Danganronpa: Breaking Hope/Prologue

## Story

My name is Satoru Shinoda. Known by many as the Super High School Level Detective. I don't consider my talent to be very special, because I know there have been many others before me. What caught me by surprise was when I had been accepted into Hope’s Peak Academy as the Super High School Level Detective. I didn't think I was any good at this and I just felt confused, but my parents and just kept congratulating me like if none of this was odd. I was only a helper investigator at my old school, which is a level too low to be accepted into Hope's Peak. Although I thought this was a mistake, my family encouraged me to go.

But Hope's Peak seemed further than I expected. Last I saw the building, it was on a location where everyone would look up at it, take pictures, point their finger at the highest peaks of the school...no pun intended. According to what I'm seeing, it is in a more empty and rural place. Sort of. Maybe suburban, but that's not what matters. Maybe they had relocated, I thought to myself in utter speculation.

Despite the excitement of my sister Marise who would enter as the Super High School Level Actor (who by the way, absolutely deserved it), I was worried. I'm not that special of a student, and my talent isn't even special either. Six years ago, there was a reported mysterious comeback of three teenagers who supposedly died years earlier. One of those three was Shuichi Saihara, another Super High School Level Detective. What makes me worry is our similar looks and how people might assume that I am Shuichi. Hell, I don't even know where Shuichi even is right now. If I suddenly appeared and everyone starts assuming that I am Saihara, then things aren't going to go very well. At all. I just want to be my own person, but I just can't seem to be able to do that. But I don't want to let anyone down. I don't want to be known as some chump who dodged a chance to attend one of the best schools known in Japan. Maybe, that way I could find a real talent I'm passionate about. Maybe there's hope. This opportunity could rewrite my possible future.

I raised my head back up and looked around preparing to get off the train. I scooted near the door so I could get a head start out of the bus and into the school grounds. Once the train stopped, though, I just stood there, in fear, frozen. I was standing in the middle of a crowd full of students parading their way out of the train. Seconds later, someone was snapping their fingers in my ear.

"Hey, Satoru. You good?"

I turn around.

"M-Marise."

"Come on, you chump! We're here!"

I follow my sister out of the train. I look around and only three other students were walking towards Hope's Peak, as the hundreds of others were walking across a bridge towards another school.

"So..how many are going in?"

"As far as I know, there are sixteen students in each class."

We stood in front of the doors of the school. Marise smiled at me, and I just kept staring at the door. I was worried to the point that I wanted to return home. Instead, I distracted myself with a pink slip on the door.

"What's that pink slip on the door? Hm..cooking classes commence next week on April 3rd, 20XX. Hey, that's in two days!"

"I'd like to go. But Satoru, we'd better get in."

Marise without hesitance pulls the door open. She puts her foot in, and she is suddenly out cold.

"Marise?"

I look inside and everything distorts.

"What's going on???"

I begin to see darkness. My breath starts running out. Nobody is around, Marise is on the floor and I'm desperate for air. It's over. I knew this wasn't a good idea. This academy I was invited to has killed me and my sister. I collapsed in the frame of a second.

"Where am I? H..Huh? What is this? My hands...blood. Blood isn't good... I can't see.."

I lifted my unusually heavy upper body up from the floor. The rest continued to lay down.

"It doesn't seem like anybody is around...Hello?!"

I finally get myself to stand up. I realize I've been holding my breath the entire time I was awake. I peer around the room. I see a bunch of desks scattered around the room, some thrown in random places. Books were all over the floor and a poster with a kid's face was attached to the blackboard. I looked down to see that there were smears of red paint on the floor.

"What the hell... this must be a classroom of some sort..."

"What were you going to expect? Of course. Look everywhere, there are desks and chairs and–"

"Yeah, I know that––wait, who's there?"

"I see you have awoken. Good day. Or night, I have no idea what time it is. My name is Yukari Watanabe but you may call me Yuka. I'm known by friends and administrators as the **Ultimate Conspiracist**."

I think to myself, *such a formal lady..*

"Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Yuka. My name is...uh, Satoru Shin...oda. Yes. The **Ultimate**.....**Detective**"

I stutter, in embarrassment for forgetting my name.

"Apologies. I'm not very well informed about this place."

"Neither am I. I was walking into Hope's Peak Academy and I landed here."

"Yuka? Are you in here?"

We look to the door out of the room which over time, got lighter in brightness. A feminine student popped into the room.

"Oh, hi. You finally woke up."

"Hello. I'm Satoru Shinoda, the **Ultimate Detective.**"

"Nice to meet you, Shinoda. I'm Ushio Watari, the... the **Ultimate Crossdresser**..."

"Wait, so..."

"Yes... I'm... a male..."

"Alright. Okay. Yep. That's cool. Very interesting. How–"

"Really?"

"Uhm–"

"Why don't you try and respect people's preferences?"

"I'm sorry, I just–"

"It's fine, I'm used to it–"

"I've never seen a crossdresser before."

"Well, why would you creep and wonder about–"

"Yuka, it's fine. Shinoda, I think I'm one of the only crossdressers around to actually...tell people without getting embarrassed or whatever? I don't know. People don't talk much anymore."

"That is certainly true. Uhm, we've been here for a while, let's go see who else could be here."

We all ran out of the room, hoping to find a. I am immediately engulfed in the brightness of the hallway lights. Along with Yuka and Ushio, I run across various hallways, past many doors and classrooms.

"You guys, hear anything?"

"Nope."

"I hear a slight bustle from this area."

"Wait, what?!"

"Wait never mind...that's the hum of the lights..."

"Alright. Instead of all going into one room at the same time, let's all go into separate rooms but not too far from each other got it?"

"We don't know much about this place. Shinoda, what if there are traps in certain rooms?"

"Why would anyone want to do that?"

"I know a thing or two because...I've seen...a thing or two..."

"You haven't heard of Shuichi coming back from the dead or something with Himiko and Maki?"

"Who knows... they could be lurking..."

We continue walking. I pray for a water fountain, as we've been walking for ages now. I feel like I can't walk any longer when I hear noise coming from the floor.

"Guys? Is it just me or am I hearing stuff from the ground?"

"Satoru. Ushio. Down here."

Yuka leads us down a staircase. Down the stairs is a large double-door.

"I suppose this is the gym, and there are people in there."

"Alright. Let's go guys."

Me and Ushio push open the doors as Yuka stays behind us.

"Satoru?"

I open my eyes after keeping them shut tight before entering the gymnasium. In front of me is my boyfriend Sora.

"Wait Sora, YOU'RE here too?!"

We both greet each other with a 'secret' handshake or whatever they call those.

Once Yuka peeked in the gym, she had a relieved look on her face.

"Does anyone have an explanation of where we are?"

**TBC At the Moment**