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Hope’s Peak Academy. The place where special students, called Ultimates, from all over the country gathered together and attended class.
Kirumi Tojo was one such student, carrying the talent of Ultimate Maid with pride and grace, and shared a class with 15 others much like her. She looked forward to further developing her talent, ready to tackle any challenge that might approach.
Her very first challenge came in the form of a student house. Her class lived together, each having their own bedroom while sharing a few bathrooms and a single kitchen. 16 barely adults stuck together; that’s awaiting disaster. Even more so when they are anything but normal.
Miu’s inventions scattered around the entire premise, not even the multitude of requests to please not leave electronics near the sink or ‘upgrade’ the washing machine getting through her thick skull. Himiko’s magic tricks once made the entire food stash vanish, and she didn’t know how to bring it back. Tenko practiced her Neo Aikido nearly everywhere, including by door frames, resulting in having kicked people in the face several times (although with the men it was rarely an accident). Kokichi would occasionally steal items, put the blame on someone else and watch the discord unfold. And, of course, the most famous case; when at 3 in the morning Gonta awoke everyone to explain his cockroaches had escaped their enclosure. Screaming ensued.
Sometimes Kirumi felt as though Maki’s talent of Child Caregiver would fit her just as well.
Luckily there were several figures who didn’t test her patience, one being Kaede Akamatsu. Her talent as Ultimate Pianist was innocent at the end of the day, especially as she had no other choice but to practice at school itself. For any music she wanted to listen to at the student house, her trusted headphones took care of it. Not to say she could never be messy, but she always apologized if she had been and generally cleaned up after herself.
She was extroverted and kind, befriending most anyone that crossed her path. And Kirumi was no exception to that. Although the pianist came across rather nosy at first, criticizing her serving style as spoiling, it turned out to be the beginnings of a good relationship. They walked to class together quite often, Kaede sometimes even coming in to lend a hand when Kirumi cleaned the house. She never needed the help, but that’s not what it was about anyway.
The image must have been quite strange to outsiders; a Pink Goes With Everything girl and Paint It Black girl walking side by side and getting along. Admittedly, Kirumi had never expected for things to get as deep as they did. The biggest turn in their relationship must have been when the first music performance of the year came around: A night when all music related Ultimates one by one perform for the entire school. Give or take, an audience of several hundred people.
Naturally, Kaede was one of those musicians. But right before the big performance, when Kirumi went backstage to bring some water - she knew Kaede often got so caught up in playing that she’d forget to drink or eat - she found her hurling over the toilet.
The tears nearly streamed down her cheeks. With a shaking body and difficult breaths, Kaede explained she had intense stage fright. For almost every performance, she went through the same ritual of throwing up, no matter how small or large the audience would be. She’d gotten used to it, she said, and it would pass. It didn’t take away how much it hurt Kirumi’s heart to see her like that though.
She refused to leave her side and comforted Kaede until things got better, sharing a breathing exercise to tackle the near panic attack. With her help, Kaede eventually went on stage and played as beautifully as she always did. However, for this suffering to be the norm did not satisfy Kirumi, and so she offered to help her in the matter. When practicing, Kirumi would take the role as audience and listen to the other play. She didn’t mind how odd the hours were, or if it interrupted any other work meant to be done. Helping Kaede was a top priority. Besides, she loved having something to hum to while cleaning.
The stage fright got better with time. To the very least Kaede showed excitement for the next big performance without needing to pay a visit to the bathroom, eagerly asking Kirumi where she would be seated. Perhaps focusing on one person helped minimize the gravity of the situation.
From there Kaede walked up to Kirumi a lot more, asking after the silliest of things. What kind of music she liked, what her favorite food was, if she wanted to study together, if she wanted to get a latte together. Many times their conversations weren’t ‘useful’ and didn’t lead to anything in particular. They were seemingly just an excuse for Kaede to converse.
Not to say she didn’t occasionally have an actual request to aid in.
“Hey, Kirumi, can I have your advice on something?” Kaede leaned back in the padded seating of the academy's coffee room. Since they had an inbetween hour, not many other students filled the halls. Otherwise they probably wouldn’t have been able to get themselves a spot by the window.
She looked up from the economics notes she took during class, “Of course. How can I be of assistance?”
“I’ve come to the conclusion that I might be a bit too much of a piano freak. Y’know, like it’s my only personality trait.”
It wasn’t a strange issue to have at this academy. Everyone had an Ultimate Talent which held about the same importance as their first name. It might as well be printed on their passport. The academy intended for talent to flourish, so aside from regular classes, space was given to do what you must to hone your expertise. It’s what everyone occupied themselves with. A literal robot walked around their dorm even.
Of course, plenty of students were ‘normal’ about their talent. Shuichi and Rantaro, for example, never struck Kirumi as such extremes. If anything, they weren’t busy enough with it. A shame really, they both held so much potential. Meanwhile Kaede fell somewhere in the middle. Music notes scattered around her plaid purple skirt and adorned her shining blonde hair in the form of silver clips. Not any more specific than Kirumi’s very own maid outfit that announced her presence from a mile away.
She did suppose Kaede spoke in piano language. If someone needed to relax, she’d suggest piano pieces. If the class had to hype themselves up for a competition where they’d play against the other classes, she’d suggest piano pieces. Even when giving Kirumi advice on her goal as maid, she compared the situation to playing the piano. So, perhaps, it was true that music made up most of her personality. Although Kirumi had never seen the issue with it.
“So, I’ve been trying to think of other hobbies to pick up, but… I can’t decide at all. Is there anything you recommend?”
“Hmm…” Kirumi thoughtfully caressed her chin. “What goal would you like to achieve?”
“What goal…?”
“Well, are you looking to move your body or have a preference for an inside activity, for example?”
“I’m not a sports star at all, you know that too,” she awkwardly laughed, playing a bit with her spiced tea. “It’d probably be good for me to go outside more, though.”
“Then perhaps… photography?”
“Photography?”
“There’s a dark room on the fourth floor, just by the AV service,” she said, flicking her pen towards the hall that led to the wing. “You can use it to process the photographic film and they also have cameras to borrow. This activity gives you plenty of options to go outside while also allowing you to take things at your own pace.”
Her brow furrowed a bit in thought. “That’s true… Alright, I’ll give it a try! What should I take pictures of?”
She smiled a bit. “Whatever your heart desires, Kaede.”
Over the next week Kaede walked around the academy with her new camera. She’d bring it up to her eye at the strangest moments, only to retract it almost immediately. Regardless of never finding the shot she desired, she kept it with her, hoping for the moment to come.
When Kirumi over the weekend wanted to speak to her regarding any wash to be done, Shuichi told her she had left off to the darkroom. So apparently she had taken pictures after all. As a maid it was important to inquire if her advice had been satisfactory, and so she made her journey there right away.
The warm dark red colors welcomed Kirumi inside. It was smaller than she had anticipated, but the equipment, like trays, enlarger and chemicals, might have only made it seem that way. Kaede stood in the middle developing her films in full concentration.
She softly knocked on the door, announcing her arrival to ensure Kaede wouldn’t drop anything out of surprise. “Hello, it is I.”
Before even having turned around, the other happily sounded her name. “Oh, Kirumi!” She looked at her. “What are you doing here?”
“I was told you were here, so I wanted to check how everything went,” she said, walking up to the station.
“You didn’t tell me advanced chemistry would be involved,” she teasingly complained. “I have no clue what I’m doing.”
Her eyes wandered to the drying rack, which held a dozen pictures. “It looks like you got some of them regardless.”
“Ahaha, yeah… Hopefully they turned out good.”
“Mhm, I am curious what caught your eye…” Of course, the very first picture showed the famous Blüthner piano the girl’s performances were held on. She let out a soft giggle. “I thought you wanted a new hobby because your ‘obsession’ with the piano bothered you.”
She laughed nervously in return, finishing the final picture. “It calls to me, Kirumi, there’s nothing I can do…!”
“I’m sure,” she politely smiled. Her passion for the instrument always struck as adorable. “Now, what else do we have here…”
A few simple pictures every beginner photographer takes followed; a rose, a butterfly, a bird, the sunset. All of varying quality, with some much too blurry or tilted. But passion had been poured into it, Kirumi could clearly tell, especially as every picture received a motivation.
The first rose that bloomed let Kaede know spring was finally here. The butterfly’s wing pattern reminded her of a botanical garden she once went to as a child. The bird sang a beautiful tone that inspired her to play a song she hadn’t thought of in so long. And the sunset had calmed her down when she was stressed about a test.
She photographed what brought strong emotions to her.
The final picture slowly revealed itself. Kirumi eagerly awaited the result, especially as Kaede mentioned how it was the best one of all. Her very favorite. Whatever could be better than the piano?
She recognized the scene. Friday was famously known as party night, where a lot of students got drunk off their socks. A maid like her would naturally never engage in the behavior, but she did at times join to make sure nobody would get hurt. God knows plenty of students like Kaito or Kokichi could cause immense trouble. Being one of the few who would not have to deal with post-drinking amnesia, she did always remember how much fun everyone had. The laughter, the games. It was nice to watch from the sidelines.
Most likely Kaede’s favorite picture was one she had taken of the entire group. Maybe while playing beer pong, or another drinking game where everyone shrieked at each other in comradery. Or perhaps a selfie attempt with the other girls. That seemed like the kind of thing someone like Kaede enjoyed. If that were the case, Kirumi wouldn’t be in it. With some luck she'd only be able to find herself somewhere in the background.
Against all odds, she stood in the foreground.
The final picture was one of Kirumi; and not just one as a guest appearance. No, she was the centerpiece. She stood there with a wide smile on her face, one she tried to hide behind her hand. It didn’t quite click when this moment happened, but it must have been when Kaito got ‘iced’ thrice in a row, howling on the floor in torture yet dutifully chugging the entire 1L bottle in one go regardless. It was something a maid like her should never laugh over - if anything, she should have stepped in and prevented these teenagers from acquiring permanent brain damage - so when she couldn’t control it, she hid it. She didn’t think anyone would have noticed, it lasted barely a second, maybe.
But Kaede had seen it.
“... How did you…?”
“Well… You did tell me to take pictures of whatever my heart desires.”
Yes, she had said that, but- … What?
Kaede shuffled her body awfully close, invading Kirumi’s personal space. She hated it when people got all up in her face, but didn’t mind this time. Somehow it planted excitement in her heart.
The dark lights softly illuminated the shorter’s facial features. She was smiling, or, maybe not? Kirumi didn’t know how to read it. She had never seen this kind of look on someone before. Nerves filled her face, but not the same ones she held before a performance. It was an exciting kind of anxiety. Kaede’s sharp beating heart proved to be infectious.
“Kirumi…” she whispered. “I wanted to find the best shot of all, which is a very hard task when you make my heart thump any moment of the day.”
“............”
“But, I think I got the perfect one.”
It was hard to swallow and she didn’t know why. “What makes this the perfect one…?”
“You smile a lot, but it’s a polite customer service one. It isn’t really you, but sometimes, I see your true authentic self shine through and… It makes me wish I could make you feel like that more often.”
Her true authentic self. Is her Ultimate not what that was? This picture showed a bad maid, someone who had slipped out of her position and failed to cover up the crime. And somehow Kaede saw that as the exact opposite. It didn’t make any sense.
Kaede’s hand softly brushed against Kirumi’s glove, erasing any of the anxiety and self disappointment that began to drown her mind.
“How should I put this… Ahhh,” she giggled a bit to herself. “I practiced this so often in the mirror, and I still get stage fright.”
“Please tell me,” Kirumi begged, her pinky hooking in with Kaede’s. Her heart pounded in anticipation to be proven right. “Do not hesitate.”
She blinked at her. After a few painstakingly long seconds she put her hand on her cheek and approached her face, murmuring, “My heart desires you more than it desires the piano.”
Their lips connected and a jolt struck through Kirumi's spine. All her senses awoke and screamed like fireworks. Blue, pink, yellow, purple, green; all the colors of the rainbow. It was so soft and tasted just like peach.
Slowly, they parted. She already desparately craved to return to the feeling.
Kaede’s closed eyelids fluttered open, her eyes in a haze. The safelight most definitely wasn’t the cause of her increasingly reddening face anymore. A wide giddy smile crept up, “I’ve been waiting so long to do that…”
“Then… why not prolong the experience…?”
They moved towards the wall together, Kaede stepping back and stringing Kirumi along by pulling her tie. Their breaths tickled each other’s skin as Kirumi carefully set her hands on the other’s waist, closing their bodies in.
Kaede reached for the light switch and flicked it. The room went dark.