Junko Enoshima despaired.

Everything turned out just the way she expected...
Everything turned out just the way she hoped... and so she despaired.

...Huh? Is it really that easy?

Magma-like heat boiled up deep inside her stomach, gradually swelled inside her body, and exploded when it reached her chest. The explosion escaped her heart and reached every muscle in her body, bringing her to a complete standstill. The sound of splashing water came from the muddy pool she stood in as droplets of water danced through the air.

On closer examination, one could notice the water was red.

As soon as her body stopped moving, the red droplets of water came raining down, making grotesque patterns on her clothes and skin.

Her clothes, painted deep red with blood.
Her skin, painted deep red with blood.
Her face, painted deep red with blood.

Nevertheless, none of this caught her attention. Instead, she started tapping her foot impatiently. It was a magnificent tap. She put every bit of strength, body, and soul she had into it. Her entire existence. And then, after tapping for a while, Junko Enoshima let out an annoyed yell, as fierce as the roar of a feverish rampaging beast.

"BUT THAT‘S NOT ENOUGH!"

Her scream echoed through her surroundings, the noise pouring down as if it was a rock shattering into pieces. But she wasn‘t done. She continued to scream. "MORE! MORE! I NEED EVEN BETTER DESPAIR-INDUCING DESPAIR!". She continued tapping her foot intently.

Despair-inducing despair. That was what she was after. She wanted not only for the world to despair, but also for despair worthy of her own self.

"MORE MORE MORE! DESPAIR-INDUCING DESPA–"

She stopped mid-thought. Something clicked inside her head, and she stopped moving. Her face froze in a surprised expression, and she stood petrified as if every muscle in her crimson-painted body stopped working.

Then, she let out a weak whisper.

"...Oh, I see."

A series of gears and switches began moving deep inside her skull, sparking pitch black thoughts. A certain object floated up inside her mind. A face. It was a face she knew, of course. The face of a fellow student at Hope‘s Peak Academy.

"...Upupu."

Her body shivered as she started laughing. The shiver gradually spread to her entire body, and then, she started tapping her foot again.

"Upu... Upupupupupupupupupupupu."

This time her tapping resembled a dance. She tapped her foot like a girl who couldn‘t help feeling joyous. A girl who couldn‘t help having fun.

"Oh, it‘s so wonderful! So wonderful!"

And, as the face of the person destined to bring her so much wonderful despair kept floating inside her mind –

Her heart overflowing with a strange feeling that almost felt like love –

Junko Enoshima danced to the rhythm of despair.

"Oh, it‘s going to be so magnificent, this despair!"

Laughing ecstatically, Super High-school Level Despair Junko Enoshima continued dancing. She danced as if she was losing her mind.

That was the beginning. The beginning of a story that ends in despair.