Disclaimer: I do not own Assassination Classroom or any of its characters. Takenaka, Kurahara, Mitsui, and Mai, however, do belong to me.

Reaching Normality

Chapter One: Shiota-sensei

It was a warm summer afternoon, and the children of Seishunn were having their last period of class for the day. In Class 4-C, everyone was focusing all their attention on their young, bishonen teacher. Well, almost everyone was.

"Mitsui-kun, Kurahara-kun, I believe that your discussion can wait until after class"

Two ten-year-old children straightened in their seats, tiny faces paling with fear at the deceptively gentle voice. Peering up guiltily at their smiling English teacher, both children immediately chorused apologies for disrupting the lesson.

Shiota Nagisa mock slapped the children with his lesson plans, but his reassuring smile washed away any sting that might have been caused by the punishment. "I understand that Sugino Tomohito is a wonderful baseball player even among professionals – in fact, he was one of my best friends in junior high– however, this is unrelated to the lesson at hand. Please refrain from going off topic children, especially now when it's so close to your midterm exams." An uncharacteristically sly tilt entered Nagisa's smile. "But, if all of you improve at least three points in the exam, sensei will take you all to meet Sugino Tomohito personally. So everybody, try your best!"

Cheers erupted within the tiny classroom.

"Wow! Shiota-sensei, you're the best!"

"Were you really classmates with the Sugino Tomohito? The one who won three Koshien championships in a row?"

"Sensei, sensei! Does Sugino-senshuu look as cool in real life as he does in photographs?"

"No fair~~ Shiota-sensei, why did you just have to make a deal we can't refuse? Now we have to study for the exam!"

"Kyaaa~~! I can't wait to meet Tomohito-sama!"

Nagisa felt his heart warm as he watched his students become enthused and motivated for the upcoming midterms, a stark contrast to the way they were when he first took over the class. Class 4-C was the class for laggers in Seishunn, a second-rate Elementary School. While the hierarchy system was nowhere near as extreme as it was in Kunugigaoka,the difference between levels was still large enough for the students to feel increased pressure. Nagisa was an apprentice teacher here, temporally taking over English classes for Class 4-C as the previous teacher was away on maternity leave. Using the skills he developed back in the last year of junior high, the young man quickly became popular with his little students.

"Alright class, let's get back to the lesson!" Nagisa clapped his hands. At once, the entire class became quiet, all attention trained on the slender teacher before the blackboard.

The rest of the lesson carried on without any undue interruptions. Nagisa tried his best to be both fun and educational; it seemed that he was successful. Time passed quickly and the bell signaling end of class rang much too soon for either teacher or student.

"Complete pages 48 and 49 on your exercise books for today's homework and prepare for the mock exam we'll be having next week. Goodbye children, and have a good evening." Nagisa smiled gently at his beloved students as he gathered up his papers.

"Goodbye Shiota-sensei!"

"Shiota-sensei!" A soft voice called out to him. Looking down, Nagisa saw a shy girl with sesame plaits, Kujou Mai, walk up with her textbook. "Sensei, I couldn't understand part of the passage we studied today…"

Patiently taking the textbook into his hands, Nagisa started to explain the differences in sentence structure.

"Hey, Kurahara, Mitsui, You guys were pretty brave, not paying attention to Shiota-sensei's lesson!" a short boy with shaggy brown hair ran up to the taller boys.

"What do you mean, Takenaka?" asked Mistui, perplexed.

Takenaka drew in closer. "Didn't you feel it?" he whispered, "when Shiota-sensei caught you. That chill that makes you feel as if you've just made a round trip to the doors of death."

Kurahara shuddered. "It was way scary. He was smiling at me the whole time and I swear he was thinking about sticking me through with a knife."

"What's with that guy anyways? He looks like he should be in senior high, why the hell is the school letting him teach here?"

"Aww come on, Shiota-sensei isn't that bad. I mean he is creepy when you don't pay attention or not try your best on purpose, but he's super nice most of the time. And I saw his file the last time I was in the principal's office. Shiota-sensei is twenty years old. He graduated from a very prestigious high school and could have gone anywhere with scores like his, but he entered a teacher's community college instead and graduated early with only one year of training. Then he came to teach here." Takenaka defended. "Can't you feel it? Shiota-sensei really cares about us, not just about our scores or his salary."

"Whatever." Kurahara didn't seem impressed

Mitsui on the other hand pulled out his smartphone and started checking up Sugino Tomohito's background. "Hey, Takenaka, do you remember which junior high it was that Shiota-sensei graduated from?"

"Yeah, Kunugigaoka. Why?"

"Holy crap!" Mitsui started so badly that he almost dropped his phone. "They really were classmates!" the boy started hyperventilating. "Oh my god. Oh my god! Omigod! I've gotta start revising up my English!" And without another word, he left, running as if his life depended on it.

Perhaps because he was too excited to pay close attention to where he was going, Mitsui ran headlong into a woman just as he turned corner. Surprisingly though, instead of being knocked over, the petite woman who couldn't have been taller than 1.6 meters stood firm and steadied Mitsui so he wouldn't fall either.

"A-Ah, my deepest apologies Miss!" Mitsui stuttered, his face growing red when he saw how beautiful the woman was.

Wavy black hair flowed over delicate shoulders and bright hazel eyes blinked kindly at the little boy. The white summer dress that she wore accentuated her small, fragile-looking figure. "It's alright." The woman smiled cheerfully. "Be care next time you turn corners. By the way, do you know where Shiota Nagisa is? I believe that he's an English teacher here."

"He should be in Classroom 4-C, Miss!" Takenaka volunteered eagerly. "A few classmates kept him back to ask some questions."

"Thank you." The woman nodded in gratitude and walked gracefully away.

Three sighs echoed in the corridor.

"Was that…?"

"I think it was."

"Who?"

"Mase Haruna! That famous actress!"

"I wonder what she's doing here."

"Just how many famous people does Shiota-sensei know?!"

"Hey guys, why don't we go and listen in on them?"

There was no dissent. They all gathered up their belongings and tiptoed back to the classroom. The pretty woman bumped into Shiota Nagisa just as he finished helping his students. Her eyes lit up in a way that made the whole world seem brighter.

"Nagisa-kun! Long time no see!"

Nagisa started slightly at the sight of the woman. After carefully studying her features, a shy smile spread across his lips. "Long time no see, Akari-san."

Takenaka elbowed Kurahara's ribs. "Didja hear that? Didja hear that? They're on first name basis!"

"Ow!" Kurahara yelped in protest. "Isn't Mase Haruna's first name Haruna? Why is he calling her Akari?"

Takenaka heaved a long suffering sigh. "Kurahara, do you ever pay attention to anything outside of video games?"

"Mase Haruna, real name Yukimura Akari, began her career as an actress at the age of eight. Most well-known for her roles as Kurosu Rosalie, the heroine of Assassin's Tears, and Ichinose Kaori in Dangerous Love. According to her manager, Mase Haruna is single." Piped a quiet voice from behind the three eavesdropping boys.

"AaaH!"

"Don't do that anymore, Mai!" Mitsui whispered harshly. "You can give people heart attacks appearing out of nowhere y'know!"

"Sorry." Kujou Mai didn't sound very apologetic. "But you shouldn't listen in on other people's conversations."

"Like you're one to talk." Kurahara grumbled.

"SHushh!"

"… heard from Karma-kun that you are still in contact with Lorvo-san… really want?"

Nagisa's face turned pale for a split second before returning to his usual smile. "Why don't we talk about this later, in a better suited venue?" His eyes flickered towards the half open door, where the four children were hiding. "Mitsui-kun, Kurahara-kun, Takenaka-kun, Kujou-kun, is there anything that you need me for?"

By instinct, the four children straightened up upon hearing their names. Guilt appeared on their tiny faces as they walked into the classroom.

"Shiota-sensei, who's this pretty lady? Is she your girlfriend?" Takenaka tried to divert attention from their obvious breach of privacy.

Yukimura Akari's cheeks flushed light pink. Nagisa showed no reaction at all.

"No, this is my friend from high school, Yukimura Akari." Nagisa ruffled Takenaka's mop of brown hair. "Akari-san, these are my students. Takenaka Uma, Kujou Mai, Mistui Hiro, and Kurahara Kotaro."

Overwhelmed by the impossibility of meeting a national superstar in their second-rate elementary school classroom. Introductions were made and cellphone numbers were exchanged. Soon, the four children left the classroom in a dazed state of happiness with a signature each and photographs of Mase Haruna in their phones. Takenaka only recovered when he was half-way home.

"Hey! Shiota-sensei never answered my question!"

Back in Classroom 4-C, two young adults stood in silence, the previous playful and lighthearted atmosphere gone as if it has never existed. Bright blue eyes glinted with cold light. The ever-present smile twisted into one of mockery and distain.

A/N: So this is the result of a nagging plotbunny. As you can see, it is a multi-chapter story and not a collection of drabbles. However I might insert little side stories that are related to ReaNo time to time. Updates whenever I get another attack from the plotbunnies so I apologize in advance to those who are waiting for the rest of the story.