It feels like you're walking in space. There is no floor to step on and no gravity to pull you down. But unlike space, you can't see the stars twinkling in the black or feel cold nipping at your skin. You aren't breathing. And yet, despite it all, you continue thinking you're going to class.
"77-B~77-B~77-B~"
In the distance, you see a wooden sliding door manifest. It's hovering in the air, prompting you to glide over and inspect the anomaly carefully. Why is the door floating? Where is this strange place?
Looking up at the sign hanging by the door, you see a banner reading "Class 77-B" in big letters. Your heart starts pounding.
"Th-This... is it?" you ask as you press your ear against the mysterious door. There is the faint sound of people talking to each other inside. Students, perhaps...? Grabbing the handle, you gently slide open the door to...
A completely ordinary classroom!
Glancing around, you saw lots of confused students babbling to each other about their current predicament. When you looked up at the clock to see if you were late, you noticed the hands were turning counter-clockwise at a rapid pace. The sliding door slammed shut behind you, even though you weren't touching the handle anymore. Upon hearing the door slam, everyone looked up anxiously at you. Fifteen high school students in all kinds of outfits and from all kinds of backgrounds blinked at you, waiting for you to make a sound. What an embarrassing way to introduce yourself to the most talented students in the world...!
"H-Hello!" you awkwardly spat out. The bizarre situation still had your lips feeling like numb gummy worms, but you knew you would have to manage. "I'm... (F/N) (L/N)! I-Is... this the right room?" You bit down on your tongue in shame. They have no idea who you are! What a stupid question to ask!
"Oh, hey!" one of the voices called suddenly.
A pale boy with messy hair resembling a dying coral reef approached you with a friendly smile. Something was unsettling about the dystopian look about him. The green hoodie he wore with red squares even made him look like he was covered in blood splotches. Despite his gloomy appearance, he seemed friendly enough when he extended his hand out to you for a handshake.
"The name's Nagito Komaeda. And yes, (y/n), you have indeed found Class 77-B!" he chirped.
You firmly gripped his hand and gave it a good shake. The name Nagito felt familiar for some reason... Did you stumble across it while looking up student talents yesterday? Suddenly, you remembered where you heard it.
"Wait, aren't you the Ultimate Lucky Student??" you blurted with astonishment. You didn't mean to sound so awe-struck, but unlike everyone else, this guy got accepted only by chance. "You're the only student in the country who got picked by the Hope's Peak Academy entrance raffle!"
Nagito blushed slightly and chuckled at your enthusiasm. "Yep, that's me. Guilty as charged. Hence why they dubbed me the Ultimate Lucky Guy. It's not the greatest talent, but hey! It got me here."
You withdrew your hand and looked around. "So... Everyone here is a freshman like me, right?"
A girl with red bobbed hair and freckles nodded and approached you. "That's right! We were just talking about where we went to middle school."
Another girl with long purple hair and uneven bangs rushed over to you and began inspecting your face closely. "O-Oh...! You look so pale! Could it be... it happened to you too??"
"It?" you asked. The moments outside the door in the void were already fading from your mind.
A pudgy man in a fine beige suit, green tie, and thin pair of glasses forcefully intervened. He had an air of authority that nobody could question, but that was probably more because of his size than anything else. "No one can remember how they got here. The moments leading up to our arrival are a complete mystery. But everyone who walks in through that door seems... frazzled."
You blinked, suddenly realizing you couldn't remember what you did to get to the classroom. It wasn't unlike you to space out from time to time but to completely lose all sense of space and time? No way. You turned back toward the sliding door and gave the handle a hard tug. It didn't budge an inch.
"The door is locked from the inside," the pudgy man said. He crossed his arms with annoyance. "Something really peculiar is happening around here."
A really big guy with hulking muscles and a black coat grunted in agreement. "Yeah, I couldn't even punch it open with my fist! That door sure isn't normal wood!"
You looked at the door again. Aside from the door jam, it looked perfectly fine.
"Perhaps the door is meant to be this way. I believe your country has these things called... 'entrance exams' at the beginning of freshman year, correct?" a blonde girl asked. She looked equally authoritative as the pudgy man, but it was in a princess-y way rather than a corporate CEO kind of way. She looked like a living Barbie doll.
A short, cartoonish man in a chef's outfit and a ridiculously huge pompadour swaggered forward. "That's right, princess! There's no reason for anyone to worry! I'm sure the teacher will be here in no time at all! There are 16 students now, and there are only 16 desks in this classroom. It just makes sense!"
Nagito looked around with a curious expression. It seemed like there was something off about what the strange chef said. "No, I don't think everyone is here just yet. There's still one more person we're waiting for." Before anyone could protest, he smiled innocently and shrugged. "Just a hunch."
As soon as Nagito voiced his thoughts, the sliding door swung open and another breathless, stumbling student hobbled his way into the classroom. He looked like he was about to collapse and grabbed the doorpost to balance himself. The boy who came in was wearing a white polo shirt and a necktie. His hair was a light brown and he had an exaggerated cowlick sticking up from his head like a radio antenna. Out of all the students in the classroom, he seemed to be the most average and in need of a comb.
"Wh-Where...? How...?" he asked as his head began to clear up.
The purple-haired girl rushed over and helped steady him. "C-Careful! Don't push yourself too hard too fast...!"
Once he gathered his bearings, the newcomer looked up at all the students in confusion. It almost seemed like... he didn't mean to end up here? Maybe he got lost and stumbled into the wrong classroom by mistake.
"I... remember that I was looking for someone," the new student mumbled to himself. "And... they're here. In class 77-B. Someone... There was a misunderstanding about the student roster. I was... supposed to be..."
The student paused. He couldn't finish his sentence. You figured the thought vanished before he could express it, and you felt frustrated on his behalf. It must have been important for him to come all the way here and wander through a... mysterious dark cloud of forgetfulness. There really isn't a better way to describe it.
While the students continued to chatter, you couldn't help but draw your eyes toward the back of the room. The louder students had certainly made their presence known, but there were plenty of other faces you hadn't seen. There was a short blonde boy in a professional black suit talking in hushed tones to a girl with gray, braided hair and a sheathed sword on her back. In one of the desks was a quiet girl with a cat backpack and a cat hood. She was dozing in her seat as if this situation were completely normal. At the desk next to her was a tiny girl in an orange kimono with her blonde hair pulled up into two crescent pigtails. Her face was contorted into an annoyed scowl as she listened to what everyone said. There was an extremely muscular woman with dauntingly huge boobs, a loud girl with long black and white hair with purple accents, a boy with pink hair and shark teeth...
And then you caught a glimpse of something moving in the corner. Next to the little black lockers... There was someone hiding, blending into their surroundings perfectly! No wonder you missed them! Cautiously stepping toward the lockers to get a better look, you noticed the figure was wearing a long purple scarf. It was the only vibrant color in their outfit, and you wondered why they would bother wearing such a daring color if they didn't want to be noticed. You noticed that their hair was slicked back and curled upward like a soft-serve ice cream. Another few steps forward and...
No way. The scarf, the earring, the rings, the overcoat, the highlights...! Just as you were finally standing in front of the individual, it hit you who your last classmate was. It had to be... You slowly moved your mouth to say his name, but you couldn't even get out the letter 'G' before the boy stopped you.
"You! Mortal, how did you see through my barrier of invisibility?!" he snapped loudly, causing you to take a step back. His dual-colored eyes flashed with surprise and he took a defensive stance.
Flinching away from his loud voice, you got the impression that he didn't want to be talked to. Maybe he didn't recognize you? It had been quite a few years since you last saw each other.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to sneak up on you. I was just wondering... Who did you bring with you today?" you asked. You tried to remember the exact tone and inflection you used when you would ask him each day in elementary school.
The boy narrowed his eyes at you. There was definitely a hint of recognition, but he continued to burn his icy gaze into your skin. He didn't seem eager to share his thoughts. In fact, he was starting to look less and less like the Gundham Tanaka you thought he was. You were beginning to regret having started this conversation...
"That is no business of yours, fiend!" he huffed. He burrowed himself into his scarf and refused to look you in the eye. After a moment of silence, he seemed to relax a little from the shock of suddenly being addressed and started the conversation over. "...I was not expecting to see you here. I hadn't anticipated that our souls are bound together by the fickle hands of fate... It seems I underestimated your talent."
"Clearly you did for you to react like that," you said. Your voice had an edge of stinging disappointment.
He nodded slightly as if acknowledging that he could have responded better. In what felt like a complete personality shift, he stepped out of the corner and stood with more confidence. Taking a breath, he prepared a new greeting for you.
"I apologize for acting as though you were unwelcome. You caught me when my magical barriers were weak, but I assure you! That won't happen again!" In drama-kid fashion, he began projecting his voice so there would be no more misconceptions between you.
"See me not as I was, mortal! The child who quivered before authority and cried in the face of adversity has left this plane of existence and moved on to a new cycle. What remains is a manifestation of power and darkness!" He crossed his arms and looked down at you with a smug expression. "My name is Gundham Tanaka! Remember it well, for it is the name that will someday rule this world! Tremble with fear before the Supreme Overlord of Ice!"
The girl sitting at the desk in front of Gundham with the blonde, crescent pigtails blew a raspberry in his direction and scoffed. "Just what I need. Some weebo spewing pig $h#t like some self-righteous know-it-all! I should've known this school would be full of idiots living in their mom's basements."
Gundham's glare snagged onto the young girl with the pigtails. "Is that a declaration of war, O Dancing Nymph?"
The girl frowned at him. "Like I should even bother with a waste of space like you!"
"A wise choice, since you would only be reduced to ashes if you were to accept such a deadly challenge," Gundham replied. He ignored her insults and returned his gaze to you.
You looked at him with a puzzled expression. "So... Are you the Ultimate Supreme Overlord of Ice? Wait, no... I doubt the academy would call it that. And besides, you work with animals professionally! Which means you're probably... The Ultimate Animologist!"
Gundham smiled with amusement at your attempt. "It's not surprising for a mortal such as yourself to be unfamiliar with the terminology used in the field of beast taming. A term like 'animology' does not exist, for it would be impossible to determine whether that would be a field in living creatures that prowl upon earthly soil or a field in the animation of nonliving objects. I have trained myself in magical arcane studies and in the taming of magical beasts that inhabit all dimensions. Therefore, I have mastered both arts!" His expression fell a little after his bold proclamation. "Alas, this human academy could not accept both as talents and gave me the lowly label of 'breeder.'"
"Ohhh, the Ultimate Breeder! That makes sense!" you chirped. "I read about how you brought Tasmanian Tigers back from extinction. It's really cool how you're able to bring back what humanity destroyed... I can't do anything that impressive. My talent is in babysitting. I just watch rich kids while their parents are away at work and help them with homework."
"How ironic," Gundham quipped. "You raise the demons that grow up to oppress my innocent magical beasts. And yet, I feel no resentment toward you. I experienced first-hand your expertise in your field. It's true that your ability to sync with youthful souls is a divine talent."
Even though his words sounded like they should be compliments, his face showed little interest. You weren't at all surprised by his lack of enthusiasm for your talent. He said himself that you watch over rich kids who will someday grow up to inherit their parents' organizations that destroy valuable resources and habitats. You sincerely doubted that your efforts to convince the Gushiken family to recycle and care about environmental awareness would make much of a difference. Gundham was probably only trying to be nice by acknowledging your talent at all.
Slumping your shoulders a little, you looked down to the ground at your feet. "My talent is not going to be useful for anyone here. Nor will it help the academy... I don't know why they scouted me."
Gundham flinched at your reaction. "What kind of interpretation is that?! You completely misunderstood my intentions!" He shook his head as if he were offended by how lowly you thought of yourself. "Imprinting oneself on an infant and imposing your ideologies at an early developmental stage is the fastest way to establish absolute authority! You stand in a position of complete influence! Just because you are not currently in the presence of hatchlings does not mean you are powerless. You still command experience, fortitude, and optimism! Alas, patience and optimism are not traits I can identify with, though I understand how they can easily be used to win the hearts of the hive mind."
You blinked. "You say those things like I intend to brainwash babies and take over the world or something."
"You are more than capable of doing so, if you so choose," he replied.
Before you could fully process what Gundham said to you, Nagito popped up with a huge grin on his face. "He's saying that you inspire hope for the future generation! A noble quest that more than deserves to be a talent at Hope's Peak Academy! You are truly an inspiring individual compared to lowly trash like myself. After all, in what universe does luck breed hope?"
Gundham took a step away from the wild-haired lucky student. "Bold to assume there's such a thing as 'luck.' Why should the universe favor a mere mortal such as yourself?"
Nagito bobbed his head. "My point exactly. There is absolutely no reason."
Over the sound of all the chattering and confusion, a new voice suddenly resounded throughout the classroom. Everyone quickly looked about the room to identify where the sound came from, and the hyper musician girl with the giant bow in her hair pointed enthusiastically at the mahogany podium at the front of the room.
"It's coming from behind there, guys! She must be the kidnapper!!" the girl screeched.
"Kidnapper??" the voice asked. The owner of the voice finally popped up from under the podium and bounced into view. She was a pure white rabbit wearing a pink tutu and holding a heart-shaped magic wand. The rabbit didn't look like a normal rabbit and instead looked like a stuffed animal with fake angel wings. She stood on her hind legs and did a twirl for the class. "I'm no kidnapper! I'm your teacher!"
Everyone gaped in disbelief at the white rabbit standing on the podium in front of them. For a while, nobody said anything as if they were waiting for a punchline.
"That's right, I'm Magical Girl Usami! And I'm your squeezably-soft teacher!
"What the hell is going on...?? If this is some kinda prank, it's not funny!" the pink-haired boy with pointed teeth snapped.
The blonde boy in the sharp suit growled in agreement. "He's right! Whoever you are, stop f#!king with us! Treat us like adults!"
Usami didn't seem phased by their shock or use of expletives. Rather than being intimidated, she smiled at each student warmly. "Don't you worry a bit, everyone. This is no prank! I really am your singing, dancing teacher! If it helps, you can think of me as our class mascot."
"I don't think that changes anything," the red-haired girl with the camera muttered.
The blonde-haired girl who looked like a princess clapped her hands together and gasped in amazement. "So it's true! Classes are taught by singing, dancing animals in this country! Just like in anime! I was worried it might have been a myth."
"Um... no," the girl with the cat backpack answered.
The bunny teacher twirled again and waved her wand. "As is customary with every new class who joins Hope's Peak Academy, it is the teacher's job to take them on a fun, heart-throbbing field trip! All-expenses paid! It's to inspire cooperation between each of you and to encourage the development of hope. I have prepared a super-fun curriculum for you, and I hope that we can all work together toward friendship!"
"So instead of having orientation, we get to go on a school trip? That's epic!!" roared the muscular man with the lightning eyebrows.
Usami nodded in agreement. "That's right! And now that everyone's here, it's time for us to depart! Get ready!"
"Wait, we're not even going to pack any bags or tell our parents?? We're just going?" the pink-haired boy wailed. He began to sweat and take steps toward the door. "Hold on, I'm not going anywhere!"
"Too late~!" Usami sang as she waved her heart wand. A sparkly pink whirlwind whipped up in the room and blew down the walls to the classroom! The cardboard walls crumbled to the sandy ground and rays of sunlight beamed down on the classroom desks. Seagulls squawked in the distance and palm trees swayed to the sound of the ocean waves.
Usami did a little bow and chuckled to herself. "We're already here~!"
–Welcome to Jabberwock Island!–