Do you ever have a time in your life where you regret every choice that led you to that moment? A moment where you hated the person you became all because it lead you to a horrible place? Yeah, I've had several moments like those throughout a six month period. Let me tell you, it's not fun in the slightest.

I guess I should tell you my life story, so everything can make more sense. And by "life story" I just mean the basic rundown of who I am. Let's start with a name - Himari Tsuki. That's mine. And I have the ultimate known as the Ultimate Chemist. Ever since I was a kid I've been interested in chemistry and how it works.

So, at 9:00 every night, I would make it a goal that I would study something new about this branch of science. I got so good at it that I eventually was able to do my own experiments. They weren't exactly *safe*, but I would like to think of safe as a relative term. After all, I'm still alive and well. Although, after all that's happened, I'm wishing that I wasn't.

Anyway, I'm basically the best chemist in the country. Sure, there are those who took up chemistry as their main job, but I'm the best at it. At least, that's what everyone's made me believe. So maybe it's just my ego talking, heh...

I'm not exactly good with backstory, so that's all I really wanna get into right now. Besides, it's the least important thing right now. So, let me just tell you about how I got to a place where I wish I was dead rather than alive.

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I was standing right in front of my dream school, a school that branched off of Hope's Peak Academy. You might be asking why I was going there and not at the actual Hope's Peak, and... to be completely honest? I can't provide a solid answer. What the faculty said was that the school was undergoing some major changes, like with the architecture and layout of the school. Something about "making it more suitable for all the gifted children." I don't really buy it, but I can't exactly do anything about it.

My backpack was snug on my shoulders, and my back ached. I distinctly remember the feeling of overwhelming joy taking up my entire being, and having a smile so big that it hurt my jaw. My attire was what I wear now - a tan-colored dress shirt with dark blue jeans and purple sneakers. My glasses had glares due to the sunlight radiating off of the school's windows. The school itself, although contemporary, was huge. The windows were the most impressive part, the stained glass coloring my skin pretty pinks and purples.

I could barely contain my excitement as I raced towards the doors of the school, my shoes scuffing against the dark pavement. I was taking in short breaths of air, sometimes forgetting how to breathe I was so excited. Sometimes I wish that I could have that feeling back. I know it wouldn't be as good as the first time, but it would beat the feelings I have right now.

Sorry, I keep getting off track. It's hard to stay on track nowadays.

I eventually reached the large oaks doors that would lead me to my future. With a deep inhale, I pressed my gloves hand against the dark wood and pushed. The door creaked as I pushed it open, and I could see the fluorescent lights of the school beaming down on me. Soon enough, I was standing in the lobby of Golden Cliffs Academy. The air smelled like hands sanitizer and a fragrance I couldn't put my finger on. It was a smell that I would associate with this school for forever.

Now that I think about it, I think the combination of those smells will just cause me to breakdown.

I remember walking to the front desk, asking where my dorm was supposed to be. The lady looked at me, an eyebrow raised. "You're in the main school area, miss. The dormitory would be in the next building, connected to the left." She pointed in that direction, her grey eyes bored and clearly unwilling to put up with teenagers. It makes me wonder why she decided to work here if she didn't like kids... She gave me a key before I left, and waved me off. It bothered me, the way she acted so cold.

I nodded anyway, giving her a smile and a thanks. The layout of the school was confusing, and I easily got lost in the hallways and staircases. It wasn't like any other school in Japan that I had been to. Then again, public schools in Japan would obviously not look like Golden Cliff. This is a private, government-funded academy, after all. Still, it was shocking to someone like me, who came from a less than ideal homelife.

After a bit of searching and getting lost, I eventually spotted the slightly smaller building. It had dark and light reds as color for the roof and windowsills and beige bricks as the main support of the building. My feet moved automatically, I didn't even have to think about which direction I was going in. All I knew was that my life was about to get even better than it was before. And was I excited? You bet your ass I was excited.

My shoulder pushed against the door as I entered the new building. This time, it smelled more of cleaning products and perfume. Weird combination, but strangely reassuring. I took a deep breath to find comfort in the familiarity of chemicals and sighed, the smile on my face a more calm one. I quickly walked to where my room would be according to the keys that the lady gave me. Just to double check, I glanced at the keys in the palm of my hand. It had the number 112 on it, and I could only assume it was my room number.

The door opened with a click as I used my key on the lock. I pushed it open further with my foot and I stepped into the rather clean room. It smelled of antibiotics and... salt? It was confusing, but I'm assuming they made it smell this way so I could feel more comfortable in this room. "Man, they really did their research on what a chem lab smells like," I mumbled softly, carelessly putting my bad on the floor with a 'plop.'

I noticed a few more things around the room. There was a large window overlooking the campus, and two curtains pulled up so light could come in. The room was very white and contemporary, with everything looking clean. Almost *too* clean. It unnerved me a bit, but I was sure that the more I stayed in the room, the better I would feel. After all, they probably made it this way because of my ultimate. If only they knew that my room at home was a complete and utter mess.

Then I heard a noise.

It wasn't loud at all, you would have to strain to hear it. However the room was so quiet that you could drop a pin and I could find the location in seconds. So when I heard the hissing sound coming from the vents, my body shifted in that direction. There was nothing coming out of the vent, but the noise was not nearly close to a noise a normal vent would make. I carefully sniffed the air, and that's when I realized something was being puffed into the room.

I wouldn't be the ultimate chemist if I wasn't able to know when chemicals were being filtered into a room. And although most anesthestics didn't have a smell, I knew it was one the moment I took a wiff of the air. After being subjected to so many different chemicals I've been able to pinpoint what odors they had, even if they were classified as odorless.

In a panic, I stumbled towards the door, gripping at the handle and trying to open the door. It was, for whatever reason, locked from the outside. "How the fuck did that happen?" I could hear myself yell, but it sounded muffled. The drug was taking it's toll on my body, and soon enough I felt my legs give out.

On the floor, I stared up at the ceiling and watched as colors invaded my vision. I could faintly hear the door be unlocked as I slipped oit of consciousness.

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When I woke up, I found myself in an unknown environment. I whipped my head up and regret it almost instantly, a pain ringing in my skull. My hand flew to my forehead as I grumbled, realizing that I couldn't feel my glasses on my nose. Hesitant, I opened my eyes and saw my glasses folded neatly on the wooden desk. I grabbed them and put them back on my face, blinking slowly to get used to the lighting, or the lack there of.

It seemed as though I was in a classroom, which confused me since it looked like a normal highschool classroom. I guess it was common for there to be rooms like this since there were ultimates of all kinds of ages going to the school, but why would I *be* in one? I could feel a throb on the back of my head and gently put a hand on where the throbbing was coming from. The huge bump on my head indicated that I had indeed fallen to the ground because of some type of anesthesia. I think it was.. Propofol?

With shaky legs I got up from the desk, using the wood as support to fully stand. A strand of hair fell from my bun and I pushed it behind my ear, my eyes scanning the room. I saw an exit, possibly leading to the hallway. "What the hell is going on?" I heard myself mumble, not realizing I was thinking aloud. I shook my head, walking toward the tall door.

The knob moved as the door opened, allowing me to gaze out into the hallway. Everything was... suspiciously quiet. The only noise I could hear was down the hall to the left of me. It sounded almost like... a conversation? A quiet conversation, but a conversation nonetheless. With a goal in mind I took off down the hallway to investigate the noise.

It felt like the hallway was neverending. All I came across were empty classrooms as I ran through, trying to find where other people could be. It was so dark, but my eyes got used to the dim surroundings. I was starting to pant by the time I finally found a door that was cracked open. It seemed to be a cafeteria of some sort, if the sign above the doors didn't give it away. My steps came to a slow stop as I pushed the bridge of my glasses against my nose. With a deep inhale, I pushed open the large door.

Light flooded my vision when I entered the room. I wasn't surprised that my guess had been right - there were about sixteen to seventeen other students in the room with me. All of them seemed to be just as confused as I was, looking at me with curious stares. I felt uncomfortable having all the attention on me, and I clearer my throat to let everyone know that they could stop staring. It didn't work for me, unfortunately. One of the students, a short blonde one wearing a dusty blue lab coat, got up from where they sat and greeted me with a smile.

"Hey there," They smiled at me, raising a hand up as an invitation to shake it. I hesitated begore gently taking their hand and shaking it, them being the more firm one. After a few seconds they let go, placing the hand on their hip. "My name's Wakabayashi Yamato. I'm guessing you also woke up in a classroom?"

My eyes widened, but I recovered after realizing that Yamato was likely alone in a classroom. How odd... "Yes, I was. Did you..." I trailed off, making a waving motion with my gloved hand. Yamato nodded at me, motioning their head towards everyone else.

"Yeah, everyone here woke up in classrooms. Why? I have no idea, but we're trying to figure it out." Yamato spoke quickly, almost as if they were prepared for me to come into the room. "I was wondering if someone else was going to come in, since 18 students would make a full class." It was almost as if Yamato read my mind.

"Do you think this is their way of introducing us to each other?" Someone wearing a dark grey victorian-esque dress spoke up, eyebrows furrowed. "I mean, I appreciate the thought but... this is a rather obtuse way of doing things."

"Are you stupid?" Another person spoke up, their tone biting. I felt myself frown at their hostility, having a feeling that they said that because they were just as confused. They had white and green hair, their eyes a baby blue. "They wouldn't have knocked us out with fuckin' drugs if this was just a "fun activity."" They made a point to use their fingers as quotations.

The purple-haired girl frowned at that, clearly not appreciating the unprovoked anger. "I was just thinking..." She mumbled, her eyes falling onto her lap. I felt a pang in my heart at seeing her look dejected, which was odd since I didn't even know her. I shook my head, glaring at the wetsuit jackass.

"There's no need to be an ass," I spoke up for her, crossing my arms over my chest. The bitchlord in question stared at me, a sneer appearing on their face. Yamato laughed nervously, gently guiding me away by my shoulders.

"Okay, okay, let's not fight please," They directed the last few words towards me, and I felt myself calm down upon hearing them. I don't know how they managed to calm me down so quickly. It was weird. "I think we should all introduce ourselves so we can get closer as a group."

Despite the earlier dispute, everyone seemed to nod in agreement at that. A red-haired girl raised her hand into the air, waving it around rapidly. "I'll go first!" I was shocked at how her voice was so high-pitched, but it fit her. She got up on the table she was sitting at, wiping down her brown skirt. "Hi, my name's Kure Haruka! I'm the ultimate architect! Also, my pronouns are she/her."

Well, I'm glad people here seem to know what pronouns are.

She got down from the table, a smile still present on her face. The person sitting next to her, a blonde and pinked-haired individual, stood up next. However they didn't stand on the table like Haruka did. "Hey, I'm Matsuo Chouko. Ultimate designer. They/them. That's it." Chouko sat back down, whipping their bangs out of their face. They seemed... a lot cooler than me, that's for sure.

"I guess I can go next," I heard a soft voice from my left say, and my eyes went towards the noise. They were sitting at a table with two larger fellows, mint green hair covering their eyes. "I'm Saito Keiko, the ultimate puppeteer. Also, she/her please. Thank you." She was playing with a small stuffed animal, not one for talking.

One of the brutes next to her sighed and took off their hat. "Hey y'all, I'm Shoji Yuuto. I'm the ultimate farmer. He/him." His shirt was rather revealing, and I noticed two twin scars running below his pecs. He quickly put his hat back on, plucking a piece of hay from his pants and putting it between his teeth.

"Guess it's my turn," The last one at the circular table spoke, turning to face everyone. They were.. intimidating, to say the least. The bags under their red eyes made me assume that they had some sort of night job. "My names Takeda Masura. I'm the ultimate bartender and I go by he/him." A small smile grew on his face as he waved to everyone. As a way to be polite, I gave him a short wave back.

Another person stood, her blonde hair pulled into a bun. She was wearing an elegant black dress, a diamond nevklace decorating her neck. "Hello everyone. I am Abe Daike." A small, polite smile was on her face. The person sitting next to her cleared their throat, and she looked down at them, confused. She gasped, an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry, I forgot some things. I'm the ultimate violinist and my pronouns are she/they."

"And that's my cue to go," The person who sat next to her wore overalls and.. seemingly nothing else. Not even a bra. I felt heat rush to my face. Great, now I'm a pervert. "Hey, name's Higuchi Ahma. I'm the ultimate carpenter and... wait what the fuck are pronouns." Her brows furrowed, looking at Daike, confused.

... Oh my god.

Daike, obviously not expecting that, stared at the pink-haired carpenter. After a few seconds of recovery, she whispered into Ahma's ear, quickly explaining. "Oh, those are pronouns?" Ahma asked her, and Daike nodded. The ultimate blibked a couple of times before looking down at their lap, clearly embarrassed. "...Oh. Well, I go by they/them." They finished, recovering from their previous embarrassment with a dopey smile on their face. I cannot believe I might potentially fall for an idiot- and I mean that in the nicest sense possible.

The black-haired person sitting next to Ahma lounged against the table, a relaxed expression on their face. "Hey, I'm Usui Ryota, ultimate surfer, and I like they/them just fine. 'Sup?" Their bangs fell softly on their forehead, and Ryota made no effort to push them back. They looked at a lavender-haired person and pointed, "You. You go next."

The lavender-person in question was surprised to be picked, a pink flush appearing on their face. "U-uhm..." They flustered, tugging at the strings on their light green apron. "Hello everyone. I'm Takeda Osamu, the ultimate flourist." They had a small smile on their face, grabbing a flower from behind their ear. "Oh! I also go by he/they." Osamu smiled, waving at everyone, his eyes seeming to close with the widening of his grin. I waved back with a nod.

"Me next!" A suit-wearing blonde exclaimed, sitting next to the larger boy. They sat excitedly, a rose sitting in their hair. "Ah, hello everyone! I'm Mori Noa, the ultimate bachelor, and I go by she/her! It's absolutely delightful to met all of you beautiful people!" Noa was... quite the flirtatious type. I didn't usually fall for these types of games, however there was something about Noa that made my heart flutter. Maybe it's because I'm a lesbian, who knows?

Noa looked at the person next to them and gave them a reassuring thumbs-up. The person next to her, a quieter fellow, sighed. They cleared their throat with a composed stance. "Hello, my name is Suzuki Jun'ichi. I'm the ultimate historical reenactor, and I go by anything. I don't really mind, I'm comfortable in my skin." He shrugged, taking his glasses off to clean them.

The victorian-esque girl I saw earlier seemed to want to go next, and she stood with a smile. "Hello y'all, I'm Katsuki Hana. I'm the ultimate tailor, or seamstress if you will. I go by she/they, thank you." Hana said curtly, sitting down with a nod to the brunette on her right. The brunette, sighing, stood up, making the boy resting on their shoulder whine. They shushed him quietly, and they adjusted their scarf.

"Hello all, my name is Tachibana Kasumi. I'm the ultimate actor and would prefer it if you called me by he/they. Thank you." Kasumi sat down, looking over at his partner. With a gentle nudge and a soft coo, the other grumbled and stood. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he nervously gripped at the dyed ends.

"Hi, Shimizu Ayako, ultimate director, he/him, thanks." And with that he sat back down, cuddling back into Kasumi. The taller one sighed with a small grin, kissing the crown of the other's head. A sneeze was heard from the last occupied table, featuring a black-haired person and shitass from earlier.

"Ah, my apologies." The culprit of the sneeze wiped their noise with a tissue fished from their pocket. With a satisfied smile, they stood. "Hello new people! I'm Yasutake Tsukiko, the ultimate engineer! I go by anything, so don't worry about me." She smiled, sitting back down next to the unpleasant stain.

"Okay, guess it's my turn now." The white-haired fellow murmured, standing up with bad posture. "Hey, name's Iwata Umiko, and I'm the ultimate marine biologist. And I know I can be an ass sometimes, I'm sorry, but please refer to me as they/them even when you're upset with me." They said bluntly, sitting back down next to Tsukiko. He pat Umiko's back, seemingly a friend of their's.

Everyone turned towards me, and I was suddenly uncomfortable once more. I laughed nervously and coughed into a closed fist, waving my free hand. "Uhm, hi. I'm Tsuki Himari, the ultimate chemist. I go by she/her, please." I finished, cringing at myself. I've... never been one for public speaking. Yamato clasped their hands excitedly, giving me a supportive grin.

"I know you all have met me now, but I'll just finish everything off! I'm the ultimate veterinarian, and I go by he/him!" He seemed to have a permanent smile on his face, it made me jealous of his optimism. God, I wish that were me.

"Well, since you all are done introducing yourselves," All of us jumped at the sudden voice, turning toward the back end of the cafeteria. A small wolverine-like creature was standing, its paws covering the smile it wore. "It's time for *me* to introduce *myself*!" It cackled, and I could finally see the large half-smile on the left side of its face. Jesus, it was disconcerting.

"My name is Monoverna, and I will be your... hm..." It seemed stumped for a moment, holding a paw against its mouth as if it was contemplating what it was to us. It then 'ah-ha!'ed in realization, turning back to us. "I will be your headmaster, of sorts."

And that, my friends, is the beginning of the perfect shitstorm I was about to he thrown into.