Heir & Heiress

Let the Game Begin

I sat up slowly, rubbing the soreness that spread throughout my neck and shoulders. My eyes burned from exhaustion, 'How long was I asleep?'. I glanced around the empty room; desks, a teacher's podium, chalkboard with childish drawings, and...metal plates bolted over the windows? "Where the hell am I?" Muttering to myself, my eyes latched onto the clock that read 7:45 but, without being able to look outside, I couldn't say if it was morning or night. I patted my skirt pockets, jolting at the absence of my cell phone. 'It has to be somewhere' I opened every drawer and looked in every desk, but the only thing I found was a pamphlet with crude crayon writing. The drawing raised curiosity; was this building supposed to be Hope's Peak Academy? "Welcome ceremony?" I glanced back at the clock. 7:53. 'I'll look for my phone later then'.

My shoes clicked against the floor, echoing throughout the hall. I spotted a sign beside a metal gate-like door labelled "Hotel Despair". 'Ironic' I continued to the door of the neighboring classroom. My hand froze over the handle at the sound of shoes scuffing against the tiles. Instead of rushing in, I timidly knocked my knuckles against the wood, "Hello?" I hesitantly slid the door open. An average-looking boy stood at the podium, reading the same crude pamphlet.

"Are you a student too?" He approached me, eager to understand what was going on.

"Student?" I didn't believe this place could be the prestigious academy, nor could I figure out why I was here. I had no memory of receiving an acceptance letter, "Does that mean we're actually in Hope's Peak?"

"I'm not sure," he drifted off in thought. "Anyway, we should get going". With that, we left the classroom and proceeded towards the meeting area. "So...," the boy fidgeted in uncertainty, "My name's Makoto Naegi".

I extended my hand, "Karen Billotte". We exchanged meek grins over shaking hands.

"The Ultimate Fashion Designer, right?"

Oh, thank god someone knows why I'm here! I quickly nodded, "Are you familiar with my work?"

Naegi shook his head, "My sister is. She was excited when I was accepted to Hope's Peak, but I think she was more excited over who I would be classmates with". We laughed, approaching a doorway overflowing with voices.

Several faces turned to us, "You two! Tardiness is unforgivable, especially on the first day of class!" a boy in a military-style white uniform bellowed. I shrugged the scolding off, listening to the others confirm our situation. Including myself, there were sixteen of us and we all woke up to this new reality.

"Well, why don't we introduce ourselves?" A bubbly brunette suggested.

I went from one side of the room to the other, exchanging names and talents, but I couldn't shake the familiarity. Naturally, I instantly connected with Enoshima and Celeste; the fashionably-inclined stick together similar to a coven, even if their appearances vastly differ. I pulled myself away from the girls long enough to meet the last student; a tall blond boy who's back was turned to me. "Pardon me," I tapped his back. I grimaced, holding my breath, when I met the familiar icy glare of Byakuya Togami. "I suppose an introduction isn't necessary," I sighed. The hostile tension that began to brew dissipated when crackling white noise silenced the surrounding voices.

"Is this thing on? Can everyone hear me? Good! Please proceed to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience!" The overly cheery voice quickly disappeared, taking the crackling with it. 

'Murder?' With every gaze I met, my heart raced at the amount of fear and hostility I saw. "Okay, you got us! Joke's over, right?" Hagakure laughed as if the barricades and discussion weren't reason enough to worry.

"If you honestly think this is a 'special welcome ceremony', you're dumber than I thought," I spat back.

"Who the fuck cares?" Owada strode past, crouching in front of Monokuma. "You think you can keep me here? Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

"What are you gonna do? Impale me with that pompadour?" Owada growled with anger, lifting the bear by the neck and spewing threats. Monokuma waved his arms around, "Violence against the Headmaster is strictly prohibited!" The bear went still as an alarm blared, slowly picking up in speed. When the gang leader finally listened to Kirigiri's instructions, we ducked as the bear exploded mid-air.

Finally, the gravity of the situation began to click. "The lack of intelligence is astonishing," Togami mocked.

"Just like your lack of emotion," I smirked, watching Owada charge towards Togami. This wasn't the first time Togami had triggered someone's temper to go off, but I was surprised to see Naegi intervene. He hadn't tried to make the encounter worse, but Owada redirected his fist towards Naegi, landing him sprawled across the gym floor. Maizono and I rushed to Naegi's side; as we prepared to carry Naegi back to his room, I glanced back at Togami and shook my head. 'Causing trouble for others...he hasn't changed'.