Shou Hashimoto

"Isn't this wonderful!" his mother exclaimed. Shou was seated at the kitchen table. The invitation layer before him. He bore at it with disgust.

Ever since his parents received this otter a week ago, they haven't stopped talking about it. Apparently, he had been accepted into some prestigious school as was invited to a welcoming party in a city no to far away. This was the last thing Shou ever wanted: a reason for his parents to force him to go to school. How Shou despised school. He had been successful at avoiding it the last few years, insisting that he could do with a series of tutors instead. His particular line of work carried him all over the world on a daily basis. He had no time to write essays or work on assignments. He was fine on his own. 

This horrid letter was going to change everything. He averted his eyes away from it and glance up at his mother. She was pacing around now, consumed by a rant about the many benefits of this so called Hopes Peak Academy. 

"Oh, you'll love it, Shou. You'll make so many new friends and-"

"That's enough!" His voice came out louder than he expected. His mother froze. Her face was a mixture of shock and confusion. 

"B-But, Shou" she stuttered.

"Why should I go to some stupid school? I already have plans to leave for London in two days. Elton has everything ready-"

"Think your education is more important tan your ghost hunts. This is a huge opportunity for you. Do you really just want to throw it away?" It was his father's turn to interrupt. Shou paused for a moment before answering.

"Well, yes, I do." His voice was quite, but the impact of his words silence the entire house. He did not wait for a response and stormed to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. He wasn't going to fall victim to his parents' guilt trips again.

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So, why was he standing in front of the entrance to the mall? Apparently, his parents' guilt trip strategy was stronger than he imagined. Non of this mattered now, of course. He had no licenses, no car, and no way to change his mind. He was stuck here until his parents picked him up. 

The parking lot was practically deserted when he arrived. He remembered that the letter had said something about the school buying out the whole complex for the party. Shou would think that a few more people would be arriving. Did it have to do with the fact that he was late? Shou shrugged are started for the double doors. All that mattered to him was the location of the food court.

Just as his hand grasped the handlebars, a faint laughter echoed behind him. He had no time to react before a sharp pain paralyzed his body. He collapsed in an instant on the pavement. 

-------

Shou was awoken by a stinging sensation in his neck. He rose to his feet in a haze and rubbed the back of his neck. He grimaced in pain. A million and one hung over him as he took in his surrounds. It was too dark to make out anything in particular. All he could see was a beam of light coming out from under a door. Shou rushed over to it and tried the knob. Locked. Of course. 

Shou heard the sound of someone's faint mumurs on the other side of the room. Unable to locate their origin, he called out to the stranger.

"Hey. Are you okay?"