"Ms. Yukizome, you will serve as assistant homeroom teacher to the first group of our 77th class." The President of Hope's Peak High informed.

"Great! I'll give it all I've got!" Ms. Yukizome said giving a thumbs up. Chisa Yukizome, she's.. uh... well... eh, I've got nothing. She's energetic and well endowed. Sorry, teach.

"I know you just recently graduated, but I'm counting on you. Good luck." Jin Kirigiri, you know who's father. A pretty straightforward and serious man around the students and staff, so I didn't have much an impression of him. A man in the background burped and covered his mouth in amusement.

"Mr. Kizakura." Jin scolded. "Uh— Yeah! Ready, boss. Just nursing a bit of a hangover." A man with wavy, medium length blonde hair, a small beard and peach fuzz mustache to boot. He looked like a pimp. That is all.

"Anyway, in all truth, I wouldn't expect to much assistance from that quarter." Jin said ignoring the man. "Treat them like they're you're one class." Kizakura said weakly raising a fist.

"Aye-aye! Yukizome's in the cas—" Ms. Yukizome shouted, but went into a coughing fit having bit her lip.

"Great first impression, ma'am. But can you take me to class now?" I asked sitting on the couch, looking badass as always. And yes, I am indeed wearing slippers.

"Humble is not in your vocabulary..." Kirigiri muttered. "SHUT IT! I'M NARRATING!" I yelled at her.

"Oh, right! You're Kyoro, right? The new kid?" Ms. Yukizome asked. "I wouldn't say new. Just finally being let out of my cell below the school." I answered making her worried. "You've already been informed of this project, Yukizome. Project Null, the Ultimate Enigma, wielder of every Ultimate known to man. He only has authorization to use his abilities when he deems necessary." Jin explained. "Oh that's you?! I'm a huge fan!" Ms. Yukizome said unlinking my hands and shaking one.

"Thanks..? Can we just get to class? If I have to smell his breath any longer, I'm jumping out the window." I said squinting my eyes at Kizakura. "Hehe..." The man giggled, not even comprehending what I said.

"Eager to learn, are we? I like that! Let's get you to class, Kyoro." Ms. Yukizome said leading me to the door. "My hand." I called as we left. "My hand..." I called again weakly, unable to break her stride.

•

We stood outside of classroom 1-B, and I patiently tapped my foot. Ms. Yukizome sighed, before sliding the door open enthusiastically.

"Good morning, everyone!" She greeted the class with a bright smile. "Wait. There's only four of you?" Ms. Yukizome observed. "Seems so. A quiet class is a nice class, teach." I commented stepping up beside her.

"Good morning to you, ma'am." A nice girl with amazing, long, blonde hair greeted back from her desk. Her names is Sonia Nevermind. On the other hand, the blonde, shaved head, middle schooler in the back huffed with his feet on the desk. That was Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu... a brat.

"What's this about? Some strangers just came waltzing into our classroom." Another middle schooler asked. A petite girl with a large high-tied ponytail in a yukata, named Hiyoko Saionji. "I'm sorry, can we help you two with something?" A girl with short red hair asked. Her name was... shit, give me a sec. She didn't interact with me much... ah, got it. Mahiru Koizumi.

"As of today, I'm your new homeroom teacher! Chisa Yukizome. Isn't that great?" Ms. Yukizome announced, standing at the podium. "Oh, this one looks like she'll be fun to break. What do you think will go first? Her social life, her health, or her sanity?" Saionji said with a laugh. And, oh— how ironic was that question...

"Do your worst, kiddo I doubled down on health insurance before I took this job!" Ms. Yukizome retorted holding up... several mental health books. "Where did you get those...?" I muttered in confusion. "Thou art nothing if not formidable!" Sonia cheered. "That isn't really how we talk..." Mahiru commented.

"What the hell kinda bait-and-switch are you pullin' here?" Fuyuhiko asked with irritation. "Kizakura's our homeroom teacher!" He said with disapproval. "He's nursing a bad hangover. Bet he's barging as we speak." Ms. Yukizome said clapping her hands together. "Or drinking more..." I said with chuckle.

Suddenly, the... most traumatizing girl there made her arrival...

"Sorry I'm late for class! I fell down!" A girl said entering the class, only to trip and fall again with a shriek. "Not again! Why does gravity hate me?" The girl moaned in distress. I grabbed her by the collar and pulled her back up to her feet. This girl... was Mikan Tsumiki. She... I'm not going to go deeper just yet.

"No one can be as klutzy as this! Every single morning, you end up on the floor!" Saionji shouted. "Don't listen to her. She can't even reach your neck." I joked as I set Mikan down. "What did you say, you... you— Ugh! Damn you tall people!" Saionji said pouting. "I'm five-three... shorter than her." I said pointing to Mikan, who was indeed an inch taller than me.

"Are the others late, too?" Ms. Yukizome asked the class. "Truth be told, this may be all you get." Sonia answered. "Really? What are your classmates so busy doing?" Ms. Yukizome asked. "I dunno. It's not like I care either way." Saionji responded. "Not to sound flip, but at the Academy, no one really cares if you miss classes. So long as you hone your skills and pass the exams, you're fine." Mahiru informed.

"Really?! I'm fucking out of here!" I shouted marching away, but a knife was placed against my neck. "Help." I whimpered as Ms. Yukizome brought me back.

"I guess this is your lucky day!" Ms. Yukizome shouted, putting on a frilly apron. "Does this mean we're getting food?" I asked gliding away from her in slight fear. "Wait, so you're an alumni?" Mahiru asked. "You're only young once, you guys. Trust me! You'll be adults before you know it! How can you just blow off your classmates like they don't even matter? You know what you are?" Ms. Yukizome ranted.

"You're a bag of rotten oranges!" She exclaimed, pointing at us all. "Rotten what now?" Sonia asked. "Oranges! Big fat rotten ones! All moldy and sticky and squishy!" Ms. Yukizome continued. "What the hell are you talking about?" Saionji shouted as Mikan continuously apologized unnecessarily. "I'm talking about redeeming your high school years! Let's get out there and find your rotten friends! We're taking back your youth right the heck now!" Ms. Yukizome said feeling fired up.

"Even rotten oranges can make a damn fine marmalade if you have enough of 'em!" Ms Yukizome said rushing up and grabbing my collar. "It would still taste like ass—" I started, but Sonia pushed me away. "I couldn't agree more! This precisely the sort of camaraderie I longed for when I transferred here, Ms. Yukizome!" Sonia said with stars in her eyes, vigor to find her classmates. "Come with me, dear child! It's time to fill these desks!" Ms. Yukizome shouted.

"My back..." I groaned.

"Count me out! No one ever said I had to be friends you sons-of-bitches!" Fuyuhiko said slamming his hand against his desk and standing up. "The hell did you call me?!" I shouted, but Ms. Yukizome suddenly slammed a large kitchen knife between his fingers. "Look at you. Big woman with a blade, is that it?" Fuyuhiko asked.

"If it'll fix that attitude, I don't mind engaging in some remedial subtraction." Ms. Yukizome said sinisterly. "Can it, teach. You don't got the stones—" Fuyuhiko went to shout, but shrieked when she brought down the knife, "Chop." She said with a smile, seeing him launch his hand back in fear. "I was wrong! You got the biggest pair in the room!" He said backing away.

"I beg to differ!" I shouted from the floor. "Can it, normie!" Fuyuhiko shouted back. "You wanna go, little tyke?" I spat standing up. "We can take this outside, you fucking sixth grader." Fuyuhiko shot back. "Ironic coming from the first grader, guess we should take you back to class before we go." I joked. "You just signed your death wish." Fuyuhiko said stomping over. "And you just wrote yours—" I said walking over as well, but Ms. Yukizome pointed a knife at both our throats, some how gaining another one.

"Onward! To glory! The other rotten oranges await!" Ms. Yukizome announced, ignoring our previous bickering.

•

"Wow! I'm in an actual Japanese men's room!" Sonia said in awe. Everyone but Saionji and Mahiru were in the restroom, and Ms. Yukizome stood in between me and Fuyuhiko.

"Why'd we take a field trip to the can?" Fuyuhiko asked. "Aww. And I was so sure he'd be here, too." Ms. Yukizome said with a sigh. "How would you predict that someone's on the John—" I went to ask, but suddenly, the whole floor shook. We all stared down the stalls at the source.

"You guys... feel that just now?" Fuyuhiko asked. The floor rumbled again, and I spotted a bucket of water trembling as well. "Who the hell is breaking the pipes with their load?!" I shouted in disgust. "Oh, god! Jurassic Park!" Ms. Yukizome said with a laugh, before we noticed the rumble had died down.

"Oh, it stoppe—" I started, only for all of us to feel what could described as the gale force wind of someone's ass. "More like Jurassic Shit!" A rough, masculine voice shouted, shaking the school with the blast.

"Is everyone okay back there?" Ms. Yukizome asked having covered everyone with her arms. "Yes!" Sonia answered as Mikan whimpered. "My fucking nose!" I cried in annoyance. "Damn, it's like a bomb went off!" Fuyuhiko said seeing the cracks on the wall. Then, a massive, muscular man with a blue track suit, almost tearing at the seems, walked out of the broken stall with a hearty laugh.

"Sorry, all. Had a bit of a log-jam today, if you know what I'm saying!" He joked, rubbing the back of his head. This shit-head was Nekomaru Nidai. "Wow, more damage than normal, Nidai." Ms. Yukizome commented. "Yeah, that's my bad. When you gotta go, you gotta go! Nature calls!" Nekomaru replied. "You didn't have to answer the call with a damn megaphone!" Fuyuhiko said with a glare.

"Next time hang up— dear god, I'm gonna puke..." I attempted to say, but him ripping ass really got to me.

•

"Alright! Next in the menu!" Ms. Yukizome announced, having taken us to cafeteria.

"May I please speak to the chef?" Sonia asked ringing a dinner bell.

"Coming~!" A stubby male in chef's attire said dashing out of the kitchen and up to Sonia. "Yes, my delectable hors d'oeuvre? If I can tame your hunger, say the word!" He asked softly. This little hornball is Teruteru Hanamura, that's all that needs to be said.

"Well, I wouldn't mind some sort of a meat dish." Sonia answered. "Meat, you say? Do you prefer it tender, or would you like it hard? Rock hard, like granite! Hot and hard and thic—" He said breathing heavily, but seconds later he was tied up to the ceiling like a pig. Thank Ms. Yukizome.

"Even Super High School Level students can't just say whatever springs to mind. We'll work on that." Ms. Yukizome scolded. "She's into bondage— note taken!" Teruteru shouted in delight.

"I can't take this..." I muttered as Teruteru realized Nekomaru was now pulling the rope, still into it.

•

"Look alive! We've got a slippery one." Ms. Yukizome announced as we watched a girl with long, wild brown hair and tanned skin, jump across the campus' rooftops. This bundle of energy was Akane Owari, and she isn't able to button up a shirt.

Suddenly, her nose caught the waft of an amazing smell, and she landed on top of the school. She sniffed around, curiously looking for the source, before perking up.

"I know that smell. I smell meat!" She shouted jumping off the school. "Oh! She took the bait!" Teruteru screamed, roasting a large chunk of beef. "Now, Nidai! Hit it!" Ms. Yukizome ordered, Nekomaru giving a battle cry. Yet it was all for naught...

Because I shot her in the forehead with the Codex.

She crashed and rolled into a tree, unconscious, slightly bleeding from her head. Everyone looked at me, but I was looking away with a whistle, spinning the Codex on my finger.

"They're bbs, I swear..." I exclaimed.

"I'm gonna kick your ass so hard!" Akane shouted awakening from her slumber, and glaring at me.

I shot her again and she passed out.

"Nidai." I said nodding towards her.

•

"My angel has arrived!" Kazuichi Soda said with a faint blush, looking down at Sonia Nevermind from a enormous engine. He hopped down with glee and greeted her.

"What a surprise! Did you bring me a snack?" Soda asked, but Sonia immediately glided back from a stench. "Oh, uh, does the oil smell bad?" Soda asked. "I don't think it's the oil." Sonia said scooting back farther. "Wait, then is it me?" Soda whimpered, noticing her stepping back even farther. "Aw, man! It is me, huh?!" He shouted tearing up.

"Still plenty of fish and the sea, my dear boy." Ms. Yukizome reassured. "I ain't throwing in the towel yet— who the hell are you?!" Soda shouted seeing her in a gas mask.

•

"This has got to be a Mario Party level..." I commented, shaking my head. Before us was a massive building surrounded by hamster statues with either devil wings and angel wings.

"Agreed." Most replied.

"Hello~! Hey, Tanaka! We know you're up th—" Ms. Yukizome called out, but a swarm of bats began swarming us, and an evil laugh followed.

"Speak the name of evil, and it shall appear. You gaze upon Tanaka the Forbidden One. My Four Dark Devas of Destruction serve me at every turn!" Tanaka announced. I don't know his last name, so... eh. "Mark my words! One day, I will stand astride this corrupted planet!" He said, but I cut him off.

"Want to come to class?" I asked. "If you insist." He answered dramatically.

•

A girl with long black hair with blue, pink, and white highlights strummed a guitar violently, making a fire extend from the head and cook the array of meat on the grill in front of her. She shouted as she played, seemingly random lyrics before finish up with a smirk, her smile laced with her piercings. This boisterous woman was Ibuki Mioda.

"Woah! Didn't know I was playin' for a crowd!" She said looking up, seeing the class all in different states from her performance. "Death metal barbecue, huh..." Soda mumbled. "Let's stick it to the man!" Ibuki said sticking her tongue out, and giving a thumbs up. "By attending class!" Ms. Yukizome said holding a guitar as well, giving her own grin and thumbs up.

I took a piece of meet off the grill and ate it, nodding as I took out my ear plugs.

•

A girl with braided, pigtailed, silver hair sat on her knees in a small dojo, eyes closed behind her spectacles. This woman was Peko Pekoyama.

"Hey, are you Pe—" I began, but she suddenly turned on her heel and swung her kendo sword at me. I flinched, but Ms. Yukizome was prepared to block the blow, fortunately Peko stopped in time.

"Sorry, Pekoyama, but class has already started today." Ms. Yukizome said as I sighed in relief. "Forgive me. I so easily lose track of time." Peko responded. "I know your job's important, but you do need to go to class." Ms. Yukizome scolded.

"Hey, teach. How the hell do you know about the—" Fuyuhiko began, but Ibuki shoved a kabob in his mouth. "Eat some hormone-yaki and get yourself hype, little man!" Ibuki cheered. "Ha! Told you!" I said in triumph.

"Alright! We're down to our final three, you guys!" Ms. Yukizome said with a fist pump. "Think of all the growth we'll experience as a class! Onward! Luck is on our side!" She added.

"No... no, it is not." I whispered to myself.

•

The class was walking down the sidewalk, having left the campus, and were on the search for another classmate.

"I know that boy's around here somewhere." Ms. Yukizome mumbled as she looked at a notebook. "I don't like him. Whenever he's around, my day goes south, like majorly!" Soda said with a sigh, but as soon as it escaped his lips a truck zoomed by and flew past him.

"Woah! That was close!" He said with a fearful laugh. The class all sighed in relief afterward, before Ms. Yukizome looked down the road. I was on the side mirror, hanging by my hood with a blank stare.

Elsewhere, a little farther down the road, was a male with wavy, shoulder length white hair, in Hope's Peak High uniform, attempting to get a soda from a vending machine.

"Aw, you've gotta be kidding me." He said sadly as the machine didn't drop the soda. "I put in a thousand yen and push the button, but no drink. I'm the unluckiest guy ever." He commented, before hearing a truck honk.

Suddenly, I was flung off the truck since it made a sharp turn, crashing into the vending machine and roughly landing against it. I fell to the floor in a daze, before the vending machine played a jingle with three sevens displayed. All of the cans emptied from machine and leaked from the compartment.

"Well, guess my luck isn't that bad after all!" The boy said with a chuckle. This was Nagito Komaeda, a kid who's luck was so bad, that it was good.

He went to pick up a soda, but Ms. Yukizome handed him one first.

"Hi~." She said before seeing me slumped against the deformed vending machine. I looked up at her and opened a soda with a shrug, taking a long sip as we stared each other down.

•

"Hold on! You wanted to meet a no one like me? What a wonderful teacher you are!" Nagito complimented, with a self-deprecating comment as well. He was sitting at his desk, all of the soda cans he wanted stacked on top like pyramids.

"Oh, come now. You aren't a no one. You are a rotten orange!" Ms. Yukizome exclaimed again, still making that odd analogy. "What does that even mean..." I muttered with head flat on the desk, in the farthest row in the back, just one seat away from the window. Almost the protagonist's seat, am I right?

"Now listen up! Two more and we are finished! Home stretch, you guys! Gimme some hustle!" Ms. Yukizome chanted. "I'm not taking another step! It already feels like my legs are about to fall off!" Saionji whined. "Oh my god! They can do that from just walking around?" Mikan asked in shock and fear. "Huh? It's a figure of speech, dumbass!" Saionji spat. "You don't have to be so mean!" Mikan cried.

"I'll go." I said walking to the front. "Really? Such a great student! Brownie points earned, Kyoro!" Ms. Yukizome said wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Ha! Suck-up!" Fuyuhiko said, but flipped him off as we walked to the door. "Clean the room while we're gone! Have fun! We'll see you later!" Ms. Yukizome said as we left.

•

"This is the place?" I asked seeing the rundown old student dorm building. I looked down the hall the horrible state of the walls and felt myself shudder. "So creepy." I added.

"Aww~, the Ultimate Enigma is scared?" Ms. Yukizome teased. "And I have every right to be. All of you are so... weird. Which sucks because that makes me the weirdest..." I said dropping my head.

"Hello in there~!" Ms. Yukizome said knocking on the door. "I'm sorry! I'll be done in, like, ten more— No, five or six more pages, okay?" A muffled voice shouted in a panic. This was a friend of mine, not literally, but he was cultured— Ryota Mitarai.

"No excuses. Get out here, pronto! Chop chop, Mitarai!" Ms. Yukizome said continuing to knock. She heard shuffling inside, before throwing me over her shoulder, and running outside and around the back.

"Time to make my daring esca— wait, what?" Mitarai said seeing her outside the back window he was going to use. "Weren't you at the front door just now? H-How?" He asked in shock. "Funny how that works. Moral of the story? Don't try to ditch your teacher." Ms. Yukizome said holding up her school ID. "I don't wanna wait for the Blu-Ray~!" Mitarai whined, as Ms. Yukizome began dragging him by his feet.

"I feel you man..." I said with smirk, the chubby boy looking up at me in confusion. "Blu-Ray is unreliable. You're making that stuff yourself, right?" I asked. "Y-Yeah! Blu-Ray takes ages— so I always take matters into my own hand!" Mitarai said with determination. "Cool. Whatever you're working on, hope it goes well." I said lifting a fist lazily.

"One more student to catch, and my work here is done!" Ms. Yukizome said seeing that sun was beginning to set.

•

A boy with short, dark brown hair and a sharp ahoge in a black suit and tie was standing by a fountain, staring at Hope's Peak High from the distance. He had a sudden flashback of memories, and grit his teeth, before a girl with pale peach colored hair bumped into him.

He looked down just as the girl beat the level of the game she was playing on her handheld, making her look up. The two stared awkwardly at each other before the male spoke up.

"Uh. Are you... okay?" He asked in confusion. "Uh-huh." The girl answered, walking around as she went right back to her game.

"Gal-Omega, right?" The male asked. "So you know it?" The girl suddenly asked as enthusiastically as she could. "You're the first, like, ever!" She said approaching him again. "Uh. Yeah?" The male asked. "It's a classic, don't you agree? There's nothing else like it in the whole genre!" The girl said leaning closer. "Yeah, classic! I New Game Plussed it five times in a row once." The male said holding his hands up and leaning back. "Are you serious?!" She asked. "Yes! Cross my heart!" The male said closing his eyes.

"I know how tough that is. I did ten in a row once." The girl said with a smile. "That blows mine out of the water." The male commented. "It's just, I've never met anybody who could play games as much as me before. Someday, I wanna see your very best run, all right?" The girl said happily. "Sure. You got it." The male answered with a small blush. The girl, was Chiaki Nanami, and the boy, was Hajime Hinata. Two very important people to me...

"Oh, there you are!" Ms. Yukizome shouted as she marched up to the two. Me still over her shoulder, and Midarai still being dragged by his foot. "You must be Nanami! Pleasure to meet'cha!" Ms. Yukizome greeted, before finally letting me down. "Thank god. That was embarrassing..." I muttered wiping off my uniform.

"You can call me Chisa Yukizome! As of today, I'm your homeroom teacher. So who's with me?" Ms Yukizome asked dropping Midarai. "Regrettably, me." I said with a smirk, making her pop the back of my head. "Huh? That uniform. Are you in the Reserve Course?" Ms. Yukizome asked Hajime. "Yes, ma'am." Hajime dryly answered. "You're normal?! Thank god! Take me with you!" I said clinging to Hajime's leg. He looked down at me in shock before looking back at Ms. Yukizome.

"What's the Reserve Course?" Chiaki asked. "You haven't heard of it? They only just rolled it out last year. It's an academic track for regular students. But those kids pay through the nose for enrollment." Ms. Yukizome informed. "It's where I want to be." I said still on Hajime's leg. "I get it." Chiaki replied. Ms. Yukizome noticed Hajime's solemn face and hummed, making him stutter, before the two turned to see Midarai attempting to escape. He screamed and began running away, making Ms. Yukizome chase after.

"You're not getting away that easily!" She shouted.

"My turn." I said mischievously, shuffling away from Hajime's leg. He watched as I tried to crawl away, but didn't make it far before being hit with Midarai. I groaned as he landed on top of me, and I pushed him off. "Mission failed... we'll get 'em next time..." I winced feeling my ribs as Midarai shivered in fear.

"You know, for being enrolled in the main course, these guys are kind of a mess. I thought they'd be more elite." Hajime said with a nervous smile. "Unfortunately they're all like this." I said popping up beside him. "He didn't include himself..." Hajime murmured. "Quirks aside, all you guys have incredible talents, don't ya? Must be nice... being good at something." Hajime monologued.

"Whether you have a talent or not, there's no point getting so hung up over it. I mean, it's not like the be-all, end-all." Chiaki responded. "Yeah, but..." Hajime trailed off. "You have greater freedom than we do. All I have is a pile of video games. Somebody like you can go anywhere, and do whatever they want with their life." Chiaki continued. "She's got that right. I'm literally the school's lab rat. I have no freedom but being able to walk on campus. I can't ever leave." I said with a smirk, crossing my arms. "Lab rat?" Hajime asked.

"I'm called Project Null. I have every Ult—" I started, but Ms. Yukizome grabbed my cheeks with one hand. "Should you really be leaking that information?" She asked menacingly. "I can't? The whole Main Course knows." I reasoned. "Hmm. Do they?" Ms. Yukizome asked curiously. "They were told it was successful, but most don't know that it's me." I said with a shrug.

"Anyway, I have the ability of every Ultimate. And before you freak out, it's not a blessing... at all. I didn't want this in the slightest. I died in a bad, freak accident, and they revived me for the purpose of harboring these powers alone. I'm Hope's Peak High School's greatest feat so far." I explained. Hajime stood in shock, trying take in the info.

"Additionally. I hate being this. I didn't want to live again, and in all honesty want to die. But I'm just... how do I put this. Using this chance as a free trail at life. To see if I really want to live or not." I said with a smile. "I refuse to use the abilities. I wasn't special to begin with, so I'll stay not special. It's as she said. You have way more freedom..." I said patting Hajime's shoulder.

"You want to die, Kyoro?" Ms. Yukizome asked. "Ma'am, I already died before. I as brought back against my will." I said with a shrug. "..." Ms. Yukizome kept quiet, before patting her cheeks and smiling. "Too bad! I'm gonna show you why life's worth living! Now, let's get back to class. Kyoro, help Nanami." Ms. Yukizome requested. Ms. Yukizome began dragging Midarai again, and Chiakia grabbed the back of my blazer for safe measure.

"You're name's Hajime Hinata, right?" I asked making him gasp. "If you need someone normal to talk to, find me. Hold on to that freedom you have. You'll really appreciate it later." I said with a smirk, before following after Ms. Yukizome.

Hajime stared at the back of my head, in some mixed emotions of awe and conflict, not knowing whether to chase his dream of being an Ultimate... or keeping his freedom.

He looked down, grimacing his thoughts, before looking up and seeing me and Chiaki waving at him. Hajime smiled and saw my smirking face.

"I've got more freedom than the elites...huh." He said, gaining a new hope for the future.

•

"Just look at you all, sitting there in your tidy little rows! Also, good job! The room looks absolutely immaculate!" Ms. Yukizome praised.

"I can be kind of a badass when I give half a damn." Ibuki said arrogantly. "Cleaning is one thing I'm pretty good at." Nagito added. The class began to talk amongst themselves, save for the more serious, and or lazy ones like me and Chiaki.

"Great! And we'll pick up here tomorrow!" Ms. Yukizome said with a proud nod.

"That is quite the presumption. So long as one focuses on their talent, I heard we were free to skip class as we deem fit." Tanaka commented. "Freak-face is right! Sitting here is hell on my glutes!" Akane shouted. "Lemme destroy the music room, teach! Everybody wins!" Ibuki cried.

"Technically, yes. The rules say you can leave whenever you want, but..." Ms. Yukizome began, "There's more to life than being good at something. This time with your classmates will build character. Think of the memories you'll make! Just this once, let's put something else front and center. Like your hope." Ms. Yukizome said softly, causing the class to somewhat, slowly agree.

I still had my chin on my desk, staring into space, silently listening to the sound effects from Chiaki's handheld, and the class talking. I eventually heard everyone agree to hanging out and coming to class, making Ms. Yukizome smile.

"In that case, I'll round you up again bright and early!" Ms. Yukizome exclaimed, making the class groan.

I leaned back in my chair and sighed hearing those words, but saw Chiaki looking at me.

"What?" I asked. "Does that mean you're also the Ultimate Gamer?" She whispered with a determined glare. "...No." I said looking away. "Are you sure?" She asked, still glaring at me. "You're not, and that's all that matters." I said with a smug shrug. She pouted and glared harder, making me frown.

"I'm not using my abilities." I said side-eying her. "Come on~. I've never had a challenge. I need a challenge." Chiaki whined. "I'm not your guy. I'm not using these abilities." I said with a shrug. She glared at me, continuing to make my will falter. We stared each other down, and I was growing annoyed.

"You know what, fine. You pick whatever we play, and it's gotta be able to best-out-of-five. And only, that best-out-of-five. Deal?" I asked with a bored stare. "Deal!" She said happily.

"I'm gonna regret interacting with you." I exclaimed with exhaustion. "No you won't." She retorted with a smile, still staring at me.