"..llo? He...o? Can you h..r me? Please wake up!" I heard a small voice cry. I opened my eyes and found myself laying on a desk. I slowly got up and looked around the room I was in. A security camera was in the corner of the room and steel plates covered the windows. Other than that, it was a normal classroom. I felt something tug on my tux and looked towards who it was. There was a small girl with light brown hair, yellow irises, and in a green and white dress shirt with a brown skirt and black knee-high socks and white tennis shoes. "A-Are you okay?" She asked me.
I nodded and kneeled to her height, "I am, thanks to you." She blushed slightly. "My name is Jeremiah, the SHSL Butler. What's your name?"
She placed her hands behind her, "M-My name's Chihiro Fujisaki. I-I'm the SHSL Programmer. I hope we can be friends."
I couldn't help but smile, "Of course we can!" We were about to continue talking, but I noticed a small pamphlet sticking out of a desk drawer. I grabbed it, the instructions inside told us to meet in the gym @ 8:00. I grabbed Fujisaki's hand, ran out of the room, and made a mad dash to find the gym. We found a gym sign that pointed towards a couple doors and we crashed through them, well I did while shielding Fujisaki from the impact. Note to self: NEVER DO THAT AGAIN! Result was pain in the back.
"Y-You're really fast, you know that?" Fujisaki panted. I chuckled and saw that there were four others in the gym before us. A girl in a red track suit and an odd ponytail on her head ran up to us.
"Wow! You know how to make an entrance, you guys! I'm Aoi Asahina. The SHSL Swimming Pro! Although, my friends call me the 'Ultimate Swimmer', but that's just them being nice!" Aoi told us.
"My name is Jeremiah. I'm the SHSL Butler. This is Chihiro Fujisaki, the SHSL Programmer." I introduced ourselves to Aoi and she smiled, but then had an epiphany.
"Hey, what's your last name, Jeremiah?" She asked. Chihiro nodded.
"Oh, forgot! My last name is Rommannof!" I lied, expertly. Aoi nodded, but Chihiro gave me a confused look. I grew worried on the inside. Did Chihiro figure out that I lied?
"I-I never heard of that name before. W-Where did it come from?" She asked.
"It originated in Medieval times, in which the name meant 'Divine Music'." I explained.
Chihiro oh'd and smiled. I returned her smile and decided to meet the others. There was a girl with strawberry-blonde hair with two big pigtails, an annoying valley girl voice, and wore a black and red uniform. Her name was Junko Enoshima, the SHSL Fashionista. I politely excused myself and met two others. Their names were Sakura Ohgami who wore a white school uniform, had long white hair, and was extremely muscular. She was the SHSL Martial Artist, which was clearly obvious. Then there was Yasuhiro Hagakure, the SHSL Clairvoyant. He had a white dress shirt underneath his black jacket, which hung onto his shoulders. He also had sandals on his feet and his brown hair was in a frizzy afro. While talking to him, he mentioned that his predictions were correct 30% of the time. Although that was a low number, I told him that it was impressive. He just laughed and thanked me. While we were conversing, the door opened again and more students poured into the gym. I caught a glimpse of Melody and ran towards her. She saw me and we hugged each other.
"I thought something bad happened to you!" She told me. "I'm glad that I was wrong."
Chihiro walked up to her, "E-excuse me, you know him?"
Melody smiled, "Yes, we're relatives, after all." Chihiro blushed and smiled.
I introduced myself to the other students and learned their names. They were:
Kyoko Kirigiri the SHSL ??? (She couldn't remember her talent at the time)
Sayaka Maizono the SHSL Pop Idol (very kind, but something was off about her)
Hifumi Yamada the SHSL Fanfic Artist (obsessed with 2D fanfiction)
Toko Fukawa the SHSL Author (obsessed with Byakuya)
Byakuya Togami the SHSL Heir (whose attitude matched his title)
Leon Kuwata the SHSL Baseball Star (who actually hated baseball)
Mondo Oowada the SHSL Biker Gang Leader (nearly laughed at his hairstyle, but he didn't hear me)
Kiyotaka Ishimaru the SHSL Moral Compass (more like SHSL Prefect to me. So obsessed with perfection)
I was beginning to think that this was all of us, until I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned and saw a girl whose black hair was styled into giant twin drills. She also looked like a gothic lolita and had sharp, red eyes and an odd metal accessory on her finger. She smiled at me with a fake smile (which would've appeared real to others), "Salutations, my name is Celestia Ludenberg, the SHSL Gambler. What's your name?"
I returned her smile, "My name is Jeremiah Rommannof, the SHSL Butler." I could've sworn her eyes had a glint in them.
"My, a butler you say? How skilled are you?" She asked.
"Well, I don't want to brag, but I have served members of royalty and have been known to buttle for others."
She then made another smile, "It seems that we have something in common." She probably figured out that I was lying. Probably about my last name.
I smiled, "I would have to agree." Something about her name is odd. Is she a transfer student? No, she has that same vibe the others do, except more devious.
I was brought out of my thoughts when we heard a door open. We all turned towards the noise and saw another student walk in. He wore a green hoodie, has brown hair with a piece of it sticking upwards, has pale green eyes, and looked slightly confused. Some of the students walked up to him and started talking to him. I tuned them out, except for the loud voice of Ishimaru.
"AHA! INSTRUCTIONS SAID 8 O' CLOCK, SHARP! YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE FOR YOUR TARDINESS!!" He boomed.
Junko scoffed, "Yeah, can you not? Who gives a flying flip about being on time in this situation?"
I chimed in, "I agree. We should focus more on figuring out what's going on, rather than perfect attendance."
Melody agreed, "That's right! For all we know, this could be a kidnapping! We need to keep calm and find a way out."
Fujisaki raised her hand, "E-Excuse me? Did you happen to wake up in an empty classroom?"
The new guy nodded, "That's right! All that I saw were metal plates and security cameras!"
Fujisaki lowered her hand, "That's what I thought. We all went through the same thing, apparently."
I walked up to the new kid, "Hi. I'm Jeremiah Rommannof, the SHSL Butler. What's your name?"
"I'm Makoto Naegi. I'm called the SHSL Lucky Student. I got into this school, thanks to Lady Luck." He answered.
"Really?" I asked, "Was there like a drawing or a lottery or something?"
He shrugged, "I don't really know. I just got the letter in my mailbox. I didn't think a guy like me would be noticed."
I ruffled his hair, "Hey, welcome to Hope's Peak!" He laughed and Chihiro tugged on my tux.
"Umm...R-Rommannof-kun? Is it a-alright i-if I call you J-Jeremiah?" She asked.
I nodded and it brought a sweet smile on her face. Makoto went to talk to Sayaka, but then a loud feedback from the speakers resonated across the gym. Everybody covered their ears.
"Ahem! Mic check, mic check! 1-2-3! Everybody hear me ok on this thing? Hey there kiddos! Now that everybody's here, let's get the welcome wagon rolling! Not literally, of course, I don't even know what that means."
Yasuhiro laughed, "See? We're not prisoners! This is how they do things at Hope's Peak!"
"Well, you're only half-right." Kyoko stated. I gave her a confused glance, What did she mean by that? Wait, "prisoners"? What's going on? Suddenly, I heard everybody gasp. I turned to the stage and saw a small monochrome bear. He had white fur on his right side-which made him look harmless-but his left side had black fur, sharp teeth, and a menacing right eye. It was basically a personified form of a bipolar disorder.
"Now, I know what you're all thinking and no, I am not a high tech, Build-a-Bear reject. I am Monokuma! The principal of this fine establishment! Nice to meet ya!" Monokuma exclaimed.
I was confused, "A...Bear?"
"Not just any bear! Monokuma!"
"Ehhh! I had a nightmare like this, once!" Hifumi shrieked.
"Young man! Some respect, would ya? Mon-o-kuma! Your principal! Now then, let's get this started shall we? Stand tall and give us a hearty 'Good morning!'" Monokuma announced.
Kiyotaka-being the prefect he is-gave an impressive bow, "Good morning, principal sir!"
Toko jumped, "D-Don't encourage it!" I silently agreed. Melody had a questionable look.
Monokuma face-palmed, "That'll have to do, I suppose. Anyway, you bright, young things have been selected to partake in this special program. You all have been given your very own living quarters! How long will this glorious experience last? Approximately....The rest of your lives!"
"What?" I questioned.
"Oh yeah! By living quarters, I mean permanent living quarters!"
"Wait a min-"
"No! Just no!" Junko jumped in.
Poor Chihiro was trembling, "We're going to be trapped here...Forever?"
Monokuma saw her shaking, "Aww, don't worry. We've got an astronomical budget! All of your needs will be taken care of!"
Melody and Sayaka stepped up. "That's not the issue! What if we have families?" Sayaka inquired.
"Please, Mr. Monokuma! We can't live here forever!" Melody pleaded.
I saw Monokuma turn pink and sweat roll down his form, "W-well, there is a way to leave, cupcake." I glared at the bear, If he thinks he can get away with that, he's mistaken. The glare quickly snapped the "principal" out of his trance.
"Enlighten us." Byakuya demanded. He sent a sharp glare towards Monokuma, but it wasn't effective like mine was.
Suddenly, I felt that familiar, cold shiver run down my spine when Monokuma answered the demand. "GOOD OLD FASHIONED MURDER! Yes! Someone that kills a student, and gets away with it, can leave this school and return to their ordinary lives!"
I looked at Melody-who looked back at me-and we both nodded. We had a plan, which would set everybody free. I quickly walked behind Monokuma while he was busy with the others. Suddenly, I heard Mondo yell, "You want murder, Teddy Two-Tones? Take this s*** any further and you'll be victim #1!"
I walked up to Monokuma, "Is that a threat? You're gonna impale me on that pomp-"
I thrusted a sharpened butter knife into its back, "There, a murder. Just like you said."
Everybody was surprised by my sudden appearance, but I was more surprised by Monokuma when it turned around. "Oh? You think this will free your friends? Well, school rules clearly imply that no harm must come to the principal." He suddenly raised his paws, "Activating summoning magic! Save me, Spear of Gungnir!!" I saw the spears heading my direction and I quickly jumped out of their path. They started following me and I kept dodging them. They finally stopped when they impaled the pedestal I was behind. I quickly stood up and was relieved that I was fine.
Monokuma growled, "Consider that a warning, young man! Break any more rules, and let's just say we forgo written warnings in favor of instant corporal punishment!"
Everybody was now on edge. Monokuma continued, "This concludes our orientation assembly! Make sure you go over the rules in your student handbooks! See ya kiddos and cupcake!" Monokuma then disappeared. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"That was awesome!" I heard Aoi cheer. I spun around and saw everybody staring at me.
I rubbed the back of my hood, "Uh, t-thanks!"
Chihiro ran to me and jumped into my arms, "I-I was scared that y-you were gonna d-die! Please d-don't scare me again, Jeremiah!"
I felt bad for Chihiro and hugged her back, "Forgive me, Chi."
She looked at me, "'C-Chi'?"
"Well, I thought a nickname might suit you. Sorry, if you don't like it. I'll stop calling you that." I frowned.
She quickly shook her hands, "N-No! I l-like that name!"
I laughed, but quickly went silent when Mondo walked up to us, "I'll admit, that was pretty rad for a butler. How'd you do all that stuff?"
I waved off his question, "A butler must always meet his master's needs and wants. Therefore, we train ourselves to answer every need."
Melody broke in, "I hate to interrupt, but we still need a plan to escape this nightmare!"
"You're right, Melody. We should split into groups so we can cover more ground." I suggested.
Everybody agreed, except for a certain heir, "I'd like to be by myself."
Everyone was confused, "What?!"
"That way, no one could plot and carry out my untimely demise." Byakuya continued.
Mondo stepped in front of him, but then got enraged when Byakuya insulted him. Makoto tried to calm them down, "Uh, guys? We need to calm down and-"
Mondo glared at Makoto, "You tryin' to give me orders?!"
"N-No! I-"
Mondo threw a punch at him, "SHUT UP!!" However, the fist never touched Makoto. I had actually blocked the attack, grabbed Mondo's arm, threw him over my shoulder, and pinned him to the ground. Everybody gasped in surprise.
"Oh dear. You seem to have forced my hand." I stated with a bored look, "As you can see, I do not condone violent acts towards others. However, when the safety of a person is threatened by another, I take action. I care not for names, titles, heredity, or positions of power. All that matters is the here and now. Here, you have attempted to attack Mr. Naegi. Now, you are face down on the gym floors with your arm held at an uncomfortable position. Forgive me, but this is what I do," I finished with a closed-eyes smile. I looked up to see if Makoto was okay, but he had fainted. I sighed, released Mondo, and walked up to Sakura, "Can you help me carry him to his quarters, please?"
She nodded and Sayaka joined her. Melody pulled me away from everyone, "What you did was dangerous! I thought you were going to get hurt! You also nearly gave away your secret, so please be careful!"
I nodded, "You're right. My apologies." After we dropped off Naegi, we joined the rest in the search. Melody went with Aoi and Sakura, while I was with Chihiro. We were in the kitchen and saw a lot of food in the fridges.
"Wow! H-He wasn't kidding when he said the b-budget was huge!" Chihiro exclaimed.
I began to ponder, "Well, there's 17 of us. What'll happen if we run out of food?"
"You don't!" Monokuma suddenly said. We turned around and nearly had a heart attack. "The food restocks everyday, so no need to worry about starving to death. I'm a nice bear! I prefer you guys to kill each other!"
I didn't want to admit it, but Monokuma was kind enough to make sure we're healthy. Probably wanting us in good condition so we can kill each other. As soon as he was here, he was gone. I looked towards Chi and she was shaking. I quickly wrapped her in a hug and began comforting her. She held onto me, like I was her lifeline. This might be the toughest situation I've ever been in. Nevertheless, I must protect these people from Monokuma and whoever is behind this game.