Today... today wasn't just my normal, average day. Today was something truly special.
Today was my first day of class at Hope's Peak Academy.
Yes, THE Hope's Peak Academy. The same Hope's Peak Academy that scouts only the best of the best of each various field.
What is Hope's Peak Academy?
Hope's Peak Academy is a government funded school for the privileged elite of society.
They scout top students from every imaginable field to inspire hope, and in doing so, shapes the future of our society.
The students here are practically hope itself—or the future of hope—as some might put it.
When Hope's Peak Academy comes up in conversation, this one line is always brought up, no matter what.
"If you manage to graduate from Hope's Peak Academy, you'll be set for life."
Now, that line is no exaggeration. Many current industry leaders are graduates of Hope's Peak Academy. The Prime Minister was a graduate, too!
And for that reason alone, is why people refer to Hope's Peak students as, "The Symbols of Hope".
There are only two requirements to being a student here. 1. You need to be currently attending high school, and 2. You must be the absolute best at what you do.
And of course, you need be scouted, but that's obvious.
As I've just mentioned, you get scouted by the school. There's no entrance exams or applications.
If you managed to be one of those that are scouted, accept their invitation and enroll, you'll be recognized as an "Ultimate".
Which is why I'm here... standing right before Hope's Peak Academy. Honestly, it's a dream come true! It's not a lie to say I was nervous and sort of scared. I mean, who wouldn't be?
To be frank, I was good at what I do, but I never thought I was the best at it...
As for my talent... Well, I'll let my invitation letter explain.
Greetings, Y/N L/N.
We have had our eye you for quite a while now, and we see great potential in your talent as the Ultimate Marksman.
And so, on behalf of everyone here at Hope's Peak Academy, we would like to welcome you
as the Ultimate Marksman!
If you would like to accept the invitation, please bring this letter with you to the academy. From there, you will receive instructions on what to do next.
—Jin Kirigiri, Hope's Peak Academy headmaster.
As you may have inferred from the letter, my name is Y/N L/N and that's right, I'm the Ultimate Marksman. Whether it's guns or bows, I have excellent accuracy when hitting any shot.
Well, it's not like my talent is limited to just weapons.
While I can throw small stuff—let's say a stone— I'll still be accurate, but of course, I'm not going to be throwing stones 200 meters away. There are limits when it comes to these things, after all. All in all, I have a really steady hand. I think that would be the best way to put it.
Now that the formalities are out of the way, I better head inside... Don't want to be late to the entrance ceremony.
You took one step and froze.
Why... am I stopping? It feels like... something is holding me back...
I... kinda feel sick too...
I guess this is a huge day for me... I'm just nervous is all... Deep breathes, Y/N. Deep breathes.
*inhales*
*exhales.*
*inhales*
*exhales.*
Okay... let's do this!
As you tried to take another step, you suddenly felt dizzy... really... really dizzy.
And before you knew what was happening, you felt a rush of pain to your head and went out like a light.
...
..
.
Huh?
This wasn't Hope's Peak Academy anymore, this was...
A black void?
Did I pass out? I knew I was nervous, but to pass out?
You began walking in the endless void. After a while walking, a door appeared before you.
A door that was... two dimensional?
Maybe I did pass out... and I'm dreaming... This look like something out of Resident Evil...
As you got closer, the door opened. Beyond it was a white void.
You didn't want to go through, but you couldn't but feel... drawn to it. You needed to walk through the door.
...
Needed?
Without even thinking any further, you feel your feet move on it's own as you walked through the door, and on the other side was...
A classroom... filled with a colorful variety of students...
"Oh my!" A girl wearing a white and black dress with a red bowtie spoke out. "Another one has arrived!"
You were speechless. Just what was that before?
"Um, are you alright?" The same girl approached you, hint of worry on her face. "You look quite pale..."
"U-Um..."
"Another one? So you're also a freshman, right?" A different girl asked. This one had short, red hair and a freckled face. She also had camera hanging idly from her neck.
"You must be the 17th student." A condescending, proper voice spoke out. It came from a rather... large man with short blonde hair, glasses, and a rather nice white suit.
You heard everyone's questions, but you paid them no mind. You were too caught up on that bizarre situation from before. Passing out... that black void... that door... feeling drawn to it... and you're suddenly in a classroom with 16 other people? It was just too much to process at once.
And thus, you couldn't help but feel sick to your stomach and fell down.
You heard a couple of gasps, and some of the people approached you, but again, paid them no mind. You suddenly heard a quiet scream (is that even possible?).
"P-Please...! G-Give him some room...!"
Soon, a girl appeared over you. She had purple hair, purple eyes, and a beauty mark beneath her left eye. What really caught your eye about her was the fact that her hair was... poorly cut.
"A-Are you okay...?" she softly asked with a worried look on her face. She then held up three fingers. "C-Can you see h-how many fingers I'm h-holding...?
...
"Three..." you finally spoke out
"C-Can you stand...?"
And so, you slowly stood with the help of the girl.
"Perhaps your brain just couldn't handle this situation, eh?" The large condescending man chuckled with a grin. "No surprise there, given how you look."
"Kyhahaha! Right!? What a coward!" A small blonde girl wearing a kimono insulted.
"Can you really blame him?" An average looking guy wearing a shirt and tie came to your defense. "Nothing about this is normal...!"
"And what's wrong with the way he looks?" the blonde girl who spoke earlier asked. "He looks rather...
normal."
Thanks...?
"L-Let's get you seated..." the timid girl suggested as she led you to an empty seat. Once you were seated, she went back to her seat, which was close by.
You looked to your right, and saw a girl with shirt pale-mauve hair with a Galaga hairpin. She was playing a game on a Game Girl Advanced, completely oblivious to the situation.
What... is this...? What...?
Okay, deep breathes, Y/N... Deep breathes... Maybe the others know more about what's going on... Hopefully... They all seemed to have experience something similar...
"With that nonsense out of the way." The large man changed the topic. "With him, that's 17 people. Meaning, everyone has been gathered."
"Huuuuuuuh? You think this is everyone!?" A girl with long, multicolored hair said rather enthusiastically.
"It's obvious." he replied with a stern tone. "If you bothered to count the chairs, you would see that there's only 17. With that fact, and the fact that he is the 17th student... Well, I would surely hope that you can put two and two together."
No doubt about it, this guy was clearly an ass. He has this "I'm so much better than you" aura around him.
Besides, they could have not gathered enough chairs...
"Now then," he continued. "It's time we begin discussing, shall we?"
"And just what are we going to talk about...?" A short guy who had a long pompadour asked. Given his outfit, it was obvious that he was a chef or cook. "The reason we're all gathered here, right...?"
"Indeed." he answered before putting his hand on his chin and looking down. "However, I need to confirm something... Do any of you actually remember how you got here?"
Everyone looks among each other, but no one had an answer to his question.
"No, hm? Then it seems like everyone here is in the same predicament... No matter how you look at it, it's unnatural. You stupid-looking ones would have to agree, right?"
"It is strange, I've never experienced something like this before..." the red-head from earlier replies before suddenly snapping at him. "Excuse me, stupid looking? Just what is your problem!?"
Everyone is in the same predicament... So they must've experienced a similar situation...
I was standing outside the school, about to go inside. When I had I suddenly stopped, and soon passed out... I then appeared in this black door with only a weird door in sight...
I don't understand anything...
"The moment you set foot on campus, you felt a strange dizziness, and you're here and you don't know why..." he summarized. "That is what I experienced before I arrived here. Am I correct in assuming that's true for all of you?"
"You're exactly right..." you answered him, seemly more understanding (although it really isn't much) of the situation. "I passed out... and suddenly I was in this black void with only a door... nothing else..."
"Eh!? So, it really wasn't me!?" the short cook quickly asked with an uncomfortable look. "Everyone really had a similar experience... that's weird!"
"E-Even if it's just a coincidence... it feels to g-good to be true..." the timid girl quietly said.
"So, you're saying it's not a coincidence, then."
"What do you mean?" the blond girl from earlier asked.
"Meaning... we can only speculate who's responsible for this strange phenomenon."
Who's responsible... Who can even be responsible for something so bizarre...?
"Hmph!" A deep voice scoff. This came from another large man, but unlike the other one, this was one was large in muscle. "I don't know what you're so worried about, but that doesn't sound like a huge deal..."
"Oh?" a girl with long braided silver hair questioned. "Are you saying there is a bigger problem?"
"Yeah, I mean, it's minor problem, but...The door...! It won't open!"
"It won't open...?" the guy wearing the shirt and tie asked.
"Yeah. Earlier, I had to go take a shit, but when I tried opening the door... it wouldn't open!"
"Eh!? Seriously!?"
The short little chef wobbled his way toward the door and desperately tried to open it.
"Wah!? I-It really won't open!"
"Heh, I tried with all my might to open it. If I couldn't do it, THEN NO ONE ELSE CAN!"
"Did you really need to scream that part...?" a pink-haired guy in a jumpsuit whined as he covered his ears.
"It's... locked..." you spoke out to no one in particular. "But... I didn't lock it when I entered... Wait... how did it even open for me... if it wouldn't open for you?"
"Though I don't know what forces are at work here... There's no denying that we have been locked in this classroom." the silver-haired girl confirmed.
"Wh-What the heck...!?" the pink-haired guy exclaimed. "A-Are we... getting mixed up... in something dangerous... maybe?"
Something dangerous...?
"What... like we got kidnapped...?" you asked.
"Hmm... It's possible that we we're all knocked out and got locked up in this room." the large blond man theorized. "However, that doesn't explain the fact how we all willingly walked in here..."
"Maybe it's not something dangerous." a new voice spoke out. This one belong to a guy who was standing at the very back of the classroom. He wore a long green jacket, and had fluffy white hair. "Perhaps this is the entrance exam?"
"...The entrance exam?" the guy wearing the shirt and tie questioned. "You mean, Hope's Peak Academy's?"
"Entrance exam...? I don't think my letter mentioned anything like that..." you pointed out.
Wait... my letter...
You quickly felt around your person.
I-It's gone!? Who... Who took it?! I definitely had it with me at the gate...
"Nor did mine..." the taller blond girl added. "In fact, according to Hope's Peak Academy, no such entrance exam exists."
"They may say that publicly, but it's possible that this is actually a special entrance exam." he replied. "Perhaps, they wanted to surprise us by setting up this scenario?"
"It sure is surprising..." the redheaded girl admitted. "But... would they go to such lengths just for an entrance exam?"
"It would make more sense to think that—"
"Nope! That's wrong! This isn't an entrance exam." an extremely high pitched voice suddenly boomed out, shutting everyone up.
What. The. Hell. Was. That? That voice sounded way too high pitched!
"What on earth was that just now?" the blind man asked with an unamused look.
"Hey, fatass." a short blond guy with a baby face called out. "The fuck you doing making that stupid ass voice?"
"Hmph. I won't dispute your blunt remark about my weight." he said as he snarled at him. "However, that voice was not mine. As if I would ever do such an obnoxious voice."
"Aw! Obnoxious? How rude!"
"Alright, whose talking!?" a girl with messy brown hair and a shirt that is um... fighting for its life... shouted out.
"Show yourself!" the large muscle-head from earlier screamed.
"Seriously! Stop screaming!" the pink-haired guy whined out again as he covered his ears. "My ears..."
"It sounds like it came from behind the teacher's desk..." the girl next you quietly said. To be fair, she kind of scared you since you had forgotten she was there. It looks like she had put away her game for now, and was invested on what was happening.
"Alrighty then! Now that everyone is here, let's begin the school trip!"
A short rabbit, wearing a dress and holding a magical wand suddenly leaped from behind the desk and onto it.
That voice... belong to this thing?
"That voice... came from that... rabbit...?" you said, refusing to believe what you saw. A stuffed rabbit had literally leapt into the air, landed on the desk, and swung it's magical wand.
Sure, you can say it's just a toy, but... the movement was just too lifelike.
"That's right! I'm Magical Miracle Girl Usami! I'm your soft, adorable, squeezable teacher! Please call me Usami if you prefer!"
"Wh-Wh-Wh-What...?" the pink-haired guy mumbled out before suddenly shouting. "WHAT THE FUUUUCK?!"
"Christ almighty, chill out." the short blond guy scoffed. "You're acting like a fucking pussy over a stupid toy."
"What on earth!? Someone lost their chihuahua!" The girl with the messy brown hair cried out.
"What!? That's a chihuahua!?"
"No, that is not a chihuahua, you imbeciles!"
"Oh... what is it then?"
"Oh, for the love of...!"
"Umm... everyone here knows what a rabbit is... right?" Usami asked. "It's a lovable animal that's fluffy and soft. That's what I am! A singing, dancing, talking rabbit mascot!"
This... This is our teacher...? This... talking stuffed rabbit... is our teacher?
"H-Hold on!" the short chef sweatdropped. "L-Let me process this all first...!"
"Okie dokie! Take your time!"
"U-Um..." the chef huddled down, pressing his fingers together before turning to the rest of the class. "U-Uh... What do you guys think...?"
"Given what the rabbit just said, it appears you know something about this situation we're in, correct?"
"Of course! I'm the lead teacher of this school trip!"
"School trip...?" you muttered out. "We just got here! I didn't hear anything about a school trip!"
"Now then, enough time idling, let us depart!" Usami announced, ignoring you.
"H-Hey! Don't just...!"
You're interrupted by Usami as she starts frantically swings her wand around. Suddenly, the ground beneath starts shaking.
"Uwah! Emergency! Earth quake! Earth quake!" The multicolored hair, energetic girl called out while diving underneath an empty desk.
"What the hell is going on here!?" the large blond man yelled out, pointing at the rabbit. "What is this!?"
Suddenly, the ground stopped shaking. And then the walls of the classroom fell down like dominoes. Revealing...
A beach? Palm trees? Blue skies? Seagulls? Water?
The transition was something out of a cartoon or video game. We were in a locked classroom, and one minute later... we're on an island?
There's nothing in the human language that can explain how this makes sense! It was utterly unbelievable, abnormal inconceivable...
None of this makes any damn sense!
You walked forward and felt yourself lightly sink into the fresh sand. You reached out and planted your hand into the sand, grabbing a handful. You had a sudden urge to put it in your pocket and throw it at someone later while yelling, "Pocket Sand!" but instead you opened your palm and watched the sand fall back onto the ground.
It's... real...
Unbelievable... this can't be real...!
How can we be on a beach...? There's no beaches near Hope's Peak Academy!
"U-Um... Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-What!?" the chef guy grabbed his hair in a panic.
"This is a joke... right?" the pink-haired guy asked, sweat visible on his face. "No, scratch that... I'm definitely fucking dreaming..."
"Wh-Where are we!?" the multi-colored haired girl ran around in a panic.
"What's... going on...!?" the redheaded girl choked out, color drained from her face.
"Calm down, everyone!" Usami cried out, trying to... well, calm everyone down. "Take a look around! There is no reason to panic! Feast your eyes on the beautiful crystal clear ocean... Ah! You can just feel your heart being washed away, right?"
"No, it's the exact opposite...!" you quickly replied. "This whole... thing is making me anxious!"
"Agreed. We need details...!" the silver-haired girl demanded. "Where in the world are we?"
"Where? Well, obviously we're... Out where it's better! Out where it's wetter! ...Out by the sea!"
"W-W-We know that...!" the shy and timid girl cried. She looked like she was on verge of a nervous breakdown. "Wh-Wh-Why are we here all of a sudden...?"
"Awe, please stop yelling!" Usami pleaded. "Your throat's going to get all hoarse, and that won't be good!"
"B-But... we were just at the school and now we are by the sea..." the taller blonde girl nervously fidgeted. "This... cannot be possible..."
"Please, there is no need to worry! The school trip has begun! That's all."
"What school trip...?" the guy in the shirt and tie asked. "Why weren't we told about this beforehand...? We signed up to attend Hope Peak's Academy... Not some magical mystical island getaway!"
"Ah, Hope's Peak Academy... I seeeeee, I seeeeee... You don't say... You guys are feeling unsure about Hope's Peak Academy. Then, in that case... Please forget about Hope's Peak Academy! That's why we're having a school trip in the first place!"
Forget about Hope's Peak Academy...?
"You...! Just what are you scheming?" the large blond man demanded.
"S-Scheming!? Oh, no, no! I'm doing this for the sake of everyone's hope! I'm praying from the bottom of my heart that hope will grow within everyone's heart! Please, ease your worries as there's nothing dangerous on this island!"
Island...?
Oh, oh no...
This isn't the beach...
"This is an island!?" you shouted out, coloring draining from your face as the situation got 10 times more bizarre.
I was definitely in front of Hope's Peak... which is in Japan...
How... How did we end up on an island!?
"Yup, and it certainly is beautiful!" Usami praised, unaware of your uncomfortable, panicked state. "It was prepared just for us, an island free from other people and danger."
It was PREPARED for us!?
Who could prepare an island for high school students... and only the 17 of us at that!?
I'm... starting to feel sick... this is too much to comprehend...
"This island is uninhabited... is that what you're saying?"
"You...! Did you bring us here to make us kill each other!?" the boy with the fluffy white hair choked out.
"Ha-wa-wa! Kill!? No! Dangerous and harmful acts is forbidden here! Ugh... even that word makes me uneasy... So scary!"
"What even is the purpose of this school trip? What do you intend for us to do?"
"Oh, right! I shall explain! Everyone's goal here is to get along and strengthen your bond with one another! That is the main rule of this Heart-throbbing School Trip!"
"H-Heart-throbbing School Trip!?"
"Yup! This lovely-dovey Heart-throbbing School Trip is everyone's homework! Now then, let the school trip begin!"
"Wait...!" you shouted out. "Y-You're not making any sense! How did we get here!? Why do we have to do this!?What about Hope's Peak!? Why are you our teacher!?You're not human! I...! You...! We...! Why...! Haaaah... Haaaa..."
Your couldn't even space your words or form sentences anymore and your breathing became irregular. Everything was thrown onto you at once. So many questions with no definitive answers. No explanation. No logic.
You felt lightheaded and sick, and before you even realized it...
...you collapsed onto the warm, soft sand.