"Hey..." a girl's voice called out. She was trying to get Hinata's attention, but he was looking at something else.

Hinata was looking at a picture. It was a selfie that he made with Koizumi after that date he had with her yesterday. He had a good time, hanging out with her. It had been the best use of his time, in a long while. Even if it was just a one day, he felt like he could forget about his sadness of not having a talent and attend the Main Course in Hope's Peak Academy.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." the same voice called. Hinata decided to look up from where the voice was coming from. It was a blond girl. Actually, it was Natsumi Kuzuryuu, the new transfer student.

"Yeah?" Hinata said. He didn't really know what Natsumi wanted out of him. After seeing her, yesterday, he remembered that Natsumi was part of his old middle school, where he, Sato and Koizumi studied. He didn't interact with her much, but she was popular, thanks to her family name and influence.

"You've been looking at that picture for hours now." Natsumi said, as she looked at the picture, with Hinata and Koizumi smiling.

"Yeah, so what?" Hinata responded. He was confused, to say the least.

"You must have no friends here." Natsumi pointed out. She looked at the rest of her talentless classmates. Hinata just looked at her indifferently this time without saying anything. Natsumi continued.

"Not if you're friends with that girl on the photo." Natsumi inched closer to the photo that Hinata was holding. She then put on an angry expression.

"What about her?" Hinata said confusingly. It seemed to him like Natsumi knew this person, if her expression changed liked that.

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to know what's your relationship with her." Natsumi said, as she looked to the side. Before Hinata could explain anything, Natsumi then looked at Hinata again and started to explain who she really was. She was part of the Kuzuryuu yakuza family clan, even thought he already knew that and the self-proclaimed "Ultimate Little Sister", which kinda sounded dumb to Hinata, but he decided not to say anything about that title alone, as he feared that she could do something...unfortunate.

She then talked about how she could be accepted to the main course, if there was an empty spot for her if she got rid off a certain red haired freckled student. It then hit Hinata, who she was talking about. But before he could say anything again, another familiar face came around and slapped her hand on Hinata's desk hard to make a loud sound. Everyone in the class directed their attention to Hinata's classmate and friend. Sato.

"Natsumi, you better not be planning anything weird." Sato told Natsumi with a semi-threatening tone.

"Sato, long time no see." Natsumi evilly smiled at her.

Hinata was in another surprise. He had no idea that Sato and Natsumi knew each other.

"You two also know each other?" Hinata asked. He wanted to confirm.

"Not really. At my old school, we were both in Photography Club." Natsumi said, while still looking at Sato.

That's what Hinata figured. Both Sato and Koizumi attended the photography club, so it makes sense how they would know each other that way. While he was thinking that, Sato and Natsumi argued about Koizumi. It appears that Natsumi hated Koizumi and Sato was protective of her.

He didn't know their relationship too well, as Koizumi and Sato didn't really talk about Natsumi with him when they were in middle school, but he figured that Sato is really suspicious of Natsumi. Hinata didn't really know what to do.

After some time, Hinata is surprised for the third time and sees Koizumi coming in the classroom.

After Koizumi pushed through some of the reserve course students, she stopped Sato from arguing with Natsumi.

"Well, long time no see, Koizumi." Natsumi said in an unhappy manner.

Hinata noticed that when Koizumi looked at Natsumi, her expression changed to fear.

Natsumi then proceeded to mock and make fun of Koizumi, to which it not only pissed of Sato, but it also was upsetting to Hinata. He couldn't just sit there and do nothing about it.

Hinata stood up.

"Cut that out now." Hinata said in a serious tone. If there was one thing he didn't want, it would be if someone hurt his friends in any way.

"Huh? Why do you care?" Natsumi looked at Hinata skeptically, but laughed out loud after remembering that photo she saw of him and her together.

"That's right. I forgot that you're probably her loser boyfriend." Natsumi said and laughed again.

Hinata just looked down. It wasn't new to him that there were rumors about him having an supposed affair with Koizumi, but why did it matter to them? Why does it matter if someone from the main course was dating someone from the reserve course. It wasn't any of their business.

"Why do care about who Koizumi dates or not? I know you're gonna do something weird. Speaking of which, isn't your brother in the same class as Koizumi's?" Sato yelled.

After Sato said that, Natsumi's mood changed and she looked much scarier with a wicked grin.

"Yeah. And? Are you gonna start gossip, now?" Natsumi said. She then clenched her fist preparing to do something. He expression went from a wicked smile to frustration.

"Try that and I'll kill you." Natsumi yelled and as soon as she did that, she raised her fist and was about to punch Sato, before Hinata intertwined and stopped Natsumi's fist from punching Sato.

Natsumi was a little surprised, but then went back to being pissed and left the classroom.

"Tch..."

The room froze, it was like someone witnessed a murder.

It was then Koizumi told Sato that they should go eat lunch.

However, she didn't invite Hinata this time. Hinata had a feeling why she didn't invite him and insisted that he would come too. Koizumi reconsidered and decided to invite Hinata as well.

...

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Hinata asked, while standing up, looking down at the sitting Koizumi who was comforted by Sato.

Koizumi was looking at the ground with a sad expression. She didn't know what to say.

"Don't worry, she didn't tell me at first either, until I found out myself." Sato explained.

"I..." Koizumi started. Hinata listened intently. She then raised her head and looked at Hinata with small tears in her eyes.

"I just didn't want to depend on you guys. I know I'm not someone who you should be worrying about. I know I can stand up for myself. I don't want you guys to be in trouble." Koizumi said.

Sometimes, when facing challenges, when taking professional photos, Koizumi was always working alone. Her lazy dad was nothing to her but her true heroine, the woman she looked up too, was her mom. She was a war photographer. She had a dangerous job. She was afraid of getting into trouble. She wanted to be like her mom. Strong and independent.

"Dummy." Hinata said as he sat next to her.

"We support each other because we are friends. Me and Sato would never let you have someone bring you down for anything that you might or might not do. I want you to remember that, Mahiru. I want you to know that you have best friends who'll never let you down." Hinata told his speech.

"Couldn't have said better, Hajime." Sato said as she was little impressed.

"Friends? That's right." Koizumi said, somehow still sad, but put up a smile nonetheless.

Hinata smiled back, while noticing Sato acting a little bit strangely. She wasn't happy, yet she wasn't mad. It was almost like she wore the mask of indifference at that one moment, but Hinata decided to ignore it.

He had something else to think about.

Something that is called the Ultimate Hope.