Hope. It's a simple concept to understand. It's the state of mind where one expects good things to happen in the future. It's what drives people to do helpful things.

Despair. It's a simple concept to understand. It's the state of mind where one has lost faith in one form or another. It's what drives people to do harmful things.

Humans have been dealing with these two forces ever since the beginning of civilization. In many instances, hope has mad civilizations rise, and despair has made them collapse. It's a never ending war, with no way to predict when it will strike.

However, things are about to change.

In one year, the two extremes of these ideas will clash together, plunging the entire world into a state of ruin. In one year, a war will begin that will decide the fate of this world. In one year, the events that happen the previous year will be the sparks that built up to a full war.

Caught in the crossfire of this coming war is the Ultimate Academy.

You have one year to prevent this from happening. You are a student of the Ultimate Academy. Make it count.

Persona Danganronpa

Prologue - Part 1

"Welcome to Hope's Peak Academy"

Unknown Date

Unknown Time

In a quiet town, fog covered everything. A lone student is walking to school, when something suddenly caught her eye. Atop a telephone pole laid a body. It's not moving. She took one look at the body's blank stare and gaping mouth, before running off and screaming.

Police found the body and took it down for examination. It looked like this person is killed, but there were no external injuries. There is no explanation for how this person died. All they know is that this person disappeared one day and then appeared out of nowhere, only to be found dead.

Unfortunately, this is only the first of a few cases that are completely confusing. It is unclear about why this is happening and who is causing this. No one has any ideas about the motive behind this series of events. What's going on? How do these people die? No one knows, and its particularly a troubling case for this detective.

Unfortunately for everyone, this is only the beginning of something terrible.

4/7 (Sunday)

Early Morning

A teenage boy sat on a train headed towards the big city. He has headphones on as he watched the city buildings nearby, listening to the songs made by the world famous Sayaka Maizono. Like many teens his age, he was a fan of hers and liked to listen to her songs. He and his sister were fans of Sayaka ever since she hit the big stage, though he would consider his sister to be the bigger fan, as she has merchandise of her idol everywhere in her room. For now, he's listening to Sayaka's most recent album, "Monochrome Love". It was released on his birthday, and he received it as a birthday gift from his sister. That was only a couple months ago. For some reason, he finds like the songs are connecting him to someone else, mainly the singer, Sayaka. He isn't sure why, but it is a feeling that he has.

This boy has brown, spiky hair and olive green eyes. He is wearing a forest green hoodie, black pants, and red sneakers. His belongings are stuffed in a large bag that he brought with him, containing several changes of clothes and school supplies. His name is Makoto Naegi. Coming from a suburban town, he finds his new life in a city filled with unfamiliar people stressful. He doesn't like it, but he doesn't have a choice. His parents forced him to do it. Letting out a sigh, he pulled out the mail that plucked him out of his old life and planted him into this new life.

"Makoto Naegi, every year we select a random ordinary person to come join us at Hope's Peak," the mail said. "Congratulations! Your name was drawn. You are now invited to join us. Welcome to Hope's Peak Academy. Your talent is the Ultimate Lucky Student. Have a great school year!"

Honestly, he would've rejected this tempting offer. He never applied to this school, so he has no reason to accept it. Except...this is Hope's Peak, and his parents are perfectly willing to send him there.

Hope's Peak Academy is unlike any other school in the world. Sure there are entrance exams, but those are for the secondary course, the Reserve Course. He's part of the Main Course, the talent course. Unlike any other school, Hope's Peak scouts its students. But they don't just scout any person, they're looking for talented people who highly excel at their field. These are called Ultimate Students, and these students have a title to their name. The talents that these students have cover a wide range of fields, from science to arts to sports to public speaking. It is said that if you graduate from Hope's Peak, you're set for life. For many former students, that is true. Many alumni of Hope's Peak became leaders in research or found successful careers, pushing Japan and the whole world into a period of advancements. Life in general became better because of Hope's Peak graduates.

The prospect of success after graduating from Hope's Peak is why his parents are perfectly willing to send him there. They wanted their son to succeed in life, and being at Hope's Peak is a perfect opportunity to start a foundation that will bring him long-term success. He never asked for this, as he sees himself as a normal teenage boy living a normal life. He is not talented in anything. Well, he does have an unusually high amount of optimism, but he doesn't consider that a talent that he has.

Makoto looked up at the announcements. He heard that his crossover stop is approaching. He stood from his seat and picked up his belongings in preparation to change trains. Unbeknownst to him, there's s girl sitting right behind him who took notice.

The girl has long, dark blue hair that partially covered her chest. Her eyes are covered with glasses to conceal her identity. She is wearing a blue hoodie with the hood covering her head. Along with the hoodie, she wore a plaid blue skirt, long dark blue socks, and brown slip-on shoes. Like Makoto, she is carrying around a large bag of belongings. She seemed to have noticed Makoto, and a smile formed on her face.

The train comes to a stop, and Makoto exited the train to take a final ride that will take him close to Hope's Peak. Right behind him is the girl who took interest in him.

Makoto got on the next train and took his seat. He's just a few minutes away from Hope's Peak. He looked around the train and noticed that there are not a lot of passengers in it. Perhaps these passengers are students of Hope's Peak, and these are the last few students who have not arrived yet. The start of the school year is tomorrow. He isn't surprised to see this.

It's just a few more minutes, but listening to a song wouldn't hurt. He decided to listen to "Monochrome Answer" one more time. That song was one of his favorites.

Suddenly, the girl from earlier decided to sit down next to Makoto. It came as a surprise to him. He's never seen someone like this before. It's a little scary, but havcing a companion wouldn't hurt.

"Mind if I sit here?" the girl asked, struggling to fit her belongings into her seat.

"Sure," Makoto replied.

The train started moving. Soon, they will arrive at Hope's Peak just in time for the school year to begin. Now all they needed to do is to wait a little longer.

The girl soon got nervous of waiting. She wanted to have something to talk about. She glanced over at Makoto and saw what song he's currently listening to. "That's a great song, isn't it?" she said.

Makoto glanced over towards the girl. "Yeah," he agreed. He soon went back into looking out the window.

The girl looked at her surroundings. It looks like there's no one watching her. Perfect. She looked back at Makoto and tapped him by the shoulder. "Hey...Makoto?"

Makoto jumped upon hearing his name. This is unusual. Only those that are familiar with him called him by his name. This is a sign that she knows him from before. He has a strange feeling that the girl sitting next to him was that girl. "What?" he said in response. "Did...did you just say my name?" He began turning his head. "No way...are you-?"

The girl took off her hood and her glasses. These are aesthetic glasses, and does not correct her vision. They revealed the girl's eyes to be ocean blue. She smiled at Makoto. "Remember me?" she asked.

As soon as Makoto saw those blue eyes, he knew who is staring right at him. "You're...Sayaka...Maizono...right?"

Sayaka smiled as she was correctly identified. "I knew you could do it, Makoto Naegi."

Makoto was surprised. Sayaka is an idol, someone who he would not expect to be willing to be around someone so ordinary, especially him. Sure, they might come from the same city, but that still doesn't justify this. Makoto began blushing as he looked away from Sayaka. Sayaka looked at Makoto and suddenly began giggling.

"What's so funny?" Makoto asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Sayaka replied.

Makoto reacted with utter silence.

"We will be arriving at Kiibo Station," the train announced.

"Oh, that's our stop!" Sayaka said. "Say, do you want to walk with me to school?"

"Sure," Makoto immediately said. "Wait...okay, fine." He's not sure why he accepted it, but he didn't think too much of it.

Sayaka smiled as the train arrived at their stop. They stood up, took their belongings with them, then headed out to walk to school together.

Hope's Peak Academy was divided into several sections. There's the Administrative Building where main operations took place, the Main Course Building for the Ultimate Students, the Reserve Course Building for the those who lack a talent but are still gifted, parks, and many Research Facilities. While it is a large campus, there's not a lot of students who attend this school. There's only a few Main Course students and a few thousand Reserve Course Students. If anything, Hope's Peak might be a bit too large for the expected capacity. But it's not like the government cares about its size.

Makoto and Sayaka walked towards Hope's Peak together along with a few other students. This was their first time walking to school together. They had a little chat about the old times. While they are chatting, one of the students noticed that there's an idol who's talking to some nobody.

"Hey, is that the famous Sayaka Maizono?" a student asked.

"Yeah, that is her," another replied. "It took her long enough. Who is she's talking to?"

"Could he be the reason why she showed up late? Could he be...her boyfriend?"

"What? The Ultimate Idol has a boyfriend? Preposterous!" He then looked at the boy Sayaka is talking to. "Oh wait, I recognize him. He must me Makoto Naegi. His name was drawn at the lottery, so that makes him the Ultimate Lucky Student."

"What? You know him?"

"I think he used to be my classmate. I even saw him on the train ride here."

"Really? Do you come from the same town as him?"

Sayaka observed that there were rumors being spread around. Makoto is wondering if he should be concerned.

"Just ignore them," Sayaka said.

"What?" Makoto reacted.

"They're not our business," Sayaka replied. "We should focus on getting to our new school. I'm excited to have you with me this school year."

"I agree..." Makoto said. He then looked at the sky and spotted something...strange. "Huh? What's that up there?" He and Sayaka stopped in their tracks. It seemed like they saw the same thing.

Hanging above Hope's Peak are three stars with a cloud of dust separating two of the stars from each other. Their formation is familiar to Sayaka.

"Huh? Is that...the Summer Triangle?" Sayaka said.

"The Summer Triangle?" Makoto said. "I haven't checked any sky charts lately, but I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to be here at this time of year. What's going on?"

Sayaka wondered if she's just seeing things. This is a highly unusual sight. Maybe there's something in her eyes, but that wouldn't explain why Makoto is seeing the same thing as her. What's going on?

"Hey, what are you two staring at the sky for?" a student called out, catching their attention. "Aren't you students of Hope's Peak? You look like you're going there."

"Uh, yeah," Sayaka answered. "I'm going to Hope's Peak. Same as him. We're going there."

"Ah, I see," the student replied. "Sorry for interrupting you. Hey, are you two going together?"

"We are," Sayaka nodded.

"Which course are you going to? I'm headed for the Reserve Course," the student said. "I finished the entrance exam, and I scored high enough to be accepted."

"Oh, we're both going to the Main Course," Sayaka answered. "I'm the Ultimate Idol, and he's the Ultimate Lucky Student."

"Ah, so you must be Sayaka Maizono," the student said. "I've heard news stories about you coming here. I'll just continue on for now. I need to finish preparing for the upcoming school year. Well, I hope I can see you again." He then left for the building.

Sayaka then turned to Makoto, who didn't speak at all to the student that just talked to them. "Makoto, I noticed that you didn't speak at all during that exchange," she said. "Why is that?"

Makoto let out a sigh. "He...looked like a Reserve Course student," he said. "He even said it himself. He must've worked a lot just to get in here. And now, this ordinary boy did nothing to be considered for Hope's Peak, and here I am. I got here through sheer luck. I can imagine people getting angry over this..."

"Oh don't worry," Sayaka said. "The Main Course and the Reserve Course are in separate buildings. As long as we don't spend too much time around them, we should be fine."

"Okay..." Makoto sighed. He then looked back up at the sky, only to find nothing but clouds. "Hey, where did the Summer Triangle go?"

Sayaka looked up at the sky, and sure enough the Summer Triangle disappeared without a trace. This is clearly just them seeing things. "It's gone..." she said. "That's weird..."

Makoto and Sayaka didn't think too much of the strange sight as they continued onward to Hope's Peak Academy, getting ready to start the school year.

4/7 (Sunday)

Morning

"Thank you for coming here," the receptionist said. "Here are your E-Handbooks. They're registered to you. Your rooms are at the Main Course dormitory. Maizono, your room is Room 113. Naegi, your room is Room 114. Have a great year! And don't lose your stuff! E-Handbooks are expensive to replace."

"Thanks!" Sayaka replied.

The E-Handbooks are electronic devices signature to Hope's Peak. They're modified versions of smartphones that are designed by Hope's Peak. These devices are a useful tool for students of Hope's Peak. They keep track of assignments, connect students and teachers, displays upcoming events, and many other functions. They also serve as keys to student dorm rooms and changing rooms. All one has to do is to scan their E-Handbooks into the scanner, verify the user, and the door is unlocked. Of course, in case of a power outage, students are given rooms keys as an alternative, so there's that.

Makoto and Sayaka made their way into the dorm rooms to deposit their stuff. It looked like the two rooms they're assigned to are right next to each other.

"We're neighbors?!" Sayaka gasped. "This is exciting! We're living right next to each other! I wish I could say the same back in our hometown..."

"Wait, how close do we live again?" Makoto asked. "I know we come from the same city, but where do you live?"

"This is private information!" Sayaka shouted. "I'm not willing to reveal my own private information! Though, I will tell you if you want."

"We just met each other," Makoto said. "I think it's better if we try to get to know each other a little more. Is that okay?"

"Oh, right," Sayaka said. "Sorry if it sounds like I'm rushing through things..."

The dorm rooms, at least for the Main Course Students, are quite spacious. There's the typical bed, dresser, bathroom, and desk. They're almost like hotel rooms, or at least based on them, but designed to house one student per unit. Each room also comes with a television that is moderately sized, because big screens are for groups of people. The walls are even soundproof, so even if something loud is happening in a room, nearby students won't be disturbed by it. Other than those features, there's not much else to note about these rooms, other than the fact that students will be living in Hope's Peak until they graduate.

Makoto and Sayaka deposited their stuff into their rooms. They still have a lot of free time left in the day, so its time to explore around a little. There are plenty of students in their new class. Perhaps they should go around and meet their new classmates.

"Hey, can we get to know each other a little more?" Sayaka asked. "I know you would like to get to know your classmates, but why don't we hang out together?"

Makoto was caught by surprise. How did Sayaka managed to figure that out? He never mentioned wanting to meet his new classmates. "Huh? I never brought up the idea of meeting our new classmates," he said. "Did you hear me say that? Was I thinking out loud?"

As far as Sayaka knew, Makoto hasn't spoke a word. She responded in a way that she found funny every time she pulled it off. "Oh, I'm psychic," she jokingly answered.

"...Huh?" Makoto reacted in confusion.

Sayaka then giggled at the reaction. "I'm just kidding!" she said. "I just have really good intuition!"

Makoto reacted in utter silence. This is a new joke to him. He has never had anyone pull off this joke before.

"You know, it's kind of strange to see someone from my hometown," Sayaka admitted. "It feels weird and comforting at the same time. For one, I didn't expect this year's Ultimate Lucky Student to come from the same place as me. On the other hand, at least I have someone I'm familiar with that I can approach."

"Wait, I'm familiar to you?" Makoto asked. "I mean, don't get me wrong. You're familiar to me. Me and my sister listened to your songs all the time. But I never expected the same to be true the other way around. I'm just another fan of yours. What makes me stand out?"

"Oh?" Sayaka said. She thought about what to talk about for a moment. "Hmm...well...do you remember our old middle school? You know...Black Root Middle School?"

"Yeah, I do," Makoto replied.

Sayaka cheered in response. "I knew it!" she said. "I knew it was you!" It would appear that she is rather excited to see Makoto here. No wonder she decided to sit next to him on the train ride here.

"We were in different classes, right?" Makoto asked. "How could you remember me? I'm just an ordinary kid. I don't think we interacted a lot during our time there..."

"We went to the same school for three years," Sayaka said. "Of course I remembered!"

"There were a lot of other students in our grade, right?" Makoto asked. "Plus, I'm never the type of person who would stand out. I'm average at everything and all my hobbies are normal. Well, except for athletics. I usually do terrible in athletics. Even still, I'm just an normal person. Even calling me 'normal' would be boring."

"What are you talking about?" Sayaka reacted. "I don't think you're ordinary. I think you're special! You're a strange one, Makoto."

"S-Strange?!" Makoto reacted.

Sayaka then giggled even louder. It's like she's enjoying this. She smiled at Makoto, shining like a mysterious, calming light. She then spoke again. "You know, when I was scouted to be the Ultimate Idol, I was worried that I will never see you again," she said. "Now that you're here, I can calm down a little. Without you, I would've been lost."

"Okay..." Makoto replied.

"Hey, why don't we take a tour of this school together?" Sayaka suggested. "I would love to spend more time with you."

"Wait, you're an idol, right?" Makoto said. "If people caught us walking around together, they might get the wrong idea."

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Sayaka assured. "As long as we're not around too many people, we should be fine. We are separated from the Reserve Course for the most part. That's where most of the students of Hope's Peak are. Does that sound okay?"

"I understand," Makoto said. "But I will keep an eye out for other students. I just want to make sure we're got getting too much attention."

Sayaka smiled at the plan. "Okay! Let's go!" she said. Then she walked out into the hallway, with Makoto following not too far behind her.

Lunchtime

That was an exciting tour. Makoto and Sayaka get to see that Hope's Peak has a lot of things to offer to its students. Even in the Main Course building, there are many areas where students can hone their skills and hang out with their peers. It's starting to look like this school year will be another great one.

Lunch is coming up, and both of them are hungry. The two decided to check out the dining hall to grab a meal before meeting their new classmates.

Normally, students in Japanese schools eat their meals in the classroom, or eat wherever they wanted. There's usually no cafeteria or a dining hall or any centralized dining area within the building. That's not the case with Hope's Peak. There is a dining hall and a kitchen, and that goes for both the Main Course and the Reserve Course. That's bound to trip some students up.

Makoto and Sayaka grabbed a meal and started talking to each other, chatting about the old times. Luckily, not a lot of students paid much attention to them. They were too bust chatting with their new friends to pay attention to an idol.

Suddenly, a boy placed his meal down and sat across Sayaka. He has red-orange hair, a goatee, and pale blue eyes. The hair might've been dyed. He is wearing a white shirt with a skull design on it, a white brazier with a popped collar, black jeans, and white shoes. His accessories give off the vibe of a punk, with piercings, a padlock necklace, and rings. He seemed to have taking a liking to Sayaka, given that he's staring at her. "'Sup?" he greeted.

Makoto and Sayaka are confused by this boy. He looked unfamiliar, but something tells them that they've seen him before, at least in photos.

"Who are you?" Makoto asked.

"Are you our classmate?" Sayaka asked.

"Oh, right," the boy realized. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Leon Kuwata! I'm the Ultimate...Baseball...Player...ugh."

Makoto was confused by this. Leon's appearance does not match his talent. "Uh, excuse me?" he asked. "I thought you were the Ultimate Punk or something. I feel awful for using that word..."

"Doesn't this school already have someone who dressed up in a similar style?" Sayaka asked.

Makoto snapped the awful feeling out of his head. "Uh, Kuwata?" he continued. "I thought you would show up with a more...sporty style. And your hair...isn't it supposed to be shaved?"

Leon took offense about his hair. "Wait, did you saw some old photos of me?" he asked. "Seriously, I hate that old look! I refused to shave my hair! Never! That's so embarrassing. My teammates would try to force me to shave my hair because of tournament regulations. But screw them! I'm doing things my own way!"

"Shouldn't you listen to your teammates?" Sayaka asked. "They must've looked up to you back then. They just wanted you to bring their team to success."

"Bah!" Leon grunted. "I don't care about what my teammates think. I don't care about baseball anymore. I wanted to go a different path! That's right, I wanted to get into music! Forget sports, I want to become the Ultimate Musician!"

"Did someone say my talent?" a girl asked, suddenly showing up. Her hair is wild looking. She has black hair with pink, blue, and white highlights. She also has pink eyes. While her uniform is typical of a high school girl, the rest of her clothing is wild. There are piercings almost everywhere, her socks are mismatched, her socks are torn in some places, there's a arm warmer on her left arm, and a barbed necklace. That looks uncomfortable. "Ah! You seem to share my tastes!" She wrapped her arm around Leon, much to his discomfort.

"Wait, so you're the other student that shares my style?" Leon asked.

The girl sat down next to Leon, still wrapping her arm around him. "Yep!" she said. "The name's Ibuki Mioda! Nice to meet you! I'm the Ultimate Musician. So, you wanna be my successor, right?"

Makoto and Sayaka watched as the scene unfolded in front of them. They decided to ignore them for now and focus on their meals.

"It's not like that!" Leon shouted. "I just wanted to escape my old talent. I'm tired of playing baseball! I wanted to get into music! And I believe that Sayaka Maizono is my way into that!"

Sayaka glanced up for a moment before going back to her meal again. She would like to talk, but food goes first.

"Uh, hello?" Ibuki said. "Sayaka-chan is a pop idol. She's probably not into punk music."

"I don't want to be a punk musician!" Leon shouted. "I just wanted to be a musician!"

"What genre?" Ibuki asked.

"Uh..." Leon replied, but is unable to find the words. He has no idea what to say in response.

"Ibuki says that you're best fit for punk music," Ibuki said. "Ibuki herself is a punk, and Ibuki knows a punk from looks alone. Trust Ibuki, 'cause Ibuki knows best!"

Leon raised an eyebrow over Ibuki's unusual habit of saying her own name again. "You're weird," he remarked.

Ibuki took offense to that. "Ibuki is not weird!" she objected.

"Well, people will be weirded out by your speech patterns," Leon said. "Isn't that right, Say-" Looking back across the table, he noticed that both Makoto and Sayaka had already left. They finished their meals and had cleaned after themselves. Meanwhile, Leon is still starting his meal. His face was shocked.

"Well, looks like you've drove away them," Ibuki observed as she leaned closer to Leon. "So, let's talk music."

Leon gulped, feeling nervous about how the upcoming school year will go for him.

Evening

The Ishimaru family used to be a well-regarded family, that is until "The Scandal". Now their very name brought scorn and shame to every family that bears the name. No one wanted to be associated with this family.

So it's quite baffling to its members that this is the third time in a row that a person who has blood ties to the one behind "The Scandal" manged to be scouted and be accepted into Hope's Peak. It's as if Hope's Peak felt pity on the poor family and thought that the solution was to scout its highly skilled members and try to restore the family name back into its former glory. Needless to say, it doesn't work like that.

Takaaki is the former Ultimate Police Officer. After hearing about "The Scandal", he tried to restore his family name by becoming the officer to stop injustices from happening. It did not work as well as he expected. He now spends his days patrolling the campus of Hope's Peak. Due to the rise of strange and mysterious deaths, Takaaki is getting worried about the safety of the students coming into the school year.

Kiyotaka, the grandson of the one behind "The Scandal", is just entering Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Hall Monitor. He's known for his rigorous beliefs about where success comes from and his desire for order. Given that he's the grandson of the one behind "The Scandal", it's quite hard for people to listen to him. Nevertheless, he persisted in his beliefs, which got him scouted.

The father-son duo stood just outside the Headmaster's office as they discuss what was being talked about.

"We'd better take these mysterious deaths seriously, son," Takaaki warned. "Headmaster Kirigiri is getting concerned for his students. He asked us to monitor the students and make sure everyone is safe in these tough times."

"You're not looking at the facts, father!" Kiyotaka shouted. "These are only a few cases so far. There's no way that it can happen to any one of us, especially not one of the Ultimate Students."

Takaaki shook his dead. "Stay diligent, son," he warned. "Make sure everyone gets to class on time. If you suspect that anyone has gone missing, don't. Hesitate. To. Warn. Understand?"

"Don't worry, father!" Kiyotaka replied. "I will always do my job!"

Takaaki signed in annoyance. "You just don't get how serious this issue is..." he said, shaking his head.

4/8 (Monday)

Early Morning

*Ding-dong, ding-dong!*

"Attention all students," Headmaster Kirigiri announced. "Today is the welcoming ceremony. Everyone, please report to the auditorium as soon as possible. The ceremony will begin in a few hours."

It's time. Makoto put on his school provided uniform, a brown uniform with the school's insignia on it. Though the Ultimate Students have to wear these clothes on the first day of school, they are free to dress themselves whatever they please, just as long as it isn't overexposing and indecent. Makoto then decided to head out for the auditorium, where the welcoming ceremony will be held.

The first person that Makoto encounter today was right outside his door. Sayaka had greeted him, much to his surprise.

"Good morning, Makoto," Sayaka greeted.

Makoto nearly stumbled backwards in surprise, only to be caught by Sayaka before he could fall too far. She pulled him back on his feet. "Man, you scared me," Makoto said. "How did you know I was going out at this time?"

"I'm psychic," Sayaka replied.

Makoto got confused again over this joke.

"I'm kidding!" Sayaka giggled. "I just had a feeling that you're coming out at this time." A smiled then formed on her face. "Alright, Makoto. Let's get going!" She grabbed Makoto and began dragging him by the arm to the auditorium.

"Huh? Hey!" Makoto yelped. "Sayaka?"

The welcoming ceremony, despite taking place in a precocious academy, is nothing special. It's just the standard words of encouragement. There's nothing of note to listen to, except at the end.

"One more thing before I leave," Headmaster Kirigiri said. "Class 78, allow me into introduce you to the 16th student of your class. I'd like you to meet...my daughter."

The revelations that there was a 16th student caught the students of Class 78 by surprise.

"What?" Makoto gasped.

"We have another classmate?" Sayaka asked.

"Wait, what's going on?" Kiyotaka shouted. He pulled out his pocket notebook that he always carries around. "There should be only 15 students in our class. I checked so many times! Let's see...hmm..."

While Kiyotaka is busy checking the notes he's gathered, the daughter of the headmaster stepped up to the microphone. She has a mysterious air around her. The headmaster's daughter has lavender hair and purple eyes. She wore a purple jacket over a blouse and a dark purple skirt. She sore knee high boots and her hands are covered in studded gloves. The headmaster's daughter stared at her peers with a stoic look on her face.

"Good morning, my classmates," the girl greeted. "My name is Kyoko Kirigiri. I'm looking forward to a great school year with you guys."

Almost immediately, rumors began to spread around this new, mysterious student.

"Ooh, so she's the daughter of the headmaster?" Leon asked. "Man, I wonder if I should get her. Nah, she's not my type." He looked around him and discovered that the eyes of the entire class is staring at him. "What?"

"Do you want to get into trouble?" Kiyotaka asked. "If she's the headmaster's daughter, then we should be careful around her! I will not tolerate any dangerous actions!"

Leon blew a raspberry at Kiyotaka, who responded by slapping Leon across the face.

Kyoko looked at the ruckus that's going on at her new class. "...I'm hearing some childish noises," she said. "Who did that?"

Kiyotaka was not happy that they got the wrong kind of attention. Now everyone is looking at their directions. He kept an eye on Leon to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid for the rest of the ceremony. Also, Leon is not wearing his school uniform. Not cool, Leon.

Kyoko let out a sign. "Look, I may not want to be in this place," she said, "but my talents are recognized enough to warrant me a place here. I hope all of you will enjoy this school year. I am thankful to be a part of this school."

The rest of the welcoming ceremony continued without any problems. As soon as the ceremony ended, the students are directed into their classes. They also made sure to introduce themselves to each other, just so everyone knows the names of their classmates. With that, the school year has officially started. It'll be a long year from this point onward.

Morning

The classroom of the Main Course Building usually only has 16 seats arranged in a 4x4 grid. However, the floor space is around the same size as Reserve Course classrooms. Because of this, Main Course Student usually have more space to walk around.

As a perk for being a part of the Main Course, the incoming Ultimate Students are allowed to choose where they sit in the classroom. They have to choose wisely, as once they made their choice, getting it changed is a difficult task.

Makoto chose his seat to be the second row from the front and the second column from the hallway wall. He doesn't want to draw too much attention to himself, but he also doesn't want to be too far away from the board. He settles on his choice. Naturally, Sayaka decided to seat right next to Makoto at the second row, third seat from the hallway wall.

"Isn't this exciting?" Sayaka asked as she sat right next to Makoto. "We're classmates now! This is great! You know, I wish we were classmates back in middle school..."

"Oh...I wish that as well," Makoto said. "Many of my former classmates wish to have you as a classmate. The ones that do have you as a classmate...those are so annoying."

"Yeah, I agree..." Sayaka replied.

Leon doesn't want to seat at the front, but he also wanted to be as close to Sayaka as possible. His only choice was to sit at the third row, third seat. Good news, he's right behind Sayaka. Bad news, now he has to sit right next to that creepy girl who looks like she could snap at any minute. It seems that she's occupied for now. She's starring at the tall blonde guy with a business suit and glasses. He wondered what kind of person Sayaka likes, so he decided to ask Makoto about his thoughts.

"Psst," Leon said. "Hey, Makoto?"

Makoto and Sayaka turned around to face Leon. "What is it?" Makoto asked.

"Were you surprised that I'm seeing you?" Sayaka asked. "I can hear you from here, you know?"

Leon is sweating. This is looking awkward, but he decided to wing it. "So, Makoto, do you know what type of person Sayaka likes, who she's into?"

This caused everyone else to stare at Leon, except for the creepy girl next to Leon. She still kept her eyes on that man in the business suit.

"I don't know," Makoto said. "We just met yesterday. I don't really know a lot about her right now. If you're wondering about her preference, why don't you ask her?" He then turned back to the front, leaving Sayaka to speak to Leon.

"Hmm...I have somebody in mind that I like..." Sayaka said. "But I won't say anything. Maybe someday." She turned back around to face the front.

Leon then dropped his face onto his desk, looking defeated.

"What are you trying to do?" Kiyotaka, the one sitting at the third seat of the front row. "Hitting on women, huh? Well, I will not tolerate such behavior in a classroom setting. I will report you if you do that."

Leon suddenly shot up from his desk and started panicking. At this point, his classmates have decided that it was none of their business to pay attention to a classmate, so they went back into their own business.

Kyoko was the last student to arrive at this classroom. What could be taking her so long? No one bothered to ask. They were too excited about the upcoming school year to bother asking. She quietly took her seat at the front of the classroom, right next to Kiyotaka and in front of Makoto.

The homeroom teacher soon arrived. He said that he used to be an Ultimate Student like them, and he wishes his students a happy and safe school year. Given the series of mysterious incidents before the school year began, student safety is at high priority.

The rest of the day continues without any additional problems.

After School

The school day is over, but classes with begin tomorrow. A lot of the students are groaning, wanting to do other things other than going to class. They want to hang out with their new friends or hone their skills or other things.

Class 78 is no exception. The majority of the class showed little to no interest in attending classes. For a select few, they are willing to attend classes because its the right thing to do.

Makoto and Sayaka stood up from their seats, planning to hang out for the rest of the day. However, one of their classmates, a rather well endowed lady with two large pigtails clipped with bear-shaped hairpins. She greeted them with a smile.

"So, you're the Lucky Student, right?" the girl asked, referring to Makoto.

"Yes, that's right," Makoto replied.

The girl gasped when she saw Sayaka right behind Makoto. "Oh, and how fitting. The Ultimate Lucky Student has a world famous superstar as a girlfriend!"

"...We just met," Makoto said.

"It's Idol, please," Sayaka corrected. "My title is the Ultimate Idol. Although...superstar might fit me..."

The girl grabbed Makoto's hand and shook it vigorously. "My name's Junko Enoshima! I'm the Ultimate Fashionista!"

Makoto yanked his hand away from Junko. "Hey!" he complained. "You shake hands hard. At least offer your hand out if you want a handshake."

Junko then walked up to Sayaka and wrapped her arm around her neck. "What's up, Maizono?" she said. "I had a feeling that you might show up here. You're a world famous superstar! Just like me!" She then offered her hand out for a handshake, which Sayaka accepted after some hesitation. "So, how's your day today? Can we hang out together? You can bring the little guy if you want."

Sayaka stared at Makoto. Admittedly, Makoto isn't that short. He's only slightly shorter than Sayaka. There is a classmate that's even shorter than Makoto. Still, she's not willing to hang out with a stranger, even if the stranger is a classmate. "I'm sorry, but I have to pass for now," she said.

Makoto sighed. "You know, I'm not in the mood to hang out with any of my classmates right now," he said. "Sayaka is the exception. I can tolerate her."

"Oh, so you like to hang around an idol rather than some street fashionista," Junko replied. "I'm cool with that. Say, is Sayaka your girlfriend? I can see you blushing!"

Makoto freaked out for a moment. He doesn't realized that he's blushing. Maybe he should've brought a mirror with him, just so he can check if he's blushing.

"What are you talking about?" Sayaka gasped. "Makoto...he's not my boyfriend! We just met yesterday!"

"Well, trying saying that to those who saw you two walking to school together," Junko teased with a smile. "Well, I'd better get going. I'm headed off to do some photo shoots. See ya!" She then left the classroom.

Sayaka stared at Makoto for a moment. He's not willing to look back at her, yet his face is still blushing. She thought about it for a while. Should she confessed to him? No, that's not right. He might be familiar to her, but their relationship is no different than two people meeting each other for the first time. It's too early to confess. Maybe she should get to know him a little better before confessing, as well as revealing some things about herself in return. When she feels like he learned enough about her and she learned enough about him, that's when she'll confess. She then made plans with Makoto.

"Hey, Makoto?" Sayaka asked.

Makoto turned his head slightly towards Sayaka. "Yes?" he asked.

"I'd like to hang out with you someday," Sayaka said. "We'll meet tomorrow after school. I should get studying."

"Sure," Makoto replied.

"Okay," Sayaka said. "Let's go."

Makoto and Sayaka then left the classroom, but as soon as they stepped into the hallway they went though a small headache.

"Ow..." Makoto grunted as he grabbed his head.

"...What was that?" Sayaka asked.

The headache then faded away. That's a strange incident. They decided to continue on without thinking too much about it. It's only a small headache.

Evening

It's raining tonight. Typical. It usually gets rainy during this time. Japan almost always gets rain. Even during the summer months, there is still plenty of rainfall.

What is unusual is the TV turning itself on in the middle of the night.

Makoto was woken up in the middle of the night, but didn't bother to investigate further. It's disturbing his sleep after all. He didn't think too much about that strange incident. preferring to go back to sleep.

Little did he know, that strange incident will be significant later on.

From the Author

This is a project that has been going on for a long time. I have gone in and out of this creating many ideas for this project. There are many ideas that have been created and abandoned by the time I publish this. What you're seeing that what I eventually settled on.

I originally planned this to include Persona characters as well, as some of them are talented enough to be considered for Hope's Peak. For example, Yukari can be the Ultimate Archer, Chie can be the Ultimate Kicker (or something about martial arts), Akihiko can be the Ultimate Boxer (he's going to get a lot of requests to fight the other Ultimate Boxer, isn't he?), and so on. I decided to not include them because I'm feeling like I want to focus more on the Danganronpa characters instead. Including Persona characters might pull attention away from that cast. The only exception is Igor and his assistants. Those are okay.

Now, it's not like this is a new idea. There are a few people who are writing a crossover like this, but there are only a few stories that feature this crossover. Although, I've heard of an instance where a Persona game intro is reanimated with the Danganronpa cast, so there's that.

This story will cover the entire school year, and thus go through various arcs throughout the course of the school year. As usual, the first arc will start soon, so don't worry if the prologue is getting too long.

Oh, and one more thing. Every named character introduced in this chapter is going to be part of a Social Link, except for Headmaster Jin Kirigiri. Unfortunately, there are only so many Arcana to assign characters to, and a sizable portion of those Arcana are covered by party members. Aside from alternate choices, don't expect every canon Danganronpa character to get much focus.

Next time on Persona Danganronpa, we're going to see one instance of those "strange incidents" happening on campus.