Hikaru on page 4, Shiori on 7, Sakurai twins on 8, Raku on 9, Miyu on 10, Satoru on 11, Shu on 12, Rena and Nazuna on 13, Hiroyuki on 14, Reika on 16, Miharu on 17, Toru on 18, Usagi on 19

???: Rise and shine, ursine!

A half-red bear repeats. It has a round face, a scarf with a star-shaped accessory, and a pacifier on its mouth, although it talks very well---

Yui: Why’s the teddy bear talking?!

???: Aghhhhhhh!!! Human is talking!!!!

???: Human talks.

Hikaru: Whoa, what are they! Monsters?!

???: That’s so mean...You human is a real monster for calling us monsters.

Hikaru: Whaaat? I am not!

???: Although, if we are monsters, at least we’re pretty monsters.

???: I agree. I’m glad I was born with these looks. I definitely won the genetics lottery.

Yui: Wh-What are they? Why are they talking? Aren’t they just...stuffed animals?

I cannot catch up with loud bears speaking all at the same time.

???: We’re not Monokubs! We’re the stuffed animals!

Shouts a half-blue bear holding a guitar.

???: You’re saying your lines backwords.

Rectifies a half-yellow bear with an abacus.

Yui: ...Monokubs?

???: Oh! You’ve heared of us?!

Asks a half-pink bear.

Yui: Um, I’m sorry, I haven’t...It’s my first time to meet a stuffed animals who can walk and talk.

I was afraid that they would become sad, but instead, Monokubs show happiness on their faces. I don’t know how they change their facial expressions, though.

???: Yayyyy! It worked!

They start to share joy, looking at each other. Again, I cannot catch up with them. What did work? What success are they celebrating?
At that moment, Hikaru impatiently reaches out to them...and lifts the red bear up to his head. He stares straight and questions.

Hikaru: Alright, explanation, now. Who are you?

The red one seems frightened, flapping his feet.

Monotaro: Nooo! Let poor Monotaro goooo!

Pink, yellow, blue and bears follow.

Monophanie: May Monophanie also ask you to let him get the ground?

Monosuke: Monosuke guesses it’s inevitable. No one can be calm surrounded by unfamiliar bears in unfamiliar place.

Monokid: So let’s tackle issues one by one with Monokid together!

Hikaru: Sounds perfect! Then I’ll let you go. Here you go.

He nods and reassures the red--Monotaro by putting him on the floor with good grace.

Hikaru: So. Yui! What d’you wanna ask? It’s up to you.

Yui: m-Me?! Ummm...

I have loads of questions, but for starters...

Yui: Can I ask where we are? This...looks like a school...

Barbed wire on the windows, futuristic decor, and lots of plants...I want a single clue as to where this space is.

Monotaro: Sure, so this place is called the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles.

Hikaru: Ultimate Academy? I’ve never heared of that before.

Yui: Neither have I...

Monophanie: Of course you haven’t. This school was made for you sixteen cretins.

Yui: Sixteen...?

Here are only two, me and Hikaru, in this classroom.

Monosuke: Yeah! There are sixteen gifted students in this school. And I expect ya to know what Ultimates are very well. The government scouts ’em through a program called the Ultimate Initiative.

Monophanie: ‘Ultimate’ basically means you’re particularly prodigeous in a particular talent.

Monokid: The Ultimate Initiative exists to cultivate talent through out the country...Promising students are eligible to receive all kinds of special handouts!

Monotaro: Like free school tuition, voting previleges, eligibility to run for elected office...They even get grant money, right?

Monosuke: Students chosen by the Ultimate Initiative are known as Ultimates.

Monokid: Hell yeah! Students would do anything for the honor of bein’ a chosen Ultimate!

Monophanie: So what’s your talent? Can you tell us?

I utter intuitively.

Yui: The Ultimate Lucky Student...

No, if anything, I recognize this is me after my mouth answers.

Yui: It means, only one of the high school students in the country chosen by lottery. So, I am not like other Ultimates...just an ordinary student.

Monosuke: Luck is part of the game! You can be able to survive in airplane accident or russian roulette.

I don’t wanna be involved in those dengerous situations in the first place...

Monophanie: Aaaand...how about you?

All the Monokubs’ eyes look at Hikaru.

Hikaru: What? ...Me?

His voice contains confusion.

Hikaru: Actually, I’ve never heard of ‘the Ultimate’...Wait, am I a high school student to begin with? I don’t know... I...really don’t know.

Monophanie: Oh my goodness! It’s a failure!

What does ‘failure’ mean? Anyway, Monokubs make a racket even louder.

Monokid: Wait! Still fine! We have still time! Just keep smashing him until he breaks to fix!

Monosuke: Back off! If he gets any more stupid, how can we help?

Monotaro: Hey, is this even going according to the plot?

Monokubs: ................

For a moment, silence falls among them.

Monokid: Hell yeah! It’s emergency!

Monosuke: This case is out of our hands. We gotta report to our father.

Monophanie: Oh yes! Sorry my sweeties, we gotta say bye-bye now.

Yui: Please wait! You guys know about Hikaru, don’t you?!

Monokid shouts back with so much confidence.

Monokid: Yeah we know everything from his favorite barber to his sock size!!

Yui: Then could you just tell him?

I beg.

Monokid: You’ll never grow up if you depend on a bear all the time!

Yui: n-No?

Monotaro: No! It’s time to stand by yourselves, Ms. Protagonist!

Monophanie: You can explore this academy, or introduce yourselves with the other Ultimates.

Monosuke: ...Cuz you guys are all gonna do an ‘activity’ together later.

Monodam: .........

The green bear, silent from beginning to end, stares at us with senseless, emotionless eyes. When I get horrified by its gaze...


Monokubs: So long! Bear well!


Then, all the noisy gnomes are gone now.

When the classroom suddenly turns to be quiet...Hikaru strains his cheerful voice awkwardly to dispel the gloom.

Hikaru: Damn, you did it! It was brave of you! Thank you for tryin’ to ask them, Yui.

Yui: No, I mean, thank you. It must be very worrying for you since you can’t remember yourself...Thank you for encouraging me before.

Hikaru: Worrying?

He tilts his head.

Hikaru: I...don’t really worry ’bout it... I don’t really care. More like, I’m excited to my possibility!

Yui: Possibility?

Hikaru: Because, y’know, all the students in here are the Ultimates. So, I’m also the one who has special talent, right? Hee-hee, it’ll be great! I gotta get my name back so soon!

His way of thinking is kind of...new to me. I blink a few times for his dazzling eyes.

Yui: ...Oh my, now I became excited too. Can you tell me when you remember it?

Hikaru: Absolutely.

He is confident and strong.

Hikaru: Oh, that goes for you too, y’know? You should remember *the boy* soon. Your important person, right?

Yui: Probably yes. I’ll get my memory back...and I’ll go home.

Yes, I’ve got to go home. I, and surely he, have family and friends waiting for. A feeling of nostalgia, lonely and encouraging, struck my heart.

Hikaru: Alright, the door works. Yui, let's go!

He opens the door at the front of the classroom with a rattle. He carefully looks both ways, then beckons me there. I nod and follow him through the door.