Despairing Hope [Goodbye Despair: Danganronpa 2 x Male Reader]

Prologue - 4

It waved its wand around in the air and the room was filled with a pink, sparkling light. The walls of the classroom and everyone started to panic when the roof of the room suddenly ripped apart like paper, taking the walls down with it.

A bright light so blinding that everyone had to shut their eyes just to keep their retinas undamaged filled the used-to-be classroom and when we all opened them again...

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

"Holy crap."

The soft sound of crashing waves and a sunny sky were waiting for us.

We were standing on a beach.

We were standing on...a beach?

We were also still standing on the classrooms' 'floor' but...a tropical atmosphere was there as soon as we regained our senses. I flipped. Like, I almost cried. A mixture of confusion, fear, excitement, and anger all rushed to my head, nearly tear-inducing.

Average Joe barely whispered a quiet, "What...the hell is this?" that started off a chain reaction. Oui chef looked cheeky muttering, "Um..." However, that oblivion fell apart as what just happened sank in, his hands going up to grab his slicked hair in terror. "Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-WhA-WHA-WHAT!?"

He wasn't the only one reaching up for something to grab, Beanie Shark gripped his beanie while looking around, hastily confirming, "This is a joke...right?" The girl with dyed hair and sharp bangs started crying. "Wh-Where are we!?"

Everybody was either panicking or sobbing, some had even stopped responding. Usami was trying to get us all to calm down, comforting us with the fact that we were on a sunny coast. A sunny coast we had no recollection of traveling to.

Door Keeper #1 turned to the rabbit, her red eyes showing confusion as she pleaded, "Hold on, give us the details...! Where in the world are we?" Usami blankly stared at her. "'Where,' you ask...? Well. obviously we're..." Suddenly it giggled finishing, "'Out where it's better, out where it's wetter!' Out by the sea!"

Another girl spoke up. "I-I understand this is the sea, but...what are we doing here?!"

"You know...your throat's gonna get hoarse if you keep screaming like that."

What a great way to avoid the question.

Putting her hands together in front of her chest nervously, the girl with the frilly dress stuttered, "But...we were just at school and now we are by the sea... This is impossible..." Usami put its arms out, as if gracing us with its presence. "Please do not worry. The school trip has just started, that's all!"

I didn't know how to react to that other than to ask more questions. "W-what about school!? Why didn't we get an email about this for Christ's sake?!" The rabbit seemed like it was thinking of an answer, mumbling, "Ah Hope's Peak Academy? Hmmm...right, right... You guys are probably all sticking to the fact that today is your first day at Hope's Peak Academy... In that case,

"Forget about Hope's Peak Academy! That's why we're having this school trip!" Shocked and angry responses came in an instant to Usami's words.

"...Huh?"

"The hell do you mean we should forget about it!?"

"Hey...what are you? Just what are you scheming?"

Usami recoiled in fear, putting its hand to its chin while sweating nervously. "Wha-Wha-Whaaat!? I'm not scheming anything! I'm doing this for everyone's sake! I'm praying from the bottom of my heart that hope will grow within everyone's heart! There's nothing dangerous on this island whatsoever! So please, there is no need to worry at all!"

What do you mean 'hope'? How is this for everyone's sake? Worry about what!? It's not like we're living here... I'm hoping. The boy with the long green jacket and white waves of hair repeated, "Island...? Did you just say 'island'?" Usami held its staff close to its chest and beamed.

"Yup, and it certainly is beautiful. It was prepared just for us, an island free from other people and danger." I was going to ask a question but someone else beat me to it. "Are you saying...this island is uninhabited?" Once again, dread casually came and sat in the bottom of my stomach, most likely to become a frequent visitor.

Taking a step back, the guy with the jacket spoke again, putting an arm up in some sort of defense as he asked, "Perhaps...you brought us to this uninhabited island to make us kill each other...!?" I scoffed. That was a far-fetched guess and completely random.

Usami seemed baffled too, stammering, "Ha-wa-wa!? K-kill each other!? Nuh-uh! No way! Bloody business, like causing violence or inflicting pain, is a big n-no on this island!" I turned to face the guy again, pointing out, "It also just said we were safe from danger."

He hesitantly nodded in understanding, returning to a somehow neutral standing position, making me wonder if he already forgot that Usami just told us we were alone on a random island.

"Even the world 'kill'... Just saying it horrifies me!" As if to proof a point it started trembling and covered its ears in fear, exclaiming, "Kyaah! So scary!" The boy in the white suit that always had something to say, asked, "Then...what is this 'school trip' you mentioned? What do you intend for us to do on this island?"

Suddenly, Usami was back to its happy-go-lucky self, raising its paw in the air as it cheered, "All righty! I shall announce it to everyone right now! While you all relax on your on this island paradise, you must get along and strengthen your bonds with one another!

That is the main rule of this heart-throbbing school trip!" Door Keeper #2 repeated in surprise, "'Heart-throbbing school trip'...?" Usami nodded and continued, twirling around by itself. "Spend these peaceful and relaxing days nourishing hope and lazing about, free from pain, free from suffering... Truly, this lovey-dovey heart-throbbing school trip is..."

The rabbit did a final spin before hopping up and down happily, ending with, "...everyone's homework!" The brown haired kid shouted, "What the hell does that even mean...!?" Usami stood with its arms up and completely ignored his question. "Now, then! Let the heart-throbbing school trip begin!"