I could feel the dampness clinging to my skin while my hair stuck to the back of my neck. The air was thick with an eerie heat as flies buzzed in the distance.

For a moment, my mind was blank. All I could focus on was the buzzing noise, the heat, the stickiness.

Suki.

My name is Suki Kiyama.

Suki Kiyama, the Ultimate Daydreamer.

Being the Ultimate Daydreamer... It's a unique talent, isn't it? Is it even considered a talent? I mean, no one has ever seen it that way before. Back in the day, my teachers would yell at me, telling me to snap out of my daydreams. Staying focused was always a struggle for me. My mind would wander off into thoughts, and I'd get lost in them way too easily.

Dreams are what push the world forward, I remember someone saying. Dreams are the foundation for hope. Without dreamers, the future would be bland.

Someone saw potential in my daydreams. Why else would I be here?

Wait, where even is here?

I opened my eyes and lifted my head while spitting dirt and blades of grass out of my mouth. No birds were chirping, just bugs buzzing. Lots and lots of bugs.

The buzzing kept getting louder as each second passed.

The intensity of the sun's rays overwhelmed my senses, casting an eerie glow that made it difficult to see anything else.

I brought my slightly dirty hands to my face and rubbed my eyes as the colors surrounding me became clearer and clearer. My parents used to scold me about rubbing my eyes - saying it was a bad habit and a good way to get germs into my system, but I never remembered their warnings until just seconds after it was too late.

At first, I saw a lot of green, then silhouettes started to form. Trees, bushes, wooden structures, flowers. I was outside. A jungle, perhaps? What was I doing in the jungle? I do enjoy the occasional campout, but I'm not exactly the outdoorsy type.

I bolted upright, my heart pounding in my chest. A wave of unease washed over me as I surveyed my surroundings. It was a completely unfamiliar place, devoid of any other people. Questions flooded my mind. How did I end up here? This couldn't be my doing. Was I taken? Kidnapped and abandoned in this forest? Where were my parents? We weren't rich, so why would someone kidnap me? Was this just another one of my daydreams?

No, my daydreams were never this vivid...

My mind was quickly flooded with various scenarios as I tried to put together what happened. I heard no motors or planes, no creepy windowless white vans. Perhaps it was something supernatural. Like ghosts! Maybe I angered some kind of spirits and they teleported me here. It's not realistic, but neither is just appearing in the middle of a jungle all by myself. Or perhaps someone started to kidnap me, got fed up, and ditched. But why would they bring me to a jungle of all places? And why-

"Hello?" a light and airy voice asked.

I visibly winced and whirled around to see a girl standing behind a few trees, peering out at me. She looked to be about my age. She had a school-girl uniform, long black hair tied back in two braids, and light pink flowers scattered throughout her hair. Her gray eyes were wide and alert. She seemed cautious of me, from what I could tell. She looked like the kind of girl who would spend her school days sitting alone and observing from a distance, yet there was kindness in her eyes.

I must have looked stupid, staring at her dumbly.

"Psst, hey," a different voice chimed, and I flinched again. Behind her, another face popped out. This guy was far taller than her. He had messy brown hair and dark, fearless eyes. For some reason, I felt at ease immediately upon seeing him. He reminded me of those strong guys who made it their mission to take leadership and guide others, though he didn't look to be the smartest. If I had to guess, the girl was likely far smarter than he was. Then again, I didn't really know. Usually, my initial judgments of people would turn out to be incorrect. Daydreamers tend to have a habit of trying to figure people out without even meeting them.

I felt my head tilt slightly in confusion as I waved awkwardly. I didn't speak, though. They started to whisper to each other, their voices quiet. Why, though? Was someone else listening in on us? Did they know each other? Or were they just as confused as I was?

After a few whispers exchanged between the two, the girl meekly walked out and over to me. She held her small hand out, and I noticed the calluses lining her fingertips. Perhaps she played guitar. She didn't seem like a musician, though. She lacked that punk-rock vibe. Maybe a country singer? Although, she didn't seem to fit that vibe either.

"Come with us. There's more people over by the lodge," she said. Her voice was slightly sweeter than before, but still soft. I felt the tension in my shoulders release when she announced that there were more of us here, though I didn't let my guard down completely. There were still many questions on my mind.

I took her hand, and she helped me up. She was surprisingly strong, despite being so small. I sincerely hoped she didn't notice the surprise in my eyes and take offense.

"Oh, um, I'm Tora Aikawa," she said. "Ultimate Golfer."

Ultimate golfer, huh?

I briefly looked her over once again. She didn't really look like the sporty type, but I suppose that did explain the strength.

"Whoa, I'm an ultimate too!" I chimed with a small giggle, despite the incredibly odd situation we had found ourselves in. "What a coincidence! I'm the ultimate daydreamer."

"We're all ultimates here," the guy chimed with a smile as he walked toward us and put his hands on his hips. His easygoing nature almost made me believe that there was nothing to fear. He held his hand out to me, his shoulders shaking slightly with his cheerful laughter. "Yuuki Kikumoto, the ultimate hero, at your service."

My eyes widened as I shook his hand. His grip was somehow even stronger and firmer than Tora's.

I heard about him before! He got his title by saving people from a burning building a few years ago. Before that, he often volunteered and worked in communities. Ever since the big fire rescue, he'd been scouted out by tons of different programs in search of someone brave to fight for them; the military, firemen, police force, etc. But he rejected them all, choosing to work as a hero on his own without pay. To this day I'll occasionally read about him in the papers or see his name mentioned on the television. Sometimes he'd save people from drowning, other times he'd rescue people from kidnappings! He did it all!

How did someone as plain as the ultimate daydreamer end up shaking hands with the ultimate hero? He was almost like a real-life superhero, just lacking in superpowers! My favorite part about him was the fact that he was just a regular person with a good heart. It showed the world that anyone could be a hero.

With the ultimate hero around, I was sure I had nothing to fear.

"Whoa," is all I managed to muster, which made him laugh a little louder.

"I should be the one saying whoa," he chuckled. "I'm meeting the ultimate daydreamer. I've never even heard of such a unique talent."

Blushing and shaking my head, I waved him off. Honestly, I never really saw it that way, but his words made me feel special.

"Well, thank you," I said with a slight head bow. "Now, do either of you know what's going on...?"

"No, but we're working on figuring that out," Tora told me while looking to the side and rubbing her arm. "We've got fifteen of us now, counting you. My gut tells me this is everyone. Once we get you back to the lodge, we're going to try to come up with a plan."

A plan for what, exactly? Figuring out what happened, or escaping?

Did we even need to escape, or was everything actually okay? If we were all ultimates, then maybe this was some kind of surprise retreat.

I didn't ask any more questions and just decided to tag along with Tora and Yuuki. It was a mix of emotions for me because, on the one hand, Yuuki appeared completely composed. But on the other hand, Tora seemed really on edge, fiddling with her braids and such. Maybe Yuuki had perfected his brave front, given his status as the ultimate hero. Or maybe there was truly nothing to worry about and Tora was just naturally anxious.

As we walked, I took the opportunity to better familiarize myself with our surroundings. The narrow paths cut through the dense, lush jungle while the wooden structures perched in the trees added an air of mystery. It kinda reminded me of that Disney movie. Tarzan, right? That was a good movie, although the beginning always scared me. I hoped there weren't any jaguars out there, waiting to jump out and attack.

I didn't hear any animals aside from bugs, which was a little odd. I would have expected to have at least heard some birds by now.

If the situation wasn't so odd and unusual, I might have found it somewhat peaceful. Maybe even fun.

Yuuki led the way while Tora walked alongside me. She didn't seem to mind allowing him to take the lead. To be honest, I didn't either. I liked having someone else to follow.

We continued our journey until we reached a grand wooden lodge. It had a certain allure, like those adorable cabins you see in those cheesy rom-com summer teen movies.

"Everyone else is in there," Tora explained. "You can stick with me if you want. It's, ah, a little overwhelming."

I could tell as she spoke that the offer was less so for me and more for her. Not that I minded. Even though we just met, I was already starting to like her. She was a little timid and shy, but I was okay with that. I liked meeting new people, so I could be extroverted enough for both of us!

Yuuki dramatically swung open the lodge doors, unveiling a bustling crowd of students, all around our age. Each person had their own unique expression - confusion, fear, frustration; but there was something undeniably special about each and every one of them.

As I scanned the room, I did a quick count in my head. Surely enough, there were fifteen people.

"I think we've found our last student," Yuuki chimed. He grasped my hand and held it up for all to see. "Everyone, I'm pleased to introduce Suki Kiyama, the ultimate daydreamer!"

A girl with long blue hair in the front started clapping and cheering while everyone else simply stared. I felt slightly awkward, but when I looked up at Yuuki his smile put me at ease. He let go of my hand, then walked to the center of the room and looked around at everyone. It was clear by the way everyone was looking at him that he was seen as the leader. Not that I was complaining. In a strange situation like this one, the ultimate hero was probably not a bad person to be in charge.

"So, what now?" a boy with messy red hair and goggles asked. He put his hands in his pockets and started rocking back and forth on his heels, seeming not quite anxious, but curious. I liked the way the dimples on his cheeks appeared and disappeared as he spoke.

"Now nothing," another guy wearing a purple button-up shirt and matching cap huffed. He crossed his arms and adjusted his hat, wearing a clearly sour expression. "We don't actually have a plan. What, did you think everything would suddenly be solved once we all appeared in this room?"

His icy vibe put me on edge, but I cut him some slack. We're in a weird situation, so I get why he's a bit snappy.

"Well, what do you suppose happened?" a girl in a lab coat questioned. "I mean, we're all ultimates, right? Do you think someone kidnapped us with ill intentions?"

"What do you mean?" the girl with blue hair who applauded me earlier asked while tilting her head in a puppy-like manner. She had an accent that I couldn't quite place.

"I'm just saying," the lab coat girl shrugged. "We all offer a variety of unique talents. Perhaps some sort of evil underground organization brought us all here to use us-"

"Don't worry," Yuuki interrupted. Compared to everyone else, he sounded louder and more sure of himself when he spoke. "I promise to get us all out of this somehow. We're ultimates. There's nothing we can't accomplish when we work together!"

A small smile spread across my face at his positivity. I couldn't help but believe in him. He was right, we're ultimates. There was probably nothing we couldn't do.

"First, why don't we just take a minute to calm down? We can't think when we're panicked," Yuuki breathed. "Just stay inside and relax. We'll get together in a few minutes or so and come up with a super-awesome-fool-proof escape plan!"

Most of the ultimates more or less nodded, then dispersed, staying within the lodge. I turned my attention to Tora, who was still fidgeting with one of her braids nervously.

I couldn't help but smile slightly at her. She reminded me of a baby bird, afraid of flying on her own.

"Here," I said, taking her hand. "I still haven't officially met everyone."

She briefly looked down at our joined hands, then up at me. I offered her a smile, trying to copy Yuuki's positivity. I knew my smile probably wasn't nearly as comforting, but hopefully it would be enough for her to relax.

She carefully smiled back, then nodded and pointed across the room at a boy with strawberry blonde hair sitting in the corner. He was wearing a beige outfit covered with a variety of black straps. There was also a strange device attached to his back. His golden eyes were wide and alert as if he was afraid he was being watched. He didn't seem to spot us, though.

"He's pretty nice," Tora said. "I met him earlier. Everyone's a ultimate, so it's a little overwhelming, but he's a good place to start."

"Great, then let's go," I chimed, leading her over to him.

When we got to the boy, he seemed fairly focused on messing with whatever device was on his back. I had to tap his shoulder to get his attention, which made him jump and make a sound that could only be compared to a mouse squeaking.

"Sorry," I quickly said, jumping back as well.

"No worries, no worries," he quickly exclaimed, dusting himself off and getting back on his feet. He seemed a bit shaky. I felt instantly guilty for startling him. "Um, you're Suki, right? I think that's what Yuuki said. Sorry, I-I'm bad at remembering names. But I tried to remember yours, because you seem pretty cool. N-not that I, I mean, we all seem cool, but I just, I liked your talent! That's all I'm trying to say. S-Sorry..."

"Don't be," I shrugged, drawing back slightly. "I'm just trying to get to know a few people. Tora said you were nice, so we came to see you first."

"Tora...?" he muttered, looking down and bringing a hand to his chin. After a moment, his eyes lit up and he brought his gaze to the Ultimate Golfer. "Right! Tora! Sorry, hi. Forgot your name. This will take me a while to get down, your names I mean. Your names will take me a while to understand. Not understand, remember. I mean... sorry. None of that made much sense."

He looked down and hugged himself as if embarrassed. I quickly coughed to cover my laughter for fear of him thinking I was laughing at him. I kinda was, though.

"This is Ruji Sasaki, the ultimate ghostbuster," Tora said, awkwardly clearing her throat.

"Right! Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself," Ruji squeaked. His hand twitched slightly as if he was debating whether or not to hold his hand out. He eventually decided to just stuff them into his pockets and look away.

"That's okay," I said. His shoulders sagged slightly as if he was relaxing, though he still seemed fairly tense and nervous. Even more so than Tora.

"Ultimate ghostbuster, hmm? You must have a lot of fun stories about that," I breathed, hoping to start a conversation. Unlike Yuuki, I hadn't heard of him before. Despite being an ultimate, I didn't know of many others. Hopefully, no one would take offense at my lack of knowledge. I know some people spend a lot of time researching and fangirling over all the ultimates, but I always thought that was a little creepy.

"It's horrifying," he stated. His eyes went wide, making him look like a scared animal.

"Oh," I muttered. The air was quickly filled with an awkward tension that I didn't quite know how to fix.

I was clueless about all things paranormal, but Ruji's attitude didn't exactly scream "ghostbuster." He looked nervous and jittery. Although, if I had a job like his, I can't say I wouldn't be the same way. I mean, imagine the crazy stuff he must've encountered to earn that title.

"Do you suppose it was a ghost that did this?" I asked. "I mean, I didn't know that ghosts were real, but if there's an ultimate ghostbuster, then-"

"It wasn't a ghost," Ruji quickly answered, his eyes still wide enough for me to see my own reflection in his pupils. "They can't do things like this. They wouldn't. Ghosts operate in very specific ways. They only interact with the land of the living when they have unfinished business from their lifetimes or when they're summoned, usually by teenagers who don't know what they're getting themselves into."

"Oh," I said again, holding my hands in front of myself. "Interesting..."

"That's one way to describe it, I guess," he murmured.

I wasn't sure how to keep this conversation going when he was constantly making things awkward. Then again, maybe I was the one creating that awkwardness. The three of us waited for someone to break the silence until Tora finally cleared her throat and told Ruji that we should probably be off. She quickly pulled me away as he hesitantly waved and sat back down to start messing with the machine on his back again. I wondered if that was a weird ghost-catching contraption or something.

"Why don't we go to them?" I asked, pointing to a small cluster of three students; two girls and a boy. I recognized all of them because they were the people who briefly spoke up earlier. The girl with blue hair, the girl with the lab coat, and the guy with goggles.

"Um, okay," Tora shrugged. "I haven't spoken to them much, so this should be interesting."

She seemed extra nervous, which confused me slightly because these people looked far less odd than Ruji. Not that Ruji was bad. He seemed like a nice guy, just a little strange. I was curious as to why Tora suggested we go to him first since he seemed even more anxious than her.

"Okay then," I smiled, shaking the thoughts away and leading her over. Not long after, we were introduced to Seiko Okazaki, the ultimate chemist; Sora Tachi, the ultimate pilot; and Brittany Smith, the ultimate fantasy football player.

Everyone was pretty involved in their own conversations, so Tora and I didn't stick around for too long. I couldn't help but notice how close Sora and Tora's names were, so I made a little comment about it. It got Sora laughing and seemed to ease Tora's tension. Sora seemed like a fairly easygoing guy to begin with, so it was easy to let my guard down near him. I made a mental note to keep him in mind. He seemed like the kind of guy I'd like to stick around. He wasn't as loud or confident as Yuuki, but I could tell there was a bright quality to the way he held himself. He seemed a little more silly and nerdy. The conversation we stumbled into was more of a lecture about some kind of aircraft from him. Seiko seemed interested in what he had to say while Brittany just looked happy to be there.

After that, I decided to lead us over to a boy and a girl. They both spoke rather loudly, but not in an annoying way. There was passion in their voices and an absence of fear. In a way, they reminded me of Yuuki as well. I think the three of them would get along fairly well. They all seemed to possess natural leader-like qualities. The girl had short brown hair and hazel eyes. She wore a red blazer over a white shirt and smiled through her eyes. The boy had a purple suit with white gloves. He looked like he was about to host an awards show or something. He also had clearly combed and gelled dark blue hair and vibrant green eyes.

The girl was fairly excited to see us. She quickly grasped Tora's hand and shook it, rambling on about how excited she was to speak to the ultimate golfer again. Her name was Keiko Yamada, and she proudly proclaimed herself as the ultimate public speaker.

After she finished shaking Tora's hand and going on and on about the calluses and the strength of her handshake, she embraced me in a warm hug. I could practically feel the energy radiating off her.

Right after she released her grip, the guy she was talking to casually put his arm around me.

"Suki, Suki, Suki, the ultimate daydreamer," he announced. "Lovely to meet you. Quite a pleasure. I'm sure you already know who I am, but in case you don't, I'm Saikoro Bushida, the ultimate gameshow host."

I nodded along, even though I had no clue who he was. A small part of me felt a tad guilty for not recognizing him. He kind of made it seem like common knowledge.

"I can tell we're all going to have a real good time," he chuckled, patting my back. There was a very soothing, almost enchanting quality to his voice. He definitely sounded like a game show host. A part of me wanted to just close my eyes and listen to his voice forever.

Tora and I were stuck with them for a few more moments with his arm wrapped around me as Keiko and Saikoro continued talking about their talents, but most of it went over my head. I tend to zone out whenever people start rambling, which is a bit hypocritical because I tend to ramble a lot too.

Next, Tora led us to a group of three girls. Two of them were talking while the third was standing back and observing. Bashira Gato, the ultimate daredevil introduced herself first. She had light brown hair, mint green eyes, and a blue plaid jacket. Immediately after she introduced herself, Nori Ishioka introduced herself as the ultimate DJ. She had black and pink hair, two space buns on the top of her head, and a school uniform similar to Tora's.

The third girl was slightly quieter. She wore a mask and stood back a little. She didn't seem shy like Tora though. She instead looked deep in thought. There was a dark, almost scary look in her crimson-red eyes. Her uniform was similar to Nori and Tora's, but more of a beige color instead of navy blue, complete with black socks that went up to her thighs. She was also missing one of her arms, which immediately made her stand out. I wondered what the story behind that was. She was by far the smallest girl in the room, though she wasn't the smallest person.

"Ultimate arsonist," she stated with a voice devoid of emotion as she glanced between Tora and me. She didn't look happy to be introducing herself to us, treating it as if it was nothing more than a chore. "Ahmya Furukawa."

"Got it, thanks," Tora said. Her grip tightened on my hand as she quickly dragged me away. I could see the chills running up her arms. Honestly, Ahmya made me feel a little uneasy as well, so I was perfectly fine with being dragged away-

I suddenly found myself running face-first into someone. I stumbled back slightly and let go of Tora's hand when the person I ran into turned to face me. He towered over me, scowling slightly.

Just my luck, he was the sour guy in the purple shirt. I only grew more tense when he silently leaned over me, raising an eyebrow and waiting for an apology. His dark hair brushed over his practically black eyes, which were so devoid of light that they sent chills down my spine.

"We're so sorry, Maikeru," Tora quickly said while grasping my arm. "That was my fault. I wasn't looking where-"

"It's fine. Whatever," he hissed. He didn't seem fine about it, though. I had a feeling I had just made an enemy...

He adjusted his hat, then crossed his arms and looked to the side. "Just don't let it happen again. Cool? Cool."

He quickly turned away and walked off. So much for introductions...

"Um, sorry about that. That's Maikeru Afuton," Tora breathed once he was gone, her voice softer than before. "The ultimate security guard. I think he's always like this, so... just don't take it personally."

"Right," I said, forcing a smile. "Don't worry about it. He'll warm up to us. I'm sure he's just stressed about all of this. It is pretty scary, so who can blame him?"

"Yeah," Tora murmured. "He didn't tell me much about himself when we met earlier, but out of everyone here, he gives me the most... how do I describe it? Discomfort? There's just something I don't really like about him."

I frowned slightly and turned to look in the direction he left. Unfortunately, he was already gone. Literally, gone. It's like he just disappeared.

"Hmm," I hummed.

"Hmm indeed," Tora agreed.

I ran a quick count in my head. Myself, Tora, Yuuki, Ruji, Seiko, Sora, Brittany, Keiko, Saikoro, Bashira, Nori, Ahmya, and Maikeru. That was thirteen, right?

So there were only two students left to meet.

"Where are the last two?" I wondered aloud. "There's fifteen of us total, right?"

Tora frowned, then turned around herself, scanning the room quickly. "Yeah, they should be here-"

Before her thought even finished, there was a quiet clicking sound. Less than a second later, the antler chandelier situated on the ceiling came crashing to the ground. I quickly covered my eyes and scrambled back while Tora gasped and latched onto my arm, burying her face in my shoulder.

Once the dust cleared I could see one person standing in the center of the room. The chandelier was just inches from him, one of the horns pointing directly at his face. If he was standing one step to the left, he would have most definitely gotten impaled.

That was a horrifying thought. He didn't seem afraid in the slightest, though.

Tora's shoulders sagged as she let out a small sigh. "There he is," she muttered.

"Who?" I asked as I tilted my head slightly at the boy. He was just barely shorter than Ahmya, wearing a playful smile as he pressed his index finger to the chandelier, purposely pricking his fingertip. The whole room seemed to fall silent, turning their eyes to him. He wore a faded red shirt with a long black jacket that was far too big for him over it. He also had a silver chained necklace around his neck and a brown satchel attached to his hip. His skin was pale and his hair was the color of faded strawberries. His large eyes also looked to be a greyish-pink color.

He turned his gaze to mine, then smiled and waved, sending chills down my spine. I watched as the small drops of blood ran down his index finger and across the palm of his hand like a river.

"Hi Suki," he sang. His voice was lighthearted and happy.

"Kichiro. Kichiro Yoshikawa," Tora whispered, holding her hand up to my ear and lowering her voice even more. It was almost like she was afraid he'd hear her. "The ultimate unlucky student."

Ultimate unlucky student? That's a thing?

Dang, and I thought my talent was bad.

"He's totally a loose cannon," she explained. "Everywhere he goes, something bad follows. When he first showed up, one of the wires keeping the lights on got all sparky and almost started a fire. Yuuki had to put it out. And, get this, Kichiro just stood there and laughed. I think he's totally crazy-"

"I think you're totally right," Kichiro laughed, popping up behind us and standing on his tiptoes so he could rest his elbows on our shoulders, making both Tora and myself jump once again. Her voice was so quiet, how on earth could he have heard her?!

"Well, okay then..." I muttered, trying not to get weirded out by the strange aura which seemed to surround him. "Where's the last student?"

The air somehow went colder as Kichiro whistled and turned his gaze to a set of stairs that led to a second floor of the lodge. At the top of it, there was a large map.

And, one person standing there, staring at it.

"Oh, there he is," I smiled. I stepped forward when Tora suddenly grasped my shoulder and shook her head no.

"Don't bother," she whispered. "He won't speak."

Really?

"Oh," I muttered. Strange. Could he physically not speak, or was it a choice?

Either way, I could respect that.

I still couldn't help but stare at him. He wasn't strong-looking like Yuuki and Maikeru. But he wasn't quite as small as Kichiro either. He wore a black cap and black gloves. I couldn't tell if his hair was light brown or dark blonde. His eyes matched his hair. He wore a white button-up shirt with a checkered tie and a blue vest over it all.

"Who is that?" I whispered.

"Ultimate spy," Kichiro answered before Tora could even open her mouth. "Daiki Daitokuji. He can really pull off that mysterious, distant expression, am I right?"

"How do you know that?" Tora asked, slightly surprised. "Did he tell you? He wouldn't speak to Yuuki when he asked earlier."

"I have my ways," Kichiro grinned. His smirk sent another shiver down my spine, an uneasy feeling creeping up inside. I couldn't help but yearn for Yuuki's warm and comforting smile instead.

But instead of hearing Yuuki's comforting yet commanding voice tell us all what to do, we were interrupted by something else. A small, squeaky voice that seemed to come from everywhere, yet nowhere.

"Hello my precious students, and welcome to the Outdoor School Program!"