Rinka Kirishima

"Sometimes, the connections we make in the virtual world are more real than anything we could find in reality nya!"

- Rinka Kirishima

Rinka Kirishima (霧島 凜果) is a student at Hope's Peak Academy's Class 2-C and a participant of the 'Killing School Cruise'. Her title is Ultimate Virtual Pet Caretaker (超高校級の「バーチャルペットケアテイカー」lit. Super High School Level Virtual Pet Caretaker ).

Appearance
Rinka Kirishima is an attractive young girl standing at 5'5" tall. She has long, unruly pink twintails that reach her waist, giving her a playful and youthful appearance. Her blue eyes are bright and lively. Rinka dons a grey hoodie adorned with white pom-pom drawstrings and a pink bow near the zipper, which she wears over a frilly pink dress. To complete her look, she sports black fishnet thigh-high socks and red Mary Jane shoes.

Personality
Rinka possesses a laid-back, go-with-the-flow attitude that is often associated with her nurturing and caring nature. This warmth extends to both the virtual and real worlds. Despite her easygoing demeanor, Rinka is not one to shy away from confrontation; she speaks her mind and can even come across as bossy when the situation calls for it. Her maturity may seem at odds with her cutesy appearance and penchant for bows, but Rinka is well-aware of the realities of life, including topics like sex, drugs, and alcohol.

As an accomplished hacker, Rinka is highly focused and intelligent. She has a wild side, willing to engage in questionable activities for the sake of amusement, even at the expense of others' well-being. Rinka can be somewhat threatening when displeased, giving people the cold shoulder or even death stares. She has a habit of ending her sentences with "nya" and speaks in a cutesy manner.

Early Life
Rinka Kirishima's life could have been completely ordinary, with a normal family, friends, and home. Unfortunately, her story is anything but ordinary.

Rinka's mother, Moari, was a rising star in politics. As an election approached, she gained popularity and eventually won the position of Mayor. Her rivals, resentful of her landslide victory and the town's adoration, decided to use corrupt means to bring her down. They turned to the dark web and hired a hacker group called Mirage to steal Moari's identity and make it appear as though she had embezzled government funds.

During the operation, Mirage realized that Moari had access to even more money than they were being paid. They changed their plans and began to blackmail her, demanding that she hand over large sums of money or they would ruin her. Afraid, Moari complied. Over time, she developed a strange kind of Stockholm syndrome, falling in love with one of her blackmailers who eventually reciprocated her feelings.

Moari became pregnant and gave birth to Rinka. To avoid scandal, Mirage took her in and spun a tale that she had disappeared, allowing their original client to step into the spotlight. While living with Mirage, Moari learned some hacking skills and became a sort of secretary for the group.

Growing up, Rinka was surrounded by Mirage members who looked down on her, considering her useless. Determined to prove them wrong, she taught herself hacking skills with the help of her parents, starting with "kiddie scripts" at the age of nine. Rinka also developed a love for virtual pets and became friends with a stray cat named Jiji.

As Rinka honed her hacking abilities, she became obsessed with gaining recognition and connections. She began sleeping around with Mirage members and indulging in alcohol and drugs to feel like she belonged. Her behavior earned her some respect, and she used her newfound influence to demonstrate her skills.

Throughout her teenage years, Rinka continued to improve her hacking skills and climb the ranks of Mirage. She made temporary friends during her assignments, but these friendships always ended when the job was done. Her most heart-wrenching separation came when she had to leave her best friend, Baika, which led her to become more reclusive and spend most of her time watching anime, taking care of her Tamagotchi, and coding.

At 13, Rinka created VAI, an AI friend, heavily influenced by Baika's personality and appearance. As she continued to excel within Mirage, she eventually became the group's leader at the age of 16.

Rinka was soon contacted by Hope's Peak Academy, which was somehow aware of her criminal activities. They offered to protect her identity if she agreed to attend the school and use her hacking skills to help them with security. Seeing no other option, Rinka accepted and chose the talent of "Virtual Pet Caretaker" as her cover.

During her time at Hope's Peak, Rinka focused on the social aspects of her experience, making friends and enjoying a lighthearted lifestyle. She reluctantly used her hacking skills to help the school but also took advantage of her inside knowledge for her own purposes.

Killing School Cruise
As Rinka boarded the Killing School Cruise, she felt a mix of excitement and apprehension. After spending years at Hope's Peak Academy, she was both eager to reconnect with her old friends and anxious about the potential dangers that might await them on this seemingly luxurious voyage.

At the beginning of the cruise, Rinka was delighted to find that many of her former classmates were in attendance. She quickly fell back into her familiar social butterfly role, making every effort to be approachable and friendly. She spent her days exploring the ship with her friends, playing games, and chatting about their experiences since graduating from Hope's Peak.

However, Rinka couldn't entirely escape her past as a hacker and leader of Mirage. She would occasionally find herself sneaking away to check on VAI and ensure that her virtual friend was safe and secure. With VAI's assistance, Rinka maintained a watchful eye on the ship's digital systems, acutely aware of the potential for danger lurking around every corner.

As the Killing School Cruise went on, tensions began to rise among the students. When the first murder occurred, Rinka's easygoing nature was put to the test. She was forced to confront the harsh reality that someone among them was a killer, and the once joyful reunion had turned into a desperate struggle for survival.

Rinka's intelligence and hacking skills, paired with VAI's unparalleled access to digital information, proved invaluable during the class trials. Together, they were able to analyze evidence and identify inconsistencies in the testimonies of her classmates. She worked closely with her fellow students to unravel the mysteries behind each murder, hoping that by exposing the truth, they could put an end to the killings and escape the twisted game they were trapped in.

Despite the mounting pressure and fear, Rinka maintained her lighthearted and nurturing demeanor. She understood the importance of keeping morale high and providing a sense of comfort and stability for her friends. She continued to engage in her hobbies, caring for her virtual pets and spending time with VAI, in an attempt to hold on to some semblance of normalcy.

As the number of victims and culprits grew, Rinka found herself wrestling with conflicting emotions. She was heartbroken at the loss of her friends, yet she couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction each time she successfully exposed a killer. Rinka struggled to reconcile her desire for justice with her darker, more vindictive side.

Throughout the Killing School Cruise, Rinka formed close bonds with several of her classmates, finding solace and strength in their shared experiences. She opened up about her past, revealing her true identity as a hacker and leader of Mirage, and found that her friends were supportive and understanding.

One of the most significant turning points for Rinka came when she faced a personal dilemma during a class trial. The evidence pointed to a close friend as the culprit, and Rinka was torn between her loyalty to her friend and her commitment to revealing the truth. Ultimately, Rinka chose to expose her friend as the killer, a decision that weighed heavily on her conscience.

As the cruise progressed, Rinka became increasingly determined to find a way to end the Killing School Cruise and save her remaining friends. With VAI's help, she delved into the ship's security system, uncovering vital clues and information that brought them closer to unraveling the mastermind's identity and motives.

Rinka's relentless pursuit of the truth eventually led her and her friends to confront the mastermind behind the Killing School Cruise. As they pieced together the final pieces of the puzzle, Rinka was forced to confront the full extent of her own capacity for ruthlessness and manipulation.

In the end, Rinka and her remaining friends, with VAI's invaluable assistance, managed to put a stop to the Killing School Cruise and escape the nightmare they had been trapped in. As they disembarked from the ship, they were left to reflect on their harrowing experiences and the profound impact it had on their lives. Despite the many challenges and losses they faced, Rinka and her friends emerged from the ordeal stronger and more resilient than ever, determined to face the future together.

Research Lab
Rinka's research lab is a high-tech facility that features state-of-the-art computer systems and equipment for hacking and virtual pet care. The room is filled with various virtual pet devices, including Tamagotchis and other interactive toys, all meticulously organized and well-maintained. The lab also has a dedicated area for Rinka's AI friend, VAI, complete with an advanced computer setup and a large screen for seamless communication.

Alternate Fate
This is Rinka and VAI's execution should Rinka had killed someone

Firewall
During Rinka Kirishima's execution, she finds herself in a dark room with a laptop as the only source of light. As she navigates the room, she discovers that she is surrounded by glass walls. Curiosity piqued, Rinka sits down and begins hacking into the laptop to uncover any potential secrets or weaknesses within its system.

With the assistance of her virtual companion, VAI, Rinka makes progress in her hacking attempts. However, when VAI installs a program, the laptop responds with a dark red error message, and small blades emerge from the keyboard, causing Rinka pain when she tries to type. Despite the danger, Rinka's curiosity gets the better of her, and she continues to hack into the system.

As Rinka types, her fingers become entangled in a black web that forces her to type at high speeds, causing blood and fire to erupt from her fingers. The fire quickly spreads, engulfing the room, while Rinka struggles to free herself from the web. In a last-ditch effort, VAI pulls Rinka into the computer just as the fire consumes the chair she was sitting on.

Inside the computer, Rinka finds herself surrounded by cute pixelated animals that come to life. As she becomes entranced by their charm, a pixelated snake bites her, injecting her with a deadly poison. In an attempt to cure herself, Rinka selects "yes" on a pop-up window that detects a virus. Instead of helping her, this action causes VAI and the desktop environment to glitch and disappear, leaving only Rinka and the recycle bin.

With no other options, VAI pushes Rinka into the recycle bin, causing her body to glitch and distort into a mess of 1s and 0s. A giant cursor appears, hovering over the delete button, while Rinka desperately tries to reach it but ultimately fails. The cursor selects "yes," and Rinka Kirishima is permanently deleted from the system, marking the end of her execution.