing I need least right now. I don’t want to start a fight on my first day of school.Byakuya scoffs, folding his arms and saying, “I doubt you could even attack me properly.”
Arrrgh!!! That snobbish son of a-
I have to calm down. I have to calm down…
Don’t attack him. Don’t attack him. Don’t attack him. Don’t attack him. Don’t attack him.
.
.
.
FUCK IT!
I raise my fist, about to slam it into his snotty, ugly face, when suddenly Taka comes in out of nowhere and grabs my hand, stopping me.“W-What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I growl angrily.I’m expecting him to lecture me - just the thing to add to my already pissed off mood.“Calm down, Mondo!” he says, “Fighting is not going to solve anything.” “No, but it’ll make me feel a whole lot better!” I snap back, glaring at Byakuya from behind Taka.“No, it won’t. You must trust me. Come on, look at me and just relax.” Taka says.“I don’t wanna fucking relax!” I reply, refusing to look at Taka. “Look at me!” Taka demands.Suddenly, Taka forcefully grabs my chin and tilts my head, forcing me to look back at Taka. Our eyes lock and I find myself staring into his deep, red eyes. “That’s it. Now just relax and calm down. Take a deep breath in...and breathe out…” he says, his tone suddenly dropping down to just above a whisper.
I find myself relaxing, the tension and anger fading from my body. I take a couple of deep breaths as Taka’s hands run down my arms. I don’t know what’s come over me. Why am I suddenly feeling so relaxed? Why am I listening to him, of all people? Why is he able to calm me down so easily? I…
I don’t understand it at all…
“We're done with introductions, right? How much longer are you going to stand there? Go away. I'm sick of looking at you.” Byakuya huffs from behind us.I had almost forgotten he was there for a moment until he had to go and open his mouth. His attitude screams, “You and I will never stand on the same level.”
Fuck him.
“Why don’t you go and introduce yourself to some more people, Oowada-Kun?” Taka suggested.Yeah, I think I’ll do that.--I approach some sort of chipmunk-squirrel-gopher-human hybrid.“I am Hifumi Yamada. But if you want to call me by my nickname, ‘The Alpha and the Omega!’ I don't mind.” he says.The Alpha and the...what?What kind of freak talent does he have?“By the way, how much do you know about the world of 2D art?” he randomly asks me, suddenly.I’m taken aback by the question. I mean, who asks something like that? How the fuck am I supposed to respond when I don’t even know what the fuck he’s going on about?“World of...2D?” I ask slowly.“You see, in that realm, I am well known and supremely well regarded as the Ultimate Fanfic Creator.” Hifumi says.
Ultimate Fanfic Creator? Is this where that shipping shit and stuff comes from?
“I once sold 10,000 copies of one of my fan comics at a school festival. The event has passed into legend! Some of them didn't get it, of course, saying I'd "tainted" the event. How stupid can you be!?” he says, beginning to rant.It’s a shame about those other people. I guess you can’t please everyone, though. Selling 10,000 copies in a school festival though? I don’t know if I’m impressed that he sold that much or impressed at his lack of life.“The words of such idiots mean nothing to me. I am like Van Gogh--utterly underappreciated in my time.” he continues.
Wasn’t Van Gogh a painter, though?
“I am a soldier, serving night and day to destroy all mindless preconceptions about fan fiction. I'm sure if you were to observe my work, Mr. Oowada, you would comprehend its greatness immediately. For my work is filled with deepest meaning…” Hifumi says.“Like what?” I ask.
“It’s about embracing our basest urges!”
I don’t even want to know what he means by that - especially because of the look he’s giving me.
I regret asking.
--“Why hello there. I don’t believe we’ve been aquatiented. I am Celestia Ludenberg. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” she says, seemingly polite enough.“Celestia...Luden-what?” I ask.“Ludenberg. It is my name. But if you don't mind, I would prefer for you to call me Celeste.” Celestia replies.“But I thought you’re Japanese?” I ask.“Of course I am. Why do you ask?” she says. “So then what’s your real name?” I ask.“Heh-heh. I don't know what you are talking about. Celestia Ludenberg is my real name. But as I mentioned, I would much rather you call me Celeste.” she replies.“But that’s not a Japanese name-”“My name is Celestia Ludenberg but please, call me Celeste.” she says, cutting me off.How can someone be both polite and forceful at the same time? Sounds like she doesn’t want to give away anything else about herself. I guess the millions of rumours I read online are true.“So is it true you’ve never lost a bet?” I ask.“Of course.” she replies, “You see, I won an underground gambling tournament, which earnt me my title as the ‘Queen of Liars’. I beat my opponents and took their life savings - a smile on my face as I did so.”
What a crazy bitch…
Among being an amazing gambler and her obvious love of gothic lolita clothes, everything about her is wrapped in a veil of lies. “I look forward to getting to know you better. Heh-heh-heh…” she adds with a brief laugh.
That smile of hers screams deceptive. She’s definitely one to watch out for.
--I approach the blue haired girl. She seems so perfect and pretty that it takes me a few moments to realise she’s not just some random life-size cut out or something.“Hi, I'm Sayaka Maizono. I look forward to getting to know you!” she says sweetly.Every move of hers seems to be perfect and whatever perfume she is wearing smells beautiful. I’ve heard of her a few times before. She’s the lead singer in a pop group that is famous across the country. Being the Ultimate Pop Sensation, she’s in high demand to appear on TV and in magazines everywhere.
Seeing her in person...She’s just as perfect in real life as she is in the photos. Like a life-sized doll or something…
“I'm not a doll, you know. I'm alive!”
H-Huh!? How did she know what I was thinking?
“D-Did I say that outloud?” I ask.
“I'm psychic.”
What.
The.
Fuck.
“...Huh?” I ask, confused.
Is she for real?
“Yeah, it’s like I have ESPN or something.” she says, her expression blank and not at all joking or teasing.
She’s serious!?
“Kidding!” she finally says with a giggle, “I just have really good intuition.”
Weirdo alert! Weirdo alert!
That’s it, I’m out of here!
--The brown haired kid who came in late - Makoto Naegi, I think his name was - approaches me, smiling weakly. “Hi!” he says timidly, probably knowing who I am.“‘Sup? I’m Mondo Oowada. Nice to fucking meet ya.” I reply.“You’re the leader of that biker gang, right?” Makoto asks.“Yeah.” I say, awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck.I can tell he’s scared of me. A lot of people are when they meet me. I don’t blame him but it’s kind of annoying that everyone thinks I’m some crazy, trigger happy psycho. “I-It’s, um...Nice to meet you.” Makoto says, smiling nervously.“Hell yeah.” I say, hoping that might make things a bit less tense.
It doesn’t.
I...should probably end the conversation there…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
All of the stupid introductions are finally over with! Thank fuck for that. “Okay, time to get down to business. This is no time to stand around making friends like a bunch of dull-eyed baboons.” the biggest dick of the century - Byakuya - says.
But isn’t he technically included in the “bunch of dull-eyed baboons?”
“By the way, I remember when I mentioned I fell asleep before, someone said something like ‘you too’ or something? What was that all about?” Makoto asks.“Well, you see...Makoto, you said a bunch of stuff happened and then you were ‘just asleep,’ right? Well, the same is true for all of us.” Sayaka says.“U-Um, I d-don’t know if anyone m-mentioned this...But...Mondo and I had the same thing happen to us t-too.” Chihiro says, “W-We woke up in the same classroom together too.” “What? Seriously!?” Makoto asks.“I don’t recall anyone else testifying to have woken up with someone.” Celes says.“Wait, really?” I ask.“Yeah, we were all on our own when we woke up.” Hina says.Weird, I wonder why Chihiro and I were the only two exceptions...“Just after each of us got to the main hall, we lost consciousness. And when we came to, we were somewhere here in the school! That's what happened to you right?” Leon asks.“Yeah, except we were together when we woke up.” I reply.“That's just...weird! That every one of us would get knocked out like that…” Makoto says.“Damn fucking right it is!” I say.“And that's not the only thing. You saw where all the windows in the classes and hallways were, right?” Taka asks, “But instead of normal glass windows, it was a bunch of big metal plates! What's that about!?”“Yeah, I tried breaking it but I couldn’t even leave a dent.” I say.“Plus, all my stuff's missing! Even my cell phone…” Junko adds.I don’t think your cell phone is our biggest concern right now. But she’s right, all of my stuff is missing too! I suspect it’s the same for everyone else too. “Yeah, you're right. I haven't seen my PDA anywhere, either…” Chihiro says.“And then there's the main hall here. The front exit is completely blocked by some giant metal hatch. But there wasn't anything like that when I first got here! What the heck!? What's it doing there!?” Taka asks.“How the fuck should we know?” I grumble under my breath.He’s right though, I don’t remember that being there when I arrived either. When the Hell did it get there? “Maybe we got caught up in some kinda, like, you know...crime or something?” Junko suggests.“What, like...a kidnapping? You think maybe someone grabbed us and hauled us off and we're not actually at school?” Leon asks.Why would they go through the trouble of detaining us in a place like this, though? I mean, it looks like a school - whatever this place is.“Come on, don't think like that. Cheer up! I bet this is all just part of the school's orientation procedure. Yeah, I'm sure that's it! So I'm just gonna take it easy for a little bit.” Yasuhiro says.What were you doing before, then!? “Oh... So you think they wanted to do something to surprise us?” Chihiro asks, somehow buying Yasuhiro stupidity.“Huh. Well if that's all it is, it's nap time for me. I was up way too late last night, so I could use a little shuteye.” Leon says, jokingly.“What were you doing up that late?” Taka asks.“Uhh...Studying?” Leon nervously says, obviously lying.“Dude, that’s bullshit and you know it.” I say.“Okay, okay, fine. I was playing video games, okay?” Leon admits.Laughter fills the room at that, everyone laughing at Leon’s stupidity. “A fine deduction there, Oowada-Kun. You may even be fit enough to become a hall monitor yourself.” Taka says to me.
That makes me laugh more.
Me? A hall monitor? Not in a million years.
Thanks but no thanks!
For a moment, I can feel everyone’s tension evaporating...
But then… it began.
A sound suddenly comes from the monitor as it switches on, displaying the silhouette of a - a bear?
“Ahem! Ahem! Testing, testing! Mike check, one two! This is a test of the school broadcast system! Am I on? Can everyone hear me? Okay, well then!” an annoyingly cheerful voice says through the monitor.The voice is totally out of place, considering the situation. It's playful and carefree but despite that, I have a feeling that there's something bad about it. It was like hearing someone laugh at the scene of someone dying. “Ahh, to all incoming students! I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at...right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience. That's all. I'll be waiting!”The monitor switches off but there’s still silence hanging in the air for a good five more minutes until someone finally says something. “..What. The. Hell was that just now?” Junko asks, pretty much saying what we’re all thinking.“Well then, if you'll excuse me…” Byakuya casually says before turning on his heel and storming out of the room like the arrogant dick he is.
No one even fucking said he was excused…
“H-Hey! What, you're gonna take off just like that!?” Junko exclaims.“Forget him, he’s just a fucking dickhead.” I say with a scoff.“Ohh yeah, now I get it! This whole thing was just to get us all pumped for the entrance ceremony! Man, thank god it was all a joke. I'd be totally freaked if this was real! Alright, guess I'll head out too. Wonder what they got planned for us next.” Yasuhiro says cheerfully before leaving as well.
Uh, what part of that gave any indication that this is a joke? In fact, I’m even more suspicious than I was before…
“Damn, I was totally looking forward to that nap too. Why'd they have to go and kill the mood?” Leon grumbles before sluggishly following the other two.“W-Wait for me! I wanna go with you!” Chihiro exclaims before following closely behind Leon.Damn, I was gonna talk to Chihiro and get her thoughts on what’s going on, since she seems the most normal one here. I guess the chances of her knowing anything more than the rest of us is next to zero, though. “That is that, then. I will see you all there.” Celes says before also leaving.“N-Not that anyone cares, but I-I'm gonna go too…” Toko says.One by one, people took off for the gym. For some reason, even as I watched nearly everyone else leave, I can’t bring myself to move. I still feel uneasy, like something is going to happen. Am I just being paranoid? It’s not like I’m smart enough to pick up on something like that, anyways…
I suspect the remaining few people standing around here are thinking the same as me.
“This...this doesn't seem right.” Sayaka slowly says.
Yeah, no shit.
“Yeah, that announcement was totally weird.” Junko agrees.“Maybe, but just staying put doesn't mean we'll be safe. Besides, aren't you guys just a little bit curious to find out what's going on around here?” Kyoko asks.
Not really. I just wanna get the fuck out of here.
“If we do not move forward, we learn nothing. The only choice is to push ahead.” Sakura says.
Fine, fine. I guess we don’t have much of a choice. Let’s go.
“They said to go to the gym, right?” Makoto asks.“Yeah.” I reply.
Let’s just hope there’s not some sort of death trap waiting for us.
We walk out of the main hall in silence. As we’re walking, it’s obvious that the atmosphere is as awkward as it is tense. Finally, Junko decides to break the silence, “What was with that announcement? It was like, totally creepy.” Gritting my teeth, I punch a nearby wall in anger, growling, “Shit! What the Hell kind of game are they playing!?”I expected hall monitor guy to snap at me but when I look over at him, he’s leaning against a wall, looking as if he’s about to vomit. “W-What the Hell? Is this some kind of bad joke?” Taka mumbles under his breath.“Are you okay? Is everyone okay?” Hifumi asks randomly.
No and double no.
“If we do not move forward, we learn nothing. The only choice is to push ahead.” Sakura repeats, although I don’t know if she’s saying that to herself or us.“I know how you all feel, but...all we can do now is check it out, right?” Kyoko asks.
I guess she’s right, but…
“Something weird is going on here, right? It’s not just me?” Sayaka asks.“No, it’s definitely not just you.” I reply.I decide to try changing the subject. “By the way, did any of you guys notice the huge metal hatch in the main hall?” I ask.“It’s kind of impossible to not see it.” Makoto says, “It looked like the kind of thing you would see in a military base.”“But I was in the main hall earlier and that door definitely wasn’t there then.” I say.“There was a surveillance camera in there too.” Junko says.“Well, yeah, it’s a school soo…” I point out.“It wasn’t just that, though! It had a gun attached to it.”“But there's no way that's a real gun...right?” Makoto asks.How the fuck did I not notice that when we were there? I guess I must’ve been so caught up with what’s going on that I didn’t notice...If I saw it, I would definitely be able to tell if it’s an actual gun or not.“If I remember correctly, the gym is the big room in the upper left, right?” Taka asks.“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Sayaka replies.
Let’s just make our way to the gym and find out what’s going on…
--We arrive at some small hallway leading to the gym. As I approach the door, I can’t help but hesitate for a moment.
Why do I feel so...so...What even is this that I am feeling? It can’t be fear, right? No, I’m too strong for that shit. I don’t get scared. I’m just...nervous? No, not that. Apprehensive? Maybe anxious is the word I’m thinking of.
There’s nothing to worry about though, right? I mean, of course there isn’t. It’s just some stupid orientation prank. I don’t have to worry. There’s absolutely no reason for me to worry.
...So why do I still feel like this?
Like I don’t belong here?
Is it because I know I’m not worthy enough?
Is it because of…
...of…
...what…
...I…
...did?
A hand taps my shoulder and I jump in surprise. Turning around, I see Taka standing there with concern on his face. “Oowada-Kun, are you alright? You look tense.” he says, “Not that I can blame you, but...But it looks like you’re deep in thought about something. Is something making you distressed?”I blink at him, staring dumbly with my mouth agape for a few moments.
Why the fuck is he asking?
I mean, not that I don’t like him asking, it’s just…
Why does it matter to him if I’m distressed or not?
Why does he care?
It just…
Doesn’t make sense.
“I’m f-fine.” I say, trying my best to sound confident despite the crack in my voice, “It’s just...God, I had no idea this Hope's Peak Academy place was gonna be such a pain in my balls. It really ain't that much different from the time I spent in juvie. Hell, this place is even worse!”It’s a total lie that I just made up on the spot but whatever, it works.“And why isn't there anyone else here? While we were walking through the halls, I didn't see a single person…” Sayaka adds.That is true. I mean, there should at least be classes from other grades and stuff walking around as well as teachers and shit. “Isn't that like, seriously not good?” Junko asks.No shit! Of course it isn’t! It’s suspicious as fuck!“Th-They're just trying to spook us! They'll take those metal plates down later, I'm sure of it…” Taka says.Seriously though, why would they go through the trouble of putting all of those things up just to spook us, only to take it back down after?“All we can do now is hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Sakura says.“Well hell, it ain't like I'm scared or nothin'.” I exclaim, my voice a bit louder than I intended it to be.
I’m not scared. I can take on whoever the freak behind this is.
I’m fucking strong.
“Let's just get this over with!” I say before pushing open the door to the gym and running through.“Hey! Where's whoever called us here!?” I yell as I run, ignoring the voices of the others behind me. “Mondo, stop! No running!” I hear Kiyotaka yelling after me.I’ve only gone a few steps when suddenly a hand grasps my wrist tightly and pulls me back, nearly causing me to fall over. “H-Hey!” I snap, turning around to face Taka, who is still tightly grabbing my arm, “The fuck are you doing?” “Running is against school rules.” Taka replies simply, like it’s an obvious fucking answer and something I should totally give a fuck about.“Like I give a fuck! We’ve gotta find out what’s going on here.” I exclaim.With a hard tug, I try to free myself from Kiyotaka’s grasp as best as I can. “Now let go of me already!” I snap.“No, not until you’ve received your proper punishment.” Taka replies.“Seriously!? You’re worrying about some stupid rule at a time like this?” I ask.“Rules are essential to an ideal life - even more so, it is vital to a perfectly functional society. They create order and without order, there is chaos which creates only things that are bad and detrimental to society. Therefore, it is key that we maintain order in our lives and society by following and enforcing rules to achieve that.” Taka rants.“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Can we go now?” I ask, grumbling.“Have you even listened to a word I’ve said or are you just pretending you heard so I’ll let you go?” Taka questions me with a raised eyebrow and skeptical expression.“Uhhh…”
Fuck…How’d he know?
Taka sighs and says, “We’ll speak about this later. For now, we should go inside and find out what’s going on.” Well, that was easier than I expected. Guess I’m kinda safe...For now, anyways…Despite the uneasiness in my gut, I stomp forward into the gym with Taka following behind me. When we get inside, there’s rows of chairs lined up in front of a podium as well as banners and carpet on the floor.“Oh thank fuck, it looks like it’s actually some sort of ceremony.” I say, relieved.“See? Told ya! It's totally normal entrance ceremony stuff.” Hiro says, looking slightly smug that he was right.Shockingly, he was right but in a way, I feel like this whole thing just goes to show how all of us here are anything but normal...The few people who had yet to arrive walk in and as soon as they do, the same voice that was on the monitor begins to speak again.
“Hey there, howdy, hello! Is everyone here? Good! Then let's get things rolling!”
Suddenly, a black and white teddy bear appears out of nowhere on the podium.
...What. The. Fuck?
Is this Hope’s Peak Academy or some sort of fucked up kindergarten?
“Huh? A teddy bear?” Chihiro asks, her voice sounding as confused as I feel.“I'm not a teddy bear!” the bear snaps back, “I...am...Monokuma! And I am this school's headmaster!”
A teddy bear...is the headmaster...of the best school in the entire world...for exceptional people…
You know, after all the shit that’s happened today, I almost buy that.
“Nice to meet you all!” the teddy bear - I mean Monokuma - says.Huh, who knew teddy bears could comprehend the concept of being polite.He has such a bright voice and careless attitude. It’s no different to when I heard it on the monitor and it’s still completely out of place.
But I’m still not fucking scared of this thing.
“Wh--? Waaaaaah! That teddy bear can talk!” Hifumi exclaims.Yeah, genius. We can hear him!“Calm down! I'm sure there's just a speaker inside it.” Taka points out.He’s probably right. He’s probably being remote controlled by someone and has a speaker or something in him for them to talk out of. I mean, let’s be serious for a moment, teddy bears do NOT talk. “I told you already, I'm not a teddy bear...I'm Monokuma! And I'm your headmaster!” Monokuma exclaims, throwing his arms up in the air and suddenly looking extremely pissed off.“Waaaaah! It moved!” Hifumi exclaims, recoiling in shock.What is he? Some sort of live commentator!?“Seriously man, calm down! It's prolly just a remote control toy or somethin'.” I tell him.“How dare you compare me to a child's plaything! You've cut me deep. Deeper than the Mariana Trench…” he - the fucking teddy bear - says while he - again, the fucking teddy bear - begins to sulk sadly.“I. Don’t. Give. A. Fuck.” I snap at the stuffed toy.“So mean…” Monokuma whimpers before shuffling over into the corner to sulk more, as if it would somehow make any of us give a fuck about him.“My remote control system is so complex, even the folks at NASA can't recreate or even comprehend it!” Monokuma mumbles, “Ah, but don't make me say stuff that might destroy NASA's dreams. I just couldn't BEAR that!”
…
Okay, that’s it. I’m leaving. Where’s the fucking door!?
“‘Bear’ that? Really? You are...unfortunate.” Celes says.Never thought I would say this but I agree with her.“Now then, moving on! We really must hurry and get started.” Monokuma announces.“Giving up already? No other stupid bear puns?” Junko asks.“Quiet down now, quiet down. Ah, okay, so-” Monokuma begins but is cut off by Sakura.“He has abandoned the gag…” Sakura says.“Everyone stand at attention and bow! And...good morning!” Monokuma says.Of course, the only idiot stupid enough to do that is Taka. “Good morning!!!” Taka says.“Y-You don't have to s-say it back…” Toko points out.Ignoring the fact that we’re talking, Monokuma continues speaking over us and says, “Now then, let us commence with a most noteworthy and memorable entrance ceremony! First, let's talk a bit about what your school life here will be like. Now, ah, make no mistake--you few students, so full of potential, represent the hope of the world. And to protect such splendid hope...you will all live a communal life together solely within the confines of this school. Everyone will live in harmony together, and adhere to the rules and regulations of the school.”
Wait...W-What?
“Ah, now then...regarding the end date for this communal life...There isn't one! In other words, you'll all be here until the day you die! Such is the school life you've been assigned.” Monokuma adds, casually - as if it’s not our lives he’s fucking talking about!“Wh-What did he just say? Until the day we d-die...?” Toko asks.“Oh, but fear not! We have quite an abundant budget, so you won't lack for all the common conveniences.” Monokuma says.That’s not the part we’re fucking concerned about! There’s no way in fuck I’m living the rest of my life in this dump!“That's the least of our worries right now!” Sayaka exclaims.“Yeah, what the hell? You're saying I have to live here forever? You're screwing with us, right?” Junko asks, looking slightly nervous.“I am not screwing with you! I am no liar, of that you can be 100% sure.” the bear yells at us before quickly adding, “Ah, and just for your information...you're completely cut off from the outside world. So you don't have to worry about that dirty dirty land beyond these walls ever again!”W-What!? C-Completely cut off?“Cut off...? So all those metal plates all over the school...” Makoto trails off, his eyes widening in horror, “They're there to keep us trapped in here?”Oh shit, he’s right! That must be what they’re for! To keep us locked up in here like some sort of prisoners.“That's exactly what they're there for. No matter how much you may yell and scream for help...help will not come. So with all of that in mind, feel free to live out your life here with reckless abandon!” Monokuma replies.“Come on, what the hell is this? I don't care if the school or whoever else is behind it all, this is just a really bad joke.” Leon exclaims.Damn fucking right. This stopped being funny ages ago!“Yeah! Cut this shit out! It isn't funny anymore!” I snap.“You keep saying this is a lie, or a joke. A bunch of skeptics, all of you.” Monokuma responds with an annoyed huff.Like he has the right to be annoyed...“But I guess you can't help it, huh? You all grew up in an age where you're taught to doubt your neighbor…” Monokuma says.Isn’t it supposed to be “love thy neighbour” or whatever?“Well you'll have plenty of time to find out whether or not what I say is true. And when that time comes, you'll see with your own eyeballs that I speak the undeniable truth.” Monokuma continues.“Having to live here forever would be...quite the problem.” Celes mutters.Yeah, no shit.“Come, now. What's the matter with all of you? You decided of your own free will to attend Hope's Peak Academy, didn't you? And now, before the entrance ceremony is even finished, you've already decided you want to leave?” Monokuma asks.Yeah but we didn’t think we would be trapped here like a bunch of slaves.“Oh but you know... I guess I did forget to mention one thing. There is one way for you to leave the school…” Monokuma finally tells us.Thank fuck for that!“R-Really...?” Toko asks.“As headmaster, I've crafted a special clause for those of you who would like to leave! I call it...the Graduation Clause!” Monokuma explains, “Now, let me tell you about this fun little rule. As I mentioned, in order to maintain an environment of harmony here, we rely on a communal lifestyle. And if someone were to disrupt that harmony, they and they alone would be allowed to leave the school. That, my students, is the Graduation Clause!”Soo all I gotta do is cause some chaos, disrupt the order and then I can just waltz on out? Easy! See ya bitches, I’m fucking out of here!“What do you mean by ‘disrupt the harmony’?” Byakuya asks.“Puhuhu…” the bear suddenly starts laughing creepily, “Well, you know... If one person were to murder another.”“M-Murder!?” I ask, feeling the blood drain from my body.“Stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, drowning, igniting, how you do it doesn't matter. You must kill someone if you want to leave. It's as simple as that.” Monokuma replies. “The rest is up to you. Give it your all to achieve the best outcome in the worst way possible.” Monokuma suddenly bursts into laughter, as if the situation is the funniest shit ever.I feel a chill roll down my spine.
To escape, we have to k-kill someone?
As soon as I heard those words being uttered by that cheerful tone, I felt my blood run cold.“Puhuhu. I bet that got your brain juices flowing! Beats the heck out of a human catching a salmon, huh? Like I said before, you guys are the hope of the world. But you know... Taking that hope and seeing it get murdered creates a darkened shadow of despair.” the bear says.Suddenly, his laughter goes from squeaky giggles to borderline psychotic laughter, “And I just find that so...darn...exciting!”H-How the ever loving fuck does he find that exciting!? What sort of satisfaction does our suffering give that creep? And just what’s his deal with hope and despair anyways!?“What the hell are you talking about!? To kill each other is...It's-” Leon begins but the stupid ass bear cuts him off.“To kill each other is to kill each other. I'm sure there's a dictionary here somewhere if you need it.” Monokuma says mockingly, as if we’re stupid for being so horrified and shocked.“We know what it means, that's not the problem! Why do we have to kill each other!?” Hina exclaims.“Yeah! Stop blabbering on with all this nonsense! Just let us go home already!” Hifumi says demandingly.“...Blabbering?” Monokuma asks, his tone dropping suddenly and expression becoming dangerous, “Blabbering, blabbering, what do you mean blabbering!? Stop blabbering on about blabbering on! You guys just don't get it do you? ‘Let us go, let us go!’ You keep on saying the same thing over and over and over and over...! Listen. From this moment on, this school is your home, your life, your world. Got it? And you can kill as much as you wanna kill! So go ahead, go on a kill-kill-killing spree!”Before any of us can even respond, Hiro suddenly speaks up and I mentally brace myself for another helping of stupidity, “Alright, come on... How long are you gonna keep this up?” Monokuma tilts his head in confusion and asks, “Eh?”“You got us, okay? You scared the hell out of us. So you can go ahead and reveal the trick now?” Hiro asks....What a fucking idiot...“Reveal the trick...?” Monokuma asks, confused.“Yeah, cuz I mean... Y'know, this is all some kinda trick and all, right? So uh, like-”Having had enough of all of this bullshit, I cut Hiro off and shove him to the side, saying, “Dude, shut the hell up and get outta my way.” I angrily stop over to Monokuma, not even caring about how loud my voice is or how careless I’m probably being.
This bitch is either gonna let us go or I’m gonna rip his stuffing out piece by piece.“Listen up, asshole!” I snap, “This shit's gone way too far! What the hell kinda joke IS this!?”“Joke? What, you mean like your hair?” Monokuma replies, his voice teasing and mocking.How dare that fucker mock me!“FFFUUUUUUUUUUUU--!” I roar angrily and launch myself at the stupid piece of shit, preparing to rip it’s head off.Suddenly, a hand grabs my wrist, stopping me.“Let go of me!” I yell angrily, not even having to turn around to know who it is.“Mondo, calm down. You mustn’t let your anger get the better of you!” Taka says, holding onto my arm.“Fuck that! This little shit deserves to be grinded to dust by the heel of my fucking boot.” I snap, reaching out to grab the bear when Taka suddenly pulls me backwards towards him. I end up crashing against him and pressed up awkwardly against his chest. I feel my face heat up but Taka’s face remains serious and unbothered by our position. I open my mouth to say something - though I don’t really know what I’m going to say anyways - but Taka cuts me off, “Destroying Monokuma won’t end this. Whoever’s behind this probably has more of him anyways and it’s not like you’ll be hurting the mastermind in anyway by destroying Monokuma.”
He’s got a point but…
But I still want the fucker’s head on a stick and-
...Wait a minute…
What’s that beeping sound?
I look over at Monokuma and notice there’s a loud beeping noise coming from him. “Hey, you!” I snap angrily at Monokuma, “Stop that goddamn beeping and SAY SOMETHING!”Monokuma doesn’t respond and just keeps beeping. What the fuck!?Suddenly, Kyoko calls out to me, urgency in her voice, “Watch out! Get rid of it!”The beeping gets faster and I stare at her confused, not understanding what she’s going on about, “Huh...?”“Hurry up and throw it!” she says demandingly.
Reluctantly, I do what she says and throw Monokuma away as far as possible.
Suddenly, Monokuma literally blows up.
Like, actually blows up.
What the fuck!?
“The hell!? Th-That sure as shit wasn't a joke. It blew the hell up!” I exclaim.There’s a painful ringing in my ears and the smell of gunpowder fills the room. I don’t even flinch. I’ve seen this kind of shit so many times since my bro and I first created our gang. I still can’t believe that thing tried to kill me, though!“But you know... This means that the teddy bear's been destroyed, right?” Chihiro asks.“I told you, I'm not a teddy bear! I'm Monokuma!” a shrill, irritating and dreadful voice suddenly says.Out of nowhere, another fucking Monokuma appears!“Uwah! There's another one!?” Leon asks.“You son of a bitch! You seriously tried to kill me just now!” I snap angrily at the cotton ball.“Well, yes. I was serious about trying to kill you. You did violate one of the school regulations, after all. I'll let you off with a warning this time, but you'd better be careful from now on. Any naughty boy or girl who violates my rules won't get off with just a little swat on the butt.” Monokuma replies.Son of a-!“H-Hey... So does this mean there's like, a bunch more of you around here somewhere?” Junko asks.“Monokumas have been placed all throughout the school, yes. Plus, don't forget the surveillance cameras installed everywhere. And if you're caught breaking any rules, well... you all just saw what happened, right?” Monokuma asks, although he doesn’t really need to and he knows he doesn’t - of course we all fucking saw it!He just wants to assert his power over us...“Puhuhu... And I won't be so forgiving with my punishment next time. So don't let it happen again!” Monokuma adds.How was that fucking forgiving!?“Th-That's not even punishment. That's just...wrong…” Hina stutters.Ignoring her, Monokuma continues, “Now then, lastly... To commemorate your joyous entry into our school, I have a little something for you…” Monokuma proceeds to hand us each a small device and says, “This is our official student handbook! Pretty cool, huh? As you can see, it's fully digital. So naturally, we call it... The e-Handbook!”
…
With an awkward cough, as if he was expecting us to show some sort of reaction, Monokuma continues, “Ahem. Yes, well, moving on... This handbook is absolutely vital to a healthy school life, so don't lose it! When you start it up, it will display your name. Always make sure you have the right one! Now, this is not your everyday notebook. It has so many more uses than that! Also, it's completely waterproof. Splash it, wash it, drown it, it'll keep on ticking! And thanks to its space-age design, it can withstand an impact force of up to ten tons. Very resistant! It contains all of our school regulations, so make sure you review them thoroughly!” If this was a normal school, I would be actually glad to have this thing. But all I can think about right now is how the fuck I’m supposed to get out of here.“You'll hear me say this a lot, but any violation of school regulations will not be tolerated. Rules restrict, yes, but they also protect. Society, for example, would be utter chaos without laws. The same thing applies here! Which is why it's crucial we have strict punishments in place for violators.” Monokuma says, “Okay, well...that brings our entrance ceremony to a close! Please enjoy your abundantly dreary school life!”
Is he…
Is he finally done!?
“And...see ya!” Monokuma says before abruptly leaving.
Thank fuck!
Though he we all are now, left in a total state of shock…
“So, guys... How would you define what we just experienced?” Taka suddenly asks after a while, breaking the silence.
It’s then that I realise he’s still holding me and I’m still pressed against his chest. I immediately pull away from him and free myself from his grip, turning away from him so that he doesn’t see the deep red blush on my face. “How...? Why...? I don't understand any of this…” Leon says, his voice shaking.
“We have to l-live here forever...? Or...k-kill?” Toko exclaims in utter shock.
“Wh-What...? What just happened!?” Toko proceeds to yell.
“Everyone, we need to just calm down. First, let's just take a second to summarize everything we just heard.” Kyoko suggests, apparently the only calm one here, “Based on what Monokuma said, we essentially have two choice. Choice number one is that we each stay here, living a "communal life" together until the day we die. And the other choice is…”
“If we want to get out of here alive, we have to kill someone. Right?” Celes asks, finishing Kyoko’s sentence.
“But...killing someone... That's…” Chihiro stutters between sobs, tears running down her face.
Chihiro wraps her small arms around my waist and I blush in surprise. No one’s ever come to me for comfort before. What the fuck am I supposed to do? I awkwardly rub her back, hoping it’ll calm her down. “We were abducted out of nowhere and stuffed into this place meant to look like a school. And now we're supposed to start killing each other? This is…” Hifumi pauses for a moment before suddenly yelling, “This is...this is just...! What IS this!?”
“A lie, is what it is. All these ridiculous things we've heard... This all has to be fake!” Taka exclaims.
Preeetty sure it’s not...I mean, if it was a joke, I doubt anyone would’ve taken it this far.
“Right now it doesn't really matter if it's real or fake. What matters is...Is there anyone here who's seriously considering all this?” Byakuya asks.
Not for the first time today, silence looms in the air. Nobody dares to respond. I look around to the others and just like me, they’re all staring at each other, trying to figure out what the others are all thinking. You could cut the tension with a chainsaw.
That’s when it hit me.That’s when I finally realised the terrible truth in Monokuma’s so-called “rules.”
"You must kill someone if you want to leave." Those words evoked dangerous thoughts for all of us and made us all suspect each other. We were forced to wonder, “Is somebody actually going to betray us?” And that was how my new school life began... This school, which had come out of nowhere to raise my hopes so high... It's not a school of hope.It's...a school of despair.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"You must kill someone if you want to leave."
The more I think about those words, the closer to vomiting I feel. Yet, at the same time, I can’t get those words out of my head. It’s like it’s being played over and over again on repeat in my mind and I have no fucking clue how to make to stop…There’s an indescribable, paralysing feeling slowly making it’s way through my body, attacking every part of me. The air around us is hanging heavily and I feel as though it’s pressing down like a weight around my neck.
Yet, despite how heavy and suffocating the air feels, her sharp words easily manage to pierce it.
“So? What are you going to do now? Just stand around glaring at each other?” Kyoko asks us, seeming to pull everyone back to reality.“R-Right... She's right!” Taka slowly says, “Sometimes, even if you're nervous or afraid, you just have to step forward!”Suddenly, Taka looks as though he’s about to cry.
The fuck happened to him!?
“To forget such a simple fact... I can't forgive myself. I'm so ashamed! Please, someone hit me! I can't forgive myself! Somebody hit me! Punish me!” Taka exclaims.“H-How perverted and k-kinky…” Toko says, her face red and something running down the corner of her mouth - wait, is that drool!?
Ewwww…
“Jesus. If you have time to yell about it, you have time to DO something about it.” I say, folding my arms and huffing.I don’t want to admit this out loud, but I kinda feel a bit bad seeing the idiot sulk so pathetically.“Perhaps, but...what is the mission, exactly?” Hifumi asks.Uh, getting the fuck out of here?“Idiot! To look for a way out, duh!” Leon snaps back.Thank fuck someone has their dick screwed on properly.“And we totally need to find out whoever was controlling that stupid bear and beat the hell out of 'em.” Junko exclaims.“...B-But before we do all that, maybe we should take a look at the handbook... It's probably best to check out the school regulations Monokuma mentioned before doing anything else.” Chihiro suggests.“True. If we stumble around with no clue what the rules are, something like that might happen again…” Celes says.“Shit…” I whisper under my breath.I get the point of going through the rules and stuff but fuck! I just wanna get on with it already so we can leave.“Fine. Then let's hurry up and check out the stupid rules already.” Junko says.We all switch on our e-Handbooks. The first thing that appears as the screen flickers on is my name in big letters in the centre of the screen. Monokuma said some shit about that so I guess it’s nothing surprising. Finally, the stupid thing loads and the Main Menu pops up. I select the School Regulations icon. An itemized list then appears on the screen and a huge fucking list of the stupid ass rules being forced onto us appears.
“1. Students may only reside within the school. Leaving the campus is an unacceptable use of time.”
Not that we can leave this dump anyways - fucking thanks for that, Monokuma.
“2. ‘Nighttime’ is from 10pm to 7am. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution.”
Well, judging from the sound of that, certain areas may be closed off but we don’t have to necessarily be asleep at 10pm. I pray to fuck they don’t close the gym.
“3. Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.”
What if you suddenly faint or something though? Does that count as sleeping?
“4. With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope’s Peak Academy at your discretion.”
Minimal.
Yeah, right.
“5. Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of surveillance cameras.”
Yep, saw that one coming…
“6. Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes ‘blackened’ will graduate, unless they are discovered.”
Huh? I don’t remember the bear mentioning anything about having to get away with a murder to escape, just committing the actual crime...He’s probably trying to make it sound easier than it actually is so we’ll kill each other.
“7. Additional school regulations may be added as necessary.”
Annnd that’s it. Thank fuck.
As if I’m actually going to do any of this shit, though. They can give me as many detentions as they fucking like but I’ll never, ever bow down to them. “This is bullshit! What the hell kinda rules are these!? I'm not gonna let them control ME!” I yell.“Well then, why don't you wander around the school without a care in the world and see what happens? Personally, I would love to see what happens when someone breaks one of the rules.” Celes says.“But if he got punished like what we saw before, I don't think there'd be a respawn waiting for him…” Hifumi points out.
.
.
.
I mean…At least I would’ve gone down swinging, rather than playing someone else’s game.But...If I die now, the gang will be left without a leader - they might disband.I can’t allow that.“...I... Ever since I was a kid, I grew up with my older brother pounding this into my head... When a man makes a promise, he has to keep it, even if it kills him.” “...So what?” Junko asks, arm folded and eyebrow raised.“I've made a ton of promises that I still have to keep, that's ‘so what’! So I can't afford to die in here!” I yell back.“None of that made much sense to me, but you are saying you will follow the regulations, is that it?” Celes asks.. . . Sounds a lot less cooler when she says it.“Huh? Oh, well...yeah, I guess you're right.” I mutter awkwardly.“Hey, um...I have a question.” Sayaka suddenly speaks up, “For regulation number six...what do you think it means exactly?”Sayaka holds up the screen of her E-Handbook. It’s on rule six.
“6. Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes ‘blackened’ will graduate, unless they are discovered.”
“You're talking about the second half, right? Where it says ‘unless they are discovered’? I was wondering about that myself.” Makoto says.So I’m not the only one who thought it was weird...“It's saying that if you want to graduate, you have to kill someone without anyone finding out it was you.” Byakuya says.Wait, how the fuck does he know that?“B-But why...? Why do we h-have to do that?” Toko asks.“I don't see any reason to worry about it. Just worry about following the rules as they've been explained to us. Frankly, I don't want to hear anything from someone who waits for others to decide what to do for them.” the asshole snaps back at Toko.“D-Don't jab at me…” Toko says, although her face turns dark red and she smirks at him.Could she actually be attracted to that douchebag?“More like a full-on stab…” Leon says.True.“Well for now, let's forget all that silly junk about murderers or whatever. Now that we know the rules, let's start exploring the school!” Hina suggests.“True. We need to find out where exactly we are. Is there any way out? What about food and supplies? There are tons of questions we need to answer!” Taka says.“Damn straight! Okay, then let's all start looking around!” Leon exclaims.“...I'll be going alone.” Dick says.Good. Go. No one gives a fuck. “What!? Why? That's a pretty stupid idea, don't you think?” Junko asks.No! Don’t give him second thoughts! He might end up going with us.“Someone here might already have started thinking about murdering one of us. Are you saying we should stand around with them in our midst and make it that much easier for them?” Byakuya asks.“W-Wait, hold on a second. That would never--!” Sayaka begins but Asshole cuts her off.“Don't bother saying it couldn't happen. You can't deny the possibility. That's why you all seized up with fear when that graduation rule was made clear to you.” the ass says with a smug smirk, folding his arms, “Am I wrong?”“B-But......” Sayaka mutters.“So, I'm simply acting in accordance with what I think is best for me.” Byakuya continues, ignoring Sayaka and huffing arrogantly.Are we seriously going to let this prick walk off on his own!?“Hold on! Like hell I'm gonna let you run off and do whatever you want!” I snap angrily.“Out of my way, plankton.” he snaps back.“Wh--!? The fuck's that supposed to mean!?” I ask.That’s literally the stupidest insult I’ve ever heard...“One tiny bit of plankton, drifting across the sea. So minuscule, so insignificant, they couldn't possibly have any kind of influence on the boundless ocean.” Byakuya says.
. .
.
What.
A.
Dick.
I crack my knuckles together, enjoying the sound of at least six cracks going off at once. Gritting my teeth, I glare at Byakuya and growl at him, “I’m gonna kick your ass!”I move forward to strangle the asshole by his scrawny little stuck-up neck but someone grabs my wrist and tugs me back. Of fucking course, I know who it is.“Taka, dude. I’m warning you right now, you’d get the fuck away from me right now and let me strangle this son of a bitch or-”Ignoring me completely, Taka turns to the others and says, “Please begin investigating whatever you can without us. We’ll be back momentarily.”Before I can even process what he’s saying, Taka’s dragging me away. Taka - the kid the size of a stick - is dragging me - the leader of Japan’s biggest fucking biker gang. Where the fuck is he hiding all those muscles!?“H-Hey!” I shout as Taka drags me past the doors of the gym, “L-Let go of me!”Taka doesn’t respond, doesn’t flinch, doesn’t even react in the slightest. He just continues dragging me throughout the creepy hallways of the school, before eventually arriving at a series of doors with each of our pictures and names on it. Are these the dormitories?Opening a door with his name on it, Taka shoves me inside and closes the door behind us. “W-What are you-”Taka cuts me off with a stony, serious expression. Pointing towards his bed, he proceeded to say in a commanding tone, “Sit. Now.”Am I really going to let this pipsqueak boss me around? Normally, I would bash his face with a pole for even thinking he could boss me around like that but to be honest, I just want to get this stupid lecture over with so we can go investigate so reluctantly, I head over and sit on the edge of Taka’s bed.As I expected, Taka proceeds to give me some boring ass lecture about shit I don’t give a flying fuck about. I, of course, tune out less than 3 seconds into his speech and the whole time, I try to hold myself back from doing the biggest fucking eye roll ever.God, this is so stupid…At least he has kind of a soothing voice, though. It’s definitely not as annoying as fucking Hifumi’s. And the look in his eyes when he talks about this shit is kind of...amusing.I try to focus on something else - like what his room looks like, for example, since it’s probably close to mine - but for some reason, my attention keeps coming back to Taka, no matter how much I try to avoid looking at him.I guess it’s a hall monitor job to be commanding and force everyone’s attention to be on them…“...nd…o…?....on….do…..?....m….o...n….d...o…?...Mondo!”Finally I realise Taka’s been trying to get my attention. “U-Uh, y-yes?” I stutter nervously.Rather than the normal expression Taka has when he’s lecturing people, the look on his face is more concerned than anything.“Are you alright? Your face has gone a dark shade of red and there’s suddenly a large bulge between your legs.”
Oh fuck…
I nervously begin chewing on my lip and cross my legs to hide the bulge.
Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck…
Why...Why is that happening now? Why here? When I’m alone with...with him, of all people!? I mean, I’m into girls s-so…
So why would he make me react like...t-that!?
“Y-Yep! F-Fine! Totally fucking fine!” I say quickly, a bit louder than I would’ve liked.Taka’s frown doesn’t leave and he opens his mouth to speak but I quickly cut him off by standing up abruptly and turning away so he can’t see my blush or erection. “A-Anyways, are we done now? Can I go?” I ask but begin heading towards the door without waiting for a response anyways.“Mondo, wait!” Taka exclaims before suddenly reaching out and grabbing me by the hand. Suddenly, I’m being pressed up against the wall and Taka’s knee is brushing against my...my… bulge. Taka’s eyes are wide with realisation and I can tell by the look on his face that he’s finally figured out why I suddenly started acting like a lunatic. “W-Would you…” Taka’s voice trails off and he gulps loudly, his face almost as dark as mine, “Would you like some help with that?”Wait, is he…?“A-Are you fucking serious?” I ask, not believing my ears.Is he actually suggesting that he...he…?“N-Nope! No way! Nu-uh! We’re not fucking doing...t-that...here!” I exclaim, trying to push Taka away from me.It’s like all of the strength has drained from my body because the further away I push Taka, the closer he seems to come. “Why? I can’t imagine that must be comfortable.” Taka points out.“B-But you know what you’ll have to do if you want to get rid of t-this, right? A-And we’re guys s-so...so...w-we can’t do that kinda shit!” I reply, trying to get my racing heart to calm down.“Of course we can! I just have to-” Taka begins but I cut him off.“N-No, it’s not that you can’t, it’s just...w-we...can’t…” I say.“Of course we can! Perhaps it’s not exactly appropriate for a school environment but as there are currently no formal classes, nor rules against it and we’re in my room alone, I don’t see anything against it.” Taka says, kneeling down and beginning to pull my pants down.“W-Why are you e-even willing to d-do t-this for m-me?” I ask.“Because we’re technically classmates now and I’m always willing to help out a fellow crusader of learning.” Taka replies.His knee brushes again against my rock hard cock as he adds, “Besides, you appear to be extremely uncomfortable.”
No shit! It’s your fucking fault I’m like this in the first place.
“I-I can just...just get myself off…” I say, blushing.“But you may not be aroused by the time you get the opportunity to do so. Besides, it’ll be quicker if I do it now, then we can go investigate.” Taka says.Fucking damn it, why is he always right?“I-I can just...just not get off...It’ll probably go down eventually.” I point out.“But you’ll be uncomfortable.” Taka argues.Looking up at me with big dopey eyes, Taka says, “Mondo, it’s fine. I honestly don’t mind. I want to do this for you.”
Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck…
Stop fucking looking at me like that, y-you’re…
You’re making i-it worse…
He does have a point, I-I guess b-but…but…
For some reason, I feel super guilty about making him do this for me. Yeah, I know he offered and I know he said it was okay but...I still feel bad…Like I’m taking advantage of him or something…
But fucking Hell, I feel so hot...and so aroused…
...Shit…
“O-Okay, fine b-but you had better m-make this quick.” I say.He didn’t even give me time to question the smirk on his face before he quickly pulled down my underwear and began rubbing the tip of my dick. I moan and tilt my head back, nearly hitting it against the wall. His fingers brush slowly against my tip, teasingly. It’s only the tips of his fingers but the slowly rub up and down my tip, taking their sweet time, only to not do anything else.
What a fucking tease!
“H-Hurry the fuck u-up!” I snap, “I thought you wanted to be quick so we can investigate?” “M-My apologies…” he says, “It’s just...You look-” I can already tell it’s going to be a compliment so before he even finishes speaking, I press a hand to Taka’s mouth. He looks at me with a confused look on his face and I say, “I-If you’re about to give me some s-sort of c-compliment, save it. J-Just get on with the b-blowjob already.”
Don’t give me a compliment I don’t deserve… His look of confusion doesn’t leave his face but regardless, Taka complies. Taka begins to take me into his mouth and begins twirling his tongue around my head as he tries to adjust. Without really realising I’m moving, my hand grips the back of Taka’s head as he takes more of me into is mouth. He takes an agonisingly long time, slowly taking all of me into his mouth inch by inch. I’m one hundred percent sure he’s taking his time on purpose, just to tease me. Normally, I would bitch at him for thinking he can tease me but right now, I feel so fucking hot and good that I can’t even bring myself to speak.My mind feels foggy and my entire body begins to tremble with pleasure and arousal. I feel my knees give way but Taka manages to grip my waist tightly with his hands, holding me up and stopping my from falling. One of my hands is tangled in Taka’s hair while I’m biting down hard on the other hand, trying to muffle my moans with it. I feel a metallic taste enter my mouth and vaguely realise I’ve bitten my hand too hard and drawn some blood but I can’t bring myself to care or focus on it right now.Taka’s tightly gripping my hips and pushing me deeper into him. He’s licking, sucking, stroking and - fuck - it feels so fucking good. Taka’s fingers creep around to the back of my body and brush against my bare ass. I gasp softly in surprise as Taka’s fingers teasingly grope and fondle my ass. Holy fucking shit, is this dude really the Ultimate Hall Monitor? He’s a fucking beast…S-Shit, I’m already g-getting close…F-Fuck… “T-Taka...I-I’m...I’m...I’m g-gonna...gonna-” Before I can even get the sentence out, I’m cumming into Taka’s mouth. Everything becomes a blur and all I can think about is how fucking good this feels. Amidst the pleasure, I’m pretty sure I’m screaming something and even though I can’t exactly focus on whatever it is I’m yelling, something tells me it’s probably Taka’s name. When I’ve finally stopped orgasming, Taka pulls me out of him. There’s white shit on his lips from me and if I wasn’t so fucking exhausted, I would be laughing my ass off. “Was that good?” Taka asks, looking up at me with curious eyes and his head tilted slightly. Of course it was fucking good - I came so hard it got everywhere! “Y-Yeah.” I reply between pants as I try to catch my breath. My face feels warm and I don’t need a mirror to know I probably have the darkest blush ever. Luckily for me, Taka’s also blushing so I guess I don't have to be too embarrassed. “T-Thanks…” I mumble quietly under my breath. I still can't believe we did this… “Don't mention it, Mondo.” Taka says with his usual bright smile, not even panting or slightly out of breath when he speaks.How the fuck does that work? I’m still barely breathing and Taka has already caught his breath…I notice Taka has a large bulge of his own sticking out from his pants. “U-Um, what about you? Y-You're not just going to s-stay like that, are you?”Taka looks confused for a moment and I awkwardly point to the bulge in his pants. Taka’s eyes light up with realisation and he says, “Oh, this little thing?”Pretty sure that thing is anything but “little.” “I’m fine! I don’t usually get to cum when I do this for people so I’m used to it.” Wait...What? “Y-You do this often?” I ask.Is that even something I should be asking? This is so awkward. I-I’ve never been in a situation like this so I have no fucking clue what I should do…“Of course! From a young age, I’ve been doing this everyday.” Taka replies, his smile not leaving his face - as if he’s talking about something normal.“O-Oh…” I awkwardly say, “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”“-Don’t apologise! I am fine with it - it helps discipline me.” Taka says, though I’m one hundred percent sure that’s not a good way to discipline yourself - or healthy. “Besides, like I said before, I’m more than happy to do this for a classmate.” Taka adds, casually continuing like this isn't at all weird.He then proceeds to stand up and pats down his uniform before offering to help me up. Of course, I can get myself up on my own just fine and so I do, without needing his help at all. “I think that’s going a bit too far for a classmate, though…” I point out, though as soon as those words leave my mouth, I immediately regret saying it.Perhaps that wasn’t the best thing to say. It’s not really my place to say something like that, is it? Taka looks at me with confusion, as if I’m talking in some alien language. “Why do you say that?” Taka asks.“W-Well, I mean….” I trail off awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck.Well, shit. I’ve stepped my foot in it this time. How the fuck do I get out of this?“It’s just...I know it’s probably not my place to say this but it just kinda sounds to me like you’re being abused….” I mutter as quietly as possible, hoping he somehow doesn’t hear me and I can get away without having the most awkward conversation of my life.“Oh no, it’s not like that. It’s more like...my job.” Taka replies, “Besides being a student, obviously.”O-Oh fuck...What have I started?“W-Why the fuck would you do that to yourself!?” I yell, a bit louder than I meant to.Taka flinches at my tone and immediately I feel like the biggest dick ever. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you...B-But why would you degrade yourself like that by letting people do that shit to you?” I ask.Taka looks down, tears pricking his eyes. I reach out to ask if he’s okay but hesitate at the last moment. If I tried to comfort him, I would probably just make things worse. I doubt he would want to be comforted by me, considering I started this awkward conversation… “I...I don’t have a choice.” He doesn’t have a choice? The fuck is that supposed to mean? Before I can ask him, Taka abruptly stands up and says, “Please excuse me, Mondo, but I’m afraid it’s a bit of a touchy subject. I would rather we finish this another time.” “O-Oh, sure.” I reply, “Sorry if I overstepped my boundaries.” “There’s no need for you to apologise. It was not my place to tell you things that don’t even matter to you, anyways.” Taka says, looking somewhat like a kicked puppy.God, why does that look of his remind me of Chuck so much?“T-That’s not it at all!” I quickly say.“Huh?” Taka looks at me with a red face and wide eyes. “I-I mean...Like you said, we’re technically classmates now so...So of course I give a shit about you! If this kind of shit is fucking with your mental health, of course I’m gonna be fucking concerned. I know it’s not really any of my business and you don’t have to talk to me about it if it makes you uncomfortable but if you do feel like you need to talk about it, of course you can talk to me. I really don’t mind at all.” I say. Taka’s blush darkens and a tear rolls down his cheek. Oh shit, I bet I made it fucking worse, didn’t I-“Thank you, Mondo.” A smile spreads across Taka’s face but there’s still teardrops running down his face. “Uh, are you upset?” I ask.“No, I’m just...very happy! People aren’t usually as kind to me as you are s-so...so…” Taka trails off and before I can react, Taka throws his arms around me and adds, “Thank you, Mondo!”I blush and awkwardly hug him back. “No prob.” I reply.I think I’m going soft...Takemichi would never let me hear the end of it, if he saw me right now. Whatever, I’m happy to be here for Taka. It’s part of a leader’s job after all to be there for his gang, even if Taka isn’t even in my gang. I feel close to him, for some reason. He’s probably the only person here who get through to me when I get pissed. The only other person able to do that is - was - my bro.Besides, if he’s willing to talk about that kinda stuff with me, he must trust me at least a little bit...even though we just met. I...I guess I probably trust him too… “Perhaps we should go investigate now.” Taka suggests, letting go of me.“Y-Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” I reply.Taka opens the door and I follow him out of his room, the feeling of heat on my face still lingering as I follow him down the corridor. Just what is with this guy?