PROLOGUE · 4 · Meeting new people

For these reasons, I walk towards the first person that catches my eye.
It so happens to be a pink-haired girl who looks very charismatic – and something about her appearance tells me she is a cool person. Wait, now that I look at it, her hair might be red. Or pink. Or red? “Oh jeez.”
Though unable to figure her hair colour out, once I’m close enough that she can notice me, I try and talk to her:
“Hello! I say, since we have no other choice than to get to know each other, here I am. My name is Neo, what is yours?”
I try to look sincere as I smile to her, at the same time trying to actually forget why I would be worried enough not to smile to such a nice looking stranger. I look at her for a little while until I realize she is completely ignoring me, looking somewhere else.
“… Is she doing this on purpose?”
“Hey, uh... did you notice me?”
I smile again as she glances at me, but she quickly starts looking in the other direction again.
“Yes.”
“Wow. That was cold.”
I start to feel awkward and I cannot dare looking around me, afraid people might have noticed I am getting brutally ignored. I really do not know if I should give up or insist – but she suddenly says something again.
“Sorry… Something is… bothering me.” she says, but she still does not look at me.
“Uh, what is it?” I immediately ask.
“She’s looking at me.”
I turn around towards this new voice and I find myself facing a long-haired boy who looks completely defeated.
“Aren’t you?”
“Yes, absolutely!”
The girl suddenly looks extremely enthusiastic. She walks towards him and looks at him from top to bottom before adding:
“It’s your outfit.”
He looks her right in the eye as he sighs. I do not know if it is more rude or sad, but what do I know? This girl might have no notion of what “rude” means.
“…What about it?”
“Well…”
I start to look at her intensely, curious for no reason. “I guess that now that she has violently ignored me like that, I need to know the reason why.”
“It’s terrible!”
“This girl is just brutal!”
“It’s the worst outfit I’ve ever seen! I… I don’t understand it. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not just ugly, it also looks extremely impractical…”
“I know, right?”
“…What?”
“…What?”
“Okay, listen.”
He pauses and looks at the both of us for a few awkward seconds before he starts again.
“… Hi. I’m Benjamin. I’m the Ultimate Fortune Teller.”


“Oooh.” I answer, useful as always. The girl stays silent and looks at him intensely, probably even more curious than I am.
“When I started fortune telling, I created this stupid outfit because I thought it looked all fortune-teller-like, at least enough for something I made from clothes in my closet. Well, guess what. I got lazy and I kept if for a very long time.”
“I’d say it’s understandable but I hate it too much.”
“Well, I didn’t care much about it at first, but I started hating it more and more with time. But I never changed it. Until last week.”
“Until last week?”
This guy is surprisingly eloquent and well-spoken for someone who looks so desperate to be left alone. I actually enjoy hearing him speak.
“Last week, I finally changed it. I bought new material and over the weekend, I sewed a way better-looking outfit that both looked good and professional. I was extremely proud of it.”
Both the stranger and I look at him in silence.
“And today… AND TODAY I WAKE UP IN THIS STUPID CORRIDOR, WEARING THIS STUPID OLD OUTFIT I THOUGHT I’D THROWN AWAY!”
“Christ!”
The both of us also jump in surprise when he suddenly starts yelling.
“Uggggghhh… This is so stupid… I want to go home… And change…”
“Well that… sounds rough…”
I think she is surprised that she just met a guy who is even weirder than she is, socially at least.
“Ugh… Don’t mind me… I’m just… Really bummed about this situation.”
“Yeah, I think we all are!”
Poor dude. I actually feel bad for him. Trying to liven up the situation, I laugh a little.
“But don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll get out of here soon enough. We just have to wait… for now.”
I pause a little and I pass my hand through my hair as I start talking again:
“Hey, I don’t think I introduced myself to you. I’m Neo! Nice to meet you. Now, tell me, Miss, what’s your name? Since you were too concentrated on Benjamin’s outfit when I asked you.”
She looks surprised.
“Oh, right! I didn’t mean to ignore you! It’s just that… I don’t know, I was reeeaaallyy wondering how someone could wear something so awkward.”
“You’re despairingly brutal, lady.”
“Haha, sorry! I’ll try to stop. Anyway, my name is Andi. I’m the Ultimate Guitarist!”

“Nice to properly meet you, Andi.”
I smile. I think she is not as mean or rude as she might look – she might just be a little weird. I am sure if I actually get to know her it will stop bothering me eventually. She looks so charismatic, I cannot even imagine that she is not a charismatic person overall. “You know what? Maybe she’s just socially awkward in her own special way.”
“UEEEECHEEEH!”
“What the fuck?!”
They both make me jump.
“… I just sneezed.”
A pause.
“Is everything about you just super weird?!”
“I have to admit…”
“Oh come on, now. It’s just a normal sneeze.”
“Does everyone in your family sneeze weird?”
And before I realize it, she is interrogating him about the way people around him usually sneeze and how many heart attacks he has caused so far. Benjamin’s face is so neutral I cannot tell if she is bothering the hell out of him or if he is actually enjoying this conversation…
… So I just decide to leave. I have lot more other people to meet. Andi and Benjamin both sound interesting though, maybe I should grab their phone numbers before we leave this place?
If I actually get my phone back, that is. I keep forgetting that I woke up who-knows-how-long ago with nothing more than my clothes and drool.

I look around and am surprised to find yet another pink-haired girl. Wait, maybe it’s purple? Or pink. “God dammit.”
She looks like she is alone and she is looking around her with a scared look on her face – she smiles timidly when she sees me looking at her but I can read fear in her eyes. I think she is wondering if I am here to kill her.
I walk towards her nonetheless, mainly because I want to reassure her. She looks very cute too, and she is wearing pastel colours that go very well with her light purple-pink twintails. “Now I can bet she is someone cool to hang around!”
When I reach her, I decide to introduce myself:
“Hi! I’m Neo. We probably don’t have any other choice than to get to know each other, so tell me, what’s your name?”
Am I going to have to say something of the sort to everyone here, or will someone eventually come towards me and do it in my stead? Something tells me I am the only here dedicated enough to go meet everyone. I guess I will survive.
“O-oh. Hi!”
… “She… she has the purest smile I have ever seen in my life…” Am I crying?
“I’m Isabella. Uh, I’m the Ulti-”
“OOOOOOH MY GOD!”
She looks absolutely terrified as she jumps in surprise – and I am sure I do not look smart. Before I even realize it, another girl I had not seen before is grabbing Isabella by the arm.
“You! Oh my god. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”
“Huh- what? Really?”
She is clearly too scared to be happy she was just complimented. My mouth is still open in a O as the stranger keeps talking.
“Yes, totally! Like! You’re all pastel and shit. Oh my god I’m so sorry, did I cut you off? Please tell us what your Ultimate is, Isabella!”
“Ah, uh, oh! Okay… I’m the Ultimate Make-up artist.”


“Oh my god! I should stop saying oh my god! But like, wow. That’s just so cool. Do you want to know my Ultimate?”
“…Sure?”
“Well, you see, I am… the Ultimate Fashionista!”


“Oh uh, that’s really cool.”
“Don’t you see? It’s amazing! Like, I’m the Ultimate Fashionista, and you’re the Ultimate Make-up artist. And you’re all cute and pastel and shit. Oh my god. Hey, do you want to be my girlfriend?”
“Uh yea- … Wait what?”
“Please be my girlfriend! I need you on my team! I need you in my LIFE!”
“That’s… gay.”
My brain is extinct right now. What is happening? Am I still here? This girl who did not even give us her name is jumping around, looking like an excited kid going to the circus for the first time. Isabella looks just as lost as I am, and frankly, I pity her. She already looked so scared! I will have to guess this is what happens to girls who are just too cute.
“B-but I don’t even know you?”
“Okay! Okay! I’ll give you a little time then. Let’s get to know each other, sweetheart! I’m Emily. You’re Isabella, right? Such a cute name. What’s your sign?”
… I am feeling a bit left out.
I smile at Isabella, trying to show her that I support her with all my heart with my eyes, and I quickly walk away from this mess. I do not think I am strong enough to save this poor girl now.

I see a chill-looking girl not too far from where I was. She is standing right in the middle of the gymnasium but she also looks like she is alone… I pray for her to not make me have a heart attack and I go towards her.
“Hello! I hope I’m not bothering you. I figured I should at least introduce myself to everyone here. I’m Neo, what’s your name?”
She silently looks at me for a few seconds, smiling, until she answers:
“Hi, I’m Alice! Nice to meet you. Oh, I’m the Ultimate Trekker, by the way.”


It seems that no one is going to cut us off… “Thank god, it looks like I am finally getting to have a normal conversation.”
“Oooh, I see, that’s cool! I could have figured that out from your outfit, haha.”
“Oh yeah, that’s something I could do!” If everyone here is an Ultimate, before I actually ask them, I could have fun and try guessing their Ultimate based on their appearance or outfit. Some should be tougher than others – Alice would have been pretty easy. Now that I think about it, I did not really look at her before I came and talked to her. Her hair looks pretty neat, and she gives off a very peaceful vibe.
“I guess I didn’t pay enough attention. I was struck with how chill you look. How do you manage to not be more stressed-out about all this?”
“You mean the probably-kidnapping and all? Oh, that all sounds very nice.”
I am pretty sure this was highly cynical, but even as she said it, she looked very innocent and happy.
“Don’t look at me like that, I’m just kidding. Of course I’m worried… But I guess I’m just chill by nature. I just can’t freak out about this. Sorry!”
I smile. She sounds like she is very nice, and much calmer than the other people I have met so far. Except Isabella, of course, but I do not even know if she is still alive by this point. And I do not want to look.
“This is not something to be sorry about! I guess all I can say is that it’s good for you.”
“Hmm, yeah… Actually, there is something that has been bothering me. I mean, bother… I’ve noticed it, at least.”
“Oh yeah? What is it?”
Mechanically I look around, as if I were searching for the little fairies that have been bothering her the whole time.
“Well… Don’t you think it’s weird how we’re only surrounded by attractive people?”
I look at her and my face screams “What?” without me needing to say it.
“Come on, look around! Everyone in this room is attractive. Boys, girls, look at you, you’re just gorgeous, everyone is just beautiful!”
I look around yet again and I have to say… She is right. Damn.
“Oh huh, except that one little girl I saw about two minutes ago, of course.”
“Oh come on, what’s wrong with you?”
… I sigh. Frankly, I am thankful whoever that was did not yell what they just said. Though for some reason, I am looking in the direction the voice came from and I cannot see anyone.
“Jeez, where was she hiding?”
Is there really a little girl? I had not even seen her. I look down and here she is – a small little girl. “Wow… this just got dark. Kidnapping little kids too? That’s just terrible! Poor little thing…” But she actually looks more angry than scared.
“I was not hiding… ugh… Hey, you could at least say sorry. What you said is just mean.”
“What did I say?”
“You said I was the only one to not be beautiful.”
… Well, I guess I would not like to hear that either. She has a point.
“Oh, sweetie, I said you were not attractive. Because I would go to some kind of prison if I said the opposite.”
The little girl frowns.
“But you’re actually very cute too, don’t worry!”
“Hmm… Hmm… Okay. I’ll let it slide, but only this time.”
Alice laughs and because I do not know what to do or how to feel myself, I laugh too. But I am actually very worried about the little girl – she does seem to have a strong personality for her age, but she cannot possibly be in a good position right now. I try to look as reassuring as possible when I ask her:
“Hey, so, tell me… Are you alone here? Have you been okay so far?”
She gives me a look of hatred I will never be able to forget.
“I’m seventeen.”
I look at Alice. I look at the little girl again. Then Alice. Then the little girl. I think neither of us can believe the serious look on her face.
“My name is Mina Keys. I’m the Ultimate Detective.”


… “Well, I wouldn’t have guessed this one.”
I just stare at her in disbelief. She is… so little…  
“No, no, no. I refuse to believe you’re seventeen. It’s just… wrong.”
“No it’s not! You’re the one who’s wrong! Judging people based on their appearance is wrong!”
Looking like you are nine when you are actually seventeen is a little bit wrong too but I get where she is coming from.
“But… how? Why?”
“I just haven’t had my growth spurt yet! It happens.”
“A seventeen years old girl?!”
“Listen, we grow up late in my family. Doesn’t mean you should treat me like a little kid! Learn to be open-minded, lady!”
“Hey, now, calm down. You just gotta accept it’s a little bit weird that you look so young.”
“No, it’s normal!”
I could say something but… I would rather not. As they gradually forget about me and start yelling louder and louder, I slowly walk away. I guess I should get used to these odd situations – a room filled by Ultimate Students cannot be a room filled by normal people. Plus, let’s be honest, this situation is weird enough on its own. It is more than enough to put everyone on edge.  I keep forgetting that these people are all as stressed out about this as I am…

I go towards the closest person and find myself facing a young stranger with crazy hair. We stare at each other for a few seconds until I get closer and try to say something.
“You’re…”
They look a bit sad as they look away when they answer:
“I am..?”
I hesitate a little bit.
“You… You’re…”
They scratch their head. “What are they expecting?” Their attitude is actually stressing me out a little, but I should suck it up and say it.
“You have such a charismatic aura! I think you’re one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen.”
Their face lights up and they look at me in disbelief before blushing and asking:
“W-wow, really?”
“Yeah! Totally! So, tell me, what are your pronouns?”
They look so pleasantly surprised, it is actually making me happy.
“Oh and of course, what’s your name? I’m Neo.”
They hesitate for a second before joining hands happily and answering:
“I’m Ciel! I use he or they. Feel free to use either. I’m not sure I have a preference… So far.”
“Okay! Ciel is such a beautiful name. I’m a little bit jealous.”
“Haha, well I like your name too! I am guessing you’re a he?”
“Yep!”
We are both smiling like idiots. This is the coolest interaction I have had here so far. I am glad I could at least make someone feel more comfortable.
“Ooh, before you tell me, let me guess your Ultimate! I want to see if I can recognize everyone’s talent based on their appearance.”
“Sure, give it a try, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to find it.”
I take a little step back and look at them entirely. They are wearing a very pretty blue shirt… Their hair looks a bit crazy… They are right, it is pretty tough. But I think I have an idea… Not that I am very sure.
“Let’s see… Are you… the Ultimate Actor?”
“Hmm… Let me think about it... No.”
“Aww.”
They giggle.
“I’m sorry if you’re disappointed! Well, I’m actually the Ultimate Clown.”


“Well, I wouldn’t have guessed this one either.”
“But you were not that far, in a sense.”
“I was still wrong, though!”
“I can’t deny that.”
We smile to each other again. It is really nice to see that they are appreciating my company, but something about them still gives off the impression that they are very stressed out – which is to be expected, given that we are stuck here, surrounded by screaming strangers. They keep looking away, and given how nice they are, I wish I could do something to make them feel a little bit safer. Not that I am generally of much help… I just like to try.
“Hmm… I’m sorry to bother you two but…”
Finally someone does it politely… The future is looking brighter and brighter by the minute.
“Are you two flirting?”
“Huh?”
Ciel immediately blushes and starts panicking.
“Wh-what?! No, absolutely n- bullshit! With that loser? Never!”
“Ouch.”
“Ouch.”
“Ou- wait, what? Oh my god, did I just say that? Oh my god! Neo! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it- Oh Christ!”
They grab my hand, then let go of it, then back off a little, then come back towards me, and I wonder if they are going to cry. “Ciel is bad under pressure. Noted.”
“I’m really bad under pressure!”
“Are my thoughts that generic?”
“Oh, well, huh… I’m sorry I made you feel like that? I really didn’t mean to!”
Now this girl looks a little panicked too. What a mess…
“It’s just that… I saw you two gazing at each other and… I was wondering if you were flirting… Especially since it’s a bit inappropriate… I mean in a situation like that.”
She looks down, probably feeling a little bit ashamed.
“Huh, well, alright guys, let’s calm down. There is nothing to freak out about… I mean, about this interaction. Come on, miss, tell us who you are!”
I try my best to make my smile look sincere.
“I bet you’re the Ultimate Gardener.”
“… Oh, well. I’m Chloe. And yeah, just that.”


“Yesssssss!”
I do not know why I am that happy about finding out her Ultimate. Hers was extremely simple – she has nice tanned skin and most importantly, she is wearing what looks just like a gardener’s outfit, with a trowel peeking out of her pocket.
Well, the most important thing I guess, is that both Ciel and she look more at ease now and they both chuckle.
“Hm, can I please ask you a question? Please, please trust me, I’m not trying to be rude or anything, I am actually… Maybe a little bit dumb.” she asks Ciel.
Now calmer, they answer:
“Yes?”
“Uuuh… You’re a boy, right..?”
“Ah, yes, that.”
They grin.
“That.”
A pause. She looks very sorry. And I probably do too.
“Well, I guess you could say that… But not really… I’m more non-binary. At least that’s what I think at the moment. Do you uh, understand that?”
She shakes her head.
“… I can explain. I can definitely explain. But, uh, it might take a little while.”
They look at both her and me with a worried look. I shrug and smile.
“I fear that a little explanation is needed… And as much as I would love to help, I think you are way more suited to do that. I would actually bother you and make things confusing if I tried to explain it… I clearly don’t know enough myself.”
“I mean, I’m ready to listen…”
“So are you fine if I let you do it? I’d like to introduce myself to everyone around.”
Ciel blushes a little, I do not know why.
“Oh, sure, go ahead. I’ll… see you later!”
“Of course! See you two in a minute!”
Feeling a little bit sorry to abandon them in such a situation, but absolutely sure that I would have bothered them if I had stayed, I quickly turn around and leave while they start explaining the way gender works to a clueless Chloe. It is a shame that they have to explain who and what they are regularly like that, but at the same time, she looked eager to learn, which is a good thing. I hope at least it gets both their minds off the situation we are in…

I see a boy standing against a wall, alone, looking very worried. I walk towards him and he notices me at the last minute – starting to look even more worried now that he has seen me. For that reason, I try my best to make my smile look as reassuring as possible.
“Hi! I’m sorry if I’m bothering you. I’m trying to introduce myself to everyone here while we wait. My name is Neo, what is yours?”
He scratches his arm nervously but still smiles at me. He hesitates for a second before he answers:
“H-hi! My name is Akiro.”
He looks at me – then away, clearly not knowing what else to say.
“Akiro? Are you Japanese?”
“Hm-hm. I was born in Japan. But I didn’t live there for too long.”
“Oh, I see. Well, your first name sounds very cool.”
“Thanks. It means Give up.”
He blushes after he said that.
“... Oh. Well I think I’ll stick to the Japanese version, haha.”
“Good idea.”
He smiles again. He looks like he is a little shy but he is making an effort to answer me normally. That is very nice.
“Well Akiro, give me a second – I’ll try to guess your Ultimate! I’d like to see if I can guess everyone’s talent. I haven’t been doing too good so far, but well…”
“O-Oh. Go on. But I don’t think there is anything very obvious about my appearance…”
I take a step back and look at him. He is right, actually. He is just wearing a normal, casual outfit…
… I really do not see what his talent could be. I guess I have to give up… I am disappointed in myself.
“Damn, I suck. I really can’t find it.”
“D-Don’t worry about it! It’s normal, really.”
“So, what is it?”
“Ah- I’m the Ultimate Writer. Apparently, haha…”


“Iwouldn’thaveguessedit.”
“I see! That’s pretty cool. That’s really cool, actually! I really wasn’t gonna find it out, though. I kept staring at the little motif on your shirt…”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, I can’t tell if it’s creepy or cute..? Or both? It’s quite impressive actually.”
He blushes and tries to look at it, but it is clearly a little bit too high for him to see it clearly.
“Y-you think so..? I don’t know, I bought a little while ago… I thought it looked nice…”
He looks at it for a little longer, seemingly trying to figure out how it looks.
“I think it’s cute.”
A very good looking guy comes from behind me and approaches us, calmly smiling. Akiro looks at the stranger his eyes opened wide, and I think he might have stopped breathing. He hesitates for a while, almost trembling, until he manages to answer:
“R… r… really?”
“Well I think you’re cute, but it would probably make you extremely uncomfortable if I said it.”
“Yeah, I like it.”
I take a look at this new guy – and I guess I can see why someone who is at least a little shy would be intimidated by him. He looks very good and charismatic, and his face screams “I’m cool”, and not the “cool kid” kind, he just looks like a cool guy to be around. He looks at me and nods as he introduces himself:
“Hello, I’m sorry to have interrupted your conversation. I couldn’t help. My name is Jan.”
By this point, Akiro has stopped breathing again. I pray for him to not die, and I introduce myself too.
“Hi, it’s fine, really. I’m Neo!”
“Alright, so tell me, what’s my Ultimate?” he says, smiling playfully.
Without hesitating I look at his shirt, and I see a G-clef on its pocket.
“Hm, it looks like it has to do with music.”
I look at him again.
“Could you be… The Ultimate Violinist?”
“That’d be weird…” I hear Akiro say in a hushed tone.
Jan giggles.
“You got it wrong! Sorry. I’m actually the Ultimate Pianist.”


“Damn.”
“Why, did my face scream “violinist”?”
I actually think about it for a second.
“No, not really. Or… I don’t really know. I’m just bad at guessing.”
“I think everyone is.”
I nod in agreement. He is probably right. I had not thought about it like that.
“Seems there is something you really are bad at, though.”
I am surprised to hear him say that.
“Oh?”
“Let’s say, pronunciation.”
“What, me?”
Now I am even more surprised. “Why is he saying that?
“Oh, don’t worry too much. You’re probably not. It’s a very easy mistake to make – you see, this young man over there just told you his name is Akiro.”
The young man over there looks at the both of us simultaneously, his face completely red.
“Well, you’ve been calling him Akiwo.”
… “Christ, he’s right.”
“O-oh, right! I didn’t even pay attention! I’m so sorry. That’s so stupid of me.”
I look at Akiro and try to let him see how sorry I am. I actually feel bad that I did that – I would not like for someone to mispronounce my name like that. He did not even correct me! That must mean he is used to it, but that does not sound right to me.
“I’m really sorry, Akiro. I will try not to do it again.”
Had he not been so red already, I am sure he would have blushed.
“Ah… D-don’t worry, it’s fine… Well I mean… I’d rather you say it right… But like… I’m not… mad… So yeah, it’s fine.”
He looks at Jan but at the same time does not.
“Th-thanks Jjjan.”
“Is he being very obvious about something or is he just that shy and intimidated..?”
“It’s no problem. Akiro sounds better anyway.”
He looks at me.
“I’m sorry I had to correct you on the first time we met! I didn’t mean to scold you or anything. I just figured it would be better if I corrected you early on, since he didn’t look like he was going to do it.”
“You figured right, trust me! I would have felt really bad if I’d realized I had been doing it for super long.”
He nods in agreement.
“Huuh… huuh… It sounds like you’re planning to stay here for more than like, ten minutes.”
We both pause and look at each other, then at Akiro again.
“… We’re just being pessimistic.”
“A-ah! Right! Because when you were pessimistic about something you always turn out to be either right or pleasantly surprised.”
“Eeeexactly.”
“Are you guys just equally weird about pessimism?”
When I am being pessimistic I do not really think about the consequences of my pessimism in itself… I am surprised that they both agreed so easily.
Ah, maybe they had met each other already? I assumed that they had not introduced themselves to each other yet because that is what had always happened so far, but it would actually make sense that they had already talked and Jan just happened to be coming towards him again because they got along well, or something like that.
Wait, then why would Akiro look intimidated like that? Maybe had he said something silly… Oh gee, I do not know. And I do not really care.
“Well, I’m going to leave you two alone, I think I have other people to introduce myself to!”
Akiro looks like he is going to implode, and Jan waves at me with a smile.
“Alright, then, good luck.”
I smile. “Good luck…” Who did he try to introduce himself to already?

I feel a little more at ease this time when I walk towards the next person in line – it is a tall, strong looking young man who politely smiles to me when I approach him.
“Hi, I say, “I’m trying to introduce myself to everyone here. I’m Neo. What’s your name?”
I keep staring at him and it is Andi all over again… Except he is actually looking at me, smiling with a sorry look on his face. He does not look like he is going to answer. I stay silent for a little bit, feeling more and more awkward by the minute.
“Uh, sorry, is something the matter?”
He inhales and looks away for a second, seemingly thinking about it, before he nods. He is not smiling anymore, but he does not seem to feel too bad; clearly he does not feel as bad as I do, standing here confusedly, not knowing what else to say.
“Why won’t he answer..?”
“Hi! Sorry to… not… interrupt.”
A sporty looking girl walks towards us and gives us both a little smile.
“Would you happen to be mute?”
The stranger nods. “Ah.” I had not even thought about it. I feel silly… But I also think I could not have understood it as easily as she did. Can I use my stress as an excuse?
“Well… I’m not too great at it but I can understand sign language fairly well. You can hear when we speak, right?”
Obviously, I cannot read what he answers. This looks like it is going to be difficult, but I am really thankful this girl is here.  We are all lucky someone here understands sign language! It would be a shame if no one could understand this guy…
“Cool then! I can try to translate what you’re saying, if you want. It won’t be perfect but… Better than nothing, right?”
“Alright so, wasn’t this guy asking you to introduce yourself? Seems like a good place to start.”
The mute stranger smiles to me again as he nods, and he signs something to the girl.
“He says hi, his name is... Noah. Right? Right. And he’s the Ultimate Soldier!”


“Okay, nice to meet you, Noah! I’m repeating it for this very kind translator, my name is Neo. Nice to meet you too.”
“It’s a pleasure. I’m Chris. Hey, tell me, Ultimate Soldier sounds pretty impressive! Are you really part of the army?”
He simply nods.
“So like, were you at war or something before you wound up here?”
“Oh, right, you get breaks sometimes. Haha.”
It feels weird to hear her being the only one talking, even though I know he is actually answering. It sounds like I am going to take a while to get used to that… Well, part of me hopes I do not have to. Not that I have anything against these guys, of course, they both look really cool actually, but I am starting to really want to get home.
Still, I have no choice but to wait. Still.
“It’s still pretty impressive.”
Now that I think about it, I did not get the chance to guess his Ultimate talent.
“You do look pretty strong.”
“He says thanks!”
I smile – there is actually something a little bit charming about seeing him sign his answers in a language I do not understand and hearing her translate them, probably both for me and herself. I look at her – she looks very comfortable here. I would have expected more people to freak out about this situation, but it seems that I might be the worst so far.
“I thought I was being calm…”
I guess I am trying to make myself calm. And while I am at it, I should try and have some fun guessing more Ultimate talents, should I not?
“Hey Chris, let me try and guess your Ultimate.”
She looks surprised as I immediately step back, but she does not say anything. I look at her whole outfit and appearance, and it seems to me that her talent has something to do with sports. But what kind..?
“Running..? No, gym, maybe?”
“You’re right. I’m the Ultimate Gymnast.”


I try my best to hide how proud I am, but I am clearly doing a bad job at it. She smiles as she shakes her head.
At this moment, Noah taps her on the shoulder.
“Oh, why I would know sign language as a gymnast?”
I appreciate that she is translating what he says out loud. I feel a little less left out.
“Well, it doesn’t have anything to do with my capacity. You know I’m also a person outside of that? Haha.”
“Some people actually tend to forget.”
“Simply enough, there was a transfer student in my class once who was deaf and mute. She was not a friend of mine, which is why I’m not too good at using sign language myself, but we had a teacher give us some lessons so we, as classmates, would at least be able to understand her… And her friends to learn and talk to her.”
Not really answering, Noah simply shows that he understood what she said and found it interesting.
“Oh, I say, that’s actually a pretty cool experience. And you learned something most people don’t know.”
“Yeah, totally.”
Noah signs something again.
“Ah… yes.”
She looks away for a second and laughs.
“I’m the one who insulted the voice coming from the speakers earlier. Did I sound too rude? I’m sorry. I couldn’t help.”
He shrugs, showing that he does not care.
“Ooooh,” I say. That makes sense. I had not even thought about it, but her voice did remind me of something.
“...And to be honest, I would do it again.”
Noah and I both laugh – him silently, me feeling like I am being very loud when I am really not.
Now Chris sounds very cool. Clearly she is being useful already, and honesty seems to be a good quality of hers. I am glad she is here with us, really, and I am glad for Noah too. It would have been very sad if he could not communicate with anyone in such a dire situation…
Where you feel alone and abandoned so easily. “Aaaah.”
“I would love to hear some other well-crafted insults from you. But I am going to leave you two for now, I’d like to introduce myself to everyone.”
Noah nods, smiling as always.
“Okay! See ya in a few, when this stupid guy comes to do whatever he’s planning to do with us.”
“Reassuring.”
I wave and I walk away. If I am being honest, I feel a little bit uneasy around Noah, and I do not think it is his fault… I think it is both him being mute and a soldier – one makes me feel awkward because I cannot directly communicate with him, the other makes me feel a little bit uncomfortable… because, I do not know. Maybe I feel weak in comparison? Or something silly of the sort.
But I would love to learn more about him. I am sure I would warm up to him very fast, and I would love to see how he manages to get by without talking.

I have to look for a little while before I find yet another young man standing awkwardly alone in the middle of the room. I walk towards him and he immediately looks away. Looks like I am in for another ride.
“Hi! I say again, as jovially as I possibly can, I’m Neo. What’s your name?”
No answer.
“Come on.”
I try to grab his attention by moving my arms, waving at him, but he keeps staring into nothingness and avoiding my sight.
“Please don’t ignore me…”
I must have sounded pitiful enough because he looks at me for at least one second, before he looks away again. “What’s wrong with all of these people?” I am not even mad, I am just confused. Why do they all ignore me when I come towards them? Am I just particularly unlucky? Or were we not educated in the same conditions? Did I travel to another timeline or something?
I do not know what to do. He does not even look uncomfortable anymore as he looks away from me, a serious look on his face. I do not want to give up just like that. I want to at least understand why he is ignoring me.
“Okay then, I’m just gonna try and guess your Ultimate.”
I look at him from top to bottom. He has long-ish hair and he is wearing a very formal outfit, with a tie and a shirt.
“Let’s see, are you the Ultimate secretary or something?”
No answer. He looks at me again but it is like I am not even here – like he is just looking through me.
“… I’m gonna cry.”
I might as well do that.
He looks distraught for a second – he looks away again, then at me, than away. He cannot possibly be mute too… I just do not understand his attitude.
Suddenly, he inhales and almost yells:
“I get shy around pretty boys!”
He looks away again, this time blushing.
“...Oh.”
“I’m gonna cry.”
“…Oh. Uh… Th-thank you?”
Now I am the one who cannot talk. He completely caught me by surprise and I more surprised than I am happy to be complimented sincerely and out of nowhere like that.
“And you’re like. Super pretty.” he adds in a hushed tone.
“Haha… It’s funny how blunt you are if you are that shy!”
“I’m sorry, I also get blunt when I’m shy…”
I manage to laugh again.
“Well, that’s cute. Feels awkward at first but it’s cute. I’m glad to know you were not just trying to pretend I’m not here.”
“How could I?”
He blushes as he says that.
“O-oh. The Ultimate. Thingy. Yes. I am an Ultimate. Student.”
“I believe you.”
“And I’m not a secretary.”
“Damn it.”
“Uh… I’m the Ultimate Sexologist. And my name is Keith.”


“The Ultimate Sexologist gets shy around pretty boys… … Suuure.”
I must have looked like I did not believe him because he adds:
“I-I swear!”
I was about to answer something but he also adds:
“Now go away! I’m just gonna implode if you stay in my sight with your pretty face.”
… And he is the one who walks away.
… Now I am just confused. I do not know how to feel about this guy. Something tells me he does not mean to be that mean, he is actually just extremely socially awkward. He probably regrets saying things like these…
I see him stumble and fall as he tries to go away quickly. “Ouch.” I almost go towards him again to help him up but I remember I might just get violently rejected.
“I guess I’ll leave him alone for now.”

I walk a few steps back, a little confused as to what I should do with this guy and not sure if there are still more people to meet, when I accidentally bump into someone.
I immediately turn around and see a gorgeous young lady, looking as surprised as I am.
“Uh… Sorry..?”
I am clearly the one who was not looking. I shake my head and hurriedly answer:
“Ah! No! I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking. I hope I didn’t hurt you?”
Given the soft impact and the face she is making, I probably did not, but you never know.
“Right. No, don’t worry about it.”
She looks away for a second. She seems displeased that she has to talk to me, but something tells me she is at least polite enough to not ignore me or ask me to fuck off.
I grin, feeling a bit awkward and intimidated by her serious look, but I still try to introduce myself.
“Well… I didn’t mean to do it like that, but I’m trying to introduce myself to everyone here, so… Hi!”
I laugh to try and relieve the mood.
“I’m Neo. What’s your name?”
She smiles politely, clearly not feeling it.
“Hi. I’m Lois.”
I try my best to look her in the eye. She has a very strong aura, and probably because I have gotten used to people acting weird all this time, it feels weird that she is being so normal and uncordial, though polite. Still, she looks interesting and nothing about her screams “I am going to murder you on the spot”, so I insist.
“Okay, nice to meet you, Lois! Now, before you tell me, let me try and guess your Ultimate! I’m trying to see if I can recognize everyone’s talent based on how they look.”
“That’s assuming I’m going to tell you my talent.”
I pause and open my eyes wide, completely taken aback. I was already checking her outfit out, searching for a clue, and did not expect this kind of answer.
“You… You mean you’re not gonna tell me?”
She hesitates before she answers:
“I mean, do I really have to?”
I think about it for a second.
“… I guess not.”
I am utterly confused and a little disappointed. I wonder if I should insist; I do not understand why an Ultimate student would refuse to tell people about their talent. Maybe is it something dangerous? Maybe does it have something to do with keeping secrets? I awkwardly look away, passing my hand through my hair, not knowing what else to say.
“Don’t worry, we’ll see about that later. Now, I’ve heard you introduce yourself to everyone else…”
I look at her again. Was she listening the whole time? Or was I just not that discrete? All that I can think about is that she actually knew my name already and I did not have to repeat it.
“And correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds like you never told your Ultimate talent to anyone.”
“Oh!”
“Be careful, you’re gonna have a bad case of No one remembers who I am because everyone else has an amazing talent and they’re not sure if I do.”
I giggle. I did not expect her to say something like that – seems she is full of surprises – and I had actually forgotten that I had an Ultimate to introduce myself as. You see, I have a hard time believing that I am actually amazing at what I do and not just good at it like anyone could be.
“You’re right… Well, that was silly of me. I guess I’ll have to properly introduce myself to you first, then! I’m the Ultimate Voice Actor.”


“Look at you, trying to guess everyone’s talent based on their appearance, but nothing about yours gives away that you’re a voice actor.”
I smile. Once again, she is right.
“You are way too logical.”
She laughs, and I am glad she does. I was scared at first that she would be extremely cold, but it seems she knows how to hold a conversation.
“Well… You’re still just Lois, then?”
She smiles mysteriously. I swear she does. I did not know people could smile mysteriously in real life but she actually does it.
“I’m just Lois.”


“Go ahead and introduce yourself to the only person left.”
Now she is just being cruel.
“If I die, will you make people remember me as an Ultimate too?”
“It’s a promise.”
I smile as I shake my head, and I wave to her before I walk away.

It’s finally time…
To go and meet *that* person.
I timidly walk towards this giant man who is angrily staring into nothingness. He is all alone… It seems the others are all carefully avoiding him. As I get closer and he notices me, I think about going back, but not only is it too late, but part of me also insists that I should really introduce myself to everyone, including this scary looking guy.
“H-Hi…” I start.
But once again, I hesitate. I stay silent for a few seconds, not daring to look him in the eye. Man, he looks like he could crush my skull with his fingers…
“Hi, he answers, quite emotionlessly, My name is Oscar. What about you?”
I look up – to his face – with eyes wide open in surprise, and start a few aborted sentences before I actually answer.
“I’m… I’m… Neooo.”
“Is the long O an accent thing or are you just terrified?”
I must now be looking at him in pure horror. I feel very silly and a little sorry, but this is the most muscular and imposing man I have ever met. I am already really stressed out, and I do not want to risk having this huge stranger wanting to kill me. Not only does he look intimidating as all hell, with his small, blank eyes and the thick black mark in the space between them, but he even sounds cruel.
“Guess. I must guess your Ultimate.”
I say that out of the blue, and I am not even sure I had completely processed the thought before I said it. He does not answer and I look at him up and down again, trying to hide how scared I am of his appearance.
“N-Ninja.”
He does not even look like a ninja. I just blurted out some random answer because I did not want to think about it. Maybe the black mark is what did it... it looks so dark, it could be a tattoo. Oh, but what the hell? There is no justifying my idiocy...
“Uh, no. I’m a bodyguard.”


“O-oh.”
He stares at me, saying nothing.
“Christ, he must hate me now.” I think.
I think I might cry. I try to think of something to say but it seems my brain has closed all of its communication capacities.
“Oooh hi, I love your scarf!”
Out of nowhere appears… A little kid. The little girl from before, actually, looking happy like nothing ever happened to her, no kidnapping, no fight about her age, no nothing.
“Oh my god. He’s gonna crush her.”
But to my surprise, …Oscar, was it? starts to blush.
“Oh, really?”
He still sounds emotionless, though.
“Yeah! It’s such a nice colour and it looks so comfy! Where did you get it?”
“Well, my grandma made it.”
“Wow, that’s so sweet! She did an amazing job.”
“Thank you very much.”
He actually looks *a little* embarrassed and happy but… His voice doesn’t express anything?
“What the hell…”
“Aww, you don’t have to look so embarrassed. It’s just a scarf, you know. Well I mean, it’s an amazing scarf, but still!”
He looks around for a second, then at me, then at her again.
“I didn’t really expect anyone here to compliment me.”
“Why not?”
“’cause…”
He looks at me again.
“They’re all scared of me.”
“I’m so sorry..!”
“Huh? Why?”
Even he looks surprised. I cannot help myself.
“Because he’s a giant a-and he looks like a murderer!”
“Oh my god I’m so sorry.”
I did not want to say that. I said it. I totally said it. Oh my god. I am going to kill myself before he does.
“…Wait, that was like, super mean!”
She looks surprised and angry. Now I think I should be more scared of her than of that man.
“Don’t worry. I’m used to it.”
I look at him, and whether I want it or not, I look sorry. I was extremely rude and I hate it but I am still too scared to properly express myself. I do not manage to trust his calm tone.
“No, I’m sorry…” I hush.
Then louder:
“I’m really stupid. Even if it’s a little true… The part where I’m scared… I exaggerated. You don’t look like a murderer I’m just… Stressed out. Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
I do not know where she is but I can somehow feel Lois judge me from far away, for some reason.
He stares at me for a few seconds before he answers:
“As I said, I’m used to it.”
“Cold.”
The little girl hits my… hand? She looks ridiculously minuscule in comparison with this man.
“Hey, Neo, never judge someone based on their appearance! It’s the number one rule!”
“You of all people would know…”
“And you…”
She looks at Oscar.
“You know, maybe people would be a little less scared if you smiled a little. Of course your bigness plays a role, but the lack of emotion on your face doesn’t make you look any less dangerous.”
She decides to smile.
“And I’m sure you’re actually super-duper nice!”
His expression does not change an inch.
“I was always bad at expressing my emotions.”
She hesitates.
“…Oh, well… I guess you’ll have to learn? I’m sure you can.”
“And he should.”
He blushes once again. It seems it is the only way to know how he is feeling.
“Thanks for trusting me.”
I chuckle.
“Well, Mina… You’re certainly braver than I am.”
She looks at me and smiles.
“Of course! That’s what it takes to be the Ultimate Detective.”
I laugh again and look at both of them before I answer:
“My talent does not have any incidence on my personality… You two sure must be strong.”
“Especially Mina.”
Now it is her turn to blush. She puts her hand in front of her face, looking embarrassed.
“O-Oh, I…”
A sudden loud noise followed by a scream stops her mid-sentence, and the three of us jump in surprise. We turn around and see something we could have never expected.