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Chapter Text

Hope’s Peak Academy. The renowned bastion of talent. The place where only the most talented of children can only hope to get into. It is Japan’s most famous school, whose alumni had consistently gone on to be some of the most rich and successful people in the world.

It was always such a grandiose building. Dozens of floors tall, filled with every kind of facility you could speak of. From pools to neurology labs the amount of money it cost must have been obscene. Because of the high standards of the institution there were much fewer people going there than one would expect.

Now, it's burning.

Smoke rose out from burst windows. The remains of melted glass dripped onto the charred brick of the building's massive body. It seems that even it’s state of the art fire system failed to quench the flames.

The inside of the academy, particularly the upper floors, glowed with an orange light. In the dark of the night the academy stuck out like a torch in a mining cave.

It’s students flooded out from the exits, coughing from the smoke. They ran about searching for their friends, seeing those who made it out safely. The low population had become a blessing. Fewer people to evacuate, fewer casualties.

At the backside of the academy was a small emergency exit, rarely used by either student or staff. It was far from the crowds, the area around it empty. The door burst open and a tall figure dashed out, carrying something slung over their shoulder.

They were a strange looking fella, this one. Long lanky limbs, tall to the point of awkwardness. That along with the long black hair, snake-like face and the lolling tongue made this figure difficult to forget to say the least.

They dashed down the steps and ran several meters away from the burning school where they finally stopped. After a moment of hesitation they gently put down what they were carrying on the soft grass. Turns out it was a person they carried out.

The apparent rescue finished, they turned back into danger. They stopped at the closed door, looking back at the other person until they steeled their nerves, opened the door, and walked back inside. The door swing shut behind them with one final thud and wouldn’t open again.

———————————————————————————————————

New York: 3 hours later

Far away from Hope’s Peak Academy, The graduated ‘Ultimate Rockstar’ Shouji Yokoo was ordering dinner. He had found a particularly interesting fusion place tucked in between an apparel shop and a second hand store. There, he was planning to get both himself and his bandmates something to eat. Unfortunately, he was having issues. The issues being that he doesn’t know half the ingredients describing the various dishes offered. His English was more than passable but what the heck is ‘aioli’ even?

As he was pondering whether or not to give up and go to a more familiar fast food place he felt the vibration on his leg signifying that someone was calling him. Excusing himself from the restaurant Yokoo took out his phone and checked the caller.

It was Asukasei Hino, the ultimate shamisen player. He’s known that dude forever. Although they had their rough patches they managed to reconnect and even started dating during their time at Hope’s Peak Academy.

He answered the phone. The moment he did Yokoo started to talk “Heey, Asuka! How ya doing? It must be late back home”. Despite his joking tone Yokoo was slightly confused. It would be what, 6am back in Japan? That’s just after Hino usually wakes up. Too early for a phone call that’s for sure.

“I… there’s been news” Hino responded falteringly, as if he didn’t know how to talk about what he wanted to say. Yokoo waited for him to continue. Hino sighed then started again. “You know how there’s been a lot of unrest at Hope’s Peak lately? Well, someone took it further and burnt the place down”.

“... Well fuck”, cursed Yokoo. “Was anyone hurt?”

“I don’t know. It just happened last night. There isn’t a lot of information available. I just… know you’re friends with Maizono so I wanted to let you know”.

“Crap” said Yokoo, running a hand through his hair. “This is bad, if she got hurt I can’t visit her because of the tour” he griped. “Hopefully, she can wait. I only have a month left until I can go home anyways”.

A silence stretched between the two people. For a few seconds Yokoo could hear nothing but the clamour of the city. When it became clear that Hino had nothing left to say, Yokoo broke the quiet.

“One last thing, Asuka”.

“Yes?”

“Do you know what ‘aioli’ is?”

On the other side of the line Hino sighed exasperatedly and hung up. Still holding the phone to his ear Yokoo chuckled quietly. ‘Classic Asuka’ he thought.

The news was tragic but there was nothing he could do. Now imbued with a sense of helplessness and diminished appetite Shouji Yokoo returned unenthusiastically to ordering his dinner.

———————————————————————————————————

Early in the morning, it was time for the former ‘ultimate fashion designer’ Kiriko Nishizawa to get out of bed.

Like any day before she went about her morning routine. She wasted no time lazing around and quickly got dressed for the day, brushed her teeth, and did her hair and make up.

With that finished she still had time for work and so she put on the TV, only to be presented with a story that truly woke her up.

“BREAKING NEWS: HOPE’S PEAK ACADEMY BURNING”.

The story was accompanied by a video. Someone had filmed the blaze with their cell phone, it seems. The video captured not only the flickering flames but also the sound of sirens and the noise of spraying water as firemen struggled to put out the fire. Their job no doubt was complicated by just how high up the fire was.

She watched the story in silence, eyes wide with surprise and hands clenched around the remote control.

The story finished and the news men switched their focus to the weather. Meanwhile, Nishizawa held her head in her hands, partially covering up the dark grin stretched across her face.

Chapter Text

Today has been a good day for a new volunteer fireman named Kawakami. Or it had been, before they were dragged into this crap. This was supposed to be a wonderful day, Kawakami thought despairingly. It had been the day where they took a vital step into achieving their dream. Their first day as a volunteer fireman. Now they’re wondering if the profession was even for them

The matter of fact was that they felt overwhelmed and underprepared. The only saving grace was that they were not sent to combat the fire directly. No, their job was to help in the evacuation.

So that's where they were, in the middle of a burning building, banging on closed doors and searching for the injured.

They had just cleared the second floor and were rushing to the stairwell when someone burst out from the staircase coughing.

It was one of the students by the looks of him, eccentric looking as Hope’s Peaks students notoriously were. He was male with a bulkier build and somewhat short. His hair stuck up like horns on the side of his head creating a crescent moon on the top of his head.

Kawakami didn’t stop to gawk before calling out to the student. “Hey, come with me! I’m here to get you out”. They barely stopped for a nod before grabbing the boys hand and backtracking.

Or at least they tried to backtrack. It became readily apparent that this place was a maze that they were unfamiliar with when the boy started to sputter confused and frightened “where are we going? The front exit isn’t this way!”

Kawakami stopped in their tracks. Crap, they thought. Then, brushing off their shame at such a blatant failure asked “Then where is it?!” Admittedly they probably weren’t coming off as competent.

“It’s over there” the boy shouted, gesturing the way they came. “But nevermind that! There’s a closer exit this way”. With that the boy grabbed the firefighters hand and started pulling them. What a role reversal Kawakami thought sardonically.

The boy backtracked them for a couple junctions then turned a corner and down a long corridor. Eventually they reached an isolated emergency exit. The student exited first followed shortly by Kawakami.

It was dark outside and it took several seconds for Kawakami’s eyes to adjust as they listened to the coughing of the student.

Alright, they thought. Now’s a good time to get my shit together. What are they supposed to do now? Asking for their name would probably be a good start.

“You... what’s your name?” Kawakami asked as the coughing lessened.

“Santa Shikiba” was the reply.

“Okay, Shikiba, are you okay? Have you been injured?”

“No, but I think I’ve inhaled quite a bit of smoke”.

Gaining confidence, Kawakami nodded. “That’s good. Now can you show me where the front of the school is so I can take you to paramedics to get your lungs checked out?”

Shikiba nodded back. “Yeah, it’s just over… there” he hesitated in the middle of the sentence, surprise on his face, while jabbing his thumb to the side to indicate direction.

“There’s someone slumped against the wall,” Shikiba said, concerned.

Kawakami followed Shikiba’s gaze and saw who he was looking at. As Shikiba said there was indeed someone there. They couldn’t tell the person’s condition from afar in the dark but there was a chance that they found another survivor.

Concerned that the mystery person was unconscious, Kawakami rushed over. Now that they were a foot apart Kawakami started to assess the situation. The person was a boy, possibly another student and his eyes were open. Light shined off yellow-green eyes but other than that it was too dark to distinguish his features.

“Hey, you there! Are you okay?” Kawakami said a bit too loudly. The mysterious boy did not respond. Kawakami reached out and shook his shoulder gently and after getting no response again shifted their hand to his neck to check his pulse. The boy cringed away from the touch and Kawakami almost sighed in relief. He’s not dead. That’s good.

They turned back to Shikiba and said “I need to take this one to paramedics.” They thought it wise to let him know but seeing the frightened look upon Shikiba’s face continued “He doesn’t seem to be in life threatening condition but we need to be prudent”.

Not stopping for a response they hooked one arm around the boy’s shoulders and the other under his leg. They stood and lifted him up.

While the school was massive it felt like no time at all until they reached the front where the paramedics were.

Paramedics work fast. In moments the mystery student was taken from their arms and placed in an ambulance. As Kawakami told an EMT what little they knew about the patient, Shikiba’s eyes widened as the light from the vehicle illuminated the other boy's face.

———————————————————————————————————

Dawn was starting to break when Tsubasa Kamii arrived at Hope’s Peak. The glow of fire had subsided from both the firefighting efforts and light of dawn.

The rising sun had cast a warm orange filter over the landscape and buildings. The gentle light was a stark contrast to the destruction before her.

There was no longer the scream of sirens from the fire trucks and any ambulances that had been needed had long left.

Most of the students rescued from the blaze had long left the premises, either willingly (for the majority) or in an ambulance (for the unlucky few).

Tsubasa roamed as close as she could to the school. Much of the area was closed off, Well, the premise was not officially blocked off but she didn’t want to draw the ire of the firefighters and the policemen working. She didn’t dare get too close, that was until she saw someone she recognized.

Santa Shikiba, the ultimate botanist, was sitting on the concrete edge of one of the many planters on the outside face of the walls that cordone Hope’s Peak off from the rest of the world.

They had similar talents with Kamii being the ultimate gardener. Because of the similarities it became something of a joke between them. While some people assumed that it would cause them to compete it never was a problem. Actually, their talents are what brought them together. When they met they would ‘talk shop’ and put in their inputs on each other's projects. But beyond that they never really connected with each other on a personal level. There was always some manner of distance.

Shikiba was at the other side of the school so Kamii had to cross the street briefly to bypass the emergency vehicles. As she got close she broke into a job and called out his name.

“Shikiba!”

Shikiba startled and looked up. He looked exhausted and now that Kamii got close she could smell the smoke on him (or was that just the fire?).

“Kamii!?” He exclaimed his voice sounded slightly hoarse.

“Shikiba, are you okay? I hope you weren’t hurt”. Despite her anxiety Kamii’s voice remained calm and smooth.

“I’m okay, Kamii. Just inhaled some smoke. They let me go after checking me over”.

Kamii was relieved, but she still had questions. “Do you need any help? I have a spare room if you need someplace to stay”.

“Thank you, but that’s not needed. I already phoned my Dad. He just lives in Okinawa so it’s taking some time for him to get here”. Shikiba laughed emptily and stared back at the ground. Kamii sat next to him on the planter and put a hand on his shoulder.

Shikiba started ahead pensively, glancing at her a few times. Kamii got the feeling that there was something he wanted to say but did not know how to put it, so she waited. Eventually, he spoke

“Umm, Kamii? I don’t know how to say this but… I saw Murasame, he got taken to a hospital”.

That was not what Kamii was expecting. Soshun’s back!? She’d never heard that! It did make sense, in a way, thought. The whole council got sent overseas so abruptly it alarmed her when she lost contact with her friends in the council. They had vanished without a word. It does follow that they could return just as abruptly, but there was a more pressing issue at hand.

“Oh, my! Is he alright?” Kamii exclaimed, her fear for her friend written on her face.

“I don’t know… he didn’t seem injured, just out of it”.

Several moments of contemplation pass before Kamii makes her decision. “I’m sorry, Shikiba. I wanted to wait with you until your father comes to make sure you could get home safely but I have to go find Soshun. I need to make sure he’s okay”.

Shikiba waved off her apology. “It’s alright, I can handle myself” he said. “You go on now. I’ll be fine”.

Waving a goodbye and heading off, Kamii made her plan. There was a general hospital about a half hours walk away. It was the closest to Hope’s Peak. It would take time for her to walk there but she didn’t know the bus route well enough to take transit.

During her walk she gradually calmed down. But with a clear head came new anxieties. If Soshun is back then the rest of the council must be too. She did not know the new members so neither she nor Shikiba could not identify them but the third years were a different story. Even though he was not a part of the classroom you don’t spend three years in a low population school without getting to know your classmates and he didn’t see any of them other than Soshun. So where were they? These were the questions that dominated Kamii’s mind during her walk.

Time passed quickly and she found herself at the main doors. Inside the waiting room was busy and there was a lineup for the haggard receptionist. When she reached the front of the line another hold up occurred.

“I’m sorry but there is nobody with that name here” said the tired man. Kamii was shocked. She recounted her story and what Shikiba told her in case that would help. And it did help.

“I think I may know who you're talking about. We do have an unidentifiable person”. He then gave her a room number and shooed her along. It didn’t seem very professional but he must have been tired. Also, the people behind her were getting antsy at the wait time.

There was no point in getting upset about something that benefited her. Kamii sighed internally before heading deeper into the wing.

———————————————————————————————————
Soshun Murasame was a kind person. He was the type of guy who was always willing to lend an ear to others problems and help them to the best of his ability. His level headed attitude and patience to tolerate his peers more than eccentric personalities made him well liked by both students and staff alike.

The person Kamii sees now didn’t look much like him at all. He looked pale and his hair was greasy and tangled. Since the last time she had seen him he definitely had lost weight, his face was more gaunt. Despite only being there for a short time he already had on hospital clothes. But the worst part was his expression. He used to be an expressive person, easy to read whether he was anxious or happy, but often projecting an air of calm amiability.

So the blank, almost soulless expression on his face was cause for alarm.

Hoping that he simply hadn’t seen her and was merely zoning out Kamii called out “H-hey, Soshun”. There was no reaction. Despite being awake he gave no indication that he heard her, not even a twitch or a glance in her direction.

Kamii tried again “Soshun? Are you okay?”

Again, there was no response. A sense of dread and anxiety swelled in Kamii’s chest. She walked over to his bedside. His eyes didn’t track her movement.

The buzz of her anxiety grew from the faint sound of a power line overhead to a swarm of bees flying around her head. She was beginning to get seriously scared.

“...Soshun?” She called out his first name for a third time. He still continued to stare blankly ahead.

“Do you know him?” called out a voice from her right side, where the entranceway was. Kamii jumped slightly in her surprise and turned her head to look at the speaker.

In the doorway was a doctor. Or maybe she was a nurse, Kamii wasn’t sure. The woman had clear blue eyes, hair in a high bun, a straight proud posture and a look of exhaustion in her face.

Kamii glanced at her friend then back to the doctor. “...yeah, he’s a friend of mine,” she told the doctor.

“Well then, not to be curt but I would like it if you could tell me more about your friend here. Name, next of kin contact info, previous known conditions, the works”.

“His name is Soshun Murasame. Unfortunately I don’t know how to contact his family”. Kamii obliged the request before asking about what really concerned her.

“What’s wrong with him? Why isn’t he responding?” Kamii hoped that they knew what was going on, and that whatever it is was curable.

“I was hoping you’d answer that. Frankly, we don’t know yet. He was like this since he got here a couple hours ago. There hasn’t been any change. We are working on diagnostics but as you are not family I cannot tell you the details”.

Kamii understood that, even if she was not happy about it. Then she remembered that she had not answered all of the doctor’s questions.

“About medical conditions… he does have a history of depression but otherwise I can’t think of anything”. Kamii felt weird telling the doctor that, like she was violating his privacy, but it was for Soshun’s sake. If they don’t have the information they can’t help him.

“And as for next of kin, I think I know someone who has that information. I just need some time to call him”.

“That would be much appreciated. However, I can’t stay here any longer. I will send someone down in a few minutes”. The curt doctor didn’t either and left the room. Belatedly, Kamii realized that she never got her name.

Kamii retrieved her phone from her pocket and looked at this. She wasn’t looking forward to the conversation to come.

Chapter Text

The former ultimate cosmetologist, Sousuke Ichino was doing his makeup when his phone started ringing. Life had been going well for him after he graduated from Hope’s Peak. He had a good job, his own apartment, and a lovely boyfriend (who was out of the country for a while, studying abroad).

He was in a good mood that morning from the moment he got out of bed. He hummed a tone as he quickly and skillfully did his hair and makeup (he was the ultimate cosmetologist after all). Little did he know that his happiness wouldn’t last for long.

Much like Nishizawa before him, his morning would experience a jarring interruption.

As he was putting on his coat, almost ready to leave for work, his cellphone rang. He looked at the caller ID. It was Kamii. ‘That’s odd’, he thought. While he and Kamii were friends they weren’t close. They could have been, but Kamii’s choice of companions made it difficult for him to spend time with her. Lately, the only talk on the student council group chat that was made last year. He wondered what on earth she’s calling him for.

“Hey Tsu! How are you doing? I totally didn’t expect a call from you” Ichino greeted boisterously. Now that he thinks of it, maybe Kamii is calling to reconnect? That would be great.

His thoughts slowed as he stopped pondering and listened to what she was saying. As she spoke the happiness drained from his face. Ichino’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open slightly in shock. “What do you mean Soshun’s in the hospital!?”

———————————————————————————————————

Hope’s Peak was no longer burning.

The once proud school and research center was now a charred husk of its former self. The upper floors were gutted by the blaze. What’s left of its furniture and equipment was little more than smouldering garbage.

There was good news, though. While everything inside the upper floors had been destroyed, the building’s structural integrity remained intact. The lower floors too, had little damage. At that point in time it was unclear if the famous academy’s main body would have to be demolished.

While the fire had been put out that didn’t mean that firefighter Kawakami’s job was done. In the aftermath a headcount of faculty and students had been done. There were several people unaccounted for, including the entirety of the steering committee and three students: Yasuke Matsuda, Yuto Kamishiro, and Isshiki Madarai.

People were hopeful that they may be still found alive. After all, Hope’s Peak was one of the fanciest, expensive, best designed buildings in the world. It was not unthinkable that a trapped person could survive.

So that’s why Kawakami was back in the school. If there were survivors time was of the essence. ‘The injured’ can become ‘the dead’ in a matter of minutes, which is why rescue efforts redoubled as soon as it was safe to do so.

The areas which the fire was most intense were still too hot to traverse but that was not true for other areas. While still hot and smoky their equipment was good enough to protect them.

Kawakami and their team traversed the smoky halls, checking every room in every corridor.

They had just opened the door to the final room for this floor when they saw something they never wished to see.

In the middle of the room there lay the dead body of a boy.

With even just a glance it was clear that he wasn’t killed by the fire.

His clothes were not so much as singed, and moreover, his head was turned a grotesque 180 degrees from where it should have been.

They found the murdered corpse of Yuto Kamishiro.

———————————————————————————————————

Sousuke Ichino rushed to the hospital as fast as he could. It still took too long for his comfort. On the train he was constantly checking the time on his watch and tapping his foot in impatience.

The wait time for the train irked him. The time it took for the crosslight to turn green irked him. Even from the beginning he barely took the time to give Kamii the info she wanted. He was scared.

Finally! He had reached the address that Kamii gave him. He walked in the building a bit too fast and pushed the door a bit too hard. If the door didn’t have safety systems it would have bent as far as its hinges allowed.

He signed into the visitors log at the desk then made his way up the staircase to the second floor, then to room number 257, the number which Kamii gave him. When he reached the room the door was partially open. He didn’t bother to knock before entering.

The hospital room was rather boring in actuality. Plain white walls, plain white ceiling, even the floor was white. But Ichino didn’t care about that. He only cared about the people inside the room.

The first person whom he was was Kamii. Her blonde hair was the greatest splash of colour in this monochrome room. Then his eyes were quickly drawn to the person whom he came for.

Soshun Murasame looked like crap. Since the last time Ichino had seen him he must have dropped at least ten pounds but what truly alarmed Ichino (much like Kamii before him) was the vacant expression. Kamii had told him about this, but it didn’t mean that he was prepared to see it.

Barely acknowledging Kamii’s presence, Ichino spoke up. “Hey, bud, how’re you doing”. There was no response.

“...Soshun?” Again, not even a hint of a response.

So it was true. Sousuke didn’t want to believe it. While he had not thought that Kamii was lying now that he is here and is actually seeing it… he had no clue what to do.

Ichino straightened up from leaning over Murasame’s bedside and looked at Kamii. There was a deep sorrow in her soft features. She looked back at him, then averted her gaze to the side.

In his stress Ichino ran a hand roughly through his hair, dishevelling the typical fiery style that he loved.

For several mournful moments silence prevailed in the hospital room until Sousuke sighed and spoke up. “I don’t suppose you have any idea what’s up with him, do you?” He already knew what the answer was going to be.

“... I don’t know. The doctors had run some tests on him, but we aren’t allowed the information.” Several seconds of quiet ticked by before Tsubasa continued. “I guess if we want info we’ll have to ask Soshun’s family, when they get here. If they are willing to tell us, that is…”

“Damn, this is a mess”, Sousuke burst out in frustration. “What the hell happened to him? When did he even get back? And if he’s here, where the hell is Ryouta and Kotomi? He wouldn’t be sent back alone, would he?”

It was no good to snap, Ichino knew that. He knew that he was on the brink of snapping because he was scared. He was scared for Soshun, and he was scared for his missing siblings. Kamii stood back quietly, all the things Ichino said were questions that plagued her mind too.

So caught up in their emotions they almost failed to hear something critical.

“Ko...to...mi'' the voice was so faint that Ichino barely heard it. Ichino swung his head and beside him, Kamii let in a sharp inhale.

For the first time since either of them got there, Murasame had spoken. Languidly, Murasame moved his gaze from blankly staring into the space in front of him to Ichino’s face. The movement took a strangely long time, but it was the most they had gotten thus far.

The movement spurred Ichino into action and he repeated his question “Yeah, Kotomi, and Ryouta too. Do you know where they are?”

Murasame stared at him for several seconds. For a moment Ichino could swear that he caught a hint of confusion in his eyes. Murasame did not speak again, and eventually turned back to staring ahead of himself.

Goddamn it. They seemed to have progressed for a second but good things never last.

Ichino was about to speak again when he caught movement out of the corner of his vision. Slowly, Murasame had sat up and swung his legs to the side of the bed opposite of where Ichino and Kamii were standing. Ichino hurried to the other side of the bed with Kamii not far behind. As soon as Murasame’s weight shifted to his feet his legs gave out. Ichino had to grab him by the arm to stop him from falling to the floor.

“Whoa, easy there, buddy,” Ichino said as he shifted his grip to bear the weight better. With Kamii’s help they sat him back down on the bed.

Well, that was unexpected. For a moment Sousuke wondered why he tried to get up but that question was eclipsed rapidly by why he couldn’t support his own weight. God, he hopes it’s not because Soshun is seriously sick.

Sousuke felt tears prickle at the corners of his eyes. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at Kamii who watched him carefully. “Come on, let’s go outside. I think you need a break,” she said kindly. With her hand still on his shoulder Tsubasa walked him out of the room. They travelled for a ways until they reached a waiting area with a vending machine. Kamii sat the shaken boy and went up to the vending machine. Ichino watched idly as she bought a bottle of water and sat next to him. Silently Kamii held out the bottle to him.

“W-what? N-no, you don’t have to give me that”, Ichino sputtered. Kamii shook her head gently.

“It’s okay. I bought it for you. I know how worried you are,” said Kamii.

“T-then I’ll pay you back,” Ichino said, already fumbling for his wallet.

“No. I told you, I bought it for you,” Kamii chided softly. Sousuke stopped patting his pockets searching for his money. Ichino accepted the bottle.

They sat there for what must have been at least a half hour. The level of water in the bottle shrunk slowly as Sousuke took sips. Like the water, his stress gradually declined as well. Now, Ichino just felt tired. Not the physical tiredness that you get after a marathon, but emotionally tired. Part of him just wanted to go to sleep.

Ichino stares at his phone, looking at the call log and the emails he sent. When the student council had first vanished, he panicked. During that period he sent dozens of calls and emails to his friends and siblings, praying that they would message or call back. The frequency declined after he contacted Hope’s Peak and was told they were abroad. They also told him that during their travel all their phones were destroyed in an accident which was why they weren’t picking up. He thought the explanation a little strange but the unease it caused was greatly overshadowed by his relief. He thought they were safe. Looking at the logs made him realize something that he had forgotten.

Ah crap, he had forgotten to call in sick. His boss was going to be pissed. Oh well, it’s not that bad. Being a Hope’s Peak alumni he would be given a lot more slack than his coworkers. Ichino still has to fix this, though.

“Uh, Tsu?” Ichino spoke up. Tsubasa jolted slightly, he’d surprised her.

“I gotta go. I forgot to tell my boss that I wouldn’t be in today. If I wait any longer I’m really gonna be chewed out” Sousuke said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

“Well, I guess I’ll let you go then. I hope you don’t get in too much trouble,” Kamii said. For a moment she felt guilty, as she was the reason that he was here. The emotion didn’t last as she remembered that it would have been worse to keep him in the dark.

As he got up from the chair a thought struck Ichino. “What are you gonna do Tsu? You can’t stay here forever,” he asked.

“I don’t know… I think I need some time to think,” she responded. That was understandable enough to him, so he left it be.

Waving a quick goodbye to Kamii, Ichino headed off. He was not actually entirely sure where he was. In hindsight he should have been paying more attention, whoops.

Since he didn’t know where the stairs were, Ichino did his best at retracing his steps, and passed by Murasame’s room. Tired as he was, Ichino almost missed a familiar person on his way out. At first his eyes glazed over them but he jolted his head back in their direction when his brain caught up to his body.

Oh yeah. Kamii said that she would be here soon.

In front of Murasame’s room talking with a doctor was Mrs. Narukami. The woman was Murasame’s aunt, one of the few family members and his guardian after his mother passed away of sickness last year.

Unlike Soshun and Mrs. Murasame Narukami was a severe individual. She was not unkind but was rather perpetually solemn and humourless.

“Mrs. Narukami?” Ichino exclaimed, surprised. Narukami turned and looked at him.

“So you’re here too… Ichino was it?” She questioned. The doctor looked at him too, and Sousuke then realized that he had interrupted what was probably a very important discussion.

“Y-yeah, that’s me. Sorry to interrupt you,”

“We had just finished,” Narukami stated plainly. Alright then, what he wanted to say was hard to ask, and a part of him was scared of backlash.

“Do… Do you know what’s happening with Soshun? I know they had tests done but I’m not technically family so…”

“I suppose it can’t hurt to tell you.” Okay, so she was not mad at him for prying, that’s good. It was irrational to be so fearful, he knew, but he couldn’t help it. Narukami continued.

“Honestly, we don’t know all the details but an MRI shortly after he arrived showed a frontal lobe brain injury.” Fuck, a brain injury? That’s terrible. Ichino was far from an expert on brain injuries but from what he’s seen on TV they could be debilitating. Possibly seeing his anxiety, Narukami elaborated.

“It’s not that severe, and it doesn’t explain his state. Further tests didn’t show anything that could cause this. I don’t want to say this but if his condition doesn’t improve in a few days then I may have to move him to a more specialized facility”

“Specialized facility?” Sousuke doubted that he would like what’s coming up next.

“A psychiatric ward.” He was right. He definitely disliked that possibility.

“What?! You can’t do that!” Ichino yelled.

“... I knew you’d be upset. I hope it doesn’t come to that but if he doesn’t improve he cannot stay here forever,” Narukami’s calm voice never wavered. It stayed as solemn as ever.

Sousuke looked to the blue eyed doctor, silently asking for a denial or anything that would stop this.

The doctor sighed. “It’s true, we can’t keep him here long. This hospital is full at the best of times, and with the influx of patients from Hope’s Peaks fire we’re at our limit. We need space, that’s non-negotiable.”

Ichino could see the reasoning behind that statement. He still did not like it but he could not think of any logical reasons to protest.

“Alright” he acquiesced. He couldn’t be in this place any longer. Not even saying goodbye, Sousuke nearly rushed away. His feet fell heavy and his pace was quick.

Down the hallway, then the stairs, then another hallway, then finally out the front doors. The cool morning air and the clamour of rush hour did nothing to soothe his soul.

Chapter Text

ONE YEAR PRIOR

The current student council of Hope’s Peak was notorious for being laid back, even to the point of laziness. While they were responsible for many successful events throughout the school year most of their time was spent just hanging out.

This was mostly Murasame’s fault, in the end. That dude was not known to be a demanding person and generally had a laissez-faire attitude. So long as his council members weren’t getting into fights he left them do more or less whatever they wanted.

That was surely responsible for the scene that day. The room that the student council used as a meeting room was nothing special. Just one of the many unused areas of the school. There was another room that they were supposed to use but it was on the tenth floor. Honestly, it was a pain to get to. That is why they converted an unused classroom on the second floor into a meeting room instead.

It didn’t look much like a classroom anymore. The desks had all been pushed together to create one large table surrounded by fourteen seats. The extra chairs were scattered about the room haphazardly, a remainder of occasional use that rarely got straightened out.

Right then, the room was occupied. Hope’s Peak student council was in session, sort of.

“A ghost!?” Cried out Sousuke Ichino, the ultimate cosmetologist.

“Yeah, I heard that if you go outside of room 5-C at one after midnight you’ll encounter it. They say that you can only see it out of the corner of your eyes and when it walks you can hear it’s bones crunch,” the ultimate doll clothes maker, Aiko Umesawa, recounted.

Sousuke looked notably disturbed. Beside him, Ryouta Someya, the ultimate stuffed animal collector and honorary brother of Sousuke and Kotomi looked uneasy as well, although he was attempting to hide it.

“Come on, even you can’t be stupid enough to believe this” scoffed Asukasei Hino, the ultimate shamisen player.

“Hey! Like you don’t have your strange beliefs. For example, you think your input is worthwhile” snapped Kotomi Ikuta, ultimate sharp-shooter and Ichino’s half sister.

Hino opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted when Tomohiko Gouryoku, the ultimate journalist, spoke up. “Hmm… I haven’t heard a story similar to this before. Usually, high school ghost stories share common elements, like Hanako in the toilets or a statue running a marathon”.

“Common or not, such stories are nonsense. It’s absurd to think that ghosts exist” cut in Kiriko Nishizawa, the ultimate fashion designer.

“Think what you will. Belief in the supernatural is still very common and is not going away soon,” Gouryoku replied.

Meanwhile, while those students had their debate, another conversation was going on in the background.

“Ah, come on, you can’t even handle one silly story” Ikuta teased. It seems that she had picked up on her siblings' fear and decided to tease them for it.

“No! I’m not scared of some stupid ghost,” Someya denied, like a liar.

“Oh? Then you would be fine coming with me at night to… where was it again?” Kotomi looked to Aiko for a reminder.

“By class 5-C!” Aiko cheerfully gave that reminder.

“To class 5-C! You’re not scared, after all, so you won’t have an issue with this” Ikuta said as she smirked.

“I will! I’m not a wimp,” Someya said defensively.

“Ooh! Are you sneaking out in the middle of the night, little Someya? That sounds fun! Mind if I come?” Said Suzuko Kashiki, the ultimate track star, joining in on the conversation.

“Of course Miss Kashiki,” Someya replied. He seemed a little more relaxed now.

“If Kashiki’s coming then I am too! Gotta protect my little buddy, after all,” Sousuke chimed in. He seemed to have an idea. “Why don’t you come too Soshun?” He called out to his friend who was sitting a few seats away.

“Sure, if it doesn’t bother anyone of course I’ll come with,” Murasame agreed amiably.

“Great!” Ichino seemed pumped now.

“Can’t tear yourself away from him for five minutes, can ya?” Ikuta teased gently. Sousuke blushed and pretended not to hear her.

———————————-——————————————————————-

“Are you sure you're good to come along, Karen?” Soshun questioned. It was half past midnight and as promised the four members of the student council gathered. They ended up picking one more member, however. Karen Kisaragi, the ultimate secretary, decided to come along as well.

“I-I’ll be fine, Soshun. I-I need to learn how to face my fears head on,” Kisaragi said. While everyone could hear the anxiety in her voice there was also an undercurrent of determination as well.

“Well, if you think you’ll be okay…” Soshun still sounded hesitant but did not want to press the issue further.

They didn’t gather directly in front of class 5-C, that would have taken out the fun of it. Instead they choose to get together by the stairs and make their way to the classroom together.

At night, Hope’s Peak was… not a very spooky place in all honesty. While the lights were off and there was nobody around it still was Hope’s Peak. That building had some of the best security in the world so every student (or at least the main course ones) had no fear of anything genuinely dangerous happening within these walls.

“Now that we are all here, are all of you ready to get going?” Murasame asked the crowd.

“Ready and raring to go!” That was Suzuko. She really was excited about this ghost hunting thing, it seemed.

Everyone else agreed as well, although not as enthusiastically as Kashiki. The only one else remotely excited was Kotomi, though that was most likely because of the opportunity to see her friend get scared. Ryouta looked like he was regretting coming along already. Kind of like when you get to the crest on a roller coaster and reevaluate your life and every decision that you made that led you to this.

With that the group got going. It was dark in the hall, enough so that it was difficult to tell which class was which.

“Which class is this?” Sousuke said, squinting through the dark at the plaque over the door which identifies the room.

“I think It’s 5-B,” said Karen.

“Good! We are almost there then,” cheered Suzuko.

If this was 5-B, then 5-C was just a few meters away from them. Before they could start moving again, a strange noise resounded.

“What’s that?” Sousuke whisper-shouted.

“It’s… some sort of crunch” said Someya, sounding unsure and uneasy. Then he jumped, and swung around. “Something’s here!” He said, louder than before.

The unease spread through the group. Both Kisaragi and Ichino crowded towards Murasame with anxiety on their faces. Kashiki became alert, her eyes darting around the corridor. Someya inched his way closer to her side. Murasame was tense but otherwise okay. The only one not impacted by the strange occurrences was Ikuta, who was just bored.

“What’re you all doing here?” An unfamiliar voice rang out.

Ichino screamed in surprise and latched onto Murasame’s arm in fright. Someya twisted around searching for the voice, stumbling into Kashiki in the process. Both Kisaragi and Suzuko jolted in surprise. Heart racing, Soshun was scared for a moment but relaxed as he recognized the speaker.

“Ah, It’s just Kamishiro,” he called out. Soshun would have liked to find where Kamishiro was exactly but having two people clutched onto him made it hard to move and he did not want to force them off.

“Oh.. Oh!” Suzuko said as she finally noticed a silhouette.

There was a short boy (even shorter than Someya) on the hallway with them. Kashiki could not believe that she, or anyone else, had not noticed him before. It was dark but it wasn’t that dark! Upon closer inspection Kashiki noticed that the boy was holding a bag and… eating from it? She couldn’t tell what was in the bag but she would bet that whatever it was made that crunching sound earlier.

Ever the socialite, Murasame started a friendly conversation “Hi, Kamishiro. We came here to check out a rumour about a ghost. What are you doing here at such a late hour?”

“Oh… just picking up something I forgot,” the boy, allegedly named Kamishiro, spoke as he wandered closer to the council group. He stepped in front of a window and was illuminated slightly by the moonlight. Now Suzuko could see what he was eating. It was bread! She wondered if he leaves a lot of crumbs behind, cause that bread sounded like it had a hard crust.

“I don’t know about any ghosts, though,” Kamishiro continued to walk closer to the group. Eventually, his eyes seemed to lock onto Kisaragi.

“Hey, onee-chan how bou-”

“Say, Kamishiro, it’s rather late isn’t it? Shouldn’t you be heading off to bed?” Murasame cut Kamishiro off. Soshun’s friendly tone had abruptly grown much colder, leaving little room for argument. Kotomi started glaring at Kamishiro.

“No, I do fine on little sleep,” Kamishiro replied, still staring at Kisaragi, who was starting to look seriously uncomfortable. Ikuta’s glaring intensified.

“Well, I myself am feeling tired, so I think it’s time that the rest of us go to bed,” with that Murasame turned around and started strolling away, the rest of the group automatically following like ducklets. Kamishiro did not follow them.

Once they turned the corner and out of Kamishiro’s line of sight and hearing range Kotomi cornered Soshun with a question.

“So who’s that Kamishiro guy. He gives me the creeps. Did you see how he was staring at Karen?” Ikuta asked.

“That was Yuto Kamishiro, the ultimate spy. He's in my class. He’s okay to talk with, usually, but sometimes he can get a little… um,” Murasame trailed off, apparently unsure as to how to describe him.

“Creepy as fuck?” Kotomi finished for him.

“Well, yeah, but honestly… I think he mostly just wants to be noticed,” Soshun said, sounding a little sad.

“Well, if he keeps on staring at my darling Karen like that he’s gonna get ‘noticed’ alright,” Kotomi said ominously. Murasame just laughed nervously in response.

“I’m just glad that it was a person! I was totally spooked there! Was all that movement and noise this Kamishiro guy?” Sousuke jumped in.

“Probably, he blends into the background really well, so I’m not surprised someone mistook him for a ghost. But… didn’t he say that he was there to pick something up? And if he was the source of the rumours wouldn’t he have to be there at night often?” Murasame questioned, brow furrowed slightly in confusion.

“He was probably lying then,” Someya said, almost cynically.

Suzuko took a more optimistic approach. “I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding. Heck, maybe there is actually a ghost and it’s just a coincidence that Kamishiro was there!” Someya was unsure that he liked either idea. Both were rather creepy in their own rights.

And that was the end of that. The group composed by part of the council split up, said their goodbyes, and went to bed. The night calming and lulling them into peaceful dreams. The mini-adventure was just a small page of the story of their lives. Surely, none of them felt an inkling of the tragedy to come.

Chapter Text

The ceiling was white. It had always been white, both in this place and the last. Fluorescent lights shone constantly, with only close observation revealing a subtle flickering. It was calming, the repetitious pattern easy to get lost in. Lately, that was how Soshun Murasame spent his time.

The everlasting fog in his head did not allow for much else to get in. Even when things changed, it simply was not processed. In one ear and out the other.

He does remember some things. He remembered that he was in a different place not too long ago, and that he was there for a long time. The bed that he rested on was different, much softer than this one, although that didn’t help as his back grew more and more painful.

The only companion that he had was his own discomfort. First was the discomfort of his head pounding and throbbing. That went away eventually. Other pains only grew.

Life in the place before was monotonous. People kept trying to talk to him, kept trying to get him to answer questions. If he ignored them for long enough they would leave him be. He just wanted to be left alone. Soshun did not get his wish.

Something happened. He had felt hands at his ankles and wrists, then under his knees and shoulders. A familiar face appeared in the front of his vision. He saw dark hair, slitted eyes, and a long hanging tongue. His joints ached and muscles cramped after being moved after being still for so long.

The world around him blurred. Lights and tiles and the tops of doorways, the boundaries between them got fuzzy. Footsteps started to thud. His body was bounced up and down slightly as the world shifted around him. The acrid smell of smoke invaded the air. The creaking sound of doors opening joined it.

A different door opened, and the area around him went dark. The air changed as well, becoming fresher, although the smell of smoke remained. The person carrying him stopped running. Soshun’s bare feet hit the ground first before he was gently set onto the grass. The other person’s presence disappeared.

It was noisy out here. The scream of sirens pierced straight through his head. There were other distant sounds that Soshun could not bother to identify.

The ground was hard. It made his already painful back ache harder. Murasame layed there for some time, the exact length of which was unknown to him, could have been seconds, could have been hours, until he worked up the will to move.

It was harder than it should have been, getting up. Soshun’s arms shook as he propped himself up. Luckily, his arms did not give out. He would not have the energy to try again. After a little struggling he managed to sit up. Then he scooted over to the wall. His hips braced against the building as he leaned his upper body onto his knees.

This way was less painful and is the position Soshun stayed. The world continued to move around him. Distantly, he registered the sound of an opening door. Then, voices. The voices got louder.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Then, he felt someone shaking him. The person’s face would be only a foot away from his if he looked up. Murasame did not look. The hand left his shoulder and moved to his neck. Soshun cringed as a deep terror jolted through this body for reasons he did not understand. The other person did not touch his neck again.

For the second time in a day Soshun was picked up. This time the other person seemed to have more trouble, the movement was not as smooth as last time. As he was carried the ambivalent noises of the world grew louder. The sirens that he had become desensitized to screeched louder than ever. It was giving him a headache, along with the myriad of voices that kept increasing. He did not understand what they were saying. Even if he’d wanted to know there was too much going on for him to follow.

And again he was laid down. Soshun did not know what he was placed on, this time. A sudden source of light seared his retinas. The slamming of a door. The rumbling of an engine. A light was shone into his left eye, then the right. All the while the people continued to speak.

The rest of this time passed in a haze. The people continued to poke and prod at him, but they were ignored. Soshun recalled being moved yet again, this time back into a bed. Finally, he was given peace and quiet.

Soshun couldn’t get to sleep. He did not want to sleep. As soon as he drifted off he would be besieged by sights and sounds that made him feel like his soul was being ripped at the seams. Waking up would not help him, the horror would simply follow him into the waking world.

After some time Murasame calmed down. The monotony allowed him to return to the fuzzy haze where he could find peace. The ceiling was white.

It was not long before his peace was interrupted again. Distantly, he heard another voice. This time, feminine, and faintly familiar.

“Soshun?” The sound of his name pierced through the fog in his head. The girl kept speaking to him, and Soshun was able to put a name to the voice. It was Tsubasa. She sounded concerned, frightened almost. He did not want to respond. The prospect of even acknowledging her was overwhelming.

Soshun waited for her to leave. Everyone leaves if he ignores them long enough. She didn’t. Even when Kamii wasn’t talking he could hear her breathing or the sound of her footsteps, so he knew that she was still there.

A new set of footsteps. A new voice, again familiar. This time it was Sousuke. He was calling Soshun’s name. Then he started talking at length.

Only snippets of Sousuke’s speech were understood.
“Damn, this is... what the hell... and Kotomi?”

...Kotomi? What was he asking? For the first time today Soshun focussed on the things around him. He looked over to where the speaker was.

Yellow eyes, Red hair. Red like the sound of gunshots like the sound of a body falling like the warmth of blood splattering his face. Noises and images invaded his mind. The white of the ceiling turned dark. Soshun couldn’t deal with this. He did not want to be here. He needed to get away. He had to go.

In an unsmooth movement, like in a lagging video game, Murasame sat up and swung his legs out of the bed. The joints in his hips popped. He tried to stand up. Key word: tried. His legs gave out from underneath him. One of the two with him grabbed his shoulder and held him up before he became a lump on the floor. For a moment there, he was barely standing up. His weight was distributed oddly between his feet and his left shoulder. The pressure was uncomfortable. Another person held onto his other side and he was lowered back onto the bed.

After that mishap, Sousuke and Tsubasa left. Silence ruled Soshun’s life once again. But try as he might, he could not return to the comfortable daze. An uncomfortable energy flowed through him, restlessness maybe.

That’s why, when the next visitor appeared, he could name them right away. Geez, when will they stop coming? The repetition is getting tiresome.

There was a pair of eyes, one blue the other green. It’s Aiko, this time. Just like those who came before her, she called out to him. A weight hit his right shoulder, and Murasame couldn’t now help but scream.

———————————————————————————————————

Aiko jolted as the scream rang through the air. A hand landed on her shoulder, shoving her backwards. She staggered back and nearly fell on her behind, more out of surprise than anything. That shove did not have a lot of force behind it.

After pinwheeling her arms and getting back her bearings Umesawa stared at Murasame with a shocked expression. The boy in question was cringing and grabbing his right shoulder with his left arm. There was a clear expression of pain on his face. The most feelings she had seen from him today, in fact.

“Big bro! Are you okay?” Aiko said, having gotten her mental bearings back as well. It looked like he had some issue with his shoulder. “Does your shoulder hurt?” Umesawa fussed, despite the answer to her question being obvious.

Murasame shrugged languidly, then cringed again.

“You stay right here. I’ll call someone to get that looked at,” Aiko backed up and looked around. Isn’t there supposed to be a button you can press to call a nurse? She didn’t know what it looked like and wasn’t willing to experiment and accidentally mess up something important.

It didn’t take her long to locate a doctor and bring her concerns to attention.

Aiko watched quietly as the doctor did her work. Occasionally, Murasame’s face would contort briefly in pain as his arms were moved. Guilt coursed through her. She felt like she was intruding in a private moment.

The doctor finished her tests soon, and started writing something down on a clipboard. Aiko wondered if she should speak up, ask what the heck was up with his shoulder, but she stayed quiet. She had done enough accidentally hurting him then watching like a creep. But she had to admit to herself that was not her primary motive. She was scared. She didn’t want to see, because that would make it real. Like a kid covering their eyes watching a scary film.

…It was about time for her to leave. There was nothing for her to do here (another excuse, seeing her friend in pain was painful, almost unbearable). Aiko turned tail and walked.

It was past rush hour by the time Aiko stepped into the train station. So, instead of being packed like sardines it’s packed like a full dog kennel, and about as noisy as one. The evening traffic bustled about hurriedly. Nobody had the time nor the desire to talk.

The subway came quick. It took awhile for her to get into the train because of a couple people not letting others get off before they tried to board themselves. The delay was frustrating for an impatient girl such as herself.

Now that she had time to kill Aiko idly played with her phone. She had a few games on there. Candied crunch entertained her for a few minutes but she swiftly grew bored. The other games she didn’t want to play, like when you’re hungry but don’t want to eat anything in the fridge.

Eventually she got bored enough to read through her old text messages. Arranged in alphabetical order, she skimmed through her contacts until something caught her eye.

Isshiki Madarai. She hadn’t thought about him in ages. But now that she is… she did text with him about a week ago, Hadn’t she? It was in the group chat. At the time she was surprised that he responded because he was in the same class as Soshun, so Aiko thought he would be aboard as well. But he wasn’t as evident from the recent messages.

So that begs the question: where is Isshiki Madarai?

———————————————————————————————————

The truth is a fickle thing. Some people say that ‘there is only one truth’ and that is true, to an extent, when talking about rote facts. It’s in the details, the interpretation, that things get muddy.

What is the ‘right answer’ when dealing with abstract concepts such as justice? One man’s justice may be another man’s injustice, as it is.

In that case is there even a ‘correct answer’, a truth, at all?

What do you even do in that case?

Elsewhere, a news broadcast played. Slight static distorted the vibrant image of a man and woman standing behind a long and curved podium. At the bottom left corner of the flat screen television a headline was displayed.

“MURDER IN HOPE’S PEAK ACADEMY?”

The screen quickly flashed into telling a particularly juicy story. It was front line news, after all. It always gets attention when something happens to a powerful person, or persons.

Jin Kirigiri clenched the remote and struggled against the urge to smash it against the wall. Damnit, damnit. Hope’s Peak was starting to reach the point of no return. The point where reputation cannot completely be salvaged. The fire was a bad enough disaster, with people starting to doubt the safety of the school, but now a leak of a murder too? Kirigiri could see the path ahead of him and he didn’t like what he saw.

The chatter of the broadcasters was interrupted by a piercing ring, slicing through the noise and Kirigiri’s haze of frustration. The simultaneous buzzing on his leg let him pinpoint exactly where he last left his cellphone. With a simple flick of the hand the number of the caller was displayed.

Kazuo Tengan. He was the headmaster of Hope’s Peak before Kirigiri. It was fairly obvious why he was calling.

Jin didn’t pick up. He let the phone ring and ring until it finally went silent.

He already had a good guess about what Kazuo would say to him and he did not want to deal with that. Tengan was a man who valued hope above all, and Hope’s Peak was the physical embodiment of that ideal. He would do anything to protect it.

The phone rang again. Kirigiri huffed in annoyance before muting it then turning it off. Whatever ideas Kazuo had in order to protect Hope’s Peak will wait.

As much as Kirigiri dislikes the man’s ruthlessness at times the fact of the matter is unless drastic measures are taken the future of the academy is in jeopardy. Kamishiro was only the latest in a long series of buried scandals. If the media, or some detective, or whoever the hell gets curious then their lies will unravel around them like a crochet scarf after a loose thread gets pulled.

Everything is just too much to handle.

All that Kirigiri worked for was at risk.

But the alternative was almost as horrifying.

If Hope’s Peak were to survive certain measures must be taken. First of all, Kamishiro’s killer must be brought to justice swiftly and decisively. The problem with that is Kirigiri already has a good idea of the culprit and why they did it. If they were caught the dominoes of destruction will fall.

What a dramatic phrase, Kirigiri thought, slightly embarrassed of himself. But it was true, and if that person shouldn’t be caught, justice needs to be served…

...Then the only option is a scapegoat.

Someone who can be blamed, vilified, then shunted to jail for the next dozen years. Who will it be?

Suddenly, Kirigiri felt a wave of nausea. God, was he really considering framing someone, ruining their life for his own goals? His disgust at himself grew. What kind of person would do that?

But this wasn’t for him. This is for Hope’s Peak. Hope’s Peak is too important to let it get destroyed. It’s a beacon of hope for the country, maybe even the world, as well as a leading source of scientific advancement. Without it, the talent of exceptional people won’t be cultivated and innovation will slow.

The net loss will impact all of humanity. Jin can’t let that happen.

The nausea abated as Jin’s determination grew. He will do what he has to do.

Once again his cell phone went off. He felt the buzz against his leg before he heard the near simultaneous ring. This time, he picked up.

“Hello Tengan, my apologies for missing you earlier…”