Chapter Text
“Tell me you aren't watching that garbage again?” Kyouko Kirigiri, Sayaka Maizono, and Mukuro Ikusaba stood peering over their male classmates shoulders. Mukuro had been the first to speak about the video playing on screen.
“It’s not garbage!” Leon defended. On the laptop showed a video of a girl sitting in her bedroom and singing to a slow song. The group of teenagers were all in their small classroom chatting with each other, messing around, and doing anything but focus on school. Of course that wasn’t a problem, because as long as everyone sharpened their skills and displayed their talents for testing they were fine. The only reason they were still bothering to come to classes was because they were still new first years, who hadn’t caught onto the fact that not showing up was tolerable in the eyes of their elders.
“Yeah, I agree with the ginger!” Owada laughed. “The girl can sing.” Maizono looked a touch offended due to everyone recent fawning over their senpai.
“She’s okay.” Kirigiri said. That actually seemed like a compliment coming from someone as stoic as her.
“Okay!?” Suddenly Yamada was offended. “She’s an angel! In fact, she could be an idol!” Maizono gritted her teeth with lightly clenched fists.
“You know she’s a real person, right Yamada? Just because she’s in a 2D format doesn’t make her any less real.” Leon pointed out. The shuffle of arguing continued between all the boys and girls until the door slid open. Makoto stepped in sheepishly.
“Sorry to be late. I tripped into some mud on the way here and had to go home to change.” He said bowing slightly.
“So much for Ultimate Luck, eh Neggs?” Mondo laughed from his seat next to Leon.
“Lucky to have missed this ridiculous argument.” Kyouko mumbled to herself.
“What's going on?” He asked sliding into his seat to peer at the open computer.
“Watching the new Yui Kobayashi video.” Leon explained shifting the laptop slightly for Makoto to see. On the screen sat a girl in a modern white bedroom singing smoothly in English. Yui was the first years senpai, the Ultimate Vocalist. The title was well earned, she was a great singer, and beautiful too. A large part of her following were older males, she was like a modern day youtube idol.
“But she can’t actually, do anything.” Maizono huffed. “She doesn’t dance, or perform, or play or anything! She just plops down and belts.”
“Doth mine ears detect idol jealousy?” Yamada asked grinning. Everyone in the small huddle of desks began to chuckle as Sayaka turned a particular shade of pink that could rival the bow sitting on her chest.
“It’s not like she’d be interested in any of you anyway.” Kirigiri said quietly studying a loose thread on her sleeve.
“What’s the supposed to mean?” Leon asked offended. “She’s a vocalist, I’m a musician. We’re perfect.” Leon leaned back in his chair grinning at his connection.
“By that logic aren’t you and Maizono also perfect?” Chihiro asked looking up from their own laptop a few desks away.
“No. Maizono is mean.” Leon turned his head to stick his tongue out at the blue haired girl.
“Moving on, Kobayashi-san has a boyfriend.” Kirigiri said bluntly. All the boys crowded near the computed gaped like fish.
“Since when?” Leon asked jumping up to face Kyouko.
“I’d say somewhere over a year, I suppose.” She said in her velvety voice. “They've known each other since before middle school.”
“Well who is it!?” Leon demanded.
“Haruto Takahasi. He's a reserve course student.” Kirigiri said keeping her calm tone despite the wailing in the room. “After she got accepted into Hope’s Peak, he wanted to follow but couldn't. So he joined the reserves.”
“How do you know all this?” Naegi asked.
“Cause Kyouko knows everything!” Asahina said butting in excitedly fists clenched.
“I don't know what everything. I simply observe and hear more than others.” Kirigiri said. “For example, Asahina skipped her morning swim for a donut run, Leon switched to anti-perspirant instead of deodorant, and Makoto still has mud in the back of his head.” Naegi’s hands shot up to feel now dried mud in his hair and attempted to fleck it out with his fingers.
“How'd you know all that?” Mondo asked shutting the laptop to reveal several anime and manga themed stickers. He slowly slid it to Yamada before Kirigiri spoke.
“Asahina smells less like chlorine than usual, and more like sugar. Specifically when she's speaking.” Aoi placed her hand over her mouth breathing out to wiff her breath. “Leon usually has slight pit stains under his arms, and keeps his jacket on after practice. But today he's slid it off and notably has no stains.” Leon lifted his arms and glanced at them.
“You notice my pit-stains?”
“Makoto was easy considering I took the fact I already know he tripped, was likely in a hurry to clean up, and was most likely to have missed in the back of his head.” She pointed out as a red Makoto sat in his desk. “Don't forget behind the ears.” He felt behind his ears and gave a noise of shock. Kirigiri simply smirked as he cleaned there too. Everyone sat in mild amazement of Kirigiri’s talent, but it really was to be expected of her. Them being surprised is like being surprised Asahina won a race or that Leon hit a ball. But reading people like they were book was different from physical ability.
“Life is simply a compilation of evidence waiting to be discovered.” Kirigiri took her seat behind Makoto and gently pulled a clump he'd missed from her hair. Mukuro and Maizono sat on his left and right side, eyeing the pair suspiciously as Naegi thanked Kirigiri with an embarrassed laugh.
“Still sucks about Kobayashi though.” Owada said sitting in his desk kicking up his feet onto a protestant Ishimaru’s desk.
“Maybe me and Sayaka are perfect.” Leon said leaning forward to touch the girls shoulder.
“Keep dreaming, pit stains.” Everyone laughed as Leon slumped back in his desk folding his arms with a childlike pout.
“You know, I'll have you know that I-,” Leon’s whining was cut short by the door opening and a man in a suit stepping in. School security.
“Kyouko Kirigiri.” He said shortly. “The headmaster wishes to speak with you.” Everyone turned questioningly to her, but her expression remained at blank as ever. She rose from her seat moving slowly to the door. Everyone waved cheerfully and turned back to talking about mindless things, except Makoto who stared at the door even after her departure.