❛ The stronger the light,
the darker the shadow.❜

    "That's more like it!" Monophanie grinned "Now you guys look more like ultimates!"

    "Ultimates...? Really?" Shuichi asked.

    "Next up, the memory youse all been waiting for!" Monosuke grinned, Monokid grinned and flashed a bright light at us.

    Normally, in the game, random words would've crawled up shuichi or kaedes legs and they would automatically remember something... but I just opened my eyes to darkness again..

    'I guess I don't need the introduction...' I grumbled. I heard a locker door open next to me. It must've been Kaede finally noticing everything. She fell on the floor once again. I opened the door softly but my leg gave out below me. I landed on top of her.

    "Oh geez! I'm so sorry!" I rubbed my head as Kaede apologized to me, "I didnt mean to stand in front of your locker!"

    "Kaede?" I asked. 'Oh shit I did it again—.' Kaedes face twisted with curiosity. Everything appears to be the same huh? This is going to be annoying...

    "How do you know my name?"

    "Oh..I-is that your name? I heard you mumble it when I was in the locker.." 'Acting skills here we go again...'

    "Oh, I'm sorry! Wait, where are we? What is this place." She turns to me.

    "Ah..I don't know exactly."

    "Maybe this is a dream! We should punch ourselves."

    "Please don—OW!" I rubbed my arm from where Kaede quickly attacked me. 'Couldn't stop her from pinching me again.'

    "Ggh! I'm sorry!" She apologized. She offered to pinch herself but this time I let her. "Ouch! Umm...okay, hold on a second! Let's just stay calm and think this through!"

    BAM!

    "KYAA!" We screamed and latched onto each other. I hugged the taller girl as she hugged my neck. 'Got scared again, good job Y/N.'

    The locker started to sway and shake, making all kinds of noises. The locker door slowly opened and the blue hair male fell out of the locker with a grunt.

    "..Ah! Aaugh!!" He yelled and scooted up onto his botox. He extended his arms out to protect himself after standing up

    "How rude!" She cried. "Don't freak out at us like we're some sort of monsters!"

    "Ah..I'm sorry." The dialogue..changed?? She started to talk about some weird book. I ignored her as she tried to get Shuichi to sing something of her book.

    Rise and shine ursine~!

    The five monokids grinned at everyone. We all collectively let out screams and Monokid greeted us. "We're not Monokubs! We're the the stuffed animals!"

    "I'm pretty sure you said that wrong.." I mumbled.

    "Oh...No stuffed animals, us! The monokubs, them!"

    Monosuke grimaced. "Oh geez, it's only getting worse.."

    "M-Monokubs?!" Kaede asked.

    "Oh! You've heard of us?!"

    "Of course not, it sounds weird though.." I quickly shut down the pink bear. 'If I can speed this up faster, then trust me I'm doing it.'

    "Yaaayyy! It worked!" They celebrated, what a bunch of idiots...

Monokid grinned "Phew! Had had me worried for a second!

"H-Hey, worried about what?!" Kaede pointed her fingers at the five small furry creatures. "What's going on?"

    "Alrighty now, let's tackle each issue one at a time!" Monotaro slowly started. "Well, what's your question?"

    "I have loads of questions but, for starters.....Where are we? This looks like a school..."

"Okay, so this place is called the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles."

Shuichi spoke up, "Ultimate Academy? I've never heard of a school like that...."

"Of course you haven't, this school was meant for the six-seventeen cretics"

'Dumbass...'

Kaede caught Monophanie's mistake as well, "Sixteen?"

    "She means seventeen. There are seventeen Ultimates at this school." Monosuke corrected us. The conversation continued on about the ultimate initiative and talents. I internally groaned. I forgot there wasn't an auto skip or somewhere I could tap the screen to speed past the dialogue....

The monokubs finally left the room, allowing us to introduce ourselves to the other ultimates.

So long! Bear well~

The furry beasts teleported away as Kaede complained about them not answering all of her questions. Shuichi sadly looked at us, "This.... isn't a dream, right."

"No, but I wish it was." I sighed, giving Shuichi a smile, he turned away blushing. 'How cute..'

    "A-Anyway, we have to figure a way out of here!" Kaede gripped onto her straps. "Um..Are guys you an ultimate student, too?"

    "Y-yeah well..I'm Shuichi Saihara. They call me the Ultimate Detective..."

    Kaede fumbled with excitement. "What? You're a detective! That's amazing!"

    "Ah, no... I don't have the credentials to call myself a detective yet...I just—"

    "—sorry to cut you off, Shuichi. But that's one amazing Ultimate you have. Not many people just walk on into a crime and solve it, take more pride into it!" I cut off the emo boy. I didn't want to hear him self-deprecate himself. I hate it when he's not confident in himself...it hurts my heart..and maybe I wanted to seam a little cool..

    "Ah! I was just going to say that! Oh yeah.... My name is Kaede Akamastu. I'm the Ultimate Pianist! Nice to meet you!" Kaede greeted us.

    "Ultimate..pianist?"

    "Well, nobody calls me the Ultimate Pianist. Usually piano freak..Ever since I was a child, I would play the piano....even when I got older, I sometimes forget to eat or sleep with how much fun I would have."

"That's not cool, playing an instrument is talent as fuck." Sorry Shuichi, ima steal you're thunder.

"Yeah...at least I won titles and awards like that!" She grinned at me.

    "Woah that's how you got your ultimate talent?! That's way more impressive then me.." god dammit Shuichi....

"No, that's all I'm good for, really..."

"This got depressing and fast!l I giggled. "Allow me to lift your spirits! My name is Y/N L/N, I'm the Ultimate Journalist! Nice to meet cha'!"

"3 helpings of. But why is everyone here, were we kidnapped? If so, what organization out there is trying to kidnap all the ultimates?"

"Ah, about that.." Shuichi fumbled with his fingers. "i don't remember"

"Huh? You don't remember?

"I've been trying to remember it, but I can't, no matter how hard I try, i have no idea here, when I woke up, I was in that locker i...don't know how I got there. Its like... that memory just fell out my head" Shuichi turned his attention towards me and my questions. I really need to keep my mouth shut...

"--ah! Same here!"

"Huh?"

"It's kinda weird, I can't remember anything, even though I'm trying so hard to remember..." I mumbled.

"...it can't be a coincidence that we all don't remember."

"I-i'm sure it's nothing  to worry about! Prob not a  big deal. We're just confused!" Kaede tried to grab our attention. Leave it to the current protagonist to make sure everyone's spirits are all high. "We just need to relax is all. Oh! Let's imagine Maurice Ravel's "sonatine.' But first, let's look for a way out and if there are other ultimate students here, we should talk to them too. At least one of them has gotten to know something.."

"Y-yeah..." -

"OBTAINED FRIENDSHIP FRAGMENT"

Text showed up in front of us, a pink flower with one of its petals filled in. It looks like nobody else in the wrong could see the flower and text other then me... As quickly as the text popped up, it slowly disintegrated. Everything in real life slowly resumed. We all nodded at each other and Kaede held onto the handle to the classroom door. 'FINALLY! Some story progression...'

The hallway outside was overgrown with plants and weeds. It tickled at my ankles through my socks, that's....going to get super annoying.... The air was thick and heavy, something about it giving off an eerie feeling...almost forcing you to recall your fears, smothering you in anxiety...

We started to head down the hallway before Shuichi abrutively stopped. I asked him, "Shuichi? What's the matter?"

"Ah, I just...felt something in the pocket of my uniform. When I looked I found this." Shuichi slowly pulled out a monopad. I was wondering when we would get to finally see one! "It's some kind of mini tablet?"

"Oh, maybe i have one too! I knew my backpack was heavier" Kaede quickly slid her white book bag off her back and rummaged through it.

"Maybe i should check mine too... i dont know whats in here" Copying Kaede, I carefully sat on the ground, making sure not to flash anyone with my skirt. I opened up my messenger bag. Inside was paper, pens, a notebook and a pair of sunglasses. I grabbed the pair of sunglasses and cheerfully placed them on my head. My hand touched a cold metal feeling, a monopad!

"N-Nice shades, y/n." Shuichi complimented shyly. I gave him a toothy smile and thanked him.

"The word, 'monopod' is written on it." Kaede hummed. "When did this get in my backpack.."

"My name was displayed when it booted up. Like a student handbook." I added. 'This is so exciting! The game is finally progressing!'

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ───── ⊰

Hhh ah please, my hands are so tired...
I type this out word for word and it takes so long ahh : ((