Makoto Naegi.

His relentless optimism in practically any situation serves well to encourage those who are around him. In fact, Naegi would say that the only thing extraordinary about him is his bad luck and optimism. Everything else about him could be described as average - his tastes, his hobbies, his looks, and so on.

His official title was the Ultimate Luckster.

But to Junko…

“God, this kid is an Ultimate Annoyance!”

Before The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History, Junko must have played hundreds of various tricks and pranks on him during the school years in order to try and get him to despair. She would have done almost anything to see Naegi suffer even an ounce of despair. But no matter how many cruel things she does to him, he had always bounced right back and forgiven her.

Once, Junko had literally set his dorm room on fire.

On. Fucking. Fire.

Doing something like that would cause any normal person to hate Junko. She knew this from experience - she had ruined many relationships, both business and casual by setting those things on fire. It was one of her ‘pranks’ that she almost never got bored of. But when she tried it on Naegi....

“It’s okay Junko. At least no one got hurt!” Naegi smiles softly at her, shooting at the high flames in his room with a fire extinguisher.

“What?! I set your room on fire! Don’t you hate me? Aren’t you despairing?” Junko groans dramatically, facepalming. He had to feel at least some despair!

“Well, nothing really important burnt up.” Naegi gestures to a corner in his room. There, piles of various papers and objects lay. He had gotten them all out of harm's way before the fire could get to them. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”

…

This was stupid.

Hope’s Peak Academy had been transformed into a safe sanctuary for the students. How ironically despairing would it be if it becomes a place where the students meet their end? Just the very thought of seeing these symbols of hope murder each other was enough to send shivers down Junko’s spine.

Junko giddily hugs herself, smiling like a lunatic. This was the pinnacle of her career! Soon, the whole world will feel despair.

The plan was great. She had everything set up but there was still one issue.

Makoto Naegi.

Even if he gets trapped in a killing game, it wasn’t certain that he would despair. She needed him to experience full despair for this plan to be satisfactory.

But how would she do that? Naegi was mentally strong and always spread hope among his fellow classmates. That was the most annoying part of him - Not only was the luckster himself filled with hope, but he also filled the people around him with hope.

Luckily though, Junko had a special plan for Naegi.

Using the talents of Izuru Kamukura, the Ultimate Hope, as well as the talents of some of her followers like Kazuichi Soda and Yasuke Matsuda, she managed to create the greatest tool for despair ever!

The world’s first time machine.

Of course, it isn’t a typical time machine. Instead of allowing someone to travel through time, it forces someone to travel through time.

In other words, an imposed time loop. And Junko had the perfect target in mind for this time loop.

Fingering the remote, Junko giggles to herself. The remote in mention was the only controller in all of Hope’s Peak that could open the gigantic lock on the front door. However, Junko had modified it to double as a coordinator for her time loop machine. If everything went to plan, Naegi would be the one who ends up pressing this button.

“Hehehehehe! Let’s see how long Mr. Hope lasts when he’s forced to play this Killing Game for all of eternity!”