Prologue: Research Period

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It pays to be good at things in this world.

Whether it's baking, meteorology, karate, or even video gaming, being good at what you do can get you far. And being the best... well, that gets you places like Hope's Peak Academy.

Which is how I got here.

After years of honing my craft, I finally get to attend the prestigious school, where only the brightest and most talented of the generation can even dream of going to. And I am one of those lucky individuals.

The name's Aika Keneko, Ultimate Songwriter. This? This is going to be the start of an incredible journey for me, I can feel it.

 This? This is going to be the start of an incredible journey for me, I can feel it

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The redheaded girl stared up at the school in awe. She barely paid attention to the empty courtyard around her, devoid of people. This was it. She was finally going to attend Hope's Peak!

She shook off some of her jitters, making sure any negative thoughts were at bay. She was going to go in there, make some friends, and create some awesome music. It's going to be perfect!

Well, at least she thought so, before she was met with a blinding pain in the back of her head and everything went dark.

~<>~

Consciousness came slowly, almost like a rising tide, dragging Aika up from the deep, murky ocean of her subconscious.

The first thing she noticed was the smell, the overpowering scent of chemicals and bleach making her want to pass out again. It burned her nostrils, similar to that of an over-sanitized hospital or a high-school chemistry class gone wrong. The next sense that returned to her was taste, which she became aware of when she gagged, the bitter taste of bile lingering on her tongue. She slowly dragged her heavy eyelids open before immediately shutting them as she was blinded by some of the brightest lights she had ever seen. "

Aika: What the hell...?"

Knowing she was going to have to get up sooner or later, Aika slowly sat up, wincing as her muscles groaned, stiff from immobility. After giving her eyes a few seconds to properly adjust, she looked around, examining her surroundings.

The room was a bright, almost blinding white, completely tiled floor to ceiling. Bright fluorescent lights flooded the room, almost to a painful degree. Spread evenly throughout the room were hospital beds, identical to the one she was sitting on, all unoccupied... except for one. A small, black-haired figure in green and black clothing was sprawled out on top of one, unmoving, directly across from where Aika's bed was situated.

Aika: 'Oh hell, is she dead?'

Her mind instantly began scrambling for a reason she would have woken up in a strange room with a dead body. The last thing she remembered was... right! She was standing outside of Hope's Peak, and then her head hurt, and- well, that's it, really. She frowned, glancing around. Was this really Hope's Peak? Was she in the nurse's office?

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