Chapter Text
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"Don't... do anything, **************!"
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"How dare you! You Bastard. ***************!"
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"Forgive me..."
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The massive high school towers over all the other buildings in this bustling urban area. It's like the school stands at the center of the entire world. It brings in top students from every field imaginable. A government-funded school of privilege. They say that if you come here and manage to graduate, you'll be set for life. With hundreds of years of tradition, it sends the cream of the crop into the work force every year. It was built to raise hope in the nation's future. Which makes Hope's Peak a pretty fitting name.
There are two things you need to attend this school... One, you have to already be attending high school. Two, you have to be the very best at what you do. No ordinary student could enroll here. The only way in is if you're scouted by the school itself.
And standing there at the gate of the ultimate school filled with the ultimate students...
A small teenage boy stands at the gates. he looks determined as he looks through the letter he got.
...was me.
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" Dear Makoto Naegi: We selected 1 average student via lottery. For winning, we acknowledge your 'Ultimate Luck' "
They spelled it out plain as day--I got invited by pure luck. Honestly, I probably would have been better off just declining their offer. But after hearing how graduating was a "guarantee for success" later in life, I just couldn't say no.
I still couldn't believe it. I mean, Look at me. I'm just a boring nobody. My hobbies, grades, and overall appearance is just average. But still... Here I am, standing in front of the anything but ordinary Hope's Peak Academy.
"I still can't believe I'm here. I mean, do I really deserve this?" There are so many other kids that have talents that could make them into a super star or might benefit them in the future. I wonder if I even survive in a place like this.
Hope's Peak only invites those students who are the truly elite in their field. It's such a popular topic, there are threads online dedicated to talking about the school's attendees. So to prepare, I looked up some of the those threads. And all I saw was talk about "ultimate" students, who were way beyond your average high schooler.
For example, one incoming student is the "Ultimate Pop Sensation." I guess she's a high school girl who's also the lead singer for a pop group famous all over the country.
There's also the "Ultimate Baseball Star." He was the cleanup hitter for the national high school champs. Pro teams already have their eyes on him.
Then there's the "Ultimate Fashionista." She's been on the cover of tons of fashion magazines. She's what every high school girl wants to be.
Oh, and they mentioned the "Ultimate Biker Gang Leader." The scary thing is, he's the de facto leader of every biker gang in Japan. Gangs everywhere love the guy.
On top of that, there's the Ultimate Martial Artist, the Ultimate Fanfic Creator, the Ultimate Gambler, The Ultimate Swimming pro, the Ultimate Programmer, the Ultimate Clairvoyant, and then some. Reading that made me realize how totally powerless I was. It was the country's finest, top to bottom. I felt like a tame little house cat who'd wandered into a pride of lions.
But still, there was something I couldn't stop thinking about. You see, there were a few students who I couldn't find any info on, no matter how much I looked. With all those "ultimate" students, I'm the only one without any kind of worthwhile talent. But then, what about those other new students who didn't seem to pop up anywhere.
But here I was, just standing there at the front gates. "I can't just stay here... I should go in." ASnd with new burst of determination I took my first steps into the main hall. "Everyone's suppose to be meeting up at 8:00 am. Guess I'm early." I take at look at the clock to see 7:10 as the time. Damn. Too early.
I guess I could look around the school. I mean, I am a student here now. Yeah, I should look around! It'll help me kill some time, if nothing else. Trying to play it cool, I took my first step into Hope's Peak Academy. It was also my first step toward starting a new life at a new school.
At least, that's what I was hoping for.
"W-what the-?" The moment my foot hit the floor, my vision instantly became blurry. Everything was mixing around. What....is...going...on? . Spinning, mixing, melting away, then spinning again... And the next moment...
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'Ugh' my eyes fluttered open as I look at my surroundings. It seems I have been placed on a desk. "Where am I?" I look around and notice the first thing that caught my eye. Barred up windows. Metal. I walk closely to it and inspected it. Why is metal plates over the windows in a classroom? Did something happen? I try turning the screws but all that did was hurt my hands.
"I can't turn them..." I took note of it and looked around some more. That's when i noticed the security camera. Is someone watching us? Suspicious.
I look at the clock that was over the blackboard. 7:45am. Weird. It was just 7 when I walked in. How long did I sleep? Why didn't anyone wake me up? I look to see a tv. I paid no mind to it since it's normal. This is funded by the government. Something does tell me that this place...it's not what it seems.
I noticed a paper pamphlet on the floor. I bend down picking it up, my hair getting in the way. I brushed strands of my hair off my shoulder and read through it. It looks really cheap. Like a kid drew it.
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"The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this school will be your entire world."
I scoff at this horrible excuse of a pamphlet and crumbled it up. Was this supposed to be some kind of joke? If so, they are not good at it. I throw the paper on the ground and leave the classroom finding no need to stay in that wrecked room for any longer.
As I look around these empty halls, I fold my arms and push up my glasses. What kind of interior decorating is this? Did my parents send me to the right school?
I continue to walk and before I knew it, I reached the main hall. I sigh and walk in. I scan the room to see 3 people in there. "Is this all?" A boy with wild hair shook his head. It looks like he hasn't showered. "Nah bro. We think there are others coming." I scoff and look at the other two. A girl with blue hair standing near a door with some high tech security and a guy in all white.
This is gonna be a long day.
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Despair hotel? Why is something like that here? Again, I strike it off as something silly and continue to walk again to the main hall. This is Hope's Peak right? Why did I imagine it to be different?
I see the door to the main hall and open. When I do, I see 9 people looking at me. I just wave and went to the corner staring at the giant guns surrounding the circular door. What it is? "We don't know yet." A stranger voice interrupts my thoughts. I turn to see who it it is. A girl wearing a gothic Lolita clothing and twin drills on her head approached me. She giggled, twirling a strand of hair in her fingers.
"I do not think we have been introduced. I am Celestia Ludenberg. " she offered a hand which I gladly shook. "...Are you Japanese?" I questioned. She looks foreign with the way she dresses and talks but her Japanese is impressive. "Of course I am. Why would you think I'm not?"
I shook my head. "My apologies..." There was a long awkward silence. Her smile still plastered on her face. "Well if that's all, what is your name? We can talk about talents later." I remained silent. She didn't rush however. Though she did look a bit irritated. "Not much of a talker, huh?" "Why should I?" Her posture didn't faze. She still spoke calmly. "Well, if we're gonna stay at this school, it would be difficult to talk to one another without learning each others name." Makes sense.
"...My name is Kyoko Kirigiri." Her smile grew a bit. "Well it was a pleasure. We can talk more once the others come out. If there is anymore." And with that, she turned away and walked to a different place.
Something's going on around here
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"Jeez... This hallway is kind of weird, too." I said, looking around the purple hallway. This is getting stranger by the second. I honestly have no idea what's going on...
I kept walking trying to find the main hall. I passed by a few classrooms and a thing that said despair hotel. What kind of place is this.
By the time I got back to the main hall...everyone else was already there. "Whoa, hey! Another new kid?" A boy with crazy hair exclaimed. "Huh?" I questioned. "Yeah... We're all new here. Today's supposed to be out first day of class." A timid young girl spoke out. "So counting him, that makes fifteen. Seems like a good cut-off point, but I wonder if this is everyone." A large boy concluded.
Standing before me were the "Ultimate Students" that had been hand-picked by the school. I looked around at everyone who'd gathered there, taking in their faces one at a time. Maybe I was just imagining it, but I swear I could feel a kind of aura coming from each of them...
I step in, making everyone aware of my presence. "Um...how's it going? My name's Makoto Naegi. Sorry I'm late. A bunch of stuff happened, and then all of a sudden I was just...asleep." They guy with weed hair gave me a shocked face. "Woah, you too?" " Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser..." A girl with twin drills murmured. "So strange... I declare beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is a strange situation indeed!" "Um...what are you talking about? I honestly have no idea what's going on right now."
I soon learn that everyone suddenly woke up in a classroom, unaware of what they did before. We all agreed to introduce ourselves. It was interesting to say the least. I met Sayaka Maizono, The Ultimate pop sensation. I mean I already knew her. Well kinda. We went to the same middle school and I was in the background like always. She would always skip school to go on tours and come back months later.
I met other people too. I met the Ultimate fashionista but something was different about her. I noticed that she had freckles but she just shoved it off as photoshop. Some I would like to say ill become close friends. Like Leon Kuwata, Aoi Asahina, and a mysterious girl named Kyoko Kirigiri. She never told me her Ultimate talent. I wonder...
Once we were all done introducing each other, I could feel everyone's tension evaporating...
But then...it began.
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"How did you find out!?"
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What have you done, ********?"
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"This is what we need to do-"
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"...What?"
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"Pupupupupupupu!"