Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter One: Prelude to the Journey

18th of June, 2010

"Hey, Naegi-kun! Did you fill out your application form yet? Today's the deadline, you know?"

If you wanted to define Makoto Naegi in one word, 'ordinary' or 'average' would be prime candidates. He lived the average high-school life, with a few friends and good enough grades not to get into trouble with the teachers.

If you asked him, this was more than enough. Following the trends was something he enjoyed doing, and he didn't specifically crave anything more. If he could graduate, get into college, find a job, and start a family, he would be just fine with that.

And yet, today was a special day. Indeed, every student in their first year of high school was eagerly awaiting one thing and one thing only: the Hope's Peak Academy Lottery.

"Nah, we'll never get in, and you know that just as much as I do," another student told Makoto's friend, dismissing the idea with ease.

"Hey, you didn't need to remind me!" the first student argued, crossing his arms and pouting. "Well, it's unlikely, that's for sure… Though if Naegi-kun forgets to fill his application, it increases our odds!"

Makoto rolled his hazel-colored eyes. Hope's Peak Academy was a name every student in Japan had heard of. After all, it was nothing short of the best high school in the whole country, if not the whole world. Anyone who graduated from Hope's Peak was said to be set for life, which was obviously every student's dream.

"I actually filled it yesterday," he replied to his two classmates, referring to the application form. "I'm so unlucky at everything, so I'm not getting my hopes up, but who knows? Maybe a miracle could happen?"

He shrugged for emphasis. Truthfully, he didn't believe his own words one single bit. Applying to Hope's Peak Academy was free for any Japanese student in their first year of high school. Of course, this meant competition was tough.

"Well, even if it did happen, I think I would be freaked out among all of these Ultimates!" the first student said, his voice betraying his nervousness. "There are plenty of rumors saying they can be scary! Well, I guess they're the elite of the elite, so they probably can afford to be condescending."

"Yeah, when you put it like that, I guess there are also some downsides. Imagine being that one random dude! Must be something, lemme tell you!"

There was a little catch in this selection process. Built upon a reputation of teaching the elite of the world, Hope's Peak Academy wasn't for just anyone to attend. To be scouted by the school required talent.

Ultimate talent.

Whether it was in music, sports, science, literature, or something else, the students of Hope's Peak Academy were carefully chosen for their impressive talents. The so-called Ultimates often had enough potential to reign over their respective fields as adults and were supposed to bring hope to the world.

And, among them, was a single ordinary guy.

The title of Ultimate Lucky Student would be awarded to the student whose name was drawn in the yearly Hope's Peak Academy Lottery. They would be able to attend the school like the other Ultimates and receive the same privileges after graduation.

Of course, every student sought the title. Every year, thousands of students had their dream ruined for a single one of them to join the elite of the elite.

And today was the last day to apply for the lottery. The odds were slim, to put it lightly, but Makoto figured it was always worth a shot. If by some miracle, he were to be chosen, he would be thrilled. If not, his daily life would resume, and you wouldn't hear him complain.

"Guess all we can do now is wait, right?" the boy stated. His two friends nodded in agreement with him. The teacher entered the classroom, prompting everyone to get back to their seats.

Makoto stared through the window with his head resting in his hands.

Hope's Peak Academy… Now that would be something…

24th of July, 2010

Man… How could so many things happen in a single day?!

Makoto tiredly opened the door, not in the mood for anything at the moment. Today was the final day of school before summer break, so this was supposed to be something to look forward to.

However, a series of events had played out to ruin the young man's day. This went from his grocery bags tearing open to literally being taken hostage by a robber and ending up being questioned by the police.

Without a doubt, this was the worst day of his life. Not even close.

He seriously doubted that anything could make it better now. At least, he had been able to draw a single conclusion from this whole ordeal: he was probably in the top one percent of the world's unluckiest people.

Whatever that was worth, honestly. He knew he wouldn't put this on his resume.

"Oh, Makoto! You're back!"

The boy noticed his little sister run up to him with something in her right hand. Her name was Komaru Naegi, and she was a year younger than he was. And just like every girl her age, she adored pop idols to an unhealthy degree.

They fought a lot, but he still loved her dearly. Right now, however, Makoto didn't think he could bear having anyone stand in-between him and a well-needed rest.

"Yeah…" he replied without much spirit, walking towards the living room of the Naegi household with tired eyes. I'm absolutely beat… Way to start summer vacation… He thought ironically.

"Is… something wrong…?" Komaru asked, seeing her brother walk past her without another word. She got frustrated when he didn't even reply. "Hey, stop being a jerk! I asked you a question!"

Makoto sighed as he sat on the sofa in front of the television. The news channel was on, but it didn't seem very interesting.

"Sorry… Just had a terrible day, that's all," he explained, slumping on the sofa like he was about to drop dead right there and then. "I need sleep. Like, tons of sleep."

"Oh, no, you don't! Not after you read this!" his sister suddenly told him, handing him what she had been holding. "It's a letter for you. Dad found it in the mail earlier. He asked me to give it to you since he's on the phone with his boss at the moment."

This surprised Makoto. After all, if his friends from school wanted to tell him something, they could just text him. A love letter was also quickly ruled out (even if he wouldn't have complained…).

What could that letter be about…? He wondered curiously, accepting the letter with a nod. Well, no better way to know than to read it, I guess…

"You'll love to read this, Makoto!" Komaru said, barely able to stay still. The boy knew his sister was the energetic type, but this was taken to an extreme. "And I think your day is going to improve from 'terrible' to 'freaking awesome' really quickly!"

"That much, huh?" he said, a small smile making its way back onto his lips. Shaking his head amusingly, he opened the letter and retrieved a bunch of documents inside. "What is… this…?"

At this moment, everything around Makoto froze in place. His brain paused, and he couldn't move a muscle, no matter how hard he tried. His eyes were stuck on the letter in his hand, reading it again and again until it made sense.

Yet, no matter how much he reread it, it still seemed unreal. He was waiting for the alarm clock to ring and wake him up from this nightmare of a day that had just turned into an unexpected dream.

"Have you glitched out or something…?" He barely noticed Komaru wave in front of his eyes, trying to see if he was still there. "Mom! Dad! I think Makoto's broken!"

His ears picked up on the sound of his parents joining them from upstairs. Still, all he could do was stare at the letter until tears welled up in his eyes.

"Naegi Makoto,

We recently held a lottery to select one ordinary student to attend our school. As a result, you have been selected, and we invite you to join us as the Ultimate Lucky Student.

Included is an orientation guide for Hope's Peak Academy."

"He does look broken; you're right! You still with us, son?"

"Poor thing… He was so surprised that he's not even responding anymore!"

He heard them perfectly fine, of course, but he just didn't know what to say. His parents, Takeshi and Yumiko Naegi, were respectively an employee at a printing house and a social worker for students in need. He loved them as much as they loved him and his sister.

"N-No way…" he finally muttered, his tears falling on the letter. When he saw the crest on the orientation guide, he knew it wasn't a dream. "I… I was selected to attend Hope's Peak…?"

His family smiled as they snuggled close to him on the couch. His father wrapped his arm around his chest, while her mother placed a soft hand on his thigh.

"Congratulations, Makoto," Yumiko told him, emotional tears of her own in her brown eyes. "We're all so happy for you."

"We're definitely celebrating this tonight, son!" Takeshi added with infectious enthusiasm, ruffling the boy's messy bundle of hair. "This is a really special occasion, after all!"

It was a chance in many thousands. What he and his friends had called impossible back then had actually happened. He had been the one to have his name drawn from the Hope's Peak Academy Lottery.

Not someone else. Him.

He would be the one to attend Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Lucky Student. It seemed so unreal. Indeed, how could it be real? How could an unlucky guy like him win a lottery?!

Only a few hours before, misfortune after misfortune was happening to him. Now, he had just earned the prized title of Ultimate Lucky Student.

Makoto sniffled his tears and took a deep breath.

All of a sudden, the average Makoto Naegi had become somebody special. In a single moment, his life had just taken an unexpected turn. As they said, the tables had just turned, and the ordinary high-school student had become one of the so-called and mysterious Ultimates.

Maybe… today wasn't so bad, after all…?

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Chapter Two: Meeting of Fate

24th of July, 2010

"You know we can get something better than fast food, right, son? It's a special day, after all. No one would get mad at you if you wanted to celebrate somewhere better."

Takeshi parked the family car near the entrance. Komaru was the first one to leave the car, her stomach growling. It made her mother and brother laugh, as they also left the vehicle soon after.

It may have been an important day that would undoubtedly change Makoto's life, but the boy had insisted they all got WcDonald's anyway. He had argued he wouldn't be true to himself if they went somewhere fancy. It was a valid point, although both father and daughter kept asking him if he was sure.

Makoto figured they just wanted to eat somewhere chic.

"Let the poor boy enjoy the simple things, Takeshi," Yumiko told her husband, smiling at her son and ruffling his hair playfully, making him blush. "He has barely been able to realize what has happened. Give him some time."

"T-Thanks, Mom…" he muttered gratefully. Honestly, after a day filled with so many ups and downs, this chance to stuff his face was one he wouldn't miss for the world.

The family entered the restaurant and noticed it was mostly empty. It was quiet inside, even if there were some customers scattered around. They approached the clerk at a register to order their food.

"Good evening! Welcome to WcDonald's!" the clerk greeted enthusiastically, smiling at the Naegis. "What will you order?"

They all got what they usually got when they came to eat here together. Komaru's hungry stomach needed to be tended to, so the girl ordered herself one of the biggest hamburgers available. Yumiko ordered some chicken nuggets, as did Makoto, while Takeshi got a smaller hamburger.

"Coming right up! Just give us a couple of minutes!"

The clerk called out their order to the employees working in the kitchen, while Takeshi paid for their food. It was 4,000 yen. It could have been ten times more expensive, no one would have complained, given their current mood.

"There you go! Thank you for waiting! Please enjoy the food!"

In only a few minutes, the clerk presented them with four trays. They each took one and thanked the employee for his quick work.

"Yum! That's gonna go straight to my stomach!" Komaru said as her mouth watered at the sight of her hamburger. The other three sweatdropped, unable to match her enthusiasm.

"Show some manners, Komaru. That is no way to behave in public, young lady," Yumiko scolded her gently, giving her daughter a disapproving look that wasn't too harsh either.

Komaru… You still are a little kid, aren't you? Makoto thought amusingly, rolling his eyes. Honestly, he would miss not seeing his sister every day after school. After all, while she could be a pain, her antics were cute, and he had grown fond of them.

As they walked to a nearby table to eat their food, Makoto failed to notice the woman staring at her phone and not paying attention. Ultimately, what was bound to happen happened.

"A-Aaah!" the newly selected Ultimate Lucky Student exclaimed in surprise as she collided with him, watching in horror as he lost balance and his tray spilled all over the floor.

He winced when his cold drink spilled over his hoodie. This was his favorite hoodie, and it was now all stained! It wasn't enough to ruin his mood, of course. Nonetheless, it made the boy realize that this day was definitely eventful.

"O-Oh, my; I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!"

The whole family turned around and noticed Makoto on his bottom. Meanwhile, the absent-minded woman looked embarrassed. She was a young woman of medium height, although undoubtedly a couple of years older than Makoto. Her brown hair reached down her back, her eyes were a beautiful brown color, and she wore a white blouse and long black skirt. At her side was a good-looking man with well-kept and short black hair, a dark suit and red tie, who looked around the woman's age. He sighed.

"You ought to be more careful, Yuki-darling. The poor boy's hoodie is stained because of you," he said, admonishing his girlfriend. Before long, he extended a hand toward Makoto. "I'm sorry about my girlfriend. She can be a bit of an airhead sometimes. She might be a teacher, but she pays even less attention than her students."

"H-Hey, you don't need to put it like that! Geez…" the young woman complained, pouting. Quickly, she bowed in apology as Makoto nursed the back of his head. "I'm really sorry! I was looking at my phone and didn't watch where I was going!"

Takeshi stepped in at this moment. "It's alright, Miss. Your apology will be more than enough. Just be more careful in the future. You wouldn't want this to happen again."

"He's right, Yuki-darling," the woman's boyfriend agreed with a nod. "Allow me to apologize once more on her behalf, sir." He searched in his pocket and retrieved his wallet. "Please accept some money for the food and the boy's hoodie."

Reluctantly, the Naegi father accepted the money. There was over 13,000 yen.

"Thank you, sir. I'm afraid I didn't catch your name, though."

"My name is Shinwa Maketa, and this is my girlfriend, Yuki Yoshida. It's unfortunate we had to meet under these circumstances."

Yumiko nodded, stepping forward. "Good evening to you, Maketa-san and Yoshida-san. My name is Yumiko Naegi, and this is my husband Takeshi, our son Makoto, and our daughter Komaru."

Both kids politely bowed in greeting. Makoto winced on the inside when his soaked clothes brushed against his skin. The feeling of cold liquid on his clothes may have been one of the worse possible.

"I'm really sorry about this, Naegi-kun… I wish there was something I could do about your hoodie…"

Makoto smiled. The scatterbrained woman seemed to feel quite guilty, so he wouldn't hold it against her. "Thank you, Yoshida-san, but it's alright. I have another one at home, and I can just wash this one."

"I-I'm glad… I'll try to fix my bad habits from now on!" Yuki promised, bowing one more time. "W-Well, we won't bother you any longer! S-Sorry again!"

The Naegis watched as the embarrassed young woman turned around and quickly walked away. Her boyfriend bowed respectfully and left the family.

"Talk about an Ultimate Lucky Student!" Komaru joked, slapping her big brother on the back. "How were you even accepted into Hope's Peak Academy, Makoto?!"

"It's true that you can be quite unlucky, son," Takeshi added with a playful smile. "In any case, will you be alright with your clothes like that?"

Makoto scratched his temple. It's not like I can be shirtless inside the restaurant, anyway… "I'll be fine, Dad. As I told Yoshida-san, I'll just clean my hoodie and wear my other one. I can bear wearing it until we get home."

"Put it in the laundry basket when we get home, dear. I'll wash it for you," Yumiko told her son. "For now, you and Komaru should go find somewhere to sit. Your father and I will go replace your food."

The siblings nodded and did as they were told. Komaru poked fun at her brother, making him feel quite embarrassed around the few customers inside. After all, his little sister could be loud. They sat at a table close to the entrance with no one around.

Yuki Yoshida-san… She definitely seemed a little clumsy… Maybe even more than me!

Filing the thought away, Makoto waited with his sister for their parents to come back. This may have been both unexpected and unfortunate, but the boy wouldn't let it ruin his special day.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Chapter Three:  Farewell, Childhood Me

12th of March, 2011

Never before had it been so difficult for Makoto to leave the house. His every step was shaky, his motivation wavering. The suitcase he was pulling with him seemed to weigh as much as a boulder.

"Hurry it up, son! We're gonna be late!"

This was easier said than done, obviously. Months had passed, almost eight months, in fact, since Makoto had read the letter. The boy had reread it every single day without fail, telling himself to worry about it the next day. Until there were no more days left.

Until he had to leave the family house to go to Hope's Peak Academy.

The mix of excitement and nervousness made him feel all sorts of ways. Some were pleasant, but most were intimidating. Had he prepared himself enough for this? Probably not.

Could he have prepared himself enough for this? Just as unlikely.

"Geez, stop worrying like a pussy!" Komaru said, kicking her big brother in the butt. Needless to say, the familiar word got her a reprimand from Yumiko. In any case, she got her point across.

"Point taken, Komaru," Makoto told her, rolling his eyes with a sigh that spoke volumes. After some time, he finally reached the car and put his suitcase inside the trunk. He knew troubling himself like this was unhealthy. He wouldn't if he could.

But he couldn't.

The drive was short – only a few miles to drive in the Japanese capital – but it never seemed to end. Luckily, the weather had decided to be kind to him as rays of sunlight hit his face gently.

"I'm sure your classmates will all be very kind," Yumiko said, somewhat randomly. Seeing she had caught everyone by surprise, she spoke again, her voice confident, "What I mean is, you do not need to get so worked up over this, Makoto. Your classmates are not going to eat you."

"I-I hope not!" was the first thing that came to Makoto's mind, and it left his mouth before he could stop himself. Well, it was genuine, at least. "I... I appreciate that you're all trying to comfort me and all, but... I can't help but be nervous."

Genuinely, he appreciated it. Without his parents and Komaru around, Makoto wondered what state he would currently be in. However, the mere prospect of being seen as inferior terrorized him.

Was it even suitable for the boy to call himself an Ultimate? All he had done was win a lottery. Anyone could have done that. There were probably thousands of parallel universes in which Makoto had not been so lucky.

"It's normal to be nervous, son. You're going to attend the best school in the country."

Right. The best school in the country. Perhaps even in the whole world. No pressure.

"But you're not dumb. I know your mother and I haven't raised an idiot."

What could have been considered bragging was actually a great deal of confidence. Takeshi kept his eyes on the road, but Makoto could see his trust in their reflection through the windshield.

"You'll make friends, just like before. You're a good guy, and it's what matters most. Who cares about talent, anyway?! One of your classmates is going to be a fortune-teller, son! I'm the Queen of England if that's a talent!"

Yumiko facepalmed. Komaru laughed. Makoto did a mix of both.

I wouldn't care about talent if it wasn't the school's primary focus, Dad...

The thought didn't leave his mind, although he considered it. Well, Makoto knew better than to get into an argument with his father now. At any rate, Makoto felt his body relax. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Mom and Dad are probably right, though... And even if I turn out to be inferior to the others, I'll just work hard to compensate!

What else could he do? Sulk and isolate himself from the others? Going to Hope's Peak Academy was a chance Makoto would not waste. It would be an insult to every high schooler in Japan who had seen their dreams shattered when his name was drawn in the lottery.

"Thanks, everyone. I'll do my best to make you proud, I promise."

Takeshi parked the car, and Makoto realized there was no going back.

12th of March, 2011

Makoto had no words to describe the gates in front of him. Gigantic didn't even compare to what this was. Terrifying may have been more fitting, but even then, it lacked grandeur.

The boy felt a tap on his shoulder. "This is the beginning of a great journey for you, son." Makoto noticed Takeshi smiling at him. "No matter what, always believe in yourself, okay?"

"D-Dad..."

No way he was getting emotional now. He wasn't a little kid anymore, crying when he had to leave his parents. He could do this. He would do this.

"Your father's correct, Makoto. And if you ever doubt yourself, you know we're only a phone call away, don't you?"

Okay, maybe he was getting a bit emotional, after all. Makoto tried to keep his composure as his mother embraced him. Perhaps he wasn't a little kid anymore, but she definitely held him like she did when he was six years old.

"And I'll be training day in and day out to kick your ass at every video game when you come back during weekends, Makoto! Y-You can count on that!"

"Komaru..." Makoto whispered, shaking his head. He could see tears appearing in the corner of his sister's eyes. At this rate, she would make him cry, too! "You're welcome to try! You'll never beat me, you hear that?!"

The two parents watched with fondness as their children glared at each other. Eventually, Komaru couldn't hold it back anymore and threw herself in Makoto's arms, sobbing uncontrollably against his shoulder.

"P-Please do good, Makoto! A-And... y-you better get me an autograph from you-know-who!"

Heh. "I'll do my best, Komaru."

About a minute passed, during which Makoto stroked his little sister's back comfortingly. He was sad to leave her, too, as well as Takeshi and Yumiko. But he knew he would have to leave the nest someday.

That someday was today.

"Well, you better go inside, Makoto. The orientation ceremony starts soon, doesn't it?"

Makoto nodded, almost solemnly. He and his suitcase would split ways with his family. Now, more than ever, there was no going back. "Yeah," he said. "I'll... call you whenever I have a moment, alright?"

"Don't worry about us, dear. Get settled properly and call us then. We know you'll be fine."

Yumiko was clearly trusting him more than he was trusting himself. How typical.

"Bye, Makoto!"

"Good luck, son. Make us proud."

A small smile appeared on the boy's lips as he watched his family return to the car. He waved at them when they did, standing there, so small in front of massive gates.

Mom... Dad... Komaru...

The sound of the ignition reached his ears like a goodbye song, and soon enough, the car was gone into the distance.

"I'll try, Dad. I'll try to make you proud."

The tear that rolled down his cheek flew into the skies as Makoto turned towards the school. A deep breath. Perhaps ten more. Who was he talking to? He frankly didn't know. To Hope's Peak itself, he assumed.

"Before we go any farther, I guess I should introduce myself. My name's Makoto Naegi."

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Four:  Out of Place, Much?

12th of March, 2011

Makoto stood in front of the gates for a long moment. His dream was right in front of him. Unreal. It was so unrealistic, he had to pinch himself to make sure it was true. But there was no time to daydream.

Better get going... I don't want to be late for the orientation ceremony...

He walked through the main gates and dragged his suitcase behind him, trying his best to retain his composure. Nothing was supposed to go wrong, right? After all, it's not like he was there illegally or anything. Perhaps his status was peculiar, but there was no point in being so nervous!

That's what he tried telling himself, anyway. It didn't prove quite as effective as he'd hoped.

"Hey, runt. Watch where you're going."

The boy was stopped in his tracks by an unfriendly voice addressing him. Makoto looked up and noticed an absolute mountain of muscles standing before him. He gulped. One more step and he would have bumped into the big fella.

In other words, one more step, and he was a dead man.

"I-I'm sorry!"

The man, with green hair and pink eyes, glared at him threateningly. Makoto shook in his boots. He couldn't have been off to a better start, could he?

"Hmph. What's a shrimp like you even doing here? The middle-school division is on the other side of campus."

And... that was that. Insulted before even entering the building. Makoto was forced to sweatdrop. It seemed like he had not come across the warmest of customers. If this was the Welcoming Committee, Makoto had just found Hope's Peak Academy's first flaw.

"M-My name is Makoto Naegi, sir," he explained, giving a polite bow. Better be careful. "I-I'm here for the orientation ceremony. I am the Ultimate Lucky Student, sir."

This genuinely appeared to take the muscular man by surprise. It replaced the scary look in his eyes for a second, and for that, Makoto was grateful.

"Oh, right! Haha!" The man laughed, and Makoto did not know whether to be offended or thankful. Most likely the former. "Principal told me about you! Heh, you look even dumber in person than in your picture!"

Thanks for that... Makoto thought, realizing he was off to a great start. He obviously didn't say it out loud. What the heck was he even supposed to say to that? Arguing back was not the way to go if he cared to live another day.

And he did.

"Name's Juzo Sakakura. I'm the Chief of Security here, so if you cross my path, it means you're in pretty big trouble, shrimp," the man, Juzo, told him, his voice obviously condescending. "Gimme the suitcase and take this." He handed him a keychain and a couple of keys. "I better not see your face again, got it? Now beat it."

Without another word, Juzo forcefully grabbed Makoto's suitcase and walked away. Well, at least he fit his position. Makoto firmly doubted there were any troublemakers at Hope's Peak, considering who he had just met.

But as short as he was, he wasn't a shrimp! Now, he was offended!

What are those keys...? I guess there's one to what will be my room, but what about the other one? The boy pondered the question, standing in front of the second set of gates. He decided he would get his answers later.

If he didn't hurry up, he would really be late!

12th of March, 2011

"Hey, wait up over there!"

Makoto turned around and noticed two girls walking over to him. He stopped, immediately realizing that one of them was highly familiar. And he knew exactly where he had seen her.

"C-Can I help you...?"

The first girl looked rather unfriendly. Her hair was dark black and kept short in a bob. Freckles covered the bridge of her nose, her eyes were an intimidating purple-grey color, and Makoto immediately noticed her athletic figure. She wasn't the one the Ultimate Lucky Student had recognized.

As for the other, her hair was a strawberry-blonde color that Makoto assumed was bleached. It was tied into two thick pigtails, and her bangs revealed light blue eyes. She had a dramatic hourglass figure and red nails that looked fake.

"You, helping me? Good one, boy!" the blonde said, clapping Makoto on the back. "Ya just looked nice, so I thought me and my useless sister could come say hi!"

Makoto scratched his temple. "O-Oh, well, um... H-Hello..." Is... Is Hope's Peak populated only by weirdos...?! "M-My name's Makoto Naegi. I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student. N-Nice to meet you!"

The blonde girl stared him straight in the eyes, rendering the boy somewhat uncomfortable. It was as if she was analyzing him. Not that Makoto believed there was much about him worth investigating, to be perfectly honest.

"So you're a lucky dude, are you?" She leaned closer to his ear, whispering, "Be careful. I've heard the previous Ultimate Lucky Student here was a total madman. Hope it's not contagious!" The boy had no idea what he was supposed to say to that. "As for me, I am the one and only Junko Enoshima! Ultimate Fashionista!"

Thought so... I've seen her so many times in Komaru's magazines... Makoto thought, recalling the piles of magazines his little sister kept at home. Before he could speak again, however, Junko carried on.

"The ugly thing next to me is my sister, Mukuro Ikusaba. No one gives a crap, but she's the Ultimate Soldier." She leaned in again, whispering comically loudly, "I suggest you don't interact with her. Her bad smell is infectious."

"I, uh..." What...?

"Well, we'll see ya later, luck boy!" With that, the fashionista walked away, waving at Makoto as she did. "Follow me, Muku. Poor Naegi-kun doesn't deserve the cruelty of having to smell your breath."

The second girl – Mukuro – shyly nodded and followed after her sister. Makoto watched them walk ahead of him, unsure of what to think. He had only met three people so far... and, well... all three were... peculiar, to put it like that.

And there I was, thinking that Komaru and I didn't get along...

With that thought, Makoto resumed his walk, more than a little confused.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Five:  Where the Story Begins

12th of March, 2011

At last, Makoto was inside the main building. He honestly believed he would never get there! His first impression as he looked around was that it appeared to be as grand and impressive as he'd thought. No surprise there.

Where do I go now...?

The boy looked around the main hall until he spotted a colorful sign that appeared to have relevant information. He moved to take a closer look, noticing someone was already there, reading it.

Makoto figured he would be polite and say hi. "Good morning!" he greeted, smiling at the unfamiliar girl. He could not recall seeing her picture on any of the websites he had scrolled through in the past few months. Maybe she had been extra careful not to be publicly known. That sounded fair enough.

"Good morning."

...

...

...

Great.

The Ultimate Lucky Student watched as the lavender-haired girl walked away without another word. Makoto stood in place, in an actual state of disbelief. He could understand eccentricity or shyness coming from people like Junko and Mukuro, respectively, but this was something else.

He had just been coldly – and technically, politely – ignored!

Her expression had been perfectly neutral, betraying no emotion at all. In addition, her voice was as flat as the boy had ever heard. It seemed like she had no intention to be bothered by anything – even by a simple greeting.

Not exactly Makoto's cup of tea, but he felt assuming anything would be kind of rude. After all, whoever this girl was could very well have had a bad morning. Right?

I wonder who this girl is... Well, no big deal! I have to find my way around here first! With newfound determination, Makoto finally inspected the sign.

It read: "New Ultimate students, please make your way to the gymnasium just ahead for the orientation ceremony. There, you will find a chair with your name. Please sit and wait for the ceremony to begin."

Now with the information he needed, Makoto looked ahead and noticed a pair of tall red doors. They undoubtedly led to the gymnasium mentioned on the sign. Well, he had just found where to go! Finally, he felt like he was getting somewhere!

If this girl from earlier is one of my future classmates, that will already make three... odd ducks in my class. Makoto thought, unsure whether to chuckle or sweatdrop. Well, it's not like I wasn't warned, I guess... Every website I looked through mentioned that the Ultimates of Hope's Peak Academy were usually not the plainest people...

On his way to the door, the boy noticed a trophy case filled to the brim. There were trophies for pretty much every sport Makoto had ever heard about, but also for some more mental games like chess. Not that it really surprised him, either.

Hope's Peak was a school for the elite, after all. It only made sense they were so much better than everyone else.

Well, time to finally step inside! Makoto thought somewhat excitedly. Actually, the part of him that wasn't nervous was excited. It just so happened that this excited part was very tiny compared to the nervous one.

Let's go!

12th of March, 2011

The boy opened the doors, revealing the inside of the gymnasium. It was big, to say the least. Definitely bigger than the one at his old high school. Again, no surprises there. However, what surprised him was just how many voices he could hear inside.

He had read about no more than fifteen people going to Hope's Peak as Ultimates this year. There was no need for perfect pitch to realize there were way more than fifteen voices inside the room.

W-What the...?! W-Who are all those people?!

The acceptance letter had not mentioned that there would be an audience!

Makoto's nervousness only grew with this new plot twist. On both sides of the gym were countless seats where dozens upon dozens of spectators sat. Even more unexpected, there were even some cameras! This was going to be on freaking TV!

The boy froze in place, unsure of where to look – or more accurately, not look! He had not planned for that when waking up this morning! Rapidly, numerous pairs of eyes stared at him from everywhere, making his hands shake. First reminder that he was an average dude. Makoto knew it wouldn't be the last one, either.

Deep breaths, Makoto... O-Okay, this was a surprise, but just act cool... P-Pretend they aren't he-

"Hey, point those cameras at me, dumbasses! You should all be grateful to be in the presence of the great Junko Enoshima, peasants! Show me the respect I deserve!"

Suddenly, as Makoto's train of thought was interrupted, every camera operator inside the gym turned to film the Ultimate Fashionista as she pouted exaggeratingly. If Makoto had been told he would be saved from the spotlight by the eccentric girl from earlier, it would have been difficult to believe.

Well, this was a welcome surprise.

I owe you one, Junko...

Keeping as low a profile as possible, the Ultimate Lucky Student walked over to the chairs positioned at the front of the gym on both sides of the red carpet. He could count eight on each side, accounting for sixteen total students.

Amongst them were a few familiar faces.

L-Later, Makoto! F-Find your seat first!

Luckily, the boy's seat was in the closest row. As he sat, he realized he had been seated next to the mysterious girl from earlier. He noticed her stare was directed at the podium on stage. It didn't appear she had even seen him.

At least, she made no comment about him sitting.

"Young man! You are late by exactly two minutes! That behavior is not fitting for such a school environment!"

"H-Huh?" Another boy, sitting in the row just in front of him, with black hair and wearing a white uniform, shouted at Makoto before he could even say a word. The lucky student noticed him tapping his watch, giving him a scolding look. "O-Oh, sorry!" Makoto blurted out. W-Who was that?!

Before he could seek an answer to that question, silence invaded the gym. The backdoor behind the curtain opened, revealing two men, accompanied by a young girl in a school uniform. Makoto heard the girl beside him sigh loudly, the first display of emotion he'd come to see from her.

Junko quickly regained her seat as the cameras turned to a medium-sized man dressed in a professional suit with purple hair. He walked over to the podium, where a microphone had been prepared. The other man stood on his right, while the girl stood on his left. Makoto could hear the sound of the cameras taking pictures.

"Well, it appears that everyone is here and accounted for. Young Ultimates, welcome to Hope's Peak Academy!"

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Six:  An Ultimate Mission

12th of March, 2011

"Well, it appears that everyone is here and accounted for. Young Ultimates, welcome to Hope's Peak Academy!"

The man's voice echoed throughout the gym as he began speaking. It didn't take any more for him to have the undivided attention of everyone – students and journalists alike.

"My name is Jin Kirigiri, and I am the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy," he said. "It is my pleasure to welcome the sixteen of you to this institution. I have no doubt your arrival here will mark the beginning of greater times for this school."

Makoto listened closely as the Headmaster carried on with a series of compliments for the upcoming class. Not that the boy felt very concerned. To be honest, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to bring to this school to heighten it even more.

"You shall be the 78th Ultimate Class in Hope's Peak Academy's history, and I am thrilled to welcome some new talents this school has never yet seen!" Jin stated, a smile appearing on his lips. "Now, you are still high schoolers, and you are almost all minors, so it goes without saying that there are some rules you'll have to abide by throughout there."

Wait, 'almost all'...? Does that mean someone here's over eighteen...? Seriously...? Discretely, Makoto looked around the room, trying to find out who that could possibly be. However, he was interrupted before his search could bring any results.

"I shall give you individual e-handbooks at the end of this ceremony. Those contain the list of school regulations you need to follow. I suggest you read them thoroughly and stick to them," the Headmaster added, making the other man beside him chuckle. He took one handbook and showed it to the crowd. "You will also find a map of school grounds installed on them, among other valuable applications."

Neat! We basically get a tablet for free! Makoto thought excitedly.

"Now, these are unbreakable, but they tend to break under extreme temperatures, so please pay attention to that." He rolled his eyes, adding, "No putting them inside the sauna, for example, although I don't see why anyone would do that."

A couple of giggles were heard around the gym. Yeah, that would be very dumb...

"One more thing before I conclude, if you will. Hope's Peak Academy isn't an ordinary high school, and for more than one reason," Jin stated, his expression turning much more severe. The mood inside the gym changed instantly. "This institution is a beacon of hope. Your talents are there to fuel this hope. For that reason, special facilities have been installed on campus for you to develop your abilities even further."

Yeah, I'm looking forward to working on my luck... Makoto thought ironically. Not that he didn't want to work, but there were limits to what he could do!

"Those facilities were dubbed 'Research Labs,' and you can access them across campus. Again, please refer to your handbooks for more information." With that, the Headmaster sighed. "Now... about classes..."

There was another chuckle from the man next to him. Meanwhile, the girl looked like she was about to fall asleep right there and then. Makoto felt the tension inside the gym increase and decided to pay even closer attention.

"I stated earlier that you are still minors, but you aren't small children, either. Thus, this academy has decided not to make any class mandatory for you, Ultimates."

"WHAAAAAT?!"

That statement was enough to cause a minor uproar inside the room. The students looked amongst themselves to confirm if they had heard this correctly. Even some journalists appeared to be surprised! Nonetheless, Makoto didn't notice even the most negligible reaction from the girl sitting next to him.

H-How are classes not mandatory?! The boy wondered, his eyes widening. He had already lost count of how many times the school had surprised him! B-But...

"However," the Headmaster's voice brought everyone back to reality. "I don't suggest you start skipping mindlessly. This school will not tolerate laziness, believe me," he said, giving the students a semi-dark stare. Makoto heard some gulps. "You are to attend class frequently, be it homeroom or other classes. Failure to do so will result in failing grades during exams."

I, uh... definitely didn't expect a plot twist like this one...

Makoto didn't consider himself either the most hardworking or the laziest student. He studied enough to pass each grade but made sure to have some free time. Still, he quickly understood this rule was there to judge the students' characters.

Don't attend class; the school implicitly expells you during exams. Pretty clever.

"Still, this rule was implemented so that you all have enough time to work on your talents. Indeed, in addition to the traditional exams, Hope's Peak Academy judges the worthiness of its students' talents through the Practical Exam."

I. Do. Not. Have. A. Talent! Makoto thought, his mind nearly screaming at this point. How in the world was he supposed to display something he didn't possess?! Last he checked, his luck had not improved since receiving the acceptance letter!

He still tripped as frequently as before, had not won the jackpot at the lottery – and more importantly, he still got bad items at Mario Kart! The Hope's Peak thing had been a fluke!

"In short, you are tasked with being mature enough to keep a balanced schedule," Jin told them, his tone ironic. "Now, to conclude, I would like to say that I put my most genuine faith in you. I have no doubt that you will be outstanding students who will allow this school to thrive," the man said with a smile. "Now, before I give the floor, are there any questions so far?"

"Yeah, got a question here!"

The students watched as Junko's hand went up almost instantly.

"Yes, what is it?"

The Ultimate Fashionista chuckled embarrassedly. "About the keys I got from the big guy earlier... How do I say that I kinda lost them...?"

Everyone inside the room facepalmed. Makoto wasn't the type to judge people based on first impressions, but there appeared to be a pattern of carefreeness from the strawberry blonde.

The Headmaster sighed. "That's a first... Alright, drop by my office after the ceremony, and I will ask for new keys to be made for you. Please be more careful in the future, though..."

"'kay! Sorry for the inconvenience, sir!" Junko saluted, making everyone sweatdrop. There was no doubt that she was charismatic, at least. The cameras were no sweat for her.

Makoto knew he would have definitely kept silent until after the ceremony...

"Anyway, if there are no other questions, I'll give the floor to my colleague, Mr. Kizakura."

With this, Jin removed himself from the podium, letting the other man with the white fedora take his place. The students quickly understood they were dealing with a... different character.

For some reason, this man appears to irritate the girl beside me... Makoto realized, seeing the girl's usually composed face rapidly filling with frustration.

"Hey, folks! The name's Koichi Kizakura, and I'm the Talent Scout here, formerly a teacher. You might have seen me before when I was scouting you. Good old days, right?"

Yeah, when you were scouting me... Makoto thought, his shoulders slumping. This is going to take time to get used to...

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I'm the one you need to come to see if something important but not see-the-headmaster-important kind of thing happens," the man explained. "Either me or your homeroom teacher, of course. She couldn't attend this ceremony, but you'll meet the wonderful Yoshida-sensei soon enough."

Wait, Yoshida...? The gears in Makoto's brain immediately began to turn. Why does that name sound so familiar...? I mean, it's not a particularly rare name, but... The Ultimate Lucky Student searched and searched, trying to recall where he had last heard the name from. No dice. Guess I must have invented it.

"Before I give the floor, just one warning for you all." Kizakura pointed to the Headmaster, saying, "Try not to end up in his office. The man bites, believe me."

Some students laughed at that comment while others shivered in fear. Makoto was somewhere in-between. Not that he was worried he would end up in the Principal's Office, but the thought of it accidentally happening scared him a teeny bit.

"Anyway, you've heard enough old men for now. The floor is yours, Nanami-chan!"

The eccentric man stepped aside, leaving the half-asleep student to fill in for him. Makoto watched as she rubbed her eyes as if to wake herself up properly.

"Hey, hey..." the girl said, voice filled with tiredness. Makoto had to lean in a little to be sure he heard her. "My name is Chiaki Nanami... I'm the Ultimate Gamer and Class Representative for Class 77-B... I think..."

You... think...?

"I'm here to tell you that if any of you needs help with anything, your upperclassmen will be there to lend a hand..." She yawned loudly. "They're not all perfectly reliable, but except if you're facing a mighty boss, we should be able to help you... I think..."

That's probably kinda mean, but I'm glad to see there's a student who made it through one year here with such low confidence... The Ultimate Lucky Student thought, scratching the back of his head. T-Totally not because I was worried! N-Nope! N-Not me!

"Also... my class has prepared everything for you all to throw an orientation party tonight..." A few excited grins suddenly appeared on the students' faces. Chiaki quickly shattered their hopes, though. "You will be under the supervision of two of my classmates... They're high-leveled, so I don't suggest trying to fight them..."

Makoto smiled in amusement. I guess a few of my classmates already had some ideas that contradicted the school regulations...

"Well, I'll see you later... I have a big raid coming up soon, so I have to go... I think..."

With this – and under the Headmaster's disbelieving eyes – the Ultimate Gamer left the gym through the backdoor, her walking sluggish and obviously unfocused.

Good to see the upperclassmen appear to be as odd as my classmates...

Jin coughed into his fist. "Well, I suppose Nanami had other engagements..." he said, retaking the podium. "In any case, what she said is correct. Do not hesitate for even an instant to seek help from staff members, upperclassmen, or alumni if you find it required."

I'll, uh... keep that in mind... The boy thought. Considering the oddities the school had already thrown at him, this was some advice he would gladly remember.

"Now, students, it is time for you to receive your e-handbooks. You will then have plenty of time to get settled inside your dorm rooms and explore the campus before attending the party Nanami mentioned just now," the Headmaster told them. "I will proceed to call you all in alphabetical order. Please walk here to get your handbook when I call your name."

There it is... Makoto looked around him, noticing the journalists were still very much there. To think his parents may very well be watching him right now was more than a little embarrassing. Having to walk to the Headmaster in front of all those cameras...

His gulp may have been heard by everyone, to be honest.

"Well, let us begin! The Ultimate Swimming Pro, Aoi Asahina!"

With this, Makoto's days as a Hope's Peak Academy student were officially underway!

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Seven:  Ultimate Round Call

12th of March, 2011

"Well, let us begin! First on the list is the Ultimate Swimming Pro, Aoi Asahina!"

At Jin's call, a girl with tanned skin cheerfully stood up from her chair and walked over to him. The Headmaster gave her an e-handbook before she returned to her seat, smiling.

Asahina-san... I'm pretty sure I've read her name online a few times before... She's a talented athlete. Makoto recalled.

"The Ultimate Fashionista, Junko Enoshima."

Junko stood up and fancily went to retrieve her handbook. She exchanged a few words with the purple-haired man, but Makoto was too far to hear what they were.

Enoshima-san... She sure is a character... Also, she's probably one of the most famous students in the class...

"The Ultimate Programmer, Chihiro Fujisaki."

A short and timid girl stood up. Makoto couldn't help but notice her nervousness as she walked toward the Headmaster. He figured he would probably look even worse once his time came.

Fujisaki-san... Her name rings a few bells, too... Something about revolutionary AI or something...?

"The Ultimate Writing Prodigy, Toko Fukawa."

If Chihiro had been nervous, Makoto didn't know what word to use to describe the purple-haired girl. She looked everywhere around herself as she walked as if she feared for her life.

Fukawa-san... She's the author of some really famous novels, like 'So Lingers the Ocean'...

"The Ultimate Clairvoyant, Yasuhiro Hagakure."

The what...? Makoto watched as a boy – more of a young man, honestly – stood up and walked over to the Headmaster. The Ultimate Lucky Student noticed the other students must have been having the same thought he had. Hagakure-kun... You're not our age, are you...?

"The Ultimate Soldier, Mukuro Ikusaba."

Silently, Mukuro went to retrieve her e-handbook. Makoto noticed exactly how stealthy she was and how it made her look kind of intimidating – especially with the cold expression on her face.

Ikusaba-san... I don't think I'd heard her name before today... She doesn't appear to be very talkative, either...

"The Ultimate Moral Compass, Kiyotaka Ishimaru."

"Yes, sir!" Almost methodically, the black-haired boy who had scolded Makoto earlier walked over to Jin, bowing before the Headmaster as he received his handbook.

Ishimaru-kun... He... appears to respect authority, to say the least... I know there used to be a Prime Minister Ishimaru, but I don't know if they're related...

"The Ultimate Detective, Kyoko Kirigiri."

Makoto's eyes widened as the girl next to him stood up unemotionally. He watched her as she walked, her long, neatly-done lavender hair flowing behind her. She wordlessly accepted the e-handbook handed to her and returned to her seat under the gaze of everyone – students and journalists alike.

Kirigiri-san... She shares the Headmaster's name! This can't just be a coincidence! But then... does that mean she's the Headmaster's daughter?! The boy brought his hand to his chin in thought. Wait, but... if she is, why did that interaction sound so cold...? I would ask her, but... Makoto gulped as he noticed the expression on the mysterious girl's face. N-Never mind!

"The Ultimate Baseball Star, Leon Kuwata."

Excitedly, a red-haired athletic-looking boy stood up and nearly ran to the Headmaster, flashing a smile to the cameras and showing them a peace sign. Jin gave him his handbook, slightly surprised by his behavior.

Kuwata-kun... He's one of the most well-known potentials in baseball... He's a real star, as his title implies!

"The Ultimate Gambler, Celestia Ludenberg."

A girl dressed in black and white stood up elegantly. Her hair, tied into two drills, moved slightly as she walked gracefully. She gave a small bow upon receiving her e-handbook and returned to her seat.

Ludenberg-san... Her name doesn't really sound Japanese... That's a little odd 'cause she clearly *looks* Japanese...

"The Ultimate Pop Sensation, Sayaka Maizono."

The clicks of the cameras became overwhelming as a familiar-looking blue-haired girl stood from her chair, visibly a little embarrassed by the cameras all pointed at her. Makoto smiled as she walked with a perfect smile, giving off a casual yet stylish vibe.

Maizono-san... Who hasn't heard of her?! She's the most famous pop star in Japan these days. Girls love her, and it is said that thousands of boys have a crush on her... Makoto thought amusingly, observing as the cameras refused to let up. And well... she attended my middle school, even if she definitely doesn't remember me...

"The Ultimate Lucky Student, Makoto Naegi."

Makoto felt his heart skip a beat as his name was called by the Headmaster. He started sweating, his nervousness increasing tenfold in a matter of seconds.

O-Okay, deep breaths, Naegi... Y-You're fine! Hesitantly, he stood up on shaky legs. Kyoko, beside him, gave him a suspicious look. J-Just don't trip over your feet and act natural...!

He took a deep breath and walked on the red carpet towards the Headmaster. The boy noticed a small and entertained smile on both Jin's face and that of his colleague Kizakura. Not cool!

Whether it was a self-defense mechanism or the reality of things, Makoto didn't hear any cameras taking pictures of him. He figured no media really cared about an average student such as him.

Thank God!

"Anxious, are we, Naegi-kun?" Jin asked jokingly as Makoto reached the stage. The Ultimate Lucky Student's cheeks turned red as he failed to find an answer. "You'll be just fine." He handed him the handbook and chuckled. "Good luck, although I doubt you'll need it."

I-I wouldn't mind some, believe me! Makoto thought, having to stop the words from escaping his mouth. Screaming at the Headmaster on his first day would be both embarrassing and an overall awful idea.

"T-Thank you, sir...!" he said with as much confidence he could muster (which wasn't a lot), giving a polite bow. B-Back to my seat now! Subconsciously increasing his pace, Makoto returned to his seat, holding on to the device real tight.

"The Ultimate Martial Artist, Sakura Ogami."

Makoto's eyes bulged as he noticed an absolute mountain of muscle rise from her seat. At first glance, he had to admit he thought they were a boy, but they were actually a girl. Well, this was someone it would be best to get on the good side of!

Ogami-san... I had read her name online, but I never could have thought she had such a muscled body! Makes me jealous, to be honest!

"The Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, Mondo Owada."

A scary-looking boy with a pompadour as a hairstyle stood up, walking towards the Headmaster with his hands in his pockets. He took the handbook and returned to his seat, making some students gulp in fear.

Owada-kun... He sure looks intimidating... He could probably punch me into oblivion...

"The Ultimate Affluent Progeny, Byakuya Togami."

Pushing his glasses up, a blonde boy rose up proudly, walking to get his e-handbook with the most confidence out of anyone yet. His expression was cold and betrayed some arrogance.

Togami-kun... I definitely heard his name before, although not much info was available about him online...

"And finally, the Ultimate Fanfic Creator, Hifumi Yamada."

Some surprised sounds were heard as a boy of ridiculous proportions stood from his seat. Makoto had to admit he was caught off-guard. This... wasn't going to improve the reputation of the otaku community.

Yamada-kun... I think he wrote some pretty popular stories online or something...

"This now concludes the orientation ceremony. You are free to address the media if you so desire. Finally, your first homeroom class is tomorrow at eight in the morning, so I suggest you do not party all night long," Jin said, sighing. "Well, I wish you all a good day and good luck on your journey in this school."

Everyone stood up at those parting words before the Headmaster and his colleague left the gym through the backdoor, leaving the sixteen students alone with the media teams. Very suddenly, Makoto felt like an animal that had just been released into the wilderness.

Very quickly, a few of his classmates went to talk to the journalists of their own free will, while others moved to greet one another. On his end, Makoto knew what his next move was.

Well, I'll kindly take my leave now if you don't mi-

"Naegi-kun?"

The Ultimate Lucky Student turned around.

"H-Huh?"

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Eight: Too Grand For Me

12th of March, 2011

"Naegi-kun?"

The Ultimate Lucky Student turned around.

"H-Huh?"

A middle-aged man approached Makoto, followed by a few of his peers. "I hope we aren't bothering you, Naegi-kun. We are from TBS News, and we were wondering if you could grant us a few minutes of your time for a quick interview?"

Makoto's eyes immediately widened in terror, and his face turned as white as a sheet. "W-What...?" He noticed the camera pointed right at him. He panicked when he saw his own reflection in the lens. A-Am I being filmed right now?!

"I promise, it won't be long. We would just like to hear from this year's Ultimate Lucky Student, that's all," the journalist said, obviously trying to win Makoto over. At this moment, though, the boy only cared to understand what was happening. "Oh, and if this is what you are worried about, you are not being filmed right now. We are currently on a commercial break."

His sigh of relief was heard throughout the entire gym. Makoto thought his heart was about to burst out of his chest for a moment! Putting him through this was nothing short of cruel.

"O-Oh, um..." How do I say this without being rude...? He wondered, trying to find a nice way to turn the journalist down. After all, he had approached him pretty nicely, and Makoto didn't have it in him to downright tell him to go away. Not that it was in his nature, anyway. The poor man was just doing his job. He had just happened not to choose the best guest inside the room. "I-I'm not sure my opi-"

The man laughed. "Do not worry, Naegi-kun! Your opinion does matter! Perhaps more than anyone else's! The general public doesn't know you, so they're curious to hear your thoughts! Your story is likely to be more relatable!"

Hey, if you're not going to give me a choice, then there was no need to ask in the first place! Makoto thought, wanting to roll his eyes. Honestly, the only reason he didn't was to not look impolite. He took a deep breath, hesitantly saying, "A-Alright, then... I, uh... guess I don't mind..." What am I doing...?

"Excellent! Filming team, we're live in five... four... three..."

W-Woah, hold on! Makoto waved his hands around. A-At least give me time to get ready!

"...two... one..." With that, the journalist's face did a sort of reset as he extended his microphone toward Makoto. "Thank you for joining us on TBS News. We have a special guest in this hourly news report with Makoto Naegi-kun, Hope's Peak Academy's new Ultimate Lucky Student. Good morning, Naegi-kun!"

I-I'm on freaking TV! What *is* happening?! "G-Good morning..." Makoto answered, incapable of neither not stuttering nor calming himself down. He knew he looked like a mess in front of possibly thousands of people, and there was nothing he could do about it! And, well... it was too late to run away now, wasn't it...?

"So, Naegi-kun... What are your first thoughts about Hope's Peak Academy? Any surprises so far?"

"U-Um... Y-Yes, plenty, actually," he replied. Ending up on a news channel being the biggest of them all... He thought wryly, trying to hide his gulp.

The journalist nodded with a level of enthusiasm that was far from being matched on the boy's side. "Were you perhaps surprised to meet some of the absolute celebrities who'll be your classmates here? I assume anyone would be, correct?"

"Y-Yes..."

Makoto thought that if he kept his answers brief and to the point, he could save himself a good deal of embarrassment. After all, it lowered his odds of saying something dumb, so his reasoning was sound. It broke his heart to give the journalist such poor material to work with, but it was also his fault for not allowing him some time to prepare!

"Oh, Naegi-kun! There you are!"

The Ultimate Lucky Student couldn't help but turn around as he heard his name being called from behind him. Whoever it was, they were being pretty passionate about it, too. His eyes widened once again as he noticed a familiar blue-haired girl walking in his direction, waving at him.

"Hello, Mister Journalist! I'm sure you don't mind if I take a little bit of screentime, do you?"

"W-What the...?" Makoto stared at the girl, gaping as he realized just who was standing next to him. "M-Maizono-san?!"

"I-I can't believe it...! V-Viewers at home watching TBS News... t-this is truly the one and only Sayaka Maizono! Sayaka Maizono has just joined us!"

The journalist looked even more surprised than Makoto, freaking out for all the viewers to see. Makoto figured this was a pretty big deal for a TV channel. After all, the Ultimate Pop Sensation, of all people, had casually joined him in front of the camera, showing the viewers an angelic smile.

Who wouldn't freak out?

"Hello, everyone!" Sayaka greeted, waving at the camera. "I have come here to answer a few questions for TBS News! I'm sure you don't mind, Mister Journalist?"

W-What is she doing?! Makoto wondered bewilderedly. Then, Sayaka briefly looked at him and gave him a quick wink. W-Wait, is she covering for me?! Before he could find an answer to this question, the cameras were pointed away from him and exclusively at the pop star. Quite a relief. D-Did Maizono-san... just save me from a TV interview...?

Standing there in disbelief, Makoto watched as Sayaka took over him, answering the journalist's questions with more ease than he could ever hope to have. Her voice didn't waver even once. Meanwhile, the boy still couldn't move, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Well, whatever it was... I'm 10,000% grateful! He thought, watching as his new classmate wholly captured the media team's attention. Makoto guessed the channel was observing a spike in viewers just about now. She's so comfortable; no surprises there... He chuckled.

The boy had to admit it made him feel slightly honored that she remembered who he was from when the Headmaster did his roll call. She had called him Naegi-kun, after all. His name wasn't yet quite as well-known as hers – and Makoto wasn't exactly complaining about that.

I should really wait for her and thank her... The Ultimate Lucky Student thought, nervous at the mere thought of talking to such a bright star. Honestly, he did feel a little inferior to her. 'Little' may have been the understatement of the century, too.

He looked around, noticing some of his classmates were starting to leave the gymnasium. For instance, Kyoko was nowhere to be seen. Now that he knew she was a detective, Makoto wasn't as surprised she gave off such mysterious vibes. It reminded him of the detectives in movies.

"And this concludes our interview with Sayaka Maizono-san, the one and only Ultimate Pop Sensation! Thank you so much for granting us some of your precious time, Maizono-san!"

"Oh, this is nothing!" Sayaka flashed a peace sign at the camera. "Have a nice day, everyone!"

With those final words, she stepped out of the camera's range, scratching her temple. She flashed Makoto a sheepish smile, walking over to him.

"Talk about a surprise interview!" she said, giggling. "Hello, Naegi-kun!"

"M-Maizono-san...! I-I... T-Thank you!"

Makoto bowed, making the girl gasp. "N-No need to bow to me, Naegi-kun! I helped because I saw you looked a little uncomfortable out there!" She giggled again, putting her hand in front of her mouth. "Anything for a former student of Blackroot Junior High!"

"W-What...? D-Did you just...?" He had to make sure he had heard that right. For a moment, Makoto thought his ears were playing tricks on him.

"Yeah, I remember you went to Blackroot Junior High, Naegi-kun!"

"Y-You do?!"

"Of course! You were in Class 2! I remember that day when you rescued that crane that got lost! This was so kind of you, Naegi-kun!"

Makoto's brain had to browse through his memories to remember that. Eventually, though, it came back to him. With Sayaka's words came a subtle blush on the boy's cheeks. "I... can't believe you remembered that, Maizono-san..." She sure has a great memory...

"Indeed! My memory's one of my greatest strengths!"

"W-Wait..." I... didn't say that last part aloud, did I...?

"Nope, you didn't! I'm just psychic, Naegi-kun!"

Makoto said nothing for a moment. He had to make sure he got his thoughts in order. First off, he was currently chatting with the Sayaka Maizono, one of Japan's brightest young stars. Komaru adored her, and Makoto would be lying to himself if he denied having had a tiny little crush on her back in middle school.

Second, said star remembered him from something random he had done years ago! Of the thousands of people she had probably met since then, she recalled who he was – him, Makoto Naegi! The average Joe personified!

Last but not least, she was reading his thoughts!

"I am so confused right now..."

"No, I'm just kidding! I just have great intuition!"

Y-You do, huh...? Here's something that wasn't written all over the web... Makoto thought, unwilling to admit he had spent more than his fair share of time trying to learn more about the pop star. She was undoubtedly the person he had looked into the most out of his fifteen classmates.

"Anyway, I'm happy to meet you again, Naegi-kun!" Sayaka said, showing Makoto her smile. "I didn't know you would be attending Hope's Peak! And as the Ultimate Lucky Student, no less! Having such great luck must be sooooo nice!"

Makoto sweatdropped. "I, uh... I don't mean to disappoint you, Maizono-san, but I don't actually possess any type of Ultimate Luck..." he admitted, his voice a tad shameful. Excellent way of being reminded of why I'm not in Maizono-san's category... "I'm just an average person. My optimism is my only remarkable trait, and that's it."

"Aw, don't say that Naegi-kun!" the blue-haired gently scolded. "I'm sure you have plenty of great qualities, even if luck is not one of them! Your kindness, for one!"

"Y-You..." The boy felt more blood rise to his cheeks. "Y-You mean that...?"

"Well, that's the first impression I'm getting, anyway," Sayaka said with a shrug. "And I'm never wrong with my first impressions, mind you, Makoto!"

W-Wait, first-name basis already?! Makoto's eyes widened. "W-Well, um... t-thanks, Maizono-san..."

"You're welcome, Makoto!" She giggled, realizing what had the boy so worked up. "Oh, sorry, should have asked before calling you by your first name, Naegi-kun!"

"I-It's alright, Maizono-san... I-I don't mind..." Sayaka Maizono is talking to me so casually... She's so approachable even though I'm a complete nobody...

"You shouldn't think that about yourself, Makoto! You're not a nobody! At least, not anymore! After all, you're a student of Hope's Peak Academy!"

Oh, right, the mindreading thing... "I-I appreciate that, Maizono-san..." Suddenly, a lightbulb lit up above Makoto's head. "O-Oh, by the way! I-I absolutely need to ask you something, Maizono-san!"

Sayaka rolled her eyes amusingly. "I'll sign you one later, don't worry."

"H-Huh?"

"Trust me, I don't need any psychic abilities to figure out when someone wants an autograph, Makoto," she carried on. "I'll sign you as many as you need."

Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Maizono-san must have signed at least a million autographs since she started her career... "Thanks a lot! My sister is a huge fan of your idol group and collects all the merchandise she can find! She'd be the happiest girl in the world!"

The Ultimate Pop Sensation smiled, and so did Makoto. When he had told Komaru that he would get her an autograph from her favorite idol, the Ultimate Lucky Student had yet to come up with how he would do this. After all, he was nervous about stepping inside Hope's Peak, let alone talking to the most famous student.

It seemed things had decided to go his way for once. Maybe he was a little lucky in the end.

"Hey, Sayaka!"

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Nine:  Meeting the Player

12th of March, 2011

"Hey, Sayaka!"

Both classmates observed as a redheaded boy rushed their way, waving at the Ultimate Pop Sensation enthusiastically. Makoto heard Sayaka sigh, visibly from annoyance. He merely smiled.

"Kuwata-kun," Sayaka said flatly. "I would much prefer you call me Maizono-san." She crossed her arms with a second sigh. "Approaching people so casually is usually considered rude."

Damn... Talk about cold! Makoto thought, watching as the pop star scolded the Ultimate Baseball Star. You won't hear me talk this way to somebody so famous...

"M-My bad..." The boy scratched the back of his head, his cheeks turning a shade of red slightly lighter than his hair. "Would Maizono-chan be a good compromise...?"

Makoto sweatdropped as Sayaka facepalmed. The Ultimate Lucky Student had to stop himself from giggling. The look on the bluenette's face was honestly pretty priceless. The girl had 'why me?' written all over her countenance.

"Fine, I'm not going to argue about something like that forever, anyway," she relented, rolling her eyes. "I don't think I need to introduce myself, do I?" Seeing the ballplayer shake his head, Sayaka carried on, "This is Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student."

"H-Hello!" the boy greeted somewhat timidly, even if the redhead's apparent friendliness enabled him to relax a little compared to earlier. It couldn't get worse than when he was in front of that damned camera, anyway. "I-I'm glad to meet you!"

"Same here, Naegi, man! The name's Leon Kuwata!" He flashed Makoto a peace sign, adding (not without confidence), "I'm the one and only Ultimate Baseball Star!"

Well, someone here doesn't lack self-confidence, at least... Makoto thought amusingly. From what he had read on the Internet, Leon was a player... in every sense of the word. That explained part of his self-confidence. Although, I have to say... "I don't mean that rudely at all, but you look slightly different than you do on TV, Kuwata-kun."

Sayaka nodded. "Yeah, I agree with Makoto," she said, heavily emphasizing the use of the lucky student's first name. "I don't know much about baseball, but you look... different, somehow."

"A-Ah, well..." Leon chuckled nervously. "You know the business... You have to look a certain way to follow some dumb rules... Can't have piercings, and when I tried to pull up to a game with my hair like this, they shaved my head inside the freaking locker room!" he said, sounding quite frustrated. "So yeah, I'm not surprised you think so."

"I understand why piercings might not be allowed when playing baseball, but..." Makoto brought his hand to his chin in confusion. "Why does it matter how your hair is done? I mean, it's not like it was long enough to whip somebody's face with it, right?"

Sayaka giggled. "The problem with Kuwata-kun's hair isn't the length!" she said gently. The boys noticed she was doing her best not to explode into a laughing fit. Leon sweatdropped.

"Dunno, man. Believe me, I stopped trying to understand the old geezers making the rules long ago." His smile returned. "Anyway, soon enough, I'll have a different Ultimate talent! And this is where I'd like to ask for your help, Maizono-chan!"

Maizono-san's help? And what's this about a different Ultimate talent...? You can't just switch talents, can you...? I know I can't!

"What do you need my help for, Kuwata-kun?" Sayaka asked, giving him a suspicious look.

"Well... To be honest, I don't like playing baseball all that much," Leon admitted, scratching his head sheepishly. "Something I completely dig, though, is music! So since you're the Ultimate Pop Sensation, I thought I'd ask you for advice on how to become the Ultimate Musician!"

Makoto's eyes widened. "W-Wait, you don't like baseball?! S-Seriously?! E-Even though you're so amazing at it?!"

The red-haired boy sighed. "Yeah, it's boring... Where's the fun in throwing a ball, really...? I know everyone says I'm good at it and all, but that's not what I wanna do with my life! I wanna be a musician!"

"You, a musician? With that work ethic? Ha!"

"M-Maizono-chan...?"

"Keep dreaming!" Sayaka laughed at him, and the Ultimate Lucky Student could tell it was a mocking laugh. "You probably can't even imagine a hundredth of what it takes to make a breakthrough in the music field, Kuwata-kun." She rolled her eyes. "Forget this dream of yours. It's best for you, trust me."

Damn... Poor Kuwata-kun... She shot him down mercilessly... Makoto thought, slightly taken aback by Sayaka's reaction. He had never expected her to be capable of such coldness. I mean, if he wants to do that because he's passionate, then-

"Plus, I'm sure you only want to become a musician to impress some random girl," Sayaka added, scoffing.

Leon blushed, wordlessly admitting to it. Never mind... Even if it wasn't much, Makoto could now judge the ballplayer's character a little more clearly. It seems pretty obvious he's interested in Sayaka... It's not really that surprising... Doesn't seem like it's a two-way street, though...

"Hm, guys, I don't mean to interrupt anything, but we should probably get going to our dorm rooms if we want to have some free time to explore around campus..." Makoto suggested, noticing that the discussion his new classmates were having wasn't about to end soon.

"Yeah, let's do that," the pop sensation said, muttering under her breath something about 'slapping Kuwata-kun soon.' It didn't take Makoto a detective's mind to figure she was thrilled to have a good reason to stop talking with Leon.

Makoto sweatdropped, leading the way out of the gymnasium – where only a few students remained – his two classmates in tow. The Ultimate Lucky Student wouldn't have guessed he would be approached by two absolute stars of his generation like this.

If anything, they didn't appear to be oddballs. Not too much, at least. All things considered, Makoto would take it.

12th of March, 2011

"So these are the dorms?"

Sayaka nodded. "It seems to be the case. The building is pretty cozy, actually," she said, looking around. The dormitory building had been built on the part of campus isolated from all the noise, so it was on the quiet side. "There's my dorm here! Let's go in! I wanna see what it looks like!"

Makoto and Leon nodded, watching as the Ultimate Pop Sensation produced a set of keys from her pocket and unlocked the front door. The three looked inside before stepping in.

"Man, this looks pretty good!" Leon stated, taking in the main room with his classmates. "It's furnished and all... And your bed looks so comfy, Maizono-chan!"

The pop star gave him a disapproving stare. Makoto giggled, noticing some suitcases. "You brought a lot of stuff with you, Maizono-san." I only took one suitcase with me...

"Yeah, I've got some spares of my stage outfit and some equipment related to my talent, too," she explained. "But yeah, it'll need some decorating, but it's pretty neat!" She smiled, sitting on her bed. "And the bed is comfortable."

Leon shrugged. "Told ya."

"Kuwata-kun!" Sayaka growled, shaking her head. "Anyway, you boys should probably go check out your dorms. If you want, we can go grab a bite together for lunch. I saw there was a cafeteria somewhere on the map."

The two other Ultimates nodded. "Sounds good to me!" the ballplayer said enthusiastically. It didn't take Makoto much brainpower to figure out why. "Let's go, Naegi! We don't wanna bother Maizono-chan!"

Makoto and Sayaka sweatdropped as they left. The bluenette waved at them with a smile as they took their leave, turning to her suitcases.

"You seem to like Maizono-san, Kuwata-kun," Makoto pointed out innocently as they found themselves in the hallway again.

A small blush crept up on his cheeks. No surprises there, honestly. "Y-Yeah, I guess so... I just am acting cool, you know? Be friendly to the nice chicks?"

No disagreement there from the boy. Way to hide your ulterior motives, Kuwata-kun... He thought amusingly. Still, he could understand where he was coming from. I had a crush on Maizono-san in middle school, too, so it's not like I get any room to talk...

"Well, your room is right next to Maizono-chan's, so I'll leave you in peace so you can settle in properly!" Leon said, flashing him a peace sign. "Later, man!"

"See you, Kuwata-kun!"

With that, the Ultimate Baseball Star walked away to find his own room. Makoto stared at the door in front of him, noticing the nameplate with his name and pixely picture embedded in it. He took a second to think.

This is going to be my living place for two whole years... He gulped. H-Hopefully...! Taking a deep breath to reassure himself, the Ultimate Lucky Student grabbed the keys he had received from Juzo earlier. He tried the first one, but no luck. Of course. Talk about an Ultimate Lucky Student... I can't even get a one in two to go my way...

Obviously, the second key was the correct one. Makoto twisted the doorknob and entered the room. He found it to be highly similar to the one Sayaka had.

"Seems like there'll be plenty of space to do... whatever a student of Hope's Peak Academy needs to do inside their room, I guess..." He thought aloud, closing the door. "If anyone wants to organize sleepovers, there will definitely be enough room in a single dorm..."

Next to the bed was the suitcase he had lent to the Security Chief during the encounter earlier. Makoto also noticed a note on the desk. He picked it up.

"To Makoto Naegi,

I am sorry to tell you that the shower inside your bathroom is currently out of commission. Hope's Peak Academy has called a plumber to have it repaired, but they will only be able to come in a few days. In the meantime, please ask one of your classmates if you can shower in their bathroom.

With my sincerest apologies,

Jin Kirigiri."

Makoto's hazel eyes widened. W-What the...?! T-The shower's not working?! He quickly found the bathroom and went inside. "Damn, he really wasn't lying... The thing is completely busted... Talk about lucky..."

The boy ran his hand through his thick, spiky hair, sighing. The closest room on his left was Sayaka's. Surely he couldn't ask a girl if he could shower in her bathroom, right? He would have to check whose room was directly on his right.

"Well, I can't let my mood be ruined by this minor inconvenience!" Makoto said, cheering himself up. He opened his suitcase, finding the clothes he and Yumiko had packed inside. The one thing he looked for, however, was far different. "C-Come on, where are you...? Ah, there!"

With a smile, Makoto grabbed a specific object: a picture frame. Sitting on his bed, he looked at it with fondness.

"Mom... Dad... Komaru... Here I am. Hope's Peak Academy..." He chuckled to himself. "I can hardly believe it, even now..." Makoto placed the frame on the nightstand, so it would be the first thing he would see upon waking up every morning. "I love you three."

Humming contently, the Ultimate Lucky Student returned to his suitcase, deciding to be quick about it to join Sayaka and Leon for lunch soon.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Ten: All Kind and Friendly

12th of March, 2011

After unpacking his suitcase and organizing his clothes inside the dorm's wardrobe, Makoto stepped out of his room to reunite with the Ultimate Baseball Star and Ultimate Pop Sensation. In the hallways, he heard the feminine voice of somebody arguing – something about not wanting anything to do with a pervert.

The boy figured he would stay away from whatever that was.

"Ah, Makoto!"

Makoto turned around and noticed Sayaka waving at him. He smiled and walked over to her, appreciating how casual she was with him. It helped him feel more at ease and less pressured around her. "Hi again, Maizono-san," he said politely. "Should we go pick up Kuwata-kun for lunch?"

"Yep!" the pop star agreed with a nod. "Before that, though..." She paused and pointed at Makoto's door. "Aren't you forgetting a little something, Makoto?"

"O-Oh, um..." Great, now she thinks I'm dumb... He thought, nervously going back to his door and locking it. "My bad... I can be pretty forgetful sometimes... Hehe..."

She laughed it off, saying, "It's okay! It happens to everyone, honestly. I forget things all the time, too, with my busy schedule and all." The two started walking towards the ballplayer's room. "You should be good as long as you don't forget something too important, like breathing." She giggled sweetly. "Forgetting to breathe sounds like something Kuwata-kun would do if you ask me!"

Makoto sweatdropped. Whatever the redhead had done to annoy Sayaka, she sure was venting it out. He didn't think the angelic pop star on the TV could be firing shots like that IRL. It made him realize there was always more to people than first meets the eye.

"H-Hey, I'm not that dumb!" complained Leon, simultaneously exiting his dorm room. "M-Maybe a little, but not that much, Maizono-chan!" He pouted cutely, his face turning pink. "Meanie..."

These two sure are already thick as thieves... The Ultimate Lucky Student thought ironically, hearing his two classmates bicker as they left the building. They don't seem to be oddballs on their own but put them together and they start arguing like an old couple...

He watched them with a smile. Makoto didn't mind having classmates with their quirks. It was bound to spice things up a bit – not that he believed his life at Hope's Peak Academy would be spiceless, not by a long shot.

12th of March, 2011

"Well, that sure is a big cafeteria. And a lot of people, too. Not really surprising, though."

Leon and Makoto nodded at Sayaka's astute observation. The three stood at the cafeteria entrance, which they had learned was only one of three on-campus restaurants available to students. At first glance, Makoto figured there were at least one hundred people inside, whether waiting in line or already eating.

"I'm starving! Let's get in line, guys!" Leon suggested (even if it almost sounded like an order), grabbing a tray and practically sprinting to get in line.

"C-Coming!" Makoto said, hurrying while trying not to slip and fall. Embarrassing himself in front of the whole cafeteria was a big no-no. However, he noticed the blue-haired Ultimate wasn't moving. "Maizono-san?" he called out and heard her sigh. I wonder what's up with Maizono-san...? "A-Aaah!"

Suddenly, the boy's hazel eyes widened in surprise and fear as a torrent of people rushed in his direction, mindlessly pushing him around and walking on his feet.

Well, they weren't running in his direction but in Sayaka's.

"Just grab your food and find us a table, okay?" Sayaka asked, the annoyance in her smile dissipating in a second as a broad and friendly smile appeared on her lips. "I'll be there in a second."

"O-Oh, um... o-okay."

Makoto observed with curiosity as large groups of students swarmed around the Ultimate Pop Sensation, chanting her name and declarations of love. Sayaka handled them with fantastic professionalism, signing autographs and thanking everyone for their long-lasting support.

Well, let's get away from here before someone walks over me... He thought, reaching to grab a tray and get in line. Luckily, since the whole cafeteria had been drawn to Sayaka, no one but him and Leon were waiting for food. "Maizono-san sure is popular..." he told the baseball player. "I'd like to say I'm jealous, but I'm really not..."

"She's a pretty chick with a marvelous voice, so I'm not surprised," Leon said, and Makoto could hear some disappointment in his voice. "But those Sayakers are crazy, I tell ya! Poor Maizono-chan..." He sighed and paused.

It seems like Kuwata-kun can sympathize, after all. Maybe he doesn't only see Maizono-san as someone he needs to land a date with...

"If only she dated me, I'd make sure they give her some peace and quiet!"

And... I take it all back...

The two boys picked their food from the options available and sat in the back of the cafeteria, the farthest away from all the attention. Makoto's belly growled as he stared at the bowl of piping hot ramen in front of him.

"The food smells sooooo good!" he said, licking his lips. "I can't wait for Maizono-san to return so we can start eating! Being so nervous has made me starve!"

"What're you nervous about, Naegi?" the redhead asked, stabbing his steak with his fork without waiting for anybody. "If anything, I figured you'd be the one who has it the easiest, no? You don't have to deal with the masses like Maizono-chan, right?"

Thanks for reminding me I'm a total nobody, Kuwata-kun... Makoto sweatdropped. He was sure Leon didn't mean harm, but that still hurt a little. "Yeah, but being around so many talented people... it's intimidating," he admitted bashfully. "I'm not special like everyone else in the class, so being here feels daunting."

The Ultimate Baseball Star laughed and slapped him on the back. "Don't worry 'bout a thing, man! You can rest assured I don't discriminate!" he told him with a friendly smile. "As long as you don't get in the way of me dating Maizono-chan, I don't mind whether you have a talent!"

"T-Thanks," Makoto said timidly. "I appreciate that, Kuwata-kun."

Leon nodded as he started eating. Meanwhile, the Ultimate Lucky Student waited for the bluenette to come back, although, at present, the crowd around her didn't seem to dissipate. Makoto chuckled as he imagined his sister would probably be just as hysterical if she met Sayaka in person.

"Let's sit here, okay?"

"Yeah, sure! O-Oh, there are people here!"

Makoto and Leon looked up from their trays and noticed two familiar-looking girls at their table. It took him a while to recall their names, but he quickly realized they were his classmates.

"Y-You're... Asahina-san and Ogami-san, right?" he tried, gulping as he saw the mountain of muscle standing before them, her figure shadowing the entire table.

"Yep!" the Ultimate Swimming Pro confirmed with an energetic nod. "Aoi Asahina, the Ultimate Swimming Pro! But my friends call me Hina for short. And that's my friend Sakura Ogami, the Ultimate Martial Artist!" She blushed, her tanned cheeks turning rosy. "I needed to eat something, so we came here for lunch. Would it be okay if we ate with you? Since we're classmates and stuff? To get to know each other better?"

"Sure! The more, the merrier!" Leon said enthusiastically. Makoto was confident it was only because they were pretty girls. "We're waiting for Maizono-chan to return. She... got caught up in an unexpected autograph-signing session near the entrance."

"Hm, so that's what this was about..." Sakura muttered. Makoto noticed she had not taken any food. Instead, the muscular girl only had small bottles on her tray. "Those are my supplements," she said, noticing the boy's curious glances. "They allow me to balance my nutrition just right."

"O-Oh, okay..." Makoto shivered and did not say anything else for fear of offending her. He was nearly convinced she could break every bone in his body with her pinky, so he opted to be quiet. I wouldn't want to be her enemy, that's for sure...

"So, um... What are your names again...?" Hina asked, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I'm just really not good with names..."

"My name's Makoto Naegi," Makoto answered politely. "I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student."

"Naegi... Naegi... Naegi..."

The boys looked at one another, wondering what the heck the girl was doing. Hina was writing something in the palm of her hand with her fingers, her expression showing just how focused she was.

"U-Um... What are you doing, Hina...?" Leon questioned, repeatedly blinking in confusion.

"Oh, I'm just writing down Naegi's name in my hand three times so I can remember it better!" the swimmer explained joyfully. "My brother taught me this trick, and it works wonders!"

You make it sound like it's something everybody does... Makoto thought. It seems Hina is... an airhead, to put it lightly... He smiled as she repeated the process with the ballplayer's name. Her cheerfulness is infectious, though. She puts me in a good mood just by smiling!

"So, I have been meaning to ask ever since Headmaster Kirigiri mentioned it earlier," Sakura began, looking at Makoto. "Your talent is intriguing to me, Naegi. How does your Ultimate Luck manifest?"

Great, my favorite question... The boy deadpanned, stopping himself from rolling his eyes. "Well, actually-"

"Because he gets to be classmates with yours truly!"

The four students turned around and noticed Sayaka standing there, gently smiling at them. Makoto blushed as her joyful voice cut him. Technically, this was a save from a question he didn't want to answer, so he was grateful!

"Hey, you're Maizono-chan!" Hina beamed. "I don't know much about pop stars and stuff, but you're super famous!"

"Indeed," the martial artist concurred. "I doubt someone at Hope's Peak hasn't heard of you. It is no surprise you are a student here, Maizono."

"O-Oh, stop, you'll make me blush!" Sayaka dismissed with a laugh. "Pleased to meet you, girls! I'm Sayaka Maizono, Ultimate Pop Sensation! If I remember correctly..." She paused to think for a second. "Aoi Asahina... and Sakura Ogami, right?"

Both girls nodded. Sayaka sat with her tray, allowing her to further introduce herself to her two classmates. Meanwhile, the two boys listened (and Leon continued to eat like he had not been fed for a week), Makoto's mind fixated on the pop star's innocent earlier comment.

Maizono-san brings up a good point... Getting the chance to have her as a classmate really is lucky... He chuckled. Maybe I don't need to think too hard about it. People would kill for a chance to meet Maizono-san, let alone be classmates with her!

"Well, I'm sure we will share a unique experience together," Sakura said wisely as they all joined Leon and started eating. Makoto noticed Hina's appetite appeared to be as voracious as his.

"Yeah, and it all begins at the party tonight! I'm excited!" the swimmer agreed, enthusiastically biting into her food. "It should be fun! If everyone's as kind as Sakura-chan and the three of you, we'll have the time of our lives here!"

Everyone was in agreement with Hina. After all, it was a reasonable assumption. So far, Makoto had no reason to complain. The four Ultimates sitting with him around the table were kind, even if they had their respective personalities. The twins from earlier that morning were... unique, to say the least, but appeared friendly enough. Lastly, the Headmaster's daughter – Kyoko – well... he hoped she was just in a bad mood.

Overall, I'm pretty confident! It appears that being a student here hasn't gotten to anyone's head, and definitely not mine! Everyone's friendly here! Neat!

As he carefreely ate lunch with his new classmates, Makoto couldn't have imagined how quickly his assumption would be put to the test – and that, big time.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Eleven: ...or Perhaps Not

12th of March, 2011

After a well-needed lunch with Sayaka, Leon, Hina, and Sakura, Makoto decided to explore the campus a little more by himself. He wanted to get his bearings before too long, the thought of getting lost sounding so embarrassing he would avoid it at all costs.

That, after strolling outside for a while, brought him to the school's library. A gigantic library.

They sure don't half-ass things at Hope's Peak... Makoto thought with an amused smile as he stepped inside the building and kept quiet. Those bookshelves are like the archives of the old wizards you see in fiction... There are probably enough books to last you about a million lifetimes here...

The Ultimate Lucky Student began to look around, trying to understand how the library was organized. Needless to say, he was far from used to libraries so enormous, so it would most likely take time. Unfortunately, his former high school wasn't nearly as imposing as Hope's Peak Academy when it came to infrastructure.

Let's see... Novels are this way, these are history books, and this section has science books...

Mindlessly, Makoto walked to the novel section, noticing some other students either reading in peace and quiet or consulting the many books at their disposal. He saw many of them were wearing the same black uniform. After connecting the dots, he figured it was the uniform of the so-called Reserve Course. However, as he carefreely walked around, the boy failed to check his surroundings.

"A-Aaah!"

"E-Eeek...!"

Makoto was forced to step back and stop daydreaming as he ran head-first into someone, bumping his forehead against whoever's head this was.

"B-B-Be a little more c-careful, w-will you...?!" stuttered a girl of average stature with thick purple braids running down her back, looking at Makoto with grey eyes full of animosity. "I-I know I may not h-have much presence, but y-you should still have n-noticed me...!"

Wow, talk about rude... Makoto thought. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to run into you." He bowed, his eyes catching sight of the pile of books in the girl's hands as he did. "W-Wait, you are...!"

"W-W-What...? D-Do you think I-I'm ugly or something...?!"

The boy waved his hands around in disapproval. "N-No, not at all!" Geez, I would never think that! "I-I just remembered you from the orientation ceremony this morning! You're the famous author, Toko Fukawa, aren't you?! Your novels are absolute hits!"

"Y-Yeah, well, n-no need to shout it for e-everybody to hear..." Toko said in a low voice, giving Makoto a disapproving stare. "I-I'm surprised y-you even r-remembered me... M-Maybe you just r-remembered how u-ugly I am, huh...?!"

"H-Hey, t-that's not it at all! It's just..." He pointed to the books in her hands. "I saw you were holding a copy of So Lingers the Ocean, and I made the connection!"

"I-I-I'm sure you never e-even read it...!"

Makoto blushed. "W-Well, um..."

He had not actually read the thing. The Ultimate Lucky Student was not precisely into romance novels – or novels at all, as he was more into something that started with an 'm' and ended with 'anga.' Still, Toko's books were so widely known he had come across her name many times. Meeting her in person was... surprising, to put it lightly.

"I-I knew it..." she muttered. "Y-You only pretend like you c-care, anyway..."

Fukawa-san sure isn't friendly... There goes my theory about all my classmates being nice and all, I guess... Furthermore, she seems very... insecure... "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Fukawa-san," Makoto said with a smile. "I'm Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student."

"I-I-I'm sure you're just l-lying to make me feel b-better..." Toko stuttered meanly, although her eyes softened a little. "B-B-But I guess it's g-good to meet you, t-too... I-I'm the Ultimate Writing Prodigy..."

It wasn't a smile (far from it), but Makoto noticed the seeds of trust starting to appear on Toko's face. She was on edge, and the boy would be lying if he knew why – and he wouldn't dare try to make a hazardous guess. Yet, it appeared a part of the novelist would trust him.

"If the two of you plebians are quite finished, maybe you could move out of the way? Besides, haven't you been taught to keep your voice down inside a library, you commoners? Was your education really that pitiful?"

Toko was startled, and Makoto was caught off guard as a taller boy with blonde hair and glasses framing his face stared at them impatiently. His arms were crossed as he held a book with one hand and tapped his arm with the fingers of the other.

"S-Sorry," Makoto apologized and moved away. "P-Please go ahead."

"Hmph."

The unknown boy lightly pushed Toko out of the way and proceeded forward, not giving the two of them another glance. He headed towards the exit at a dignified pace.

He looks familiar, too... Let's see... Makoto began to list the names in his mind. After crossing those of the people he had already met, it quickly came to him. T-That's it! He was at the orientation ceremony this morning, too!

"H-Hold on!" he urged, trying to keep his voice low yet audible. The Ultimate Lucky Student sped up a little, quickly catching up to the blonde boy. "I-I'm sorry to bother you, but would you be in Class 78th? I think I saw you at the orientation ceremony this morning. My name's Makoto Naegi, and I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student. It's nice to meet you."

"Byakuya Togami."

"..."

"..."

"..." Makoto sweatdropped. "I-Is... that all...?"

"What else is there to say? I don't care about you, and I don't want a commoner like you to care about me in any other way than to accept my superiority over you."

Sheesh, I'd read about this guy being rude, but this is above anything I could have imagined! Makoto thought, struggling to hide his flabbergasted face of shock. "M-Maybe you could at least tell me what your Ultimate Talent is...?" he tried.

Byakuya pushed his glasses up his nose and smirked. "I suppose that will help show you how much greater I am than the likes of you. Very well, I am the Ultimate Affluent Progeny and heir to the prestigious Togami Empire."

"H-Hey, d-don't ignore me like t-that...!"

The two boys were interrupted as Toko caught up to them, lightly panting. She glared daggers at Makoto before her eyes turned to the Ultimate Affluent Progeny.

"I-I was talking to h-him, you b-brat...!" she told Byakuya. "R-Rude...!"

"O-Oh, my..." A look of surprise entered Byakuya's eyes. "I knew I would be dealing with the lowly masses here, but I didn't think the students here lacked showers." He pointed at the writer. "You, whoever you are, stink!"

"H-Hey, that's me-"

"A-And what if I d-do...?! W-What's it to you, a-anyway...?!"

"Your stench is an insult to the Togami name, that's all," Byakuya replied casually, the start of Makoto's outburst quickly forgotten. "I can hardly tolerate plebians like you, but you might be the worst I've encountered yet. Go away, and don't approach me again."

With that, Byakuya walked away from Toko and Makoto. The latter stayed put, too stunned to move an inch. With such a barrage of insults, the Ultimate Lucky Student was sure you could prevent floodings! Furthermore, it was clear the young heir was merely being bluntly honest, as proved by his lack of hesitation before he spoke.

He absolutely meant every word. That was pretty scary.

Well, that was something... "Fukawa-san, are you okay-?"

"S-Shut up..." he heard Toko mutter, the corner of her eyes glistering with tears. Makoto could see her anger was building up. He could hardly blame her. "I-I'll... I-I'll..."

After that, Makoto could almost fill in the blank on his own. It could be "make him say sorry!", "kick his ass!" or maybe even "kill him!" depending on precisely how furious the girl was.

"I-I'll marry him...!"

*GASP*

Makoto nearly choked on his breath as his gasp resonated through the library walls. He stared at Toko with wide eyes full of confusion, thinking of putting his pinky inside his ear to ensure his eardrums weren't clogged.

"W-What did you just say...?!" he asked. "D-Did you say...?"

"I-I don't have time for you...! I-I need to catch up to him...!"

Before he could say another word, the novelist was already running towards the exit, getting reprimanded by the librarian for being too loud on her way out. Makoto blinked a couple of times, trying to understand what the heck he had just seen unfold.

That... was weird.

It took him a moment to recover from his surprise. Makoto knew his former high school life had been ordinary at best and boring at worst. After all... he considered himself ordinary at best and boring at worst. Coming to Hope's Peak was bound to change that.

However, he would have been lying if he'd said he had imagined anything even remotely close to that.

Fukawa-san and Togami-kun... Both their names are well-known, but very little is actually known about them, as they never appear in the media... And after that, I think I can see why...

Makoto sweatdropped.

Socialization isn't really their thing, is it...?

With a pretty good grasp on the answer to that question, Makoto picked up a few books from the library and headed back to his dorm, choosing to focus on tonight's party instead.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Twelve:  Game of Cards, Hamsters & Crystal Ball

12th of March, 2011

Thanks to the map installed in his e-handbook, Makoto found his way to where the party was being held, dressed up as best as he could. It allowed him to get a little more familiar with the school's layout, and if anything, getting lost about five times on the way had shown him more of what the campus had to offer.

It was around seven in the evening, and Makoto was already exhausted. It was no surprise to him that his first day at Hope's Peak Academy, of all places, would be tiring. He just didn't expect it to be so tiring.

Let's hope I don't get there late... I don't want that guy from earlier shouting at me again... The Ultimate Lucky Student thought, facing the door to the classroom-turned-party-room for the night. It was slightly ajar, so Makoto decided to step inside.

"Ah, hello, young man! Please, come inside!"

Makoto was taken aback by the big man in a blue sports jacket standing at the entrance. Whoever he was, he was approximately as large as two Makotos – which, even if a Makoto wasn't a great unit of measurement, was still saying something.

"G-Good evening," Makoto replied with a nod. L-Let's not get on his wrong side, yeah...?

The room looked like a typical classroom, though it had clearly been reorganized for the party. There were drinks and appetizers on the tables, speakers on the walls, and some colored banners to brighten the room.

To his surprise, there was almost no one else inside. Aside from the big guy, Makoto saw a mysterious-looking boy with a scarf around his mouth who didn't look familiar, either. In addition, Sayaka was already there, chatting with the short girl, who Makoto recalled was called Chihiro, and the scary pompadour guy, Mondo.

Oh, and Toko was standing in the corner by herself, biting her nails.

"H-Hello, everyone," Makoto timidly greeted, waving at the trio.

"Hiya, Makoto!" Sayaka said with a smile. "Guys, this is Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student! We attended middle school together!"

Makoto blushed. The Ultimate Pop Sensation had changed into a white and blue dress that the boy thought was absolutely stunning, especially on Sayaka. Her hair was tied in a long blue ponytail, highlighting her flawless makeup. There was a reason the boys fell to their knees. Fortunately, Makoto's knees were holding firm.

For now, at least.

"Naegi, huh?" the scary-looking boy asked, giving Makoto a stare. The hazel-eyed gulped. Suddenly, though, his face morphed, and he gave Makoto a thumbs-up. "Nice to meetcha, man. The name's Mondo Owada."

The Ultimate Biker Gang Leader looked pretty intimidating, though his smile was actually rather friendly. He was dressed in casual wear, something a biker would typically wear.

"A-And I'm Chihiro Fujisaki," the girl standing beside him added. "I-It's nice to meet you too, Naegi-kun."

Aw, how cute! Makoto thought, finding himself at ease around the Ultimate Programmer. She wore a green skirt and buttoned shirt. "It's nice to meet you, guys. Are you three and Fukawa-san the only ones there for now?"

"Yeah, we tried to greet Fukawa-san, but she merely asked us to go away." Sayaka rolled her eyes. "To be honest, she's kinda weird. She told me she was only there to 'see her Master,' whatever that's supposed to mean."

"Oh, boy..." Makoto muttered under his breath, recalling his exchange from earlier at the library with the Ultimate Writing Prodigy. Considering how Togami-kun was acting before, I don't think he's even gonna show up, so Fukawa-san might have come here for nothing... "Do... you guys know who these two are?" he asked, discretely pointing at the two unfamiliar boys near the entrance.

Chihiro nodded. "I think they're the two classmates of Nanami-senpai's," she answered. "And it's true that with them around, you'd think twice about breaking the rules..."

Mondo didn't look so impressed.

"Good evening, everyone."

The following person to arrive was the black-haired gambler, Celeste. Sayaka and Makoto's eyes widened at the sight of the girl in regal clothes, wearing a seemingly endless red and black dress that perfectly matched her hair and eyes. Makoto had to admit she was beautiful, too.

"Damn, you're absolutely stunning!" Sayaka cheered, walking with enthusiasm in the other girl's direction. "I'm so jealous, Celeste!"

Celeste chuckled and covered her mouth with her hand. "Thank you very much, Maizono-san," the gambler said with a smile. "I must say you look quite beautiful too, dear."

Can't exactly say they're wrong, can I? Makoto thought, watching sweetly as his two classmates exchanged compliments. "Hello, Ludenberg-san," he greeted politely. "It's good to meet you."

"Ah, Naegi-kun, was it?" Makoto nodded, unable to hide his surprise. He didn't think anyone other than Sayaka would have remembered him. "Do not look so surprised. When I heard of an Ultimate Lucky Student, it was impossible for me not to be intrigued."

Makoto scratched his head. "I don't mean to disappoint, but I don't think my luck's anything special if that's what you were wondering..." he admitted embarrassedly.

"Is that so...? Well, how about you come to my dorm room after this party so we can have a game of cards, Naegi-kun? That would surely allow us to measure how lucky you truly are, wouldn't you say?"

The Ultimate Lucky Student's cheeks turned as red as a tomato. Sayaka elbowed him on the hip with a teasing smirk while Mondo rolled his eyes amusingly. Chihiro giggled.

"I see someone's not hesitant to get straight to the point..." the blue-haired girl said teasingly.

"Oh my, it appears I have caused a misunderstanding..." Celeste gave a gracious bow, allowing Makoto to sigh in relief. "My apologies, Naegi-kun. I did not mean to fluster you."

Maybe you didn't mean to, but you did! With wording like that, anyone would get flustered!

With a few more rounds of teasing from Sayaka and Mondo, the five students waited for their classmates to arrive so the party could finally kick off. Meanwhile, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy still awaited her beloved Master.

It took Makoto's face minutes to turn back to normal.

12th of March, 2011

Ultimately, everyone bothered to show up, even Byakuya. Leon was last to get to the party, earning him an earful from the big guy at the entrance, who appeared to know him. With everyone accounted for, the big guy and his friend addressed the newly formed 78th Class.

"Hello, everyone!" the former greeted, his powerful voice echoing inside the wall and nearly causing the walls to shake. "I am the Ultimate Team Manager from Class 77-B, NEKOMARU NIDAIII!"

"Greetings, inhabitants of the mortal realm!" the other boy said, keeping his mouth covered by his scarf. "Though I am better known in the landscapes of Hell as the Taboo King or the Supreme Overlord of Ice, you may call me... Gundham Tanaka, the Ultimate Breeder!"

As he uproariously exclaimed his name, four hamsters appeared at the boy's side, causing quite a stir among the new students. A dark aura appeared to form around Gundham as he stood menacingly.

"Tanaka-kun and I are here tonight to watch over you guys and make sure you don't break the rules!" Nekomaru announced. "But remember, underclassmen: you are here to have fun! So eat all you like! And there's a bathroom next door, in case one of you needs to TAKE A SHIIIIIIIIT!"

Almost everyone was startled by that announcement, both due to its nature and its sheer loudness. After rupturing a couple of eardrums, the team manager wished the younger students to enjoy themselves and let the party begin.

Our upperclassmen sure sound like some colorful people... Makoto thought with a sweatdrop, feeling like Nekomaru's voice was still echoing inside his skull. Though if I ever need the bathroom, I won't be able to say I wasn't told where it is...

"Nidai-senpai sure is a lot to deal with when you aren't used to it, huh?"

Makoto nodded at Leon. "Sure is. Though I guess he's made sure no one does anything stupid..." I had no plan to break any rule, and even if I had, I would have reconsidered by now! "Do you know Nidai-senpai, Kuwata-kun?"

"Yeah, he coached my baseball team for a while," Leon answered. "He's loud, but he's a pretty damn good manager. I'd heard he was a Hope's Peak student, but I didn't think I'd meet him again so soon. I, uh... see he still has this weird obsession with shit, though..."

Oh, so that isn't new...? Alright, then...

"I hope you two have heard our senpai's warnings! No breaking the rules!"

Perhaps just as loud as their upperclassman before, the boy in the white uniform walked over to Makoto and Leon, screaming in their faces. Flashbacks from earlier this morning haunted the Ultimate Lucky Student.

"H-How could we have not?!" Leon argued. "We're not deaf, you know!"

"Good! As a hall monitor, I must ensure everything here goes smoothly!" The boy saluted, introducing himself, "My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru, dear classmates, though I welcome you to call me Taka! I am the Ultimate Moral Compass! I hope we can get along on this educational crusade!"

"M-My name's Makoto Naegi," Makoto said, still slightly taken aback by the two consecutive phonic assaults on his ears. "I-I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student. It's nice to meet you, Taka."

"And I'm Leon Kuwata! As long as you don't chase after the girls I like, I'm sure we can get along!"

"Ah, no need to worry on that front, Kuwata-kun...! W-Wait, WHAT?!" Taka screamed in disbelief, his face turning blue from horror. "Y-You will do none of that, Kuwata-kun! H-How inappropriate! T-This is a school environment, classmate! T-There will be no... c-c-chasing girls!"

*SMASH*

The sound of glass shattering was loud enough to cover both Taka's voice and the music playing from the speakers in the background. Everyone turned toward the source of the sound. Makoto noticed glass shards scattered all around the floor and a panicked boy about to scream bloody murder.

Well, he was more of a young man than a boy.

"Noooooooooooooooo! We're all cursed!"

"Will you shut up?! I understand this is a party for commoners, but there is a limit to how much ear damage I can accept!" Byakuya exclaimed angrily, pointing frustratingly. "What are you even doing with a crystal ball?! This is a school, not some sort of fortune-teller's tent!"

The commotion got the attention of the two upperclassmen in attendance. They walked over to the panicked boy.

"My, that's a real mess!" Nekomaru stated. "Be careful not to step on the glass, everyone! That's an easy way to get injured!"

"Boy, what is it I hear about a curse?!" Gundham demanded angrily. "W-Who are you to possess an artifact able to curse us all?! Answer my query, lest I send my Four Dark Devas of Destruction after your mortal soul!"

At his command, the four hamsters from before made another appearance, and it seemed they were glaring at the older boy. Makoto sweatdropped as he appeared to shake in his boots from fear.

"Y-Yasuhiro Hagakure, s-sir! B-Better known as Hiro! I-I am the Ultimate Clairvoyant, hence how I obtained my dear crystal ball!" he answered.

Right, I remember his name now... I, uh... I'm still trying to grasp how he even got into Hope's Peak, but I don't suppose I have any right to judge the talent of others...

"Fool! Do you realize that by shattering this ancient item, you may very well have engendered the start of the pandemonium that shall consume this entire realm?!" Gundham asked. "Jum-P! Sam-D! Maga-Z! Cham-P! Collect these shards and bring them back to our almighty domain!"

Some chuckles were heard around the room as the hamsters appeared to salute before obeying the Ultimate Breeder's call. A few students observed sweetly as they collected the glass shards with their tiny paws and ran out of the room.

"Now that this is taken care of, please be more careful! As a team manager, I cannot allow anyone here to get hurt! Not on my WAAAAAAATCH!"

"Y-Yes, s-sir!"

With the incident now behind them, the party resumed in earnest. Makoto and Leon breathed a sigh of relief as Taka appeared to have forgotten about them. He was now shouting after Mondo, who appeared to be having none of it. Makoto hated to say it, but it was none of his business.

"I-I've done it now, haven't I...?"

"You ought to be more careful, man!" Leon told a depressed Hiro. "That's not how you're gonna catch any ladies! They don't like goofballs!"

While they may not like goofballs, I'm not sure you're in the best position to talk, Kuwata-kun... Makoto thought ironically. "I'm sorry you broke your crystal ball, Hiro. Do you have a replacement one?"

"Y-Yeah, but this one was special! I-It was owned by Nostradamus, for serious! T-There was only one of its kind, and now it's in pieces! To think I'd seen a great future in it... Now it's gone!"

I might be somewhat gullible, but I'm not buying a word of this, Makoto thought. "That's a shame, Hiro..." he said with a roll of his hazel-colored eyes. "Hopefully, we can forge a new future you can foresee with another crystal ball."

"Yeah, let's hope so!"

You seriously need to pick up on sarcasm, Hiro...

Makoto quickly gave up on getting to know the Ultimate Clairvoyant better. It would have to wait another day, as he felt it was bound to give him a headache rather sooner than later. Instead, he thought he would join the small group of Hina, Sakura, and Sayaka.

However, a voice stopped him in his tracks before he could move.

"Naegi-kun? May I have a minute of your time?"

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirteen: Two Kinds of Girls

12th of March, 2011

"Naegi-kun? May I have a minute of your time?"

Makoto turned around and noticed the familiar figure of the Ultimate Detective standing before him. Though her words were polite, her expression showed nothing remotely close to amusement. The Ultimate Lucky Student realized that not everyone was currently having the time of their lives at the party like he was.

"Oh, Kirigiri-san!" he greeted cheerily, mildly surprised but unwilling to show it too much. After their cold first interaction earlier, he didn't think Kyoko, of all people, would come to talk to him, but he didn't want her to know that. "What can I do for you?"

The girl sighed. "It is actually more about what I can do for you, Naegi-kun," she began, sounding increasingly annoyed with every word. "I had a meeting with the Headmaster in his office earlier. He told me the shower in your dorm room is faulty and that, as your dorm neighbor, I am to let you shower in my room until it gets fixed in a few days."

"O-Oh, really?" That's not exactly what I was expecting... I wasn't even aware that Kirigiri-san was my dorm neighbor... Makoto thought, unsure of what to say to that. The arrangement clearly didn't please Kyoko, and he could see why. After all, having a stranger – a boy, no less – shower in your room would make some girls uncomfortable. Not that she looked that uncomfortable, but rather displeased. "W-Well, thanks! That would help a ton!"

He showed her a smile of appreciation. And it was then that Makoto remembered his previous observation about the Ultimate Detective and the Headmaster. This could potentially explain why she'd met him in his office on the first day.

However, it did little to explain why their earlier interaction during the orientation ceremony had been so tense, not to say freezing cold.

Considering how old the Headmaster looked – somewhere in his late thirties to early forties – Makoto realized he and Kyoko were either father and daughter or uncle and niece. He knew it wasn't simply a coincidence. Not at Hope's Peak Academy, at least, where only the elite resided.

The name Kirigiri wasn't exactly common, after all, so the odds of two Kirigiris from different families meeting at Hope's Peak were abysmal. Perhaps even more than his odds of being chosen as the Ultimate Lucky Student.

I don't know if asking her about it is a good idea, though... She doesn't exactly seem to be in the best of moods... The boy realized, trying not to make it too obvious he was thinking of something else entirely. And well... she didn't seem to be very fond of the Headmaster when he gave her the e-handbook earlier, so maybe it would be best to keep the questions to myself...?

"What are you staring at me like this for?"

"O-Oh, I'm sorry! I-I was just lost in thought!" Makoto apologized, waving his hands around and trying his hardest to sound convincing. Needless to say, it was a ridiculous attempt. "I-I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable!"

"If you're wondering what my relationship with the Headmaster is, he is my father."

Hm, well, that answers it... I'm a little surprised she told me so quickly, but I guess I'll take it. "O-Oh, I see.I, uh... T-The reason I was wondering is that I noticed you didn't exactly have the warmest interaction earlier, so-"

"And how is that any of your business, Naegi?"

The atmosphere grew tense around the two as she stared at him with scary eyes. The lack of honorific wasn't lost on him, either. Were it not for the music and cheering in the background, it would have made the situation all kinds of awkward. Well, it was still pretty awkward, all right.

Makoto hung his head in shame. What was I thinking?! I let my curiosity get the best of me and acted completely out of line! He bowed apologetically. "I apologise, Kirigiri-san! I-I promise didn't mean to pry into business that isn't mine. Please forgive me!" Talk about bonding with your classmates, Naegi! You just managed to get on her bad side on day one!

"It's alright... I suppose you're not the only one curious if the glances I've been receiving all evening are any indication..." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, enough about this, and back to the topic at hand. I wake up and shower early, so come by my room to shower somewhere between 7:00 and 7:30, alright?"

Poor Kirigiri-san, it can't be fun to be the center of everyone's curiosity... "Alright, I'll make sure to be on time. Thanks again, Kirigiri-san!"

She merely nodded before walking away and returning to whatever she was up to.

That was one problem solved and one question that had gotten its answer, even if there was still a lot shrouded in mystery about the lavender-haired girl. A part of Makoto was slightly bummed he wouldn't get to shower inside Sayaka's room, though no one would ever hear him say that.

No matter how polite and well-behaved, boys will still be boys, and Makoto was no exception.

13th of March, 2011

Phew, that sure was tiring! Some of these guys sure have Ultimate energy!

Makoto left the party room and saw through the window that the earlier sunlight had made way for the darkness of the night. It was well past midnight, and the students gradually left the party. The first few were the most uninterested (with Byakuya leading the way), while some had made clear they would stay for as long as possible.

The Ultimate Lucky Student realized this was questionably reasonable before their first class of the year and chose not to go to bed too late (or too early, depending on how one looked at it).

But it was fun. Makoto was a poor dancer, but he'd been forced to join the dance by Sayaka, Leon, and Hina – who had clearly noticed how much he wanted not to do it. Well, he didn't want to be a killjoy, so he played along, and while the end result was far from great, it was all in good fun.

He also got to chat and learn more about some of his new classmates. Finally, the Ultimate Pop Sensation had been kind enough to sign him an autograph for Komaru. Makoto knew this would make his little sister the happiest girl in the world.

I can't say I'd do this every night, but I had a good time.

Careful not to trip on the stairs, Makoto exited the building and found himself outside. It was unexpectedly quiet, even in the middle of the night. Somehow, the boy had imagined that campus was always somewhat busy, even at this hour. But with all the lights off and only his phone's flashlight to go on, it sure looked very empty.

A little scary, too, perhaps.

I better rush back to the dorms... I feel like a ghost could leap at me anytime in this darkness...

Feeling a shiver run down his spine, Makoto hurried his pace. Luckily, he had a pretty solid grasp of where to go, though doing it blind and in the dark was still a challenge. The flashlights held by the security guards patrolling in the distance were reassuring, though.

I feel like I should have waited for somebody else to leave, not to be all alone... I'm admittedly not that great in the dark... Makoto thought, trying to check around him to ensure nothing would attack him from who-knows-where while trying not to get lost. If something were to happen, I'd freak out-

"Naeeeeegi-kuuuuuuun..."

"AAAAAAAAAAH!"

Makoto screamed at the top of his lungs as he felt something grab his shoulders from behind. He turned around and kicked at it, trying to get it off him. His cry echoed in the distance while his heart fastened to the point the boy thought it would burst right out of his chest.

"A-A ghost!"

"Puhuhuhuhu... A ghost, Naegi-kun? Nothing of the sort, I assure you!"

Pointing his phone in the voice's direction, Makoto noticed a familiar grin in that of Junko Enoshima. As he panted and tried to recover from the fear, the strawberry blonde snickered, looking very proud of her little stunt.

"W-What'd you do that for?!" Makoto asked angrily, his shyness around the Ultimates forgotten in the heat of the moment. "I-I almost had a heart attack!"

"Hi, Naegi-kun."

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

Turning around again, Makoto screamed as Mukuro appeared from the shadows, her presence perfectly concealed in the dark. With those screams, the Ultimate Lucky Student thought for sure the security guards would be rushing this way at any moment now.

"D-Don't do that, Ikusaba-san!" he ordered. "I-I almost had a second heart attack!"

"I-I'm sorry..." the Ultimate Soldier sadly said. "I-I just meant to greet you-"

"Well, enough about that!" Junko cut, patting Makoto on the back and almost causing him to fall. "How is everyone's favorite Luckster doing on this fine night?"

Luckster...? Right, I guess I'm supposed to be the lucky guy in the class... Makoto sighed. "I was doing just fine until someone decided to scare the hell out of me..." he said, the curse leaving his mouth more than intended.

"Puhuhu, that was my intention, trust me!"

Makoto sweatdropped, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal. He resumed walking, with the two twins following along. He was starting to get a very clear picture of what kind of person the Ultimate Fashionista was. Not necessarily a bad one, but definitely an exhausting one.

He wondered where Mukuro found the stamina to deal with a sister like that. Makoto sure knew what it was to have a sister to bicker with, and Komaru was nowhere near as bad as Junko. Not even close.

"So, looking forward to our first day of class, luck boy?" Junko asked, her voice still as sugary-sweet as before. It sounded more like teasing than anything else, though.

"I suppose I do, yeah. After all, it's a special day for an average guy like me," Makoto replied, chuckling. "I'm sure you're not nervous at all, are you?"

"Nope, not one bit!"

No surprises there... Ikusaba-san doesn't look nervous either... though that may not be for the same reasons. He thought, walking at a steady yet not unhurried pace. With the Ultimate Soldier at his side, he somehow felt more confident about whatever could attack him. "I just hope everything goes well. I mean... it would help with the nerves. You know what I mean?"

"For a pathetically average boy like you... I suppose I do!"

"You didn't have to put it like that..."

Junko laughed some more. Makoto didn't think his situation was pathetic, though he was also aware it could very quickly turn into just that. After all, his classmates were all used to the pressure – at least to some extent.

The most pressure he'd ever felt was playing video games past his bedtime and trying not to get caught by his mom. He was an expert at hiding his DS under his pillow. In short, it paled in comparison.

"Well, um... That's my room right there," Makoto said as they entered the building and faced his door. "Have a good night, girls. I'll see you tomorrow."

"So your room's there, huh..." Junko chuckled deviously, and a grin formed on her lips. "I'll be sure to haunt you so you have nightmares. Well, night, luck boy!"

"Good night, Naegi-kun."

With one last loud comment from the fashionista and a respectful bow from the shy soldier, Makoto grabbed his key and unlocked his door. He stepped inside his dorm and locked it behind himself – just to make sure no one came to haunt him.

He proceeded to throw himself on the bed and let his body relax.

Today's been such an intense day... I don't recall so much happening to me in a single day... Makoto yawned. Morpheus was definitely catching up to him. But it was fun. I was scared people would reject me due to my lack of talent, but they all seem chill about it. Well, except for Byakuya, but I doubt there's anyone he doesn't reject...

With a smile, Makoto closed his eyes. Frankly, he was too lazy to change into night clothes. All he wanted was some sleep. Hopefully, his nerves would cut him some slack and let him sleep for a few hours.

Tomorrow's the first day of classes. In a way... I guess it's the first day of the rest of my life... Well, let's hope I break a leg and manage to make it through in one piece.

In comfortable silence, the Ultimate Lucky Student gradually fell asleep. He had no clue what was ahead on his newfound path, and while he expected lots of craziness, the boy knew one thing: he'd have to go with the flow.

Knowing my luck, though... I'm more likely to actually break one of my legs than anything...

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Fourteen: First Day's Nerves

13th of March, 2011

"Ah, Naegi-kun. Good morning. Please, come in."

Makoto nodded and didn't make Kyoko wait more than necessary. Standing in front of a female student's dorm at seven in the morning in his pajamas was awkward, to say the least, especially on the first day of class. Stepping inside, the Ultimate Lucky Student got to see how the girl's room looked.

The end result was that it looked rather plain. Makoto could see pile upon pile of documents on her desk, but aside from that, nothing that reeked of extravagance. It somehow fit the bill for the boy's idea of the Ultimate Detective.

"Well, the shower is all yours now. Feel free to keep your bottles in my bathroom until yours is fixed to save yourself the trouble," Kyoko kindly offered, closing the door behind them. "I just ask that you take a reasonable amount of time in there so we make it to breakfast on time. I'd rather not have to explain something like this."

"R-Right..." Trust me, me neither... Makoto thought with an eye roll. "T-Thanks again, Kirigiri-san."

He quickly bowed and headed inside the bathroom. Again, nothing out of the ordinary, just girl products that Komaru very well could have had at home. Makoto made sure to lock the door before stepping out of his pajamas and getting under the water, shower gel and shampoo bottles in hand.

The initial cold water made him shiver, but before long, the hazel-eyed could relax and bask in the comfortable warmth. He noticed with an amused smile that Kyoko's shampoo was lavender-flavored, perfectly matching the color of her long hair.

As enjoyable as showering in a top-quality bathroom is, I need to hurry if I don't wanna cause Kirigiri-san's ire... He shivered again but for a totally different reason. Before rinsing himself, the boy lathered his body with shower gel and his spiky brown hair with shampoo. In a few minutes, he was out of the shower and ready to go, wearing his new school uniform.

"I'm ready... Hope I didn't make you wait too long," Makoto said shyly, noticing the girl was doing her braid in front of a mirror.

"Not at all. I appreciate your quickness," Kyoko told him. "You may go on ahead to breakfast without me. I have some things to take care of before I join you and the others." She let out a rare chuckle. "If anything, you were too quick in the shower. It took me by surprise."

"A-Alright, then..." Makoto scratched the back of his head. Well, it appeared the detective had genuinely forgiven him for his indiscretion of the previous day. "I'll see you at breakfast, Kirigiri-san."

With a nod from the girl, the Ultimate Lucky Student took his leave. This had gone better than expected. Makoto could sigh in relief.

13th of March, 2011

When Makoto entered the dining hall, it was much calmer than expected. Of course, this room was free for only their class to use, so it was bound to be less noisy than the cafeteria. Not that the Ultimate Lucky Student minded: he enjoyed the peace and quiet more than met the eye.

"G-Good morning, everyone," he greeted, his voice retaining some of its initial shyness. He could see that eleven people beside him had already arrived. Aside from the Ultimate Detective, Mondo, Byakuya, and Toko were still unaccounted for. Makoto walked over to Sayaka and timidly asked, "Is it okay if I sit here, Maizono-san?"

"Of course, Makoto! How are you doing?" the Ultimate Pop Sensation sweetly wondered. She looked cute, even in their school uniform. That distracted him more than he wished it did. "Not too nervous, I hope?"

The Luckster scratched the back of his head as he sat on the girl's right, cheeks slightly pink. "A-Ah, well... A little bit, I guess... It's not every day you have your first classes at a school like Hope's Peak Academy, so I'm still trying to brace myself."

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Sayaka offered with a reassuring smile. It did give the boy a slight confidence boost. "I'm kinda nervous, too, to be honest. I know it might sound weird since I go on all these tours and stuff, but still..."

Well, you're doing a better job at hiding it than I do, Maizono-san... Makoto thought. "We just have to give it our best, don't we...?" he told her, trying to sound more convincing than he actually was.

"Yep! It's just a school, after all! What could go wrong at a place like this?"

Makoto had to admit she made a fair point. Knowing you were in the center of the world was daunting, but at the end of the day, Hope's Peak remained a high school. They were here to learn things and get prepared for their professional futures. That much, Makoto figured he could deal with.

"Yo, Naegi!"

"Oh, hey, Kuwata-kun," Makoto said at Leon's sight. The red-haired boy was carrying a tray that clearly had more food than a single person could eat for breakfast. "Good morning."

"I brought way more than enough breakfast for Maizono-chan and me, so feel free to take some, 'kay?" the ballplayer suggested, sitting on Sayaka's left.

What a gentleman... Thought Makoto, rather ironically. Nevertheless, he nodded in appreciation. "Thanks, Kuwata-kun."

They spent the next few minutes chatting. In the background, Makoto noticed the last few of their classmates joining the group – including Kyoko. The Ultimate Detective seemed to have a somewhat discontent look on her face, though Makoto had trouble judging from afar.

"Well, dear classmates! As we finish our first breakfast together, the time for our first class draws near!" Everyone's attention was caught as Taka spoke – loudly – and stood up from his seat. "The map installed on our e-handbooks tells us that our classroom shall be on the first floor of the building next door! Please make sure to be on time!"

With that, the Ultimate Moral Compass grabbed his tray and headed for the exit, placing his dirty dishes in the designated place. The small group of Hina, Sakura, Celeste, and Hifumi followed along, leaving the rest of the class a few members short.

"Taka sure is loud, and this is coming from someone doing concerts all year long..." Sayaka said with a sigh. "He's right, though: we should hurry so we don't get to class late."

"Yeah, don't wanna be late with this dude around," Leon concurred. "You've eaten enough, Naegi? We can still wait a few minutes for you."

Makoto swallowed the last drop of his bowl of miso soup before speaking in a hurry, "B-Be right there!" Note to self: in the future, get to the dining hall earlier to eat a good breakfast before Taka decides it's time to head to class...

The trio cleared their collective tray and headed out, deciding it would indeed be wiser to be on time – not so much not to anger their homeroom teacher, but to stay on Taka's good side.

13th of March, 2011

"Oh crap, I forgot my e-handbook back in my dorm!"

So much for being punctual... Makoto thought at Sayaka's exclamation. With his cellphone showing 8:21 and their homeroom period starting at 8:30, this was a tight race against time. "I think you still have enough time to get it and make it to class on time if you hurry."

"R-Right! B-Better make a run for it, then! I-I'll be back in a jiffy!"

"W-Wait, I'll come with you!"

Makoto didn't even have enough time to interject before Sayaka was running back to the dorms with Leon in tow, leaving him alone in front of the dining hall. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

Kuwata-kun, I think we all get that you're interested in Maizono-san... The Ultimate Lucky Student thought, realizing he was good to go to class by himself. Not nerve-wracking at all. Exactly what he needed, except not.

"H-Hello, Naegi-kun... A-Are you heading to class, as well?"

Turning around, Makoto noticed the familiar short figure of his classmate Chihiro Fujisaki. There weren't many people the boy was taller than, so he could immediately recognize the Ultimate Programmer. Chihiro seemed even more nervous than he was, which, in a selfish way, was a relief.

"Good morning, Fujisaki-san," he greeted politely, giving the programmer a kind smile. "Yeah, I was with Maizono-san and Kuwata-kun, but they rushed back to the dorms to grab something, so I'm heading there by myself..."

"O-Oh, do you wanna go there together? I originally wanted to go with Mondo, but he got to breakfast late and isn't done eating yet..." she explained with a soft sweatdrop. "He doesn't seem very intimidated by Taka..."

Yeah, that's the impression I got at the party last night... I don't think the leader of a biker gang can get along so well with someone who's as strict about the rules as Taka... "Sure, let's go together!" Makoto said, finding himself at ease around Chihiro. "I'll, uh... probably be less nervous if there's someone with me."

It didn't seem like the petite girl would disagree with that. They were quickly on their way, and luckily, the building where their classroom was located wasn't too far away. And while Makoto had no issues with just listening to the singing birds as they walked, he figured it wouldn't hurt to get to know more about his new classmate.

"So... what is it that you do as the Ultimate Programmer, Fujisaki-san?" Makoto asked, only vaguely recalling some of the things he'd read online. A refresher couldn't hurt; perhaps it would help Chihiro open up a bit.

"Oh, thanks a lot for asking, Naegi-kun! Basically, I'm trying to come up with ways to make life easier for people dealing with personal issues and all that with AI! I know I'm still in the early stages of my research, but I have no doubt that AI will strive in a few years, and I'd love to be a part of it!"

It's like she's a totally different person... Makoto noted sweetly. The girl's lips had stretched into a wide smile at the mere mention of her Ultimate talent. She doesn't lack passion; that much is for sure. "That sounds great, Fujisaki-san. I... don't know much about all that stuff, but I'm sure you'll be able to help plenty of people with your work."

The Ultimate Programmer blushed a little. "T-Thanks, Naegi-kun... There are times when... I lack self-confidence, so hearing that people believe in me really helps."

Makoto nodded. If he could help people feel better about what they did, he would gladly do so (as long as it wasn't for evil, obviously). And while he realized there was probably a story behind Chihiro's determination, he felt it wise not to pry. It was none of his business, after all.

The rest of the way was spent in comfortable silence. Makoto got a chance to see what the building looked like. It was basically the same as an ordinary high school – just bigger. Way bigger, actually. He had trouble realizing this was only for the Ultimate classes. His previous school definitely could have fit inside, and some rooms would have been left unoccupied.

"Well, here we are."

From the outside, Makoto and Chihiro could hear the voices of those who had left before them. This was undoubtedly the correct room, and Makoto suddenly tensed. Everything from crossing the gates yesterday had led up to this.

"I'll knock," he said.

"Yes, come in!"

It was a woman's voice. Makoto placed his hand on the knob, which felt heavier than any knob he'd ever touched. Get a grip, Naegi! You're just going to class! It's not a big deal! With a deep breath, the Ultimate Lucky Student opened the door, revealing the insides of the classroom.

"Ah, two more students! Please, come in and sit wherever you'd like!"

Makoto's eyes widened. There was absolutely no place for doubt now. What he had previously dismissed as a mere possibility couldn't be denied anymore.

I... I've met this woman before!

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifteen: Teacher of a Lifetime

13th of March, 2011

Makoto and Chihiro nodded and did as they were told, entering the classroom and looking for a seat. Plenty were still available, and the Ultimate Lucky Student ended up sitting in the second-to-last row, on the second chair to the right, just behind Junko and in front of Mukuro. He quickly noticed that the room looked pretty plain in comparison to everything they'd seen so far, but the boy didn't complain.

A little bit of normalcy wouldn't hurt him.

"May I get your names for my attendance record, you two?"

Everything matched, from voice to appearance, and if he could recall the Headmaster's words during the orientation ceremony, the name did, too. Makoto realized that the coincidences were starting to pile up in mysterious ways.

For a moment, the Luckster wondered if those could simply be dismissed as coincidences in the first place.

"I-I'm Chihiro Fujisaki..."

"Hm, Fujisaki-chan... Ah, there you are, sweetie," the young woman said with a friendly smile, going down her list and making a checkmark next to the petite girl's name. "You are the Ultimate Programmer, correct?"

Chihiro blushed at the unexpected pet name. This was a rather informal way for a teacher to call one of their students, but it made most of the audience – the rest of the class – smile. "T-That's right..."

"And what about you, young man? Could I get your name?"

"M-Makoto Naegi, ma'am..." he stuttered, only partly focused on what was happening around him. I don't think she recognized me... Not that I can blame her. There's not much about me worth remembering, except if you're Maizono-san, apparently...

The teacher nodded. "Naegi-kun... There's your name. You're the Ultimate Lucky Student this year, huh? Heh."

Makoto's face turned pale. It only took a single word – a single sound – to break the semblance of composure he'd worked to create. 'H-Heh'...? W-What prompted that chuckle?! He wondered, all kinds of scenarios suddenly running through his head as his new teacher smirked at him. And why can't I get called sweetie, too?! This world's unfair...

"Well, let us wait for the others to arrive. With some luck, and since this is the first day of class, everyone will arrive on time... Or maybe I'll win the lottery tonight, who knows...?"

That last statement, spoken in such an ironic tone, showed just how much the young teacher believed this was going to happen. She was quickly proven right, too, as 8:30 came around, and three people were still missing.

"S-Sorry we're late!" exclaimed Sayaka as she and Leon eventually reached the classroom, panting heavily. "I-I'd forgotten my e-handbook in my room and had to go back to get it!"

"I-I went with her... W-We tried to rush to get there on time, but..."

The young woman shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You two look like you've run a marathon, so I'll believe you. Try not to make it a habit, though. Go find a seat and give me your names for my record."

Both the pop sensation and baseball player were quick to comply. To Makoto's satisfaction, Sayaka took the seat to his right, and to Leon's satisfaction, he managed to nab the seat to the girl's right. The Ultimate Baseball Star could barely hide the broad grin on his lips.

"And now we wait for our final guest..."

To... nobody's surprise, really, the student who the rest of the class awaited was Mondo. Recalling Chihiro's earlier words to him, Makoto figured this was to be expected – and recalling Mondo's personality, this was to be expected even more.

"Yo."

Sixteen pairs of eyes turned to the entrance and identified the biker standing there nonchalantly, leaning against the doorframe. Some giggled, and some looked away. There was someone who did neither of these things, however, and merely crossed their arms.

"Yo, Owada-kun," the young teacher greeted back, voice filled with sarcasm. "Get your butt on the seat behind Maizono-chan immediately, will you? You've made your classmates wait enough, so spare them the bratty antics."

Undoubtedly surprised, the biker tried to match the glare he received from the long-haired woman. Not a second later, he put his hands inside his pockets and walked inside the classroom. "Hmph. Got it, teach."

Wow, that was unexpected... Makoto thought as Mondo complied. He got some funny looks from a few of his fellow Ultimates, which he shot down with an intimidating glare. It's clear Owada-kun was testing her, but she didn't back down... That's pretty brave... Even if I were a teacher, I clearly wouldn't be able to address someone as intimidating as Owada-kun like this!

"Alright, now that the sixteen of you are here, allow me to properly welcome you to Hope's Peak Academy and introduce myself," the young woman said, quickly moving on. "Headmaster Kirigiri may have brought up my name during his speech yesterday, but my name is Yuki Yoshida, and I'll be your homeroom teacher for the year."

That's it! Yuki Yoshida is the name of the woman I bumped into at WcDonald's on the day I received the letter from the Headmaster! Makoto recalled, a lightbulb figuratively appearing over his head. It was such an essential day to him that even a minor inconvenience like this wouldn't leave his mind. I couldn't be 100% sure before, but now there's no doubt!

The Ultimate Lucky Student was unsure of what to make of this. An idea did pop into his head, though: if his classmates had been scouted by the school, could this encounter with his to-be teacher have been planned by Hope's Peak? With no evidence to support that theory, Makoto decided to leave it be for now and focus on the matter at hand: the class.

"There'll be homeroom every morning where we'll discuss your progress regarding your Ultimate talents, organize activities together, and I'll also answer all the questions you might have about this school," Yuki explained calmly, arms crossed on her desk. "We will also do things such as holding the election for Class Rep, though that will only be in a month's time. But in case some of you are already interested in being a candidate..."

Suddenly, the Ultimate Moral Compass felt he was being watched by many of his peers.

"Are there any questions? Anything you may be confused about? Feel free to ask. There are no stupid questions in my class."

Hina's hand shot up. "I have a question, Yoshida-sensei!"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Is it true that classes aren't mandatory here?! The Headmaster said this yesterday, but I can hardly believe it!"

Yuki chuckled. "Heh, I should have known this would be the first question," she said, unable to hide her amusement. "As he probably explained, classes are indeed not mandatory at Hope's Peak for Ultimate students. Instead, you are to work on your talents frequently to prepare for the Practical Exam at the end of the year." A sigh. "However, while you probably think that I'd love to be paid doing the bare minimum, I'd prefer it if I could see the lot of you occasionally, yeah?"

Makoto was impressed. Without changing her tone, their new teacher managed to put her point across to the whole class. It was a recommendation – the Headmaster had explicitly laid out the rules for them – but everyone could tell this was one they would have every good reason to follow.

"Alright, thanks! I... I think I'll skip math, for examp-"

"However," the Ultimate Swimming Pro's smile dropped very quickly. "Your investment in the different classes will be judged by your other teachers before the Practical Exam." Yuki shrugged. "And who knows, maybe if you work enough in class, your exam will be easier...? Just saying. Any other questions?"

Note to self: go to class, Naegi.

"I have one if you don't mind," Sakura said.

"Of course, go ahead."

"I wanted to wear my uniform, but realized it did not fit me at all, hence why I came wearing my own clothes. I was curious to know the school's policy regarding wearing the uniform."

"Ah, excellent question! I can see that some of you have chosen to wear your own clothes, which is theoretically not allowed by the school, though you won't hear me chew you out for it," Yuki explained. "Try to wear it as often as possible, even if I understand you kids need to express yourself and your tastes." She scratched her temple. "You might wanna go see the Headmaster regarding this problem you ran into, though..."

Sakura nodded. "Yes, I certainly will. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time this has happened to me. Women with builds similar to mine are rarely taken into account. Thank you."

"No more questions?" Yuki asked her students, and after a few seconds, no hands went up. "Alright then, with this out of the way, I'll go down my attendance list again to familiarize myself with your names a little more. First off... Aoi Asahina-chan?"

"Here!" the bubbly swimmer replied, raising her hand enthusiastically. "But please call me Hina, ma'am!"

Yuki chuckled. "Alright, duly noted, Hina-chan. Next is... Junko Enoshima-chan."

"Right the fuck here!" the strawberry blonde exclaimed dramatically. "Though I'm so fucking beautiful that you would have recognized me, anyway."

"Alright... Just please mind your language, okay?" the young woman admonished gently. "Chihiro Fujisaki-chan?"

"H-Here...!" the programmer said shyly, raising her hand very slightly.

"Okay, thank you. No need to be so nervous, though, sweetie," the teacher reassured with a kind smile. It was clear she had taken a liking to Chihiro. "Toko Fukawa-chan?"

"I-I-I'm right h-here... T-Though I-I'm sure no o-one cares..."

"Please do not say that, Fukawa-chan. I do care, and I'm sure your classmates do, too," Yuki told the Ultimate Writing Prodigy. "Yasuhiro Hagakure-kun?"

"Y-Yes! I-I'm here!" Hiro said, panicking for some unknown reason.

"Thank you, Yasuhiro-kun." Yuki sweatdropped. "Next is... Mukuro Ikusaba-chan."

"Here," the Ultimate Soldier merely said, her voice monotone.

"Alright! Kiyotaka Ishimaru-kun?"

"Right here, ma'am, and ready to embark on a wonderful educational crusade with you and my new classmates! Let us make the best of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Also, please call me Taka!"

Yuki laughed. "My, what enthusiasm! Thank you, Taka-kun. Next is Kyoko Kirigiri-chan?"

The Ultimate Detective raised her hand. "Here," she said. "Pleased to meet you." That last part surprised Makoto a little more.

"Same to you, Kirigiri-chan." The smile Yuki sent the girl's way was not returned. "Leon Kuwata-kun?"

"Yeah, right here!"

"Thank you. Next is Celestia Ludenberg-chan?"

"Here, ma'am," Celeste answered gracefully. "Feel free to call me Celeste. Using first names is not considered rude where I grew up."

"Ah, well, that's good to know, Celeste-chan. Sayaka Maizono-chan?"

"Here!" Sayaka responded, looking at the class's new teacher with the angelic face that had allowed her to reach the top of the idol world. "It's nice to meet you!"

"Thank you, Maizono-chan. The feeling is mutual," Yuki replied, and neither Makoto nor Leon could hide how cute they found their classmate to be. "Makoto Naegi-kun?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Makoto answered, somewhat taken out of his thoughts of the pretty bluette sitting next to him. "N-Nice to meet you!"

The long-haired teacher smirked at him. "I'm not going to eat you, Naegi-kun. You can relax, alright?" Though she looked at him teasingly, Yuki's voice was reassuring, allowing the Ultimate Lucky Student to regain some calm, especially when some of his classmates chuckled at his expense.

Damn you, nerves! If I can't even stay calm while Yoshida-sensei takes attendance, how am I supposed to enjoy my life here?! Makoto wondered, frustrated at himself. He sighed and tried to think of something else.

"Sakura Ogami-chan?"

"Yes, ma'am. It is an honor to meet you."

"The honor's all mine, Ogami-chan. Then, we have Mondo Owada-kun, though I hardly need him to tell me where he's sitting," she said, giving the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader a disapproving glare.

"Yeah, yeah, right here..."

"Second-to-last on the list, Byakuya Togami-kun?"

"Here."

The Ultimate Affluent Progeny didn't bother with anything but a single word spoken in a tone that displayed his lack of interest in the class, and Yuki didn't seem determined to draw more out of the Togami heir at the time.

"And finally, we have Hifumi Yamada-kun."

"H-Here, ma'am!"

"Alright, that's the sixteen of you!" Yuki put down her list and smiled at her new class. "I'm delighted I get to be your homeroom teacher, Class 78th. It's a real honor to teach at this school, and I have no doubt we will have a wonderful year together. Now..." She reached inside her bag and fished out a small device. "How about a few pictures to commemorate the beginning of our journey together?"

The suggestion was met with great enthusiasm by a large part of the class. After temporarily rearranging the tables to free up some space, the students got in the frame - some with more excitement than others (AKA Byakuya, Toko, Kyoko, and Mukuro).

"Okay, say 'cheese!'"

The flash went off, and Yuki smiled at the picture she'd just taken. Makoto was standing right next to Hina, trying not to completely hide Chihiro – who was right behind him – from the photo.

"Alright, does anyone want a pic of their own? I'll transfer them on my e-handbook and send them to you later so you can have them, too."

With that offer, the most eager students walked over to the podium and started asking their classmates to do various poses. For example, Leon asked for funny faces but didn't get as many as he'd hoped.

Once it was Makoto's turn, he honestly had no idea what to ask for. A normal picture would have to do. A normal picture for a normal guy. The boy realized it was more fitting than anything.

The Luckster waited for the preview to focus and pressed the trigger. In a moment, a unique moment had just been immortalized forever. Sure, it was far from a perfect picture, as a few of his classmates weren't interested enough to smile, and Taka's salute was hiding Junko's face, but it wasn't what really mattered.

In Makoto's mind, it wasn't the picture itself that held any significance: it was simply being there. It would save a perfect copy of the moment, but that was actually hardly needed, for the young man already had one stored where it truly mattered.

Inside his heart.

Under the protective gaze of their new homeroom teacher, Makoto and his classmates savored the beginning of their journey. Symbols were amazing, but living the moment was so much better.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixteen: Worn Lucky Shoes

13th of March, 2011

Makoto had not planned to head out again before dinner in the evening, but a message received on his e-handbook pretty much forced his hand. It was a few minutes past 2:30 in the afternoon, and luckily, the weather on campus was particularly lovely.

I wonder why Yoshida-sensei called me to the classroom... The Ultimate Lucky Student thought, walking outside with the tiniest bit of confusion. I don't think I did anything bad, so it's probably nothing to worry about, but still...

"Hey, Naegi-kun!"

The boy stopped in his tracks and noticed a familiar face approaching him. Hina walked with a friendly smile plastered on her face, speeding up slightly to catch up to him. They had only met the day prior, but the swimmer was someone Makoto knew he would befriend before long.

"What's up, Hina?" he asked, noticing the girl seemed even more passionate than he realized she usually was. "You're almost oozing with energy."

"That's because I'm getting totally fired up!" she replied, and her voice matched her excitement levels. She, too, Makoto realized, could be loud.

I guess some people are more thrilled to be here than others. It's not Togami-kun who I'd hear say something like that... "How come, Hina?"

The Ultimate Swimming Pro's grin did nothing but broaden at the question. "How come doesn't matter, Naegi-kun!" she told him assertively. "Now that I'm revved up, I must get it all out! You up for a race?"

Makoto's hazel eyes widened slightly. This was not exactly what he had expected. "I, uh... don't think that's a good idea, Hina. It's not like I would stand a chance against you..."

She seemed somewhat bummed, but not enough to take away her good mood. "Really? Well, I don't mind going solo, but it would have been more fun running with someone!"

I think you ought to go ask someone like Ogami-san or Kuwata-kun for that... "I can see you're quite excited about this, Hina." He said this with a gentle tone, but his smile could easily be mistaken for a smirk.

"Huh?" Confusion quickly turned into more passion. "Hey, are you making fun of me, Naegi-kun?!"

"N-No, not at all!" Geez, way to give off the wrong impression... He thought with a sigh. "I'm just impressed. You never seem to run out of excitement."

For some reason, that comment made Hina blush. Her blue eyes darted away, avoiding Makoto's. "Really...?" she asked, not sounding that convinced. "I used to know this one guy who was always like, 'Hina, you're like, a super spaz!'"

That... doesn't sound very nice... "A... super spaz...?"

"Yeah! Like, he would see me wearing shorts in the winter and then tell me stuff like that!" That did not appear to bother her as much as the Luckster thought it probably should. He knew he would have been offended at being called something like that. "But I'm thinking that if you lose to the cold like that, it means you weren't dedicated enough!"

Makoto struggled to hide his amazement. "Wow, you did stuff like that and never got sick?" Couldn't be me. "I would have frozen to death, honestly."

"Oh, come on, Naegi-kun!" Hina seemed disappointed, somehow. "Getting sick is for the weak! You should be wearing even lighter clothes than usual in winter! It's a part of training!"

I'm not exactly the type to train, but I don't think Hina realized that... For all her energy and friendliness, the athlete didn't look the kind to put two and two together very quickly. After all, Makoto knew that just about anyone could see he wasn't the sporty type.

"But no worries!" she continued, pumping her fists. "I've got the perfect remedy for you, Naegi-kun! I'll get you fit in no time!"

Uh-oh, sounds bad... To say he had a bad feeling would be putting it lightly. "I'm a little afraid to ask, but what kind of remedy are we dealing with here...?"

"No worries, it's nothing bad!" That only scared him even more. "It's something I do every morning! You strip down to your waist and rub down your bare skin with a dry towel! It's called..."

Seeing she didn't remember, Makoto found himself forced to help. I'm just taking a shot in the dark here, but that sounds familiar... "Towel treatment...?"

"Yeah, that's it! I have a balcony at home, and I love standing there and simply stripping down to enjoy the wind on my skin..." She sighed softly, causing Makoto to freak out a little. "I never let a morning pass without getting in a good rubdown!"

Wait, so you get on your balcony... and GET NAKED?! For all her qualities, Hina could be a strange girl. Makoto obviously did not say that, but he thought it very hard. "I... see."

"You should give it a try, Naegi-kun!" the tan-skinned girl suggested. "I'm sure your health will improve!" She scratched her temple. "Well, maybe don't do it here at Hope's Peak, but whenever you return to your parents' place."

The Ultimate Lucky Student rolled his eyes.

I, indeed, did not intend to strip down naked at Hope's Peak Academy; I can tell you that much... But hey, perhaps I should try it one of these days. With some luck, maybe it works... For now, though, I need to hurry if I don't wanna be late for Yoshida-sensei's meeting...

13th of March, 2011

The door was slightly ajar, allowing Makoto to see the young woman sitting at her desk, staring and scrolling on her phone, visibly wholly absorbed by the small device. He knocked shyly.

"Come in!"

Doing as he was told, the Ultimate Lucky Student entered the classroom and was greeted by his new homeroom teacher's smile as she put down her phone. "Good afternoon, Yoshida-sensei," he said, giving a polite bow.

"Good afternoon, Naegi-kun," Yuki replied, gesturing to the seat before her desk. "Thank you for coming, and please, have a seat." As he fidgeted from the stress, the teacher laughed. "You can lose the nerves, Naegi-kun. I told you this morning that I wouldn't eat you, and I stand by that." She giggled again. "Nor am I going to run into you and knock over your tray."

Makoto, who was about to sit down, froze for a moment. "Y-You remember that?! I... I thought for sure that you had forgotten! It was months ago!"

"It would seem I have a better memory than you think, Naegi-kun," she told him, giving him a playful smirk. "More seriously, I was stunned when Headmaster Kirigiri handed me the list of my students for the year. I didn't expect the Ultimate Lucky Student to be someone I had already encountered."

Well, there goes my theory about the school sending someone to meet me after drawing my name in the lottery... Thought the boy, sweatdropping. I... wasn't worth the resources, it would seem. "I-I see... W-Well, that's certainly an unlikely coincidence..."

"No objections there," Yuki said as Makoto finally sat. "Let me apologize again, Naegi-kun. I've been trying to work on this habit of mine, but old habits die hard, as they say."

Yeah, you were totally on your phone when I entered, so I guess they die *really* hard. "N-No worries, Yoshida-sensei. My hoodie was as good as new after a trip inside the washing machine."

She seemed relieved. "That's good to hear. One less thing on my conscience." Makoto figured she was probably exaggerating. Hopefully. "Anyway, that's not what I called you here for, as you probably guessed. I make it a rule to always chat with my new students to know more about them and ease their potential worries. And considering that you are the Ultimate Lucky Student, I find it even more necessary. So tell me, Naegi-kun, how do you feel about being a Hope's Peak Academy student?"

Hm, that's a tough one... Makoto brought his hand to his chin in thought. He had plenty of things to say. The issue was not knowing where to begin. "Well, I'm happy about it. I mean, it's a sort of dream come true. But I'm also... a little nervous, to be honest..."

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Tell me something I don't know, Naegi-kun." Seeing her student's confusion, she added, "Not only can I tell how nervous you are, but I also know how it is. I studied here, you know?"

"Y-You did?" Well, I guess I should have expected that... I mean, Hope's Peak Academy isn't going to recruit just anyone to teach...

"You bet I did. I was shaking in my boots on my first day, too. But hey, I'm still there to talk about it, so it wasn't so bad after all." She sent him a reassuring smile. "My classmates were mostly very kind, and I got comfortable around them quickly. I'm sure it will be the same for you, Naegi-kun."

"I... I hope so..." he said, his voice going down a few tones. "It's just that... without an Ultimate talent, I feel slightly out-of-place here. The others are all so talented... I'm kinda pathetic next to them, Yoshida-sensei."

The look in the young teacher's eyes became more severe. "You're wrong, Naegi-kun," Yuki stated assertively. "You have a talent – Ultimate Luck – which is worth as much as any other. I will not stand to hear you slander your own abilities."

"B-But-"

"There's no 'but,' Naegi-kun," she cut, her voice sharp. "Perhaps it is harder to grasp than other, more common talents, but Hope's Peak Academy selects an Ultimate Lucky Student every year for a reason."

Except that I've never had much luck before that lottery... I mean, Yoshida-sensei herself bumped into me on the very day I got the luckiest in my all life... "I'm also slightly worried about the Practical Exam, even if that's still very far into the future."

The brunette waved her hand with an easygoing look. "You don't need to worry about this, trust me. If you pulled off a one in five hundred thousand to get here, it won't be a problem."

"With all due respect, you sound very confident, Yoshida-sensei." More than myself... That part was one Makoto kept to himself.

"Hey, as I said before, I was in your shoes once, Naegi-kun." She paused and locked her brown eyes with his hazel ones. "The exact same shoes."

It was at this moment that realization struck him.

"W-Wait, you don't mean that...!"

A smile quickly returned to Yuki's face. She saluted playfully. "Yuki Yoshida, Class 73rd's Ultimate Lucky Student, at your service!"

"W-Wow..." After breathing this out, the short boy was unsure of what to add. Encountering his future homeroom teacher at the restaurant on the day he received his acceptance letter in a city like Tokyo was highly improbable. That said future homeroom teacher also happened to be a Former Ultimate Lucky Student was a downright miracle.

"I understand your surprise," Yuki carried on. "But I take it you can put a little more stock in my words now?" Seeing Makoto nod, she smiled contently. "I cannot promise you that our experiences will be totally similar, though I wish you just that." A sudden blush graced her cheeks. Makoto wondered why. "But in any case, I'll be here to advise if you ever need it. Both as your homeroom teacher and as a fellow Ultimate Lucky Student."

"Thank you, Yoshida-sensei." He bowed respectfully. "I truly appreciate that. To tell you the truth... I already feel somewhat relieved to know I have someone who can sympathize with me."

Yuki chuckled sweetly and ruffled Makoto's hair, making his face turn pink. "You're welcome, Naegi-kun. For your sake, though, I don't recommend asking the Ultimate Lucky Student in Class 77-B for advice. He's kind of a nutcase."

"I-I'll be sure to keep that in mind..."

Makoto doubted this was something a teacher was supposed to say about a student. Still, he took the tip to heart. He wasn't sure how accurate his first impressions were, but he could tell Yuki was a terrific teacher. Given the class she had been in, they were only a few years apart, but the Luckster could tell she possessed a great deal of wisdom.

"Well, if you have no further questions, you're free to go, Naegi-kun. I'll welcome your next classmate after that."

Oh right, I'm not the only one she's interviewing like this... Better not hog Yoshida-sensei... "Thank you, Yoshida-sensei. Have a good day."

He bowed once more and headed out of the classroom. Having entered with enough nerves to make his hands tremble, Makoto exited more confidently. He didn't doubt it would take him time to adjust to his new life, but having such an ally on his side was heartening.

"Oh, and one last thing, Naegi-kun." He turned around and noticed his teacher smiling at him, her phone back in her hand. "I believe in you."

The words never came, so Makoto merely gave a nod of appreciation. A few people had told him that before, and it touched him. Perhaps it had never touched him as much as it did now.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventeen: Thicker than Water

13th of March, 2011

In a good mood, Makoto headed back to the dorms. Well, he was rarely in a bad mood, but it was even better than usual. Being greeted by the gentle sunlight only improved it some more. It was calm on campus, so he could hear the birds chipping.

He could also hear the mumblings of a friend leaning against a nearby tree.

"Kuwata-kun?" Makoto asked, seeing the Ultimate Baseball Star lost in his thoughts and muttering something to himself that the Ultimate Lucky Student couldn't quite make out.

"Hey, Naegi!" Leon greeted, his bubble bursting out faster than Makoto would have expected. "Good thing you're here, my friend! I need to ask you something!"

As long as it's not to run with you... "Sure, what's up?"

"Well..." He seemed hesitant. "You know how I wanna start up a band, right?" Makoto nodded. He knew who it was for, too. "I was wondering if you knew anyone good at writing music." Before Makoto could even begin to think, Leon added, "Oh, but no one too popular. Don't wanna overshadow them as the main singer."

I do not know anyone capable of writing music, popular or not... With a roll of his eyes, Makoto found it best to dodge the question. "You're serious about becoming a musician, aren't you?" After the scolding Maizono-san gave him, I can at least say he's dedicated...

Leon looked nearly disappointed by that question, if his expression was anything to go by. "Absolutely, man! And I don't wanna be a George, either! I'm here for that Paul action!"

The Luckster started his new friend right in the eyes, trying to wordlessly convey how little he understood of that last statement. What is 'Paul action'...? Again, he chose to dodge the topic. "What kinda music do you wanna make, anyway?"

"Hm..." For a moment, Makoto thought he didn't know. "What if I said I wanted to be like... The Damned, The Crash, or The Sex Pistols?"

The Damned, The Crash, and The Sex Pistols, huh...? I don't know much about music, but those sound like... "So like a punk band, then?" the shortest boy proposed without too much confidence. He didn't want to sound like an idiot.

"Damn straight!" Leon confirmed, looking slightly possessed for a moment. He had passion; that was true. Makoto was beginning to wonder if he didn't have too much passion. "Just you wait: I'm going to conquer the world with punk! Cuz, well..." The ballplayer scratched the back of his red hair. "When it comes to punk, it doesn't matter if you can actually play or not."

The Ultimate Lucky Student sweatdropped. I'm... not totally sure how many punk bands would agree with you, Kuwata-kun...

"Anyway, by the time I got to Hope's Peak, I'd already decided to drop baseball," Leon explained. "I was just gonna use that as a stepping stone to get here and propel myself to stardom. And then, the plan was..." He grinned. "To use my time here to become the Ultimate Musician!"

I don't think the school will see things your way, but I guess there's no harm in trying... Makoto thought. He didn't have it in him to break his friend's heart, though. Would it even be possible for someone to have multiple Ultimate talents...? One is already plenty...

The redheaded boy sighed in regret. "That dream's dead now, though. With what I was told yesterday..." he said, referring to the Ultimate Pop Sensation's warning the day prior. "Way to turn my dream into a nightmare..."

Ah, poor Kuwata-kun... Unable to do it with words, Makoto sympathized with a smile.

"Dammit...! I have to do it anyway! I've got to become a musician! Only then will that girl at the hair salon go out with me!"

"H-Huh...?" His surprise was vocalized before he could even help it. Makoto's face mirrored his shock as he looked at the slightly depressed Leon. I didn't know Maizono-san worked at a hair salon...

"Oh yeah, that girl told me she only dates musicians," the baseball player explained, even if it was not really the point Makoto thought was the most important. "And well, her face might only be just okay, but she's got a smoking hot body! I gotta get myself some of that!"

Ugh, is that Leon Kuwata's true nature... "You can't say that, Kuwata-kun..." Makoto said disappointingly and, in addition, assertively. "Women aren't objects! They have feelings too, and they're not to be owned!"

The boy himself was surprised he could admonish an Ultimate of all people. Well, his feminism mattered more than some self-confidence deficiency. Leon was friendly enough, but Makoto did not think letting something like this go uncorrected was right.

"Besides..." He sighed. You make a good liar, Kuwata-kun... "That's not the real reason you want to do all that, is it...?"

"Hey, what better reason is there? The whole point of being a musician is to be popular, right?" Leon asked, and for a moment, Makoto wondered if this was a genuine interrogation. Only for a moment, though. "Speaking of which... you know what kind of guy Maizono-chan's into? Musicians? Actors? Maybe I oughta become an actor!"

"..." At least we got to the point eventually... I... feel like I'm starting to understand Kuwata-kun a little better now... For better or for worse...

13th of March, 2011

It was already deep into the evening when Makoto finally returned to his dorm after eating dinner with the rest of the class at the Dining Hall. Aside from casual chatter, there was nothing much to report. They had almost reached perfect attendance.

That was probably unexpected enough to be noted.

"Well, I got through the day, so I suppose I should be glad," Makoto said to himself, closing the door, forgetting to lock it, and walking over to his bed. "There are still many things I need to discover here, but that was probably the bulk of it."

His plans for the upcoming days were to explore more of campus, pay a visit to his Research Lab and, of course, spend some time bonding with his friends. Going to class regularly might be something he would want to clear time for, too. All this made for a busy schedule.

Makoto grabbed his cell phone and scrolled down his contacts list until he found the name he was looking for. It rang a couple of times before someone finally picked up.

"Hello, this is Yumiko Naegi?"

"Mom!" Makoto exclaimed at hearing the most familiar voice he knew, finding himself more joyous than expected. The bird may have left the nest, but there were things – and people – he would need more time to grow to live without daily. "It's Makoto."

"Oh, Makoto! I'm so thrilled you called! Komaru, Takeshi, come here! Makoto's on the phone!" the Naegi mother called out. "I'm putting you on speaker, Makoto!"

Knowing his mom, perhaps the least tech-savvy person he knew, there was a fifty percent chance she'd press the wrong button and hang up instead. Luckily, he landed on the right side of those fifty percent.

"Hey, Makoto!"

"Good evening, son! How's it going!"

Makoto smiled. "Hey, Komaru. Hi, Dad. I'm doing fine, thanks a lot," he told them, the sweetness in his voice unmissable. They only spoke on the phone, but Makoto could feel their presence beside him. It reassured him. "I've been kinda nervous, but I made it through my first day of class."

"Ah, that's my son!" Takeshi praised, his voice full of pride. "I knew there was nothing to worry about! Did you already find a girlfriend?"

"D-Dad!"

"Honey, don't tease poor Makoto like this," Yumiko gently scolded. "Don't listen to your father, Makoto; you know he's messing with you. But did you make friends with your classmates yet?"

Thanks for the save, Mom... "Well, I haven't gotten to really chat with everyone yet, but I'm getting along with everyone I've talked to so far." Save for Togami-kun and Fukawa-san, but I feel that's not really my fault... "We had a party last night, so everyone got a bit closer."

"Ah, that's great! Parties are great for meeting people! Well, I knew you would make friends easily. We raised a polite and well-behaved boy, after all!" The Ultimate Lucky Student's cheeks reddened slightly. "And what about... Maizono-san, was it? You know, the girl your sister loves."

"You better have gotten me an autograph, Makoto!"

He sighed. "Yes, Komaru, I got you an autograph from Maizono-san... I'll give it to you the next time I swing by home, so you can rest easy." Knowing his little sister, she would really sleep better knowing this. "And, well... she's a really nice girl. She even saved me from a TV interview yesterday!"

"A-A TV interview?!"

Their surprise was nothing he was not expecting. Well, it meant one thing: they had not seen him live. He could take comfort in that. The mere thought of stuttering like an idiot as his family watched was embarrassing. Thanking Sayaka again first thing in the morning was in order.

"Yeah, it was from a local TV channel covering our orientation," he explained, shivering as he recalled the moment, though he honestly would rather not. "I was about to be bombarded with questions when Maizono-san saved me and drew all the spotlight to herself."

"Ha! She's so amazing, isn't she?!" Komaru said passionately as if trying to convince him. Makoto stopped himself from reminding her he already knew the pop idol better than she ever would. "Unlike you, so you better respect her!"

I... didn't plan on disrespecting anyone, but sure... And thanks for the jab... "Thank you for your advice, Komaru. I'll be sure to keep it in mind." The sarcasm wasn't lost on anyone.

"Komaru, say thank you to your brother. He did ask his new friend for an autograph, just as you had asked," Yumiko told her youngest child. At least someone was on his side in this cruel world.

"Thanks, Makoto! Maybe you're pretty amazing after all! I know I wouldn't have dared to ask her!"

Heh, way to be a model big bro! "Well, it was the perfect opportunity. I'm sure it made her happy to know you're a big fan, even if she has plenty. Anyway, I have some other big news!"

"Fire away, son! We're all ears!"

"So, do you remember how we went to WcDonalds on the day I received that letter from the school?" A couple of hmming sounds allowed him to carry on. "Well, maybe you don't remember, but a young woman bumped into me, and our food tray fell down."

"I think I remember that," his mother said. "Your favorite hoodie was all stained afterward."

"That's right. Well, the name of the woman in question was Yuki Yoshida. And guess what?" He stopped for a moment for added suspense. "She's my homeroom teacher and a Former Ultimate Lucky Student!"

As anticipated, the three were rather surprised – possibly as much as he was when he learned it first.

"Talk about a coincidence, son! That must be fate!"

"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing, Dad... Like, the odds were so small, and yet..." Makoto took a moment to think. "I feel like... Hope's Peak is a special place in more than one way. Simply being there... you feel something."

"Well, as you grow accustomed to your new environment, it'll become second nature to you," Yumiko commented. When his mother put it like that, Makoto couldn't deny that it made a lot of sense. "And since you told us you got along well with your classmates, I'm sure it'll come quickly. And remember that if you ever need anything, we're only a call away, alright?"

"T-Thanks, Mom." Thanks a lot. "I'm still a little intimidated, but I'm more excited than ever." As he said that, a grin forced its way onto his lips. "I really am lucky, aren't I?"

They continued to chat for a few more minutes. Makoto explained as much as he could about Hope's Peak Academy and promised he would tell them even more whenever he got the chance to visit at home. Well, he avoided telling them he had to shower in a girl's room for a few days. Some things were meant to be kept a secret.

Just talking like this enabled him to relax. It also put things into perspective.

Eventually, Yumiko told her son that he should probably get some rest. The boy knew she was right. She wasn't always behind him to care for him anymore, so Makoto knew he needed to gain more autonomy. Besides, he could start to feel the tiredness catch up to him. The previous night had been pretty short, after all.

When they hung up, Makoto quickly missed them. His dad's playful remarks, Komaru's endearing ways, and his mom's wise pieces of advice. But it did not feel lonely at all. The next day, upon waking up, he would look forward to a new day to spend with his new friends.

Blood may have been thicker than water, but if the water was the other Ultimates of Class 78th, Makoto knew he would keep himself hydrated at all times.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighteen: What Status Entails

16th of March, 2011

"Alright, students, listen up!" Yuki said as the class sat down, the chatter gradually receding until the room was mostly quiet. "As I told you on our first day of class together, you guys will need to elect a Class Representative. Today, I'd like us to discuss the details of the upcoming elections as well as the role of the Class Rep at Hope's Peak."

Having been called to class, the sixteen students were present. This had never happened since the first day. Still, aside from Byakuya, Toko, and Mukuro, no one had missed homeroom more than once to this day. Nobody really knew whether this was an indication of things to come, but everyone was here today, at least.

Right, she did mention the Class Rep... I'm not sure if there'll be many candidates, though. Makoto thought, immediately excluding himself from the list. He had not heard about anyone being interested. Well, except for one person. His eyes were drawn to one of his classmates in particular. Well, at least we're pretty sure *he'll* be a candidate.

"The election is pretty straightforward, and I wouldn't be surprised if you had similar ones at your previous schools. We'll simply put it to an anonymous vote; whoever receives the most votes is the winner. Simple enough, right?" Seeing there were no objections – it was, indeed, pretty straightforward – Yuki carried on. "Now, on to the more interesting part. What does the Class Rep actually do?"

She picked up a piece of chalk and turned to her blackboard.

"So, you could say the Class Rep is the link between the class and the higher-ups in the school," she explained, making simple drawings to illustrate. "Mainly, the administration and the Student Council. Of course, I'll be there to help, but if you have any questions or requests, the Class Rep is a good person to turn to."

"I have a question." Everyone turned their attention to the student who had just spoken up. To Makoto's surprise, it was Kyoko. Except for when they met in the morning so he could shower, he rarely heard her voice. "With such responsibilities, how are we to ascertain as a class that our representative acts in our best interests?"

The Ultimate Lucky Student noticed that the question immediately caused some uneasiness. He had to wonder why – though this was one of the things he knew an average folk like himself would always struggle to understand. He could feel this concerned the others a lot more, hence why they all seemed to catch on quicker than he did.

Yuki herself looked uncomfortable. "Well, there are no hard rules in place for that," she admitted. "However, you're free to decide as a class on rules to make the bigger decisions as a group." She gave the Ultimate Detective a skeptical look. "May I ask why that worries you, Kirigiri-chan?"

"I hope my worries are unfounded, but I would simply prefer not to give too much power to a single person, especially if they turn out to be incompetent," the lavender-haired girl said, arms crossed and eyes closed. They heard Byakuya mutter something that sounded like a rare agreement. "This school is Hope's Peak Academy, after all."

It suddenly felt awkward. She spoke no more, but even Makoto could see precisely what Kyoko meant. It pained him, especially since her rational yet cold words appeared to arouse suspicion among the other Ultimates.

Someone could theoretically use the school as a stepstool for their own benefits, I guess... The Luckster preferred to believe no one would do that, but he couldn't deny that it was, at the very least, possible. After all, everyone here but me is pretty famous, and they might think they need to defend their reputation at the expense of others...

"I understand your concern, Kirigiri-chan, but there is no need to worry. I assure you that everything will be fine," the Former Ultimate Lucky Student said, struggling to hide she was trying to defuse the situation. "Now, as for requests that are often made by Class Reps, we have school trips, parties, or other events that would require preparation."

With that, the mood improved. The thought of a fun school trip seemed to please most of the class, and Makoto couldn't blame them, as it raised his spirits, too.

"If you have any questions about some other technicalities, I can also suggest seeking Nanami-chan from Class 77-B. If you're lucky enough and she's not sleeping, she'll probably be able to help you."

"Yoshida-sensei! I have a question, please!"

He was the man of the hour, one could say. They all expected Taka to speak up at one point or another.

"Yes, what is it, Taka-kun?"

"You mentioned the Student Council earlier, and I am curious about its role and how it works!" the Ultimate Moral Compass said, just as loudly as ever. It was a surprise how he had yet to break any eardrums.

The look on Yuki's face made some students laugh. "Erm... I know they manage the budget allocated to events and all that jazz, but I couldn't tell you more. Sorry..." She scratched her cheek embarrassedly. "If you're interested, I would seek out the members directly. They'll be of more help than me."

Could Taka be interested in joining the Student Council? It's true that at a school like this one, it must hold tremendous power and influence, so it would make sense for anyone trying to build up a reputation. Makoto shivered. Talk about pressure, though! It's definitely not for me!

"So, with this out of the way, today marks the first day of campaigning. We'll hold the election on May 15th, so you have a month to convince the others to vote for you. If anyone wishes to announce their bid, they're free to do so now. Needless to say, in a class of sixteen, every vote counts!"

To no one's surprise, Taka stood up. "I am interested! I wish to lead our classmates toward success in this crusade!"

"Didn't you basically say you wanted to join the Student Council...?" Leon asked, suspicion seeping in his voice. "You sound more like a politician trying to stay relevant than anything else, man."

"I was merely curious to know how the institutions of this school work, Kuwata-kun!" Taka explained calmly, though his voice could indicate otherwise. "Were I to work with them, it would be best to further my knowledge of this school for our class's benefit!"

That satisfied the redheaded boy. Frankly, Makoto doubted anyone was more suited for the job than Taka. After all, his Ultimate talent revolved around being morally reliable, and it was clear as day that he had picked up some leadership skills. And, well, if he was the sole candidate, it wouldn't even be a question.

"Anyone else who wishes to announce their candidacy?" Yuki asked. However, after a few seconds of silence, it dawned on her that she would get no answers. "Alright, then. You have until right before the vote to become a candidate, so take your time to think."

Think, Makoto shall, though his answer was already decided. Giving the car keys to Taka, so to speak, satisfied him perfectly, and he would root for the guy, especially given his enthusiasm.

With that, homeroom resumed as usual, the future Class Representative pretty much already decided.

16th of March, 2011

"I don't think you'll have much fun coming along, as I am not expecting a ton from this place, Maizono-san," Makoto said honestly with a sheepish smile, though that seemed to do everything but deter the Ultimate Pop Sensation.

The order of the afternoon for the boy was to – at last – visit his Research Lab.

After five days at Hope's Peak, it was about damn time, he realized.

"I'm sure it'll be fun!" Sayaka argued, giving Makoto her customary smile. It always seemed to carry more emotion than the boy thought was possible. It was most likely something she had worked on a lot. "After all, with such an intriguing talent, it's bound to be exciting!"

I sure wish I could be as optimistic as you are... With this thought, Makoto inputted the ID required to open the sturdy door. A notice on the students' e-handbooks explained it was for better security. It prompted the Ultimate Lucky Student to wonder what could possibly be inside that would warrant such precautions.

The sixteen Labs for Class 78th were scattered around campus, some closer to the dorms than others. Unfortunately for Makoto, his was pretty much on the other side of Hope's Peak. Well, it at least allowed him to chat with Sayaka on the way. For that reason alone, it may have been worth it.

"Wow, it sure is bright in there! It's like I'm stepping on stage!"

Sayaka's observation could only be shared by Makoto. There were so many lights he thought he'd go blind. For someone who wasn't used – nor who liked – the spotlight – both literally and figuratively – this would be a pain; he just knew it.

"I hope they don't plan on sending me the energy bill for this room..." Makoto thought aloud, waiting for his eyes to adjust to finally get a good look around. "Are those... slot machines?"

"Seems like it," the bluette agreed, walking over to one of the machines and giving the lever an experimental tug. It showed unmatching symbols. "Aw, I lost. Guess I don't have Ultimate Luck like yours, Makoto."

Makoto rolled his eyes and joined her. "Look here," he said, giving the lever a tug of his own. After rolling for a few seconds, the slots displayed a cherry, a seven, and a times two multiplier. Unfortunately, two times zero was still zero. "See, I lost too, so you probably don't need to worry, Maizono-san."

They both chose not to dwell on how depressing this last statement actually was.

More eager than the hazel-eyed Ultimate was, Sayaka inspected every nook and cranny of the Lab, trying out every device she could find. More often than not, she lost. Just as often, Makoto lost, too – though he made sure to keep his optimism up.

Overall, the room had clearly been tailored for an Ultimate Lucky Student. Most of the games were fun, though Makoto was wary of how stressful they would become by exam time. The variety of card games would most likely give Celeste's Research Lab a run for its money.

It was probably no coincidence that the Ultimate Gambler had been given a Lab just next door. If he wanted to try his luck, playing poker with Celeste was perhaps more effective by a factor of ten, possibly more.

"Oh, by the way! There's something I need to tell you, Makoto!"

The suddenness of that outburst caught Makoto off-guard. "Yeah, what is it?"

"I heard from Hina and Enoshima-san that they plan to hold a video game party the day after tomorrow!" the pop star explained. "They asked me to spread the word, so there you go. Do you feel like coming?"

A video game party? "Sure, that sounds fun!" After all, he had played many video games as a kid. The opportunity was nearly unmissable, especially with his new friends. It was at least a field where he could be confident in his abilities. "Thanks, Maizono-san."

"Oh, you shouldn't thank me! I'm just spreading the word around, nothing more! But I'm glad you like the idea." She smiled at him, and Makoto felt his cheeks heating up. "It'll be fun if you're here."

The Ultimate Lucky Student had to divert his eyes from hers. "P-Please don't exaggerate..." he muttered embarrassedly.

If anything, Makoto knew for a fact it was the other way around. As they exited the room, the Luckster had something to look forward to. For the video games, obviously, but as far as the blush on his face was concerned, for another reason, too.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Nineteen: Perk of Normality

18th of March, 2011

"Ah, Naegi-kun. I take it you do not need my shower anymore?"

As he walked down the hall, Makoto turned around and was greeted by the polite voice of the lavender-haired Ultimate Detective. The faintest trace of amusement could be seen on her lips. Makoto gave her his warmest smile, nonetheless.

"Yeah, I got a notice saying it had been repaired yesterday afternoon, so it's finally working," he said, unable to hide his relief. With time, the boy knew it would have made her uncomfortable. "Thanks again for your help, Kirigiri-san."

"Don't mention it," she dismissed easily. "You seem eager today. Too much just for someone whose shower was fixed, anyway."

"Ah, that's because of the video game party! I've been looking forward to it ever since I heard about it!"

A tinge of surprise graced Kyoko's face as they leisurely walked outside the dormitories building. "A video game party, you say? That is the first I'm hearing of it."

"Wait, really?" Seeing the girl nod in confirmation, Makoto felt bummed. "I thought everyone knew. Maizono-san told me she was going around and spreading the word. Apparently, it's being organized by Hina and Enoshima-san in our classroom."

"Then it would appear Maizono-san didn't deem it necessary to inform me." The detective gave a low chuckle. She saw Makoto's concern written all over his face. "No need to concern yourself over me, Naegi-kun. I had plans, anyway, and I can't say video games are my forte."

"Okay, then..." It sucks that Maizono-san forgot to tell her! Maybe she could have freed up her schedule to come play with us!

The quiet they strolled in was comfortable. Makoto rolled his eyes: Kyoko was in a better mood than he had sometimes seen her be. He was glad; the girl seemed the suspicious type, especially after homeroom the other day, so any progress he made toward befriending her was good to take.

"Tell me, Naegi-kun... Are you nervous?"

Makoto did not expect a question at this moment, especially not this one. "Huh? Nervous about what, Kirigiri-san?"

"About being a student here," she elaborated, her voice's earlier bits of cheeriness quickly receding. "Is it not nerve-wracking for you?"

Way to bring down the mood, Kirigiri-san... Makoto sighed. This was not exactly what he wanted to discuss before meeting his friends. "Y-Yeah, who wouldn't be? I-I mean, studying in such an elite school..."

Kyoko's expression looked indifferent. "Ah. That's good."

"That's... good...?" I don't see any reason this would be good, but I suppose she has something witty to say to prove me wrong... He thought ironically.

"Nervousness is proof that you're still sensitive to what surrounds you," she explained matter-of-factly. "Quite frankly, I feel bad for anyone who never feels nervous. Without nervousness, you can never feel the pressure that prompts you to make the right decisions."

The Ultimate Lucky Student brought his fingers to his chin, reflecting on the girl's opinion. When she puts it that way, there's some truth in what she's saying. Heh, I knew she'd say something witty. "But what about you, Kirigiri-san? You always seem totally calm." And distant, too... That part was kept to himself. "You don't act nervous at all."

Kyoko didn't seem impressed. "I'm nervous, too, of course. I simply hide my emotions," she told him... emotionlessly. "Nothing can be gained from allowing others to see how you feel."

Nothing can be gained, huh...? "You hide...?"

"What I mean is, I'm not as foolishly open as you are, Naegi-kun."

Foolishly open...? I don't know if I'm supposed to be offended... The boy was slightly embarrassed. Open, he sure was. Foolishly so, he hoped not. "G-Got it."

"Also," she added, his last remark all but ignored. "The uneasiness I experience is a little different from yours, I imagine."

"Huh, it is?" It's true that Kirigiri-san doesn't seem the type to be overwhelmed by being a student here... "What do you mean? What's making you nervous?"

The detective closed her eyes. Her expression indicated their conversation was starting to annoy her. "You're nervous about lies ahead of you, right?" she asked, and upon receiving a nod from the clueless lucky student, pressed on, "You could say I'm nervous about having to face what is already behind me."

I have no idea what this means, but I don't want to be mean to her... "I-I'm sorry, Kirigiri-san, but I don't really understand..." Makoto said apologetically. She was being too cryptic for him, yet he didn't want to sound rude when she obviously seemed discontent.

To his surprise, she gave him the smallest of smiles. "I know." Without another word, the Ultimate Detective turned around and started walking away. "Goodbye, Naegi-kun. Enjoy the video game party."

He stood there, feeling somewhat awkward. He could not tell if Kyoko's mood had simply changed or if he had said something wrong. Hopefully, it was not the latter, though seeing his classmate like this bothered him.

And just like that, she's gone... "Ah, well..." He took a deep breath. An optimistic smile regained his face. "We're just getting to know each other. Maybe we'll talk more next time." I don't understand her at all yet, but until she opens up to me a little, I don't think there's much I can do about it...

Now alone, Makoto resumed his walk to the party. There was no doubt it would chase those thoughts away in no time.

18th of March, 2011

"Way to be late, Naegi-kun! Were you having sex with someone or something?!"

Makoto's face turned red as a tomato as he entered the classroom and saw that two-thirds of the class was already assembled there. He pictured the detective's face but hurriedly dismissed the thought.

If anything, Taka's shouting was less embarrassing to be scolded by than whatever Junko was doing to him.

"N-Nothing of the sort," he assured her, slowly stepping inside. Why was he stuttering while saying the truth? Makoto could see the small group of Leon, Hina, and Chihiro setting up what looked like a weird-looking Wii next to a TV that had been set up for the occasion. "H-Hello, everyone."

"Makoto!" Sayaka cheerfully greeted, patting the seat beside her, her excitement covering the group's voices. Still blushing, Makoto walked over to her and sat down, trying to hide in his hoodie. "Don't mind Enoshima-san; she's just teasing you!"

Thanks for telling me the obvious, Maizono-san... "The whole class isn't here yet, right? It doesn't seem I'm the only one who's tardy."

The pop idol rolled her eyes. "Since we're missing Togami-kun, Fukawa-san, Ludenberg-san, Ikusaba-san, and Kirigiri-san, I don't think they'll be coming at all. So... I guess that does make you the only one late, Makoto."

Well, Kirigiri-san wasn't even invited, apparently... I'd like to say I'm surprised the first two aren't here, but that's not really the case. And somehow, I don't think Ludenberg-san and Ikusaba-san have much of an interest in gaming... "S-Sorry..."

"Thank you for coming, everyone! I don't think we'll get anyone else, so let's begin, 'kay?" Hina spoke, clapping her hands, eagerness all but hidden. "Well, I don't know much about all that stuff, but since you apparently can't play on a single console with so many players, Fujisaki-chan toyed with it a bit to make it possible! So please give her a round of applause!"

Makoto clapped when everyone else did. He could see Chihiro was flustered, and he understood why. So much praise was not always simply handled, especially for the shy types. Eleven people on a single Wii is indeed not ordinarily possible. Having the Ultimate Programmer in your class really comes in handy, doesn't it?

"Hell yeah, we're competing at Mario Kart today," Leon explained. Makoto perked up in sudden interest. "We thought it was simple enough for all to play. Hina and I will pass each one of you a controller."

Yeah, Mario Kart! That's the good stuff! Suddenly, hours upon hours of gaming with Komaru came back and emboldened the Ultimate Lucky Student. He was usually not the arrogant type, but one thing was now absolutely certain: I'm gonna kick their ass!

"You look thrilled, Makoto," Sayaka commented, smiling at him sweetly.

"Heck yeah! I've been playing Mario Kart for so long with my sister, so I'm pretty confident!"

"Well, good for you. I can't say I have as much experience as you."

The Luckster scratched the back of his messy hair. He could sympathize, but if anyone thought he would go easy, they were sorely mistaken! If there was one field in which Makoto would never go easy, it was undoubtedly the well-known racing game.

In the next few minutes, the students were handed a controller, and the Ultimate Baseball Star briefly explained the basic controls. Thanks to his trained eye, Makoto could notice with ease the differences in the menus between the base game and the one Chihiro had modded. It made him wonder how in the world she had done that.

Everyone picked a character – and a few fights ensued over that – and a vehicle. Makoto, being a boy of great culture, chose Daisy on the Mach Bike. Flame Runner Funky Kongs were despicable, he'd always thought.

And to further give Makoto the advantage over his classmates/opponents, the randomizer played a trick on the players and granted them Rainbow Road as the first track of their grand prix. The Ultimate Lucky Student smirked. This would be a piece of cake.

18th of March, 2011

"Leave me alone for a moment, Enoshima-san, will you?!"

Ultimately, Makoto was proven right. Aside from a select few – namely, Leon, Chihiro, Hifumi, and, more surprisingly, Sakura – no one could rival the hazel-eyed Ultimate, and even these four were quite a few levels behind.

However, a little issue had come up. For some reason, the Ultimate Fashionista had decided to make Makoto's day worse by pestering him whenever she got the chance. Whether it was targeting only him with her items or trying to bump him into the void, she did it all.

On some races, the strawberry blonde even purposefully stayed behind to trap Makoto on his next lap! Perhaps more surprisingly, she started doing this from the very first race. The Ultimate Lucky Student thought she either wanted to mess with him (for some unknown reason, given she needed one) – or she had somehow guessed how much better he was than everyone else.

If the latter option was the truth, he had no idea how. Well, it didn't stop him from finishing in the lead in 95% of the races.

"Did Naegi reject your advances of something, Enoshima?" Leon asked, using a mushroom to perform a shortcut. "Damn, I've never seen anyone be so obsessed with making somebody else fail!"

"As much as your attempts to stop Naegi-kun are appreciated, try to show some sportsmanship, Enoshima-san!" Taka added as he shakily tried to maneuver around the course. Video games weren't his thing, clearly.

"Heh, if she can stop the little guy from winning so much, I ain't fucking complaining!" Mondo's comment made everyone sweatdrop.

This makes it more of a challenge, at least. I'm not sure being a lap ahead of everyone would be much fun... He thought, shaking his remote to make Daisy do a trick. Every time he did something unusual, the others would gasp in amazement. While being the center of attention would usually make Makoto feel awkward... he didn't mind it so much now.

It was his way of making a statement, so to speak. Perhaps he didn't have an Ultimate talent like the others, but he could excel in smaller, ordinary things. Being average had its perks, it seemed.

The rest of the race went relatively smoothly from here on out. With Junko finally allowing him some breathing room, the Luckster's domination was made all that much more evident to everyone else. With only one race left in the final grand prix, Makoto knew he could sigh in relief. No one could mathematically catch up, given how many points he had already earned.

"Damn, I really suck at this..." Sayaka told him with a sheepish look. She looked so cute like this. "I'll need you to give me lessons, Makoto! Maybe you should be the Ultimate Mario Kart Player!"

Rolling his eyes, the boy replied, "I don't mind teaching you, Maizono-san, though it mostly comes from experience. Oh, and having a competitive little sister, too. Mainly that, actually."

The pop idol chuckled and sat closer to him. Makoto tensed and felt his face was getting brighter and brighter. Sayaka was a very kind girl. Unlike some of her peers in the industry, the Ultimate Lucky Student had never heard her brag about her popularity, and she was a genuinely pleasant person to be around.

And while he loved every single one of his classmates with all his heart – even the unfriendliest of the bunch – something about Sayaka captivated him further. Playing with everyone made for a great time. Playing with Sayaka at his side made for the time of his life.

Maizono-san... It's only been a few days since we've met again, but being in her presence always makes me feel so warm... Could it be that...? No, get it together, Naegi!

"Say... do you think you could play with my controller for the final race? I've got quite a deficit to make up for, and since you're so good, I thought you could be my knight in shining armor... pretty please?"

When she asked like this, Makoto was forced to admit it was difficult to resist her. Oh well, he had already secured his first place, anyway. Might as well.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty:  Leader on the Crusade

20th of March, 2011

"Alright, class is dismissed. Have a good day, everyone."

Math was finally behind him, and Makoto couldn't hide his relief. He once thought that he would eventually enter a healthy relationship with the realm of numbers at Hope's Peak, but that was clearly a mistake on his part. Well, it was over for the day.

"Naegi-kun! May I have a word?"

Makoto jolted as someone nearly shattered his eardrum and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. With slight fear, the Ultimate Lucky Student turned around and noticed Taka standing there. That explained the loudness.

"Hey Taka," Makoto greeted politely, trying to ignore the assault on his ears from the Ultimate Moral Compass. "What did you need?"

"Ah, I am glad you asked! As you recall, I am trying to become the Class Representative to guide the sixteen of us, which requires knowledge! I arranged a meeting with the Student Council President, and I was curious to know if you would accompany me!"

"Huh?" That caught Makoto off-guard. I understand he wants to meet the Student Council, but why does he want me to go with him? To secure my vote? He's the only candidate! "H-Hm, sure, I don't really have anything planned, but... why...?"

Taka saluted. "Because I believe you to be a sensible person, Naegi-kun! And an honest one, at that! With your help, I am positive I could further my understanding of the needs of the students!"

"T-Thanks, Taka, I'm flattered," the brown-haired boy said, face slightly flushed on the cheeks. "Well, I don't mind joining you. I'm not sure how useful I'll be, though." I guess getting to meet the Student Council President could serve its purpose...

"That is good to hear!" He let out a hearty laugh that echoed down the hall. "Let us get going, then!"

It was not exactly what he'd planned, but hey, he didn't have any plans to begin with. Besides, this could be an opportune time to learn more about the black-haired Ultimate. Taka sure shouted a lot, but Makoto knew very little about him.

However, the Luckster was actually beaten to the punch.

"Hey, Naegi-kun! As we're walking together, let us have a little chat; what do you say?!"

Geez, not so loud, Taka... Makoto had to hide his eye-roll. He did not want to be the one to ask the other boy to lower it down a little, but someone would have to eventually. The Ultimate Lucky Student had to wonder if Taka had been paid by the hearing aid industry to get them more customers!

Nonetheless, he nodded and smiled. It wouldn't do any good to admonish him. Not only was it not something Makoto enjoyed doing, but it was also highly improbable to have any effect.

"Excellent! Then, let us get down to business immediately!" proclaimed Taka, his passion not receding even a little bit. "We must determine where we stand on the big issues, Naegi-kun! What do you want to talk about? Politics? The economy? International affairs?!"

The boy's face turned pale. Needless to say, these were pretty far from his subjects of interest. The only hot topic I have an opinion about is the Nintendo vs. Sega war... "W-Wait, hold on a second... Instead of a serious discussion, can't we just chat normally? I think that's the best way of learning about people, Taka."

It was an understatement to say the moral compass looked shaken. It was as if Makoto had revealed the truth of the world to him. He began to sweat profusely, and he seemed visibly uneasy.

"W-What do you mean by 'chatting normally?'"

"Hm, for example..." I'm not sure I'll convince him, but here goes nothing! "What do you do in your spare time?"

"Ah, I study, of course! I am a student, aren't I?! A student must be a studying professional!" He declared this as if it was the most self-evident thing ever. To Makoto, it definitely was not. "And, of course, my duties as the Ultimate Moral Compass keep me quite busy, too! I must foster an environment in which we can all study! This is why I want to be the Class Representative!"

"Okay, but..." So far, Makoto couldn't quite say he was surprised. This was an expected answer for someone so adamant about following the rules. "What else? Like, when you're at home or have some time to kill?"

Somehow, the hazel-eyed Ultimate had an idea of where this was going. He was quickly proven right. "If I have time to kill, I study!"

Yeah, don't color me surprised here... "I... see." Frankly, Makoto wanted to add something, but the words simply never came. Taka was a little too easy to read.

Yet, surprisingly, he laughed. "Haha! This is fun, Naegi-kun!" he said, the broad smile on his lips backing up his words. It was the first time he'd seen him smile so much. "Alright, my turn now! What do you do in your spare time?"

Now that he had successfully struck a conversation, Makoto needed to keep it going. "Um, you know, just normal stuff. Watch TV, play video games... I'm pretty average, so my interests are also kinda average."

"Huh?" The smile was replaced by a confused frown. "And this helps you study... how?"

He could not do it physically out of deference to his classmate, but mentally, Makoto had the biggest facepalm moment of his life. If 'missing the point' needed a picture in the dictionary, this was the prime candidate.

"N-No, you don't get it, Taka... It's not about studying..." This might be the weirdest chat I've had since I enrolled here... and I've chatted with Enoshima-san! "It's just having fun, you know?" You definitely don't...

"But doing things 'for fun' serves no purpose!" Taka objected passionately. "There has to be more to it! You wouldn't spend valuable time of your life doing pointless things, would you, Naegi-kun?!"

I stand corrected: you DEFINITELY don't get the point. If I wanna convince Taka, I'll need more than just that, though... After a moment of thinking, he reached his answer. "You know how it's useful? It helps give you something to talk about with others!"

"Something... to talk about?"

"Like, when you see something amazing on TV or play an awesome video game... you wanna share it with someone!" Makoto explained, hoping his enthusiasm could be contagious. "You seek people who feel the same way, and this is how you make friends! This is how I've always done it, at least."

Taka stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes for a moment. Makoto figured he was reflecting on his words, though he hardly thought they required that much focus to ponder. "Wh-...? Wh-Wh-Wh-What...?!"

Suddenly, a shout that echoed in the halls of the entire school was heard. Now, it left no room for doubt: Makoto would officially go deaf before the end of the year.

"I was once blind, but now I see it!"

"W-What the heck?!" For an instant, Makoto thought Taka's heart had just suffered from a heart attack. His face was blue, and he was sweating bullets.

"That kind of thing has plagued me for years!" the Ultimate Moral Compass started crying, which made Makoto worry. "I've tried making friends, but whenever I attempted to make conversation, it would die after a few minutes... But now... I have found the answer...!"

So that's what it was... It was difficult not to feel bad for Taka. All the Ultimates were eccentric in their own way, and unfortunately for him, Taka had been granted an eccentricity that made it hard to make friends.

"Thank you! I now know that I need to study more video games! More TV shows, as well!"

Makoto couldn't help but chuckle. You don't seem to fully understand, but I'll take that. If it can help even a little, then it's already something.

While the Ultimate Lucky Student was taking their conversation at face value – a serious one, but not a life-changing one – Taka saw it differently if his reaction was any indication. The boy started crying his eyes out in a strange mix of joy and despair.

"I-I am so ashamed of myself!" he declared, shouting it so loudly that his admission was heard by all of Hope's Peak. "If there was a hole dug on campus, I would hide in it and request to be buried alive there! Imagine, Naegi-kun! So many years without realizing the gaping hole in my studies!" He wiped his tears away with his whole arm. "I am a complete embarrassment! I am not qualified to be a moral compass, let alone the Ultimate one!"

"I-I honestly don't think it's that huge a deal-"

"Thank you, Professor Naegi!"

The Luckster took a step back in surprise. "P-Professor?! W-Where did that come from?!"

"You have taught me a valuable lesson!" Taka started explaining, his composure back on and his tears a thing of the past. "You have thus earned my respect and the title of Professor!"

Makoto accepted it with a smile. It seemed to please Taka so he wouldn't object. Sure, being called something like this was a bit awkward, but there was no harm. His classmate looked genuinely happy, and he wouldn't take that away from him.

"Hahaha, I cannot wait for your next lesson, Professor! Until then, I shall strive to learn as much as possible on my own!"

Well, that's a good resolve to have, though I'm not sure you need resolve to watch TV or play video games...

They came from wholly different worlds, and it was clear as day that they had been raised very differently. From Makoto's perspective, these things were normal, almost not even worth bringing up. What he learned, though, was that his normality could be much more foreign to somebody else.

With that, the two Ultimates continued walking toward the Student Council room.

20th of March, 2011

"Hello! I had scheduled an appointment with the Student Council President! Would it be possible to talk to him, if you please?"

A strong-looking young man opened the grand doors of the Student Council room, which, to Makoto's surprise, looked rather plain. It was a standard classroom that had been repurposed, though it seemed pleasant enough to work in. For the Student Council of such a prestigious school, the Ultimate Lucky Student had just expected something with more grandeur.

It seemed he'd been wrong.

"Ah, yeah. Ishimaru, right?"

"Yes, sir!"

"And who's this guy...?"

Makoto gulped. The pair of scary eyes on him did little to improve his confidence. A part of him quickly regretted going along with Taka to a meeting where he clearly had not been invited.

"He is my classmate, Makoto Naegi! A young man of great wisdom who has vastly helped me see the world in a better light!" the Ultimate Moral Compass explained. The Luckster's cheeks heated up at having his praise sung like this. "If it is no trouble to the Student Council President, I would like him to accompany me!"

After another glance at the hazel-eyed, the older student nodded. "Alright, I'll go ask him. The two of you stay here. The name's Gouryoku, by the way."

"Thank you, Gouryoku-senpai!"

When Taka bowed, Makoto felt compelled to do the same. Their upperclassman said nothing and returned inside. The two boys could hear him talking with someone, the echo of his strong voice easily audible.

"The Prez will see you both. You may go in."

The classmates didn't make him wait and entered without hesitation. Makoto first noticed how... disorganized everything seemed to be. There were papers scattered around the tables, and whatever most people in the room were doing, it looked nothing like work.

Maybe they're on break... Though I'm honestly surprised that a school like Hope's Peak can afford to have its Student Council take breaks...

"Were you two the ones who wanted to see me? Ishimaru-san and Naegi-san?"

Makoto's attention was quickly diverted back to the matter at hand when a boy dressed in a fancier uniform than the one they wore addressed them. It was not clear at first glance he was a year older than them, and he looked somewhat nervous. Not that Makoto ever judged a book by its cover, but it was, again, a small surprise. For now, though, the Luckster preferred to take a backseat and let Taka handle the talking.

"Correct! My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru, and this Makoto Naegi! We are, respectively, the Ultimate Moral Compass and Ultimate Lucky Student from Class 78th!" Taka explained with an exaggerated bow. "You see, I seek to become my class's representative, and I thought meeting with the Student Council President could be a great idea! I brought my classmate Naegi along for his great wisdom!"

"H-Hello..." You're embarrassing me, Taka... Luckily for Makoto, most of the upperclassman's attention seemed to be directed at the moral compass.

"Hm, I see. Please have a seat at my desk, and we can talk," the older boy said, gesturing to a desk where files were messily scattered. "Oh, my name is Soshun Murasame, by the way. I'm the Ultimate Student Council President and a student from Class 77-A."

Damn, even the Student Council President receives an Ultimate title here... Quietly, Makoto followed after his classmate and sat down. From there, Taka immediately bombarded Soshun with a barrage of questions. Most dealt with the finer workings of the school, and Makoto wondered why the hell he was even here. He barely understood a word of Taka's jargon.

However, one question suddenly popped up and caught his interest. "What type of events does the Student Council manage?"

"Ah, well... We have a culture festival, a sports festival, and various other activities in preparation for certain traditional or foreign holidays," the Ultimate Student Council President explained. "We oversee the preparations and manage the budget. W-Well, what we're allowed to do, at least..."

That last part, which was uttered barely above a whisper, made Makoto react. And as far as he could tell, it caught his classmate's attention, too.

"Do you mean there is a higher instance than the Student Council?" Taka inquired, his voice somehow lower than before. Makoto could detect slight suspicion in his eyes. "I expect the Headmaster to have authority, but from my previous research, he does not interfere with the business of the Student Council."

So, Headmaster Kirigiri does not have so much power that he can really influence the Student Council, huh...? Makoto brought a hand to his chin in thought. That's interesting, and I feel like I should keep this in mind.

"J-Just pretend you didn't hear that."

No matter how much he insisted, Taka never got an explanation. It also aroused Makoto's curiosity, but he felt it was not his place to ask.

"Then, if I may ask, how does one get into the Student Council? If my bid for Class Representative were to fail – which I hope it doesn't! – I may be interested in joining to help bring the school closer to the perfect educational journey!"

Soshun chuckled. As far as Makoto could tell, he looked far more relaxed than earlier. "While I appreciate your enthusiasm, Ishimaru-san, I'm afraid we cannot accept any new members." He scratched his head. "And even if we could, aside from its president, the Student Council does not accept Ultimate students within its ranks."

"W-Wait, it doesn't?"

Immediately after speaking up, Makoto wished he had not. However, the words left his mouth before he could refrain himself.

"That's right," Soshun answered with a nod. "This is done to ensure fairness in decision-making between the Ultimate students and the Reserve Course. I am the only Ultimate student in the Student Council."

As an Ultimate with such a unique status, Makoto felt he should agree with this. After all, he viewed himself as average as the Reserve Course students, perhaps more. However, he did not. Something bothered him. Something somehow felt wrong.

"If I may, I don't think this is quite right," he spoke again, feeling somewhat emboldened by his conviction. "Shouldn't the Student Council of such a prestigious school be run by the most competent, regardless of status?"

"I agree with Naegi-kun!" Thank God he didn't call him Professor. Makoto did not want to explain this. "While I do not question the current council's ability to lead our school, I believe it would be optimum for those with the best abilities to hold such responsibilities!"

"Well, you are entitled to your opinions, but I'm afraid those cannot affect the rules," Soshun said diplomatically, even if Makoto could sense the tiniest bit of hostility toward that suggestion. "However, if you are so eager to discover the Student Council, I suppose I could try to free an observer spot for you, Ishimaru-san."

Taka nodded. "That would be most helpful! Until then, count on me to drive Class 78th to the greatest heights I can manage!"

"Alright, then. The Student Council will summon you here once a spot's opened up." The older boy stood up. "For now, though, we have some work to do, so I must ask you to leave."

Though it was said with a smile, Makoto guessed this was their cue to get the fuck out, so to speak. More polite, perhaps, but the Ultimate Lucky Student realized they had asked questions that were too sensitive for mere students.

"Thank you, Murasame-senpai! We shall leave you to your work, then!"

Makoto nodded in agreement, even if work didn't appear to be the number one priority inside the room. Though they were pretty much getting kicked out, he knew trying to impose would be a bad idea. Only a week after enrolling at Hope's Peak, getting into trouble with the Student Council was not a path that would take them far.

Their upperclassman was kind enough to guide them to the door and even extended an invitation to visit again at a later date. Makoto had no intention to take him up on it, but Taka seemed more interested. After the door was closed, though, the Luckster realized this was not totally true.

"Quite unsatisfactory!" Taka exclaimed, the frustration written all over his face. "What a shady organization! I feel like none of my questions were answered truthfully! You agree, don't you, Professor?!"

"Q-Quite, yeah." He definitely has a point... This Student Council is weird, and while I hate to think that way, its president, too. "Are you really interested in joining the Student Council as an observer, Taka?"

The Ultimate Moral Compass sighed. "I cannot say for sure as of now. Of course, it would be an honor, considering my title, but if it truly is shady..."

"Yeah, I get ya."

They left without many answers. Perhaps they were better off not knowing, Makoto thought. Whatever the higher instances of a school like Hope's Peak Academy could be hiding, it may have been too important for them to meddle with.

Makoto put the growing feeling of unease away, not wanting to be alarmed by suspicions that were most likely grounded in nothing but paranoia.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-One: A Bet for Dy(e)ing

23rd of March, 2011

One of the perks of being a student at the prestigious Hope's Peak Academy was the quality of the free time spent on campus. There were countless ways to have fun before or after class, and the students from Class 78th were already making the best of this.

In particular, a trio that, quite naturally, found itself spending a lot of time together. Today's free time brought them to one of the game rooms. At first glance, Makoto thought it looked pretty similar to his Research Lab if only more fun-looking. Upon closer inspection, it also had a couple of skill-based games, such as a pinball machine or pool table.

"I'm literally unbeatable at half these games, so you guys better watch out!"

Makoto heeded Leon's warning a little more seriously than Sayaka did. For some reason, the Ultimate Lucky Student wasn't shocked to hear how good the ballplayer talked himself to be. Somehow, it fitted his character. Still, there was probably some bragging thrown into the mix.

"Ha, I only believe what I can see, Kuwata-kun!"

"Oooh, you're on, Maizono-chan!"

It sure didn't take long for these two to get competitive... Makoto thought, smiling and watching his two classmates rush to an arcade. He chuckled when he saw what game it was. Street Fighter II, huh? I never played it, but it's a big name. It must be one of those games Mom and Dad played when they went on dates back when they were my age... I'm more the Visual Novel type when it comes to Capcom games...

"Do you guys even know how to play fighting games on an arcade...?"

"I'm not sure, but I'll kick Kuwata-kun's butt, nonetheless!" Sayaka said with unexpected passion. Considering how well she played Mario Kart, Makoto was slightly worried about the Ultimate Pop Sensation.

"Ah, just try, Maizono-chan!"

With that, they both grabbed a joystick and eagerly started playing. The bluette was player one and chose to play as Chun-Li, while the redhead played Ryu as player two. It was clear from the get-go that neither of them knew how to play the game. Makoto facepalmed.

"You two suck at this, don't you...?"

"S-Shut up, Naegi, I'm kicking her ass!"

"Y-Yeah, let us concentrate, Makoto!"

He rolled his eyes – though considering how painful this was to watch, the Luckster thought for a moment that it was perhaps better to keep them closed. Of course, he was very much aware that fighting games were always played a little messily at first, but this was torture to his eyes. The two Ultimates were clearly mashing the buttons without any clue as to what they were doing, and it made for a sorry spectacle to behold.

In the end, Leon prevailed in a chaotic first match, Sayaka in the second, and Leon again in the deciding third match as the Chinese woman fell in a knockout. It allowed Makoto to get a pretty good grasp of the controls and possible combos for attacks.

"Ha! Gotcha, Maizono-chan! Too easy!"

"G-Grr... I-I want a revenge match!"

Makoto shook his head. "Do you mind if I take on Kuwata-kun, Maizono-san?" he asked, walking over to his two friends. "I'm curious to see if I can beat him." You gotta stop being so humble, Naegi... You know he doesn't stand a chance...

"Sure! Kick his ass, Makoto!" Sayaka requested, stepping away from the arcade and letting Makoto take her place.

"Heh, I'm just gonna extend my winning streak to two, Naegi! You better be prepared!"

With an eye-roll from the Luckster, the match began. Makoto focused, the encouragement from the Ultimate Pop Sensation almost going over his head. Leon put up a good fight for a few seconds, but in the end, it lasted just that long: a few seconds. Quickly, Makoto gained the upper hand and never looked back, depleting his opponent's health bar before the redheaded boy could even react.

"W-What the hell?!" He looked at Makoto angrily. "Y-You must have cheated, man! I-I'm sure you know some cheat code and inputted it when I wasn't looking!"

"You're a sore loser, Kuwata-kun!" Sayaka said mockingly, sticking her tongue out. "B-Bullying a pure maiden like me... Good thing Makoto taught you a lesson!"

"H-Hey, I haven't lost yet! T-There's still round two!"

Tell yourself that, Kuwata-kun... The Ultimate Lucky Student made quick work of the Ultimate Baseball Star in the second round, getting more comfortable with the game's control thanks to greater gaming experience. "Sorry, Kuwata-kun."

The bluette made fun of Leon as he walked away from the arcade. Makoto did not intend to hurt Leon's pride, but small sacrifices could be made if they earned him some points from Sayaka. Maybe he would need to play more Street Fighter in the future. Komaru would probably make a more suitable opponent for a fair match.

"Thanks, Makoto," Sayaka told him with a gentle smile. Meanwhile, Leon was looking around the room for another game to play. Makoto knew he probably sought a game where his victory was surefire.

"We're playing darts now," the ballplayer decided, pointing to a digital dartboard on the wall. Somehow, Makoto thought it would fit well in a game series like Persona. Maybe something you could do to tighten the team's bonds, a little like what they were currently doing. "Oh, and we're betting something, too. Gotta see you two crumble under the pressure."

Makoto shivered. His father was a master at playing darts, but the same could not be said for him. This was, obviously, a terrible idea. And with Leon being the exaggerating type, he could feel the stupid bet incoming from a mile away.

"Sounds good!"

"N-No, Maizono-san-!"

"I'll beat him for sure now!" the pop star announced, cutting Makoto. "What are we betting, Kuwata-kun?"

"Hm..." Leon thought momentarily, and the hazel-eyed boy shivered a little more with each passing second. Whatever idea required so much thinking, it was bound to be disastrous. "Ah, got it! The two losers have to bleach their hair!"

Nope, not happening, Makoto thought at once, imagining too many scenarios that involved his mother having a heart attack from shock and Komaru laughing him to death. "I-I'm not sure that-"

"Ha, you're not fooling anyone, Kuwata-kun!" Sayaka said, giving Makoto some hope back. "It's obvious you wanna bet this because you've already seen yourself with bleached hair, and you know it will look good, even if you lose! That red color definitely isn't natural!"

Maizono-san, I'm not totally sure you're one to talk... If that beautiful bright blue is your natural color, then Kuwata-kun will win a Nobel Prize... The Ultimate Lucky Student sweatdropped. "I-I think I'm going to let you two do this by yourselves..."

"No backsies, Naegi!"

"H-Hey, I never agreed in the first place!" Geez!

"Pussy!"

"H-Hey! T-That's mean!"

Leon Kuwata was officially on Makoto's bad list. Unfortunately, such an argument was compelling, especially in front of a girl. Makoto scowled at Leon while Sayaka looked at him expectantly. He did not exactly want to seem the type to run away from a 'fun' challenge with Sayaka around. This was probably why the baseball player had suggested this, actually – to force his hand.

"Fine! But the winner gets to pick the color, then! No twisting the rules to your advantage, Kuwata!" Makoto exclaimed and dropped the honorific, cheeks red from both frustration and embarrassment, in a sudden burst of assertiveness.

Sayaka and Leon looked at each other as Makoto pouted. All he had to do now was teach them a lesson they would not forget. The next time their classmates saw Leon, Makoto swore his hair would be green.

The 'radioactive plutonium' shade of green.

"We can just say the losers have to dye it for a week," Sayaka proposed, obviously trying to find a happy medium that would satisfy everyone. "Would that be okay with you, Makoto? To be completely honest, I have a concert on the third of April, and it'd be trouble if I were caught with a hair color that doesn't match my usual one."

"T-Thanks, Maizono-san..." He was embarrassed, afraid of what others would say when his two friends were known by the whole nation. "T-That'd be fine, but I know it would look awful..."

"I'm sure you'd look cute no matter what, Makoto!"

Her smile gave him some confidence back. Still, there was one way to ensure he didn't even have to worry about the conditions. Makoto grabbed a dart and closed his eyes. If there was a time to keep his hands steady, now was probably it.

23rd of March, 2011

The world had just ended.

Well, maybe not quite, but in the minds of both Makoto and Leon, it probably would have been better had the world actually ended. Sayaka's dart hit a bullseye to bring her score down to zero, while the other two Ultimates had ended with a score of thirteen and eight, respectively.

"Fuck."

"Crap."

The Ultimate Pop Sensation gave them the most devious smirk ever. She said nothing, but that made it only more infuriating. Never could he have thought a face could simultaneously be so angelic and demonic.

Luckily, a lightbulb appeared over Makoto's head and, with it, a chance to avoid punishment. Maybe it wouldn't work, but anything to avoid his fate was worth a shot, he thought.

"W-Wait, dyed hair was forbidden at my previous school! M-Maybe it's the same here!"

"Makoto, I can think of three people in the class, including myself, who have dyed hair," she told him. "That's not an issue!" She grinned. "Don't worry, my hairdresser's really gentle... Tee-hee!"

For once, the Ultimate Lucky Student wished her giggling wasn't so damn cute.

Leon sighed. When the redhead spoke, Makoto's brain gave up on him. "I know this is gonna sound desperate, Maizono-san, but girls say I give great he-"

"KUWATA-KUN!"

Makoto's voice reverberated inside the game room and only stopped echoing after multiple seconds, which were way more than enough to make everyone's cheeks turn bright red. He knew desperation, but this was a whole other level. Maybe Taka slowly deafening him was not such a bad option after all.

"I'll assume you meant 'great headphones' and leave it at that," Sayaka said, unable to quite look Leon in the eyes (not that he could look anywhere but at his feet, anyway). "I'll, uh... see when my hairdresser is available and give you a date soon."

Without another word, Sayaka powerwalked away and out with cheeks as red as Leon's hair, leaving the game room in a strange and awkward silence. After a moment, Makoto looked at Leon disapprovingly.

"What the heck is your brain even made of, Kuwata-kun...? Swiss cheese...?"

"I-I didn't mean to! I-It sounded like a convincing thing to say at first!"

"How did you even think for a second that it was convincing?! I'm sure you've made Maizono-san super uncomfortable! Go apologize!"

He wasn't angry, per se. Nonetheless, Makoto was pretty riled up. Leon was a good and friendly guy to be around, but he sometimes was extremely foolish. This was one of those times.

"R-Right! S-Sorry, Naegi!"

The Luckster sighed and shook his head. I'm not the one you need to apologize to... Ah, Kuwata-kun... I've known this guy for two weeks, and I can already say he's unredeemable. Poor Maizono-san...

Makoto scratched the back of his head. He did not mind playing along with the bet – it was something they did for fun, and unlike the other two, he didn't have a public image to maintain – but he hoped Sayaka would be kind to him.

Pink or green hair did not tempt him, to say the least.

"If I'm going to look ugly for a while, maybe I should just ask Mom to shave it all away the next time I go home...?"

23rd of March, 2011

"Naegi-kun."

"Huh?"

As he stepped outside the game room after putting the darts away, Makoto was met by the Ultimate Detective, standing against a wall with her arms crossed over her breasts. She looked... perfectly neutral, actually. Typical Kyoko Kirigiri expression.

"Hey, Kirigiri-san. How's it going?"

"Just fine, thank you," she responded, quickly adding, "I take it you were hanging out with Maizono-san and Kuwata-kun just now? I was walking by here and noticed her leave in a hurry, and he rushed out the door soon after."

Makoto nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, we were playing some games together, and uh... we made a bet, too." The boy facepalmed at the recollection. " But then, Kuwata-kun said something... unfortunate and went to apologize to Maizono-san."

"Something unfortunate, you say...? I see..." She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Why am I not surprised...?" Makoto showed her a sympathetic look. "Ironically, I think that makes him as genuine as they get. Stupid people tend to be fairly easy to get a read on."

They started walking toward the exit in unison. It was getting late in the afternoon, and Makoto wanted to return to the dorms before heading to dinner with the rest of the class. It seemed Kyoko had business in the same direction.

"If there is one thing I can tell you, Naegi-kun, is that you should pay more attention to who you befriend," Kyoko said, her voice filled with a contradictory mix of disinterest and care. "It will save you quite the trouble and, most likely, quite the pain, as well. I say this for both you and your hair."

"H-Huh...?!"

"Merely keep it in a corner of your mind. Goodbye for now."

"W-Wait, Kirigi-"

She had walked away before his words could reach her. Makoto stood there and watched her walk outside the building, her long lavender hair flowing in the wind. Had she been listening in on them? After all, the dormitories were soundproof, but that didn't necessarily mean the other rooms at the school were, too. But then, why would she feel the need to eavesdrop on them?

Furthermore, her expression just now had turned even more severe than usual. Makoto noticed a trend of Kyoko getting annoyed when they chatted, and he hoped it wasn't his fault. He did not think it was, but the possibility bothered him.

And what did she mean by that...? I've befriended almost everyone in the class, so who am I supposed to pay attention to? Kirigiri-san's too cryptic for me to understand what she means, most of the time.

Ultimately, Makoto chose to dismiss her advice, not out of disrespect for her, but out of confusion. What good would a piece of advice be if he had no idea what to make of it? Besides, his new friends were perfect, so he saw no reason to change anything.

Frankly, he was too preoccupied with what color his chestnut hair would be in a couple of days to care about much else.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-Two: Number One Fan

25th of March, 2011

"Well, I'm all set to go, I think."

With his hands on his hips, Makoto looked around his dorm room for any more personal effects he wished to bring along with him. It was Friday afternoon, meaning the students were free to leave campus for the weekend to see their families again. And as much as he loved his new friends, this was an opportunity the Ultimate Lucky Student would not pass up.

Also, to make it a surprise, he had not told them about him coming home. And as long as they still had enough food in the fridge for him, it would not backfire. Otherwise, though... Well, it was better not to think about it.

Dragging his suitcase behind him, Makoto made sure to lock the door on his way out. He frankly doubted anyone would rob him during the weekend – there were literally surveillance cameras in the hallway – but Sayaka had already scolded him ten times for forgetting, so he tried to pick up some good habits.

I can't wait to see Mom, Dad, and Komaru again... I miss them already...

Smiling melancholically, the boy started walking towards the main gate, waving at Hina and Sakura, who were chatting at the opposite end of the corridor. It was a little past five in the afternoon, so the air was starting to cool down, and Makoto truly appreciated the spring breeze that made his hair antenna move with each of his steps.

"Makoto! Wait up!"

Dragging a suitcase of her own, the Ultimate Pop Sensation caught up to Makoto in a rush and panted slightly. The Luckster gave her a warm smile.

"Going home too, Maizono-san?" he asked.

"Yeah, I got repetitions with the rest of the band this weekend, so it'll be more practical if I go over to my dad's place."

"You live with your father, Maizono-san?" That surprised him. He expected someone as famous as Sayaka to live with her two parents, probably inside a mansion he could never even imagine owning one day.

The girl's lips trended downward. "Yeah, my mom passed away when I was very little, so it's only been me and my dad since then. And since he often works long hours, I've always mostly been by myself. It's actually what prompted me to become a pop idol, but that's another story."

Makoto felt guilty. He didn't want to bring back any unpleasant memories. "S-Sorry, Maizono-san, I didn't know. You have my condolences."

She shook her head, regaining a faint smile. "No need to apologize, Makoto. You couldn't have known, and it was long ago. I've had more than enough time to grieve. But enough about that!" she beamed, asking, "Are you going back to see your family, Makoto?"

"Yup, I'm not sure if I'll go back every weekend, but I kinda miss them..." he admitted sheepishly. "I'll give Komaru the autograph you signed for her. I'm sure she'll be thrilled."

"Hehe, you love your sister, don't you?"

Makoto pouted. He had no trouble admitting to himself how much he adored his precious Komaru, but he wasn't so prompt with telling others. Even now, they loved to mess with one another, so he didn't want to be caught saying how he cared about his younger sibling. Sayaka chuckled.

"It's okay, you can say it," she told him, giving him a gentle pat on the back, a playful smirk adorning her lips. "My bandmates are kinda like sisters to me, so I somewhat know the feeling. But we're all girls, so I think we can say how much we all love each other more easily."

Sayaka's bandmates... I guess they must be extremely close, going on all these concerts together... Makoto had to admit his friend made a fair point. If he had a little brother instead, he would probably be more open about his love for him. Yet, the Ultimate Lucky Student made it a point for Komaru to always know what she meant to him.

He wasn't tall, he wasn't physically strong, but he'd protect his sister – the one sharing his blood – no matter what. Luckily, Komaru wasn't the type to get into any fights or other trouble, so he wouldn't get beat up soon. Hopefully.

And if anything were to happen, maybe Mondo would lend him some help.

Ultimately, Makoto said nothing, but Sayaka understood. Words were not needed to describe the bond shared by two siblings who had grown together. That did not mean he wouldn't bonk Komaru on the head the second she said something silly, though.

They had to stop for a minute when a group of Reserve Course students approached them and asked the pop star for some autographs. Makoto was surprised to learn there were still students seeking one because he had already seen her sign at least a couple hundred of them. For someone so famous, perhaps this was to be expected.

She thanked them for their support, and everyone was on their way.

"My wrist's gonna start hurting one of these days," Sayaka admitted with a soft sigh. Makoto chuckled. "Say, I had an unrelated question." Seeing she had his unwavering attention – like often – she carried on, "Who are you gonna vote for in the Class Rep election?"

The Luckster shrugged. This was an easy question. "Well, Taka's the only candidate, so..."

"Fair enough," the bluette agreed. "But still... Maybe there'll be a surprise candidate; who knows? We've all taken for granted that Taka would win, but as long as we haven't voted, we can't know for sure, can we?"

"Hm, I guess not. I doubt anyone else's gonna run, though."

"What about you, Makoto? Not interested?"

Makoto stopped. He looked Sayaka in the eyes, trying to ascertain if she'd just spoken jokingly. When he saw no traces of humor on her countenance, the boy's surprise truly shined.

"I think you have the wrong person, Maizono-san..." he muttered, trying to play the remark as a joke. "I mean, you see me, as average as I am, being the Class Rep?"

His subsequent laugh was as genuine as they got. The mere thought was so ridiculous Makoto knew it could kickstart his career as a clown if he ever sought one.

"Yeah, I do. I think you'd make a great Class Rep, Makoto."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Maizono-san, but..." He rolled his eyes as they crossed the impressive steel gates of the school, passing by a couple security guards. "I'm afraid this is not happening. Not only I'm not suited for this at all, but no one would even vote for me. Well, apart from you, it seems."

She looked dissatisfied. Makoto wondered what was up with her and where the whimsical notion even came from. Off the top of his head, the Ultimate Lucky Student could think of at least four names of students obviously more qualified for the role than him.

"Please give it some thought, Makoto. I promise you would be great at it. I just know!"

Slightly freaked out by the girl's insistence, Makoto nonetheless smiled at her, attempting to appear more easygoing than he currently was. Whatever the Ultimate Pop Sensation saw in him, he clearly did not, but he did not have it in him to be a contrarian.

Not to her, anyway.

"Okay, Maizono-san," he said, trying to wiggle out of this subject matter. He pointed to his left, away from where Sayaka was heading. "The station I need to take is this way, so I guess this is where we part ways."

"O-Oh, right. I'll see you on Monday, Makoto. Have a good weekend."

"Same to you, Maizono-san."

After a polite bow, the Ultimate Lucky Student got going. As he walked on the pavement, however, he could not quite get the previous exchange out of his head. In a second, it was as if the girl's typical enthusiasm had evaporated into thin air. Whatever caused Sayaka to sound almost forceful, Makoto figured it was weighty, though he struggled to grasp how this concerned him. Why would she care so much if he sought to be the Class Rep?

This was something he would try to look into. But first, he had a weekend to enjoy and a family to reunite with.

Gotta run if I don't wanna miss the next train!

25th of March, 2011

Makoto rung on the doorbell. The neighborhood was mostly quiet, and the student could hear the neighbor's dog having fun in the garden next house. It felt right.

It felt like home.

"Yes, who is it- Makoto!"

The boy smiled as his mother gasped. In only a split second, Yumiko tackled him into a bear hug, wrapping her arms around his chest tightly. The gesture made Makoto chuckle in pure happiness. A single tear from his hazel-colored eyes flew in the wind.

"Hey, Mom," he greeted, voice sweet as sugar, when she finally pulled away, noticing she was wearing a stained apron. Given the time, she was probably preparing dinner. "I thought I'd visit for the weekend. Is that okay?"

"Of course it's okay, silly! Please, come in! It's your house, after all!"

With a nod, Makoto complied and followed the middle-aged woman inside the house with his suitcase in tow. It had this familiar air that made him nostalgic. The smell of the wooden floor, the warm color of the walls, and the sound of his father's TV show in the background were all things he had grown up with. After merely a few days, they returned to hit him like a truck, but in a good way.

"Who was that, Yumi-chan?" Takeshi asked as Makoto and Yumiko stepped inside the living room. He was so focused on the television that he did not bother to turn around.

"Maybe take your eyes off the screen for a second, and you'll know!" his wife scolded, hands on her hips. "I never understood what you found so great about that show."

The man finally moved around on the sofa. His face morphed in an instant. "Makoto! What are you doing here, son?!"

Makoto grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Hi, Dad. I wanted to visit for the weekend and thought I'd make it a surprise."

When his father stood up and walked over to him, the Luckster was glad to know he meant more to Takeshi than his TV show. Not quite giving him a hug, the middle-aged man ruffled his son's spiky hair and smiled.

"It's good to see you, son. You look like someone who's doing well, too."

"I-I'm trying..." Insightful as always, Dad... He thought funnily. "Is Komaru upstairs?"

"Yes, I think she's doing her homework," Yumiko told him. "Or she's on the phone with one of her friends from school. Considering her first test results of the new school year, I hope for her sake it's the former."

Sounds like Komaru's having a rough time... He rolled his eyes. Yumiko Naegi would never get angry. Makoto could count on the fingers of a single hand the times he had witnessed her get mad. However, whenever he or Komaru decided to slack off at school, she would unexpectedly strike. After the first time, Makoto decided not to try his luck (ironically).

"I'll drop by her room for a bit, okay?"

"Okay, you do that. I'll bring your suitcase to your bedroom in the meantime."

"Thanks, Dad! Ah, before that, though! I just need to grab something inside!"

Hurriedly, the Ultimate Lucky Student grabbed a tiny package wrapped in cute, sapphire blue gift wrap. After that, he rushed off to the staircase and climbed up the steps faster than ever.

When he reached his little sister's room and heard her mumble something inaudible in a frustrated tone, Makoto smiled to himself and realized how much fun she seemed to be having.

Thankfully, what I have here should lift her spirits! Decidedly, the boy knocked, and Komaru grumbled something and stomped over to the door.

"I'm working, Mom- H-Huh?!"

"Surprise!"

The girl's eyes widened in shock as Makoto stood on her doorstep.

"M-Makoto?! W-What are you doing here? D-Don't tell me you ran away from Hope's Peak?!"

That may have been the most pathetic guess Makoto had ever heard.

"D-Do you seriously think I would run away after being given such a unique opportunity...?" That question was purely rhetorical, but around Komaru, it probably needed to be asked. "I just came because I missed the three of you." He pouted in fake anger. "You can just say it if you're unhappy to see your brother again!"

"H-Hey, I'm totally happy to see you! I just didn't expect it! Geez, don't put words in my mouth!"

They stared at each other briefly before Komaru finally gave in. Makoto made an 'oof' sound as she hugged him closely, and he could faintly hear the sound of tears. They were not his, so they must have been hers.

"I-I missed you..."

"I missed you too, Komaru."

"I-It's not the same at home without you."

"And it's not the same living without the three of you. But you'll be just fine with Mom and Dad."

"Y-Yeah..."

Makoto created some distance between them and cupped his sibling's cheeks. He pulled on them gently, forcing Komaru to make a funny grimace. He laughed to himself.

"S-Stop that!" the girl demanded, crossing her arms. "I-I'm not a baby anymore!"

No, you're not... Sometimes, I wish we were still kids, though... Makoto extended his hands without dwelling on the thought, offering Komaru the small package. "There. This is for you."

"H-Huh? W-What's that?!"

Makoto gave her a gentle bonk. "You've asked me at least fifty times for it. You can probably guess what it is."

Suddenly, Komaru's eyes widened. "W-Wait, you don't mean...?!" She tore open the cute wrapping and gasped upon seeing the gift inside. It was a stylized sheet of paper with only a few words written on it. Yet, that was enough for Makoto to see stars in his little sister's eyes. "T-Thank you so much, Makoto! You're the best big bro ever!"

The Ultimate Lucky Student chuckled proudly. "Hehe, glad to hear it."

She stared at the autograph with nothing but admiration in her eyes. Makoto had underestimated how much this meant to her. Well, this further proved he had done the right thing. If Komaru could be happy, then the Luckster thought this was a job well done.

"I'm going to frame it; hold on!"

She proceeded to find a picture frame somewhere and placed the autograph inside. After setting it on her desk, where lay more textbooks than Makoto had ever seen inside his sister's room, Komaru put her hands on her hips, looking content.

"This is the best gift I've ever received. Thank you again, Makoto." She put her hand on her heart and gave him a tearful smile. "I love you, big bro!"

If she did, then Makoto could probably go to sleep easy tonight.

"To Komaru Naegi,

Thank you a million times for your support! Knowing we get love from so many people truly inspires the five of us to keep working hard, and we sincerely hope you'll continue to enjoy our singing and dancing for many years to come! The band would be thrilled to meet you in person someday! Until then, please have our warmest regards.

With love,

Sayaka Maizono."

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-Three: Makoto’s New Goal

27^th of March, 2011

“I was only gone for two days, and it feels like I’m discovering the place all over again... Hopefully, that doesn’t happen every time I leave for the weekend...”

With an amused smile, Makoto crossed the gates of Hope’s Peak Academy once more with a suitcase that was even fuller than when it was two days prior. The family had made the best of the opportunity and gone out quite a bit over the weekend.

Chances to spend time together were always good to take, especially now that they had grown scarcer.

I still can’t believe we ran into Komaru’s girlfriend at the supermarket, of all places... This had happened. She looked so embarrassed, but it was cute. I wish I were so lucky! She’s already been with three different girls, and I’ve been with... zero.

Sighing, the boy dragged his suitcase toward the dorm building. In the distance, he swore he could hear a commotion, though he could not quite make out what the shouting voices were saying. It prompted him to hurry up.

Is that a fight...? It sounds like feminine voices... Upon reaching the door, Makoto was stumped to see two of his classmates fiercely arguing for everyone to hear.

“Would it have hurt you to hold the door for me instead of nearly smacking it in my face?! Where did you freaking learn manners?!”

“D-Do you t-think I-I’m here to w-wait for s-skanks like y-you...?! Y-You w-wouldn’t have w-waited for m-me, s-so why should I-I wait for y-you...?!”

“W-What did you just call me?!”

The Ultimate Lucky Student’s hazel eyes widened. If he did not step up now, Class 78^th would have a body or two on their hands.

“H-Hey, n-no need to jump at each other’s throats!” the boy pleaded, noticing in the corner of his eyes that reinforcement was on the way. He got in between Toko and Sayaka and prayed neither of them would try to force the way through him – because he definitely lacked the strength to stop a brawl. “L-Let’s keep it civil, o-okay...?”

“M-Makoto! She almost smacked the door in my face! I wanted her to apologize, and she called me a skank!”

The bluette looked outraged, her face redder than the boy had ever seen it be. On the other hand, the novelist looked just as dissatisfied, though the frustration on her face was much more commonplace.

“What is going on here?!”

With that shout appeared three new students on the scene: Sakura, who had shouted, as well as Hina and Kyoko, the latter coming in the other direction, where Makoto had been just a few moments before.

The Ultimate Pop Sensation explained her side of the story to the Ultimate Martial Artist, almost tearfully, while Toko tried to stutter a semi-coherent response. Makoto sighed. Meanwhile, Hina attempted to calm down both of the protagonists, which was more or less successful. Kyoko kept watch, though Makoto could give her little to no attention.

“Is this how you think Ultimate students should act...?” the mountain of muscles asked, sending both Sayaka and Toko an intimidating glare. “What image of our class do such fights give?” She crossed her strong arms. “Apologize to one another, and let us close the book on this little incident, shall we?”

Though they held no sincerity whatsoever, the braided and blue-haired girls muttered words along the lines of ‘yeah, yeah, sorry...’ before the writer went her own way. Sayaka hurried back to her room, clearly unwilling to talk.

“I thought they were gonna kill each other...” Makoto said, scratching his temple. “That’s not really the scene I expected to see upon returning to campus.”

“S-Sorry... I think Byakuya lashed out at Toko earlier this weekend, so she’s been in a bad mood since,” Hina explained before adding with a roll of her eyes, “Worse than usual, at least.”

Sounds like some things happened while I was gone... I can’t say I’m shocked, though I wish it had been something other than fights... “I... see...”

The Ultimate Swimming Pro and her best friend eventually took their leave and wished Makoto a good day. With no one around, the scene was suddenly almost too quiet. Even the usual buzz around campus was missing. Makoto figured it was most likely since not all students had come back yet.

“This was not what I expected to see, either, but I can’t say I’m surprised.”

The lucky student was startled by the unexpected voice. He turned around and noticed Kyoko standing there. With all that shouting, Makoto forgot the Ultimate Detective was also here.

“K-Kyoko. Hi,” he greeted. “Did you also leave for the weekend?”

The Ultimate Detective nodded. “Not the whole weekend, but I was absent this morning,” she explained, crossing her arms and sighing. “Though with the overall mood of the class, I somewhat regret making my leave so short.”

“D-Did something happen...?”

“You could say that. Togami-kun lashed out at Fukawa-san and caused a scene during lunch yesterday, and Ishimaru-kun and Owada-kun also got into a childish fight.” The tone she spoke in was enough indication for Makoto to know her thoughts. “That is the gist of it, though there have also been some minor incidents I haven’t mentioned.”

Makoto looked bummed. It was quite a disappointment to learn that the bonds between his classmates were not yet as strong as he wished they were. “O-Oh, okay... I guess everything can’t go right all the time, heh?”

“Correct, they cannot,” Kyoko agreed, though the Luckster felt a part of that was sarcastic. “At this rate, I believe the lack of entente in our ranks is primarily due to a few students, but I don’t think you’re the type who wants to hear that.”

“W-Well...” I can’t say she’s wrong, either... “There are students like Togami-kun or Fukawa-san who don’t really seem-“

“That comment wasn’t aimed towards Togami-kun or Fukawa-san in particular.”

“I-It wasn’t...?”

“I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you’re being kind rather than naïve, but learning to read people’s intents could do you some good, Naegi-kun,” said the lavender-haired girl, sounding quite exasperated. “There is always more than one layer to people. You would do well to remember that before pointing the finger at easy targets.”

Oof... Makoto took the hit head-on as Kyoko walked away and inside the dorm building without a goodbye. “Talk about a bad mood... I thought Kirigiri-san had warmed up to me, but I guess I still have a ways to go. Though...”

Grabbing the handle of his suitcase with a sigh, the boy returned to his dorm, choosing to give the detective’s cryptic words and not-so-subtle criticism more consideration once he was done unpacking.

27^th of March, 2011

Talk about an atmosphere... I could cut the tension in the room with a knife...

With a weak greeting, Makoto stepped inside the Dining Hall. Rather than one table where (almost) everyone could eat together, the students were dispersed around the room, either eating alone or in tiny groups.

And from what he could tell, not even everybody was present. Noticing that Sayaka and Leon were not here, the Ultimate Lucky Student awkwardly approached the trio of Hifumi, Celeste, and Chihiro, who looked like they weren’t just about to kill one another.

“H-Hey guys,” he stuttered. “Do you mind if I eat with you?”

“Ah, Naegi-kun. It would be our pleasure,” the gambler said, showing Makoto perhaps the most genuine smile he had seen since returning to the school. That was saying something. “Feel free to have a seat.”

Chihiro and Hifumi did not seem to have any objections. If anything, they looked rather joyful, starkly contrasting with the rest of the students. Makoto went to get a tray and some food, allowing him to see what the others were up to.

Byakuya, as usual, was eating alone, though Toko wasn’t sitting too far. Probably far enough for the Ultimate Affluent Progeny’s ire to spare her.

Hina and Sakura were together with Mondo, but the biker looked so grumpy that not even the swimmer’s bubbliness seemed to have an effect.

Taka was alone, as was Junko, though it didn’t stop her from being loud and giving orders to Mukuro, who was apparently already done and staying not too far away from her twin.

The remaining four, Kyoko, Hiro, Sayaka, and Leon, weren’t even in the room. The former was probably busy, from what Makoto could infer, Hiro was probably up to being Hiro somewhere, Sayaka was most likely still not in a mood to see her classmates, and Leon... was either late or at Sayaka’s side.

Maybe I should drop by Maizono-san’s room after dinner? The hazel-eyed boy wondered, pouring himself a bowl of miso soup. On the other hand, it might be best to give her some space...

“So, um... How are you doing, guys?” Makoto asked his friends. Celeste was calmly eating what looked like a proper European meal with silverware that shined too much not to be expensive. Hifumi was stuffing his face with what appeared to be a low-quality burger. Meanwhile, Chihiro was slowly sipping at her bowl of ramen.

“Ah, I see you’ve noticed the awkward atmosphere around,” the gambler pointed out, rolling her eyes. “Not that you can be blamed for that observation. It really is quite regrettable.”

“I think the three of us are okay, but the rest of the class... n-not so much...” the programmer added, looking bummed. “I don’t know for sure... but I think our classmates are starting to feel some pressure, and when you throw in such personality differences, I guess it creates some tensions...”

“You have to wonder what else they want, Mister Naegi!” Hifumi said, hmphing. “After all, we are at Hope’s Peak Academy! What right do we have to complain?!”

Yeah, I can’t really argue with that-

“We have all these beautiful ladies! Not that the 3D variety catches my interest in the slightest, but... you know.”

Yeah, I should have known he’d follow it up with something weird... Makoto thought, sweatdropping. “I... don’t know about that last part, but I figured that being here would make people so overjoyed they’d forget about all their issues. I guess I was wrong...”

“Quite, apparently,” Celeste told him, taking a sip of a fancy teacup. “For the ordinary people, it must be arduous to grasp that such high-ranking people in society can have such problems in their lives. It appears that our classmates also brought their share of issues with them. Not merely the joy of stardom of the tranquility of being rich.”

“And when you have classmates with clashing personalities, like Taka and Owada-kun, it’s difficult for everyone to get along... It saddens me because I like them both, but they always argue...”

Makoto swallowed his mouthful of soup and paused to ponder. In his mind, there wasn’t much he could bring to the class that somebody else couldn’t already. However, there was something he could do: bring some positivity. It probably would not make Byakuya grow any fonder of Toko or make Mondo abandon his habits, but if he was lucky, it could perhaps bring a smile to the lips of his classmates from time to time.

These things will take time... I mean, I didn’t think everyone would get along ideally right off the bat, but I realize I was a little too naïve. But it’s up to me and everyone who wants to unite the class to work on the class’s morale! It’s the only way we’ll thoroughly enjoy our time here!

“You seem awfully excited about something, Naegi-kun,” Celeste said with an amused smile. “May it be something you wish to share?”

The boy blushed. The Ultimate Gambler had a way of wording her sentences so beautifully that he couldn’t help but be embarrassed. There was most likely some teasing thrown in there, too.

“I’m... just excited to be here. It’s probably silly, but... I want to make my optimism infectious. Being a student of Hope’s Peak is a dream come true for me, so I want to make the best of my time here.” A fiery determination entered his hazel-colored eyes. “And the first step toward that goal is ensuring everyone gets along. There’s no getting around that.”

It would take time. The Ultimate Lucky Student knew that. However, if the smiling faces of the classmates sharing dinnertime with him were any indication, there was also hope to be had: he wasn’t fighting this battle alone.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-Four: Color Switch

30^th of March, 2011

Makoto felt somewhat guilty for this. After all, missing class had never been his thing, and while he wasn’t a boot-licker like Taka, he knew it would be best for him to be at school, especially since their teachers bothered to wake up in the morning to give their classes.

Clearly, others in the class (such as Byakuya, though that was only one of about half the group) had the luxury not to care, but Makoto considered himself a well-taught boy, so he did feel a little bad about it. Oh well, it’s not like the school forced them to attend, either. Once was fine.

Right?

“This... is a rather small house, considering who lives in it,” the Ultimate Lucky Student observed, standing before the metal gate. “I somehow expected a huge mansion, but it seems I was wrong.”

“Hey, not everyone’s as rich as Togami, you know?” Leon told him, and the tone in his voice made it sound like he was scolding him. “We may be Ultimates, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we make billions of yens, either. I know I don’t!”

Fair enough... Being famous or elite at what you do doesn’t equal being rich, I guess... “Should we call the intercom?” the hazel-eyed boy wondered, realizing there was no point merely standing there.

“Yeah, gimme a sec.” With that, the baseball player confidently pushed the button on the device that read ‘Maizono Tooru,’ causing it to start ringing. Once someone picked up, the redhead was quick to react. “Hello? This is Kuwata. Is Say- I mean, is Maizono-chan here?”

Makoto shook his head and sighed. Old habits died hard.

“Oh, Kuwata-kun! Let me unlock the gate!” A familiar feminine voice echoed, the mere sound of it making the Luckster smile. The very next second, something clicked, and the gate opened. “The front door’s unlocked, so no need to knock!”

Leon didn’t fail to thank the pop star before the two boys were on their way inside the residence. It had a lovely garden with a trampoline and a swimming pool, although, again, those were moderately small for the house of Japan’s trending pop idol. For comparison, the Naegis owned a bigger house, though Makoto didn’t let it get to his head.

It feels a bit wrong to enter without knocking, but she did tell us to do just that, so... Somehow, his classmate didn’t seem to be as bothered by it, as he turned the knob without a moment’s hesitation and proudly walked inside.

“Hello? Maizono-chan?” the ballplayer loudly called out, announcing his presence, his voice echoing in the entry hall. The house’s interior was modern, with a few posters of the Ultimate Pop Sensation’s band hanging on the wall, resting in frames made of what looked like high-quality wood.

“Oh, you must be the two friends Sayaka mentioned.”

Makoto and Leon turned their attention to a middle-aged man greeting them near the front door. He looked friendly enough, though the bags under his eyes betrayed a deeply rooted exhaustion. From the rest of his features, there was very little doubt who the guy could be, though.

“G-Good morning, sir,” Makoto greeted timidly, always a little intimidated at the sight of a stranger, especially when he was at someone else’s place. “M-My name is Makoto Naegi. I-I am a student of Hope’s Peak Academy,” he said, bowing before the man, hands suddenly sweaty. “I-It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

“The name’s Leon Kuwata, Ultimate Baseball Star and soon-to-be Ultimate Musician!” Leon added much more confidently and, admittedly, much less politely. Still, it remained friendly enough to be acceptable. “We’re Maizono-chan’s classmates. Are you her dad?”

“Hm, yeah, I seem to recall Sayaka talking about a Kuwata and a Naegi,” the man mused, yawning loudly. “Sorry about that. I worked the night shift, so I’m tired as hell. But yeah, I’m Sayaka’s father. My name’s Tooru Maizono. It’s nice to meet you boys.”

He ruffled their hair playfully and showed them a smile.

“There you guys are!”

Leon beamed at the sight of the Ultimate Pop Sensation joining her father’s side. She was dressed casually in a plain white t-shirt and pair of blue jeans, her hair in a simple ponytail, and Makoto noticed she wore less make-up than usual. He quickly decided he also liked the more natural look on her.

“I’ll take it from here, Dad. You should go sleep a bit; you look like a zombie,” the bluenette said bluntly. Makoto and Leon rolled their eyes.

“Thanks, Sayaka. Way to let me make a good first impression...” He let out a long sigh. “Make yourselves at home, boys. If Sayaka invited you, I trust you two to be well-mannered. The zombie has to go catch some Zzz’s now.”

After the visibly tired Tooru had excused himself to take a nap inside what looked like the living room, Sayaka quickly guided her two friends toward the staircase leading to the second floor.

“I’m glad you guys could make it!” Her sweet smile turned more mischievous. “My stylist’s already here, so we’re ready to begin immediately! Hope you’re as excited about this as I am!”

Because, yes, there was a reason the two Ultimates were invited to the pop star’s house in the middle of the week, and it was the same reason Sayaka’s stylist was needed on the scene.

“I can’t exactly say I’m thrilled, but being at your place makes it worth it, so I won’t complain,” Leon said with a shrug, ascending the stairs at a pace that contradicted his supposed lack of enthusiasm. “No offense, man, but I still kinda wish it was only Maizono-chan and me.”

Makoto rolled his eyes. His classmate didn’t even bother hiding it. Considering how obvious it was, maybe this was not a bad idea. “None taken...” the Ultimate Lucky Student murmured under his breath. Real smooth, Kuwata-kun, real smooth... “But trust me, I’m not confident at all, and I’d rather the three of us be in class right about now...”

When they entered the pop star’s room, decorated with more music and pop stuff than he had ever thought possible, Makoto felt the heat get to his cheeks. Aside from his sister’s, he had never been inside the room of a girl his age prior to this, so it felt like he was maturing with the experience. Nevertheless, the moment felt much less remarkable with Leon beside him, almost drooling.

A lot less intimate, at the very least.

“Oh, hello there! Sayaka-chan, are those boys the ones we’re dealing with today?”

Before either boy could take in too much of the décor inside Ultimate Pop Sensation’s private room, they were greeted by the overly enthusiastic voice of a woman already there. She was older than they were; the Ultimate Lucky Student guessed she was probably around their homeroom teacher’s age.

Her fashion style was rather flashy as she wore an outfit on the punkish side, had tattoos visible on her arms and just left of her belly button, and her curly hair had colored streaks all over the place. Furthermore, as far as Makoto could tell from her accent and darker skin, she was not Japanese. The boy welcomed the diversity.

“Hehe, you got it!” Sayaka nodded with a smirk. “Boys, lemme introduce you to my stylist, Whitney Azure-chan! She’s from America and has lived in Japan for a few years now. I personally recruited her when I started off my idol band! Whitney-chan, this is Makoto Naegi-kun and Leon Kuwata-kun, two of my classmates at Hope’s Peak Academy.”

“Nice to mee- huh?“

As Makoto tried to speak, the older woman suddenly approached him and, if he was being honest, got way too close way too quickly. It seemed she was scrutinizing him from up close, every inch of his skin and every strand of his hair. A second later, she did the same thing with Leon, which didn’t fail to surprise him, either.

“Hm... I see! Fascinating!” Whitney exclaimed, a metaphorical lightbulb appearing over her head. “Kuwata-kun, that’s some sick piercings you’ve got there! Nice touch on the goatee, too! And you won’t hear me badmouth a guy using make-up! As for you, Naegi-kun, I looooove how smooth your skin is! Just like a baby’s! It’s even smoother than Sayaka-chan’s!”

“W-What...?”

The bluenette giggled as a furious blush left the Ultimate Lucky Student as red as a tomato. Getting called a baby, even if she meant no harm, was embarrassing. Leon, on the other hand, looked content enough to have been complimented by an older girl – any girl, really.

“Sorry guys, Whitney-chan tends to get overexcited regarding fashion and stuff,” Sayaka explained with a cute laugh. “I asked her to come today to help me with our little bet from last time. She’s a real pro, so you guys are lucky she’s here!”

The grin returned. Makoto’s blush left him immediately, and a gulp of fear took place instead. Reflexively, his hand reached out to his spiky mess of a hairstyle as if trying to protect it from danger.

Because, yes, today was the dreaded day the boys had to hold their end of the bet and get their hair dyed. Makoto couldn’t exactly say he’d been looking forward to it. At all, actually.

“I picked the colors I wanted for each of you last night; this will be fun! Please, have a seat! I’ll do Makoto while Whitney-chan takes care of Leon, ‘kay?”

All too quickly, Makoto was led – or rather, forced – to a seat with a sink, just like at the hairstylist. While Leon tried to look confident and unbothered, the Luckster could see beyond the façade, and even though he doubted the ballplayer was as scared as him, deep down, Makoto knew he most likely was pretty freaked out.

Now, he just had to hope Sayaka would be kind to him. Alas, nothing could be less certain.

30^th of March, 2011

When he finally opened his eyes after what seemed like an eternity, Makoto was greeted with his own reflection in the mirror, next to a smiling Sayaka. The mere fact that he recognized himself was a good sign.

Darker, it definitely was. Somewhere between his original brown and a deep black, if he had to describe it. Still, the first sound Makoto made upon seeing himself was a long sigh of relief.

Aside from the color of the dye itself, Makoto still managed to enjoy the moment somewhat. Being in Sayaka’s care felt strangely comforting, and getting his head massaged by the pop idol felt like a piece of heaven on Earth. If this wasn’t the last time Sayaka shampooed his hair, Makoto would be pretty thrilled to hear it, though if it could be in different circumstances, it would be even better.

“I went easy on you since I know you weren’t as invested as Leon in our bet,” Sayaka explained kindly, adding, “It’s not permanent, by the way, so it’ll wash away after you shampoo a few times. I’m not that cruel.”

That’s... good to know. The boy thought, appreciating that the girl’s mischievousness had limits, at least as far as he was concerned. “T-Thanks, Sayaka. You had me worried half to death for a second... I imagined you’d dye it green or something.”

“Nooo, nothing that extreme!” she reassured him. “Not for you, anyway.”

With that, the two classmates turned their attention to the Ultimate Baseball Star sitting beside them. Makoto nearly had a heart attack as Whitney moved away, her work on the other boy finished.

“K-Kuwata-kun! Y-Your hair!” he exclaimed in shock.

“Yeah, no kidding...”

Leon’s emotions appeared to be torn between horror and resignation. His trademark red hair, along with his goatee and eyebrows, had been dyed purple, quite a few shades darker than the Ultimate Detective’s.

“I don’t know if you were hoping it would look good, Maizono-chan, but if you did, then you’ve never been so wrong before, I can assure you that.”

“Aw, I think it looks nice on you, Kuwata-kun!” the stylist chipped in, ruffling the boy’s still slightly damp hair. “It’s not a common color, sure, but it makes a statement! All the girls are definitely going to look at you!”

Surprisingly, that did not appear to reassure him. Makoto realized his friend must have been left really shaken for that to happen. Usually, Leon would rush after anything that would grant him a girl’s attention.

“I concur! It’ll take time to get used to, but I don’t think it looks bad!” said Sayaka, her voice assertive. “And, hey, you did lose the bet! You have to suffer the consequences!”

“I am never betting with you again, Maizono-chan! That was a dick move!” Leon argued with a pout. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror before looking away. Suddenly, Makoto felt grateful not to be the baseball player. “I’m definitely dyeing it back soon... What about my public image?!”

She stuck out his tongue at him. Makoto shook his head and sighed. These two together made for quite the duo. Still, with this out of the way, perhaps he could finally enjoy the day without having to freak out like a madman.

“Okay, now that we’re done with that, I’m gonna let Whitney-chan work her magic and make you all handsome, guys!” Sayaka announced, the teasing smirk from earlier being gone and replaced by a much gentler smile. “I also brought you some clothes, since you two actually went along with the bet and all. Consider it a gift for hanging out with me at school!”

That was an unexpected surprise. In Makoto’s mind, enjoying time with his friends was a gift of its own – and a unique one, at that – but if the bluenette wished to go above and beyond, who was he to be a contrarian?

Hopefully, the makeover they were about to receive from the professional stylist wouldn’t make him regret his words. Makoto had always been a boy of average style – much like in everything else. But he chose to believe in the one Sayaka trusted.

And if he could, in her own words, look more handsome to her, no one would see him pass up the opportunity.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-Five: Glancing at a Star

1^st of April, 2011

Makoto ran a hand on his belly, feeling his stomach would be full for a while. An unexpected perk of being a student of Hope’s Peak was the food. Of course, nothing would beat the loveliness of his mother’s homemade meals, but damn, whoever ran the kitchens at the school cooked in more ways than one.

“After working myself to death in P.E., I think I deserved a little treat!” the boy thought aloud with an amused smile, strolling around campus on his way back to the dorms. Afternoon classes only began in an hour, so he had ample time to spare to do something – and that something would most likely be playing video games.

Unfortunately, the weather had decided not to play along today. A light rain and cloudy skies dampened not only the atmosphere but also the mood, even if that was not enough to deter the optimistic Makoto. It seemed, however, to have deterred the person he saw in the distance, who perhaps didn’t need outside intervention to be moody.

“Oh, hey, Togami-kun,” the Luckster greeted, seeing the other boy leaning against a tree, protected from the raindrops, a book in hand. He looked up and noticed Makoto. “How are you doing? Pretty bad weather, right?”

“Ah, Naegi,” he said. Surprisingly, his voice sounded friendlier than usual. Still, before the hazel-eyed boy could get his hopes up, Byakuya spoke again, “I saw you earlier, aimlessly walking around like the idiot you are, and thought of a question I wished to ask you.”

Should have known it was too good to be true... Was this his idea of an April’s Fools joke? To act nice...? Makoto wondered, unable to help but sweatdrop. “What’s up?” he asked, keeping his cool despite his classmate’s lack of... tact.

“Believe it or not, but something’s been bothering me for a while now, and I can’t take it anymore,” the Togami heir began, his voice carrying quite a bit of frustration. “So, to answer my question... I need you to explain exactly what your ‘Ultimate Lucky Student’ title means.”

“Oh, um...” This is a much more challenging question than it sounds... Makoto realized, bringing his hand to his chin in thought. “Well, I don’t totally get it myself, but... I do know I was picked at random from a pool of normal students in a lottery.”

Pensively, Byakuya put a finger against one leg of his glasses. “So you got into Hope’s Peak by blind luck.” That was less of a question and more of an assertion. Not that Makoto had anything to contradict it with. “I see. Well, that answers my question.”

I somehow know I shouldn’t ask, but... Preparing to be gratuitously insulted, Makoto spoke up, asking, “What was the question, if I may ask...?”

“Ah, I was merely wondering how a commoner like you, with absolutely no unique talents or abilities, could get into this school,” he said with a smile and without missing a beat before correcting himself. “Apologies, I forgot to mention boring. How a boring, untalented, utterly generic commoner got in...”

Boring and generic, huh...? Seems like the kid’s gloves are off... Slightly amused by his classmate’s characteristic rudeness, Makoto merely shook his head. “D-Did you really have to make it a list, Togami-kun...?”

“But it is the truth.”

“Maybe compared to you, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, but... Even I-“

“Hold it right there,” Byakuya sharply cut, his expression becoming much more severe, almost inconvenienced as if he were the one being insulted. “You seem to think it’s merely an issue of title. But make no mistake, Naegi, my lineage, intelligence, figure, athletic ability – they are all Ultimate in their own right.” He raised his finger, almost putting it in the boy’s face. “Which is to say, I am the Ultimate Perfection. In fact, feel free to start calling me that from now on.”

Yeah, I’m not calling you that. Makoto quickly decided. Being kind, he absolutely didn’t mind, but fueling Byakuya’s already inflated ego was not an enterprise he cared to pursue. I feel like I’m the guy’s punching bag...

“You, Naegi, who have nothing. On the other hand, I, who have everything.” The heir paused, a confident smirk on his lips. “We are living proof that all men aren’t created equal. You have my pity, Naegi, I truly mean it. Life can be quite cruel.”

Left speechless, the Ultimate Lucky Student could do little more than stare away, refusing to meet the other boy’s gaze without a solid rebuttal – which he currently lacked – or, rather, knew would have no effect.

“And because I pity you so much, perhaps someday I’ll allow you to hear my tale of glory,” Byakuya continued, his eyes full of disdain. “Consider it a blessing. A gift from me to you, if you like.”

With that, the blonde closed his book with a loud *THUMP* and walked away, visibly unbothered by the rain now. Makoto could only watch as the Ultimate Affluent Progeny left him alone with a lot to think about.

“After lecturing me like this, he just leaves...” He sighed. “I learned something about Togami-kun today, at least.” Nursing the back of his head, fearing a migraine coming, Makoto spoke up under his breath, “Anytime I talk to him, I ought to be ready for some extreme psychological trauma...”

Suddenly, Makoto lost his motivation to have fun. For all the things Byakuya was, the Luckster knew for a fact he wasn’t the Ultimate Antidepressant, but perhaps the very opposite.

3^rd of April, 2011

The crowd sure is loud... It feels like my eardrums are going to explode... With an awkward smile, Makoto and his classmates sat in their V.I.P. seats. Their vantage point guaranteed the best possible experience: better seats, perfect distance from the stage, snacks to eat, and goodies to boot.

“Man, they don’t fucking half-ass things here,” Mondo said, sitting in his seat and putting his legs on the table. In a nutshell, he was making himself at home. As usual. “Not that I know anything about fucking pop idols.”

Though no one shared the exact same words as the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader – nor his unfortunate wording – none could disagree, either. The Ultimate Lucky Student smiled and tried to relax. This was meant to be a fun time, after all.

Poor Komaru... Getting sick today of all days... Makoto sighed. It appeared his sister had not inherited his supposed luck – far from it. Sayaka had offered to invite Komaru to today’s show, but a sudden case of late flu made Makoto’s sister unable to even get out of bed all day, according to Yumiko. Well, I’ll try to enjoy it for you, too.

Initially, the Ultimate Pop Sensation had invited the whole of Class 78^th – more out of courtesy than anything when it came to a few students – and seven had shown up. Aside from Makoto, Leon was obviously there. The five others were Hina, Sakura, Chihiro, Mondo, and Taka – if only to ensure no one, as he argued, ‘acted unlawfully.’ In truth, it was to keep an eye on the biker.

“It’ll be so interesting to see Maizono-san in her element like this!” Hina excitedly said, already on the edge of her seat. “Idols and stuff are usually not my cup of tea, but this should be a fun time!”

The Ultimate Martial Artist could only concur. The Ultimate Programmer, as usual, was acting shy, though she seemed to gradually feel more comfortable as the beginning of the show drew closer. On his end, the Ultimate Baseball Star was already shaking with excitement, his purple hair something no one had really gotten used to yet.

It was only a few more minutes before everything went black, causing the crowd to suddenly turn quiet. A mere second later, fireworks started skyrocketing from the stage and brightly lit the whole stadium in a bright blue color. In a display of smoke and colorful lightning, the beloved idol group appeared on stage. Sayaka’s familiar voice immediately filled the arena, and the idol didn’t wait a moment to get things underway.

To no one’s surprise, Leon began to sing his heart out (they realized he’d committed to learning the lyrics, which was rather impressive in such a short time), his enthusiasm unmatched by his classmates, though Hina and Makoto picked up a lyric sheet on the table and began to sing – needless to say, one much more loudly than the other.

Everything was great, from the music to the lighting to the dances. Makoto understood why his sister was such a big fan. But nothing on that stage, absolutely nothing, shined as brightly as the Ultimate Pop Sensation.

Sayaka’s voice had already captured the hearts of all the fans in attendance as the lyrics of Negaigoto Ensemble echoed inside the stadium. The smile on the girl’s face as she sang was nothing short of angelic. Perhaps it was required of her, but at this moment, Sayaka Maizono looked flawless.

From afar, Makoto noticed that not one thing about her was out of place: her blue hair, which swayed from left to right, had been neatly brushed, and her shiny dress, which sparkled under the lighting spots, drew all the attention on her as she danced.

But what caught the Ultimate Lucky Student’s attention more than anything was different.

According to the saying, the eyes were the mirror of the soul.

And if this was anything to go by, then Sayaka Maizono’s soul was currently making Makoto Naegi’s heart flutter.

Maizono-san... You look...

...absolutely perfect.

3^rd of April, 2011

“We finally made it! Look alive, guys!”

Makoto’s face showed some apparent nervousness as they cautiously approached the door, with the Ultimate Baseball Star leading the way with a confident step. The others reacted differently, though Leon’s excitement far overcame anything else.

The concert had been an absolute blast from start to finish. Even without much knowledge of pop idols, the Ultimate Lucky Student could safely say this was the most fun he’d had in an extremely long time – probably whole years. At this rate, Sayaka’s band would not only take Japan by storm but would undoubtedly conquer people’s hearts worldwide.

And if you asked the boy, it would be well-deserved.

“So, we going in or what?” Mondo asked, ready to knock on the door where the plate read ‘Sayaka Maizono’ in Comic Sans. The others nodded in unison, prompting the biker to do something closer to punching the door than knocking on it. “Shit, I forgot we were supposed not to make noise.”

“Dumbass,” Leon said with an eye roll. He found himself on the receiving end of quite a few ironic stares for that comment. “If we get caught because of you, Owada...”

Even with V.I.P. seats and an invitation from Sayaka herself, getting backstage proved to be more difficult than anticipated for the Hope’s Peak students. The pop idol had warned her classmates that her producer didn’t want anyone outside her team to enter her private dressing room, with no exceptions.

So they kinda had to sneak around to get there.

It frankly didn’t please the Ultimate Moral Compass.

Fortunately, security seemed to be busy somewhere else, and the door quickly opened, revealing their starified friend. The bluette, now makeup-free but quite sweaty, out of her stage outfit and instead wearing a plain white shirt, beamed at the sight of her friends.

“Everyone, you made it! Hurry, come in!” she prompted and tried to keep her enthusiasm in check, removing herself from the entryway and letting her fellow Ultimates inside. Once she’d closed the door, everyone could breathe a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you guys didn’t get caught!”

The dressing room was nothing to write home about. It had all the things you’d expect to see in a pop star’s dressing room, from the make-up and hair equipment to the fancy costume Sayaka was wearing earlier.

“Not that Owada-kun’s knocking helped!” Taka admonished, giving the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader a scolding glare. Mondo looked somewhat apologetic. “But yes, so am I, Maizono-san. It would have been the greatest of dishonors to be caught sneaking around!”

“I don’t know about dishonor, but it surely would have caused issues,” Sakura added. “Though I must say that security at such a large venue is lacking, considering they managed to miss my rather large frame. I did not think it possible.”

“L-Let’s call ourselves lucky and leave it at that...” Chihiro concluded, still shaking slightly from the mix of fear and excitement. “A-Anyway, I had a lot of fun, Maizono-san.”

Sayaka grinned. “Aww, really?” Seeing the programmer nod, her smile broadened. “Thanks a lot! I like to think we did pretty well out there! We sure gave it our best, at least!” She smiled sheepishly. “I think you can tell from the sweat. Sorry about that...” She turned to the others. “So, what did you think? Did it exceed your expectations?”

“You bet it did! This was the best moment of my whole life, I swear! I can die happy now! And to be in your dressing room now, too... This rocks!” At this point, the ballplayer was gleefully jumping around – probably without realizing it, too. He would have already collapsed from exhaustion if it weren’t for the adrenaline. “I’ll never be thankful enough, Maizono-chan!”

“Though I don’t think I’d say it the way Kuwata-kun just did, I had fun, too!” concurred Hina. “It was a good change of pace, and it allowed me to broaden my horizons. Thanks for the invite, Maizono-san!”

“Yeah, it was pretty fucking good,” Mondo added, his loud voice echoing inside the small room, though he seemed sort of embarrassed saying this. “For some girl stuff, at least.”

They all sweatdropped at that remark.

“Owada-kun’s sexism aside...” the martial artist sighed. “You and your bandmates had me entertained, Maizono-san. Thank you.”

“I agree! Music and dancing are far from my expertise, but I managed to enjoy myself, even if I had to keep an eye on the delinquent among us!” Taka said, giving a bow. “Thank you, Maizono-san!”

Well, I guess that leaves only me... “I... I don’t have much to say that the others haven’t already said...” Makoto admitted embarrassedly, traces of a blush appearing on his pale cheeks. With everyone listening, it was difficult to freely speak his mind. “I-I had a lot of fun. T-Thanks a lot, Maizono-san. I-I’m honored you invited me.”

He finished by bowing his head in appreciation. It was less embarrassing and wouldn’t cause him to stutter, at least.

“You’re welcome, Makoto. This was the least I could do for you guys...” Sayaka replied warmly, visibly touched by the kind words and praise. “I don’t know if this was enough to make you Sayakers, but the band will be glad to have you at our show whenever you want.”

This was her turn to bow. Maybe his hazel eyes were tricking him, but the Luckster swore he could see a few tears trickling down Sayaka’s fair cheeks.

“If we... If we managed to fill your heart with a tenth of the happiness our fans give us, even for a brief instant... then I think we did a good job.”

Makoto looked at the scene tenderly, taking in his friend’s state of bliss and gratitude. Who knew how many people had already seen this side of Sayaka Maizono?

Whether it’s a tenth, a hundredth, or even a millionth... just for granting me the opportunity to see your world with my own eyes, I’m grateful, Maizono-san. Not necessarily for the music or the dances, but... just for you.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-Six: In Hot Water

3^rd of April, 2011

“Ah, I didn’t know you were the type to break the rules, Naegi-kun. I am slightly disappointed.”

Startled, the Ultimate Lucky Student loudly gasped and turned around, various scenarios of him being brought to the police station for poking his nose where it didn’t belong already running through his mind.

His surprise was even greater when he realized the police officer who had just caught him had a very familiar face. Somehow, Makoto didn’t allow himself to breathe a sigh of relief quite yet.

“A-Ah, um... t-that is...” This is not the time to stutter, Naegi! “I-I got lost, y-you see...?”

Makoto knew this wasn’t convincing, and not only because of the stutter that showed up to make his day worse. He genuinely hoped the others had managed to make a safer escape, for lack of a better word.

“You got lost, did you?” At least, the boy drew a smile. Nobody would hear him complaining if it could be followed by some leniency. “Then perhaps I can show you the way. To the station, that is.”

He visibly gulped. “I-I’ll, uh...” Scratching his temple, Makoto pondered his following few words carefully. “I-I think I’ll try to find my way out alone. T-Thank you, Kirigiri-san...”

The Ultimate Detective sighed. “You’re lucky I’m the one who found you. We’ll just pretend you really got lost and were not just leaving Sayaka Maizono’s dressing room. Follow me.”

Feeling his heartbeat slowing down the tiniest bit, Makoto was quick to comply. “Y-Yes, ma’am!” he said, closely trailing behind Kyoko as she walked towards the exit – using the path he and his classmates had taken earlier to join the Ultimate Pop Sensation. “I-I’m sorry, Kirigiri-san... I wish this hadn’t happened...”

“Well, it has, so I’m afraid what-ifs won’t do you much good,” the lavender-haired Ultimate told him matter-of-factly. “Consider yourself lucky I don’t deem you capable of harboring any ill intent. Had it been someone like, let’s say, Owada-kun, I wouldn’t have been so lenient.”

Yeah, Owada-kun definitely would have caused a scene... Kuwata-kun, too, for that matter... “T-Thanks, Kirigiri-san.”

She rolled her eyes, showing some exasperation. “I would say there’s no need to thank me, but considering I am purposefully not doing my job correctly for your sake, I suppose you actually should be thankful.” Okay, that made Makoto feel kinda bad. “More seriously, something like this better not happen again.” She stopped and looked him right in the eyes. This was pretty terrifying. “Am I clear?”

“C-Crystal!” Phew... Way to get scolded... It’d been a while since the boy had last been admonished in such a way by anyone. “S-So, um... I take it you’re here on security duty, Kirigiri-san?”

“Correct,” the detective answered with a nod. “Police were put in charge of security for this show, considering how large of an event it was. Though, by all accounts, something went wrong. It appears I’ll have to issue warnings to some... lazy officers.”

Even if he had just gotten caught doing something he shouldn’t, Makoto was glad not to be one of Kyoko’s subordinates right now. The girl had a cold nature at all times, but the Luckster didn’t even want to imagine how she could be in a work environment. She didn’t seem the type to enjoy half-assed work.

Without much else to say, the two classmates walked in silence toward the entrance of the concert hall. In the distance, Makoto noticed his other classmates, all accounted for, chatting amongst themselves. Hina was the first to see him approach.

“Ah, Naegi! There you are! You sure took your sweet time!” she told him, though she mostly seemed relieved. “And that’s... Kirigiri-chan...? What are you doing here?”

With all the attention now on her, the purple-eyed Ultimate gave the small group an intimidating glare. “I’m the one who should be asking questions here. What were you doing backstage, where you had absolutely no business being?”

“A-Ah, um...”

Speechless, the swimmer preferred not to say anything. Upon realizing what was happening, Taka nearly screamed in terror.

“K-K-K-Kirigiri-kun! I… I sincerely apologize!”

He bowed so hard they all thought his face would hit the concrete. Nonetheless, no one had the guts to say anything when the Ultimate Detective was so very clearly not in a mood to mess around.

“It’s Kirigiri-san to you, Ishimaru,” Kyoko dryly replied. “As for all of you, you should have some shame. We are all students of Hope’s Peak Academy. Try to live up to our school’s reputation. For your own sakes.”

Mondo almost started to speak, only to be stopped by Sakura’s firm hand on his shoulder. They all breathed a long sigh of relief. They didn’t even want to know what he’d been about to say.

Kyoko shook her head. “As I told Naegi-kun when I caught him, I’ll pretend this never happened, but I won’t be so kind next time, so ensure there’s no next time.” Her expression softened somewhat. “I understand you were all eager to see Maizono-san and that she’s most likely the one who invited you to her dressing room, but rules are rules, and it is my job to enforce them. I am not scolding you just to play the bad cop, but because a real bad cop wouldn’t have let this slide. Well,” she crossed her arms. “I have work to get back to. Be careful on your way back to Hope’s Peak.”

With that, the Ultimate Detective turned around and left. The others bowed, apologized for their misconduct, and let her return inside the arena. Makoto could see plenty of embarrassed faces, especially Chihiro’s, which was as red as a cherry.

“She’s not the fuckin’ Ultimate Fun Girl, that’s for sure. The princess is lucky she’s a girl.”

“O-Owada-kun!” Taka reprimanded, sounding positively offended. “Please have respect for police officers!”

“Tch, if you knew what I think of cops...”

No one wished to ask for more details. Now able to relax, Makoto finally realized that it was now nighttime. He had no clue the show had actually lasted that long. But now that it was over, and a yawn escaped his mouth, the Ultimate Lucky Student realized they had left Hope’s Peak hours ago.

Well, they had warned the Principal that they would return to school late, but it was probably best not to roam the streets too long. Even with a biker gang leader and a martial artist within their ranks, they had perhaps misbehaved enough for one day.

Makoto merely followed along as the Ultimate Programmer suggested they take the bus back to Hope’s Peak instead of walking. To tell the truth, his mind was elsewhere – already far away from the incident with the Ultimate Detective – filled with thoughts of the show.

The lyrics and choreography would undoubtedly leave his memories someday, but the Luckster knew one thing for sure: this was a moment he would commit to memory for a long, long time.

7^th of April, 2011

It was difficult to tell conclusively, but looking at his reflection in the mirror of the changing room and inspecting it closely, Makoto was pretty confident his hair was finally back to its original color. As Sayaka had promised, the dye had not lasted too long, barely a week – though he had to shampoo a fair amount of times to get rid of it.

“Hurry up, Naegi! I need to see the girls in their swimsuits as soon as possible!”

“H-Hey, no need to drag me there! Geez...” Makoto sighed as he was forcibly grabbed by the arm by none other than Leon (who had already dyed his hair back to its more common red color) and led to the swimming pool in a rush.

Today was Class 78^th’s first swimming lesson in P.E. The Ultimate Lucky Student was a decent swimmer, and not unlike most people his age, he enjoyed spending time in the pool with friends. Though he had little interest in staring at the girls in their swimsuits.

He didn’t care as much as the ballplayer, anyway.

Once there, Leon wasted no time and went to see Sayaka, sitting near the edge of the pool, with the Ultimate Detective sitting not far away, though the two didn’t seem to be conversing. Both girls were wearing a blue one-piece swimsuit, so Makoto figured this was the generic swimsuit the school had given the girls.

“Maizono-chan!” the redhead cheered, finally dropping Makoto’s hand and running to Sayaka’s side, almost slipping in the process. “You look incredible in that swimsuit!”

That... was not something the Luckster could deny. Sayaka did look lovely, perhaps even more than usual, though he tried his best not to stare. It sure was tempting. Kyoko looked very pretty, too, even if her lack of a smile disadvantaged her against the pop idol.

Makoto said nothing and let Leon ramble. In roughly the month they had known each other, both Ultimate Lucky Student and Ultimate Pop Sensation realized there would be no point trying to do anything about Leon’s infatuation. Everyone could see it, but it didn’t seem clear that Sayaka would do anything about it any time soon.

Sometimes, the hazel-eyed boy told himself that was a good thing.

For absolutely no reason, of course.

None at all.

“Alright, everyone! Gather here so we can get started!” With a loud whistle, Hina called the troops near the lifeguard tower. Not everyone seemed to be as enthusiastic as she was. “Okay, so I heard from sensei that not everyone wanted to participate, which is fine; I understand that some of you don’t want to swim. For everyone else, we’ll have a short group lesson followed by some free time, okay?” The more she spoke, the more the young Olympian’s smile grew broad. The fact that the only three non-participants were Byakuya, Toko, and Celeste probably had something to do with it, too. “If anyone needs my help with anything, please call me! That’s why I’m here!”

None could say they had ever had the Ultimate Swimming Pro as their swimming teacher before. In Makoto’s opinion, this was bound to be interesting – even if he suspected the likely exhaustion that would undoubtedly come after the lesson would make him regret thinking this.

With this, the lesson began. Easy, at first, as Hina merely asked them to swim a few laps around the pool. That much Makoto could do. The more athletic students, namely Sakura, Mondo, Leon, and Mukuro, quickly moved away from the rest of the pack while Hiro and Hifumi (for obvious reasons) were trailing behind.

“Alright, now that you’re all done with that easy warm-up... I want 800m in butterfly stroke from everyone! Anyone who takes over fifteen minutes must do it all over again! Let’s go!”

Makoto’s eyes widened. Forget after the lesson; he already regretted this.

7^th of April, 2011

“Hey, Togami! Since you’re not swimming, make yourself useful and take a few pictures, okay? It’ll make for some nice memories later!”

“And why would I have to do anything you say...? Do you even know who you’re giving orders to...?”

Makoto rolled his eyes as Byakuya outright refused to comply with Hina’s demand. These two got along as well as one could expect; that is to say, they were pretty much constantly fighting like cat and dog, with both sides refusing to listen to a word from the other.

“Don’t be a jerk and do it! No one’s talking to you, so it’s not like you’ve got anything better to do!” the swimmer insisted, talking loudly from her chair while keeping an eye on her classmates. “Yamada said his camera was in the boys’ changing room.”

“And you expect me to touch something this human piece of grease owns?!” He sounded genuinely baffled. Makoto, Sayaka, and Kyoko, who were the closest to the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, could see the disgust in his eyes. “Forget it! Who cares about your pictures, anyway?! Those serve no purpose!”

Aw... “I know the two of you don’t get along, but could you please do it for the rest of the class, Togami-kun...?” Makoto asked, hoping to be the voice of reason between them. “I’ll, uh... do something for you in return if you want.” I shouldn’t have said that. For some reason, I just know.

“That’s an awfully kind offer, Naegi-kun,” the Ultimate Detective commented. “I’d withdraw it soon if I were you.”

“Can’t disagree with Kirigiri-san,” Sayaka concurred. “You know Togami-kun’s just going to make you do everything he’s too lazy to do himself, Makoto.”

Makoto sighed. Why’d I even interfere... “W-Well, maybe not anything then, but, uh... I can lend you a few hundred yen if you’re interested...?” What the heck am I even saying...? He’s filthy rich!

“Tch.” A mere sound was enough for the Togami heir to express all his disdain. “Remember your place, Naegi. You are a mere commoner, and I am the heir to the wealthiest family in the world. The day I need you to lend me pocket change, pigs will fly.”

To their surprise, Byakuya protested no further and walked back to the changing room to fetch the Ultimate Fanfic Creator’s pink camera, though he held it with the tip of his fingers.

“I’m not sure I’d touch that, so I guess I sympathize with him a little,” the bluette said. The blonde boy was annoyed; that much was clear, but it appeared he had decided not to fight a losing fight. Hina smiled in victory.

“Thank you, Togami. You see, you can be nice sometimes.”

“Quiet, Asahina.”

With that, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny started taking a few pictures as the students played around the pool. Once he was done, Makoto walked over to his classmate to check out how they turned out.

“This one looks pretty nice,” he stated. “Though we can’t see Enoshima-san’s face since Kuwata-kun’s splashing water all over her.”

Byakuya seemed to be as disinterested as ever. Nonetheless, the picture turned out nicely overall. Sayaka and Kyoko were in the foreground, and the pop idol’s sweet smile was the first thing the Ultimate Lucky Student noticed. He was standing just behind, while Celeste and Toko were in the background, a little out of place.

Meanwhile, Mondo was observing as Taka swam a lap, Hiro was freaking out over Sakura’s superhuman jump from the water, and the duo of Chihiro and Mukuro were near the poolside, watching Leon and Junko play in the water. Lastly, Hifumi, who had jumped from a diving board off-camera, did a cannonball (that had emptied a good chunk of the pool).

“Isn’t it nice to see everyone having fun?” Makoto asked, secretly hoping that his annoyed classmate would have a sudden change of heart. “You should come to swim with us next time, Togami-kun!”

“I do not wish to ‘have fun’ with you plebians, Naegi. Besides, if I wanted to swim, I would much rather do it at the Togami residence.”

Makoto sighed. I guess it can’t be helped... But I’ll make you change, Togami-kun, you can count on it!

Time passed as the 78^th Class enjoyed the rest of their P.E. class. Perhaps Hina’s lesson had been hell to endure, but the relaxing time that came after made it all worth it, allowing the students to forget all the pain and exhaustion.

Putting his hands on his hips, the hazel-eyed boy smiled. Seeing everyone enjoying themselves made for a sweet scene. Finally, after a month, it appeared the class had developed a sense of unity. Of course, it was still fragile, but Makoto deemed they were on the right path.

Nothing could make him happier.

Yeah, as long as everyone’s having a good time, nothing can go wrong. And the few outliers will come around eventually, I’m sure. Well, it’s time to jump back in, Naegi!

 To be continued...