Chapter Text
A new day, a new school!
A girl stares up at the large building in front of her with hope shining in her eyes, sparkling from her immense joy. Her hands are clasped together in front of her chest as she works to keep herself from spiraling into a squealing mess.
The white of her school uniform shirt blends with the blue draped over her shoulders, tied with a red knot on it. Her skirt inches down to her mid-thigh, her blue stockings just below her knees, and her white shoes covering her feet.
Nodding, she tugs at the black cape draped over her shoulders. The collar is popped like a stereotypical biker but clasped together by a white snap button.
Hope's Peak Academy… It's the most well-known school in Japan. Maybe all of the world! Students from all over, if they have enough potential, are given a chance at such a prestigious school and given the title of an Ultimate.
Ultimate Detective of the 78th Class… Ultimate Blacksmith of the 77th Class A… Even an Ultimate Clairvoyant!
And this… this is her chance to show everyone that she isn't just some normal girl! That she has a talent like her brother!
Wait…
Scratching the back of her head, she ruffles the short, greenish-brown hair and chuckles.
"My name is Komaru Naegi," The girl, Komaru, nods and smiles. She needs to reassure herself that what's happening is real. "And I'm going to Hope's Peak as the Ultimate Spirit Medium!"
Komaru's brother, Makoto, is waiting for her to arrive. Sure, she's at the old building right now, but she was instructed to come here by the principal who assured her that the rest of her class would be there as well.
She walks through the gates and takes a deep breath. As soon as her foot hits the other side of the open gate, Komaru's vision wobbles and dots black along the corners.
"Wh-Wha…?" She mumbles, feeling sick.
This uncomfortable vertigo washes over her and whispers venom in her ear. "Go to sleep," It says. "Don't you need this break?"
Komaru's eyes flutter and dark overtakes her vision.
Ugh…
Consciousness creeps up on her like a predator in the wake of its prey. It's calculating and slow yet comfortable in a way. Knowing that at any moment the predator can pounce and wake you up or allow the prey to run, causing a fleeting chase between sleep and consciousness.
Unfortunately for Komaru, the predator wins.
Komaru lifts her head from her folded arms and glances around, unsure of her place in the world. She smacks her lips and wipes at her mouth to clear away the wet line of drool down her chin.
She's sitting at a hard wooden desk at the back of a classroom. The atmosphere is dead and stale as if something awful happened.
It's unnerving to be in an empty classroom after the other students and teachers already went home. It feels like a video game Komaru played with Makoto ages ago where these people were trapped in a hospital. Creepy… There were death flags everywhere!
Oh no! Is Komaru having a protagonist moment? Are her death flags appearing already?!
Komaru stands from the desk and trips on the leg of the chair. She tumbles to the ground and onto her bottom, whining as she frees her leg from the never-faltering metal of the chair's leg. Pushing herself back up onto her feet, Komaru looks around in bemusement.
It is a normal classroom. Rows of desks sit facing the green chalkboard with the teacher's podium in front of the latter. A clock hangs above the board.
The only strange thing she notices is a security camera in one corner of the room and a monitor screen in the opposite corner. Not to mention the windows covered by huge metal sheets that are bolted down.
Weirded out, Komaru shuffles to the front of the classroom and spots a piece of lined notebook paper sitting on the podium. She picks it up, curious, and reads it.
Hey, hey! When you wake up make sure to go to the entrance of the school by 8 AM sharp! There, you can meet the other Ultimate students!
Who wrote this…? No, that doesn't matter. She needs to go to the front of the school and get out of here.
Her hazel eyes look up at the clock. 8:15?! She's late! She's late!
Komaru rushes to the door and slides it open before stepping out into the empty hallway. She apologizes softly as she begins a slow sprint through the school.
The hallways are long and empty, and the checkered flooring gives the halls the illusion of being never-ending. The purple lighting slowly fades out to other colors as she tries different doors. They only lead to another classroom, a locked nurse's office, and more.
When she finally bursts into the entrance to the school, Komaru is out of breath and wishing she had taken PE more seriously.
"S-Sorry I'm late!" Komaru rests her hands on her knees and phews in relief. "I'm… hah… I'm Komaru Naegi, the Ultimate Spirit Medium…"
"And that makes eighteen of us," A rather large male says. He has blond hair and glasses. His body is clothed in a white business suit with a crossed tie over his shirt.
Komaru looks at all of the other Ultimates confused. Eighteen? Aren't there only supposed to be sixteen Ultimates in each class? She must have read the forums wrong…
"No matter!" A large muscular man with facial hair on his chin and cheeks points at Komaru. He has two lines of scars down his eyes which crackle and snap with electricity. He's wearing a white tank top with a black jacket over it, and very... form-fitting blue joggers. His shoes are wooden, and the intimidating chains he has wrapped around his shoulders hold only a tiny whistle. "YOU'RE LATE! To build trust and confidence in others, you shouldn't be nearly twenty minutes late to our first meeting!"
Komaru cries out and bends at the waist repeatedly. "Sorry! I-I didn't mean to! I… I just fell asleep when I came into the school and woke up on a desk!"
"You too?" A male with wild white hair says. He looks surprised. "You see, the same thing happened to us. We walked into the school and…"
Darkness. Komaru assumes she must have passed out somehow.
"Ah, but enough about that!" The white-haired male chuckles and holds up his hand. "If we're all classmates, we should get to know each other!"
A pink-haired male deadpans. "Yeah, sure, let's introduce each other without a care in the world!" He's nervous with his hand on his head and face pale. "Even with this big problem!"
Komaru decides to start on the right and work her way left. She walks over to a girl who's digging her finger into her ear. She has soft brown skin and browner hair. She's wearing a short red skirt and a short-sleeved, white button-down shirt that is buttoned low on her chest to show her large cleavage.
Komaru blushes and looks away. "Hey… uh…"
The girl opens her eyes to reveal grey irises that shine when she sees Komaru. "Oh, 'sup,"
Nothing else. The medium clears her throat and waves. "Hi! Uh… What's your name?"
"Huh?" Her arm comes down to prop on her hip. "My name? Oh, yeah! The name's Akane Owari, the Ultimate Gymnast! Nice to meetcha! Hey… your name's, uh."
Komaru blinks and tilts her head at the pause.
Akane snaps her fingers. "Right! You're Karen, right?"
That wasn't even close to her name! Komaru sweatdrops.
"N-No, it's Komaru," The brunette says. Akane blinks. "Komaru Naegi? I said my name, like… like a minute ago?"
"Yeah, ok? I'll just have'ta take your word for it,"
She doesn't remember?!
"But you look like you can handle yourself in a fight! I betcha could survive some apocalypse!" Akane punches her fist into her palm with a grin. "Wanna fight sometime? Hell, I've been lookin' for a fight for a while!"
Komaru sweatdrops and shakes her head and hands. "No, no! That's fine! I'm pretty weak, s-so we don't need to fight!"
Deflating, the gymnast groans in defeat. "Aw man… I was lookin' forward to fightin' someone!"
"Maybe some other time? Not with me? And maybe preferably with no punches?"
"But…" Akane groans. "No punching sucks the fun outta it… Eh, oh well. See ya later… Katie?"
She forgot my name again?! Komaru sweatdrops.
Komaru goes to the next person. It's a blonde girl about Komaru's height with her hair in one large ponytail. She's wearing an orange kimono and a green sash over her waist. She looks slightly out of it.
Her orange eyes snap to Komaru, and her lips curls. "Ugh, what's with the cape? Do you hide under there to keep your stench from killing other people?"
That was unnecessarily harsh! Too blunt… Komaru grins shakily and sticks out her hand. The girl looks at it in disgust. "I'm Komaru Naegi!"
"I'm Hiyoko Saionji! I'm the Ultimate Traditional Dancer!" Her attitude switches from disgust to cheerful in a snap, and Komaru nearly has whiplash over it. "Just so you know, if you stick your nasty appendage near me again, I'll cut it off and shove it up your ass!" Again with that sweet, cheerful smile.
"There's no need to do that!" Komaru smiles uncomfortably and blanches. "I'm sure we'll be good friends!"
"Friends?" Hiyoko pouts out her lips. "Tch… Like I'd be friends with a loser like you. If you wanna be my friend, I suggest you look in the mirror and change that fake superhero persona you're going for."
Komaru tugs self-consciously at her cape. "It's… No, it's an aesthetic! I'm a spirit medium, so I need the aesthetic of someone mysterious!" She waves her hands over her eyes and wiggles her fingers.
Hiyoko deadpans. "You're about as mysterious as an ant crawling up a wall. Not at all. Run along, I don't have time to babysit a wannabe Ultimate,"
Hurt, Komaru goes to the next person. This next one is a guy with two-colored hair. He's busy sticking his hair up into a swivel. He's wearing a long overcoat with his left sleeve rolled up to his elbow, arm covered in bandages. He has leather boots on and a long purple scarf around his neck. His eyes are two different colors--red and grey--and he has a lightning bolt tattoo over his eye.
"Hi!" She hurriedly grabs the male's hand and shakes it, not noticing his wide-eyed stare. "I'm–!"
The male gapes at her. "You… touched me?"
Komaru furrows her brows. "Uh…"
"You touched me… But no mortal has ever laid their hands on me!" The male sweats and leans forward making Komaru lean back. "I must ask… who are you?"
"My name is Komaru Naegi, the Ultimate Spirit Medium…" The girl smiles.
He pulls his hand back and poses dramatically. "Heh… You are brave, Dark Observer. To touch the Dark Lord of the Underworld!" He laughs. "However, I shall not leave a fellow kindred spirit to be introduced alone. In honor of your courage, I will reveal my name to you!
"You may call me… Gundham Tanaka, the Ultimate Breeder! Remember it well, for it is the name that will one day rule this world!"
Komaru raises her brows. "R-Rule this world? But isn't the world already ruled by other people! Like politicians?"
"Keh. They are mere scum compared to the mighty Supreme Overlord of Ice!" He crosses his arms and closes his eyes. "Now then, it is my turn to ask you questions. Tell me, whose master are you?"
The brunette cups her chin and hums. "Uh… I have a dog back home?"
Gundham seems impressed if his smirk says anything. "Ah, the mighty beast… You managed to tame him with little trouble, I assume?"
"Y-Yeah, he's a good boy! I give him belly rubs and–and I give him extra treats when he's been extra good!"
"Fuhuhuhu…! Astounding! I have never met a mortal capable of correctly taming such a beast!" Gundham grins. "No, it would be wrong of me to call you a mortal; after all, you managed to touch me even though my touch is poisonous!"
Komaru gapes. "Y-You're poisonous?!"
"Indeed. My blood is thick with a deadly poison. It is why I have never been able to come into contact with worthless mortals," The animal breeder looks down at the hand Komaru grabbed earlier and stares intensely. "You… You are different."
Komaru grins toothily. "Yeah! My brother always says I'm different, so I can believe you too!"
"Very well," Gundham waves his hand and turns away. "Run along. We will reconvene at a later date to discuss our hellish beasts. Grrr! If only my Four Dark Devas of Destruction weren't lost…!"
He looks worried but is clearly trying to keep it together. Komaru sends him a small smile and moves on to the next person to talk to.
It's the overweight male with the white suit and blond hair. "State your business,"
Komaru falters. "U-Uh… I just want to introduce myself?"
"Don't sound so unsure of yourself. If you're going to speak to me, be sure about your words and how you say them," He crosses his arms and lifts his chin. "Now then. My name is Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny."
The medium is still silent.
"Well? Speak your business, Komaru. You may have already said your name, but I am being generous,"
"K-Komaru Naegi! Ultimate Spirit Medium!"
"Tch," He turns away.
Komaru pouts. He's pretty rude!
"Don't mind him," A smaller male says. Komaru turns to him and sees that he's about Makoto's height. He has shoulder length strawberry blonde hair and tired bags under his eyes. His uniform is disheveled, and he's holding a notebook and pencil in his hand. "He's been on edge ever since we woke up. I'm Ryota Mitarai, the Ultimate Animator."
Komaru smiles. Finally! Someone normal!
"Komaru Naegi!"
"O-Oh… uh, you don't need to talk to me," Ryota mumbles and shuffles on his feet. "Everyone I know steers clear of me because I'm, y’know, on top of the world from my animating skills. I don't want to get in your way."
"What…? Animating skills?" Komaru gasps. "Wait. You're Ryota Mitarai? That Ryota Mitarai?!"
"Y-Yeah, that's me…"
"You've inspired me so much in the past few years! I've always wanted to draw manga, but I've never known where to start!" Her hazel eyes sparkle as she bounces in place, hands clasped over her chest. "Will you please teach me your ways?!"
Ryota mumbles and nods.
"Yes!" Komaru pumps her fist. "I can show you what I do! This is so exciting! I can, hehe, illustrate my skills to you!"
"Was… Was that supposed to be a pun?"
"... That bad?"
"... No?"
Ah… She probably weirded him out…
She smiles awkwardly and turns to go to the next person. She bumps into a taller person with long, dark brown hair and blood red eyes. He's wearing a fancy black suit and tie.
"H-Hello! Sorry, didn't see you there," Komaru sweeps her hands over his broad shoulders and takes a step back. He stares at her unfazed. "Um… What's your name?"
The male blinks. "Izuru Kamukura, but I prefer to be called by my last name,"
Komaru waits for him to say more, but he remains silent. "Uh… What's your talent?"
"I see. You are the person who came into the school rather abruptly," Izuru tilts his head and blinks. "It threw off some plans; however, I already have predicted at least seven outcomes for this journey to end."
Komaru flinches. Talk about creepy…
"Uh, but… I walked into the school like a normal person. What do you mean by 'came into the school rather abruptly'?"
Izuru hums. "I cannot guarantee that you'll figure it out, but I know a lot. After all, I am the Ultimate Hope,"
Ultimate… Hope? This sounds like a simple talent. Actually, it sounds pretty vague. Who has a talent of being an "Ultimate Hope"? Not that she's discriminating against that, but… hope as a talent? Really?
Shuffling away, Komaru comes back to the white-haired male. He looks ghostly pale and sick yet healthy at the same time, and his eyes are a pale grey color. He's wearing a large green jacket with red squares dotting along his right shoulder. His white shirt has a red streak pattern on it, and his shoes have zippers on them. Zippers?
"You're Komaru Naegi, right?" He grabs her hands in his and holds them to his chest. Komaru grimaces as he sways back and forth. "I didn't see your name on the forums, but I must have missed such a name! Komaru Naegi… The world will be filled with more hope once you graduate!"
"Th-Thanks, but… Who are you?"
"Ah… You must not want someone like me touching you, right?" He pulls back with a smile, and he doesn't seem hurt at her reaction. "I understand. I'm Nagito Komaeda. My talent doesn't deserve to be held by me… My Ultimate Lucky Student title should go to someone who deserves it. Me? I'm just a guy who's dragged along even if no one wants to be around him. Despite that, I still believe in my luck."
"Don't be too hard on yourself!" Komaru grabs his hand and holds it tight, eyes intensely staring up into Nagito's. "If my older brother can have the talent of the Ultimate Lucky Student and be confident in himself, then you can too! I believe in you!"
Nagito's eyes widen and water. "What glorious hope! You believe in worthless filth like me…?"
"Don't call yourself worthless filth! And you aren't trash either!"
"I… never said trash, but if you want me to–"
"Sorry, I got caught up in the moment," Komaru pulls back and scratches her cheek. She smiles softly. "But… Please don't put yourself down."
Nagito's brows slowly raise as a flush overcomes his cheeks. "No one's ever said that to me…" He clasps his hands to his chest and nearly drools. "But I would be an idiot not to follow the command of the shining hope of the future!"
Komaru laughs slowly. He just… did it again.
"Hey, you're doing a lot of talking over here!" A girl with short red hair and a camera steps in and glares at Nagito. "Aren't we supposed to let her introduce herself to the rest of us? You're hogging her up and we'll be delayed!"
Nagito raises his hands passively, chuckling. "Ah, I understand. The power of hope must continue on and stay away from me… With my luck, I might taint it, right?"
The girl rolls her eyes and looks at Komaru. "Hey, he wasn't bothering you, right?"
"N-No, not at all!" Komaru promises. "He was just… being nice! In his own way…"
"Huh. These boys need to stand up and take some responsibility," The girl rambles. "I mean, we're currently barred inside of this school and the door won't open, but the guys won't stand up and try to help open it."
Komaru blinks. "Then… why don't the girls try and help them?"
"Because the guys are supposed to be protecting us in a situation like this!"
Right… That seems pretty mean to just put all the responsibility on guys like that. If she wants stuff done, why doesn't she try to get it done?
"But anyway, enough about boys," The girl smiles. "My name is Mahiru Koizumi, the Ultimate Photographer. It's a pleasure to meet you."
The brunette smiles. "Komaru Naegi…! But I guess you already know that,"
"Yeah, but it's sweet watching you introduce yourself only to realize you already did that," Mahiru giggles. Her cheeks tint pink and emphasizes her freckles. "You're pretty adorable, Komaru."
"A-Adorable? Heh, the only person who's ever called me adorable other than my parents was my teacher when I was younger!" The medium grins at the memory. "Actually! He made me realize I was a spirit medium because I woke up from sleeping during the night, and he was right next to my bed! He told me not to tell anyone what I saw, and the next day he wasn't at school because he died and I talked to his ghost!"
Mahiru sweatdrops. "Oh… R-Right, I'm sure that… man was a ghost…"
"I know right! It was scary, but I could see ghosts!"
Mahiru nods, becoming more and more uncomfortable.
"Bye, Mahiru!" Komaru skips to the next person and misses the concerned stare Mahiru sent her.
"Why, hello there!" A short round male with a long pompadour says. He's wearing a white cooking coat with a red apron wrapped around his waist. A small chef's hat sits on top of his hair which leans to the side. "I must say, you are looking mighty delicious, sweetheart!"
Komaru blushes. "Uh… Thanks?"
"Where are my manners? My name is Teruteru Hanamura. On the streets, they call me the Ultimate Cook, but… can you call me the Ultimate Chef?" He holds up two fingers with a wink. "It has more of a big city flavor to it."
Ultimate Chef… That's so cool! Komaru's mouth waters as she pictures all of the meals he could possibly make in her mind.
"Ooo, I know that look!" Teruteru swoops forward and combs his hair to fix it. "You're thinkin' of my cookin', right? Thinkin' about that fine sear on the meat and the crisp flavoring of the rice?
"Darlin', I wouldn't mind showin' you some'a my meat…"
Komaru nods feverishly. "Yes! I'd love to see it!"
"Excellent! Now then--Eep!"
Komaru sees a shadow fall over the short chef and turns around. She gulps when she sees the muscle-man from earlier, glaring down at the two of them.
"A-Actually!" The chef sweats. "I have somethin' else to do! Suddenly!" He scampers off.
"SHOW ME YOUR SPIRIT!" The man yells.
Komaru screeches and takes a step back. "I-I'm sorry!"
The man pauses and stares down at her for a long moment. Then he bursts into boisterous laughter.
"Gahaha! Sorry 'bout that! Didn't mean to scare ya, kid!" He grins. "Just wanted to meet the rebel who decided to be late!"
"What--I didn't try to be late!" She pouts. "I'm Komaru Naegi!"
"I'M NEKOMARU NIDAI! I'M THE ULTIMATE TEAM MANAGER!" He booms. The yell echoes off of the walls. "Now, introduce yourself to me."
Komaru furrows her brows. "Huh? But I already did?"
"No, you said it too soft!" Nekomaru exclaims. "Say it louder!"
"K-Komaru Naegi!"
"Louder!"
"I-I'm Komaru Naegi!"
"LOUDER!"
"MY NAME IS KOMARU NAEGI!"
Nekomaru smirks. "YES, YOU ARE! YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF BY ANNOUNCING YOURSELF! I AM HERE!"
Komaru pants. "My voice…" It cracks.
Nekomaru gives her a slap on the back that forces the air out of her lungs. "Gahaha! You'll get used to that!"
Komaru gives a shaky smile and continues on to the next person.
This girl is a little shorter than Komaru with shoulder length, pale pink hair that curls at its ends. She has on a black jacket and a white blouse underneath that. Her beige skirt is covered slightly by her jacket and goes to her mid-thigh. She's wearing a pink backpack and a pink bow on her collar.
The girl glances at Komaru and smiles. "I'm Chiaki Nanami, the Ultimate Gamer. Video games are my life, and I play a multitude of genres,"
Ultimate Gamer, huh? That's so cool! Her class seems so fun so far! But Chiaki seems pretty bored. Did she forget her game system at home?
"Komaru Naegi. Hey, is that a Galaga pin in your hair?" Komaru points at it.
Almost immediately, the girl's bored eyes snap to Komaru with a new vigor filling them. "You know about Galaga?! I thought I was the only one who knew about and played it in today's age!"
Komaru giggles and cocks her head. "It's hard not to know a classic. Me and my brother Makoto played this game in an old arcade all the time before it was torn down and turned into a real estate market,"
"We should discuss games we've played growing up! Or--Or games we play today! Or games we wish we could play but can't get a hold of them!" Chiaki rambles with an excited gleam in her pink eyes.
"Totally! That sounds like so much fun!" Komaru smiles.
"Will you two stop yelling over there?" A short male in a black suit, striped with thin white lines, snaps at them. He has cropped blond hair with two wave-like patterns on both sides of his head. His golden eyes are narrowed, but he doesn't look too threatening due to the roundness of his face, the freckles tickling his nose, and the blush on his cheeks.
Komaru blinks. "Huh? We're just… talking?"
"Tch. What you're doing is bursting my fucking ear drums! Stop fucking yelling and get on with whatever it is you're doing!" He yells.
"But you just yelled!"
"'Cause I have a contract for yelling!"
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know!" The brunette bows her head.
The male scoffs. "What a fucking idiot…" He crosses his arms and glares at Komaru. "Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu. Ultimate Yakuza."
Yakuza…?
Komaru squeaks and smiles tightly. She turns and speed walks past Fuyuhiko, looking back at him as she goes. In doing this, she bumps into another person who grabs her shoulder and squeezes.
"State your business," Komaru turns her head back to the front to see a girl with a blank look on her face. She has on a dark school girl uniform with red accents. There's a red band on her arm, and she has on stockings (leggings?) that come up past her dark skirt. Her grey hair is styled into braided pigtails with white ribbons wrapped at the base. Her red eyes are bracketed by glasses, and a long object is strapped to her back.
"Did you not hear me? State your business,"
Her fingers dig into Komaru's arms until the brunette whines. "Hey! Please stop! I'm just trying to introduce myself!"
The girl swiftly let's go of Komaru and stands neutrally, deeply eyeing Komaru with her red eyes.
"Understood. I apologize, I have been trained to never take a hit from another person," The girl nods her head. "My name is Peko Pekyama. I am the Ultimate Swordswoman."
"Swordswoman?" Komaru perks up. "You mean like--Samurai?!"
Peko grimaces. "I… suppose. However, you shouldn't call me a samurai; I find the name rather… rude,"
The medium gasps. "Oh, I'm sorry! It just got the best of me and slipped out--I should've known it would make you uncomfortable!" She smiles and brings her hands to her chest. "I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"
"... Friends?" Peko looks surprised. "I haven't ever had a friend. And I don't plan on having any. My duty isn't making friends."
Komaru raises her brows. "Huh…?"
The swordswoman tuts. "I am not here to make friends, Komaru, and I plan on protecting… myself. It is why I… became a swordswoman,"
Sadly, Komaru nods her head. "Ok…"
The medium passes over to a tall, pale blonde girl with a royal air around her. Her clothes are mainly a navy blue with puffy white sleeves and red accents. She has royal blue eyes and a black sequenced bow on her head.
"Stop right there!" The girl holds out her hand with her arm straight.
Komaru halts in her place. What is this feeling…? Komaru has the urge to kneel and bow her head down. What kind of power is this?
The girl smiles. "I apologize, but you were just about to pass me by!"
"Oh, I guess I must've moved too far, haha!" Komaru smiles with her eyes closed. "My name is Komaru Naegi."
"I am the Ultimate Princess, Sonia Nevermind!" The girl, Sonia, greets her with a smile. "I am set to rule my home kingdom of Novoselic, and I have come to Hope's Peak Academy to… experience the Japanese school life!"
Komaru laughs. "Well, there isn't much besides working in class then cleaning up after school ends,"
"How fascinating!" Sonia's eyes light up. "In Novoselic, the children do not clean up the classrooms! Rather, we have trained spider monkeys which tidy the school for us!"
Spider monkeys…? Where exactly is Novoselic?
"Hey, Sonia, where did you say Novoselic was again?" Komaru asks.
"In Europe of course! We're a rather small country, but we pack a large fist!" Sonia grabs her bicep with a proud grin.
Oh… Komaru must have skipped over a history and world lesson about Novoselic. She should learn more to make Sonia feel at home!
"Farewell, Komaru Naegi!" Sonia waves as Komaru skips to the next person.
The next girl has a wild loudness to her--from her multicolored hair with horns sticking out the top, piercings on her ears and face, blue and pink stockings on each leg, and a striped glove-like sleeve on her arm. Her magenta eyes open and close randomly as she taps her fingers to her temples.
"Hmm! Thinking, thinking…!"
Komaru blinks. "Uh, hello?"
The girl snaps her eyes open and screams which causes Komaru to scream. Which… causes the girl to scream even louder.
"Please, no more yelling!" The medium pleads.
The girl grins and gets in Komaru's face, nodding and humming and giggling. "Wait, wait, wait! I know why you're here!"
Komaru blinks. "Y-You do?"
"You're here to take shelter!" The girl roars. "Shelter from a zombie apocalypse that's happened all over the world! Ibuki knows it!"
"I-Ibuki?"
"That's me, the Ultimate Musician!" Ibuki squeals. "I! Buki! Mio! Da! Put it together and what do ya get?! Ibuki Mioda!"
Komaru watches as she does a little dance in place and grins widely. Ibuki claps her hands together.
"I was wondering when you'd get over here because you were taking so long, so I started singing some songs to myself that I wrote, and Ibuki says ROCK ON and I headbang the hardest headbang I possibly can until--SNAP!" The musician points at Komaru, poking her in the chest. "You come over and introduce yourself! Hehe! This is a fun game! We should play twenty questions!"
Komaru smiles. "That sounds fun! Maybe we could get the others to join!"
"YAHOO!" Ibuki shouts. Her spit flies from her mouth at the loud exclamation. "That sounds like so much fun! I can't even express my excitement except as a YAHOO!"
Komaru covers her ears, head ringing. "Yahoo!"
Ibuki grits her teeth and groans. "Ugh! Ibuki has such a big headache after all that headbanging and screaming! Even more than usual! Maybe it's because I woke up on a desk,"
Komaru smiles at the girl as she walks away. She thinks to herself. Is it normal to talk in both first and third person? No matter! Ibuki seems pretty fun!
Skipping to the next person, Komaru smiles. The girl has purple hair that's cut in layered ways… actually, it looks like it was sliced unevenly with scissors. She has on a pink blouse and a pale blue skirt with a white apron covering them both. On her right leg and left arm are bandages, and only her fingers are uncovered. She has a beauty mark under her right eye (both eyes purple) and a worried furrow in her brows.
"Hello!" Komaru greets her.
The girl shrieks and pales, backing up from Komaru in a panic. Komaru pinches her brows together and bites her lip.
"A-Are you ok?" Komaru asks.
The girl nods. "Y-Yes, you just happened to st-startle me…"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I'll try to get better at controlling my volume!" The medium holds out her pinky.
The girl stares at the appendage with wide purple eyes.
Komaru smiles awkwardly. "Um… It's a pinky swear?"
The girl hesitantly wraps her pinky around Komaru's and blushes. "Hehehe…!"
What? What's so funny? Komaru can't help but wonder it while watching the girl blush from her touch.
As if coming back to her senses, the girl snaps back into herself and yanks her pinky from Komaru. She curls her shaking hands around each other and tears up.
"I-I'm sorry! You p-probably don't want m-me to touch you!" The girl sobs heavily. "Wah…! This isn't o-one of the f-five hundred conversation t-topics I learned!"
Komaru sweatdrops. Five hundred conversation topics?!
"How about…" Komaru taps her finger to her chin with a slight smile. The girl stops crying and looks at her. "How about we start with your name? I'm Komaru Naegi, the Ultimate Medium."
The girl is silent for a few beats before her jaw drops in a gasp. She shakily smiles. "I-I… I'm M-Mikan Tsumiki, the Ultimate N-Nurse. I h-hope from the bottom of m-my heart that we get along…!"
"A nurse?" Komaru didn't expect that from such a shaky and nervous girl, but she likes being surprised by life! As long as nothing bad happens, anyway. "That's such a cool talent! I bet you go full nurse and heal everyone like… like a healer in an RPG!"
Mikan blinks. "Oh… I… do enjoy m-making people feel better…" She whimpers. "B-But you don't really w-want to hear about m-me. If you w-want, we can pl-play a game of h-human bowling…?"
"There's professionals who play human bowling?" Komaru gasps in surprise. "That sounds fun! Of course I'll play!"
"O-Ok! I'll take o-off my clothes and stand s-super still so you can th-throw balls at me!"
Th-That's not a real game! That's not a game at all; that's just mean!
The brunette waves her hands in the air with a sheepish laugh. "A-Actually, I just remembered--I'm not good at sports! Or games! Or human bowling in general!"
The nurse deflates a little. "That's fine… I can l-let you write and draw on m-my body instead…?"
"I'm not good at writing! Or drawing!"
"Th-Then–"
Komaru leaps and grabs Mikan's hands in her own. "Pl-Please don't say anything else! I don't want to hurt you or be mean to you!"
Mikan flinches at the contact just as the medium realizes her mistake. Komaru backs up and smiles.
"Mikan, I want to be your friend! I want to be everyone's friend! I never had many friends… but I know you aren't supposed to hurt them,"
"I-I… Wah!" Mikan dissolves into hiccupping sobs that wrack her body.
Komaru cries out in shock. She can feel eyes on her back as the nurse cries in front of her.
It's Nagito who speaks up. "Bullying a girl, Komaru? Not cool,"
"Wh-What…?!" Komaru whines.
As Mikan continues to cry, Komaru pats her on the shoulder before sneaking away to talk to the last person.
It's a male with a beanie covering his long pink hair. His eyes match the color of his hair, and his brows are down in a heavy pinch. He's dressed in a dirty neon yellow jumpsuit, and his sleeves are rolled up his arms. Below his cuffed pant legs are bright yellow shoes.
He's staring at the dull colored walls and shuffling nervously on his feet.
"Hi!"
The male yelps in shock and whips around to Komaru. He relaxes when he sees her and straightens his spine, scratching the back of his head. Nonchalantly, he smirks.
"Name's Kazuichi Soda! I'm the Ultimate Mechanic! Nice to meetcha!" Kazuichi greets her with a thumbs up.
Komaru smiles. "I'm Komaru,"
"I'm not scared or anything just cuz I screamed," He says out of the blue.
"Oh!" Komaru giggles. "Well, it was kinda funny when you screamed like a little girl. I won't hold it against you, though, this school looks pretty scary right now!"
Kazuichi balks. "I-I didn't scream like a little girl!" His voice cracks.
"Haha! Don't worry, I won't tease you about it!"
"G-Girls don't like men who scream at anything! Especially not a lovely princess like Ms. Sonia…" The mechanic flushes slightly as he glances at Sonia who stands peacefully. "But see, I got a chance to talk to her!"
Curious, Komaru tilts her head. "Huh? How?"
He pulls her in with his arm over her shoulder. "You're my in!"
"Me?!"
"You're gonna be my wingman! Can you tell me what she likes in a guy when you get the chance?" Kazuichi pleads.
"Isn't that kind of…" She bites her lip and furrows her brows. "wrong? What if it's private information?"
"Well–"
"Alright, that's enough talking. Let's get down to business," Byakuya steps forward and turns so that he's facing everyone else. "This is no time to stand around and dilly dally. Making friends isn't in our agenda."
"Oh, I guess you're right," Komaru steps away from Kazuichi and cups her hands to her chest. "Didn't someone say something about a big problem?"
"Well…" Mahiru sighs. "Komaru, when you said that you fell asleep and woke up somewhere else… The same is true for the rest of us."
What? Really? Everyone else fell asleep and woke up in a completely different place too? What a coincidence!
"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," Nagito smiles and raises his hand, friendly. "That's what happened to you right?"
"Yes, but… Isn't that a little weird?" The medium questions. "All of us getting knocked out like that?"
"That's why we're all freaking out! GAAAH!" Ibuki screams.
"And that's not the only thing. You saw where all the windows in the classes and hallways were, right?" Nagito asks. He crosses his arms and sighs. "But instead of normal glass windows, it was a bunch of big metal plates. It's like…"
"And all of my things are missing," Chiaki sighs. "Even my Gameboy color…"
"Kh! My Four Dark Devas of Destruction are also gone from my scarf!" Gundham growls. He's sweating and his fists are clenched tight. "What fiend did this…? What devil stole my Devas from me?! Gundham Tanaka!"
Nagito tries to talk over everyone but is failing. "And then there's the main hall here. The front exit is completely blocked by some giant metal hatch–"
"IT WASN'T LIKE THAT WHEN I GOT HERE!" Nekomaru yells.
"Due to the fact that we're Ultimate students, it isn't hard to believe that we were caught up in a crime of some kind," Byakuya thoughtfully states as he pushes his glasses up with his finger.
"Are we sure your status as the heir to the Togami Corporation didn't cause this?" Mahiru narrows her grey eyes at the blonde.
"I'm sure it didn't, so don't speak like that to me again,"
"So, what, we're caught in some… kidnapping?!" Kazuichi presses his palm to his forehead and pales. "You think maybe someone grabbed us and hauled us off and we're not actually at school?"
"Tch, yeah right. This is probably some fucked up prank by the upper classes," Fuyuhiko scoffs. A smirk crawls onto his face until he's amused at the others' discomfort. "Or this is Hope's Peak Academy's way of an orientation procedure."
Hiyoko looks doubtful. "Like a surprise?" She grins and throws her hands in the air. "Yay! I love surprises! Especially when I'm doing the scaring!"
"S-Surprising people is nice, b-but…" Mikan trembles. "It's s-scary when all the e-exits are blocked…!"
"A nasty trashy pig shit like you wouldn't understand jack about surprise parties!" The dancer sneers at the nurse. "I bet the only surprise you've ever gotten in your life was your own unfortunate birth!"
"W-Wah?!"
"A prank is all this is!" Teruteru reassures everyone while combing his hair. "Nothin' more, nothin' less! Now then, why don't we find a kitchen so I can cook us up some food?"
"Food?" Akane drools. "I'm starvin'!"
The tension begins to evaporate… but then…
Ding dong! Bing bong!
The screen in the corner of the room flickers to life. A faint outline of something is in the middle of the buzzing static.
"Ahem! Ahem! Testing, testing! Mic check, one two! This is a test of the school broadcast system! Am I on? Can everyone hear me? Okay, well then...!"
The voice is higher in pitch and slightly scratchy. It's so out of place and unbothered… Komaru shivers at the voice. It sends a large, uncomfortable lump down her throat and sticks to her larynx. Dread stabs her senses.
"Ah, 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 screen turns off.
Sonia brings her hand to her mouth. "Oh my! What a disturbingly ominous message!"
"Well then, if you'll excuse me," Byakuya turns and walks off.
Mahiru calls out rather angrily. "Hey, wait! You're just going to walk away like that?!"
Kazuichi relaxes and chuckles. "I get it now; this was to get us pumped for some sorta entrance ceremony!" He struts away. "Gotta check this out!"
"Man… I was totally lookin' forward to some food…!" Akane groans as she runs out of the entrance to the building.
"LET'S GO!" Nekomaru runs after Akane.
"I understand!" Sonia grins. "I will meet you all there in a banana split!"
She leaves with a regal air following her.
Teruteru slyly smirks. "Why, I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't escort the princess to the gymnasium…"
He walks away and a few more students follow in suit.
While everyone else left for the gym, Komaru is rooted in place by an uncertain force pushing her down. Her unease blossoms into a brewing fear. The few who stayed seem as uncertain as Komaru herself… or blank in Izuru's case.
"Th-This doesn't feel right…" Mikan stutters softly.
Mahiru hums. "Yeah, that announcement was strange,"
"Maybe, but just staying put doesn't mean we'll be safe," The lucky student points out. "Besides, aren't you guys just a little bit curious to find out what's going on around here?"
Komaru swallows and nods. She hesitantly leaves the area and searches for the gymnasium. She turns left and finds a flight of stairs leading up covered by metal grates.
She shakes her head as she walks closer. She needs to go to the gym before anything else happens.
With a heavy swallow, she turns and spots a hallway shining with a yellow light. She heads through the doors into an area that is the only place that looks remotely like a gym entrance with trophies in cases leading up to it.
Izuru is silent as he comes from behind Komaru and stalks into the gym. She shudders. Why is he so creepy…?
Komaru watches as the rest of her class enters the gym while nervously talking among themselves. As the doors close, she's left to think in silence.
Oh, Makoto, I wish you were here with me… I don't know what to do!
The silent corridor is oppressive now. She knows she won't go inside if she continues to wait in the hall, so she squares her shoulders and pushes her way into the gym.