This story was originally posted on AO3, under the same penname.

The story's main pairings changes from one-sided! NakamuraxKarma, to eventual GakushuuxNakamura.

When it comes to Assassination Classroom, I seem to excel at unusual pairings.

A Cat, A Wolf, and A Monster In Human Skin

The first time Nakamura noticed Akabane Karma was month into 7th grade. He stood out among the first years, an attractive redhead with an attitude too big for his slender body. Among the first year girls, he was an existence that could rival Asano Gakushuu in popularity. Both of their grades were already among the highest in the school, and their looks made them hot topics of gossip.

Nakamura wasn't in either of their classes during their first year, though she was in the same class as the other two known ikemen in her grade: Isogai Yuuma and Maehara Hiroto. While their grades were not as praiseworthy – well, Isogai was still among the top fifty. Maehara fell somewhere around the bottom – their friendly personalities and athletic abilities made up for their shortcomings. Isogai in particular was immediately nominated to be their male Class Representative and she often found Maehara with a different girl on his arm every few days.

Somehow as Asano Gakushuu's reputation rose through active participation in school activities – the Student Council, helping out in clubs, tutoring his classmates – Akabane Karma faded into the background. While his grades were still high and he was acknowledged to be the one of the most physically attractive boys in the school, his truant activities started to overshadow his positive traits. Rumors reached the school's ears, of bloodied fists and mocking words and near-insane laughter when he apparently nearly beat two ninth graders from another school to death with just his fists.

Up until that point, Nakamura had only ever seen Akabane but had never formally met him. Her girlfriends from her class were content to fawn over Isogai and Maehara, both of whom were more available and safe in comparison. The few guy friends she had turned pale at the mention of the violent redhead and often tried to change the subject. Curiosity overwhelmed her until she decided to visit class 1-D to confront Akabane – how bad could he be? Maybe he would be a kindred soul, a fellow troubled youth who sat on a higher pedestal than his classmates but longed to walk on the same ground as them. Maybe that was why, while he was as capable as Asano, he chose to not stand out and above, like her. While Nakamura's own grades were still above average, she often skipped studying in favor of hanging out with the older reject students and felt her brain slowly turning to mush. She loved it. Maybe Akabane was the same, with him always getting into fights.

The door to the classroom was open, and in a sudden bout of shyness, she lingered there without calling for anyone. She acted as if she was supposed to just be casually standing there, half-clinging onto the door with her blue eyes scanning the classroom. She spotted Akabane up at the front at Oono-sensei's desk and tried to discreetly shift herself into the classroom to get a closer look.

She had often seen him at school assemblies and such, but never in such close proximity. Her heart skipped a beat – damn, he really was handsome for a twelve-year-old – at the lazy yet mischievous look in his eyes. Akabane's posture was relaxed and yet a noticeable charisma rolled off him in waves. It wasn't like the strong, imperial kind of feeling that Asano gave off, nor was like the refreshing aura that Isogai tended to give out when he smiled.

It kind of reminded her of a cat.

Akabane had the air of someone who knew that he was better than everyone else, and even gloried in it. He had an elegant feel, similar to that of an aristocrat raised in a high-class environment, and it felt almost arrogant from the way he held himself. He was too different from her, who longed to be grounded and below. Disappointment welled up as she gave a heavy sigh and made to leave, casting one last glance at him as she went.

At that exact moment, Akabane happened to glance up from Oono-sensei's desk and his light amber eyes chanced directly to meet hers for only a brief second.

It was like a lightning bolt had crashed down upon her, causing rippling shudders to travel through her nerves and heart. Her throat dried. Her feet turned to lead. Her forehead broke in to a cold sweat. And then he looked back down and she could breathe again, as she took shaky steps out from the classroom and dragged herself back to her classroom.

What was that? Was that love? Was that what love at first sight was supposed to be like? Did it always feel as if she were faced with a monster in a small room with no way to escape?

No, what she had felt was fear. Her first ever feelings of overwhelming fear. There had been something in his eyes which had entranced her and terrified her at the same time. Akabane's eyes were not lazy, at least not like how they were at first. The moment their gazes had met, Nakamura had seen the laziness change to wariness, the wariness change to wildness, and the wildness suddenly become a great beast that threatened to swallow her whole. All within a single moment in time that was now suspended forever in her memory.

Akabane Karma was not a cat, she decided, but a monster in human skin.

...

...

Despite her fear, and despite how often she tried to convince herself that it was stupid and irrational, she couldn't stop herself from trying to approach him again. The fear was a thrill, like the mystery candy she sometimes bought after school. She never knew what flavor she would get, but that made it all the more exciting. A small part of her consciousness called her a masochist. A small part of her heart agreed.

She made friends in Akabane's class for the sole purpose of being able to come to Class 1-D. One of them was a manga-crazed girl with a bob cut like a kappa, and the other was a chubby, motherly girl with long hair pulled back into a low ponytail. One day as she spoke to them about random anime and classwork, she suddenly heard Akabane's voice talking, louder and more excited than she ever could have thought possible.

"Eh?! He's the director? Awesome!" Akabane had one hand resting against chair of a desk, the other gripping part of a cinema magazine held by another student. "And it's being premiered today! Let's go see it together, Shiota-kun!"

The owner of the magazine was a petite boy – maybe he was actually a girl, but he seemed to be a boy – with a pretty face and long blue hair down past his shoulders. He looked startled, scared even, with Akabane half-hovering over him in his seat, but then his eyes lit up and his voice was shy but not rejecting. "Sure," it came out like a whisper. Nakamura watched incredulously as Akabane actually beamed at the boy – Shiota-kun – and suddenly drew him into a lively conversation.

"I didn't expect someone like you to like American comics, Shiota-kun. Is it your hobby?"

"N-No, it's not… what about you, Akabane-kun? You don't really seem like the type either…"

"I'm actually more of a fan of the director, but I've read the comics too! Are there any others that you like?"

"Well, um…"

"Boys can be so noisy," Nakamura was brought back by the voice of her manga-loving 'friend'. She almost told them to shut up out of frustration but then the motherly girl laughed with her and the moment was lost.

"I should get back to class," she said instead. Both of her 'friends' waved goodbye as she stalked her way out of the class and nearly crashed into Akabane at the door.

"Sorry," his voice was no longer chipper and bright. It was apathetic and insincere. "I wasn't looking."

"It's okay," Nakamura hated how strangled her voice sounded. "My bad." She ran away, practically terrified, to her own classroom. Despite her desperate attempt to flee, she found herself thinking about his words, icy, chilling, and delicately covered with spidery lines of frost.

Suddenly she bumped into a second person who caught her around the middle as she lost her balance and nearly toppled over. Her arms swung crazily and she was pretty sure that her skirt had probably flown up. The strong arm around her waist held her tight and gently brought her back to her feet. How this person had managed to catch her without getting hit by her flailing fists was a mystery.

"Are you alright? Nakamura Rio-san," purple eyes stared soullessly into hers and she shuddered at the emptiness in them. Just like Akabane's, his words seemed to be so uninterested in her existence. "My bad, Asano-kun," she mumbled and quickly dashed away from him like a rabbit from a wolf. She was aware of the cold eyes following her and then losing interest and dropping away.

So convinced she was that Asano had zero interest in her, that she didn't even realize that he knew her name.

...

...

Afterwards she stopped trying to associate with Akabane altogether, though she did remain friends with Fuwa and Hara and even came to like them more now that she was less distracted from their conversation. Occasionally she would catch sight of Akabane with Shiota-kun hanging out in the gardens during lunch or fooling around (well, Akabane was) in the hallways. Once she saw them sharing an umbrella on a rainy day and the mischievous girl inside her had to refrain from wolf-whistling (because was Shiota-kun really a boy?).

Once and only once Shiota-kun spoke to her when she had helped him gather a spilled pile of music sheets onto the ground. "Thank you, Nakamura-san," the small boy had said to her gratefully.

She was surprised that he knew her name.

"Shiota-kun right? What are the music sheets for? Are you in the Light Music Club?" she thought of her sort-of friend – more like acquaintance – Chiba-kun, who was in said club. He shared the same taste in music as her and as a result they usually had something polite to talk about when they met.

"No, Concert Club," Shiota-kun gave an awkward laugh. "I'm not very good at playing instruments, but I thought if could have some time to study the music scores…"

"Oooh, I see. Work hard at it," Nakamura smiled at him and Shiota-kun smiled back. He had a nice smile.

"Hey, Nagisa-kun!" Nakamura's blood froze at the sound of Akabane's voice. "I'm going to the convenience store. Do you want anything?"

"Eh?" Shiota-kun looked surprised. "But Karma-kun, fifth period is starting soon! There's no time to go to the convenience store…"

"I'll be back somewhere after sixth period."

"You're skipping again?!"

Nakamura was forgotten as Shiota-kun – no, apparently it was Nagisa-kun now – ran after Akabane in a futile attempt to stop him. Akabane merely laughed at him, though not unkindly, and gave him a hefty slap on his slender back before taking off. "See ya! I'll get you some packaged sushi if they have any."

"Eh, there's no way the school would – you mean you're going to the one outside of school?!"

"Well, duh."

"Karma-kun!"

An astringent taste made itself known on the tip of Nakamura's tongue as she watched them continuously jibe away down the hall. It tasted like disappointment, anger, and the added spice of jealousy.

...

...

Gakushuu's eyes scanned the rankings of the first year students with a practiced eye. His perfect score of 500 was nothing new. There were a few others, however, that he was interested in. His gaze landed on Akabane's name in 10th place, brows furrowed. He had heard the Disciplinary Committee continuously complain about the first year redhead to no end. Despite skipping classes, getting in fights, and snubbing the teachers, his grades stayed high and within a school like Kunugigaoka, grades were everything. Behavioral issues took a backseat.

Gakushuu scowled. After he became Student Council President (he was waiting for the current one, a third year, to get a nervous breakdown from facing his father all the time), he would rectify Akabane's rebellious attitude and teach him respect.

Afterwards two other names caught his eye: (21st) Kataoka Megu and (33rd) Isogai Yuuma. Both were renowned throughout the school for their helpful, responsible personalities and natural charisma. Not to mention their apparent "ikemen-ness". Gakushuu had to admit that he could see why Kataoka was so popular with her fellow girls. As for Isogai, he seemed to actually sparkle when he smiled, and it caused literally anybody to do anything for him. Though he seemed to be unaware of it, he, like Gakushuu himself, was another persona able to take over the world with little effort.

Perhaps he should consider inviting them to the Student Council once he took over.

"Asano-kun," a smooth voice accompanied by a hand to his shoulder interrupted his thoughts. "Congrats on scoring first place. As expected, I suppose, of the Chairman's son." Several muscles in Gakushuu's jaw tightened at the last two words. However, he somehow managed a polite smile and congratulated the speaker as well.

"You scored second place, Sakakibara. You matched me, 100 for 100 in Japanese."

"That's pointless in the long run, isn't it?" Sakakibara's eyes ran down the list. "Hmm, Tomoya Seo, Araki Teppei, Koyama Natsuhiko… oh, and Akabane Karma. That's all I know who are in the Top 10, personally at least. Oh, Isogai-kun too."

"You're friends with Isogai?"

"Oh, no, I just invited him to a group date. I invited Akabane-kun too, but he refused," ah, Gakushuu had heard of Sakakibara's dating habits. Both he and Maehara Hiroto were infamous for their behavioral issues in a different way. Immediately he could predict the next question he would ask. "How about it? Want to join me? Akabane-kun and Isogai-kun both said no, so I'm short a handsome face."

"I'll think about it," Gakushuu turned back to the rankings and resumed his search.

"Are you looking for a friend's placement?" somehow this guy just refused to leave him alone. He was the pushy kind of friendly which was more often annoying than not. "Two pairs of eyes are better than one. Want some help?"

Gakushuu considered giving him a stare, the same kind of stare his father gave when he was confronted by a particularly disappointing student about to be sent to Class E. But no, it was too early. Gakushuu shouldn't reveal the extent of his capabilities (read: intimidation) yet. He still had connections to make, lackeys' loyalty to earn.

"Nakamura Rio."

"Ooh, a girl? Your girlfriend?"

"Nothing like that. She's just quite famous academically-speaking. She's won quite a few rewards for her studies in elementary school," Gakushuu's eyes were in the 20's. "But I haven't found her name yet."

"Hm, that's odd. If that's the case, she should be right up there with us," how Gakushuu wanted to laugh at the lame attempt to make a pack mentality. Though perhaps it wouldn't be bad to let him handle making a small, concentrated group of loyal followers. "Ah, she's right over there." Gakushuu turned in the direction that Sakakibara was pointing and his eyes alighted upon a head with dyed blonde hair.

"Ahh, I'm in the 60's," he heard her say distinctly. "Not bad, I guess."

"But you actually did pretty well, Rio-chan!" some girl who wasn't worth his interest pipped up to her. "I'm in trouble~ I'm in the 100's already…"

"Whoa, that really is bad!" Nakamura laughed carelessly. "Ah, let's compare answers later. Some of the questions were really impossible, right? People like Asano-kun are amazing for knowing all the answers…" She walked off with her friend, chattering, unaware of the growing displeasure behind her as Gakushuu gave a quiet "Tch," of disapproval.

Though he wasn't likely to admit it, he actually had some hopes for Nakamura Rio, same as he did for Kataoka Megu and Isogai Yuuma. However, he instantaneously was able to recognize what type of character Nakamura Rio was. She was a follower without ambition, and with a longing to fit in with those of lesser intelligence around her. She threw away her natural gifts for the sake of being 'normal' and acted stupid to be accepted.

Somewhere in his corroded heart he felt a small twinge of kinship as a memory of how cruel jealous elementary schoolers could be floated to his mind. The day afterward his father had immediately started his martial arts lessons with the order "Become strong."

Father was right. To stand above others causes self-persecution, and yet those who persecute you acknowledge you for a strength they themselves do not possess.

He turned away and closed his eyes.

To simply dull your abilities because you believe the words of those who are below you… Foolish.

In his mental databanks, he took the existence of Nakamura Rio and smudged it until all was unrecognizable but her name, then filed it away with the rest of the 'ordinary' students of the school.

As she has wished, now she is just one among many.

Gakushuu walked away, Sakakibara hot on his heels, and went back to silently formulating future plans of how to take over the school, just short one potential candidate.

I do adore KarmaxNakamura, as both a platonic broship and an OTP.

Alas, I'm not sure if they are meant to be.