Danganronpa Secret File Makoto Naegi's Worst Day Ever

Part 17

The mailman’s bike, and the parcels it was carrying, burned furiously on the street, signaling the start of Makoto’s true greatest misfortune.

“Understood,” echoed an old man’s voice. As before, they were assembled in the Hope's Peak Academy Board of Directors’ personal conference room—the room with the large, round, wooden table, the red carpet, and the thick curtains over the windows. The air in the room was heavy and overbearing.

“What do you plan to do about it?” came another old man.

“Hmph. Is that even a question? We just send another invitation. It’s not like the recipient went up in flames,” the third member of the Board said irritably. He clearly wanted to spend as little time as possible discussing this.

“It’s not that simple,” said the headmaster, drawing the gaze of the entire Board. “Unfortunately, we cannot have her attend Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Lucky student.”

An eyebrow raised. “What do you mean?”

“I mean exactly what I said,” the headmaster said calmly. “That parcel should have reached its destination unhindered. The fact that it did not is, without question, unlucky. While she, herself, may have done nothing wrong, her stroke of bad luck is a sign that there is someone else out there more deserving of the honor than her. We cannot ignore this.”

“Are you saying we draw another name?”

The headmaster nodded. “Her misfortune prevented her from receiving our invitation. If we were talking about any other talent, things would be different, but we’re trying to select the Ultimate Lucky student. We have no choice but to hold another lottery and give the title to the person who truly deserves it.”

“Knowing you, I’m sure you’ve already picked another name.”

The headmaster chuckled. “I’ve even sent the acceptance letter. It could very well arrive before the end of the day.”

The Board of Directors couldn’t hide their surprise.

“News of the accident only arrived this evening. Are you saying you immediately conducted another drawing, prepared the paperwork, and mailed it out?”

“It’s not a good idea to put things like this off,” the headmaster said.

While he didn’t make a big show of it, the headmaster was always abnormally quick to act.

“Now here’s a man who loves his job,” snarked one of the Board members, but the headmaster didn’t react.

Instead, he reached down and picked up a single sheet of paper.

“As a result of this evening’s postal accident, Hope's Peak Academy has once again selected a single name, by fair and unbiased lottery, from all currently enrolled high-school students nationwide, to invite to attend the school as the Ultimate Lucky student. The name we have drawn”—the headmaster took a short breath, then continued—“is Makoto Naegi.”