Chapter Text
Hope's Peak Academy is really the creme-de-la-creme, isn't it?
You'd be hard pressed to find a more prestigious school. The world's most talented teenagers are funneled into it, and emerge on paths to near-guaranteed success. People give up their life savings to get accepted there, and even then they can only be treated as painfully average reserve students. There was a news story a few months ago about a woman who was trying to sell her newborn child so that her son could afford a scholarship. Seriously, it's that fancy.
Everyone who gets accepted here has a special skill or circumstance of their birth that sets them apart from the rest. They are the best in their fields, almost natural-born prodigies. Famous artists, athletes, actors, and more people whose jobs don't start with the letter A have been among their ranks. The school even has fanboys. Fanboys! For a school! Can you believe that?
And here I am. I'm standing in front of Hope's Peak, an entrance letter in hand. It looks even bigger than it does on TV or in the newspapers. It made me feel very, very small.
But who am I?
Urogataya: My name is Rumi Urogataya, I'm the SHSL Perfumer.
Urogataya: It's nice to meet you! But I dont really know what I'm doing here…
I mean, sure, I work for my family's perfume company. We've been in the business for generations. But here's the thing: I'm not exactly employee-of-the-month material. I have a strong sense of smell, yeah. But do I work hard? Have I created a revolutionary new scent? Not really. The letter was clearly addressed to me, though, so who am I to complain?
And I feel just great. It's almost as if I'm dreaming! Someone pinch me if I'm dreaming!
..........
..............
.......
....................
... And then I woke up.
It took me a minute to register my surroundings. I could see… the sky? But it didn’t really look like the sky. It was an unnatural shade of bluish-purple, dotted with hazy clouds. Tops of what appeared to be buildings almost scraped it. In fact, they looked too close to the sky. I realized with a start that it was a painted ceiling, and that I was a chump.
I heard a couple of thudding noises coming toward me. I tensed up, but I was too tired to move. Was this the end of Rumi Urogataya? Was I about to get my face squashed by someone’s metal-toed shoes?
A girl’s face appeared in my field of vision, standing above me. She had large pigtails, and one of her eyebrows was cocked in amusement. Without a word, she squatted down, took my hand, and pulled me up.
Urogataya: Hey, thanks!
???: It’s… no problem, really. You were out for quite some time.
Urogataya: E-eh?
???: That’s right. [smooths hair] Everyone who came here woke up within the last hour, or so. I believe I was the last one awake before you, so I get the… pleasure of introducing you to everyone else.
Urogataya: Really? Aww, poor you.
???: …
Urogataya: Hey, I was just joking. Who are you, anyway?
???: My name is Suzue Arakawa. It’s a pleasure.
[SUZUE ARAKAWA - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL BALLET DANCER]
I wasn’t able to find very much information about some of my fellow classmates, but Suzue Arakawa had amassed considerable fame over the past several years. I don’t know much about ballet, but she was a lead in a traveling Japanese production of La Bayadere.
Urogataya: Hey, you’re a ballet dancer, right? I never thought that a ballet dancer would be… you know, so serious.
Arakawa: [Blank expression] I don’t know what you mean.
Urogataya: Aren’t ballerinas… you know… kinda ditzy? I went to school with a couple girls who did dance as an extracurricular. They were kinda like that. All like "oh, I wanna be an idol so I should learn to dance so I can get scouted", y'know?
Arakawa: …
Urogataya: …
Arakawa: What?
Urogataya: ...Anyway, the name’s Rumi Urogataya. Nice to meet you… non-ditz?
Arakawa: … Let’s go meet the others, shall we.
You’re off to a great start, me. Great job.
As we walked off, I began to take better notice of the area around me. We were surrounded by stores, most of which were barred off, but a few remained open. As we pulled out of the hallway I had woken up in, we entered a main corridor. It was separated into two sides, with the middle being taken up by a long canal. A gondola bobbed up and down in the water. The whole place had a very peaceful, but eerie atmosphere. Maybe it was the fake sky.
Suddenly, it hit me.
Urogataya: Is this… is this a mall?
Arakawa: I would assume so. But I have never seen one like this in Japan. From what I know, malls like this seem to be more common in places like Las Vegas... ones with canals, at least.
Urogataya: Weird… why would they put us in a mall? [gasps] Are we buying school supplies?
Arakawa: I do not know.
???: Hey, A-arakawa-san!
Looking down, I noticed a boy standing in the gondola, waving. He was wearing a plethora of heavy scarves.
Arakawa: Oi. This is Rumi Urogataya. She just woke up.
???: Oh! Uh… I might have to account for that. [Takes out a piece of paper and scribbles on it] Hm-hm. Yeah, there’s sixteen people here now, I think. Anyway, I’m Samuru Torisei. The Super High School Level Cartographer!
[SAMURU TORISEI - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL CARTOGRAPHER]
This was one of those students I wasn’t able to find much info on. As little as I know about ballet, I know even less about mapmaking. Apparently, this kid travels a lot?
Urogataya: What’re you doing?
Torisei: [Holds up the paper. There’s a crude outline of a building’s floor plan on it.] I’m trying to plot out the area here, so I can check out some points of interest later. I… uh… I could make a copy for you, if you want.
Torisei: B-but don't think you have to... to ask me to do anything! Y-yeah...
Urogataya: Oh, thank you! Maybe later, I want to try to explore this place myself for a bit. Arakawa-san’s showing me around.
Arakawa raised her eyebrow at me... was I being too personal already? Eep! She's so scary...
Torisei: [Nods] Alright! I’ll s-see you later, I guess.
He seems nice enough. Maybe a little hesitant? Sort of like an introvert, or something. Huh.
We continued walking for a little while, and I noticed a strange hallway off to the right. It didn’t appear to contain any stores, just a few rows of doors with faces crudely drawn on them in lieu of nameplates. I couldn’t make any of them out.
Arakawa: I was… curious about those, myself. They appear to be dorms of some sort.
Urogataya: Dorms? In a mall?
Urogataya: I go shopping with my friends a lot... I don't think I've seen any malls with hotels in them. Maybe they have them at one of those big ones in Saitama?
Arakawa: [Blank stare] ...
Urogataya: I dunno, it was just a guess. I'm just trying to make this situation a little less weird, okay?!
Arakawa: It’s very odd. We may be staying more than a few days here. How peculiar.
Arakawa pulled me into some kind of coffee shop. A few bookshelves lined the walls, mostly filled with magazines. A coffee bar was set in the back, but it appeared deserted.
Two people were hanging around here: A freckled boy, and a massive, hulking girl in a checkered skirt. I decided to talk to the boy first.
???: Sure is big here, ain’t it? I gotta say, I wasn’t expectin’ the city to be like this. [small smile] I haven’t really seen you around here.
Urogataya: Name’s Rumi Urogataya, I’m the Super High School Level Perfumer. Are you some kind of country bumpkin?
Great, just great. Me and my big mouth. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be offended.
???: Don’t worry, I get that a lot. Or... actually, I don't. But I've been expectin' it, so I just geared myself up for it.
Urogataya: Uh... fair, I guess...
???: [Sticks out his hand] Goro Ando. Super High School Level Cowherd. Pleasure to make your ‘quaintance.
[GORO ANDO - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL COWHERD]
I expected him to make some kind of joke about whether or not I had "heard of cows", but he didn't. Maybe it didn't cross his mind.
Ando: You drink coffee?
Urogataya: Yeah, but… not now. Besides, there’s no one at the counter.
Ando: [Looks over at the counter] Oh yeah, I noticed that. I ain’t really a coffee-drinker myself, I just came in ‘cause it’s real cozy-lookin’. Outside, it’s real… yanno…
Urogataya: ... Empty?
Arakawa: [Standing by the entryway] minimalist?
???: [Looks up from their magazine] stark?
The other girl in the room suddenly spoke up, making me jump. I don't think anyone else had the same reaction, though...
Ando: Clean, I guess…
Ando: I mean, 's empty in here, too. Don't they usually have employees at these kindsa places?
Ando: [Thoughtful] Urban lifestyles continue ta elude me...
Urogataya: Um, okay! I think I gotta go, Ando-kun.
Ando: Alright! Whenever you feel like talkin’, yanno where to find me.
He seems like a pretty chill guy. Does everyone here have a talent I know nothing about, though? I don’t know anything about cowherding, except for the obvious - it involves cows, I guess. Maybe I should bring it up if we ever talk again.
The other person - the person who had spoken when Ando was at a loss for words - was a tall, imposing girl. She was undoubtedly fat, but in an almost motherly way, and she had a strangely pretty face. She was intently reading a magazine that she had no doubt pulled from one of the shelves.
???: [Clicks tongue] Would you look at this, huh?
Urogataya: E-eh?
???: [Shows Urogataya the magazine cover] I wonder how people like this get away with these things. It’s truly awful…
The magazine looked fairly recent. Among a slurry of unrelated statements, the featured headline read “Yakuza Hitman Strikes Again! Are Japan’s Major Gangs Safe, And Why Should We Care?” The cover image was a slightly blurry photo of a fat teenager in a suit making a rude gesture at the camera.
???: [Shakes her head] “Why should we care…” we should care because innocent people's’ lives are in danger from this menace. Isn’t that reason enough? [clenches fist] I swear, if I ever meet this guy, I will bring him to justice. Mark my words.
W-wow, a little intense, aren’t we?
Urogataya: Uh… sounds fun. Good luck. Anyway, who are you?
???: Oh, I’m sorry! I must have forgotten to introduce myself. I get caught up in a fervor sometimes.
???: Call me Chiemi. Chiemi Baisotei. I look forward to getting to know you better.
[CHIEMI BAISOTEI - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL BODYGUARD]
Chiemi Baisotei… Now, this was a name I had heard before. She’s been a bodyguard for some of the world’s most important and famous people. She’s probably most well known for fending off an assassination attempt on the American president while he was on an ambassador trip to Japan… or something like that. I don’t keep up with politics very much.
I've also heard something in the news about her being good with kids, but that still didn't change the fact that she could probably crush my skull between her thighs...!!
Naturally, I was kind of intimidated.
Urogataya: I kind of doubt you’ll have to fend off any bad guys here… I don’t think bad guys get accepted to this kind of school.
Baisotei: [Shakes head] Mmph… You may be wrong about that. Thieves, sukebans, convicts - they’ve all been accepted to Hope’s Peak in the past, just for being good at their… craft. I have not met any here, but if there were any, I would not let them put the rest of this class in danger.
Baisotei: [Closes eyes] Defending those who are considered humanity's hope would be my highest honor as a bodyguard, just as I'm sure it would be anyone's.
Urogataya: Wow! If I ever get in trouble, I’ll be sure to call you, then.
Baisotei: [Nods] By all means. If you ever need anything, please feel free to come to me.
Having met everyone in the coffee shop, I walked back over to Arakawa. She had been leaning against the entryway the whole time, a bored look on her face.
Urogataya: You don’t want to talk to anyone?
Arakawa: I’ve met them already. I don't have anything else to say to them, anyway.
Urogataya: Oh…
It still surprises me that she's so cold all the time... maybe she's a bit of an ice queen? I bet I could get her to warm up a little, though!
Maybe! I dunno!
With that, we walked back into the corridor. I noticed a girl with a short, angular haircut standing outside, readily analyzing the outside of some stores. I decided to take a closer look, dragging Arakawa along with me.
???: [muttering] Seems distinctly European in form… most likely Venetian. Rather odd for a mall here to have this kind of structure… at least they did not go for glass walls. [shakes head] It would have been horribly tacky.
Arakawa: Hello, Irie-san. This is the Super High School Level Perfumer.
Irie: [Looks up] Ah. You woke up. Allow me to introduce myself.
Irie: I am Kurenai Irie. The Super High School Level Architect. I primarily do urban projects.
[KURENAI IRIE - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL ARCHITECT]
Man, I've seen weird avant-garde fashion models in magazines, but she almost looked like one. Her shoulders were broad and angular - in fact, most of her body was hard lines and angles. She looked like she'd be an awful cuddler, but she was very pretty in a cold kind of way.
Urogataya: Oh yeah, I know you! You designed the stadium in Kobe, right?
Irie: [small smirk] Naturally. It was one of my first projects.
Urogataya: My class at my old school went on a field trip there last year. I thought it was pretty cool! We saw a concert! I’m Rumi Urogataya, by the way. From the Urogataya corporation. If you've heard of them- I mean,
Irie: I have.
Urogataya: Hey, you have to tell me what you do to your hair! How do you get it like that? It looks really good, and-
Irie: Fascinating. As scintillating as this discussion is, I’m a bit occupied right now. [Returns to studying the walls] I’ll see you later, Urogataya-san.
Wow, she sure is standoffish. What’s her deal? I know people generalize people from the city as being rude, but I’m from the city and I don’t act like that… do I?
Arakawa led me away, leaving Irie to do whatever it was she was doing. I tried to make some small talk with her, but she didn’t seem very interested. We eventually reached a clothing store. While it mostly contained pre-made clothing, there was a section at the back for various types of fabrics that were hung on the walls.
Urogataya: Clothing, huh?
Arakawa: At the very least, it isn't one of those especially trashy stores. I cannot read the store sign, but I assume it's a reputable dressmaker.
Urogataya: Trashy...?
A girl with mauve-colored hair wearing a furry coat was gushing over a white flowy dress on display in the center of the store. Arakawa once again started leaned back at the entryway, and raised an eyebrow at me. I approached the girl.
???: Oh my gosh. This is, like, one of those classical European cuts! This is just so... nngh... Some of my clients would give their lives for these, I can’t believe one’s just right here! Like, what are the odds?
Urogataya: Uh... hello? Hey.
???: [Waves] Hiii! You’re a student too, right?? I think everyone here's a student! It just wouldn't hurt to check!
Urogataya: Yeah! The name’s Rumi. Rumi Urogataya! I’m the Super High School Level Perfumer.
???: Of Urogataya Cosmetics? Ohhhhhh my god, I love your stuff! My clients request makeup artists who work with it, like, all the time.
Urogataya: Your clients?
???: Yep! [Wide smile] I’m Minami Tachibana, the Super High School Level Wedding Planner. It’s totally great to meet you, Urogataya-chan!
[MINAMI TACHIBANA - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL WEDDING PLANNER]
I’m a little surprised she knew about the family business. Then again, she might have looked me up online. I had read a little about her, myself: she’s done several celebrity weddings, and is well known for her meticulous detail work when it comes to organizing events. It seems like a pretty glamorous talent - more glamorous than "cowherd", anyway.
Tachibana: [Clasps her hands together and sighs dreamily] I wanted to come to Hope’s Peak, and see new relationships blossom among my classmates. I want to help them along! [Frowns] But, like, I’m not sure what to make of this situation. I love shopping, but why are we here instead of at school?
Urogataya: That’s what I’m trying to figure out, I guess. You’re a matchmaker, too?
Tachibana: No, silly! I just have a genuine interest in l’amour , you could say, even if I'm not too into pursuing it myself. The weddings I plan are 100% satisfaction guaranteed! No one who’s had one has gotten divorced yet!
Urogataya: That’s… impressive?
For the Super High School Level Wedding Planner to not want to get married herself... it seems a little odd, but I'm not one to judge people's life choices. She probably has her reasons.
Tachibana: [Thoughtful] You look like the kind of person who's, like, confessed to someone and been rejected. If you need any help with that here, I can try to help you!
Urogataya: ?!
How would she know about the time I confessed to Tsumemaru-kun in middle school? Guess that's a SHSL student for you.
Urogataya: Anyway, I think I should go meet the others. I’ll see you later!
Tachibana: Delighted to meet you, Urogataya-chan! If anyone catches your eye, you know who to call.
In the back of the store, a sordid-looking girl in a long skirt was handling the fabrics. She appeared to be deep in thought.
Urogataya: Um… Yo! Hello?
???: …
Urogataya: [waves her arms around] Hey?
???: [looks up] Yes?
Urogataya: I think we have to introduce ourselves. I’m Rumi Urogataya. Nice to meet you!
???: Do I, like. Have to.
Urogataya: I'm not gonna make you...? But I think it'd help me have something to think of you as aside from "girl in long skirt".
???: [Grimacing] So, you're some kind of funnyman, are you. You make the jokes.
Urogataya: I'm, uh, sorry...
???: Whatever. I don't care.
???: Daian Dazai. Dollmaker.
[DAIAN DAZAI - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL DOLLMAKER]
...This girl is the Super High School Level Dollmaker, who does those online auctions that people nearly kill each other over? I would have expected someone much cheerier to be fitting the bill for that talent, instead of the human personification of the word "pallid".
Urogataya: Dolls? So like… What kind?
Dazai: Ball-jointed.
Urogataya: That'd make more sense than what I was thinking.
Dazai: Which was?
Urogataya: Uh... voodoo dolls.
Dazai: [Deadpan] Oh, wow. Congratulations. You're the first person ever out of the seven billion people on Earth to ever say anything like that to me, ever. Your originality makes children weep in the streets.
...Oh.
Urogataya: Um... hm. You have anything else to say?
Dazai: No.
She immediately returned to sifting through the fabric and pretending I wasn't there.
Urogataya: ………..
Dazai: ………..
It’s clear that she doesn’t want to talk. I wonder what I said wrong? Maybe she’s just a naturally asocial person.
Still a bit shaken from our encounter, I returned to Arakawa. It felt as if we had been going around the mall for a while.
Urogataya: How much more of this place is there? Seems pretty big… are there more floors?
Arakawa: … Actually, we’ve almost reached the end of this side. I believe you can find the answer to your second question… there.
I turned and looked in the direction in which she was gesturing. An escalator was located at the end of the corridor, its treads moving up. However, its top was blocked off by a large metal grate, rendering it impassable.
There were two other things of note about the area: A bridge over the canal, and a boy standing at the foot of the escalator. More like a man, really. He was huge! He squinted up at the top, shielding his eyes with a hand.
Arakawa: Oi. Any luck?
???: No. Tried to climb it. I think the grate’s electrified.
He pointed, and I noticed a humming sound coming from the grate. It occasionally crackled and emitted a bright spark. I shuddered.
Urogataya: ...Ouch.
???: [Glances at Urogataya] You’re up. I thought you were dead, or something. You were out for a while.
Urogataya: Uh… I’m not dead! Surprise!
???: [Blinks slowly] Alright. Once, I slept through a 24-hour day. I guess it could’ve been something like that.
Urogataya: E-eh?
???: Oh, yeah. I’m Junichi Watanabe. Got accepted here for rock climbing. It’s a sport I do, I guess.
[JUNICHI WATANABE - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL ROCK CLIMBER]
Urogataya: How… how did you sleep for a whole day?
Watanabe: [Bluntly] I turned my alarm off the day before and forgot about it.
Urogataya: Oh…
Urogataya: How do you climb rocks if you’re so sleepy? Won’t you fall asleep halfway through and fall off?
Watanabe: Very funny.
It wasn’t really a joke…
Watanabe: I wouldn't fall off. You use safety equipment for that... most people do. I don't.
Urogataya: S-so you just climb rocks with your bare hands? LIke, with not even a tether or anything?
Watanabe: ...Why would I need a tether.
Urogataya: ...
Just talking to this guy makes me drowsy... it's like when someone else yawns, and you can't help but yawn back.
Watanabe: [turns to Arakawa] you got any idea what the others are up to?
Arakawa: Two are in the coffee shop, two are in the clothing store. Torisei-san managed to get into the gondola, and Irie-san is in the hall. If I remember correctly, three are in the food court, and two are in the drugstore. One is by the fountain. The “mistress of the night” or whatever is nowhere to be found, however.
Urogataya: M-mistress of the night? Arakawa-san, are you okay?
Arakawa: I’m perfectly fine. I don’t know if she is, though. That girl...
Watanabe grunted in agreement. I felt a shiver crawl down my spine, despite not having the faintest clue who they were talking about.
Arakawa: Urogataya-san, would you like to go to the other side? There are more people over there, should you want to meet them.
Urogataya: Uh… yes, please! It was nice meeting you, Watanabe-kun.
Watanabe: Bye.
We crossed over the canal bridge, the water flowing calmly beneath us. Soft blue lights pulsed under its surface. From the other side of the canal, it had appeared to be a row of chained-off stores. Now, I noticed a hallway leading into another part of the mall.
A large marble and turquoise-tiled fountain was positioned in the middle of the area, a fish-shaped sprinkler spouting water out of its mouth in the center. Behind it, a large sign marked “FOOD COURT” hung over the entrance to a larger room. The only store open in the fountain area was a drugstore, like what Arakawa said.
A dark-skinned boy with hair in tight braids was sitting on the edge of the fountain, looking oddly relaxed in spite of the situation at hand. When he saw us coming toward him, he gave us a quick wave.
???: Oy, hey there! Everyone thought you weren’t gonna wake up. Glad to see you’re alive and kicking!
Why is everyone under the impression that I was dead? This is becoming a weird trend...
Urogataya: W-well, I’m up! Alive and kicking! Yep!
???: [Smiles] Good to know. My name is Crane Omiata, I’m the Super High School Level Capoeirista. It’s nice to meet you!
[CRANE OMIATA - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL CAPOEIRISTA]
He had a strange way of speaking, that made it immediately clear that he was a foreigner - if his appearance didn't give that fact away already, at least.
Urogataya: A what? S-sorry, I don't think I've heard of that.
Crane: A Capoeirista! [Smiles] I practice Capoeira, a form of martial arts. I’ve been doing it since I was… seven, I think?
Crane: [Thinking] It's a cultural institution in my home country of Brazil.
Urogataya: You’re from Brazil? That’s so far away!
Crane: Yeah, my whole family is from there. I’ve never traveled this far without the rest of them before. I’m sure that everyone else here has traveled a lot - especially Torisei-kun. He was talking about it earlier.
Crane: [Brightens up] Oh! I just remembered. If you want to know more about capoeira, you can talk to me any time. Or ask Arakawa-chan, since she’s a fellow dancer.
Arakawa: [grumbles] I know little to nothing about this.
Crane: [Smiles widely] You can learn!
Arakawa: I’d rather not.
Crane seemed to take the hint, at least, and his expression froze for a second before returning to normal.
Crane: Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Urogataya-chan! I hope we can talk again.
Urogataya: Same here! See you later, Crane-kun!
What was up with how Arakawa was acting back there? I decided to offhandedly mention it to her as we approached the drugstore.
Urogataya: I don’t mean to be rude, but you were kind of… weird back there. Something on your mind?
Arakawa: [turns quickly to Urogataya] It's not of any relevance to me what others do. People make it into this school for being focused on their field, not for being well-rounded.
Arakawa: If not for formalities, learning anything about these people would be detrimental. The only thing I should be focused on is my own field. Distractions are not needed.
Urogataya: O-oh…
Needless to say, I was somewhat taken aback. She seemed to be getting more sullen as the day went on.
Fortunately, the drugstore housed a few people who definitely… broke up the tension, for at least a few minutes.
The drugstore seemed pretty standard, containing a variety of everyday products. Toiletries, over-the-counter medicine, stationery… even snacks and soda. For a drugstore, it seemed exceptionally clean.
Two boys were sitting on the front counter, using it like it were a couch. One, who had green eyes and was wearing a collared shirt, had taken a roll of scratch-off tickets from behind the counter and was diligently scratching away at them with a coin. The other, a ratty punk with dyed hair and buckteeth, was watching intently. A smirk alighted on his face.
...What a weird-looking guy.
Preppy boy: Here we go… going in for another win… [holds up the card triumphantly] Boom, another 5000 yen!
Punk boy: S-seriously, there's got to be some kind of a trick to this, doesn’t there? You gotta teach me. I could seriously use this, you don’t even know, man.
Preppy boy: [grins, ever so maliciously] No tricks, my man. Just pure, concentrated-
Arakawa: [coughs] Gentlemen.
Punk boy: Hey, look, it’s Sleepin’ Beauty! Good mornin’, Princess! You have a good nap?
Urogataya: …
Rude.
Punk boy: I kid, I kid. Yasuo Nosaka’s the name, hustlin’s my game.
[YASUO NOSAKA - SHSL HUSTLER]
This guy’s been in the news a few times, so I’ve heard about him. Embezzlement, ponzi schemes, thievery - Yasuo Nosaka has been involved with it all. He has an uncanny knack for getting other people’s money, no matter how unscrupulous his methods are. There's even a newspaper in Osaka that runs a weekly feature on him in an attempt to expose him. Talk about dedication.
I don’t understand how he gets people to hand over their cash to him, though… he seems like a rat.
Nosaka: [Lowers his voice to a smooth, husky tone] Charmed.
I felt my skin crawl... that's one question answered, at the very least.
Preppy boy: [puts down the scratch card] I dunno how I’ll redeem this, though, since there’s no one here and the cash registers are empty… [looks up at Urogataya and grins] I’m Noboru Murakami. Super High School Level Good Luck.
[NOBORU MURAKAMI - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL GOOD LUCK]
I wasn’t able to find ANYTHING about Noboru Murakami online. I’m not even sure what constitutes being lucky enough for it to be considered a talent. He carried himself too cockily for him to be some nobody, though. He looked pretty innocuous despite his smirk, but I made a mental note to keep an eye out for him.
Urogataya: Super High School Level Good Luck, huh? How does that work?
Murakami: I figured you’d ask that. I’ve been getting that question all day, because no one seems to do their research. They do a lottery every year, and the winner gets to join the main course. They get a scholarship and everything! I figured I’d get invited sometime. I’m naturally lucky.
Nosaka: [Whoops] You got that right! I’ve only known Murakami-kun for an hour ‘r’ so, and when we found these tickets, he kept winnin’ every time! What the hell's the deal, anyway?! You're too good at this shit to be just some normal-ass guy!
Murakami: [mock bows] Thank you, thank you, thank you very much. I’d like to thank the academy.
I happened to glance over at Arakawa during this whole ordeal. She looked as if she were trying her best not to storm right out of the drugstore right then and there. There are a lot of things I’m not good at, but taking a hint is not one of them. I cleared my throat.
Urogataya: Well, it was cool talking to you, but we’ve gotta get going. We have to meet everyone else, yeah?
Murakami: I see. [Waves] Well then, ta-ta!
Nosaka: Later, Sleepin’ Beauty!
...Geez.
As we walked out of the drugstore, Arakawa’s face looked stormy. I wanted to say something, but now definitely wasn’t the right time. We entered the Food Court in silence.
As a perfumer, I’d like to think that I have a pretty good sense of smell. The array of scents that hit me when I entered the area outmatched anything I had smelled before. Freshly cooked food, from restaurant booths featuring multicultural dishes and snacks. My mouth started watering. When was the last time I had eaten?
Since the room was the biggest non-corridor area in the mall, it would make sense that the most people were in there. And by “the most”, I mean three. So the room still felt pretty empty.
A girl was standing in front of a dessert display, leaning close into the glass. The other two people in the room were boys - one was sitting at a booth, tuning a guitar. The other was at another table, somehow simultaneously eating and grumbling.
I decided to approach the boy with the guitar first, since he seemed the least intimidating. His long hair covered his eyes, and he had a green flannel shirt tied around his waist. He nodded when he saw Arakawa and I approaching.
???: Yo. This place is killer, right?
Urogataya: I’d say! It smells delicious in here. God, I’m hungry.
???: [nods] True. I was thinking more about the acoustics, though. The ceilings are so high… this could be a great concert hall, or something.
Urogataya: You’re a musician, aren’t you?
???: Nope, my dude. I’m an accountant.
Urogataya: Er…
Arakawa: We don’t have the time to be playing games, you know.
???: [raises hands in protest] Sheesh, Arakawa-kun. I was only joking. [Turns to Urogataya] Hi. I’m Amida Goto, Super High School Level Bassist. It’s cool of you that you came to say hi.
[AMIDA GOTO - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL BASSIST]
Amida Goto… Now, that was a name I had heard before. The band he’s in, Padding the Lily, is one of the world’s most premier alternative rock bands. Though not as widely beloved as some idol groups, it has a popular fanbase. From what I’ve read, Goto is regarded as the chill, quirky member of the band.
Urogataya: Oh my god! I love your work. You know, my old friend used to be a huge fan.
Goto: [smiles] That’s great. I hope you don’t want me to sign anything, though. I don’t have any pens. You seem real chill, though. Keep it real.
...
Urogataya: That's... it?
Goto: ...
Goto: [Points to his cheek] I only rehearsed up to that point, dude... I've been saying that to everyone. When I gotta say more, my tongue gets all tripped up.
Urogataya: Alright?
With that, he went back to tuning his guitar. Seems like a nice guy, but maybe a little dumb.
The other boy’s grumbling had gotten a bit louder, so I decided to avoid him for now. Instead, I went up to the girl at the dessert display. Her hair was plaited into two braids, and she was clearly foreign - but in a different way than Crane had been.
Urogataya: Hey! I’m Rumi Urogataya, I’m a perfumer. Who’re you?
???: Ah! You will have to forgive me, you see. My Japanese, it is a little rusty, yes.
Her accent was really thick. It was difficult to understand her, but I kept that to myself.
Urogataya: It’s alright, I get that.
No, I didn’t.
???: [curtsies] Guten tag . My name is Giselle Vundergaarde. I am enrolled as the “Super High School Level Chocolatier”. It is… pleasure to meet you, Rumi.
[GISELLE VUNDERGAARDE - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL CHOCOLATIER]
Giselle’s name was a name I had heard even before I was enrolled in Hope’s Peak. Her chocolates company, Weißerberg Chocolatiers, is one of the top producers of fine candy in the world. At a product launch party my family had, once, someone brought chocolates from there. I can attest, what she makes is legit.
Giselle: So. You are… aware, of these circumstances?
Urogataya: Eh?
Giselle [Gestures vaguely] This is not school. I woke up here kuerzlich … er, little while ago… and am confused. No explanations given.
Arakawa: Vundergaarde-san, none of us were given an explanation. We’re all confused. Don’t make yourself out to be the only one, just because you’re a fish out of water at the moment.
Giselle: Suzue… just Giselle is fine. Vundergaarde-san, that is my mother.
Arakawa: …….
Giselle: I will be fine.
With that, she went back to studying the desserts. She seems a bit odd, but nice nonetheless. Was that German? Maybe they’re kind of aloof in Germany.
I could tell Arakawa was definitely beginning to get irritated. I clapped her on the back.
Urogataya: We’re almost done, y’know! Only two people left, right?
Arakawa: Yes. [Frowns] But the remaining two are… rather difficult.
Urogataya: What do you mean?
Arakawa: That’s for you to find out.
I couldn’t really stall any longer, so I approached the last boy in the room. He was rather broad-shouldered, and was wearing a full suit with a blue tie. He had been eating a container of packaged sushi, and his face was practically red with anger.
???: [closes the container] Ergh. Disgusting... people eat this? People willingly eat this? Hard pass.
Urogataya: The sushi? It’s meant to be fast food, I think.
???: Fast food or not, food in such an institution- no, in any institution - should be held to a higher standard of quality. There is no excuse.
I glanced around at the restaurant booths that lined the walls. All of them appeared to be fully stocked. I gave Arakawa a look, and she shrugged.
Urogataya: Why didn’t you… take some of the fresh food, then? It seems like it would be a better option.
???: [Scoffs] And eat food that could very well be days old? I think not. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s no one in this entire area. I’m not eating spoilage, and it pays well to be wary.
Urogataya: … Wait, I think I know you. Aren’t you that critic guy?
???: Not that critic guy. The critic guy, thank you very much. Akira Handa, if you will.
[AKIRA HANDA - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL EPICURE]
Handa: Charmed, I’m sure.
Urogataya: So… Handa-kun… what do you think of all the other students?
He started staring hard at the table, avoiding eye contact with me. I felt myself starting to sweat.
Handa: The vast majority of them are... unfortunately precariat. Why do you ask?
Urogataya: Erm… never mind. I think I’m gonna go. Nice meeting you, Handa-kun.
Handa: If you must call me by my name, I would prefer "Handa-san". Thank you.
Urogataya: Aight?
As I walked away, I started to remember more about the rude, snivelling snob I had just spoken to. Akira Handa writes for a rather bougie food magazine, and is rumored to have an extremely refined palette. Entire restaurants have gone under because of negative reviews from him. Personally, I thought that he was insufferable, and Arakawa seemed to agree. We both skedaddled out of there pretty quickly.
Urogataya: That’s fifteen, including us, right? Who’s the last student?
Arakawa: She's... a handful.
Urogataya: Is it that “mistress of the night” person you mentioned earlier?
Arakawa: [sighs] Unfortunately. I’ve searched this whole complex after we all - well, except for you - woke up, but after our initial meeting, I have been completely unable to find her. She’s a real pain, that Rowe-
???: Who calls? Who speaks the name that burns the tongues of devils? A brave one indeed, I would think.
I jumped a bit. Arakawa merely looked annoyed. A janitorial closet across the hall had creaked open, and someone peered out of the crack. She was… strange-looking, to say the least. She wore deep red and black Victorian-style garb that contrasted with her pale blonde hair. Her eyes were an odd shade of pale grey, giving her a ghostly appearance.
Arakawa: Speak of the devil. Urogataya-san, this is… Rowena Christine St. Bathory. [Mutters] Obviously, not her real name.
Rowena: Do you doubt me, dancer? This assumption may be grave, for I know more than you could ever imagine.
[ROWENA CHRISTINE ST. BATHORY...? - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL HORROR HOST]
The last student I met was someone who I had not heard of until I went to go look up my classmates online. Apparently, she hosts some kind of underground horror podcast. Grisly serial killers, supernatural occurrences, even government conspiracies... Rowena handles them all, and from what I heard has even collaborated with several popular Western podcasts on the same subject. I personally can’t stomach gore, so I didn’t look into it much further. She had an intimidating presence, and she never made anything but direct eye contact. Another shiver went down my spine, in spite of myself.
Rowena: Nay, be wary, fragrant one. Machinations are at work here, that even I do not understand. Beware, for the breaths you took before awakening here may have been your last as a free man!
Rowena: [Dramatic pose] KWAHAHAAA!
Urogataya: Um…?
Arakawa: Rowena-san. We do not have time for this nonsense.
Rowena: Then, I shall flee. Beware those who speak in tongues, fragrant one... that is all the wisdom I shall offer. [closes the door]
Urogataya: ………
Arakawa: ……….
We barely had time to reflect on the bizarre meeting before the mall’s intercom crackled to life. A squeaky, screechy voice, belonging to none of the students I had met, resounded throughout the building.
???: Er, mic check! Mic check! Can everybody hear me?
???: Great! Everyone needs to come down to the fountain area at once. This is an order from your… headmaster. Be there in ten minutes, or you’ll miss out on some very important announcements!
After that, it clicked off. Arakawa looked at me, her eyebrow raised in curiosity. I took her hand, and we headed off towards the fountain together.
Little did I know that I was about to enter a living hell.