#Terukado but Teruya has yet to reciprocate

[ninjagirlstar5]

Protag Teruya AU - Prologue Part 1 - The Beach Intro

Finally deciding to post snippets of the prologue of the Protag Teruya AU! I’m getting closer to finishing the prologue in it’s entirely so once that is done, I’m gonna post it on AO3 and then share it from there. The Tumblr parts will be cut up and shorter than the updates on the AO3 for those who prefer shorter and more digestible updates. The AO3 version is for those who like to sit down for longer reads.

No TWs apply to this current post.

The Mart (Part 2) | The Park (Part 3) | The Tower (Part 4) | The Cottage (Part 5) | The Boardwalk (Part 6) | The Beach Episode (Final)

Prologue Part 2 Beginning

Next Acts: [Act I] The Price of a Forged Bond

[Edit]DISCLAIMER: So, I’ve been discussing things with some mutuals and I decided to update the tags and formally put up this disclaimer. If you read the tags, you’ll notice I put the Sannotori tag (although Teruya won’t be reciprocating just yet). I just wanna put this up as I want to be honest with ya’ll. I know Sannotori isn’t really well-liked due to canon events of SDRA2 between Teruya and Mikado (which makes sense since Mikado is literally the mastermind and Teruya wouldn’t like him at all and considering Chapter 5...yeah, I can tell this ship is usually problematic). At least, from what I can tell. But while I love the enemies to lovers trope, especially when it comes to these two, their relationship in this is nothing like the canon dynamic as Mikado isn’t as bad as he was in canon and that the ship will be in this AU. So I will be using the Sannotori tag going forward, especially whenever their dynamic is in the Tumblr update.

The Protag Teruya AU was inspired by @/anotherprofessional’s post! Beware of Void spoilers though!

It all felt like a dream.

It had to be, because he couldn’t believe what had happened.

What happened…?

He — wasn’t sure. He couldn’t — think.

It was just — hard.

Hard to breathe.

Hard to think.

It was cold.

And yet, he felt hot.

With no one there to comfort him.

All alone in this suffocating place.

This couldn’t be happening.

He can’t let this be happening.

He made a promise to them.

A promise to himself, for all the pain he’s been put through…

It hurts.

It…

      hurts…

                   H e l p.

-♥-

“Sir…?”

He twitched.

That was the first thing he sensed in his mind.

The second thing was the sounds of something crashing and rolling against the ground.

‘Waves…?’ His mind supplied, with an instinct reminding him that something was wrong.

“Sir.”

He cringed, his face scrunching up at the loud sounds.

Something coarse and dry was underneath him, uncomfortable and yet warm. Almost comfy with the heat beaming down on him.

“Sir!”

He grit his teeth at the sound of the voice. He wanted to keep lying down on the ground. Which was sand. Definitely sand, yeah. When he finally gave in and opened his eyes, light burned bright in his vision and he had to close them again. Something soft brushed along his forehead and it encouraged him to open his eyes one more time, squinting as he let his vision adjust. A bright blue sky greets him with the sun beaming down on him. But that wasn’t the only thing that met his gaze.

A man was kneeling over him with a strange white mask with its amused, almost mischievous expression painted over in red. If he wasn’t already laying down on the ground, he would’ve leaned away from the frightful image before him. The cape and hat did nothing to lessen the effect of the man’s appearance, with a sun emblem attached to the hat and a clasp keeping his cape around his shoulders. And then the mask blinked and he felt his heart drop in his stomach.

“I believe it is rude to stare, sir.” The man’s voice was deep and masculine, kindly in tone but still creepy with the way his mask shifts as if it were speaking. He opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was awkward sounds that couldn’t form words. The mask blinks again before shifting into an entirely different expression of its own free will: awkward concern. “Ah, am I making you uncomfortable?”

“Y…Y-Yes…” His own voice was a lot more awkward than he expected, but it was his and he accepted it. He thought it was rude to admit it, but he’d rather put as much distance as he can from the man before him. And that mask was not helping, with the way it moves like an actual face. With that one word, the man puts distance between them, lifting his face away from his own.

“I apologize. I sometimes get a little too close to others despite being quite picky with touch.” The man then scratches at the back of his head, the cape lifting with the movement to reveal his outfit underneath. Which was a lot more simple compared to the eccentric creepiness of the mask and strange cape and hat combo: a white button-up with unbuttoned cuffs and white gloves, a double-sided orange tie, black trousers and brown slip-on shoes. The mask suddenly changes to look more cheerful with an open mouth and pointy eyelids, and he lifts both of his arms up. “Ah, perhaps I should give you a demonstration of my magic!”

“Your…magic?” He could feel a bit more strength coming back to his voice and his muscles, to the point that he decided to test out his body. It wasn’t all that difficult to prop up his elbows and lift himself up slightly. The mask looked pleased.

“Yes! And it’s nothing like those parlor tricks those fake magicians do to entertain. Mine is very much real, mister…?” He trails off, tilting his head as he puts down one of his hands onto his lap. It took him a moment to realize that the man was asking him for his name and he hesitated. He didn’t want to give away his name to this stranger, let alone one that claimed to specialize in magic. What if he steals it with his magic? His name is important, it’s his identity, he…

…he’s drawing a blank.

He sat there, trying to search his brain for something, anything that resembled a name. Something to call himself so people would know who he is. Anything that would fit just right for him.

And yet, nothing.

“I…I can’t remember.” His eyes widened and he raised his tanned hand to his face. At least his body felt familiar but anything else about himself didn’t feel right. No, he felt nothing at all. Just one big blank in his memories and a past that had slipped away from him without another word. It was then that the panic started to settle in. “I-I can’t remember! I can’t, I can’t…!”

“Sir, calm down, please.” The man beside him moves to settle his hands on his shoulders, his mask morphing into its own wide-eyed expression. He flinched at the touch and tried to lean away but the man didn’t let go. He instead squeezed him in a surprisingly gentle way, his thumb rubbing circles into his shoulders. He hesitates, his brain telling him to distrust the stranger before him. But his gut wanted the comfort the man was offering and he quickly caves in to his feelings. He took deep breaths to calm himself and once he did, he raised one of his hands to hold the man’s. The mask blinks at the touch before he quickly pulls away, once again putting space between them. He blinked his own eyes in surprise at the reaction. “…Now that you’ve calmed down, we can continue our discussion. You said you can’t remember. Do you mean your name or…?”

"I…" He swallowed. "I can't remember anything."

Not his name.

Not his family.

Not his friends.

Not even his own home.

He knew the concepts of all of those words, but it's like his brain discarded any memories or meaning by forgetting everything that could relate to them.

It was frustrating.

And it was upsetting.

A sound of flames appearing and disappearing greeted his ears and he looked up to see the man holding out a handkerchief. He sniffled and realized his eyes had watered to the point of shedding tears. Fully embarrassed, he mutters his thanks before taking the handkerchief and rubbing his eyes.

"You may keep that if you'd like." The man said gently, his mask somehow softening up its expression. He wondered if it felt as soft as it looked. "It seems you have amnesia and for that, I’m sorry for your loss of identity. I'd suggest a name, but perhaps I should leave that to you?"

"Please." He said it without thinking. But now that he did, he realized he didn't want a random stranger to name him whatever they wanted. He wanted the choice to choose for himself, even if it was only a temporary name. The mask blinked at him and he realized he should probably clarify. "Please let me choose. At my own pace."

"Very well!" The man then claps his hands together. "Ah, I should introduce myself! I am the great Mikado Sannoji, the Ultimate Wizard that bends the very forces of nature to his will!" He spreads his hands out in a dramatic fashion. And, against all odds, it made him snort at the sight. The mask turns back into its cheerful smile. "Ah, there's a smile! I do hope we get along, sir."

"Uh…me too." He said a bit awkwardly. He still found the man, Mikado Sannoji, strange but he was friendly enough and seemed to care about his lack of memories. He sat up, looking around with his gaze as he took in the warm sand, the ocean waves crashing against the beach and palm trees swaying in the wind. It was very warm here, not necessarily sweltering but it was enough to get him to fan his face with his hands. "Are we…on an island?"

"Oh, an astute observation! At least you seem to be functioning well." Mikado said, and he couldn't help but side-eye him with slight annoyance. The wizard just scratched the back of his head with his mask shifting into a more goofy expression. It even stuck its tongue out somehow! "Do not take offense, that was merely a compliment. Do you wish to meet the others?"

"Others?" His eyes widen and he brings his legs closer to himself. "There are other people here??"

"Yes. I passed by them but I didn't feel like talking to them. Too many people can feel…suffocating." Mikado's mask shifts into a more downtrodden and flat expression, the eyelids nearly closing together. "But I suspect that the group must have dispersed at this point. All that will be left is us and our own introductions."

“I…see.” He sat there for a moment to take in the information. There were people nearby, which might mean they could know him. Perhaps even give him a hint of who he is and what his name was. But if they didn’t know who he was, then all he can do is integrate himself into the group as best as he can until he can see a doctor for his amnesia. Hopefully, he could recover his memory in full once he does. “Then, I’ll join you.” He slowly gets onto his feet, his legs aching as if they haven’t been moved in forever. But despite the soreness he was able to stand without much trouble. Mikado followed him up and it was then that he realized that the wizard looked to be almost a half a foot shorter than him. His mask then shifts into a grin.

“Would you like a mirror? It’d be a shame to let your handsomeness go unaware.” Mikado leaned forward, his tone of voice registering in his head which only made him baffled. Flattered, but baffled. He didn’t think now was the time to be flirting with each other. He just realized he has amnesia and lost so much in just the span of a few minutes.

…Still, it’s not like he remembers what he looks like. The best he could see was the clothes he wore and the color of his skin, but nothing of his face.

“...Sure. I’d like one.” He said, slowly nodding. Mikado eagerly rubbed his hands together.

“As you wish, my dear.” The wizard raised his hands and did the unthinkable.

His hands glowed red and the sand between them rose and burned from the flames that formed before him. His eyes grow wide at the sight of magic, literal magic, being performed right there in front of him. And before he knew it, the sand Mikado was bending with the fire dancing from his fingers formed into a thin, clean sheet of glass that reflected an image of a person. It took him a little longer to realize that the man standing before him was himself.

The man had grown out silver hair, his bangs framing his round angular face below his chin and covering his forehead. He had a pretty tall ahoge, probably a few centimeters at least, and his hair was tied into a low ponytail that hung off the side of his head. He blinked his green eyes, round and almond-shaped and his tanned skin was dotted with freckles all over his cheeks and arms. He wore a red shirt that had its sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a collar that reached his sternum, showing off his collar bones and a decent amount of skin. Gray trousers that were rolled up above his ankles, dark brown flats with a light brown ribbon tied around them and a black short-sleeved jacket that had a collar and two buttons that had a happy face and a sad face with a rainbow sewn onto its bottom. Just seeing that rainbow brought a smile to his face. He also had pilot goggles strapped to his head and a blue scarf wrapped around his neck, which somehow brought pangs of sadness in his chest. He couldn’t help but wonder why. He also had a small light brown backpack, and bits of jewelry on him like the green beaded necklace, different kinds of bracelets that were red, blue, black and gold on one wrist and a golden wristwatch on the other.

All things considered, despite the inappropriate timing with Mikado’s flirting, he did look pretty handsome. And clearly he had pretty good taste in fashion, so at least he wasn’t walking around like he was some sort of disaster. Or worse, butt naked.

That would’ve been so much more awkward.

Unfortunately, his clean appearance did nothing to give him any hints of what he’s been through before he lost his memory. He didn’t even look like he had washed up on shore after surviving a shipwreck. Unless his bag…

He hastily took off his bag, ripping it open to reveal–

–absolutely nothing.

“What? That’s it??” He even turned the bag over for good measure, just to see if anything would fall out. But alas, nothing came out. It was as empty as his eyes perceived it.

“…I see. Not even a wallet was left behind. Which could be its own dilemma, but one thing at a time.” Mikado said, once again rubbing the back of his head with a downer expression on his mask. He just slumped his shoulders and accepted that an easy answer wasn’t just going to fall onto his lap. He puts the bag back on and Mikado’s mask smiles again and drops his arms. It’s almost creepy with how wide the smile was. “Now, let us make our way to the cruise ship.”

“The what??” He gaped. He had a feeling he knew what a cruise ship was but his brain was coming up with a blank on what one looked like.

“Fufufu, never been on a cruise ship before?” The wizard’s mask stuck his tongue out. “Actually, neither have I! Nor do I remember getting on one either.”

“You…don’t?” The information that was just casually dropped onto his lap suddenly made his stomach turn. Mikado’s mask shifted from goofy to serious in a matter of seconds.

“Yes. And while I haven’t spoken to anyone personally, I did overhear the group discuss how they got here as I left. It seems that no one else knows why we’re here or how. Which seems to spell trouble for us all…” Mikado trails off, staring at his paling face. “But like I said before, one thing at a time. Let us introduce ourselves and then gather the group together to one spot to exchange information. How does that sound?”

“That…” He gulps, trying to push down the anxiety in his throat. “That sounds like a good idea. Where should we gather the group?”

“Hm…The cruise ship has a dining area. We can use that.” Mikado then gestured with his hand to follow him. He did since he didn’t have a better plan than this. He glanced at the water as it ascended and descended across the sand and he can’t help but wonder where in the world he could be. The lack of memories only made him even more nervous. There was a sign nearby that gave him the name of the island though: Utsuroshima, The Isle of Nowhere.

He feels a sense of deja vu settle onto his shoulders, but it was accompanied with a feeling of dread. Why, he didn’t know. But he kept his guard up as he followed Mikado to the ship.

Which was absolutely huge.

The ship was docked along the shore, painted in a bizarre way that somehow reminded him of a bird, albeit one that was half white and half black. Words were painted on the side of the ship and it read out “Monocruise.” He still felt very uneasy at what’s going on, but it didn’t change how magnificent it all looked.

“Whoa…” He said, gaping at the sight. Mikado chuckled at his reaction and walked up to the bridge. Up ahead was someone with ginger hair in a brown and gray school uniform, seemingly staring at the door with their hand against it. He tilts his head at the sight, wondering why that person was simply standing on the bridge and not going inside. He quickly matched his pace with Mikado and called out. “Hey, aren’t you going to head inside?” The person jolted at the sound of his voice and turned around-

Messy hair and bored eyes stared down at him as he spoke words that filled him with a crushing sense of despair. He could only stand there and stare back, unable to come up with a rebuttal as he smiled almost in satisfaction.

Cruel, despairing satisfaction.

And he felt like his entire world was uprooted with that single betrayal.

“-are you okay? Hey!” A voice, light but masculine reached his ears and it sounded more like concern than cruelty. He blinked his eyes, ignoring the way the sweat rolled down his forehead and the pit in his stomach growing ever more. The young man before, who couldn’t be older than a freshman in high school, had hair that was far neater with the way it curled and wore a simple brown blazer, red tie, white button-up with a tan vest, gray pants and brown slip-on shoes. And yet, everything about him just felt off, like a bunch of red flags had been thrown in the air yelling ‘don’t trust him, don’t trust him, don’t trust him.’

“Sir? Please answer the question. You look pale.” Mikado stepped into his view but didn’t get any closer to him, as if he was giving him space. It was only then that he realized his mouth was hanging wide open and he snapped it shut. He gulps.

“S-Sorry, I, uh…” He struggled to form words. He wanted to be honest and tell them how he really feels, but everything in his mind was telling him to keep his distrust a secret. That this is someone he couldn’t trust with himself. But…still. He had to ask. “Have we…have we met before?”

“Er…no. I’m sorry, I don’t think we have.” The young man looked him up and down for good measure before awkwardly smiling. “I mean, I feel like I’d recognize you by how you dress alone.”

“Yes, you certainly stand out with that hair and garish rainbow on your jacket.” Mikado said as blunt as a brick and he gasped. But he didn’t feel offended. If anything, he felt like he was taking it in stride, like this is a pretty normal response.

“Hey, I think I look pretty great!” He puts his hands on his hips with a pout. The young man smiled a little.

“I mean, it’s not a bad look, but you certainly stand out. Ah!” The young man scratches his cheek. “Sorry for the late introduction. I’m Yuki Maeda, this year’s Ultimate Lucky Student.” He instinctively cringed at the name, clearly ringing a bell but once again, any sort of memory he tries to reach out for slips through his fingers like sand. Yuki blinked his eyes but seemed to have dropped it for the moment.

…Hold on a minute.

“‘This year’s ‘Ultimate Lucky Student?’ What does that mean…?” He asked, his confusion clearly written on his face. Yuki’s eyes go wide in surprise while Mikado’s expression flattens as if he had just come to a realization.

“Y-You don’t know? Hope’s Peak Academy is famous around the country!” Yuki exclaimed, raising his hands. He felt a jab of shame at not knowing even common knowledge like this. Although it did sound familiar…and yet he felt a mixture of fondness and detest. He felt like a confused, floundering mess.

“Perhaps I should have mentioned this sooner. Our fellow student currently has amnesia. He doesn’t even know his own name.” Mikado spoke up, his mask shifting to one of sympathy, his eyes downturned and his mouth shifting into a squiggly frown. He lifted his hand up to press his fingers against his mask. Yuki, on the other hand, looked a lot more embarrassed.

“O-Oh! I’m sorry, I, uh, didn’t know.” He just sighed and slumped his shoulders with a nod. As much as he didn’t want to admit it upfront, he knew it was inevitable if he can’t even introduce himself. Yuki just tried to smile awkwardly. “Would you like it if I told you more?”

“Uh, yeah, that would be helpful. Thanks, Yuki.” He tried to give him his best smile but it didn’t shake off the anxiety that clung to him.

“Well, Hope’s Peak Academy is a world-famous school that has produced many famous and talented people in its long history. A school that only the best, most talented students get to attend. It isn’t an exaggeration to call it the ‘School of Hope.’” Yuki starts his explanation, and the more he talks, the more familiar this school sounds. Mikado formed a few tiny shards of ice, spinning them around to keep himself occupied. “There are two conditions to enter the school: one, you must be in high school. Two, you must be the best at your given talent. Only students who have been scouted to come to the school can attend…” He pauses before frowning. “And today was the first day of school.”

“That’s today?” He asked, blinking his eyes in surprise. He didn’t know the date, but if what Yuki’s said was true, then they should all be in school, right?

So…why were they here instead?

“Yeah, heh…” Yuki scratched his cheek, sweating a little. “Well, except for me. I just won a lottery.”

“Oh, lucky you.” The tease came to him without a second. Mikado snorts while Yuki blinks before grinning a little bit wider. It was then that the wizard let the ice fall into his hand before crushing it into dust.

“Now that you’re caught up to speed on Hope’s Peak Academy and what Ultimates are…Mr. Maeda, I am Mikado Sannoji, the Ultimate Wizard!!” Mikado exclaimed with dramatic flair and an excited expression, suddenly tossing up dust of ice into the air and–

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He and Yuki jumped at the sounds but the brief flashes of light and fire quickly soothed and delighted both of them. It almost looked like…fireworks?

Yeah, fireworks.

It was only a brief moment but it was a wonderful sight and drove home what Mikado’s Ultimate Talent was in just a few seconds.

“Wow, an actual Ultimate Wizard…? I didn’t even notice the ice you made.” Yuki said with wonder. Mikado just gave him a flat stare before shrugging and giving him a bow anyway. He then looked at him and he suddenly felt subconscious. “So, uh…what should I call you, mister…?”

“Uh, first of all, don’t call me mister. It makes me feel old.” He scratches the back of his neck. He knows he’s pretty tall but he didn’t look much older than Yuki. Or even Mikado, if he could see his face. “And secondly, um…I’d…like to come up with a name on my own. Okay?”

“Oh, okay! If you say so.” Yuki dropped his hand and started to mutter to himself. “Although I’ll have to figure out what to call you until then…”

“Moving on…What were you doing out in front of the Monocruise? You looked confused.” Mikado moved the subject onto something new. Yuki blinked his eyes before realizing what he meant.

“Oh, well…I tried to enter the Monocruise but…it seems to be locked?” The eyes of Mikado’s mask go wide.

“Locked?” As if to test the door himself, Mikado walked up and tried it. Only to get resistance as the sounds of the door jamming greets their ears. “Ah…a shame. So much for using the dining room to gather everyone in one spot.”

“Can’t you use your magic to get in?” He asked. He wouldn’t be surprised if Mikado could do that. Magic can do anything, right?

“Well, I can.” Mikado admits without a second thought, turning around with a shrug. His expression flattens. “But the mode of transportation I can use is only made for one person. If I tried to bring one of you with me, well…” His mask morphs into a sinister grin with sharp teeth. “You might lose a limb or two.”

“Uhhh, okay then. Good to know.” He said agape, sweat rolling down his forehead. Yuki looked similarly disturbed.

And then Mikado laughed, raising his hands up with his mask forming into his energetic smile.

“Just joking! Mostly. To be frank with you, I’ve never brought anyone with me when I teleport, so I have no idea if it’ll be safe for you.” Mikado’s mask softened into his regular, wide smile. The brief horror he felt quickly morphed into exasperation. Yuki tugged on his tie, looking like he couldn’t come up with anything to say to that. “...Wow, tough crowd. No matter. Do you have an idea of where we could gather everyone, Mr. Maeda?”

“Ah…Hmm…” Yuki raised a fist to his chin in thought. “How about the beach? There’s enough space here for…sixteen people and it’s not that far from the Monocruise.”

“Ah, the beach…the one I found our classmate here…That will do, thank you. Shall we leave you to your investigation and gather everyone in, say, two hours or so?” Mikado asked. Yuki was already nodding his head.

“I, uh, think that sounds good. I don’t have a watch though…” Yuki glanced at his wrist. He blinked, wondering why he would stare at it before looking down and remembering that, oh yeah, he was wearing a watch.

“Uh, sorry.” He smiles a bit awkwardly. “This is mine.”

“...I guess I’ll just guess the time with the sun’s location??” Yuki looked up at the sky, squinting his eyes. Mikado chuckled before turning on his heel and walking down the bridge.

“Come along, sir. I can see another classmate of ours from here.” Mikado said and he quickly followed after him once he said a quick goodbye to Yuki. Hopefully this classmate won’t give him a heart attack just by existing.

Thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case as the man on the beach didn’t give him any sense of familiarity at all. But he definitely didn’t look like a student at just a glance. He had messy, wavy hair that was graying, tired gray eyes that looked a bit annoyed and a suit that looked very lazily put together. In fact, the white jacket wasn’t buttoned up at all, his black button-up had a few buttons unbuttoned down to his sternum, and a red tie that was so loose that he had to stuff it into his pocket. His white pants were rolled up, revealing hairy legs and was wearing black and white sandals instead of regular shoes. He seemed to be muttering something under his breath, thinking to himself underneath the palm tree. Mikado didn’t hesitate to walk up to him while he was a bit more nervous.

“Greeting and salutations! I am Mikado Sannoji, the Ultimate Wizard! And this is our fellow classmate.” Mikado said, gesturing to him as he spoke. He gives the man a friendly smile.

“Hi, uh…I’m kinda dealing with amnesia right now, so I can’t give you a name until I remember or come up with something.” He explains his current condition with as much nonchalance he could muster. The student, who is probably older than him, didn’t seem to have paid much attention to them. But he did stop muttering, so he must have heard them even as he continued to stare off to the side. They both waited, their stares drilling holes into him before his gaze finally snapped to them.

“What.” He said, clearly annoyed and having shoved his hands into his pockets. He felt a bit embarrassed, feeling like he was bothering his fellow classmate before him. Mikado, however, was nonplussed.

“You’re a fellow Hope’s Peak student, correct? We’re just-” The wizard gets cut off.

“I don’t know any of that crap.” He rolls his eyes, staring off into the sky as if it was way more interesting than the actual wizard and his fellow amnesiac classmate.

“...Really, now. Cause if you’re not from Hope’s Peak…” Mikado’s mask darkens. “Then that means that you may know why we’re here?”

“Huh??” He felt his anxiety spike up again and instinctively took a step back. The older person, however, snapped his gaze back to Mikado and glared at him.

“The hell are you talking about? I have nothing to do with this.” He points to the side of his head. “Here I was, thinking I could live a relaxing island life by myself…but it looks like I’m not alone. And I’m being accused of kidnapping a bunch of students that I really don’t give a damn about.”

“Oh, pardon me, then! You were clearly doing nothing of importance that I thought you were a classmate. Or even the foolish sap that thought it was a good idea to kidnap someone like me.” Mikado huffed with a haughtiness of someone who enjoyed being in control. Looks like he wasn’t very happy when the man put up resistance for a simple conversation. “If you’re just as stuck as the rest of us, a little bit of cooperation would be much more convenient for all, wouldn’t it?”

“And what do I get out of it if I tell you?” The man stuck his finger in his ear, and Mikado cringed at the sight. But his own reaction was different with his jaw hanging wide open.

This guy can’t be serious, can he?

“Wh-What does that mean? Shouldn’t we investigate together?” He spoke up, trying to get at least a little bit of helpfulness from him. But the man just shrugged his shoulders with a smarmy grin.

“Ehh, I don’t have a clue anyway.” The comment only accentuated his own bafflement. He didn’t think someone could be so rude in just a few seconds!

“Well, I never…! No matter your reason, you could at least give a name. Unlike my classmate here, you’re clearly not dealing with amnesia, are you?” Mikado spat it out like he was tasting something awful as he rubbed the side of his head. And he couldn't help but feel a little weird about the blatant mention of his predicament. Especially when it was used in a comparison like this. He was about to tell Mikado that much when the man turned away but kept his gaze onto him.

“Amnesia?” He asked and he looked like he was staring straight through his core. He tried not to shudder.

“Uh, yeah…I haven’t even come up with a name for myself yet…” He confirms. He can’t help but wonder if the guy had even paid any attention at all when they introduced themselves. “Uh, so, we’ve introduced ourselves to the best we could. It’d be polite if you give us your name.”

“...Hm, nah. That shit’s pointless info.” The guy rolls his eyes again before suddenly facing them with a grin. “Cough up a million and I’ll talk. Deal?”

“A million?!” Mikado exclaimed. In fact, his voice was so loud that he barely caught a glimpse of Yuki looking over at them from the beach out of the corner of his eye. Mikado raises his hands into fists and his mask shifts to one of flustered embarrassment. “Even wizards can’t create money out of thin air, you know!! And even if I could, why would I spend that much for just a name?!”

“Just a name? Damn, talk about harsh.” He cracks his neck just by tilting it before looking straight at him. He points to the side of his head again. “A person’s name is worth more than you think. Your name represents everything that you are. No point in wasting time on someone who doesn’t value that.” He then turned on his heel. “If you’re not up for that, scram.” And just like that, he walked away, leaving him with a dilemma that was growing every second.

“Hmph…Who does he think he is? I quite like my name, thank you very much.” Mikado said with a huff, crossing his arms before turning towards him. “Come on. He’ll have to give away his name at some point…”

“Did something go wrong?” He jolts and turns around to see Yuki, who had managed to sneak up to him. He gives him another smile. “Sorry, I noticed that the conversation wasn’t going well.”

“Ahem, yes, well…” Mikado trailed off, scratching the back of his head as he became even more embarrassed. “We didn’t get his name and he made a big deal about it. He even asked for money!”

“Wait…is that why you exclaimed ‘a million?!’ That’s way too much for a name!” Yuki gaped with wide eyes. He felt his mouth dry and he tugged on the scarf around his neck.

“...But he said that a name represents everything that you are.” He looked down at his feet. “And yet, I don’t even know that much.”

“Oh, dear…” Mikado’s voice softens but he doesn’t say anything else. Yuki, on the other hand, speaks up with his own thoughts.

“Um…I’m sure you’ll find out who you are eventually. Or maybe your memory will come back to you with time. Either way, a name…is something you should feel more comfortable with. Even if it isn’t your birth name, it’s something you should choose to keep.” Yuki said, awkward but comforting. The warmth in his chest felt familiar, but there was an undercurrent of unease. He was once again reminded not to trust this student beside him. But the words he said weren’t wrong. If anything, they were gentle and kind.

And he can’t help but take those words to heart.

“...Y-Yeah. Okay.” He gives Yuki a more genuine smile. “Thanks, Yuki. That makes me feel a little better.” He just needed to give himself some time. Even with their unknown situation looming over them all, it hasn’t even been a day and he’s been stressing himself out over his amnesia. Which is understandable, considering his own identity has pretty much gone ‘poof.’ Not even a wallet or an ID to give him an idea of who he is was left behind. He can’t imagine the kind of work he’ll have to go through just to get a legal confirmation of who he is and how much he’s lost in the time before and after he woke up on this island.

But, if there wasn’t anything he could do about it now, then why should he stress so much about it? At this point, he might as well be making a mountain out of an ant hill.

It didn’t mean that he didn’t want to find out who he was - who he is. But there was only so much he could do on an island in the middle of nowhere for the time being.

“Alright, where to next?” He turned to Mikado, a grin plastered on his face. The mask blinked at him before giving him his large smile.

“Well, I saw a large mart nearby during my walk. Why don’t we stop there? You probably haven’t eaten anything, have you?” Mikado said, turning on his heel to walk back the way they came. He was about to deny it but his body had the perfect timing of emanating a growl from his stomach. Yuki chuckled a little, which only made him even more embarrassed.

“I guess my next destination is the mart. I’ll see you around?” He waves and Yuki smiles and gives his own goodbye, going off to search for clues on his own.

[ninjagirlstar5]

Protag Teruya AU - [Act 1] The Price of a Forged Bond - Prologue

Wow, college has been kicking my ass a lot more than I thought it would. At least it's almost over...for now.

TWs: Injuries, Mentions of Blood and Death

AO3 Version

Act I Cover

Chapters Prologue [The Lost of You in a Strange Place]

Disclaimer: While Sannotori is problematic, it’s a thing in this AU/fic and the dynamic is not the same as it is in canon.

The Protag Teruya AU was inspired by @/anotherprofessional’s post! Beware of Void spoilers though!

Slam!

The door to the infirmary of the Monocruise hits the wall as Teruya kicks it open. There, his eyes were greeted with the sight of shelves filled with medical supplies, a trashcan in the corner, chairs, and curtains probably separating the beds from view. He keeps the door open as he beckons everyone in with his hand.

“Come on! The infirmary seems to have everything we need in here.” Teruya said, and everyone starts to file in with Shinji being the first to rush past as he was carrying the still unconscious Mikado in his arms. Everyone else seemed to have entered without a struggle, although Nikei had to lean against Setsuka for support. Just when Teruya was about to close the door behind Yuki though–

“Of course the infirmary would have everything you would need! I would be a neglectful teacher otherwise.” Monocrow suddenly flies through the door, causing Teruya to flinch and falter from closing it on his face. Or rather, beak. He quickly narrows his eyes though as the bird perches himself onto a nearby shelf. “And look what you’ve done to the door! You’re lucky it didn’t break, but was kicking it really necessary?”

“What are you doing here?!” Yoruko, who had to suffer from nearly being blown up like everyone else and looking completely disheveled with her ponytail nearly undone, immediately snaps at Monocrow. She nearly marched right up to the shelf he was perched on with a glare that promised death. “Just go away already! We’ll feel a whole lot better without you around!”

Monocrow goes quiet with his complaints. He didn’t have any pupils but Teruya can tell that he was scanning the class from his vantage point. Eventually, he flaps his wings with a huff.

“Very well. You’re all still alive, which is what matters the most.” Monocrow said, brushing his wing against his beak. “You best rest now as I still have some preparations to put together.” And with those final words, he flies behind the shelf and disappears altogether.

“How…does he even do that?” Yuki asked, gesturing to the spot where Monocrow disappeared. Teruya just shrugs his shoulders.

“I don’t know. And frankly, I don’t care.” He said as he opened up a nearby shelf. As Teruya goes through the shelf, he was able to identify what’s in it: aspirin, band-aids and gauze, antibiotic ointment, a hot/cold pack, creams for itchy rashes, a thermometer, tweezers, cotton swabs and cotton balls, an assortment of over the counter medicine, and uh, condoms as well. For all his grief with the mastermind’s puppet, Monocrow did stock up the shelves with everything they would need for an infirmary. Although there is some odd stuff, like syringes and other medicines he’s not even remotely familiar with. “I may be grateful that there’s an infirmary on the Monocruise, but Monocrow isn’t to be trusted.”

“I agree.” Hajime speaks up. “Although it was weird when he started making a fuss over Hashimoto’s attempt at murder.”

“Who cares? They’re both messed up!” Hibiki buds in. “He was all ‘this kind of violence is not allowed, Mr. Hashimoto!’ But he’s part of the reason why we’re all stuck here!”

“Alright, alright. Let’s not fuss over Monocrow or , uh, Hashimoto. What’s important right now is that we should all patch ourselves up.” Teruya verbally steps in as he pulls out as many of the band-aids, gauze, and painkillers from the shelf as he could, carrying them in his arms. He closes the shelf’s door with his hip. “I have band-aids and painkillers if anyone needs one.”

“And here’s some ice packs I found in the fridge!” It was Shinji, who stepped out behind a curtain with the ice packs in question. “If anyone feels as though something is broken, tell me right away and I’ll see what I can do.”

With their words, everyone gathers around to grab what they need. Some took painkillers, others took a few bandages for their cuts, and Kanade took one of the ice packs. Mikado had been laid out on one of the beds, still out cold from his fight with Kokoro and his cape having been folded up on a nearby chair with his hat set on top. Nikei had also laid down on a bed as well and it was obvious that he was still suffering from his concussion right now, his own hat hanging off of another chair. Thankfully, Shinji had said that it’s probably not severe but he should rest up as much as he can for the rest of the day.

“I can’t believe I’m the only one that has to stay overnight.” Nikei grumbled as he pressed his ice pack against his head.

“Actually, you’re not completely alone. Mikado also has to stay after what just happened.” Emma points out. She puts a band-aid on her cheek, which only makes Nikei frown her way.

“Yeah, sure. It’s not like the unconscious person will have any say in the matter anyways.” Nikei said, sarcasm dripping from his tone of voice. A dry chuckle manages to slip out of Setsuka’s mouth.

“Well, the most important thing is that everyone is alright, right? Nothing's broken or anything?” Setsuka asked, much more serious than before.

“I’ll be fine. It’s mostly thanks to Teruya that the worst I got was a few scratches and bruises.” Yoruko sighs, her arms hanging by her sides. Teruya looks away, trying not to let the praise get to his head. “I’m more concerned about how much my clothes have torn.”

“Don’t worry, Lady Yoruko! You look as fine as ever!” Was Yuri’s inappropriate comment.

“Keep your eyes up here! ” Yoruko snaps, both in tone and with her fingers as she gestured to her eyes. Yuri was completely nonplussed about her anger, smiling from the attention he got from her.

“Hey, uh…Wh-Where is Hashimoto, anyways?” Yuki speaks up, looking around the group. Teruya straightens his posture and does the same. He quickly realizes that Yuki is right: Syobai Hashimoto was nowhere to be seen right now. “I mean, he did get caught up in the explosions with everyone…”

“Wh-Why are you concerned about him?? Didn’t he just try to stab you?” Iroha points out just as Hajime finishes wrapping up her wrist in gauze. Yuki sputters as he raises his hands.

“I-I know! But to be honest…I’m more concerned that we don’t know where he is right now.” Yuki shuffled on his feet, allowing his nervousness to show on his face.

“Well, if he does try to cause trouble again, I’ll kick the shit out of him. No way I’m gonna sit back and let that happen again.” Hajime hissed out. He seems to have become aggravated at the thought of Yuki getting hurt. It was sweet, if a bit concerning with how he looked like he was going to–

“Don’t make such a face! It scares me!” Hibiki said, trying to hide behind her sister at Hajime’s twisted, angry face. The boxer immediately falters at those words and the expression disappears.

“S-Sorry! I just…” He clenches his teeth before grabbing a hold of a nearby chair. Just by holding it so tightly makes the metal creak and warp under his strength. Teruya can’t help but gape. Obviously, Hajime has to be pretty strong as he’s the Ultimate Boxer, but he didn’t think he could do that . “...Just what the fuck was he thinking?”

“I-I don’t know…Maybe he just snapped?” Kanade meekly speaks up as she holds onto her sister tightly. “With wh-what’s happening right now, it’d make sense…”

“K-Kanade, don’t say such a thing…” Setsuka said, but her words felt weak. Like she was still processing what had happened. What they were told. What they’re being forced to do…

“Don’t remind me! To think we’d be forced into a killing game…” Hibiki starts to shake. “How can we trust anyone like this?”

“Hey, don’t say such things. I’m…sure no one would do that…” Emma tries to reason but Nikei narrows his eyes at her.

“Tell that to Hashimoto. I’m sure he’s more than willing to prove you wrong.” He said with a scoff.

“Don’t be rude to Lady Emma, you cur! She is trying to share some trust, and you dare turn her down?” Yuri immediately bites back at Nikei, most likely because he was a guy opposing a girl’s opinion.

“Ex-fucking-scuse me??” Nikei, despite dealing with the concussion he has right now, starts rising from the bed. “I’m sorry, I don’t think you’ve noticed, but someone already tried to kill another and it’s barely been a day! And clearly, he was already messed up considering he slept through most of that damn trial. But who’s to say no one else here will snap under the pressure?”

“What, like you?” Yuri points at him.

“Wha – What the fuck?!” Nikei’s face darkens as he grabs the railing of his bed. Teruya’s heart stutters at the scene.

“Uh, guys?” He starts to speak up.

“Okay, seriously, what’s your problem? You’ve been flip-flopping between worshiping the girls and deriding the guys the whole time we’ve been here.” Hajime said, his naturally strong voice drowning out Teruya’s. He crosses his arms. “Can you at least take this a little bit seriously?”

“Oh, I am aware of what’s going on. But how can I trust any of you men here? We’re all strangers, after all.” Yuri crosses his own arms together, his frown looking more like a pout than a genuinely annoyed one.

“I swear, if you mock me just because I’m a guy one more time –”

“C-Calm down, Hajime! You too, Yuri!” Yuki tries to step in, even physically getting between Yuri and Hajime in the process. “I-I know that things are stressful right now, but surely even strangers wouldn’t be willing to kill someone!”

“B-But…Hashimoto did try to kill you. And we didn’t even know his name until Monocrow mentioned it.” The conversation has once again looped back to Syobai and his actions earlier today thanks to Yoruko’s words. Teruya frowns.

“Guys–”

“O-Oh no…! Everyone’s fighting!” Iroha said, using her sketchbook as a shield to cover her terrified face.

“D-Don’t worry, Iroha. I’m sure no one else will try to kill like Yuki said.” Setsuka steps closer to the painter to gently pat her back.

“Can you really say that for sure?” Kanade turns her attention to the billiards player, her usual soft voice devoid of a stutter.

“I, well…” Setsuka hesitates, her calm demeanor quickly melting from the sudden prod. Kanade flattens her gaze.

“Setsuka…Y-You shouldn’t go around saying things you don’t believe.”

“I – I do mean what I said. It’s just…”

“Setsuka, don’t kid yourself. You don’t trust anyone here just like everyone else.”

“Well, what makes you trustworthy??”

“What – I’m a journalist, Hibiki! It’s my job to find the truth!”

“Ha! Truth means nothing in journalism! All that matters is the gossip you spin in the most interesting way, regardless of the evidence.”

“OH, you son of a–”

“Yuri, if you don’t keep your mouth shut, I’m going to fucking punch you–”

“Try it, you despicable male. I have ways of making you cry for help.”

“W-Wait, that’s too much!”

“Oh no…”

“St-Stop…guuuys, the positivity is sinking…!”

“How can we be positive in a situation like this??”

“I-I…I don’t know! I just want everyone to get along, Yoruko!”

Teruya grits his teeth.

“...You know what? I can’t deal with this, I’m leaving–”

“GUYS!”

“THAT’S ENOOOOOUGH!”

Teruya jumps along with everyone else. The loud, boisterous voice boomed throughout the infirmary and it was no shock to anyone that it belonged to Shinji Kasai. He was pointing at them all and bringing attention to his red, exasperated face. Even Emma, who was about to step out of the group, froze in place. Once everyone was paying attention to him, Shinji lowers his pointer finger and waves towards Teruya.

“Teruya is trying to speak! ” Shinji said, suddenly bringing the spotlight onto the amnesiac. Teruya gaped but it was too late to stop him. They all turned to stare at him now, wondering what in the world he had to say in a situation like this.

And…what could he say, now that he had the stage to himself?

Sure, he was trying to get everyone’s attention. But now that he has it with the help of Shinji, Teruya has absolutely no idea what to say.

But…does it matter that he has no idea what to do?

It’s not like doing nothing is an option.

So, he had to do something.

He had to take a deep breath. Because there are people who were looking at him for some kind of help, even if he couldn't provide everything they needed. People that he needed to guide in some kind of direction.

And so, he breathes in.

And breathes out.

“...Thank you, Shinji.” Teruya said, somehow managing to keep his voice stable without stuttering. The firefighter gives him a grin, one that felt almost encouraging from how bright it seemed. He takes another breath to calm his racing heart. “Guys…I know everything has gone to shit. I’m not gonna pretend that it didn’t. But, that doesn’t mean we should be going at each other’s throats like this.”

“B-But…” Hibiki starts but Teruya stops her with a raise of his hand.

“Be honest with me, you guys. Do you really think arguing and insulting each other will get any of us anywhere?” Teruya lets those words hang over them for a while. It seems like such an obvious thing to realize, but with how high everyone’s emotions were running, none of them seemed to realize the impact of their words until they had this moment to pause and think. They all started exchanging glances with each other, and while Yuri still seemed a little miffed, shame became more visible on everyone’s faces. Teruya sighs. “This…killing game. It’s dangerous. I know that. But instead of hurting each other with words and forming grudges that could get each other killed, we should be working together to escape the killing game. And we can’t do that if we’re constantly accusing each other. Yes, we’re strangers, but that doesn’t mean we’re enemies either. So…the better scenario would be to get along, right?”

The group goes quiet, unpacking the words he spoke. Emma is the first to speak.

“I…don’t know about this.” She admits with a hand on her hip, unable to look anyone in the eye. Teruya starts to deflate.

Of course.

Of course it wouldn’t be that easy to–

“No.” Teruya snaps his head towards Setsuka, her voice strong in her resolve. “No, he’s right. We may be strangers, but that doesn’t mean we have to be enemies either. If we fight with each other, that’s only playing into Kokoro’s hands and thus, this killing game’s end goal. Whatever that is, but surely you guys get what I’m saying, right?”

“I-I do.” Shinji agrees, albeit with a stutter. He puts his hands on his hips and puffs out his chest. “We don’t know what that goal is, but this killing game was made to get us to kill each other, right? That means we can’t let ourselves fall victim to it by fighting. We need to stay strong!” He punches his hand, showing off his shark-like teeth as he smiles.

“Yeah, exactly, big guy!” Setsuka then laughs, her carefree attitude somehow managing to help defuse the tension that has gathered in the atmosphere. “Geez, this is so unlike me! Your Big Sis needing comfort and inspiration from her juniors…Usually, it’s the other way around!”

“Uh, Setsuka? We’re all the same age.” Yuki points out a little flatly.

“Actually, I think Shinji is the oldest out of everyone here.” Hajime said with a raised eyebrow as he turned to look at the firefighter. “Weren’t you held back for a few years due to an injury?”

“Details, details!” Setsuka was quick to brush it off before Shinji could answer. Not that he seemed willing to as her voice was enough to make his face turn a brighter shade of red. Weird. Why does he keep doing that? “What matters is what we do next and that we do it together. Right, Teru?”

“Uh…” Teruya felt himself stiffened at the nickname. It made his heart sink but he tried to keep his focus on the task at hand. “Yeah. Yeah, we should…” Teruya’s eyes wander over everyone in the room and he realizes something: they all had this tired look in their eyes. Not only that, their injuries were probably aching now that the situation had calmed down somewhat. “...Actually, we should all rest. We’re all hurt and beaten emotionally…and I think we’re all still processing what the hell just happened, right?”

“Y-Yeah…” Kanade murmured quietly.

“Everything was happening all at once, huh?” Yoruko’s arms hang by her side as she closes her eyes.

“A killing game, Kokoro’s betrayal, those people, um, gone, Mikado’s fight, and then Hashimoto’s attempted murder…” Iroha pauses before her eyes start to swirl. “Auuugh, just thinking about it makes my head dizzy.”

“Yeaaaaah, that’s definitely a sign we should take the rest of the night off.” Hajime agrees without much fuss. He rubs his shoulder and then cringes. “ Yep , definitely pulled a muscle. Doesn’t seem too bad, though.”

“Then the first thing we should do is find a place to sleep then. We can talk more about this in the morning.” Everyone should calm down by then. Hopefully.

“Yeah…uh, guys?” Nikei starts to speak up. Everyone turns their attention to the journalist, who quietly sinks back into his bed with a blush. “...sorry. For yelling earlier.”

“Ehh…don’t worry about it. I wasn’t exactly handling this very well either.” Hajime said, accepting his apology without another thought.

“Hmph…I still don’t like any of the men here.” Yuri said, which causes everyone to groan. When he notices that the girls were glaring at him, he simply smiles as he points to the ceiling. “But, I will let this slide and follow along.”

“Good. Freak…” Hibiki mutters that last part, but Teruya still managed to pick it up with how quiet the group has gotten. Which probably means everyone else heard it, too. Not that she seems to care right now. And if Yuri heard her too, he did not express any kind of disappointment.

“A lot of us certainly aren’t at our best right now, huh?” Emma said, rubbing her hand against her cheek with a chuckle. It wasn’t out of humor, but rather out of exhaustion.

“A-All the more reason we should rest! R-Right, Sis?” Kanade looks to her sister for guidance. She huffs but slowly nods her head.

“Right…But where should we go?” Hibiki curls her eyebrows, and frankly, that was a good question. Before Teruya can think on a suggestion though–

“I can help with that!”

“AH!!” Hibiki screams, immediately jumping behind her sister as if to use her as a shield. Kanade yelps as everyone’s attention is brought to Monocrow, who had reappeared out of nowhere again and had perched himself on top of the curtain. Once she realized who had spoken, the older twin gritted her teeth and pointed at the bird. “ You again?!”

“Yes, it is me again.” Monocrow said, his tone almost bored, like their reactions had started to lose their luster. “Before you all start shooing me away again, I do have some good news for you.”

“I…somehow doubt it’s as good as you claim it to be.” Yuki frowns at the bird, but Monocrow squawks indignantly.

“Oh, give me a little bit of credit! You may be in a killing game, but this is still a school field trip! Which means, as your teacher, I must accommodate you all with everything you need.” Monocrow flaps his wings before brushing one across his beak. “You all have rooms on the Monocruise: all the boys’ rooms are on the third floor, while all the girls’ rooms are on the fourth floor. I’ve already placed the name plates and pictures of yourselves onto your respective rooms. However, I have yet to arrange the necessary ‘keys’ for all of your rooms due to the rules I have yet to enforce, so they’ll be unlocked for now. Do stick to your own rooms to sleep in, though, as sleepovers will not be allowed once I give you your keys. Understood?”

“...Understood.” Setsuka crossed her arms, not too pleased that she was agreeing with him. But it doesn’t seem like they had a choice in the matter right now.

“Good. Now, if you’re all going to your rooms, I can guide you–”

“If they’re just upstairs, we can find them ourselves.” Yoruko snaps.

“Ah…hm.” Monocrow hangs his head. “It seems I’ve been stuck with the most uncooperative group of students. Oh well…” Despite his complaint, he disappears behind the curtain once more with a hop. Yuki quickly checks behind it before coming back just as fast, clearly disappointed and confused.

“I seriously have no idea how he does it.” Yuki said with a groan.

“At this point, I’d just accept it as fact, Yu.” Setsuka shrugs as she gives him a wry smile.

“I…think I’m gonna go on ahead. I’m really tired now.” Iroha starts to shuffle out of the area. Almost like she was waiting for someone to come with her.

“Why don’t we all walk there together? We’ll all be going to the same place anyways.” Hajime suggests and no one disagrees. Emma is quick to take Iroha’s side and she seemed happy that she wasn’t going alone right now. Hibiki and Kanade both looked like they were ready to leave as well, with the older sister going on ahead to wait by the door. Yuri was quick to follow after the girls, already having said his piece. Hajime leads Iroha and Emma out of the infirmary, but Setsuka lingers behind.

“Are you coming with us, Teru? It’s been a long day.” Setsuka asked, scratching the back of her head. Teruya hesitates but he looks back at Mikado and Nikei. The journalist was currently trying to find a comfortable position for himself and not make his concussion any worse. The wizard, though, remains unresponsive from the noise. Teruya frowns.

“I think I’m gonna stay here. Mikado hasn’t woken up at all despite our arguments and Nikei isn’t doing so hot. It’s probably best that someone watches over them to make sure they don’t take a turn for the worse.” Teruya said, his eyes lingering on Mikado’s form. Why hasn’t he woken up yet?

“Hm, that makes sense. Poor Kado over there had been out cold since we got here.” Setsuka agrees quietly.

“I-In that case, I’ll stay and help.” Shinji speaks up, stepping into the conversation. “I’m not a doctor or anything, but I’m probably the only one that knows first aid the best out of everyone here. If there’s any signs that they’re getting worse, I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks, Shinji. I appreciate it.” Teruya smiled at him. He’s kinda glad that he won’t be alone taking care of these two. He’s not even sure if he knows enough about first aid to take care of them efficiently anyways.

“And I’d appreciate it if you guys would stop talking about my injury. It’s making me nervous.” Nikei speaks up from his bed, and Teruya notices the flat stare he’s shooting their way.

“Uh…sorry.” Teruya lowers his voice. “Anyways, we’ll be staying here for tonight.”

“Alright. I’ll see you guys tomorrow then.” Setsuka nods her head and then finally leaves the infirmary. The only ones left behind were…

“Um…Teruya?” Yuki speaks up, his voice a little quieter than before. Yoruko was hovering behind him as if she was waiting for a moment to speak as well. Teruya turns towards them, raising an eyebrow as Shinji goes to check up on Nikei. They weren’t completely alone, but there was some space between them that gave the implication that it felt more like a private conversation. “Before we go, um…I just wanna say thank you, for protecting me.”

“Huh?” Teruya blinks his eyes. Yoruko giggles at his expression.

“You don’t have to look so surprised. Every time there seemed to be danger, you kept jumping in to protect someone.” Yoruko smiles at him, her eyebrows curling downward as she holds her fist over her chest. “Like when those bombs went off, you held me close and took the brunt of the explosions. You guided me away when…when that mech appeared. And when the fight broke out between Kokoro and Mikado, you shielded me again.”

“Yeah, and you also stopped Hashimoto from stabbing me. Seriously, if you hadn’t, I…might not be here right now.” Yuki closes his eyes, adjusting his tie as he visibly starts to shake. “Seriously. Thank you.”

“O-Oh, um…” Teruya can’t help but blush. Not gonna lie, he feels a little bit embarrassed from the praise he’s getting. “I-It’s no problem! Honestly, I was just following my instincts.”

“Then that just means you’re more than willing to risk your life if it means keeping others safe.” Yuki then smiles at him. “That alone is admirable.”

“Right? Not everyone is able to act on their instincts alone. You have a strong sense of responsibility, you know?” Yoruko’s expression softens as her smile grows a little bigger. Teruya feels his blush growing hotter.

“N-Now you guys are just stroking my ego!” Teruya starts shooing them away with his hands. “Go on! Go to your rooms! Before you let my ego go to my head.”

“Haha, alright, alright. We’ll go. See you in the morning, Teruya. Shinji.” Yuki said, thankfully deciding to stop right then and there.

“Oh, yeah. See you tomorrow, Yuki!” Shinji pulls his attention away from Nikei, who seems to have fallen asleep now. He then notices Yoruko still standing there and starts to blush again. “A-And you, too…Y-Yoruko.”

“See you tomorrow. Be safe, both of you.” Yoruko nods her head towards them and the two of them leave the infirmary. Now that they are alone together, Teruya brings his attention to Mikado’s unconscious body.

“I’m going to check on Mikado’s injuries. Do you mind helping me, Shinji?” Teruya asked as he approached Mikado. He still doesn’t stir, even as he stands beside the bed.

“Sure. We should check his bones first. It didn’t seem like anything was broken or fractured, but it’s best that we double check.” Shinji takes the other side, carefully holding up Mikado’s arm and gently adding pressure to it. Teruya hesitates, his hand hovering over him.

“...Sorry, Mikado. But this is to make sure you’re okay.” Teruya said, copying Shinji’s actions on his side of the bed. They were careful to examine his body and it doesn’t seem like anything was broken from what he could tell. There were some bruises, but it's somewhat expected from the fall Mikado had taken at the end of his fight. Otherwise, there didn't seem to be any bumps or depressions. His breathing seemed fairly normal, and his skin looks okay, too. Although the wizard was covered from head to toe in clothes, so Teruya couldn't say for certain. He definitely wasn't going to strip him just to check, though. He just did not have the confidence to do that. Shinji didn’t seem concerned on his end, but he didn’t seem relieved either. If anything, he was frowning and a sweat drop was forming on his cheek. “...Anything weird on your end?”

“Huh? Oh, no. Not that I can tell, at least…” Shinji, who was checking Mikado’s leg, shakes his head as he sets it back down. He didn’t seem pleased with his own response and he was a lot quieter than usual. “If I was a doctor, I’d probably have a more concrete answer than this…But I’m just a firefighter. I only know first aid. Anything beyond that is…yeah.” He hangs his head helplessly. Something that Teruya related to a lot in just those few words.

“Yeah, I, uh, don’t know what I’m doing either. I’m certain that I know first aid but I don’t think I know anything else either.” Teruya admits quietly.

“Hey, I think it’s great that you know first aid! Not everyone knows the basics, and it’s a pretty overlooked skill since many people live normal lives. But you never know what could happen that makes that knowledge useful! You could end up saving a life or your own if more people took that seriously.” Shinji said, complimenting him on his knowledge, despite how small it was. Teruya, once again, felt himself turn bashful.

“Uh, hehe…Geez, what’s with everyone complimenting me lately?” Teruya turns away, glancing at Mikado’s face. He stares at his mask before leaning over. “I’m gonna check his head. He might’ve hit it pretty hard from his fall to still be unconscious like this.”

“You’re probably right. I just hope it’s nothing too serious.” Shinji agrees as Teruya carefully holds Mikado’s head. Again, nothing seems to be broken, but there definitely seems to be a bruise forming on his scalp. He grimaces.

“Is there another ice pack we can use? I think there's a bruise.” Teruya asked, raising his head.

“I think so. Let me go get one.” Shinji heads over to the fridge to grab what they need. As he does so, Teruya quietly brushes a stray strand of hair out of Mikado’s face as he examines it. It was then that he noticed that there were some shards of the mask dusting his face. He frowns before carefully brushing the remains off, and then he grabs a hold of the mask so he could chip the sharp pieces off. It’s best if he checked to see if there were any bruises underneath anyways.

When he removed the mask, though, he nearly dropped it altogether.

On Mikado’s face was a scar, one that was old and had faded with time but stood out with its dark complexion and taut skin. It was a large one that stretched from his jaw and cheeks to right underneath his eye and was chaotic in shape. And when Teruya moves Mikado’s head to look at it better, he notices that it even reached his neck and down to his chest.

It was a scar that surprised Teruya as he had never noticed them until now. Not until Mikado’s cape and hat needed to be removed to help him be more comfortable in bed. Just how did he get this scar? Were there more of them? Do they still hurt?

Was Mikado…ever distressed looking at them, at the scars he’ll always have to see, even when he didn’t wear that mask all the time?

“Here you go, Teruya!” Teruya flinches, pulled out of his thoughts as an ice pack wrapped in a rag comes into view. He looks up, making eye contact with Shinji before slowly taking the ice pack from him. “How is he?”

“I think…he’ll be fine.” Teruya carefully sets the ice pack where the bruise was on Mikado’s head. As he and Shinji adjust his position into something that should be more comfortable for him, the amnesiac swallows quietly. “Um…Shinji? These scars…”

“Yeah, they seem to be burn scars.” Shinji said, which only confirmed his suspicions. He had seen what they look like thanks to the firefighter showing him his scar when they were getting ready for the beach, and seeing a photo of one of his own on his back. Now that moment feels so far away. “They seem to be old, though, so I don’t think we have to worry about them right now.”

“Okay…” Teruya adjusts the ice pack to make sure it doesn’t fall off of Mikado’s head. This time, it gets him a reaction, albeit a minor one as Mikado’s eyes twitch but does nothing else. He sighs, hoping his friend will wake up soon. “...Now what?”

“Well, we wait and keep watch.” Shinji picks up a nearby chair and moves it over to Nikei’s side so he could keep an eye on him while Teruya keeps an eye on Mikado. The amnesiac slowly nods his head in agreement and slides a chair over to himself as well. The two of them sit down in their chairs and…wait.

They wait and wait. Even as Teruya slowly chips away at the mask with his fingernails to smooth out the edges, he waits. Even when he is done and sets it onto a table, he waits. He waits, watching over their two friends to make sure they’re alright. That their injuries don’t turn for the worst.

Teruya takes a deep breath.

It was strange how things have just…calmed down now.

After everything that had happened, he was sure there would still be chaos. That there would still be fighting and yelling and everyone turning against each other.

And yet, even that didn’t last very long. The minute there was even a moment of peace, everyone was more willing to talk, to be reasoned with and chose to turn in for the night instead of continuing to fight simply because it was exhausting . It had been a very, very long day and Teruya would want nothing more than to sleep right then and there.

But Teruya couldn’t sleep.

He had to watch Mikado and Nikei. He had to make sure they were alright.

He had to make sure they didn't die .

Die like Rei Mekaru, her body now a bloody, twisted mess of bullets.

His mouth goes dry.

Teruya slowly pulls his backpack off, not only because it was uncomfortable to sit with it on like this, but also to dig through it. There wasn’t much inside so pulling out the bloody ID was very easy but also mind numbing. He stares at it and starts rubbing at the dried blood with his thumb in a vain attempt to clean it up. To try and restore what is forever lost.

Because even as he tried to remember her face, all he could think about was the fear in her eyes before the blood and gore tainted his vision of her. That was all he could think about. That was all he could see .

Because he doesn’t remember Rei Mekaru.

But she remembered him .

She had memories of him, probably hung out with him. Talked with him, learned with him, perhaps even laughed with him even though the idea alone made him want to chuckle.

Rei Mekaru knew Teruya Otori. She knew him, looked at him almost softly like he was the only other person that mattered right now, and seemed hurt when all he could do was reject her for his lack of memories. She claimed to have come to rescue him along with everyone else. And after what had happened with Kokoro, he fully believed her words to be true now.

But now, she is dead.

Dead, just like her companion that seemed equally familiar with him.

Someone that knew him, that could’ve given him the answers of who he is, is dead.

Rei…who was probably his friend …was dead.

It was then that the grief hit him full force.

Teruya lets out a shaky breath.

It didn’t stop his entire body from shuddering.

His hands gripped the ID tightly, the plastic digging into his skin.

He tries to swallow, but ends up gasping instead. His vision blurred and he tried to blink it away. All that did was release the tears from his eyes and they started to stream down his face. He pants and heaves, trying to remain in control of his body as the world starts to fade away.

A chair scrapes against the floor.

Footsteps walk past the beds.

And then a pair of strong, muscular arms wrapped around his shoulders.

Shinji Kasai, who was loud and inspiring with his words, was silent as he hugged him.

And he didn’t need to say anything. All he needed to do was to hold him close.

Teruya held onto Shinji’s arms tightly to the point that his nails dug deep into his skin. He still held the ID in his hand for that was all he had left of Rei Mekaru.

And he cries.

He cries into the night, a loud, sobbing mess. And it was the only sounds that could be heard in the infirmary before that, too, fades away.

[ninjagirlstar5]

Protag Teruya AU - Prologue Part 1 - The Boardwalk Intro

Our queen has arrived!

Oh, and Yuri is here too, I guess. (joking)

No TWs apply to this current post.

...Although Yuri is being his usual misandrist self.

The Beach (The Beginning) |   The Mart (Part 2) | The Park (Part 3) | The Tower (Part 4) | The Cottage (Part 5) | The Beach Episode (Final)

Prologe Part 2 Beginning

Disclaimer: While Sannotori is problematic, it’s a thing in this AU/fic and the dynamic is not the same as it is in canon.

The Protag Teruya AU was inspired by @/anotherprofessional’s post! Beware of Void spoilers though!

Walking down the path led them to a pier with smaller houses on it. It looked like a place where people mainly sleep. And it didn’t take them long to find someone else in the area. Although when he saw her, he couldn’t help but do a double take. Because if she was a student, she certainly doesn’t dress like one. The hair was the least concerning part of her outfit as it was just a ponytail with long pink hair that ended in a fuschia ombre and held together with a blue bow. The rest…was a different story. Her blue dress showed a lot more skin than he was comfortable seeing, from her chest to her hips. She wore a long boa scarf, skin tight see-through stockings that had a crisscross pattern, blue heels and gold bracelets and a necklace. She hadn’t noticed their approach but he tried his best to keep his gaze at her head. It wasn’t all that hard, to be honest.

“Geez, this is annoying. What are the teachers doing…?” The girl stared off to the side, her fist on top of her chest as if she was trying to keep herself from tensing too much.

“Excuse me.” Mikado was the first to speak, grabbing her attention.

“Huh? Who are you?” She asked, her eyes wide.

“I am Mikado Sannoji, the Ultimate Wizard. Are you another student here, miss…?” The wizard introduces himself as the implied question hangs in the air. She sighs before giving them a smile.

“So you’re a freshman too. I’m Yoruko Kabuya. I hope we can get along.” Yoruko smiled at them and he gave her his best smile as well, even if it was awkward.

“Hi. Uh, I don’t have a name due to my amnesia but, uh, yeah.” He cleared his throat as Yoruko stared at him with wide eyes. He didn’t want to point it out, but this was going to bother him if he didn't ask. “I hope you don’t mind me asking this, but…why are you dressed like that…?”

“H-Hey, I had no choice, y’know? I didn’t want to wear this…We were told to - no, wait you have amnesia. Never mind.” She leaned forward as she clenched her fists, although she quickly became embarrassed upon remembering that he wouldn’t know what she was talking about due to his lack of memories. When he stares at her with confusion, she realizes something else and seems to force herself to relax, straightening her back. “Ah…Right, I haven’t told you my talent yet.” She grimaces before wrapping an arm around her waist and curling her hand near her neck. “You’ll probably take this the wrong way, but…I got in as the Ultimate Hostess.”

“...Oh, that’s not so bad. I thought your talent was something more controversial.” Mikado said, blunt as a rock like always. He still gaped at him for his blatant honesty and Yoruko looked at him like he had grown another head. The wizard tilts his head at them though. “What…? It’s none of my business as to why Ms. Kabuya entered such an age restricted job.”

“Er, yeah…I was having some problems, so I faked my age in order to work. I was sure nobody would be able to find out…” Yoruko trails off before sighing again, looking away. “Buuut I got busted. I dunno how they figured it out, but next thing I knew there was an acceptance letter at work with my name on it…” She closed her eyes, dropping her arms with resignation. “So, they gave me a choice: jail, or Hope’s Peak. So, here I am.”

“What?!” He gawked at her. This was not what he was expecting from Hope’s Peak. He didn’t think the school would go so far as to blackmail a potential student into joining their school. It made him extremely uncomfortable.

“...Well then! I always thought there was something off about that school, and now I’m wishing I didn’t accept the invitation…” Mikado raised his clenched fists, looking like he was trying to restrain himself from showing even more of his frustration. Not that it mattered as his mask had changed into a more angry expression. The sudden change surprised Yoruko enough to take a step back.

“I…I-It’s nice that you two are getting angry on my behalf. Really.” Yoruko crosses her arms. “But it’s not as if I hate the school or anything. I’ll be old enough to work legally in a few years anyway. Since going to Hope’s Peak guarantees success to their students, I figured I can gain some fame here and use that to get a better gig in the future.”

“Still, they just…blackmailed you into attending. That’s a shitty thing to do.” He clenched his fist, pressing it against his chest. Now he really didn’t want to be here.

“Not much I can do about that…I am breaking the law.” She then clenched her teeth, her blue eyes narrowing. “But seeing myself in a place like this instead is just pissing me off. At least you two aren’t trying to take a peep at me…Unless that mask of yours is hiding what you’re really looking at.” She glares at Mikado. The wizard simply stared back, dropping one of his hands as his mask shifts into his normal smile.

“...Would you believe me if I said I was looking at you respectfully, Ms. Kabuya?” Mikado said, and the hostess huffs at him.

“You better be! Honestly, dealing with perverts is nothing new for me…Just don’t take this the wrong way. My job isn’t what you think it is.” Yoruko said, mostly looking at him when she clarified that last part. When he waited for her to elaborate, she didn’t, and he felt too embarrassed to pry any further.

“Anyway…Do you have any idea on how we ended up here on this island?” He felt it was safer to change the subject than to continue talking about her talent.

“Hard not to think about it when we’re supposed to be at Hope’s Peak and yet we’re not.” The hostess puts her hand on her hips and raises her other hand, clearly annoyed. “I went to the place they told me to go to, but then I passed out. When I woke up, I was here on this island. What, were we, like, kidnapped to work as slaves or something?”

“Please no. I don’t want to be forced to work for someone else.” He shuddered at the thought. Even Mikado looked disturbed. Yoruko sighs in agreement.

“Not only that, I’ve got a bad feeling about all of this…” She looks away, concerned. “What are the teachers doing, anyway?” Yoruko drops her arms as she starts to sweat. “Even if it was some kind of event, no one gave us any contract or extra notice.”

“I’ve never been in a school environment, but that sounds about right.” Mikado said, casually dropping another piece of information about himself that left him shocked. But he kept talking before he could point it out. “Any authority figure worth their salt would at least keep us informed on what they wish to do for their pupils. I can’t help but feel like everyone is a little too relaxed about this whole thing…”

“And I can’t believe I had to stop working because of this…” Yoruko said, almost as if she was in silent agreement with the wizard next to her.

“Wow, uh…sounds like you’re hardworking, Yoruko.” He complimented, as that was the only thing he could think to do at the moment. He didn’t have any memories of school even though he still had his general knowledge without those educational experiences. So he couldn’t really give his own opinion on that in general.

“Oh, uh…thank you…” Yoruko starts but quickly trails off, as if realizing that he didn’t give her a name, so the sentence ended on an awkward note.

“Well, it’s unfortunate, but it seems you don’t know any details either, right?” Mikado sighs, almost sounding like he was exhausted. Yoruko crosses her arms again.

“Nah, I’ve been trying to look around though. I just hope nothing bad happens…”

“Same here. We’ll see you around?” He nods his head at her and she smiles a little bit.

“Yeah, it was nice to meet you…even without a name. Good luck with your amnesia.” The hostess walks away to explore elsewhere. The two of them then turned towards each other.

“Well that was enlightening…in more ways than one.” Mikado said, and he can see him crossing his arms underneath his cape. He nods slightly in agreement.

“Hope’s Peak seems to be, um…really determined to research talent.” He frowns, pressing his hand against his chest. “And the more I think about it, the more this situation just doesn’t make any sense.”

“Agreed. I fear we may be in more danger than we realize. And to think that Hope’s Peak is willing to go as far as to commit blackmail…” Mikado said, scratching the back of his head. “Hm…There’s another possibility to this, and I fear it may be one of the worst options out there.”

“Oh, what’s that?” He tilts his head at him, not really grasping Mikado’s train of thought. The wizard pauses, staring down at the ground before looking back at him.

“I’m afraid I’ll be keeping this thought to myself.” When he gaped at him, Mikado’s mask shifts into its giant smile and shrugs. “No offense, my dear. But I’d rather not cause a panic based on a guess that has no evidence to back it up.”

“…Can you at least tell me something?” He asked. He didn’t think Mikado would share his thoughts on what’s happening at the moment. He’s been open so far but it might be just because he liked talking to him or maybe he didn’t think twice about what he’s saying. But…still. “What…kind of life did you live?” The wizard stared at him, the expression of his mask not moving at all. “You seem…out of touch with what’s popular, which, you know, isn’t odd by itself. Maybe you really are the kind of person who doesn’t care about that stuff. But then you mentioned wizards getting persecuted for their magic, that you need to give up your soul to use magic, and then you said you’ve ‘never been in a school environment.’” He hesitates before staring at the mask, trying to make eye contact with his friend. “Are you…okay?”

“…I think you’re looking too deeply into this, my dear.” Mikado said, his tone almost carefully flat. He gulps, wondering if he had pried too deeply. “I was mostly joking.”

“Joking?” He stared at the wizard in disbelief. “None of that stuff sounds like a joke. And you’ve been honest with me since I’ve woken up. I…” He lifts his hand up, even though he didn’t know what to do with it. “I just wanna make sure you’re okay. Because you’re my friend.” Mikado blinks at him, which was at least some sort of reaction.

“…You seem to be able to connect the dots better than I expected. I’m almost impressed.” The wizard said, blinking at him again. “I’m fine. Really. I was mostly pulling on Ms. Nijiue’s leg about trading your soul for the use of magic, and while I’ve never been to a school before, I’ve learned everything I could on my own. As for the persecution…” Mikado tilts his head, his large smile still plastered onto his mask. “They no longer bother me.” He stared, feeling a shiver go down his spine as he tried to comprehend the implications. Mikado pauses before straightening his back and turning his gaze towards something off to the side. “Don’t look now, but it seems we have an audience.”

“Huh?” Despite what Mikado just said, he turns around dumbfounded. Apparently, someone was watching their whole conversation and drilling holes into their heads. That someone has a small but masculine frame, wearing a school uniform that had a teal blazer, gray pants, brown loafers and a black and yellow striped tie. His messy curly blonde hair that was tinged with green at the ends swayed in the wind, and he was glaring down at them with dark gray eyes, gripping onto the railing tightly. Unnerved at the hostile attention, he leaned over towards Mikado, who had moved to stand next to him. “Uh, did we do something wrong?”

“Not that I know of.” Mikado said with a shrug. “I recognize him from the Monocruise. He was trying to talk to one of the girls when I decided to leave the ship.”

“So…he’s a classmate?” He asked, and Mikado shrugged again. He frowns before bringing his attention back to their classmate, who seemed to realize that they’ve noticed him staring. Or rather, glaring. He hesitates, wondering if he should go over and introduce himself or leave so he can catch his fellow student in a better mood next time. But Mikado didn’t seem to be willing to talk about his past beyond little comments and vague details, so he decided to drop the topic and focus on his classmate. Steeling his nerves, he walks across the bridge and up the stairs. The boy’s eyes never left his, and now that he was closer, he could see that his eyes had stars in them and he was wearing a spaceship backpack. He tried to give his classmate a friendly smile. “Uh, hi! I’m your classmate, but uh, I don’t have a name at the moment. Amnesia and stuff. But hey, you can tell me yours, if you want?”

“…To think you have the audacity to approach me as a male. What a disgusting sight.” The boy said with a surprisingly deep voice, squeezing his eyes shut, clutching his chest and rubbing at his head. His own jaw dropped at the response. It’s not like he wasn’t expecting some sort of hostility from him with how he glared at both him and Mikado, but he definitely wasn’t expecting this. “What were you doing with the wonderful Lady Yoruko? Certainly nothing good with scumbags like you.”

“Huh?” If his jaw could fall to the floor, it would by now. He tried to wrap his brain around this boy’s words, his mind clinging to a certain word that stands out. “M-Male…why, uh, I don’t even…what?”

“Oh dear. It seems we have a misandrist in our midst.” Mikado said, near instantaneously appearing behind him. He jolts at his voice but immediately relaxes when he realizes it was just the wizard. The boy, on the other hand, looked like he had swallowed a lemon. “Which is ironic, considering you seem to be male yourself…unless I’m mistaken?”

“…Unfortunately, yes, I am.” The boy crosses his arms, looking off to the side. “But I am so sorry if I upset the both of you. You see, I’m a being that exists solely for women, so I consider males to be insignificant as pebbles in the street.”

“Wow….uh, okay.” He said, mostly because he had nothing else to say. This conversation hasn’t even lasted five minutes and he was already starting to get exhausted. “I’m guessing you’re not willing to talk to us about the situation we’re in, are you?”

“Hmph…” The boy still refuses to look at him directly. But to his surprise, he kept speaking. “We were told to go to a certain location and then suddenly found ourselves on a deserted island.”

“Oh, so you’re not completely clueless.” Mikado said, crossing his arms with flat eyes.

“Of course not! I’m not useless like the rest of you males.” The boy said with a scoff and any sort of appreciation he had immediately disappeared upon hearing him speak. Did he really have to tack on that last sentence? “I can’t say for sure, but I think this might be a kidnapping case or something.” His jaw dropped again, both for the possibility and how casual the boy brought it up as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

“K-Kidnapping?!” His voice rose without really meaning to and he could sense Mikado cringe behind him. He glances at him to see how the wizard was taking in the information, but he didn’t seem surprised. In fact, his mask had shifted back to its giant smile, instead of the wide eyed expression he expected. The boy smiled, still calm as he pointed to the sky.

“There’s no way the school would do something this crazy…Maybe somebody figured they could make some easy cash by ransoming off some of the most talented people in our country, so they kidnapped us.” His reasoning made a lot of sense, even if he didn’t remember his own talent. The boy huffs, pouting as he crosses his arms. “I’ve been kidnapped a lot, so I should know.”

“Hold on, shouldn’t you be more concerned if you’ve been kidnapped so many times? How are you calm?!” He asked, frantic as panic grips his heart again. But then Mikado put his hand on top of his shoulder and he jolted at the touch. The wizard didn’t let go, though, and instead squeezed his shoulder almost gently.

“Calm down. The situation we’re in is unknown but the worst that has happened is that we don’t know how we got here.” Mikado said, and the boy rolled his eyes.

“At least one of you is able to keep your head on straight, for he is right.” The boy’s pout turns into a normal frown. “Realistically-speaking, nothing bad has happened since we’ve arrived, nor are we caged or restrained in any way.” And then, for the first time since they talked to him, he smiles and pats his chest. “I’m just trying to make the best of it.”

“I, uh…I guess?” It didn’t make the situation any less worrisome now that he was aware of the possibility of a mass kidnapping.

“Just because we aren’t locked up in cages doesn’t mean the situation is any better. For all we know, if we did get kidnapped and our kidnappers are allowing us to roam freely, then they must be confident enough to think that we won’t be able to escape from their nefarious plans any time soon.” Mikado reasoned, which he pretty much agreed with. The boy, on the other hand, groaned and face palmed, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Ugghh! Being forced to talk to males gives me a headache…Neither of you even bothered to introduce yourselves!”

“…Uh, I did. I just don’t know my name and talent due to my amnesia.” He recalled, which made the boy open his eyes and pause. He stared at him for a moment before averting his gaze with a simple ‘oh.’ Mikado sighed, slumping his shoulders.

“If you give us your name and talent, I will give you mine. Then we can be done with this poor excuse of a conversation.” The wizard scratches the back of his head in exasperation and apparently that was enough encouragement for the boy to engage.

“Fine. But only because you are actually making some sense. I’m the Ultimate Spaceman, Yuri Kagarin. Do yourselves a favor and remember that.” Yuri, after what felt like hours, finally gave them his name and he never felt more relieved in his short existence of lost memories. They can now finally leave this conversation!

“Mikado Sannoji, Ultimate Wizard. Now-” Mikado grabbed a hold of him and he yelped when his feet suddenly left the ground. “Goodbye, Mr. Kagarin.” And with that, the wizard flew off at a speed that made him scream in fear, leaving Yuri in wide eyed bafflement.

[ninjagirlstar5]

Protag Teruya AU - Prologue Part 1 - The Cottage Intro

The cozy little cottage where nothing will go wrong. Nothing at all!

...Probably.

No TWs apply to this current post.

The Beach (The Beginning) |   The Mart (Part 2) | The Park (Part 3) | The Tower (Part 4) | The Boardwalk (Part 6) | The Beach Episode (Final)  

Prologe Part 2 Beginning

Disclaimer: While Sannotori is problematic, it’s a thing in this AU/fic and the dynamic is not the same as it is in canon.

The Protag Teruya AU was inspired by @/anotherprofessional’s post! Beware of Void spoilers though!

The inside of the cottage was much, much bigger than the outside made it out to be and a whole lot fancier too. There was a kitchen with various household goods, bookshelves with books of varying genres that he had to force himself away to focus on their investigation, a TV that was unfortunately stuck on static (dammit) and some cool chandeliers that Mikado claims to clash with the rest of the home’s interior. Personally, he didn’t think it was horrible, it just made it obvious that whoever owned this cottage - or even this entire island - had way too much money to know what to do with it. They were about to go upstairs when someone else came down it. It was another high school girl, with long wavy blonde hair with side bangs that reached her shoulders. She wore a white and blue school uniform, black knee-length boots, and a long gray fur coat that went well with her teal earrings, which also matched her eyes. She had a little bit of makeup on but it wasn’t overdone or anything, just some noticeable purple eyeshadow and maybe a bit of blush and lip gloss.

“Hmm? Oh, hello. You’re the wizard from the Monocruise, right? I never got your name.” The girl put her hand up against her cheek but she quickly realized he wasn’t alone. “And you found someone else?”

“Yeah. Ah, I, uh, don’t have a name right now…I have amnesia.” He explained and the girl’s eyes went wide.

“Huh? Amnesia?” She asked, and he reluctantly nodded his head.

“Yes.” Mikado spoke up. “Our classmate here can’t seem to remember anything from before he woke up on the island. Not even his name or talent. Ah, also, my name is Mikado Sannoji and as guessed, I’m the Ultimate Wizard.”

“Oh, it’s nice to meet you, Mikado.” She smiled at him before putting her hand down. “Like the both of you, I’m also a Hope’s Peak student. I’ve decided to take some time off from acting to focus on my studies. And, well, when I got that acceptance letter, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to go not as ‘famous actress Emma Magorobi’, but as your classmate, ‘Ultimate Actress, Emma Magorobi.’”

“Oh, you’re famous?” He blurts it out without thinking. Both blondes stared at him with wide eyes at his bluntness and he felt his cheeks turn red at embarrassment. “I-I mean, uh, well, I’m s-sure you are, it’s just, um…” And then, a nice sound cut him off.

The sound of laughter. Nothing mocking or derisive, but rather light and carefree.

“Ahaha, yes, I am. I’ve actually starred in quite a few movies as a child.” Emma said, smiling like a weight has been lifted off of her shoulder. “It truly is a pleasure to meet you both. And please don’t worry about it. I’d prefer it if you keep speaking to me casually. I’m here to focus on school, not flaunt my status as a celebrity.” She pauses before glancing at Mikado. “Although I did expect you to know who I was.”

“I’m afraid I’ve never watched any movies, Ms. Magorobi.” Mikado explained, which only made him tilt his head at him. He wondered why he didn’t recognize Emma. Or Melody Rhythm for that matter. He didn’t recognize them since he didn’t remember anything at all. But wouldn’t Mikado have identified them since they were good enough to be scouted out as Ultimates?

“You haven’t? Oh, then I have some recommendations!” Emma was eager to talk, although her smile was quick to turn awkward. “Not to, uh, come off as bragging or anything, but I’ve starred in the ‘Harry Peter’ series as Holly Queen. It’s about a fantastical world full of magic and a coming of age story for Harry, the title character himself. Perhaps you’ll like it, being a wizard yourself, Mikado!”

“Perhaps, but fiction does not always coincide with reality. And I’m saying that as the Ultimate Wizard.” Mikado pauses for a moment before his mask shifts into a more genuine smile. “Still, once we’re certain the situation is safe, perhaps it’d be nice to unwind. I’ll keep your recommendation in mind.”

“Speaking of that…Do you know why we’re here, Emma? Apparently today was our entrance ceremony.” He asked but Emma simply crossed her arms and looked to the side.

“Well…I’m not certain. I woke up here as well. I’m thinking it must be some sort of surprise party arranged by the school.” He slumps his shoulders.

“God, I hope so…This whole day has been an emotional rollercoaster.” He gritted his teeth, rubbing his forehead to try and relieve his stress. Mikado reaches over to pat his shoulder. But Emma smiled at him, calm as she reached her hands out before her.

“Mikado and our dear friend…You shouldn’t worry so much. Look at how beautiful and blue the sky is. Something good will happen, I just know it.” She closes her eyes, as if she was reminiscing on a good memory. He tried to force away the pang of jealousy weighing heavily on his heart. “Things that were lost, things that have happened, let us put it all behind us. We should simply be thankful for the world we live in now.”

“Now that’s just cheesy.” Mikado said, crossing his arms. While he wasn’t frowning or staring at her with exasperation, the tension in his shoulders were still palpable.

“H-Hey, uh…I think she has a point anyways. This could be worse, haha…” He really didn’t want to think about how this could get worse.

“Ahahaha, sorry.” Emma said, pressing her hand against her cheek again and smiled at them awkwardly. “That must have sounded strange. It must be the actor in me. Still, Mikado…” She crosses her arms, her smile turning polite but stern. “What did I tell you? I’d rather you speak casually to me.”

“Ah…Well, it’s not just you. I speak formally with everyone, Ms.…E-Emma…” The wizard quickly goes quiet. He can’t help but tilt his head, trying to examine his mask. He wondered if it could blush.

“Ah, well, close enough. I’m going to head out now. It doesn’t seem like there’s much more that can be accomplished by staying here.” Emma puts her arms down, giving them a brief wave. “Permanent amnesia or not, I do hope you come to a name you like and reintroduce yourself to everyone. Let’s talk later over some movies and tea!”

“Yeah, that sounds nice. Bye, Emma!” He waves at her and Mikado does the same. Emma smiled at the both of them as she left. “Huh…a celebrity.”

“Don’t look at me. I’ve never paid any attention to that kind of stuff.” Mikado said, rubbing the back of his head. He just shrugged in response before taking another step on the stairs.

“Well, it’d be cool to get to know her since we’re classmates-“

“Ah- look out!!”

“Huh- oof!” He turned around in time to feel someone fall into his chest. Mikado was by his side in a second, hovering over him to make sure he didn’t fall, which thankfully didn’t happen. And despite the sudden weight, the person was very light and he managed not to lose his balance as he held onto them. “Are you okay??”

“Augh, y-yeah…I can’t believe I tripped on the stairs.” The person, a girl who was very small in comparison to both him and Mikado, answered him with dizzy eyes. He put her down carefully and she quickly got her bearings. She was wearing a plaid beret with a matching smock, a white shirt with puffy long sleeves, a gray vest, a brown skirt and Mary Janes. Her brown hair was long with bangs and her side bangs were tied together with a ribbon and she stared up at him with pale green eyes. She blushed and then smiled, holding her sketchbook close to her chest. “O-Oh…newcomers! Hi!”

“Hello. You’re here from Hope’s Peak too, right?” He asked. The girl puts her sketchbook down, although she puts her hand back up to play with her hair.

“Yes! I’m the Ultimate Painter, Iroha Nijiue! I hope we can get along!” Iroha was all too happy to introduce herself and he smiled at her positive energy.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Nijiue.” Mikado said, his mask changing into his usual smile. Iroha squeaks at the sight, a terrified look on her face. The wizard chuckles at her reaction, raising his hands. “Don’t be alarmed. My mask is simply for expressions, nothing more. For I am the Ultimate Wizard, Mikado Sannoji!” To prove his point, he makes a quick ice cube appear in his hand.

“Wh-Whoa…really? An Ultimate Wizard…” Iroha’s eyes widen, still fearful but otherwise astonished at the fact that magic is real. Suddenly, her eyes shine bright like lights. “Ooo, do you think you can make me a wizard too??”

“Hm…I don’t know. It’ll take a lot of power…” He breaks the ice cube in his hand as his face suddenly darkens. “And a price of your soul.”

“My soul?!” The painter’s jaw dropped and her face paled. The amnesiac’s face must be similar to hers because he couldn’t believe what he just heard. Iroha then turns her back on him and he can feel the gloom radiating off of her. “On second thought, I think I’ll stick to painting…”

“Fuhuhuhu, I’m afraid power like mine doesn’t come free.” He laughed as if he didn’t just admit something so horrifying at the drop of a hat. Seriously, why would he trade such power for his soul? “Even if you only want to ‘try’ it, you’ll have to give something up in exchange. There is no turning back once you start.” Iroha shudders, any interest she had in magic dissipating with the thought of giving something up. She eventually recovers enough to turn around.

“Nope, not gonna think about it. Instead, let’s think positive!” The painter turns her attention to him with a smile. “What about you? What’s your name?”

“Uh, sorry. I don’t know. I have amnesia.” He explained. Hopefully he doesn’t have to keep doing this soon. He should at least come up with a name to go by until he finds his real name or something he liked better.

“Huh?” Iroha stared at him with wide eyes. It looked like it didn’t completely register what that meant until a moment later. “Eeeeh? You lost your memory? That’s awful! And it’s our first semester and everything!” She sweats for a bit…only to bounce back a smile. “But don’t worry! Think positively! Your memories will definitely come back! Even if they don’t, you can just replace them with the happy memories you can make with us!”

“That’s…” He hesitates. And yet, if his amnesia is permanent, the only way he can recover is by making new memories, right? Even if he still had a past he didn’t know about that was attached to himself, he won’t be getting those experiences back if his memory loss is permanent. And there’s nothing wrong with making happy memories with new friends, right…? He smiles. “You’re really cheerful, you know that right?” Iroha gave him a wider grin.

“Ms. Nijiue, do you know anything about our situation?” Mikado moves the conversation along. Iroha holds up her sketchbook.

“Oh, you mean the island and all? Well, naturally I was upset to find out we’re in the middle of nowhere…” Iroha said, before tilting her head and giving them another smile. “But it’s times like these where staying positive is more important than ever. Like, it’s the first day on a beautiful island with brand-new friends! Of course I’m cheerful!”

“...So, in other words, you don’t know why we’re on this island either.” Mikado almost sounded disappointed. He noticed it but Iroha didn’t.

“Yeah, but don’t worry too much. Maybe if we wait long enough, the teachers or somebody else will contact us.” The painter then started walking down the stairs. “I’m gonna go see some other friends! See ya later!” She runs off.

“...Well, she’s quick to claim everyone as friends.” Mikado said, his mask flattening. “It’s honestly concerning how positive she is. It’s a bit…much.”

“Well…I think it’s nice that she’s trying her best to see the silver lining to all this.” He could feel Mikado rolling his eyes, even when his mask didn’t convey it at all. “Well, wanna check what’s upstairs?”

“We might as well.” Mikado walked up the stairs and he followed suit. The upstairs didn’t have anything interesting, unfortunately. Even when he recognized when a room looked like a party room or an office, it was mostly empty with nothing to make note of. There was also a balcony but there was no one there so after a brief moment of respite for the both of them gazing out over the sea, they eventually left the cottage altogether.

[ninjagirlstar5]

Protag Teruya AU - Prologue Part 1 - The Tower Intro

Time for our favorite journalist to appear.

No TWs apply to this current post.

The Beach (The Beginning) |   The Mart (Part 2) | The Park (Part 3) | The Cottage (Part 5) | The Boardwalk (Part 6) | The Beach Episode (Final)  

Prologe Part 2 Beginning

Disclaimer: While Sannotori is problematic, it’s a thing in this AU/fic and the dynamic is not the same as it is in canon.

The Protag Teruya AU was inspired by @/anotherprofessional’s post! Beware of Void spoilers though!

Nearby was a tower that reached towards the sky, surrounded by what looked to be holy statues. Looking at them didn’t give him any feelings of devotion, though, and it seems to be more aimed at a Catholic theme rather than anything related to Shinto or Buddhism. Strangely enough, even when he thinks about those two other religions, he doesn't have any care for them aside from knowing that they exist and he should be a little bit respectful for other people’s sakes.

“Hmm…Hey, Mikado?” The wizard turned to look at him upon hearing his voice. He was still casually floating off of the ground and was watching him rummage through the shelves filled with religious items. It seemed like holy items had no effect on him or his magic. Cool. “Do you practice religion by any chance?”

“No. I can tell this place is sacred with the statue of the Virgin Mary watching us from here.” He gestures towards said statue. “But I never cared for religion. I don’t believe in it or the afterlife for that matter. Not until I see a ghost anyway.”

“Uh, p-please don’t joke about ghosts.” He shudders at the thought of one alone. “Still, kinda ironic you say that when you’re the Ultimate Wizard.”

“Ha! Fair enough. I suppose us wizards just don’t get along with God and such. We’ve been persecuted for our magic for years, after all. The westerners weren’t the only ones who had witch trials.” Mikado presses his finger against his mouth, seemingly thinking. And he didn’t really have a response to that as he hadn’t expected the conversation to turn to something a bit…darker. He opened his mouth to speak-

“HOLY SHIT, YOU!!” They both startled again, turning their ire to the person who happened to scare them the third time this day. It was someone who was dressed as a journalist, tan hat and coat, white button-up with the collar popped with an orange dotted neckerchief stuffed into it, black pants and brown loafers. If he looks closely, he can also see a red scarf hidden underneath all of his layers. His slightly curled black hair reached just above his shoulders and covered his left eye, his eye color being a nice shade of lavender. He was holding up a notepad that was tied to a thin lanyard around his neck and was pointing his pen at Mikado, a grin spreading across his face. “Yeah, you! Stop right there! You’re gonna tell me exactly how you’re doing that in your interview…starting now!”

“What.” Mikado’s mask flattened its eyes, but the sudden change in expression didn’t deter the journalist standing before them at all.

“I’m obviously talking about the fact that you are floating. Floating! In midair! Come on, you must be a Hope’s Peak student, right? Tell me your name and talent, pronto!” His eyes shined with excitement, looking like he had discovered a hidden treasure. The wizard stared at him, looking like he was considering whether or not to answer or ignore him. Eventually, he sighs. 

“I am Mikado Sannoji, the Ultimate Wizard. I don’t think I have to explain any further than that.” He said, gesturing down to his floating figure. The journalist huffs though, even as he writes that down.

“Interesting but not enough details. You have to at least tell me how it works.” His pen scratches against the paper before lifting his gaze from his notepad. It didn’t look like he was going to leave any time soon. He can feel Mikado’s stare turn from annoyance to apprehension, looking like he had somehow been cornered. He hesitates for a moment before lowering himself onto the ground.

And then turned his back on the journalist with a cross of his arms.

“...Uh…what are you doing?” He puts his pen behind his ear and drops his notepad, letting it fall against his chest. The wizard hums before shrugging.

“Simply exercising my right to remain silent.” Mikado said and the journalist did a spit take.

“What?! Come on! Give me something to work with here!! There’s a great scoop right here if you just tell me!” The journalist didn’t seem above begging for the information he wanted but Mikado didn’t budge. In fact, he pulled his cape closer to himself, wrapping himself up in a makeshift cocoon. Realizing he was getting nowhere, he reluctantly turned to him. “What about you? Know anything about his magic? Oh, and mind giving me a name and a talent.”

Wow, nice to know he was an afterthought.

“No, sorry. I just met him today. And uh…” He hesitates as he points to himself, curling his eyebrows downward. “I don’t know. I have amnesia.”

“Amnesia?!” He stared at him with wide eyes before picking up his notepad again and flipping to a new page, jotting it down with renewed vigor. “Now that’s a scoop. Not as good as the literal wizard beside you but pretty damn good.”

“Uhh…” He wasn’t sure how to feel about being used as a subject for information without his consent. But then again, he did engage with him so technically he did. But would that really matter? He turned to Mikado for help but he couldn’t tell if he was paying any attention or not. The collar of his cape completely blocked his head from view.

“Hm? Oh, whoops. I forgot my own intro.” The journalist spoke up with his light, dorky voice and he turned around to face him again. He grinned, his eyes lighting up once more. “Wherever there’s a scoop, my pen is never far behind! Ultimate Journalist, Nikei Yomiuri, at your service!”

“...What are you doing anyways?” He asked. Better to change the subject before Nikei tries to grill them on more information they weren’t willing to talk about. It’s not like he could tell him much about his amnesia anyways.

“Gathering info, of course!” Nikei said, shrugging as he put his hands into his pockets. “It’s important to know stuff about your classmates, right?”

“Before that, Mr. Yomiuri…” Mikado decided now was the time to rejoin the conversation, it seems. “Do you have any idea of where we are? I don’t need to remind you that we all just…woke up here.”

“So I’m not the only one who woke up on a beach?” He turned his head at Mikado, but the wizard finally turned towards them fully and shook his head. He still had his arms crossed, but he relaxed his posture slightly so his cape wasn’t as tight around him as before.

“No. You were the only one unconscious on the beach. Everyone else, including myself, woke up on the Monocruise and met there…” The wizard explained, his eyes turning downward in concern. “It’s strange that you’re the outlier among our group.”

“Except you literally left our group just when we were introducing ourselves.” Nikei instantly took a jab at Mikado, giving him his own flat and deadpan stare. Mikado huffed, turning his head away. Apparently, he didn’t see the need to explain his reasons. The journalist frowns before focusing on him instead. “Well, that does sound weird. And you don’t look like you’ve washed up on shore from an accident or anything…Unless you just changed?” He shook his head. “Damn. Unfortunately, I have no clues on what’s going on either, let alone why you woke up on beach while everyone else was on the Monocruise.”

He…wasn’t sure what that meant for him, but he definitely didn’t like the implications. Whatever that is.

“You can really cut the tension with a knife around here.” Nikei kept going, his serious demeanor disappearing in a flash as he smiled, picking up his pen. “This whole situation is one big scoop, so I need to be on my guard!”

“...I feel like you’re not taking this as seriously as you should be, Mr. Yomiuri.” Mikado said, looking at him with flat eyes again. Nikei shrugs him off though.

“Not much I can do about that, Mikado. There’s this thing called ‘multitasking’ and I'll be doing just that: investigating and doing my job!” The journalist presses his hands against his sides. “I’m gonna go see who else I can find, for now. We’ll continue this next time, especially when you-” Nikei nods his head at him. “-got yourself a name and a talent. See ya on the flip side!” He runs off to find his next muse.

“Well then…he’s a busy body.” Mikado sighs before tilting his head at him. He frowns as he plays with his scarf.

“Is…getting amnesia really ‘scoop-worthy?’ I don’t like the idea of me being on the news because of my condition.” He asked. The thought of him appearing on an article for his amnesia when he didn’t even know who he is made him more anxious than he thought it would. What would he even say? What would Nikei keep or exaggerate? How was he going to talk about what it’s like to have amnesia when he barely experienced a day with it?

“I wouldn’t worry about him. As the Ultimate Journalist, he’d know better than to spout nonsense on the internet.” The wizard pauses before leaning close to him. “I’d mentally prepare yourself if I were you. I have a feeling he’s going to be persistent in his interviews during our time here…”

“Haaa…you too. He’s definitely interested in your magic and I kinda…don’t blame him. Still, good luck with him.” He said and he watched Mikado slump his shoulders, staring down at his shoes. The two of them started walking out of the tower, and he hesitated before speaking up again. “Hey, Mikado…why did I wake up on the beach instead of the Monocruise?”

“Hmm…” Mikado’s mask frowned before he looked straight at him. “I’ll be honest with you. It is suspicious that you were the only one who woke up on a beach. However, I feel it would be unfair to accuse you as the mastermind behind our situation.”

“Th-The mastermind?! I…I don’t…” He trails off. Could he really say that when he can’t even remember the last place he’d been at? His own name? His talent? What kind of person was he before he lost his memory? For all he knew, he could’ve been a horrible person.

And if he was terrible, then…what should he do? Should he try to make up for what he’s done? Would he go back to his old self if he were to recover his memory somehow…?

Kokoro said it was unlikely he’d get his memories back, but he was still scared of the possibilities of what kind of past he has.

“I am not saying you are. In fact, I think it’s because of your amnesia that I have my doubts that you’re behind any of this. It’s easy to say you have it but give yourself away with tiny details. A little bit of recognition or just an off hand comment of familiarity…But you’re not like that.” Mikado blinked at him and he suddenly felt troubled at how much the wizard was paying attention to him without him even noticing. “You panicked upon realizing your lack of identity. You were troubled around Mr. Maeda without understanding why. You desire to know who you are and yet you don’t rush to form your identity. You were devastated to find out that your amnesia is most likely permanent. You had general knowledge but didn’t know anything about Melody Rhythm specifically. And you feel distressed whenever your amnesia is brought up as you feel like it outcasts you…” He was quiet for a moment before looking away, taking the lead. “If none of that was genuine, then you’re a better actor than even you realize.” The wizard kept walking but the amnesiac started to slow down. He eventually stopped, which Mikado noticed and did the same, turning around.

“...Thanks, Mikado.” He smiled at him, small and feeble. The mask’s eyes go wide. “I know this probably doesn’t look good for me. But it’s nice to know that someone is in my corner.” Mikado stared at him for what felt like forever before his mask changed to its giant, genial smile and looked away.

“...I see.” Mikado held the brim of his hat to adjust it. He walked up to him as he spoke. “You seem to trust others very easily, don’t you?”

“Huh? Uh…I guess.” He scratches the back of his neck. “I…don’t really have a choice in the matter. At least I’m surrounded by people that seem trustworthy.” He pauses before curling his eyebrows. “Should I…not be?”

“No.” Mikado’s answer was instant and it surprised him. He thought the wizard was more standoffish, despite his willingness to converse with others. Mikado tilts his head away. “Or rather, it’s good to have your guard up a little bit around strangers. It’s not good to trust so blindly, especially due to your current circumstances…and the strange situation we’ve found ourselves in.”

“Yeah…you have a point.” He said before giving Mikado a bigger grin. “But I’m glad I met you. You’ve been a great friend since I woke up.” He pats him on the shoulder, which made the wizard flinch but he was already going on ahead before he could respond. “Come on! There’s a big cottage over here!” Mikado stared at him before following him as quickly as he could without running.

[ninjagirlstar5]

Protag Teruya AU - Prologue Part 1 - The Park Intro

Next stop, the park!

TWs: Pre-Character Development Hibiki (verbally abusive to Kanade)

The Beach (The Beginning) | The Mart (Part 2) | The Tower (Part 4) | The Cottage (Part 5) | The Boardwalk (Part 6) | The Beach Episode (Final)

Prologe Part 2 Beginning

Disclaimer: While Sannotori is problematic, it’s a thing in this AU/fic and the dynamic is not the same as it is in canon.

The Protag Teruya AU was inspired by @/anotherprofessional’s post! Beware of Void spoilers though!

The two of them leave the mart in silence, finding their way to a fountain in the middle of what looks to be a park. Not the ones with playgrounds or anything, but ones that have plenty of open space for picnics, a few trees for shade and a couple of benches on the pathways for people to sit down and rest at. There were cool horse statues present around the fountain, which reminded him of the Trojan Horse. Neat. A clock tower loomed over the fountain and he tried to read the time, but it seemed to be broken. The hands weren’t moving at all. Checking his own watch revealed that it was working but he wasn’t sure if the time itself was correct. Maybe he should check Kokoro’s tablet to compare its clock with his own once they’re done investigating. The sign nearby said that the place was called ‘Utsuroshima Park.’

…Seriously, what is this strange, distressing sense of deja vu? He wished he could understand why he was feeling this way. But every time he tried to force himself to focus, it only ended up hurting his brain and whatever information it was just kept getting pushed further and further away from him.

“You!!!” A yell broke his train of thought and he flinched at the sound, pressing his hand against his chest as his heart pounded against his ribcage. Mikado had a similar reaction, even going as far as to cover one of his ears with a cringe. They both turned to where the voice was, seeing what looked to be a giant of a man approaching the both of them. He had a muscular build, tanned skin and light-yellow eyes that held a fierceness that he had never seen in anyone before in his life. At least, from what he knew so far. His red hair had a fringe that was long and wavy, reaching near his mouth and he wore a vine-like necklace with a daisy attached to the center. He had a black t-shirt and what seemed to be a common firefighter uniform that was undone from the top and hung loosely behind his legs. His black boots with a beige vertical stripe on it completed his look and it wasn’t much of a guess of what his Ultimate talent is. But that's besides the point, he was coming straight for them!! “You both look like weaklings!!!”

“I…beg your pardon??” Mikado asked, his mask shifting into its usual wide-eyed stare. He was starting to get used to that.

“Your FACE is weak! Your VOICE is weak!! Now, give me a FIERY shout with aaaaallllll you’ve got!!!” He yelled loud and hard, pointing at them. He would’ve been right in their faces if it weren’t for the fact that he seemed to be aware of what personal space was, standing a few feet away from them. He can only stare at him with his jaw hanging wide open and his own eyes blown wide.

“I, well, you’re-” Mikado tried to get a word in but he’s quickly cut off.

“Not enough fiiiiiiirrrrrrrreeeeeeeee!!!!!” It looked like he was trying to sound encouraging, but his booming voice only made the wizard recoil even further. To the point that he ended up stepping behind him as if to take shelter from the man. It seems like it’s up to him to salvage this conversation and he forced himself to speak as loudly as he can to appease the firefighter before him.

“A-ARE YOU A HOPE’S PEAK ACADEMY STUDENT?!” He yelled, his voice cracking from the sudden volume. In fact, he was so loud that he could see another person with blue hair peer at them from behind a statue that blocked her from view. He couldn’t see her face from here, but the fact that there were other people watching them at all made him feel mortified.

“THAT’S RIGHT!! I’M A HOPE’S PEAK ACADEMY STUDENT!!!” The firefighter continued to scream out and-

“Enough!!” Mikado’s voice stopped him from saying anything else, surprising the both of them at its forcefulness. He can feel the wizard press his face against his shoulder as he grips his arms. “You’re too loud! Much too loud!!”

“Ah…” The man before them sweats a little bit before looking down at the ground. He seemed to be self-conscious after realizing that he was agitating Mikado rather than motivating him. “I-I’m sorry. I was just trying to lift up your spirits when I noticed how down you two looked.”

“We…looked upset?” He asked, surprised that he had noticed. He didn’t think he looked sad or anything. Yes, he was frustrated that he couldn’t understand his feelings of deja vu due to his lack of memories, but he was trying to accept that his amnesia is now a part of him.

“Yeah…You didn’t look happy with yourself.” The firefighter said, his voice still deep and loud but at least he seemed to be a bit more aware of his volume. He gulps though, as he didn’t realize it was that obvious he was upset about something. The man sighs before putting his hands on his hips and gives them a smaller smile. “Uh…Anyway, nice to meet ya. You must be my classmates, right? I’m the Ultimate Firefighter, Shinji Kasai.”

“Ah…Likewise.” He said, before nodding his head at Mikado. He didn’t move from his spot, seemingly curling up in his cape as best as he can now. Realizing he wasn’t going to talk, he decides to do it for him. “This is the Ultimate Wizard, Mikado Sannoji. He’s, uh, a lot more talkative than he looks, I promise.”

“Er, yeah. Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to freak you out.” Shinji apologized again, his face turning red from the embarrassment of earlier. He quickly bounces back though, crossing his arms with a wider grin. “But what’s your name? I bet your Ultimate talent has to deal with those goggles you wear, right?”

“Uh…I wouldn’t know.” He murmured, ignoring the pang in his heart. “I…don’t remember anything. Not even my name.”

“...Wait, do you…have amnesia?” Shinji’s eyes went wide with the realization and he reluctantly nodded.

“Ha, yeah…The, um, amnesia was the reason why I’m…kinda in the dumps now. It’s probably a permanent condition according to the Ultimate Psychologist.” He slumps his shoulders, allowing himself to show his distress. Shinji looks down at the ground for a brief moment before crossing his arms and smiling again.

“You know what? Call me your Big Bro from now on! I’m gonna train ya.” The firefighter said it so easily and carefree that he looked at him with surprise. It was only now that he realized that for as big as his muscles were and how loud his voice is, he was only a few inches shorter than him.

“R-Really…? Why?”

“Don’t sweat it, kid! I had to drop out of high school for a few years because of an injury, so I’m older than ya.”

“That’s…not the problem. I just…” He interrupts him.

“Nope! None of that!!” Shinji points at him again, his voice growing louder once more. He could feel Mikado cringe behind him. “Get over here so Big Bro can PERSONALLY train you! Let’s start with some laps!!”

“But, we have some questions- wait, wait, wait!!” He started but the firefighter didn’t listen, grabbing a hold of his arm and dragging him away from Mikado. The wizard just watched him go, his silent judgment emanating from his stare.

The laps around the park were, surprisingly, pretty easy. He was able to keep up with Shinji fairly well and he even praised him for his proper stance and steady pace. It only encouraged him to train him for ten more laps, but even when they were finally done, he only felt a good burn in his muscles and wasn’t all that exhausted as he expected to be. He still felt hella thirsty though, so he reluctantly took the energy drink from his bag and forced himself to take a swig of it.

“Well done, buddy! Not many people can keep up like this on their first try. I underestimated your strength!” Shinji said, puffing his chest out as he put his hands on his hips. He smiles at the praise before wiping his mouth with his wrist. “You even came prepared with your own energy drink. Mind if I have some?”

“Uh, sure…but I actually got it from someone else.” He said, handing the energy drink over to him without a second thought. “Be warned though. The drink is-” Shinji took a swig before he could finish.

And then gagged on the sugarless drink.

“-yeah. The boxer guy really cares about health.” His grin turned a bit more awkward. The firefighter gulped before taking a slower sip of the energy drink and then handed it back to him.

“Augh, I can tell with just the taste. Still, Hajime is pretty cool and we talked about training routines when we met.” Shinji crossed his arms and the two of them walked down the path. He can see Mikado from here, sitting on a bench and talking to a girl with blue hair. He recognized her as the same one who saw them yelling by the entrance. The firefighter starts to slow down when he sees them but before either of them could say anything, the girl spots them and lifts her head.

She’s a tall girl with a curvy figure and pale light skin. Her pale blue hair was tied into small curled buns which was held together by a black hair clip with a small yellow billiard ball labeled ‘9’ attached to it, and purple eyes. Well, he says eyes but weirdly enough, she has her right eye closed completely. Aside from that, she wore a gray striped long-sleeved shirt with a black tie clipped with a clip in the middle, a red vest with a gold trim and three buttons, with diamond patterns leading into her matching frilly jeans. A black belt was buckled around her waist and she wore sheer tights and red heels. The girl grins as she crosses her arms.

“Ooh, more cute kids spotted!” The girl walked up to them with a skip in her step. Shinji stared at her while he just blinked at her in surprise. “You must be a Hope’s Peak Academy freshman too, right? Like Kado over here.” She puts her hand on her hip and points to the sky as she speaks.

“Uh, yeah…? I think so. Are you a student too?” He asked and the girl lowered her hand, keeping up her welcoming smile.

“Good to meet ya! Your Big Sis here is named Setsuka Chiebukuro. Hope we get along!” Setsuka crosses her arms again. “I’ve come to this school as the Ultimate Billiards Player.”

“Billiards…?” He asked, pointing his finger at himself as his brain came up with a blank. Setsuka’s smile softens a bit in understanding.

“That’s right. Billiards is a cue sport where you strike billiard balls and cause them to move around a table specially designed for the sport. I haven’t gone to a lot of tournaments, but I’ve gotten sorta famous for winning perfect games for ones I have attended.” Setsuka explained, seemingly happy to talk about her sport like it’s her favorite thing in the world.

“Wow…I didn’t know billiards were a sport.” He admits as his brain finally forms an image in his head. He remembers a table covered in cloth and was bound in elastic bumper cushions. There was a cue stick in his hand and he could feel himself pouting over the billiard balls that didn’t fall into the holes. He hears a laugh but the memory quickly dissipates before he could remember anything else. He could feel a bit of frustration bubbling up but he stamps it down before it could get worse and instead smiles at Setsuka. “You must be really amazing at it.”

“Huh?” She blinks her only eye(?) before laughing and scratching the back of her head. “Nah, it’s not like that. My dad’s a billiards player, but I actually don’t even know how to play it…”

“Uh…then how did you get your title?” He asked. He thought Hope’s Peak Academy only chose the best of the best. But if Setsuka doesn’t know how to play…

“Now, now.” Setsuka grinned but it was more of an awkward, guarded grin as she raised her hands. “That’s a secret, my boy. It’s dangerous to pry into a woman’s intimate secrets.” Her smile suddenly turns more mischievous. “Especially when you two can’t even keep your voices down.”

Oh yeah, she saw that.

He felt his face blush furiously while Shinji turned as red as his hair, crossing his arms behind his back.

“Augh, how embarrassing…I wanna die…” Shinji murmured underneath his breath, while Setsuka’s grin became even bigger.

“Awww, it’s okay Shinji. You’re cute when you’re energetic!” She teased, which only made the firefighter’s face even redder somehow.

“I’m, uh, g-gonna go on a few more laps, actually. See you around, buddy!!” Shinji immediately runs off, escaping the conversation and leaving him to his confusion. Mikado, who has been completely silent up to this point, turned in his seat with his usual smile.

“Well, he certainly left as fast as he possibly could.” Mikado said. He just rubbed his head awkwardly as he didn’t know what to say to that.

“Mwahahaha…Shin makes it too easy.” Setsuka giggles to herself before relaxing her smile. “So…Kado told me that you have amnesia and it was so bad that you can’t remember your name, right?” He sighs.

“Yeah. I haven’t come up with a name for myself yet.” He pressed his hand against his chest, feeling his heart thumb against it. “I was told it was probably permanent too…”

“Poor thing. I thought amnesia was something you only see in movies…” Setsuka scratches the back of her head with a more concerned expression. She then smiles at him. “I don’t know much about the mind and body, but I could try and search for information on you once we get back!”

“Really? That’s…thank you.” He smiled. It’ll help to know where he came from and if he had a place to live or a job he worked at.

“Speaking of which, you sure are calm at a time like this, Ms. Chiebukuro.” Mikado said, seemingly becoming much more relaxed now that Shinji was out of the picture. The billiards player snorts.

“Hey now, Kado. Are you calling me simple-minded?” Setsuka’s smile shifted into the guarded one she had before. Mikado’s mask flattens its expression.

“Well, considering the situation we’re in, you sure took your time to tease our classmates.” The wizard points out. She crosses her arms, a more serious expression coming onto her face.

“Ah, you mean being on a mysterious island where God-knows-what could happen?” Setsuka pauses, almost dramatically before pointing again. “Not like I know anything, unfortunately!”

“Huh…? Then how come you’re so…” He searches for the right word that won’t come off as offensive. “….peaceful?”

“You guys are being too serious. The world is a pretty peaceful place.” Setsuka shrugs her shoulders and raises her hands, her smile relaxing. He can feel a little bit of doubt in his gut but he tries to to brush it off. “Maybe this is a surprise event set up by the school or something? This island is beautiful, you know? Seize the day, that’s my life motto.” Setsuka then lowered her voice. “And if something happens, don’t worry. With my devil’s eye…”

“Devil’s eye?” He turns to Mikado with wide eyes. His mask blinked at him but didn’t change at all.

“This eye has some very special powers. Mwahahaha…” Setsuka pressed her hand against her right eye, smirking as she laughed with confidence. The two of them stare at her before her laughter shifts into something more carefree and she waves them off. “Ahahahaha! Wasn’t that funny?”

“…I’m afraid I’m missing the punchline.” Mikado said, his mask finally shifting into its wide eye expression. He was similarly confused. Setsuka shrugged, not at all bothered by her joke flying right over their heads.

“You’re both too stiff, y’know? Just relax.” The billiards player then turned on her heel. “Well, I’m off to chat with the other kids~.” She then walks off.

“Well, uh…she seems loud, like Shinji.” He said, if only to fill the brief moment of silence between him and Mikado. The wizard hummed.

“In her own way, yes…And despite her claims, she’s as simple-minded as I thought she was.” Mikado was probably rolling his eyes underneath that mask and he winced at his bluntness.

“Wow, Mikado…you’re pretty harsh, huh?” The wizard huffed and he could see him cross his arms underneath his cape as he got off of the bench. Still, despite how easy-going Setsuka was, he wondered if they were taking this too seriously. So far, things seem pretty normal and the worst that has happened was the lack of people aside from their classmates. Maybe it was a surprise event Hope’s Peak Academy set up for them as the new class for this year, to interact with each other in a relaxing environment and work on their talents.

If only he could shake off this sense of deja vu. Maybe then he’d be able to fully relax like Setsuka.

“Yay~!” Someone yelled into his ear and he screamed, nearly jumping into Mikado. The wizard gasped at the sudden contact and his hands fumbled to grab him. A girl with curly purple-to-red ombre hair tied into pigtails with music note hair bands smiled at the both of them, like she was happy with her prank. She had a regular school uniform that was white and pink, with a giant yellow bow tie, white stockings, pink loafers and a dark purple sweater. “Hehehe, you two were totally surprised, am I right?” The two of them stared at her, too stunned to say anything. The girl then frowned. “Hey, Kanade! Why didn’t you do it like I told you to?! You were supposed to help me surprise them!” They both turned around to see another person standing right behind them. It didn’t take a genius to realize that these two were twins, as they looked almost exactly alike, uniform, hairstyle and all. The only difference he can tell was that this girl had a different kind of music notes for her hair bands, rounder eyes, straighter hair and, uh, for lack of a better word, a bustier chest. A little too busty if you ask him. Doesn’t her back hurt at all?

“S-Sorry, Hibiki…” Her sister, Kanade, looked down as she played with the collar of her uniform. Her sister suddenly points at her.

“Call me ‘Sis’! Why do you suddenly think you can call your sister by her name, huh?” She yelled out, which only surprised the both of them further. “Am I your friend or something?!”

“Eeek! S-Sorry, Sis, p-please don’t be angry!” Kanade cried out, cowering from her twin sister as she raised her hands to cover her face. He’s pretty sure he can see tears.

“Um…excuse me…” He starts to bud in. But the twin seemingly named Hibiki bulldozes over him without a second thought.

“Ah, my intro…By the looks of your clothes, you must be Hope’s Peak freshmen, right?” She glances at both Mikado and himself. He wasn’t necessarily wearing a uniform, but perhaps he was homeschooled? Ha, maybe he was rich enough to have tutors. Wouldn’t that be funny? “I’m Hibiki Otonokoji! And she’s Kanade! My twin sister.” She raises her hands up cheerfully, as if she wasn’t berating her sister just moments ago. He felt a little bit of annoyance at that.

“H-Hello.” Kanade puts her hands behind her back, smiling up at both of them shyly.

“I see…Nice to meet you. I’m Mikado Sannoji, the Ultimate Wizard. And this is our classmate…He currently hasn’t come up with a name yet due to his amnesia.” Mikado said, courteous but his smile was large and seemingly ungenuine. He couldn’t blame him, considering Hibiki didn’t seem to be the nicest person around. Hibiki huffs, putting her hands on her hips.

“Hmpf, you two sure have a lackluster response. This guy I understand because of his amnesia.” She points at him and he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable being singled out. The singer shifts her pointing to Mikado. “But you? Come on, haven’t you heard of the popular band, Melody Rhythm? We were top of the charts just last week!” She winks at them before putting her hands down. “Of course, that means we got scouted out as the Ultimate Vocalist and the Ultimate Guitarist!”

“Hmm…Well, clearly you two are talented if Hope’s Peak scouted you out…” Mikado spoke slowly as if he was building up to something. Only to suddenly shrug with an enthusiastic face. “Unfortunately, I haven’t heard of you. Sorry!” Clearly, he was not sorry at all.

“W-Wait, what?! You’ve seriously never heard of us?” Hibiki said, sweating a little as she raised her hands but being unsure of what to do with them. She then leaned forward with gritted teeth and clenched fists. “Ugh, you’re the worst! It’s impossible! How can you not know us?! Right, Kanade? Right?” He cringes. The more she speaks, the more whiny she sounds. Kanade remained silent, staring at her sister in concern. But the girl quickly bounces back before pointing at the both of them. “I guess there’s no choice! Get ready for a live performance! We’re gonna show these people who we are right here!”

“W-Wow, right here? Right now?” He said, gaping at her claim. Mikado, however, was cringing and took a step back. He looked like he was ready to run at any moment now.

“Th-That’d be impossible, Sister. We don’t have any instruments…or speakers…” Kanade spoke up, looking down at the ground. She seemed to have been dreading this moment.

“Impossible…?” Hibiki hissed out, turning onto her sister with a dark look and raising her hand. He tensed at the sight. “You’re disobeying your dear sister’s orders, huh? Is that it?”

“...Huh? Eh? N-No…Sis, it’s nothing like that…!” Kanade looked up with tears brimming in her eyes and sweating just a tiny bit, curling her hands into fists and pressing them close to herself as if to make herself look as meek as possible. And then Hibiki turned back to them with a wink, hands on her hips once more.

“It’s just a joke~!” She said, turning back around just when the two of them gave her disbelieving looks. That did not look like a joke just now. “You’re such a scaredy-cat, Kanade! Obviously we aren’t gonna perform live right here. Not even I could manage that.”

“Right…um, of course…” He pressed his hand against his chest, trying to figure out where to go from here. He decided to try and step in to see if he could get Hibiki to calm down a little. “Uh, please don’t fight with your sister. She’s your family and I’d like to get along with the both of you.”

“Huh? We’re not fighting.” Hibiki raised her hands happily, brushing off his concern. “We’re always like this. I’m just joking around, y’know~?” Kanade looked back down at the ground with a sigh.

“...I don’t have a sibling, as far as I’m aware, but I really don’t think siblings should act like this.” Mikado said, his mask going back to its flat expression.

“Oh yeah? Don’t talk about what you don’t know! Especially with a talent like magic. Seriously, what’s up with that?” Hibiki instantly shot back while pointing at him. Mikado’s eyes flared for a brief moment but it was exactly the kind of reaction the singer was looking for. She grinned, putting her hands on her hips. “What are you gonna do? Pull a rabbit out of your hat?” Mikado just stared at her, calming down in a few seconds before his mask gave her his mischievous smile. He suddenly grows a few inches tall, almost eye level with himself which surprised him a lot. Hibiki had a similar reaction with her eyes going wide and taking a step back. Kanade stared at him with interest, glancing at his feet which in turn made him look down-

-and realize that Mikado didn’t grow taller, but rather he was levitating.

“I don’t know, Ms. Hibiki.” Mikado said, his eyes becoming pointy with his vocal jabbing. He suddenly leans back, crossing his arms behind his head and putting one leg over his knee. “You tell me~.”

“Wh-Wha…you…you…!” Hibiki struggled to come up with a comeback, which only made Mikado’s mask shift into a mischievous grin. She huffs as she stomps her foot, turning her attention onto him instead. Great. “Ugh, forget him. What about you? Do you remember your talent?”

“Um…no.” He said, deciding that it’s probably for the best that he ripped off the band aid and get this conversation over with.

“Seriously?! As if forgetting your own identity is bad enough, you don’t even know why you were selected for Hope’s Peak! That must be tough…” Hibiki, to her credit, did seem genuine in her concern.

“Moving on.” Mikado said, not willing to let Hibiki straight up ignore him. He floats behind him, still having his arms crossed behind his head but otherwise serious in his tone and expression. “Do either of you know what’s going on here?”

“What’s…going on?” Kanade kept her head tilted away, but her eyes never left Mikado’s. Hibiki glared at him, but shifted her gaze away and pointed to herself.

“Ehhhhh, isn’t this a surprise ceremony? That’s what that blue-haired girl over there told us.” Hibiki didn’t seem all that worried.

“But she’s also a simple-minded girl that’s clearly too relaxed in a situation like this.” Mikado countered, his gaze flattening once more. The singer glared at him again, seemingly hoping to vaporize him on the spot. He just wished he wasn’t in the middle of both of them like this.

“Still…a surprise event…” He sighs. “I’d like that over something horrible.” He can feel Mikado breaking eye contact with Hibiki to look at him, his mask ironically hiding whatever emotion he’s feeling despite constantly changing for him.

“Ah, we gotta go now! We saw something really fun over there.” Hibiki turned her gaze to something far off in the distance, grabbing a hold of her sister without another thought. She then points at him, an inflated ego coming off of her in waves. “Better brace yourself! After hearing us live, you’ll be addicted to our music! Let’s go, Kanade!”

“S-Sis, wait for me…” Kanade let herself get dragged off, tears forming in her eyes again but for a brief moment, he thought he saw a smile trying to break out on her face. Weird.

“...Do you think I’ll end up addicted to their music?” He asked, turning his head towards the wizard. Mikado tilts his head before shrugging.

“I don’t know. I don’t really listen to music all that much. Never had the opportunity to.” Mikado put his arms down and stood up straighter, although he was still levitating off of the ground. “That aside, everyone is much too calm right now…Especially those two. You can feel their immaturity radiating off of them.”

“Especially Hibiki.” He closed his eyes as he rubbed his head, his fingers brushing against the goggles. He feels a sense of comfort just by touching them. “I don’t think I like Hibiki…”

“Me neither. Celebrities are overrated anyways.” Mikado shrugged before turning around. “Why don’t we search someplace else? There seems to be nothing else of interest here.”

“...So, were you ever going to tell me that you can fly? Cause that would be super useful right now…” He didn’t feel like walking. But the wizard was flying further and further away from him.

“I’m afraid there are no other seats for this ride, my dear. Unless you wish for me to carry you?” His tone of voice was light and teasing and he could feel a blush rising in his cheeks. He turns his head away, walking back to the entrance of the park.

“Tempting, but no.” He was a little tired but he hasn’t completely given up his pride just yet. Mikado chuckled before floating after him.

[ninjagirlstar5]

Protag Teruya AU - Prologue Part 1 - The Mart Intro

Time to spend some time at the Mart!

No TWs apply to this current post.

The Beach (The Beginning) | The Park (Part 3) | The Tower (Part 4) | The Cottage (Part 5) | The Boardwalk (Part 6) | The Beach Episode (Final)

Prologe Part 2 Beginning

Disclaimer: While Sannotori is problematic, it’s a thing in this AU/fic and the dynamic is not the same as it is in canon.

The Protag Teruya AU was inspired by @/anotherprofessional’s post! Beware of Void spoilers though!

He quickly caught up to Mikado, passing by the beach he woke up on and down the road towards a mart. It looked like a convenience store you’d see anywhere and he felt that was right, even without the memories to back it up. They stepped inside without another word and his eyes were immediately drawn to the display case with all the food products. He felt his mouth drool.

“See anything you like?” Mikado asked and his eyes landed on the curry and rice. It looked delicious, but it probably needed to be heated up. So he looked to the chip aisle and grabbed a bag instead. When he looked around the mart briefly, there were aisles of household items, tools and other useful instruments. To be honest, the amount of variety of items would probably be more suited to a warehouse than a mart. And then, without another thought, he ripped open the bag. Mikado’s eyes go wide - well, the mask anyway. “Uh, sir, you haven’t paid for that yet.”

“Paid…? Ah, shit.” It was only then that the concept of money, prices and payment finally registered in his head. Funny, the guy before literally told him to his face to pay him a million yen just to get his name and yet, it hadn’t sunk in his head. “...I don’t even have any money on me.”

“Oh dear. Well, there haven't been any workers nearby, from what I can tell. So if anyone complains, they only have themselves to blame for leaving the mart unattended.” Mikado shrugged and he snorted. He felt a little bit of shame, but he quickly pushed it to the side when another pang of pain in his stomach reminded him of his hunger and he dug into the chips without a second thought. Mikado chuckles at the sight as they leave the aisle. He can see liquor and cigarettes behind the cash register from here but he held no interest in any of them. They weren’t very useful for minors like them anyways.

And then his eyes landed on a shorter girl with messy hair and twin bangs that look more like antennae rabbit ears or something. She wore round glasses, a magenta pink sweater over what looks to be a shirt with no sleeves, a black and orange tie, black shorts and blue slippers. She was looking over the tablet in her hand, her face completely blank. He clears his throat, deciding to take the plunge first.

“Uh, hi! Are you a student at Hope’s Peak? I think we’re classmates.” He said, trying to grab her attention. She looks up from her tablet, staring right at him before glancing at Mikado. But it seemed like he didn’t grab her attention like he did as she immediately went back to staring at him.

“Yes.” She said, simple and quick. Mikado steps forward to bring attention to himself.

“It is wonderful to meet you! I am Mikado Sannoji, the Ultimate Wizard!” Mikado snaps his fingers, showing off a brief spark of fire that somehow formed. The girl glanced at him once again before bringing her attention back to him. Weird. But maybe she was expecting him to give her his name, which, uh…makes this awkward. Oh boy.

“Uh, I’m sorry. I can’t give you a name right now since I currently have amnesia.” He admits, scratching the back of his neck. She blinks, somehow staring at him more intensely even though her expression didn’t change at all.

“I see. That would explain some things…And you’re freshman students?” Her voice is soft and low, not necessarily gentle but not exactly distant either. Almost as if she’s not used to raising her voice at all.

“Indeed. And you are…?” If Mikado wasn’t wearing a mask, he bet he’d be raising an eyebrow right now.

“Kokoro Mitsume, Ultimate Psychologist…I believe.” She tilts her head away from them slightly. Mikado seems to perk up at that.

“A psychologist? I’m sorry for springing this up on you when we just met but…” The wizard looks at him. “Can you-”

“Do anything about his amnesia?” Kokoro finishes his sentence, curling her hand near her collarbone. They both blinked at her, equally surprised but her gaze shifted away as if this was a normal response. “I’m a psychologist, not a neurologist. But I can give you some information on the disorder.”

“Really?” He lights up a little bit. He didn’t think he’d be seeing professional help so soon but here was someone that could lend him a hand, even if all they can do is help him understand his condition better. Maybe he can do something about this after all. “Is there anything I can do? Can I get my memories back? Can I…go back to normal?” She looks down at her feet for a moment before staring back at him. Even though all she did was shift her eyebrows closer to her eyes, Kokoro looked much more stern than before.

“Let me clear something up first: amnesia is nothing like it’s shown in movies or TV shows.” Kokoro almost sounded miffed at the thought alone. “Amnesia means losing your memories, however it’s usually only with facts, information and experiences. And memories you do lose are usually ones that were formed more recently. It doesn’t affect your intelligence, general knowledge, awareness or your attention span. And you shouldn’t lose your entire identity, personality, or judgment.”

“But…I don’t even…” He starts but Kokoro raises her hand up. A silent ‘I’m not finished.’ He shuts his mouth.

“Yes, I am aware of what I said. But you…” She trails off, looking down at the ground for a brief moment before staring at him with such intensity that he felt shivers down his spine. “What are you? Your words, your emotions…Your loss of identity is genuine, even though it should be impossible. Perhaps a new type of amnesia or…”

“Um, Ms. Mitsume. Perhaps we should stay on topic?” Mikado asked awkwardly, looking somewhat uncomfortable himself. He looked like he was going to step between them if she took another step closer. Kokoro’s eyes widened briefly before putting some distance between them.

“...Sorry. I got carried away.” Kokoro clears her throat. “I’ve only dealt with amnesia patients twice but while they had to adapt to their issues, this is…something I’ve never encountered before. I don’t think there’s a neurologist who has. As for what you can do…” She frowns. “You can try enhancing your memory and getting support from a medical facility will help you cope. But I’m afraid amnesia can be…permanent. It’s possible you may not be able to recover your memories. At all.”

And just like that, any hope he may have kept to himself shattered like glass.

“…N-No…No way…” He stood there, feeling useless and helpless with nothing to do. It took all of his effort just to remain standing there, crushing the bag of chips he had taken for himself.

He didn’t feel hungry anymore.

“Are…you certain? There’s nothing that can be done?” Mikado asked, his mask softening his expression. Somehow, his concern still looked resigned.

“Like I said, it could be permanent. But your memories could come back to you on their own. However, I wouldn’t recommend getting your hopes up. The last time I talked to my amnesiac patients, they never recovered their lost memories and depending on what had happened to your brain, you may be in a similar position to them. Though your condition is much more…extreme.” Kokoro said, tapping away on her tablet. “I will try and help you cope with your loss of an identity, but it may be difficult due to the lack of internet connection on this island.”

“…mm.” That was all he could say in response. What could he say? He didn’t know his name, his family or his friends, his home, or even his Ultimate talent. And the likelihood of him recovering his memories were apparently next to none. Even Yuki’s comfort from earlier felt worthless now.

“Is, uh, something the matter over here?” A voice called out to them and he reluctantly looked over. Looking across at them from another aisle was a muscular guy that wasn't wearing a shirt and had a black jacket worn over his shoulders. He wore his blonde hair in a low ponytail in a similar way he was wearing, although it was far neater and smaller than his own. Sunglasses blocked the view of his eyes, and he wore boxer shorts with what looked like a boxing belt, bandages wrapped around his hands and wrists, and boots.

“Something like that.” Mikado answered for him. “Our classmate has amnesia and, well, we just found that there is no cure for it.”

“Oh, damn. Not even a name?” The guy asked and he walked over to them. He couldn’t bring himself to look him in the eye to confirm it. The guy scratches his head. “Wow, uh…I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s…” Mikado trails off. Despite not moving his head, he could feel his gaze on him from the mask. “Well, it’s not necessarily fine but…I suppose we’re just at a loss of what to do.”

“I’m afraid what we need to do now is continue investigating this island.” Kokoro buds in, frowning at her tablet. “We don’t have any hints of who’s behind this or what they want from us.”

“Yeah, I know. All of our belongings were taken away too.” The guy crossed his arms and he felt like he wanted to crawl in a cave and never come out. As if this situation couldn’t get any worse, it’s possible that the reason why his bag is empty is because whoever was behind this took away all of his stuff. They even left him on the beach like they didn’t care what kind of circumstance he’s currently going through. The guy stared at him before giving him a comforting smile. “Well, since we’re classmates, I might as well introduce myself. I’m Hajime Makunouchi, Ultimate Boxer. Nice to meet ya.”

“Mikado Sannoji, Ultimate Wizard.” Mikado bows at him. He didn’t give a response until the wizard nudged him with his elbow.

“Uh, yeah…hi.” He said a bit dumbly. Hajime’s eyebrows curl a little and it was then that he started to feel bad. He looks away in shame. “Sorry, this is…a lot to take in.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it.” Hajime’s strong voice was a lot kinder than he was expecting. He even handed him an energy drink. “I don’t know what I can do to help, but you should at least take care of yourself. Your health is still important. They say that a good memory is tied with how good you take care of yourself.” He stared at the energy drink, feeling numb and tired. But he took it from Hajime anyway and muttered a thanks.

“So, any thoughts on our situation, Mr. Makunouchi?” Mikado asked, which only prompted Hajime to rub the back of his head with a relaxed smile.

“Well, can’t say I do, no. But relax, I doubt anything bad is gonna happen. Speaking of relaxing, have you done any exercising today, Mikado?” Hajime looked Mikado up and down. The wizard blinked at him before wrapping his cape up close to himself.

“Well, no. But-” He gets cut off.

“What? A scrawny dude like you should care more about your health, y’know?” The boxer huffs. “You gotta focus on your health while you’re young! You look like you haven’t worked out a day in your life!” Kokoro, who had been standing through this conversation for a while, seems to be tapping out of it and slowly fading away into the background to avoid grabbing any attention. Mikado, on the other hand, seemed a bit embarrassed with the way he clutched his cape.

“Who’s gone and made you my mom…?” Mikado muttered under his breath, but it seemed like Hajime heard him and managed to tilt his head enough to reveal his red eyes behind his sunglasses. The wizard somehow manages to pout as he slumps over and he couldn’t help but grin at the sight. Feeling his mood lift just a little bit, he unscrews the cap of the energy drink and takes a sip-

-only to choke at the bland flavor.

“Augh, this tastes awful!” He spat out, staring at the energy drink with dismay. Hajime, having adjusted his sunglasses back over his eyes, turned his head towards him with a shocked expression.

“Hey! Nothin’ is more important than caring about your health. Like hell I’m gonna drink the sugary stuff, it’s way too much!” Hajime said, pointing at him with the kind of energy of someone who’s passionate about their hobby or job. It did nothing but make him cringe at the drink in his hand.

“Yeah, uh…I think I’m gonna pass on this. Maybe someone else will like it, sorry.” He starts taking his bag off and puts the drink in one of its pockets. Hajime huffs as he crosses his arms and Mikado chuckles.

“Well, you certainly seem energized now! Haha.” The wizard teased, the mask almost looking like it was laughing as he tried to cover up his mouth with his hand. It was at this point that Hajime decided he had enough and turned around with a sigh.

“Whatever. If you have any questions, feel free to come to me at any time.” He then walked away, disappearing behind another aisle. Kokoro also seemed to have disappeared at that point as well, leaving the duo on their own once more.

“Feeling a little better?” Mikado turns towards him and he returns his stare. He pauses, taking his time to think before slumping his shoulders.

“To be honest, I don’t know. I just…” He stared at the spot where Kokoro used to be. “I lost so much in just under an hour and I don’t even know how it happened. And finding out I might never remember myself? That’s…that scares me.” He gripped his jacket, near where his heart was. The anxiety was back again, and this time there were no comforting words that could help him calm down.

He feels a hand on his shoulder and he looks at Mikado. He seemed concerned, but he was also smiling at him like he was trying to comfort him.

“It’ll be okay. Regardless of what happens, these classmates of ours clearly care about your lack of memories. Not many people would put in the effort to care about a stranger, trust me.” Mikado said. He pats his shoulder one more time before dropping his hand. “If anything else, your classmates and I will give you a space to feel comfortable here for as long as you need it.”

“...Thank you, Mikado.” He replied, and he found himself pretty earnest with the way he spoke too. He still felt anxious, but he felt more motivated to keep going. Especially since, well, Mikado was right. He has been his guide since he first woke up on the beach. Yuki, while he didn’t feel safe around him, was polite to him, if a bit awkward. The other guy…was just rude in general, but Kokoro was helpful in understanding his condition even when the reality of amnesia was a cruel one. And Hajime showed concern to the point that he stepped in and asked what was wrong, even offering to help in any way he could. Most of the people he’s met have been understanding of his condition and seemed to want to help in any way they can. His memories are still lost but maybe there was still some hope in living a normal life. Hell, even if his memories are gone, he could probably still find the life he used to live and try to integrate himself into it once more.

There was still a pit of emptiness that felt heavy in his chest. But maybe this new life with his classmates wouldn’t be so bad.