That day... it wasn't just any day for me... It was probably the most important day of my life. When the day came, I was jazzed to no end. I was finally branching out! It was like a dream come true, Un sogno. Hope's Peak Academy... It was a school like no other. Hope's Peak Academy is a government-funded school for the privileged elite of society. It recruits top students from every imaginable field to inspire hope, and in doing so, shape the future. Whenever Hope's Peak Academy is mentioned, it's only a matter of time before someone says... "If you come here and manage to graduate, you'll be set for life." Heh, no wonder they chose me as the Ultimate Actor~ I didn't apply, of course. The school chooses its students, so yeah, they chose me. Well, I have to introduce myself first. My name is Dante Cortopassi, Italy's finest actor~ Soon to take over Japan with my wit, good looks and ability to touch the souls of many. I always wanted--

..
Souls of many. I always wanted to...
Souls of many. I always...
always always always always always always always always always always always always al
ways... until now, I never wanted to admit how painfully lonely I really am. That's why... hope...
I might have admired talent-individuality.... -but I have finally... made0 it... finally came tru3+d

Huh...?
... What is this?
... It's a door.
A door with a girl next to it.
A short-haired blonde girl.
A short-haired blonde girl with bright blue eyes.

She's opening the door and walking inside...
I try to call for her but my words don't come out.
I have to...
follow her.
I should... hurry.
No...
I need to hurry.

I slowly made my way to the door... and opened it.

I stepped in to see a bunch of other students gathered as well. I felt... tense. Why was I in such a hurry? Class wasn't gonna start in another hour! I loosened my shoulders a bit and grinned.

"'Sup!", I waved at everyone.

"... Who goes there?"

"Uh, me?"

"Hey, could you be... You're also a freshman at this school, right?"

"Yeah, you guys must be my classmates, huh?"

"I assume... freshmen like us have been gathered in this classroom."

"Uh, I guess?", I shrugged. The large guy in the suit looked me in the eye and scoffed.

"... Hey, why don't you just come inside for now?"

"Alright, alright, don't bite my head off~!", I chuckled, closing the door behind me and taking a few steps inside.

So these are the Ultimates... I'm gonna have some fun here~... but wait, what was that door...? And who was that blonde girl? She didn't look old, more like a student... And she doesn't look like she's in here. But I saw her going through the door... Maybe it's just my nerves.

No, I'm here.

I jumped for a second, looking around but no one was really talking.

Again, just nerves...

"Hey, dude...", I called for the guy who talked to me before.

"... What is it?"

"Why are we all gathered in here? Are we waiting on a sensei? No one said anything about a party so what's going on?"

"Actually... we were just about to discuss that matter."

"Ah, so I came in just in time~"

"Well... since you are the last student to arrive, let's start the discussion."

"Eh, this is everyone? How do you know?", A girl with multi-colored hair asked.

"There are only eighteen desks in this classroom, and this guy is the eighteenth student... It's obvious if you bother to think about it...!"

"Hey, give the little miss some slack! You're doing great, sweetheart~!", I winked.

"Oh! You give off "Suave" vibes! I like it!", the girl grinned.

"And just what are we gonna talk about? The reason we're all gathered here in this classroom?", a shorter guy in a chef hat asked.

"First, I need to confirm something. Out of everyone here... Is there anyone who actually remembers how they came to this classroom?"

"... Eh!?", a guy with shaggy brown hair seemed a little surprised. We all looked around at each other... Not one person raised their hand.

"So before you realized it, you were in this classroom... Then everyone here is in the same predicament... No matter how you look at it, it's unnatural. Even you stupid-looking ones would agree, right?"

"I-It sure is strange. Nobody actually remembers how they came here... Hey! What do you mean, "stupid-looking"!?", a red head girl scoffed.

"The moment you set foot on campus, you felt a strange dizziness, and now you're here and you don't know why... That is what I experienced before I arrived here. Am I correct in assuming that's true of all of you?"

"Th-That happened to me too, but...", The guy with the brown hair mumbled.

"Eh!? That dizziness wasn't just me? Everyone felt the same dizziness... that's weird!", the chef guy shuddered.

"E-Even if it's just a coincidence... it feels too good to be true...", a girl in a nurse outfit muttered.

"So you're saying it's not just a coincidence, then.", the large guy smirked.

"... Hm?", a girl with long blonde hair hummed.

"Meaning... we can only speculate who's responsible for this strange phenomenon."

"Hah! I don't know what you're so worried about, but that doesn't sound like a huge deal...",a loud muscled guy huffed.

"... What do you mean?", a guy with bright pink hair asked.

"I mean it's a minor problem. Instead of trying to figure out why we're here, we should try to figure out why we can't leave..."

"Huh? Whaddaya mean we can't leave?", a girl with unruly brown hair asked.

"Eh!? S-Seriously!?", the chef guy ran towards the door and tried to open it, but no dice. "I-It won't open! I can't open it!"

"... Huh, why!?", the red head girl asked.

"A little while after I got here, I tried to leave to go take a shit... But that door wouldn't budge at all!", the muscled man explained.

"Hey, hey... what's going on?", the pink haired guy huffed, looking nervous.

"Even with all my might, I couldn't open it! It'd be absolutely impossible for all of you..."

"Eh? What do you mean you couldn't open it? Why? That's not possible!", a girl in a kimono pouted.

"The girl is right, I went through the door, it opened just fine. It wasn't locked when I closed it... and I don't think it's automatic, since you guys couldn't open it before.", I backed her up.

"Though I don't understand what forces are at work here... There's no denying that we have been locked inside this classroom.", a girl in grey twin braids confirmed.

"Wh-What do you... mean...?", the guy with brown hair shook slightly, confusion all over his face. Everyone seemed to be slightly panicking.

"M-Maybe we're... getting mixed up... in something dangerous?", the pink haired guy asked.

"Or perhaps... Doesn't it make more sense to think that this is the entrance exam?", a white haired guy suggested.

"... The entrance exam? You mean, Hope's Peak Academy's?", the brown haired guy asked.

"But... according to Hope's Peak Academy, no such entrance exam exists...", the long haired blonde explained.

"They may say that publicly, but it's possible that this is actually a special entrance exam.", suddenly, a voice from behind the teacher's stand rang. It sounded very girly and child-like, yet intentional.

"Ah, you're wrong. This is not an entrance exam."

"What was that just now?", the large guy asked.

"Hey, fatass... Why'd you make that cutesy voice all of a sudden?", a short guy in a suit asked with a scoff.

"I won't dispute your blunt remark on my weight. But that voice you just heard was not mine..."

"...Huh? Then whose is it?", the girl with the brown hair asked.

"Um, it's actually mine!", the voice called out a second time.

"Who's there!? Where are you!?", the muscled man looked around frantically.

"It sounds like it came from behind the teacher's desk...", a girl with faded pink hair pointed to the desk. We all turned to see who made the voice.

"All right! I see everyone has arrived! Let's begin!", just then, in a flash of bright pink/purple light, a little pink and white bunny popped out from behind the desk, waving its little wand around as sparkles came out of nowhere as the thing posed cutely.

"What... is that...?", the long haired blonde girl muttered in surprise.

"Um... It looks like a stuffed animal...", the red head girl replied.

"That's right, I am a squeezably soft stuffed animal. Magical Miracle Girl ☆ Usami... A.K.A. Usami! I may not look like it, but I am you squeezably soft teacher. Nice to meet you all!", the bunny, now known as Usami, greeted.

"H-Huh? Am I hallucinating? Am I the only one who's seeing this?", the chef guy stuttered.

"Nah, I see it too...", the pinked haired guy muttered.

"What's with this talkin' Chihuahua!?", the brown haired girl gasped.

"Eh!? That's a Chihuahua!?", the multi-color haired girl mumbled in surprise.

"...Does everybody here know what a rabbit is? It's a lovable animal that's very fluffy and soft. That's what I am! A singing, dancing, talking rabbit mascot!", Usami cheered.

"H-Hold on! Let me process this first!", the chef guy stuttered.

"Okie-dokie!"

"At least it's nice about it...", I shrugged.

"Um... what do you guys think? I-I've never seen a stuffed animal that can sign, dance and talk before...", the chef guy mumbled.

"You and me both, dude."

"I-It's probably remote controlled or something... Don't act like such a pussy over a child's toy.", the short guy scoffed.

"E-Even if it's remote controlled, doesn't it look too lifelike? That's pretty advanced for a toy...", the pink haired guy pointed out.

"Its movements and mannerisms are not the issue. More importantly, based on what it just said... It seems you know something about our current situation...!", the large guy turned to Usami with a glare, but the rabbit was just as happy-go-lucky as ever.

"Of course I do! I'm the lead teacher of this school trip!"

"School trip...? Hey... what do you mean, school trip?"

"A large group of students go on a chaperoned trip with a lead teacher! It's the biggest even of the school year! Now let's depart for the fun school trip!"

"W-We're not looking for such a literal answer...", the guy with the brown hair muttered.

"Now let's depart for the fun school trip!", with a circular swish of Usami's wand, the walls started to shake. I grabbed the nearest table as the walls collapsed... revealing a tropical scenery. Palm trees swaying in the breeze, glistening blue waters, shining tan-ish sand, bright blue skies and the fresh salty air. I let out a quiet "Oh mio..." as I took in the scenery.

"... Huh!?", I heard one of the students gasp behind me. "What... the hell is this!?"

"Um... Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-What!?"

"This is a joke... right?"

"Wh-Where are we!?"

"Huh!? Wh-What's going on!?"

I get why they're so scared, but this place... this beach? It looks splendido!

"Everyone! Please stay calm! There is no reason to panic! Seeeeee? Look around! Feast your eyes on this beautiful ocean... It's like your heart is being washed clean, isn't it...? It washes away everything...even all the bad things...", Usami urged with a tiny smile.

"Hold on, give us the details...! Where in the world are we?", the girl with the grey braids asked with a glare.

""Where," you ask...? Well, obviously we're... "Out where it's better! Out where it's wetter!"... Out by the sea!"

"I-I understand this is the sea, but... what are we doing here!?", the nurse girl squealed in fear.

"You know... your throat's gonna get hoarse if you keep screaming like that."

"But... we were just at school and now we are by the sea... This is impossible...", the long haired blonde girl mumbled.

"Please do not worry. The school trip has just started! That's all!"

"But, like, why are we on a school trip all of a sudden!? You totally skipped alllll the stuff that comes first!", the multi-color haired girl pointed out impatiently.

"Sh-She's right...! We're all supposed to be attending Hope's Peak Academy.", the brown haired guy huffed, looked very shaken.

"Ah, Hope's Peak Academy... I seeeee, I seeeee... You don't say... You guys are feeling unsure about Hope's Peak Academy. Then, in that case... Please forget about Hope's Peak Academy! That's why we're having a school trip in the first place!", Usami cheered.

"... Huh?"

"The hell do you mean we should forget about it!?", the short guy cursed.

"Hey... what are you? Just what are you scheming?", the large guy asked with a glare.

"Wha-Wha-Whaaat!? I'm not scheming anything! I'm doing this for everyone's sake! I'm praying from the bottom of my heart that hope will grow within everyone's heart! There's nothing dangerous on this island whatsoever! So please, there is no need to worry at all!", Usami assured.

"Island...? Did you just say "island"?", the guy with the white hair asked.

"Yup, and it certainly is beautiful. It was prepared just for us, an island free from other people and danger."

"Wait, no people? So this place is uninhabited?", I asked.

"Perhaps... you brought us to this uninhabited island to make us kill each other...!?", the white haired guy gasped.

"Ha-wa-wa!? K-Kill each other!? Nuh-uh! No way! Bloody business, like causing violence or inflicting pain, is a big no-no on this island! Even the word "kill"... Just saying it horrifies me! Kyaah! So scary!", Usami shuddered.

You will.

I jumped again. It was that voice again. It sounded like a girl, but no one seemed to be talking to me.

Maybe I'm just paranoid with all the death talk...

I went back to focusing on the conversation going on.

"Then... what is this "school trip" you mentioned? What do you intend for us to do on this island?", the large guy asked.

"All righty! I shall announce it to everyone right now! While you all relax on this island paradise, you must get along and strengthen your bonds with one another! That is the main rule on this heart-throbbing school trip!"

""Heart-throbbing school trip"...?"

"Spend these peaceful and relaxing days nourishing hope and lazing about, free from pain, free from suffering... Truly, this lovey-dovey heart-throbbing school trip is... ...everyone's homework!"

"Wha-! What the hell does that even mean...!?", the brown haired guy sputtered.

"Now then... Let the heart-throbbing school trip begin!", with that, Usami explained what we had to do; get along with everyone and gather Hope fragments. Usami gave us tablets with the rules and a bunch of other features on it to boot. Everyone left to their own thing except for me, the white haired guy, and the brown haired guy. The last one looked out of it and the white haired guy seemed to notice. We both nodded towards one another as we walked up to the guy and tried to shake him out of it.

"Hey... Can you hear me...?", the white haired boy asked while I gently shook the boy. The boy blinked in surprise, looking at as both in confusion. "Are you okay?"

"You look out of it, amico. I don't blame you, though.", I sighed.

"... Hey, are you listening?"

"... Leave me alone.", the guy huffed, slowly standing up and brushing the sand off his shirt.

"Th-There's no way I can leave someone alone when they look that pale...", the white haired guy muttered.

"That rabbit thing said we're... on a tropical island."

"...Yeah, you're right."

"So, amico, how are you feeling now? Calm?", I asked.

"Um... I understand your confusion after everything that's happened... But, why don't we start with an introduction?", the white haired male suggested.

"Introduction...?", the brown haired guy echoed.

"How about you first?", the white haired guy pointed at me.

 "Ah, it's my turn! Ahem! The name's Dante Cortopassi, the Ultimate Actor and Italy's finest~"

"Oh, you must be pretty famous, Cortopassi-kun!", the white haired guy grinned.

"Oh, very! I've been acting since childhood, the people love me~! Oh and...", I leaned closer to the guy with a smirk. "Dante is fine, darling~", the guy blinked for a second, going a tad bit red in the face and chuckling.

"Now I know you! I read about you online, your personality is just like how your fans say it is. A flirty-yet-kind and carefree guy."

"I aim to please.", I chuckled with a grin.

"It shows...", the guy with the brown hair siad with an eye roll.

"Oh~? Jealous? You want my attention too?"

"N-No, stop that..."

"Whatever you say, amico~ Now, what about you? What's your name?", I asked the white haired boy.

"...I'm Nagito Komaeda. Nice to meet you.", I took a moment to look at Nagito. Nagito was a tall, skinny young man with notably wide shoulders, sickly pale skin and light gray-green eyes with thick eyelashes. His hair was shoulder-length and wavy, of an unnaturally pale pinkish off-white color that faded to white the closer to his scalp. Nagito wore a thin, knee-length dark green zipper coat with a jagged-cut tail, which he left unzipped. It had a red square pattern across the right shoulder, and a large, square-shaped '55' on the back, as well as two red drawstrings, threaded through the hood, hanging down on either side of his chest. Underneath, he wore a white scoop-neck T-shirt with a red design on the front, somewhat resembling two interlocking hooks. He wore plain black jeans, and a wallet chain with a skull charm, and pale brown shoes, each fastened by two zippers. His look had a strange charm to it, I couldn't quiet place it.

"Ah, along with my introduction... I guess I'll also tell you about my talent so you know why Hope's Peak Academy chose me. Well, even if I tell you, in my case, it's a pretty disappointing talent..."

"A disappointing talent...? What do you mean?", the brown haired boy asked.

"I'm lucky."

"Uh... Lucky?", I muttered.

"It's not a joke or anything... That's my actual talent. I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student... At least, that's what I'm called anyway."

"Ultimate Lucky Student?", the brown haired guy echoed.

"Through a country-wide lottery, apparently only one ordinary student is selected at random to attend Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Lucky Student . And that lucky winner just so happened to be me."

Chosen by a lottery... what a strange talent.

It's real. Not my lucky guy, though.

I shook my head silently.

That voice again... maybe I'm just hallucinating...

"Your face looks...troubled.", Nagito pointed to the brown haired boy, who looked confused.

"Oh, no...I'm not troubled or anything."

"No, it's fine. I have mixed feelings about this, too. I never thought an average, talentless high school student like me would ever enter Hope's Peak Academy... At first...I declined. I told them I didn't deserve it. But they told me they really wanted me to attend... Apparently this so-called luck of mine is a talent that even the school doesn't fully understand... To research it, the school picks the Ultimate Lucky Student every year through an annual lottery. Hope's Peak Academy is amazing if they can actually research something as vague as "luck." Well, thanks to that luck, a guy like me was able to attend Hope's Peak Academy, so for that I'm grateful... But on the other hand...I feel a little out of place here. Ah, sorry. I have a bad habit of viewing most things through a pessimistic lens. Um, yeah, I guess that's it for my introduction."

Hmm... Nagito Komaeda, huh... A strange fellow, but seems friendly!

"Now then, it's your turn."

"Yeah...I'm Hajime Hinata.", Hajime shrugged. I took a moment to look over him as well. Hajime had short, spiky-ish brown hair with an ahoge. He wore a simple white shirt with the emblem of his previous high school embroidered on the hem, along with a green tie which also bore the same emblem. He also wore dark pants and red-and-white sneakers. Hajime's green eyes had straight lines running across his pupils, resembling a prohibition symbol. It was a unique look in it's own way.

"What's your talent, my friend?", I asked.

"Um, I... I...I...", Hajime looked to go from confused, to irritated, to downright scared. "H...uh...?", he began to shudder a little.

"Hajime... What happened?", Nagito asked.

"Ah... It's nothing...! I guess...I'm still pretty confused about all this... I'm having trouble remembering some things..."

"Ah, the shock has gotten to you, Amico.", I stated.

"...I understand how your memory might be confused after suddenly getting into a situation like this... I'm sure you'll remember soon once you've settled down. So...I don't think you need to worry about it all that much.", Nagito assured with a laidback smile.

"You're...right...", Hajime nodded slowly.

"Then, I guess we're done with our introductions for now. Even though I don't know what's going on... I hope we can get along.", just then, our e-Handbook made a noise. Hajime jumped as he looked left and right.

"Hey, did something just beep!? Wh-what a weird sound...", Hajime fished in his pocket and pulled out his e-Handbook. "Wh-what the hell is this? It's like a PDA or a smartphone... Wh-Why is something like this inside my pocket?"

"Usami was passing them out earlier... Remember? Oh right... You seemed pretty out of it when that was going on."

"N-Now that you mention it...I think I kinda remember but...what is this?", just then, Usami appeared, waddling happily.

"It's an e-Handbook !", Usami stated.

"What the...!? Where'd you come from!?"

"Oh, did I startle you? I'm terribly sorry. Teehee... I know how to apologize like a good girl! Anyway, don't you think it's cool? That handbook is absolutely vital for this school trip, so make sure you don't lose it!"

"Th-This device is that important?"

" I've asked everyone to use their e-Handbook to gather all of the Hope Fragments ! Um, on this island, you'll obtain Hope Fragments as you get along with your classmates. As your relationship with everyone improves, you'll be able to gather more and more Hope Fragments ! Gather Hope Fragments so that the flower of hope achieves its full bloom. Truly, that is the main purpose of this school trip! Love! Love!", Usami then waddled away.

"H-Hey! ...what was all that about Hope Fragments? What's her deal? It's like we're in a game or something..."

"Well, games are nice, Amico! Don't stress about it too much~", I smiled.

"If this feels like a game, that's rather comforting. That means we aren't going to be in danger right away.", Nagito nodded.

"Y-You're probably right, but...", Hajime mumbled.

"More importantly... You don't know anything about the other students yet, right? Then...I think it's best if you at least introduce yourself to them."

"I haven't either.", I sighed.

"Th-That's also true...but... Where did everyone go?", Hajime asked.

"Maybe they're exploring the island as well?", Nagito pointed towards where the others went.

"Exploring the island...?"

"As long as we're expected to live on this island , we should learn as much as we can about it. For example, what's this island's name? Is there a way to escape? What about food and living arrangements? So...why don't we finish introducing ourselves to the others and explore the island at the same time? I pretty much went around and introduced myself to everyone already back in the class, but I'll tag along with you two."

"How lovely! Thank you, Caro~", I bowed slightly with a smirk. Nagito chuckled lightly.

"Shall we get going then?"

"R-Right... Got it.", Hajime complied.

"Ah, about exploring the island... It appears a map of this island has been installed onto this e-Handbook. If you use this, you should be able to find everyone easily. To be honest, before I arrived at this school, I did some research about everyone on the Internet. I haven't learned everything about everyone but... I'm pretty sure I can give you some helpful info."

"...Wait, you can research stuff like that on the Internet?"

"Eh, you don't know? This school is so popular, there are message boards online dedicated to talking about its students."

"Then... was I also...?"

"Hmm...I don't recall seeing your name there. I probably overlooked it... Well, it's not your fault if you really can't remember."

"O-Okay...you're right.", We all made our way to the first area; an airport. With working suitcase conveyer belts and huge airplanes outside the building, it really felt modern. Yet, only two students, not including us, were there. No staff for miles.

"...Airplanes? Couldn't we use those planes to escape this island?", Hajime pointed out. The boy with the bright pink here approached, shaking his head.

"Nah, that's impossible. If they were damaged, I could fix 'em, but it looks like these planes are just for show..."

"Just for show...?"

"The engines have been completely removed. Nothing I can do about that."

"...Completely removed?"

"Huh, strange...", I muttered.

Whoever brought us to this island must have also done that...I wonder why.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me... You and me haven't been introduced yet, right? Name's Kazuichi Soda. I'm the Ultimate Mechanic . Nice to meet ya.", Kazuichi introduced. He, being a mechanic, wore a bright green-yellow jumpsuit with a dark brown streak on the sides reaching his ankles. He also wore bright yellow sneakers as well with white laces. On his yellow-green jumpsuit there were two pockets on his thighs, whilst he had another pocket on his chest on the right. Kazuichi's hair was dyed hot pink and was somewhat messily layered with a tiny braid on the right side. However, he covered said messy layering up with a gray beanie with a white strip on the bottom left of it. In addition to his punk rock appearance, he had thin eyes with hot pink color contacts on them. Above his eyes, his thin, pronounced eyebrows nearly touched his hairline. His teeth were quite sharp, giving him an intimidating yet oddly attractive grin. He also had earrings, the right one having a plus sign as it was a screw with the plus head and the left one having a minus sign as it was also a screw but with the minus head.

"As expected from someone called the Ultimate Mechanic , Kazuichi is a savant when it comes to fixing machines. If he says it's impossible to fix this plane, it's truly beyond repair.", Nagito commented.

"Even so...to actually remove the engine, whoever's keeping us here must've planned this to a T."

"You think so too, huh... Doesn't that seem pretty strange to you?", Hajime asked.

"Yeah, it's pretty strange, but I think it's an acceptable level of strange, y'know?"

"...Huh?"

"Well, think about it... It's not like we're being forced to do something dangerous or anything... That was mentioned in the safely precautions for this school trip. Remember? The school trip guidelines written in the e-Handbook ? It looks like we're being kept safe, so why wouldn't this be like any other school trip?"

"There's nothing dangerous on this island... Spend these peaceful and relaxing days nourishing hope... Just as Usami said earlier. It seems these rules are in place to help us do that...", Nagito smiled.

"Are you saying you believe what that thing told us? She forced us to come here, you know!?", Hajime huffed.

"Don't be such a pessimist... You should look at this situation with a bit more hope, you know? Optimism is essential for people to live satisfied lives."

"He's right, Amico. Besides, even if the engines were in the planes... we don't know how to fly one.", I shrugged. Hajime blinked then sighed.

"You're right..."

"Also, I didn't introduce myself to you, Kazuichi! My name's Dante Cortopassi, the Ultimate Actor and Italy's finest~"

"Oh cool, do you get to like, act with pretty girls?", Kazuichi asked. I chuckled, putting my arm around his shoulders.

"Pretty girls, men, everyone in between~! It is truly a blessings...~"

"Cool...! A-Anyways... I guess it's okay if we just enjoy our vacation and see how this whole thing plays out, right? Heh-heh! If you stare closely at that strange-lookin' bunny girl, she might start lookin' pretty cute!"

It is nice to see someone so carefree...

With that, we left and made our way to another student who was standing alone, a strange aura around him.

"Stop right there. If you value your life, do not come any closer.", the guy muttered loudly as if we were intruders.

"...Huh?", Hajime stepped back in confusion.

"Hmph, I said stay back! Oh, very well...I shall accept that courage of yours. Kehehe, would you like to know my name? Others may see your courage as recklessness... However...I welcome it. In honor of your courage, I shall reveal to you my name. May you never forget it as long as you live! You may call me...Gundham Tanaka! Remember it well, for it is the name that will one day rule this world!", Gundham introduced with a stance that demanded respect. Gundham wore a knee-length black jacket left open. The left sleeve was rolled up to the elbow and fastened to the jacket with silver pins. Gundham also wore a long purple scarf, which wrapped around his neck and covered his chin. Vertical symbols were emblazoned on the back of his jacket and the ends of his scarf. Underneath his jacket, Gundham wore a white button-up layered over a slightly darker shirt with a grey-purple cross design on the chest. His black pants were tucked into black boots riddled with straps. An eccentric way of dress, but it suited him very well. Gundham's skin tone was noticeably pale and grey, suggesting that he may not have gone outside much. He wore an undercut, and the top section of his hair was slicked back into a single curl. His hair color was black with light grey streaks through it. Gundham also had no eyebrows, which suited him well. He had grey eyes but he wore a red contact lens in his right eye. The grey scar that ran through his left eye onto his right cheek appeared to be a tattoo. His left arm was bandaged up to the elbow, which I assumed was due to an injury. He also wore a single earring hanging from his right ear, and he wore silver rings on the index and middle fingers of his right hand. To be frank, he was quite attractive to me. The mysterious aura of his while being was undeniably mesmerizing.

"My name is Dante Cortopassi, the Ultimate Actor and Italy's finest~ And may I say yo--"

"Now then, it is my turn to ask questions. Whose master are you?"

"Pardon...?"

"Which tribe did you make your pact with? Answer me!"

"...Huh? What do you mean, "pact"?", Hajime muttered.

"Answer me now! Though I shall cast you into a watery grave once you do!"

"Then it's best if we don't answer!"

"I think he's asking...if you used to have a pet...", Nagito whispered to Hajime.

"...Pet? No... The only animal I've taken care of was a hermit crab we passed around in elementary school."

"I did not have time for pets.", I shrugged.

"So, a mere insect! Hah! Your Magic Essence caps at a lowly five! Trash!"

"T-Trash, really...?"

"Hmph! Is it wrong to call trash "trash"? Trash like you should not dare to speak to one as grand as me! Who do you think I am? I am the great and powerful Gundham Tanaka, Supreme Overlord of Ice !", with a prideful shout, a bunch of furballs popped out of Gunham's scarf; Hamsters of various shapes and sizes.

"Che carino~", I cooed.

"H-Hold on a minute! Something strange just came out of your scarf!", Hajime stuttered.

"Taming evil by using myself as a bed... Truly, this is the secret art of the Tanaka Empire !", Gundham laughed with his full chest.

"It's like something you'd see on a nature show. I guess he totally fits the bill of Ultimate Breeder ...", Nagito smiled.

Ah, Ultimate Breeder... I like people who can get along with animals.

"One of my Four Dark Devas of Destruction, Mirage Golden Hawk Jum-P, has this to say: "We're not used to going easy on our enemies...so don't make us angry. You wouldn't like us when we're angry." Fuhaha...! Fuhahahahahahahaha!", Gundham laughed as he walked away.

"Um, yeah... I know he seems a little odd, but apparently he did splendidly as a member of the Breeding Club. I've heard he can tame any animal and even managed to succeed at proliferating an endangered species. Rumor has it he can speak to animals... Well, that's probably just a joke.", Nagito chuckled.

"Kazuichi seems laidback and Gunham... well, what a sight he is~", I chuckled.

"I feel like you are day-dreaming, Dante."

"Guilty~", I laughed as we all went to a supermarket. It was big, housing many grocery brands that looked like stuff wouldn't run out for a while.

"So this is the supermarket... It's pretty big.", Hajime stated.

"Thanks to this place, we won't need to worry about food and other necessities for a while.", Nagito pointed out.

"For a while?"

"I-It's just a figure of speech."

"But there's no guarantee anything here is edible. What if all this stuff is poisoned?"

"Hm... You certainly are the skeptical type."

"Of course I am. Even this supermarket is strange. Look around! We're in this gigantic supermarket and there's nobody else here except us!"

"Nagito is right, Amico. We're practically on vacation, live a little~!", I encouraged.

"Well, that can't be helped. Didn't Usami say this island is uninhabited?", Nagito addressed Hajime.

"Th-That's exactly my point... ...Ugh!"

"What happened?"

"It's nothing...", Hajime sighed. Just then, a girl in the simple nurse outfit approached.

"... Ah, uhhhh, um... Um...you know... ... ...I-I'm sorry.", the girl started crying.

"Oh, Tesoro, don't cry~ You did nothing wrong!", I cooed, immediately trying to comfort the girl by gently patting her head and smoothing her hair.

"Bullying a girl... Not cool, Hajime.", Nagito criticized.

"...I didn't do anything.", Hajime deadpanned.

"Ah, so your name is Hajime... If it's okay with you, may I please remember your name?", the girl mumbled hopefully.

"O-Of course... I don't mind you remembering it, but..."

"M-My name is Mikan Tsumiki. Um... From the bottom of my heart, I hope we can get along.", Mikan stated with her hands over her chest. Mikan had fair skin and long, choppy, dark, plum-colored hair that was cut unevenly. The longest point of her hair appeared to be just past her fingertips, whereas the shortest point was slightly above her neck. Her bangs flowed straight down, but were also cut at visibly differing levels. She had pale gray-mauve eyes that conveyed slight anxiety. There was also a beauty mark under her left eye's corner, which really did add a beauty to her appearance. She wore a nurse uniform which consisted of a pale pink short-sleeved shirt with a white collar and puffed sleeves trimmed with white. A short, pale blue, slightly wrinkled pleated skirt was visible underneath. Mikan wore a white apron over this which was tied behind her neck with a ribbon. It was marked with two red lines on the left side of the apron, one going down to her middle and another short red line perpendicular to the vertical one in a simple design. As well as this, she had bandages wrapped around her left forearm and hand, excluding the fingers, and around her right leg from her mid-thigh to above her ankle. Additionally, she had a square gauze band-aid on her left kneecap and wore pale pink crew length socks and white loafers. To put it bluntly, she was gorgeous, even with all the bandages. Yes, her hair was uneven, but it actually didn't take away from Mikan's beauty. "Um...you know... Um...um um um um... Uhhhh...my mind is drawing a blank...from nervousness... And...I went through all the trouble of preparing 5,000 different topics to discuss after introductions!"

"Don't need to say anything. Just know that My name is Dante Cortopassi, Ultimate Actor and Italy's finest, and *I* think the only thing we should talk about is your beauty~", I winked. Mikan went extremely red in the face, covering her face with her hands. I chuckled, taking a step back from her to let her have her peace.

"Well, I guess I'll just ask you since I won't get anywhere asking her, so... What's her deal?", Hajime asked.

"Ah, Mikan is the Ultimate Nurse . If you ever get injured, you'll need her help, so it's best if you get along with her now. If you get wounded and don't treat it, there's a good possibility you'll get an infection and die.", Nagito whispered.

"Don't say something so morbid so naturally..."

"Heh heh, hehehehe...! Ah! I-I'm sorry for laughing so suddenly! I-It's just...I can't help it. I'm just so happy, I can't remember the last time I made any friends... Ah, not that you actually want to be friends with me! I'm soooo sorry I said something so...presumptuous! I'll do anything you say... Just...please don't hate me...!", Mikan whimpered.

"Bullying a girl... Not cool, Hajime.", Nagito tutted, making Hajime facepalm in agony. We strolled to another girl there; the girl with the multicolored hair.

"Peeking, peeking... Oh haiiiiiiiiiii! Who're you!?", the girl asked when she saw Hajime.

"U-Um... I'm Hajime Hinata..."

"Hellooooo? Your tension is super low! Are you feeling all right? Ah, that's right! Introductions are a go-go! "I," "Buki," "Mio," "Da!" Put it together and what do you get? Ibuki Mioda!", Ibuki sang. Ibuki was a short-to-average girl with fair skin. She had mid-thigh length, sharp, jet-black hair with multiple white streaks and two blue streaks on either side of her head. Her bangs consisted of two layers, streaked with pink and blue, sharply swept to the left. Part of her hair was twisted into oni-style horns.She wore a white short-sleeved seifuku uniform with a black sailor collar, with two thick stripes at the sleeves and a single thin stripe at the hem. She wore a black pleated skirt with a pink ascot tied at her neck. Two white stripes were printed at the edge of her sailor collar. Her legwear consisted of ripped thigh-high socks, her right sock being pink and the left being blue, with flat white sneakers that have blue laces on the right and pink laces on the left. Her nails were also painted black. Ibuki also had a heavy amount of accessories. Both her ears carried six silver earrings that resemble needles and a small earlobe gauge. She had three piercings below the left of her lip, a twisted metal wire necklace, and a thin black belt studded with silver looped around her skirt. On her right wrist, she wore a black scrunchie with a white stitch pattern. On her left forearm, she wore a ripped black arm warmer striped with pink, with silver metal rings around her wrist, her thumb, her index finger, and her middle finger. She emulated a unique style that I adored, I couldn't put my finger on it but I didn't look into it. "All right, introductions are finished! More importantly, check out this bombtastic supermarket! They got hamburger, ramen noodles, chili beans, bratwurst, pasta... Ooooh, melons! Americans, Chinese, Mexicans, Germans, Italians...and even people from Yubari would shop here! Man, I'm getting hellaaaaaa stoooked! I'm thirty-one flavors of stoked for all this deliciousness! And when I'm excited, I get hungry-mungry! I-I don't understand it myself... Why do I get hungry when I'm excited? Why do I get excited when I'm hungry? Kyahaha, the human body sure is a mystery!"

"Such an energetic woman~ My Dante Cortopassi, Ultimate Actor and Italy's finest~", I introduced. Ibuki shook my hand enthusiastically.

"Ooh, Italy? That cool, are you friends with a plumber!?"

"... Pardon?"

"Hehe, just kidding!", Ibuki giggled, slapping my back while doing so.

"Um... This energetic young lady is known as the Ultimate Musician ... She used to play guitar in an all-girl band that was super popular with other high school girls. Apparently their hit single, "After School Poyoyon Hour" sold over a million copies. Due to creative differences, she left the band to pursue a solo career.", Nagito explained.

"...Creative differences?", Hajime questioned.

"Are you interested!?", Ibuki asked.

"Wah!? You could hear me!?"

"Duh! Ibuki's a musician, after all! Like Schubert, Bach, Edison, Van Gogh, Perez, and Senna...I, too, am an awesome musician!"

"Oh, so you're saying you have good hearing... Wait, most of those people you mentioned weren't musicians at all."

"I'm pretty sure one of them lost an ear...", I whispered.

"Don't sweat the details!", Ibuki giggled. We left the two girls there, checking out the next area; A hotel and dorm area. 

"Wow...this is a pretty nice hotel...!", Hajime muttered in awe.

"Very fancy...", I nodded.

"The Hotel Mirai , huh? It looks like it's named for the Japanese word for "future." When we were told to live on this island, I was worried we'd have to pitch a tent or something... If we can live in a grand hotel like this, I don't think we'll have to worry about being comfortable.", Nagito smiled.

"Comfort isn't an option here... We don't even known why we're being forced to live on this island... How can you just accept this!? You're way too excited about living here!", Hajime huffed.

"Well, it seems obvious that this area would make a good base, so why don't we look around for a bit?", Nagito led us to a large guy to talk to near the pool.

"Hm...? That's right... You haven't told me your name... My name... I am the Ultimate Team Manager , NEKOMARU NIDAI!!!", Nekomaru yelled out with force. He was a very tall, muscular man with black hair and brown eyes. He wore a white tank top under a black gakuran, as well as blue tracksuit pants and Getas. He had chains around his neck with a whistle hanging in the middle part and constantly emitted a blue electric aura from his eyes. Nekomaru also had two scars running from the top of his both eyes downwards in their own directions. He also, strangly, had a towel tucked into the back of his pants. He reminded me of the kind of body I wanted as a child, but I just realized I was just attracted to the body instead. Didn't help that I was blushing like a fire truck.

"U-Um...hello. I'm Hajime Hinata...", Hajime waved slowly.

"A-And I am Dante Cortopassi, Ultimate Actor and Italy's finest~"

"Hold it right there! Your voices is too soft! Let your voices rise from the bottom of your stomach!"

"U-Um... I'm Hajime Hinata!"

"I am Dante Cortopassi...!"

"Noooooo! You can be louder than that! Do it again!"

"My name is Hajime Hinata! Pleased to make your acquaintance!"

"My name is Dante Cortopassi! Ultimate Actor and Italy's Finest! Pleasure to meet you!!"

"I AM NEKOMARU NIDAI! Don't forget it, even if you go to hell! I am the Ultimate Team Manager , NEKOMARU NIDAI!!!"

"Y-You don't need to repeat your name so much. I won't forget it...", Hajime sighed, rubbing his throat.

"Gah-hahaha! I agree to your terms!"

"Nekomaru Nidai is known as the Ultimate Team Manager .", Nagito continued for Nekomaru.

"The Ultimate...Team Manager? So he's not on a team, he just manages one?", Hajime confirmed.

"He's not just a team manager... After all, he's an Ultimate . He's traveled to numerous towns and played an active role in various sports clubs managing their teams. For instance, he led some high school rugby team full of delinquents to victory in the national play-offs... He also rescued a baseball club on the verge of being shut down, and led them to national victory as well... Rumor has it he's even training that famous Japanese pitcher who plays in the American League."

He totally deserves to be called the Ultimate Team Manager ...~

With that, we went to see someone else; the boy in the suit.

"...Who the hell are you? Don't talk all friendly and shit to me, dumbass. What're you lookin' at!? You got something you wanna say, bastard!?", the boy spat.

He doesn't seem very happy...

I would have punched him.

I did my best to ignore the voice, but it was getting louder everytime.

"...R-Relax, Fuyuhiko. We're only here to introduce ourselves.", Nagito tried to calm the boy.

"...What? Introduce yourselves?"

"See, you haven't been properly introduced to these two, right?"

"Hmph... ... Name's Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu... Just so we're clear, I don't plan to act friendly and shit with you guys.", Fuyuhiko huffed. He was a slim young man with a "baby face". He had dusty blond crew cut hair, with a distinct pair of curved lines shaved on each side of his head. He also had freckles along the bridge of his nose and a birthmark near his mouth on the right side. His eyes were gold, and he had permanent blush marks on both cheeks. Befitting his title, Fuyuhiko dressed in traditional yakuza fashion: well-tailored suits. He wore a two-piece suit consisting of a dark pinstripe jacket and pants over a white dress shirt. His tie is brown-black with an animal skull emblem on it, and he wears black dress shoes with a platform heel. On his left lapel is a pin that is in the shape of the emblem of the Kuzuryu family, and he wears two silver rings on his right hand. He later wears a black eyepatch with a white, round dragon pattern. He exuded an aura that was "Don't mess with me."

"Fuyuhiko is a high school student and heir to the Kuzuryu Clan.", Nagito explained.

"Eh? The Kuzuryu Clan... Don't tell me he's--!?", Hajime gasped.

"I'm sure you've at least heard of them before, right? The Kuzuryu Clan is the largest criminal syndicate in the nation, with a membership surpassing 30,000. Which means...he's the Ultimate Yakuza ."

Th-The heir to a yakuza clan... And it's *the* Kuzuryu Clan, no less? I like the dangerous side of him~

"By the way, mentioning his babyface around him is expressly forbidden, so you better be careful. ...You'll run out of fingers before he's done with you."

"Nagito... You're, like, my savior or something."

"Haha, you're just exaggerating...uh, guess not."

"Hey, bastards... If we're all done here, how 'bout you dumbasses make like a tree and fuck off?", Fuyuhiko scoffed.

"Alright, alright, Miele, we're leaving. Name's Dante Cortopassi, Ultimate Actor and Italy's Finest~", I waved as we walked away. We made it to the entrance of the hotel, seeing the girl with the camera looking around.

"Hey, aren't you the guy who was squatting on the beach earlier and burying your face in your arms?", the girl pointed at Hajime, who looked a little embarrassed.

"Uh, y-yeah..."

"Hey...you gotta keep it together, you know? At times like this, it's the boys' job to keep the girls safe."

"Y-You're right..."

"Did you want me to introduce myself? I haven't done it yet, right? Let's see... I'm Mahiru Koizumi. I'll be counting on you from now on.", Mahiru pointed. Mahiru had fair skin with light freckles flecked across her cheeks. She also had vivid red hair cut in a short, smooth bob, with choppy bangs. Her eyes were a rather dark olive green. She wore a white uniform dress shirt with short sleeves and a chest pocket, with a red-and-white plaid tie at her collar. On top of this, she wore an olive green school jumper with a pleated skirt. Her legwear consisted of a darker olive knee-high socks with lighter colored lines running around the cuff, with olive-black flat sneakers with white laces and soles. Her former school's symbol could be found on her shirt's sleeves, her jumper's chest, and her socks' cuffs. She had her camera hung around her body with an orange strap, a thin yellow line running through the center, attached with silver buckles. Although nothing too flashy was on her, Mahiru seemed to shine on her own with the way she carried herself.

"Mahiru is known as the Ultimate Photographer . She has a promising future as a photojournalist. I'm not an expert on photography but I hear she's a young photographer who has won numerous awards. On that note...she's known for her skill at taking pictures of people.", Nagito explained.

"Honestly, I'm a little relieved. You guys seem decent enough."

"...Hm? Decent?", Hajime questioned.

"Well, there's a lot of weirdos here. I can't tell if they're really Ultimates or, like, just insane... I'm eager to get along with everyone so we can get off this island , but I was worried things wouldn't go well."

"Get off this island...? What do you mean?"

"Huh, you don't know? That's what that stuffed animal Usami was saying. After you finish collecting all the Hope Fragments that you earn by getting along with everyone... This joke of a school trip will be over, and we can all leave this island together."

"Th-That's all we have to do and we can go home!? Is that true? Did she really mean that!?"

"Hey, you should be paying closer attention! This is like, really important!"

"Well Hajime, now that you know this, you must feel a little relieved, right? As long as we live here peacefully, we'll be able to leave this island soon enough. So there's no reason for you to act so panicky.", Nagito chuckled.

"Yes, you can take it easy now!", I smiled.

"E-Even so... What's the reason...? Why do we have to do something like this? I mean, to go through all the effort of bringing us here so we can all live together and get along... It doesn't make any sense.", Hajime huffed.

"I may not know why we're here, but if that's all we have to do to go home, then that's all there is to it. Overall, I'm glad. I mean, it's really not that big of a deal.", Nagito shrugged.

"Hey!", Mahiru snapped, causing Hajime and I to jump.

"Eh!?", we said at the same time.

"Don't "eh!?" me, what about your introduction? I've been waiting, like, forever, you know?"

"Ah, sorry... I'm Hajime Hinata. Um...it's nice to meet you, too."

"My apologies, Mahiru. My name is Dante Cortopassi, Ultimate Actor and Italy's finest~!"

"I see...Hajime Hinata and Dante Cortopassi, huh? Sorry to disappoint you two, but I've already made a mental note to remember you as "Unreliable Hajime and Dumb Dante . It's gonna be tough for you to change my mind. You better man up and try even harder to do your best!"

" ...I see you two're whipped already.", Nagito snickered.

"I'm talking to both of you! You better man up and do better! Got it!?", Mahiru snapped as she walked away.

"... Dumb Dante?", I muttered with a pout.

"Don't take it seriously, Dante...", Nagito mumbled while patting my back. We went into the hotel afterwards, finding two students in the lounge. "Yeah... Even the inside of this place looks grand, too."

"If this was really a normal school trip, I'd be smiling by now... But...why are we the only ones in this hotel?", Hajime asked.

"It's an uninhabited island, it can't be helped.", Nagito shrugged. We first went to the girl with the glasses to introduce ourselves. She seemed very serious, deep in thought.

"...State your business.", She demanded.

"Well, we just want to introduce ourselves. Is that all right with you...?", Hajime asked.

"An introduction... Understood, I don't mind."

"I'm Hajime Hinata. Nice to meet you."

"Dante Cortopassi, Ultimate Actor and Italy's Finest~"

"My name is Peko Pekoyama. It is nice to meet you, too.", Peko replied. Peko was a tall, young woman with fair skin and a cool demeanor. She had long silver hair tied up into two braids on each side of her head, secured by white ribbons at the bases and dark red hair ties at the ends. She had side-swept bangs with two shoulder-length locks of hair that curled outwards, left down to frame her face. Her eyes were a vivid red, and she wore thin-framed rectangular glasses. She wore a long sleeved, turquoise-black seifuku uniform with a dark, gray-teal sailor collar and sleeve cuffs, each striped with two thin white lines at the edges, a red ascot tied at her neck. A red strip of cloth was wrapped around her left upper arm. Below this, she wore a somewhat paler turquoise pleated skirt, striped with an even paler line at the hem. Her legwear consisted of turquoise-black tights and cream-colored loafers. Peko also had constantly her shinai (bamboo sword) with her, in a dark turquoise sheath/wrap with a thin white dragon design printed on the back. Although there was a deadly aura about her, it was almost angelic.

"This dignified-looking woman is known as the Ultimate Swordswoman . It's hard to believe someone with a cute name like Peko Pekoyama could be so skilled with a blade. I've heard she's a kendo master and that most adult men don't even stand a chance against her.", Nagito explained.

"I wouldn't lay a finger on her anyways... she's too beautiful~!", I whispered in awe. Hajime nudged me lightly, snapping me out of my day dream.

"If what that rabbit said is true, we are expected to live together on this island.", Peko sighed.

"Yeah, you're right...", Hajime nodded.

"It is necessary for men and women who live together to respect each other. Don't try anything inappropriate... I would prefer...not to kill anyone."

"Kill...? Isn't that sword on your back made of bamboo?"

"Though it may seem impossible to kill someone with this, a misaimed blow can be fatal. Well, an aimed blow can be fatal, too...", with that warning, Peko left us.

"... Gorgeous.", I mumbled.

"Do you ever stop simping?", Hajime mumbled.

"Why, jealous~?"

"No, stop.", Hajime turned away to talk to the other student; a girl playing a video game.

"Hajime, Dante, you haven't properly introduced yourselves to her either, right?", Nagito asked.

"Y-Yeah...you're right...", Hajime stood close to try and get her attention. "Um, excuse me? I'd like to introduce myself..."

"..."

"...Hey, Chiaki?", Nagito called loudly. The girl stopped her game, blinking rapidly for a second before turning to us.

"Oh, sorry... I must've been...a little too focused on my game..."

"A little...? Are you sure about that?"

"Let's see... Oh, right, introductions. Got it. ... I'm Chiaki Nanami, the Ultimate Gamer . Video games are my hobby, and I'm a fan of all genres. ... Nice to meet you.", Chiaki mumbled. Chiaki had short, pale mauve hair that slightly curled outwards, though the locks on either side of her face curled inwards. She had short straight bangs split towards the right, a white hairclip resembling the spaceship from Galaga pinned to a lock of her hair. She had sleepy-looking blossom pink eyes. She wore a white button-up shirt with a dark teal-gray front placket. She wore a light pink ribbon tied around her neck in a bow, with a pale beige pleated skirt. On top of this, she wore a one-button dark teal-gray hooded cardigan with gray horizontal lines running across the hem and sleeves, her former school symbol on the chest pocket. Her hood had pointed ears on the top and two pink eye-like markings on the front, resembling a cat. She also sported black thigh-high socks and light pink Mary-Jane style shoes with white soles. Chiaki also had a pale pink backpack with a white pocket, a plush cat head sewn at the top with a white ribbon tied in a bow at it's base. Chiaki emulated the word "soft" with her look. It was endearing in a mature way, not overdoing it but nothing bare minimum.

"I'm Hajime Hinata. Nice to meet you, too..."

"My name is Dante Cortopassi, Ultimate Actor and Italy's Finest~ A pleasure to meet you."

"... ... Yeah, totally.", Chiaki nodded, going back to her game.

"It seems like this conversation is going rather slow...", Hajime mumbled.

"Well, she is gaming right now...", Nagito pointed out.

"It's more like... ... I'm the kind of person who has to gather my thoughts before I can start talking. Like, I can't talk that well unless I've already prepared everything I want to say in my head... Especially when I'm meeting new people... Well, if I get used to them, I can usually talk a little faster.", Chiaki mumbled as she played. "Yaaaawn... I'm sleepy.", with that comment, we left Chiaki to go upstairs. It led us to a dining area, with two students chatting with one another.

"So...this is the hotel restaurant.", Hajime hummed.

"It's enormous. We could easily hold a banquet here. It kind of has this tropical, open country feeling.", Nagito smiled.

"...Open? Even though we're stuck on this island?"

"Are we really stuck here...?"

"What else could it be...?"

"... Oh well...let's finish introducing ourselves first. Look, there are two people talking over there.", we walked there. It was the chef guy and the girl with the long blonde hair.

"That's right... I'm having a hard time because it's full of poison. It really sucks. Speaking of which, it'd be great if you could use your mouth to suck it out...", the chef muttered with a weird smile.

"Poison...I see...", the blonde girl muttered as she nodded along.

"H-Hey...do you guys have a moment?", Hajime asked.

"Whoa...denied...", the chef grumbled.

"Hello, it is nice to meet you two.", the blonde girl smiled.

"H-Hello...my name is Hajime Hinata. Nice to meet you too."

"My name is Dante Cortopassi, Ultimate Actor and Italy's Finest~! Pleasure to meet you two."

"Why, hello there. You must be the new guys. My name is Teruteru Hanamura. On the streets, I'm known as the Ultimate Cook ... But could you guys call me the Ultimate Chef instead? It has more of a...big-city flavor to it, ya know?", TeruTeru smirked. He had a plump body and wore a classic chef outfit. It was composed of a red apron with a white undershirt, and a red handkerchief/scarf around his neck. Three silver stars were pinned on the right side of his undershirt. A small chef's hat sat on his head. He had dark brown hair all over that is styled in a pompadour that noticeably leaned to the left, as well as small dark eyes. TeruTeru seemed like a good guy, and who didn't like a man who could cook? "Mmhmhm, I hope we get along well."

"Oh, that reminds me, I have not properly introduced myself either. I am terribly sorry to keep you waiting! My name is Sonia Nevermind.", Sonia introduced herself. Sonia was a tall, young woman with fair skin and pale sea blue eyes. She had knee-length light blonde hair, part of it styled in a braided crown, the rest left to flow slightly towards the left. Her hair was accessorized with a green-black ribbon flecked with diamonds. She wore a dark teal dress with a white collar, puffed sleeves, and belt. She also sported a large red ribbon with a blue jewel trimmed with silver on the chest. As well as this, she wore a pale bracelet on her left wrist, black over-knee socks trimmed with gray lines, and red toe cap heeled Mary Janes. Sonia exuded such a beautiful energy that had me mesmerized in seconds. "I am a foreign exchange student from a small European kingdom called Novoselic . I may cause trouble here and there, but I hope we can get along well."

"S-Same here... I hope we get along, too.", Hajime muttered.

"And I as well.", I bowed slightly. "As a foreign student myself, let's look to each other for guidance!"

"How wonderful! Of course!", Sonia smiled while curtseying herself.

"...Are you enchanted? Well, that probably can't be helped. She's known as the Ultimate Princess , which means she's actual royalty.", Nagito whispered.

Makes absolute sense...~

"Um, this may be rude of me to say, but...truthfully, I feel happy.", Sonia commented.

"Huh? What...are you happy about?", Hajime asked.

"In my home country, I...did not have a single friend my age whose standing in society matched my own. So, to be able to do something like this with everyone is a new experience for me... I shall extol your virtues."

" "Extol my virtues"...? Th-Thanks."

What the...? I suddenly feel the urge to drop to one knee and bow!

"H-Hey, you three, am I being left off the menu or something?", TeruTeru asked.

"No...that's not it..."

"Oh Teruteru, it's so like you to check out the restaurant first. As the Ultimate Chef, do you like it?", Nagito asked.

"Mmhmhm...I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested. And since I do not want to be a liar, then truthfully... Yeah, I like it. Though I like the big-city flavor of my hometown, a country atmosphere like this is also splendid. Mmhmhmhmhmhm...!"

"Hey, are you...?", Hajime started but the chef cut him off.

"Refined? Cultured? Guilty as charged!"

"No, not that... You just don't seem very worried, huh?"

"Worried? What's there to worry about? Actually, I'm really happy."

"Happy? Why is that...?"

"If I can get serious real quick... I have a sneaking suspicion that Miss Peko is actually a bit of a freak, if you catch my meaning. What do you think?"

"...What?"

"She's probably wearing a bla--", I grabbed the small chef from his neck, looking him dead in the eye. He let out a yelp of fear. I shifted my demeanor to be very intimidating.

"Listen, Amico... Miss Pekoyama can punt you into next year, she is gorgeous AND deadly... However she is not here at the moment, so the punting will be *my* job if you act anywhere close to sleazy, capisce? And this is not just for Miss Pekoyama either. Any of the wonderfully beautiful people here deserve respect and you will abide by that."

"C-Capisce!"

"Good...", I mumbled, dropping him on the floor. I switched to me regular smile. Nagito and Hajime had their jaws on the floor while Sonia was busy looking around the restaurant. "Oh Miss Nevermind, Hajime, Nagito and I will be off. Do tell us if anything... Strange happens, alright Bella~?"

"Of course, have fun exploring!", Sonia waved. As Hajime, Nagito and I walked out, Hajime cleared his throat.

"Uh, Dante, are you usually that... Uh..."

"Intense? Scary? No, not usually. Though when very few things do anger me, my acting kicks in and I tend to use it to go back to a favorable conclusion~ And it worked!"

"I-I guess..."

"Wow, seeing your talent up close was amazing, Dante! How else do you use it?", Nagito asked.

"That, Bello, is a story for another day~", I chuckled as we kept walking. We made our way to a Ranch, having a country vibe to it. "Hm, decent ranch."

"...Though there aren't many animals around.", Hajime rolled his eyes. Just then, Usami appeared and giggled.

"Aww...you found it out!"

"You again! Seriously, where do you keep appearing from!?"

"I can show up anywhere, anytime! The system allows me to appear anywhere on the island!"

"System? What system?", I asked.

"It's all thanks to this handy-dandy Magic Stick!"

Lies.

Why... do my thoughts sometimes sound like a girl? Hell, I didn't even think that, it just... made itself vocal in my head...

"Hmmm...still, I am quite troubled... A ranch without any moo-cows is like a soccer team without any balls."

"You might want to rephrase that...", Nagito mumbled.

"All righty! Just leave it to me and my handy-dandy Magic Stick! Bibidi Bobidi! Bibido Bobidi! Bibidibibidi! Bobidibobidi! Bu! Turn into a moo-cow!", Usami flicked her wand at the chicken and... it transformed. Into a cow.

"CHE DIAVOLO!?", I screeched, jumping back and holding onto Nagito.

"...BWHAAAAAAAAA!?", Hajime also yelled out, gripping my shoulders and standing behind me.

"Harumph! A huge success!", Usami nodded and waddled off.

"Wh-What was all that just now...? A-A chicken...changed into...a cow!?"

"Nah, it's probably some sort of trick or illusion. I bet it was set up before we got here. She was probably trying to make us happy, but...I guess it had the opposite effect on you two.", Nagito muttered. I let go with an embarrassed huff, going to one of the students to introduce myself. Hajime followed me, Nagito close behind. It was the girl in the kimono we went to first.

"Squish! Squish!", the girl giggled as she pressed her fingers into the floor.

"Uh, What's this kid doing?", I whispered. Hajime shrugged, tapping her shoulder lightly.

"Um, are you okay? I haven't introduced myself, right? My name is Hajime Hinata..."

"And my name is Dante Cortopassi, Ultimate Actor and Italy's finest!"

"Hmmm? I'm Hiyoko Saionji.", Hiyoko replied. She was an extremely petite, slender girl with a young appearance. She practically looked like a middle schooler. She had long blonde hair that was tied into thick, curved twin tails with two yellow-green ribbons, a white cat face accessory pinned in the center. Her bangs were curled and swept to the right, with two locks of chin-length hair curling outwards and framing her face. She had large, round, pale orange eyes. Her clothes consisted of a traditional orange furisode kimono with a floral print pattern that consisted of white and yellow blossoms, and a yellow-green obi sash printed with tiny, darker yellow-green cat head silhouettes tied around her waist and secured with a bow at the back. Her footwear were zori with orange straps. Her appearance was of pure elegance yet charismatically childish. "Squish! Squish!"

"Hiyoko's talent has made her known as the Ultimate Traditional Dancer . As a rookie, the Japanese dance industry expects a lot from her. She's already performed overseas many times. It seems her performances are popular among young audiences, which is rare in the Japanese dance industry. Well, then again, her fans are mostly men.", Nagito commented.

Men? Like older men...? Yikes, feels uncomfortable for someone with her young looks to be watched by older men...

"Squish! Squish!"

"Hey, what exactly are you doing?", Hajime asked.

"Hmm? I'm squishing!"

"Squishing what?"

"Mr. Ant, of course. I'm squishing lots of Mr. Ants."

"Come again?"

"Hehe... If you squish their tummies just right, it makes this awesome sound. Wanna do it together!?"

"H-Hell no!"

"Aww, okay. Hmph, you wuss..."

This girl... Her attitude doesn't match her appearance at all.

"Well, have fun with, uh... squishing!", I waved as we went to another girl.

"Heeeey! Who're you dudes?", the girl waved with a grin.

"It's nice to finally meet you... I'm Hajime Hinata."

"And my name is Dante Cortopassi, Ultimate Actor and Italy's finest~"

"Gotcha... And who's this other dude?", the girl pointed at Nagito, who looked a little troubled.

"...Huh? Haven't we already met?"

" Oh, haha! I'm sorry! I pretty much suck at rememberin' names, and I've met so many interestin' characters today."

"I'm Nagito Komaeda. If you can, please don't forget my name again..."

"Yo! The name's Akane Owari! Nice to meetcha!", Akane shook our hands with pure force. Akane was a tall, young woman with an athletic, curvaceous physique. She had tanned skin, dark olive-gray eyes, and unkempt, shoulder-length chestnut hair that stuck out at various angles in wavy spikes. Akane wore a short-sleeved, white, buttoned, collared shirt with a chest pocket and the top few buttons undone, exposing a large amount of cleavage. The bottom button also appeared undone, exposing her navel when she moved quickly. She also wore a red pleated miniskirt and cream-colored loafers with no socks. Akane was a beautiful woman, reminding me of some of the girls in my hometown, the ones that lived with their full being rather than living half-assed. Truly a work of art.

"Akane is known as the Ultimate Gymnast , and an all-around super athlete. Rumor has it she's a wild troublemaker, but her athletic ability is off the charts. However, her basics and fundamentals are all over the place, so her gymnastic routines are mostly improvised. If she's in her groove, she performs splendidly. But if she's not, she loses interest and switches it up.", Nagito explained.

"I think that is a beautiful way to go about your work~", I sighed.

"Huh? Don't tell me you... Oh, I get it! So, you have a thing for sexy bodies, huh?"

"... Bello, I think it's clear that I like bodies, period."

"Fair point.", Hajime shrugged. We made our way to the central island, going to a park. It had a huge statue in the center, demanding attention. There, the large boy stood and stared at it in thought. When we approached, he huffed.

"...What do you want?"

"Ah, Byakuya... Have time for a small introduction?", Nagito asked.

"...Introduction?"

"C'mon, Hajime. Dante."

"Um, hello. My name is Hajime Hinata."

"And my name is Dante Cortopassi, Ultimate Actor and Italy's finest~"

"... My name is Byakuya Togami.", Byakuya nodded. They had a very heavy build, having blond hair and bright blue eyes accompanied by rectangular, white-framed glasses. He wore a white dinner jacket, white slacks, and white dress shoes. Byakuya also accessorized with a dark green cross tie and a pin of his former high school on his lapel. His presence commanded respect, as expected from how he carried himself.

Not the Togami I know.

I shuddered slightly but kept quiet.

"...I'm done. That's it, right? Back off."

"Well, I suppose that's Byakuya for you...", Nagito chuckled.

"What do you mean?", Hajime asked.

"That guy is particularly special , even by Ultimate standards... He's next in line to inherit his family's massive financial conglomerate. He's already begun managing the business operations, and his net worth is, well, enormous. It's completely accurate to call him the Ultimate Affluent Progeny . He's the epitome of "exceptional.""

"You there, Hajime and Dante, was it...?", Byakuya called.

"Yes, Signore?"

"Tell me...You already said your talent, but Hajime... why did Hope's Peak Academy choose you? What is your ultimate talent?"

"Um... Th-The thing is... I honestly can't remember.", Hajime mumbled.

"You don't remember...?"

"Apparently he lost his memory due to shock... He can't really remember much.", Nagito sighed.

"Hmph, how foolish. ...", Byakuya huffed.

"Hey, be a little more compassionate, Amico. He can't help it.", I backed up Hajime quickly. Byakuya went a little silent, then sighed.

"...I do believe we have finished talking. How much longer to do you intend to stand there? Move along! That's the only thing you skinny types are good at, it seems."

"Let's just leave, Hajime, Dante...", Nagito led us away. Just as we were going to ask Nagito where to go next, a loud bell noise rang across the island. On the monitors set up around the area, Usami appeared on screen.

"Congratulations everyone! It appears that everyone has finished collecting the Hope Fragments ! I'm...*sniff*...I'm so happy... Soooo...I've prepared a present for everyone that'll make you all veeeeery happy! I apologize for the trouble, but please gather at the beach! Tee hee hee! May shining hope be with you all!", Usami cheered as the monitor went dark.

"She said to meet at the beach...", Nagito echoed.

"I-Is that going to be okay...? I'm starting to have a bad feeling about this.", Hajime muttered.

"Thinking won't solve anything. We can do that after we go to the beach."

"Is that precaution really enough?", Hajime's question went unanswered as we went to the beach. Everyone of the students gathered there, waiting for Usami.

"You guys are the last to arrive. What are you dilly-dallying for?", Byakuya asked.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting.", Nagito apologized lightly.

"Well, it's all right... More importantly, this is our only chance to talk between ourselves before that rabbit returns."

"Kyahaha! Let's talk!", Hiyoko giggled.

"Now then, let me hear your initial impressions of this island."

"I happened to notice numerous blocked off bridges on the central island...", Peko pointed out.

"Oh, those are there so everybody doesn't get lost! I tried to cross one of them and that rabbit showed up and told me, so I'm telling the truth!", Ibuki explained.

"So we don't get lost...? Is this island really so big?"

"But if you look at it in depth, it's just a normal island, right? It's got a resort and everything! Well, not that I've ever been to a resort before, but...", Kazuichi shrugged.

"Also, there's a biiiiig ranch!", Hiyoko commented.

"Um...there's also a large supermarket, too... It looks like it stocks everything from food to living amenities.", Mikan muttered.

"The hotel was really nice, too. It'd be great if we can stay there.", Mahiru smiled.

"The restaurant inside the hotel was also very nice. It seemed to cater to a more plebeian taste.", Sonia pointed out.

"Can you guys listen to what I wanna say, too? I...found something very important on this island. Girls! Very, very cute girls! Aha! All over the place!", TeruTeru smirked.

"Amico...", I growled.

"A-And the restaurant too, very n-nice!"

"All of you are fools... I can't believe nobody has mentioned the most serious truth .", Byakuya scoffed.

"...The most serious truth?", Chiaki questioned.

"If no one here realized it, you're all bigger fools than I thought."

"What did you say, you fat bastard? Don't be talkin' all big and shit!", Fuyuhiko cussed.

"Small dogs shouldn't bark so loud".

"Hey, what's the most serious truth? Did...did you find out something about this island?", Hajime asked.

"... Have you all gone to the park that's across the bridge?"

"The park with that weird bronze statue of all those creepy animals, right?"

"When I saw it, I remembered a story I'd heard before. There's an island in the Pacific Ocean, a beautiful island paradise where summer never ends... It consists of a central island surrounded by five different islands ... It's also said that five holy animals symbolize each of those surrounding islands."

"Eh...?"

"That island's name is... Jabberwock Island ."

"Could this island be...?", Nagito whispered.

"It could be Jabberwock Island.", I muttered.

"Still, there is something on my mind. In fact, according to what I've heard, Jabberwock Island is already... ... ...Never mind.", Byakuya stopped.

"Hold it right there! That's a rather incomplete story you've told us.", Nekomaru complained.

"No need to shout. I'll let you know once I obtain more information."

"Meh, I don't care what this island's called. Nikoniko Island or Papua Island or whatever... Doesn't change the fact that we all gotta live here, right?", Akane shrugged.

"Signorina Owari is right, the island we are in doesn't change the fact that we're going to live here for a while.", I shrugged.

"Living together on this tropical island sure is exciiiiting! I'm super looking forward to it!", Ibuki grinned.

"Right on! This ain't a bad school at all!", Kazuichi nodded along with Ibuki.

"H-Hey? You guys?", Hajime called, but no one gave a second thought.

"Hmm, I like this island too! ...Can't say the same about the rest of you cretins.", Hiyoko growled at TeruTeru.

"Huh? Did I hear something?"

"I'm still worried, but I don't feel as worried as I did earlier... Yeah, since there's no danger or inconvenience, I feel like this won't be a problem!", Mahiru stated with a smile.

"Hey, listen to what you guys are saying. We need to stay calm and think about this...! We're all here to attend Hope's Peak Academy, right? But we're living on an island like this instead... No matter what, it's completely weird!", Hajime huffed in annoyance at everyone.

"Why don't you stop talking for a while? Go cool your head off or something.", Gundham suggested with an eye roll.

"...Eh?"

"P-Plus even if we wanted to leave, there's no way we can...", TeruTeru shrugged.

"There's no ship, and the planes are just for show...", Kazuichi confirmed.

"From what I've discovered, there's no way to contact the outside world, either... In conclusion...it would be impossible to call for help.", Peko pointed out.

"Then, why don't we just swim home?", Akane suggested.

"There's no way we can swim that far...!", Mikan whimpered.

"SHOW SOME SPIRIT!!!", Nekomaru yelled, not opposed to swimming all the way.

"I'm telling you, that's impossible!", Mahiru huffed.

"Th-Then...what if we cut down some trees and made a raft...?", Hajime pointed at the trees, but Usami appeared out of nowhere with a pout on her face.

"Nuh-uh! You can't do that! That's the biggest of no-nos! Please recall the guidelines of this school trip! "Littering is not allowed. Let us coexist with this island's bountiful nature in mutual prosperity." Got it? I want everyone to get along and live peacefully on this beautiful tropical island."

"Wh-What's with these rules? Who cares about that...!"

"Stop. This rabbit seems to be rather finicky about these so-called rules. Based on that, what if your actions place everyone here in danger?", Byakuya scolded.

"Th-The word "danger" is a bit much! I wouldn't do something like that!", Usami whimpered.

"Hajime...I understand how you feel, but you need to calm down a little, okay?", Nagito suggested, patting Hajime's shoulder.

"F-For now...as long as we don't do anything weird, it seems there is no danger...", Mikan muttered.

"And as long and we gather the Hope Fragments , we'll be able to get off this island soon.", Chiaki stated.

"Y-You're all just gonna believe that...?", Hajime sputtered.

"What else is there to do, Amico?", I asked.

"..."

"Anyway, Usami! What's this present you mentioned in your announcement earlier?", Ibuki questioned.

"Ah, that's right! Well, of course I didn't forget... Love! Love! This is it! Don't be upset! I've prepared one for you all, so don't worry!", Usami offered up a strap with a figurine of Usami attached to it.

"...What is this...?", Nagito mumbled.

"Pfft, teehee! It's an Usami Strap! If you squeeze the tummy, it talks.", Usami pressed the belly, prompting the figurine to talk.

"I'm Usami...Magical Miracle Girl ★ Usami. I'm an itty bitty girl who's sweet like milk! "

"Isn't it cute? Love! Love!"

"...What a waste of time.", Byakuya rolled his eyes.

"Man, and I got my hopes up, too...", Ibuki grumbled.

"I'm ashamed I even had my hopes up!", TeruTeru huffed.

"I like it's... charm, I suppose.", I shrugged, pocketing the figurine.

"Really? I think it's pretty cute. Especially how the ears look like a rabbit's...", Chiaki pointed out.

"Well, Usami does mean "rabbit," you know!", Usami giggled. Regardless, a large number of Usami Straps ended up on the beach anyway. "Hey! You can't taint nature with trash!"

"See? Even you think they're trash!", Ibuki shrugged. Usami sadly picked up the straps and looked at us with a lonely expression on her face.

"Ugh... And I even prepared one more present, too, but now I don't wanna give it to you bad kids..."

"Hm? You have something else?", Peko questioned.

"Well, compared to the Usami Strap, it's not that big of a deal... Basically, I've prepared a motive for everyone."

"A motive...?", Hajime echoed.

Oh no.

Why does the voice not like the sound of this...?

"That's right. A motive for everyone to get along. We've come all this way to a tropical island, so I thought it'd be great to do something island-themed."

"Like what? Are you thinkin' of throwin' a big party or somethin'?", Akane asked.

"Coooorrect!"

"Is it a festival? Or maybe a miniature shrine? How wonderful!", Sonia cheered.

"If we're talking about fun parties on a tropical island, maybe it should be a barbeque or something?", Ibuki suggested.

"Ah, a campfire sounds fun, too.", Mahiru clapped once in glee.

"Let's find a hoop snake and kill it!", Hiyoko suggested.

"Is looking for one not enough for you!?", Kazuichi muttered in fear.

"It seems everyone has different ideas, but if we're gonna be at the ocean, then first...", Usami produced a bunch of red and blue duffle bags "Tadaaa! This is what it's all about!"

"Swimming bags?", Nagito mumbled.

"Coooorrect! Love! Love!"

"Whoaaaa! Then that means...", Kazuichi grinned.

"That's right. I have swimsuits for everyone. Well, school swimsuits actually. I hope that's okay."

"A-Are you telling us to go swimming...? In a situation like this...?", Hajime scoffed.

"It's not like I'm ordering you guys to swim or anything. It's just, if you wanna go swimming, you can..."

"Th-There's no way I'm going swimming! There's no way anyone would be so thoughtless as to go swimming in a situation like this..."

"YAAAHHHOOOOOO!", Ibuki ran, grabbing a bag with her.

"I've been waiting to take a dip!", I grinned, grabbing a bag as well and running to the hotel.

I'm gonna have the time of my life, no one is stopping me!

CHAPTER 1, END!

A/N: Hey everyone, thank you for checking this out! I have just finished my thh fanfic yesterday-ish, so give it a look see if you want a clue on who the voice is as well as just showing me some support :3 Anyway, thank you for tuning in, if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask!