Chapter Text
Hopes Peak Academy was somewhere you'd dream of like a castle. A lonely peasant living in village huts amongst the towering parapets. Modern and sleek, defended and welcoming. Just like a castle only the best of the best go there, not by lineage or fancy crowns; but if you work hard enough towards a career path, master it even, it's your ultimate. Maybe you just happen to be in high school, and in your last year they hand out acceptance letters.
Golden gates open to those skilled enough, the air far more pristine in your lungs despite being the same as you grew up around. Dorms, classmates, and education that's sure to leave you set for life once you get out.
Chihiro was a lucky guy, girl by appearance but that's not important for this context just yet. You see, a wave of fifteen students came in every so often. He was one of them as the best programmer around. A down side was a new school and new people on the same level as you but in skills you don't have or never knew could exist. Friends were being made in strange places: Mondo the biker gang leader, a weed smoking psychic, a baseball player ditching it for music, and even other people amongst the digital and technical aspects on ultimate abilities. Chihiro had looks that made it easy to get pity and friends no matter how long they'd lasted.
It took one conversation with his little tech group to realize even the most recent fifteen barely were making friends amongst each other. None of them talked, if they did it help superiority complexes and malice. A con about multiple monarchs in one castle is the constant need to seem better than the rest. Instead of friendships it's quicker to make enemies. An age old need to have social experiences in such a miserable place was difficult, so great minds think alike. The three as: K1-B0, Chiaki, and Chihiro. Take the groups they came in with, the ones they knew best and shared the most classes with and make some group chats. Communities to at least make bridges before they burn.
By lunch Chihari had set up his part of the idea.
(人*´∀｀)｡*ﾟ+
Chihiro_02 made a chat with 14 others
Chihiro_02 has been renamed to Chihiro💚
Chihiro💚 named the chat “Ultimate Friends”
Chihiro💚: Hey guys!!! (◕ᴗ◕✿)
Chihiro💚: I made this chat so our classmates can try to make some friends!
Makoto: Woah (・o・)
Makoto: Wait which classmates? Like the first fifteen of us to get acceptances this year?
Chihiro💚: Yeah!! I got some friends to help with the other thirty!
Leon: Ts gonna be crazy
Yasuhiro: Wait do you mean this or this shit?
Leon: This shit
Sayaka: Who's all here then? I really only remember a couple of us😅
Aoi: Me and Sakura are!!! 😊😊
Hifumi: I appear to be here as well. Not that I like wasting this lunch time to speak to you. You're not 2D.
Hifumi has went offline
Hifumi has been muted
Chihiro💚: Thank god honestly. ತ_ತ
Makoto: I know Kyoko is here too! She probably won't speak much considering how she is (• ▽ •;)
Leon: Are you talking about brooding girl? White hair?
Makoto: Yeah!!
Yasuhiro: She definitely won't talk
Yasuhiro: Gotta keep her mysterious aura
Celeste: This seems like a good idea. But, I would warn, there are some people here a little on the arrogant side.
Leon: Yeah Mondo’s here
Sayaka: Junko too
Toko: I exist too, y’know. Just because I'm forgettable doesn't mean I want to sit around here and chat with a bunch of literacy lacking fools. I prefer to spend my spare time on setting up drafts.
Toko went offline
Celeste: Case in point.
Yasuhiro: That's a blessing in disguise dude
Byakuya: A real blessing would be not having to associate with the lot of you. There's a difference between loneliness and seclusion.
MONDO: Just because you're a wise ass doesn't mean you can act high and mighty
MONDO: Were all here for a reason unlike you ultimate Nepo baby
Byakuya: We’re*
MONDO: You BETTER watch your fucking mouth
KIYOTAKA ISHIMARU: WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON???
Chihiro💚: I made a group chat for some of our class (✿^‿^)
Chihiro💚: This way we can communicate better and make friends!!
KIYOTAKA ISHIMARU: AMAZING! That's a great way to show sportsmanship to one another Chihiro!
Leon: Bro has his full legal name as his name✌️
KIYOTAKA ISHIMARU: That's how names work!
Makoto: He means your nickname in here ^-^
MONDO: Vro is an idiot too✌️
KIYOTAKA ISHIMARU: Being rude when someone is professional is not very helpful!
Chihiro💚: He's right we need to be nice it's just a name (｡•́︿•̀｡)
Chihiro💚: Also I could shorten your name down if you'd like!!!
KIYOTAKA ISHIMARU: THANK YOU! It might be best for a more casual setting!
Chihiro💚 has changed KIYOTAKA ISHIMARU’s nickname to Taka❗
Taka❗: I appreciate it, friend!
Taka❗: Do we have any scheduled activities with this group or is leisure conversation?
Chihiro💚: Not specifically for this group chat! Unless anyone wants to set something up in the future like sleepovers or meetings (ㆁωㆁ)
Makoto: That and school stuff!
Taka❗: Great! I'll be sure to speak when I'm not studying!
MONDO: You’re never studying
MONDO: Never NOT studying
Taka❗: Unlike you and any other delinquents I value my education above all else except for morals!!
MONDO: At least I can actually make friends with more than books.
Taka❗: I don't have to overcompensate for my shortcomings unlike you!
MONDO: Do I NEED to pummel your ass next period?
Taka❗: I'll be in class, so unless you decide to finally show up for lecture hall then you better work on your attitude!
(人*´∀｀)｡*ﾟ+
The argument had plagued the fresh group chat until lunch ended, whether the mutuals involved had went out for food or were gripping onto their phones with steam flowing from their ears at a lunch table in the dining hall. Sunlight filtered itself through the glass with a few rainbow streaks, sunny and bright compared to the ever agitated conversation. It had immediately devolved into them wanting to compete by the end of the day, plans weren't specified and they only threatened to make Makoto a witness.
The hypotheticals about if this could go wrong felt worryingly close to the truth, leaving Chihari to scrunch his face and pocket his phone while picking up from his meal. Not a lot of it eaten due to distractions but the sour argument he witnessed was leaving a bitter taste in his mouth, vanilla extract in the form of a mentality. The idea seems sweet, delightful even; watching people he knows and people he wants to befriend get along. Then dipping into the truth it was like dull vinegar with just as bad of an after taste.
Mondo was a good man, Chihiro knew that, his heart was in the right place but his temper would send him down through horrible routes on autopilot. There's a reason he hasn't been able to get a girlfriend, or a dramatic university hookup while here. Ishimaru is the very same in social struggles just written in a different format. He can study and be as book smart as possible, use his brain for good and be apart of the moral committee, try his damndest to make sure people like him get the chances they need to succeed. Yet having small talk is out of his expertise, even with an alter ego on a screen.
Within mere minutes notifications died out, even amongst crowds the angry marching of a usually kind man were obvious. Especially with his constant uniform amongst the rest. Hope’s Peak was surprisingly lenient on dress code as long as you weren't in only undergarments or a close second. Yet Ishimaru will always wear that uniform, everywhere he goes. He's focused on school alone, nothing else speaks to him and no one else bothers trying to break his strangely extroverted loneliness. People like Taka are why this chat was made, everyone actually. It was to get people to enjoy their time beyond basic educational studies and turn towards the more fun sides of being in somewhere so well funded and taken care of.
This has to work for the sake of their future. That might be a bit dramatic.
(人*´∀｀)｡*ﾟ+
Leon: Anyone else have the class with Ms. Tadashi?
Sayaka: Junko does but she says she tried to stay off social media😔
Leon: This is just a group chat tho???
Leon: @Junko
Leon: @Junko
Leon: @Junko
Leon: @Junko
Junko: Omfg what
Leon: Do you have notes from Tadashi’s lecture?
Leon: I might lowk fail her class
Junko: sent an attachment
Leon: Rad
Junko: Is anything interesting going this week? I'm bored asf💔
Sayaka: Well Mondo and Taka are having a “man-off” if you back read (ー_ー゛)
Junko: I'm talking like
Junko: a hangout not an arm wrestling convention.
Leon: I mean I'm free this weekend outside music club tmr
Sayaka: Me too!
Makoto: Hey maybe we can actually have some kind of meet up in the library? Have brunch on Saturday?
Junko: Perf
Sayaka: Awesome! We could borrow one of the electric tea kettles in the dining hall? (◔‿◔)
Makoto: Great! Let's all meet up (≧▽≦)
Makoto: @everyone brunch Saturday afternoon in the library if you guys wanna come!!!!
(人*´∀｀)｡*ﾟ+
Considering students live on campus and the academy was very well protected, even weekends were preferred here. Hence the .any floors with many classes and activities like a sauna and this library. Even the pool can be accessed with your handbooks at any time. Of course with the few restrictions of curfew.
The library has collected dust or the tops of shelves, along with a candle warmer melting a cinnamon aroma. The lady usually at the desk had obviously went home for the weekend, one reason or another.leaving small crowds to form where ever they pleased. Even the archive room had the door open, and a couple students huddled over an older article about Genocide Jack.
The most talkative bad found themselves there first, at least if they bothered to. Water boiled on the table next to the fried octopus and kimchi in a to go box Makoto had ordered. Despite only having good luck he was doing decent in making friends here. Junko was having a great conversation with Sayaka who had skipped music club to get here early, hence why Leon hadn't gotten here yet. The few others arriving through the door between whispered gossip about one bandmate falling for a fan at a concert one time inaudible over quiet footsteps of Chihiro, Kyoko, and Celeste. Clearly one of them finds her presence better as a shadow than a voice in the conversation. Perhaps because it leaves her unbiased up to special points.
Byakuya had been there, at a table distanced away but with one of their cups of tea. He was there when they all arrived, irritated at the quiet atmosphere being altered with their presence. Not to mention Toko not too far away either at her own pace, clearly listening closely to what she could from any party while in her own book.
Cream filled pasties were set next to the basket of savory food, counter balancing what they had for a better selection. At the time the three with those treats came in they had now been taking up about two tables. Hifumi really couldn't say whether or not he'd show up but if it involved a weekend he was better off doing his typical “hobbies” in the comfort of a dorm.
Of course people were missing, two being most obvious by the time Leon and Yasuhiro made the debut in. Sure Mondo would probably decline, he has a whole gang under his belt that must come with a lot of responsibilities. Taka was waiting for an opportunity like this if his message asking about it said anything and he would definitely show up if he could. Turns out the reason Yasuhiro had fallen behind was a very loud, very aggressive argument that trailed down to the sauna.
“No joke, those guys are fighting over who ever leaves the sauna last. I don't think we’ll see them for a while.”
“Why the sauna?”
“Endurance I guess? I was looking back at the chat earlier and they wanted a witness but Makoto must've have missed it. They were dragging some other guy around to keep track. He left when I went to see what was up.”
Well, that was one way to solve the missing people problem. Everyone else but Hifumi had been accounted for. Eating, sipping tea, sharing conversations, but they took the time to have a fight via sauna. With how quickly they butted heads it probably wasn't their last “test” until they get their anger out. Which for Mondo seems to be an endless supply and Taka is easily influenced at that point.
All they can do is sit here, enjoy the treats they have, and dwell on it later.