Hajime pov

All 16 of us stand around the giant statue in the center of the park, talking amongst each other and wondering who our new classmate will be. Monokuma had told us that we would be receiving another person, but he didn't say anything else. We are all obviously dying to know who they are, so it's no surprise that we'd start speculating. Quiet chatter fills the open air and wafts around on the wind. I myself am conversing with Ibuki.

"So, so, so! Who do you think they could be? Gah, just thinking about it makes Ibuki excited! Do you think that they're a cute girl? Or maybe they're a steamy dude? Still, there's always a chance that they could be a gn whor-"

I begin to tune her out as she continues to ramble, slowly beginning to formulate a few ideas of my own. They really could be anyone. I'm not as forward as Ibuki, but I must admit that I'm just as curious. The wait is making me a bit antsy, and I can tell that it's having the same effect on everyone else.

"Hey, hajime! Are you listening-" ibuki stops.

The area goes still as we hear loud, clunky footsteps approaching our group. We turn to see a vague figure hurriedly running down the cobbled path towards us. Everyone freezes in awkward, intrepid anticipation as they come to a stop a few feet away.

They're panting and leaning on their knees with sweat rolling down their forehead and disheveled hair. I scan their figure. They wear a sky blue blouse, a bright yellow skirt, and black demonia boots that reach their upper calves. I immediately black out idk (AN: I'm fucking dying I can't think of anything to replace the paragraph with)

I was knocked out of my trance by the mf waving a hand in front of my face, a concerned look painting their features. "Hello? Hello? Y'all chill? You seem kind of out of it"

I shake my head, giving a small shrug to affirm that I'm well. "I'm fine. I just tend to zone out a lot," I blurt.

Luckily, she seems to take the excuse well and returns it with a smile of her own. "I'm glad. You were really freaking me out there for a second."

In that moment, it's like they and I are in our own little world, but that magic is broken when fucking Ibuki starts shouting.

Ibuki pov

"Wowee, the new girl is c-u-t-e, cute! Hi there new girl! Ibuki is sooooo happy to meet you~!" I shout, rushing up to greet her. I bump into Hajime on the way, but who cares? All Ibuki cares about is the cutie right in front of her. Besides, he'll be fine! That dood is built like a tree.

The new girl opens her mouth, getting ready to speak, but I cut her off with a tight embrace. She grunts cutely as I squeeze her into my chest and I can absolutely for sure say that it was the most adorable grunt Ibuki has ever heard! Most grunts are deep and itchy but hers is so high and soft, like a hamster or a bunny rabbit. I like that! I like that a lot!

"Hey, can you stop hugging me so tight? I'm suffocating..." she whispers, struggling for air.

I immediately let go, of course! I would never want to hurt this precious little bunny rabbit. "Ahaha! Sorry Bunny, Ibuki doesn't know her own strength sometimes," I say in a singsong voice, rubbing the back of my neck. "I won't do it again, I swear on my dead grandma's grave!"

Bunny tilts her head, clearly confused. "Bunny? What do you mean?"

"Oh, it's just a nickname for ya. Don't you just loooove it?" I chirp, clasping my hands together.

She nods and once again attempts to speak, but is cut off by that one marshmallow boy, who I have to keep myself from slapping.

"Excuse me, but shouldn't we all be able to introduce ourselves to our new comrade? We don't have an infinite amount of time to dawdle," he chimes in, raising his hand.

To my disappointment, I hear a chorus of voices agreeing with him.

"How about we form a line? That way we can all have our own amount of time to chat without scrambling for her attention. That seems fair," Hajime says.

Everyone seems to agree with this, and we all spread apart.

I reluctantly walk away from Bunny, but not without giving her one last biiiig bear hug.

"Bye bye, bunny! Come see me again soon."

MC pov

I bounce up and down excitedly and clasp my hands over my mouth, hardly able to contain the screech of excitement that creeps up my throat. My feet tap energetically against the Cobblestone ground, creating a silent rhythm to match each beating of my heart.

Oh my goodness, I am about to meet my favorite people in the entire multiverse. This cannot be my reality. How did I ever get so lucky? Have I been blessed? That must be so. My prayers have finally been answered. Wait, I have to stay calm! I can't come off as creepy-

"Hey, I'm not going to wait all day for you to snap out of your goddamn daydreams. You are either going to start paying attention to me when I fucking talk to you, or I am going to leave."

I snap back to reality at the sound of a gruff voice. Looking up, I find myself gazing upon none other than Boss Baby himself standing before me in all of his pissed off glory. He stares at me with sharp eyes and crossed arms, raising his brow when he sees that I've noticed him.

"So you've finally become aware of my existence, have you? I'm Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, the ultimate Yazuka," he hisses out. Honestly, his whole spectacle would have been far more intimidating if it weren't for the fact that there was a small blush on his face the entire time.

"Cool beans. I'm y/n l/n, and I'm known as the ultimate Darling," I say, fighting the urge to laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get the chit chat over with so I can leave this shithole and go back to my cabin. it's not as if i actually wanted to meet you."

*

A smug grin makes its way onto my face. "Are you sure about that? If that's so, then why were you first in line to introduce yourself? You'd have to be very eager to meet me in order to get that spot. besides, you didn't have to be here, and I know you would have left if you truly wanted to."

His face flushes cherry red and he grits his teeth, clenching his fists tightly. "Shut the hell up! I'm not here to make any friends, okay?"

I nod, though I know that it isn't true due to already being familiar with every aspect of his character. Playing all four games can come in handy when dealing with someone like him. "Of course. I understand where you're coming from completely, though I was hoping to make friends with you. Oh well, guess we can't have everything we want. Still, could we possibly become very very close acquaintances in the future at the very least? If not friends, then that will do."

"Very clo- what? That sounds like a half assed excuse to become friends. You know what? I'm not going to argue with your annoying ass. Fine. We can be ''very very close acquaintances," the boy huffs.

I seem to have lowered his defenses a bit. Who knew that it would be so easy to break through one of his walls? This is too much fun.

"Wonderful! I look forward to the day where we can reach that point. You seem like you'd be a great very very close acquaintance," I giggle, grinning brightly. Too brightly apparently, because Fuyuhiko is forced to squint and avert his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say, Dipshit. I'm out. Have fun sucking up to all the other assholes," he grumbles, stomping off.

"Have a good day, Kuzuryuu!" I yell at his retreating form, receiving a middle finger in return. Ouch. Still, what else could I expect from a man as guarded and aggressive as him? I sigh, and run a hand through my hair. Turning to greet the next person, I see none other than Mahiru Koizumi's smiling face only a few inches easy from mine.

"Hello," she says, waving politely. "My name is Mahiru, and I'm the ultimate photographer."

I upturn my lips and give a small wave. "It's nice to meet you. "I'm y/n l/n."

"I saw your interaction with Kuzuryuu and I just had to compliment you on the way you dealt with him. You remained calm and collected no matter what insults he threw at you, and you ended up getting through to him, which is much more than the rest of us have managed to do. I wouldn't be surprised if your talent was something like 'ultimate peacemaker'," she chirps.

I shake my head. "Sadly, my ultimate isn't nearly as useful as what you described, though I wish it were. I'm just good at reading people."

If only she knew that i already know every aspect of her character by heart. Haha! It feels wonderful having a secret advantage.

"Is that so? Well, if this isn't too personal, what is your ultimate?"

"It isn't as flashy as most, but if you'd really like to know, I'm the ultimate Darling," I sigh. "I apologize if it was disappointing. You seemed so impressed with me before."

I am stopped in my tracks by Koizumi clasping my hands in hers and holding them to her chest. "Please don't feel ashamed of your ultimate. The fact that you even have an ultimate is incredible on it's own. I would respect you even if you were the SHSL asshole!" She exclaims. I am shocked by her over the top response, and can't help but reel back slightly in surprise. I knew she was a supportive person, but that was far too intense. We've only just met, after all.

"Thank you? I-er- I'm glad that you'd like me regardless of my talent. Would you mind giving me some space, though? You're a bit too close for comfort."

She immediately lets go and steps back, a panicked look spreading across her features. "I am so, SO sorry if you felt uncomfortable. I guess I was a little too intense in my advances. I just hate it when people put themselves down."

It's my turn to feel panicked as I realize how rude that statement must have sounded. "Wait, please don't feel bad! I was just caught off guard. I'm not scared of you, I swear," I cry.

The depressed look is immediately wiped off of her face and I'm incredibly relieved, though I don't forget to note how quickly it disappears. It was almost as if she was faking it. Still, I want to see the best in her and choose to write it off as a coincidence.

"I'm glad," Mahiru says. "Anyways, I should be off. You have fourteen other islanders to meet, after all."

I nod. "Yeah, you should probably leave now. I hope we can chat again soon though!"

She waves goodbye, running off to who knows where, and I turn to watch as the next person steps forward.

I was not prepared for what I was about to see. Lo and behold, Gundam Tanaka and Kazuichi Souda stand a few feet away, fighting aggressively to get to the front spot.

"Step aside, foolish-oof!-mortal! I shall be the next one to greet the temptress."

"Hell to the fucking no! I'd rather saw off my nuts than do that- ouch!"

I watch on awkwardly as the two of them scramble to get to the front of the line, rubbing my eyes tiredly. After what seems like an eternity of hair-pulling and terrible insults, Gundam finally emerges victorious, walking over to me and leaving a sulking Kazuichi behind.

"Greetings, temptress! I am known as Gundam Tanaka, Supreme Overlord of Ice. It is an utmost honor to meet you," he says, his booming voice echoing throughout the area. Going down on one knee, he lifts up my hand and raises it up to his lips, giving it a quick kiss. "Might I have the gift of knowing your name?"

I turn my head away in an attempt to hide the growing flush on my cheeks. "I- ah- I'm y/n l/n."

"A wonderful title. It rolls off of the tongue," the breeder states, smiling.

"That's very sweet of you. I'm honored that you have such a high opinion of me on just the first meeting."

A deep chuckle leaves his throat. It is a dark, smooth, and resounding sound that sends shivers down my spine. "You have not seen the half of my respect for you. If you become that flustered by such a small and insignificant compliment then I cannot imagine the overwhelming embarrassment you will feel by the end of this conversation," he says.

"You underestimate me. I may seem weak at the moment, but it is merely a ruse to disguise my true power. Not even one as distinguished and intimidating as yourself can resist my talent," I tease.

Gundam scoffs. "I doubt that. Your aura may be filled with power, but no one could ever hope to compare to me and my dark devas of destruction!" On cue, several chubby hamsters pop out and pose dramatically.

"Goodness, what a spectacle! I regress my previous statement. Nothing I could muster up would ever compare to your skill and expertise in the dark arts," I gasp, imitating a swooning damsel. He seems to be satisfied with my reaction, and lets out a thundering cackle.

"I see that you understand your place now. That is crucial for our relationship to progress. It will do you no good to be cocky, though I can understand why you would be confident. Even my Dark Devas can see the potential in you," Gundam announces.

"Aren't you a charmer! My my, who would have thought that someone as powerful and foreboding as Gundam Tanaka would be such a womanizer? You had me in the palm of your hand for a hot second."

Whatever burst of confidence he was having leaves his system and his eyes widen with awareness, almost as if he is remembering recent events after a night of intense drinking. A rosy color blooms on his cheeks, and he buries his face in his scarf out of embarrassment. "I- I am nothing of the sort. Your insolence astounds me. I am insulted that you would let that thought cross your mind even for the b-briefest of moments."

"Of course," I say. "I apologize for being so insolent. Is there any way that I could make it up to you?"

He nods. "My only request is that you associate with me once more in the foreseeable future. You are one of the only tolerable mortals on this island, and the most interesting one at that."

"Of course! I would love nothing more than to talk to you again," I squeal, bouncing on the balls of my feet in joy. Gundam Tanaka, one of the most antisocial characters in the entire game, wants to hang out with me. It's almost too good to be true.

Gundam backs away slowly, drawing his scarf so far over his face that his eyes are completely obscured. "A-ah. I am glad that you hold such enthusiasm. Still, I must be off! I have many things to attend to at the moment. Farewell," he says, and with a flap of his coat and a flick of the wrist, he escapes.

Next in line is, of course, Kazuichi. Said boy is practically vibrating with excitement as he steps up. "Hello miss! I'm Kazuichi souda, the SHSL Mechanic. Pleasure to meet you," he says.

"I'm y/n l/n, SHSL Darling."

He flashes me a signature grin. "Gee, what a cool talent! It's perfect for someone as pretty as you."

"Nah, it's not nearly as impressive as being a renowned mechanic. You can actually contribute to society, unlike me. Speaking of your talent, mind telling me it's specifics? It intrigues me," I question. Having played the game several times, I already know every aspect of his talent. Still, it can't hurt to ask, can it?

His face immediately lights up. "Oh! Oh! Oh! I never thought you'd ask." He takes a deep breath, preparing himself for a very long explanation. "Basically, I can do nearly anything that involves machinery. If it's made of metal, I can build it. I'm also incredibly good at fixing broken parts. It's not as flamboyant as being in the mafia, but it makes for a cool pastime."

I play along, enjoying his enthusiasm. "Wow, you certainly are passionate."

"Absolutely! I've been tinkering since I was a kid," Kazuichi says with a proud look, placing his hands on his hips and upturning his nose.

"If only I was that in love with my talent. Your vivaciousness makes me want to see you in action," I gush.

He gapes at me, eyes wide and jaw hanging. "You genuinely want to spend time with me? Me, the stinky highlighter dude who's covered in motor oil twenty four seven? This me?"

I tilt my head, my eyebrows furrowing in concern. "You are the only Kazuichi on this island, are you not? Of course I was talking about you, silly boy!" I wag my pointer finger at him scoldingly, though my entertained expression shows how unbothered I am.

He immediately lights up, grinning so widely and so brightly that I swear I've gone momentarily blind. "I'm so happy that someone as magnificent as you is interested in associating with someone as lowly as me. This has never happened before! I'll be sure to not disappoint."

"I can't understand why you believe you're so undeserving of my attention. I'm no worse or better than anyone else, so idolizing me will do you no good," I chide, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

He stares down at me, eyes filled with an amount of adoration reserved solely for either god or Lizzo. "How humble of you. You're like a princess- no, a Queen! Noble and dignified, yet simultaneously sweet and empathetic. You really are the perfect woman, aren't you?"

Is this man stoned? All I've done was show basic decency.

"Thank you very much. I'm happy to know that you think so highly of me. I would love nothing more than to spend the remainder of the day conversing with you but I unfortunately have about twelve other people to greet. Still, we have an infinite amount of time here so I'm sure we could work out a time to hang out soon." I awkwardly chuckle.

Kazuichi sulks, rubbing the back of his neck. "Damn, I was hoping to be able to talk to you for a longer amount of time, but I guess you're right. I'll leave only because it's mandatory. You had better keep your word though!"

I chuckle. "Don't fret. I never go back on my word!"

He seems satisfied and nods at me before walking away.

I wave him off cheerfully before sighing.