Project Brainstorming + An Unfriendly Reunion

After the end of the school day...

Hope's Peak Academy - Old Building, Second Floor - Library

You and Seiko decided to head up to the library after school to brainstorm ideas for you project together. You thought it would be a good idea to see if there were any materials in the library you could use to get some prompts. There didn't seem to be anybody else in there at the moment, so it seemed like a quiet place to do their work.

"So, Seiko, did you have anything in mind for the project?", you asked her. Both of them sat down by the table in the middle of the library.

"Mr. Ezura said it had to relate to both of our talents. I'm a pharmacist, and you're a marine biologist...there has to be something we could combine our talents to work on," she told you. "I'm experienced with making substances and measuring their side effects. But what would we do to connect that back to marine life?"

You began to think about some ideas. Maybe we could test to see the natural growth rate of a fish over time compared to a fish taking growth serum drugs? Or maybe we could test how quickly a healing med could help restore a starfish's limbs? Or maybe we can test the side effects of other drugs on smaller fish? The ideas kept going through your head.

"Do you have anything that can make living beings grow faster? Or anything healing-related, by any chance?", you asked.

"Well, I kind of do, but... I was hoping to save it for midterm exams," Seiko told you nervously.

"That's alright. You can keep it if you want. I know midterm exams are stressful for all of us, Seiko. We can always find something else. Besides, you're the Ultimate Pharmacist. I'm sure you can come up with something just as good!", you reassured her.

"Thanks for understanding, Y/N. I mean, we do have some time to figure things out, so we don't need to have a definite idea today. We can always work things out tomorrow, too," she said.

"I agree. Plus, I don't want to make an experiment that would hurt the fish in the process, or worse. That would...just feel wrong to me, you know?"

"I know what you mean. To be honest, I always had kind of a thing for protecting animals. Even when I was a kid. Who knows? Maybe if things had gone differently in my life, I could've been a veterinarian", Seiko said, then suddenly stopped once that unpleasant memory came back to her. She remembered that day: when the car hit two poor dogs on the road, when she still a little kid, she tried to save them. She was able to save one of them, but the other was beyond saving. She wanted to change the topic to get her mind off of it, but you already did.

"Say, uh, Seiko? Remember that new guy that came into class? Vince? I saw that you were pretty aggressive towards him. Did...did something happen between you two?", you asked her. For a moment, she looked triggered merely at the mention of that boy's name, but she knew that you were innocent. She knew you weren't around at the time to know about what happened.

"Look, Y/N... I know it's a lot to explain, but Vince and I - we're not friends. You weren't there to see what he did. He broke my trust when I thought he was opening up to me. I really don't want to bring that up right now, Y/N. I just want to enjoy spending this time with you, alright? It's-", Seiko said, before being cut off by someone else in the room.

"I hate to interrupt, but could you please be a little more quiet? I'm trying to study here", a student asked her. She was wearing a standard Hope's Peak uniform along with a long, dark blue skirt, and she had noticeably somewhat short, wavy green hair. Her light blue eyes and large oval-like glasses made her appear to be kind of shy. I think I might recognize her from somewhere, you thought.

"Oh, my apologies. I didn't know you were in the room, Ms... uh, sorry, but I don't know your name," Seiko briefly told her.

"Apology accepted. I'm Karen. Karen Kisaragi. You might know me as the Ultimate Floriculturist, or as the secretary for the student council," Karen told her.

"That's where I recognized you from! I knew it was from somewhere!", you said out loud. "Don't worry, my friend and I here will try to be much more quiet, Karen. I promise."

"Thank you for understanding, sir. Have a wonderful rest of the day," Karen said, before taking her books and going elsewhere in the library.

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Meanwhile, at the Hope's Peak Academy gates...

Vince was doing his best to sneak out of the school without being noticed by security. Normally, he wouldn't dream of doing this out in open daylight, but his contact's meeting was more important (and more urgent) than following some little guidelines set out by the school. I just hope to God that walking hulk Juzo isn't around, he thought. He dreaded the idea of the Ultimate Former Boxer beating him to a bloody pulp.

Today, it seemed as if luck was on his side. No sign of Juzo anywhere. Vince didn't have much other trouble sneaking over the academy walls. For the average boy his age, it would've provided a challenge, but Vince was quite experienced with this kind of thing. And it definitely came in handy, because he was able to scale the wall without much trouble.

Okay, I've gotten out of Main Course grounds. Now I just need to make sure I can sneak back in without getting much attention, Vince thought. I just hope Juzo isn't there when I get back. With that on his mind, he continued his way over to the Reserve Course building, building up with dread at the thought of meeting his contact.

----------------------- Several Minutes Later... --------------------------

Hope's Peak Western Quarter - The Reserve Course Department

Vince found himself standing outside of the main Reserve Course entrance building. It wasn't nearly as big as the Main Course building, but it was still a pretty monumental structure in terms of school size. However, that didn't make it's more plain apartment building-like appearance any more appealing. Ironic. The appearance of the building was no more special than the very students who attended it.

Alright, she said to meet me at the back. I'd better hurry and head there before any Reserve Course students notice me, Vince thought. He did take some time to notice some of the extra scenery at the Reserve Course grounds, and how it was much less lively than that of the Main Course. Poor chaps. Being squeezed out of their own money to pay for this institution's projects. Thank goodness I was recognized for a talent at all.

He was growing incredibly fearful on the way to his contact. For the past seven months, he's been essentially ghosting her, since Sonny made sure he wasn't able to contact anyone outside of the States during his suspension. I was afraid this would happen. Maybe if I just explain everything to her, she might understand. No, don't bullshit yourself, Vince. He knew damn well that this girl was far from understanding.

Near the back entrance of the Reserve Course building, he found his contact waiting by the doors, with nobody else around. This business was to be discussed in private. No other bystanders needed to get involved in their situation.

He immediately caught sight of her piercing green eyes. There she was. The daughter of the Kuzuryu crime family herself. Natsumi Kuzuryu. She had her arms crossed while showing a cocky grin on her face. She had a standard Reserve Course outfit: a white buttoned-up shirt with a black skirt. She had long, lengthy blonde hair, and a nice figure. Her cheeks also had a noticeably natural blush to them. All this combined gave her a deceptively adorable appearance. But the look in her eyes and her attitude were far from anything cute or innocent.

"How was your trip, Tony Montana?", Natsumi said with a smug grin. Her arrogant tone hadn't changed a bit.

"Oh, good Lord. I've got a bad feeling about this shit," Vince said under his breath. He knew Natsumi was no one to piss off. He already knew that her older brother was in the Main Course, but from what he heard, Natsumi was even more malicious and violent than he was. Hell, there were even rumors that she was the reincarnation of the strongest Kuzuryu gangster in history: her dead uncle Daichi. Now THAT would certainly explain a lot, especially her ruthlessness. Vince tried to stay at least a few good feet away from Natsumi, still fearing that she would stab him if he got too close.

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to show their pathetic face around here again. Don't think I forgot about you, Fiore," Natsumi chuckled.

"I didn't forget about you either, Natsumi," Vince sarcastically replied. How the hell was he supposed to forget when she never let him forget it?

"I'm sure you didn't. Kind of hard when you've got a target on your back, isn't it?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I didn't think you'd call me the moment I got back."

Natsumi rested against the wall in a more relaxed pose. "Word travels fast around this school, you know," she told him. "Sonny gave my family a call. He told them that you were coming back."

Vince couldn't help but nearly have a heart attack. The last thing he needed was to hear that the guy watching over him was reporting him back to the mob. "He's on your payroll now?!"

Natsumi couldn't help but give out a demeaning laugh. "Pffft - bitch, please. You would've gotten your ass busted a LONG time ago if he was. He's only the neutral member the Academy and my family agreed to assign to look after you."

"Look, we don't have to get Sonny involved in any more of this, alright? And neither do we need to get your brother in this, either," Vince told her, shaking slightly. "Nat, I know I fucked up, but I was being constantly supervised in America! I could barely leave my own damn house without Sonny taking an int-"

Immediately, Natsumi stood straight back up and looked Vince dead in the eye. That cocky grin she had on her face before was gone. Now it was replaced with a very aggressive expression. Before Vince could even react, she had shoved him back against the wall and grabbed ahold of his shirt. Damn, she is deceptively strong, he thought.

"I don't give a fuck! You still owe my family our money, Fiore! OUR FUCKING MONEY!", she screamed right in his face. Vince didn't try to push her back, because he knew what happened when someone tried to attack her. If she was trying to scare him, she definitely succeeded in doing so. He started panicking and tried to explain himself.

"I-I-I know that! But S-Sonny was getting in the way of things! You g-gotta believe me! I didn't have any way to pay back your money! Please calm down! You don't understand, I am in DEEP shit right now, Natsumi!," Vince told her anxiously.

"Oh, I know that, Vince," Natsumi said with a tone of sadism in her voice, "Which is why you'll be personally working for me until your little debts are fully paid off. Had this happened to anybody else, my brother would have already killed your sorry ass a long time ago. But because you're useful, because you're an asset, I'm willing to give you a chance." She loosened her grip on his shirt and gave him some space.

"A chance for what? For me to be your personal slave? Yeah, no thanks," Vince said, without even thinking twice. That won't end well with her.

"I'm sorry, did you just talk back to me, you fucking prick?!", Natsumi screamed at him again. She did not take it lightly when someone, especially someone inferior, gave her any sass. Ironic, considering she gave others plenty of it on a regular basis.

"Woah, woah, woah! Listen, I know you're not a girl to be screwed with, Natsumi," Vince said, desperately trying to find a way to calm her down. "Look, I promise I'll pay you back all the money, but for the love of God, give me some time to do it!"

Natsumi stayed silent for a few moments, contemplating. The vicious aggressive look on her face started to slowly vanish, and reverted back to her arrogant grin. "Tell me something I haven't heard before, Fiore. However… I might just be open to removing a portion of your debt, if you do me a simple favor."

"Yeah, sure. 'Simple'." Vince knew that whatever she had in mind, 'simple' was practically sugarcoating it. "Go ahead. Anything that lowers my debt is more than good enough for me."

The yakuza girl decided to lower her tone. "Vince, you know that I would do anything to get into the Main Course, right?"

"Where are you going with this?"

"Well, I recently heard that in the event of a Main Course student dropping out, a brand new replacement will be scouted out amongst the Reserve Course. The benefits of being part of the most powerful crime family in Japan," she bragged.

"Wait, the school can actually do that? You sure that's not just a rumor?"

"Oh no, my source is quite reliable", she informed him. "Why else do you think I'd be so obsessed with this? Look, to make a long story short, there's this... red haired, flat-chested photographer girl that's always pissed me off. Her name is Mahiru Koizumi. And now that she's in the Main Course, it gives me all the more reason to despise her. I tried everything I could do to make her drop out: humiliate her, threaten her, but it's never enough." Natsumi's tone sounded much more intense at the mention of Mahiru.

You see, Natsumi loathed Mahiru ever since elementary school. The photographer was tiny for her age, pale, and very shy. Her determined and steadfast nature wasn't a problem for Natsumi: it just made breaking her all the more satisfying. She made Mahiru's life a living hell for months on end. Until, one day, SHE came along.

Vince: "I'm sorry...are you asking me to-"

"Shut up! I wasn't done talking!," she snapped. "Now then, there also happens to be this sea-weed haired skank that's made it even harder to get near Mahiru without provoking that bitch's wrath. She's Sato. And even worse, she's been nothing but a thorn in my ass to my plan. But here's the kicker: Sato is only a member of the Reserve Course. So while she can defend Mahiru from me here, she can't protect Mahiru in the Main Course. That's the part where YOU come in."

Sato was a force of amiability amongst her classmates. Sato's positivity and her compassionate attitude quickly gained friends all over the school. And to make things worse, she was fierce. She wasn't afraid to back down from anyone that talked shit to her or her friends. But she wasn't a problem for Natsumi until the day she decided to befriend Mahiru. That's when shit hit the fan.

Every time Natsumi tried to raise an insult at the photographer, Sato would always talk right back against her. She wasn't scared by the fact she was talking back to a girl related to a crime family. None of Natsumi's threats even scared her. And that was something she couldn't let slide. Sato was another obstacle in her path, but she wasn't going to back down yet.

"I'm… still not sure where you're going with this. Please explain," Vince told her.

Natsumi got annoyed with having to clarify things. "If you can somehow find a way to make Mahiru drop out of the Main Course, I'll cut off a large portion of your debt in return. I don't care how you do it. Do whatever it takes. Harass her, incriminate her, maybe even cause an 'unfortunate little accident'...as long as she's out and I'm in, it works. Do we have a deal?"

Vince had a horrible thought that crossed his mind. "Y-You w-want me to kill her?!", he anxiously squeaked. He didn't want to kill anyone, especially not one of his own classmates, and besides, he knew how risky doing something like that to a Hope's Peak student was, regardless of their talent.

"No, you fucking idiot! That's not what I meant!," Natsumi instantly snapped at him. "Do you have any idea what would happen if the Steering Committee learned one of their 'precious' Main Course students was murdered? Half of the news would be flocking their asses over here just to get a decent scoop of attention."

Vince breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. "So then… you're telling me you want me to find a way to get her kicked out then, right?"

"No shit, Sherlock. I know you're not THAT stupid, Vince", she said with a grin as she placed her hands on her hips.

The audacity of this bitch, Vince thought. I swear, she's nothing but trouble.

"Look, Natsumi, I don't want to do anything that would get me suspended again… or expelled… but then again, I need to get my debt paid off," he said, contemplating what to do. If I cooperate with Natsumi, I'd at least have to worry much less about the Kuzuryu family, but I'd also ruin Mahiru's future. If I don't, who knows what this blonde psychotic chick has in mind for me.

"Relax. I know it's a lot to ask, so you've got plenty of time to think about it," Natsumi said. "Just don't keep me waiting too long. When I need you again, I'll give you a call. Make sure to answer. See you around. I'll be watching you, Vincetti." With that, the yakuza girl walked back inside of the Reserve Course building, off to do her own thing.