With a spring in her step, Sakura strode through the doors, happy it was Friday. Around her, a river of students flowed out, steadily dispersing as they passed the gates. Most kids would either be going home, heading to cram school, or staying to attend club meetings. Sakura was doing none of that. Instead, she was going to her tutoring lesson. To the ordinary kid, that wouldn't be something to be excited over, but Nagisa made it all worth it. Sakura's heart leapt as she thought of spending the rest of her afternoon with him.

A brutish shove from behind broke Sakura from her thoughts and sent her stumbling amid the now spread out crowd of students. Regaining her footing, she glared behind her.

"Hey, Sakura," Amari grinned. Behind her, Funai chuckled evilly. "Where you headed? Off to hang out with your friends? Oh wait, you don't have any. Sorry, I forgot." She laughed cruelly.

Sakura fumed. "I do too have friends."

"Oh, that's right," Funai piped up. "You've got that fatty. What was her name? Shit-for-brains?"

"Shibata," Sakura growled. Damn it. Why did these two always have to wreck her perfect mood?

Amari and Funai. The twins, as they were called colloquially. Beautiful, smart, socially adept, they were the most perfect girls in school—and for reasons Sakura had yet to identify, they seemed to love spending their free time making fun of her. And they always knew just how to push her buttons, too. Targeting Shibata, Sakura's best friend, was their favourite—and, frustratingly, most effective—way of getting her riled up.

"Well, don't let us keep you from your important appointment. Going home, right? Say hi to your father for us—that is, if he's sober enough to understand you."

"Oh, fuck off," Sakura muttered, turning on her heel. She wanted to kick their teeth in so bad, and she could, too, but the trouble she'd be in would be bad enough to make even her father pay attention.

"Hey, now, that's no way to talk to your senpai," Amari chuckled.

Sakura shot her daggers of ice. "You aren't my superiors. We're in the same year!"

"We're superior in intelligence," Funai said.

"And beauty," Amari added.

"And basically everything but our year." Funai grinned. "I'd say that qualifies us as your senpais. So why don't you quit being so insolent and show some respect, huh?"

Sakura tried to ignore her, though it was hard, Striding away, Amari called after her. "Where are you off to in such a hurry? Got a date? Ha! Like anyone would want to go out with you."

Feeling unbidden tears forming in her eyes, Sakura broke into a run, and the twins' derisive voices disappeared among the chatter of the student body. Damn it…damn it! Why? Every time Sakura thought she was strong, she was pulled down. Reminded she was weak. She had karate. She had a boatload of other martial arts. So why couldn't she handle two stupid middle school girls who'd probably never even stretched before?

Grinding her teeth together, trying to will the sadness away, Sakura headed to the nearby bus stop. It didn't take long for the bus to arrive, and once on, thoughts of meeting Nagisa returned, filling her mind with images of his pleasant, warm smile and her heart with a soft, fluffy feeling. Well, no matter what those two bitches said, Sakura was going to spend an hour with a handsome, nice guy. What negative thoughts could stand against that prospect?

Eventually, the bus arrived at the library. Already, people filled it, taking up many of the available seats. Scanning the faces, Sakura searched for that familiar blue hair. Spotting it, she broke into a grin, and strode over to meet Nagisa.

"Hey, Nagisa!" She greeted, setting down her bag and pulling out her things. "How's it going?"

Nagisa looked as cheerful as ever, wearing his teacher's vest and white-collar shirt. With his comforting smile, he replied, "Not bad. A couple of delinquents were causing some trouble outside my classroom, but I took care of them."

Sakura frowned. "Delinquents? That doesn't seem like something you could have taken care of, Nagisa." She squinted at his slight frame and small stature. He was so meek-mannered, Sakura doubted he could have told off the delinquents at her middle school to any avail.

Nagisa chuckled. "I think you'd be surprised at what I can do. You of all people should know that size doesn't necessarily equate to strength."

Sakura nodded, though even she wasn't sure if she could legitimately take down an opponent if it came to that, even with her martial arts training. Sure, she might take her hypothetical assailants off guard at first, but if it came to brute force, she'd be a goner.

Nagisa didn't notice the uncertainty on her face, instead motioning to her notebook. "Speaking of size/strength ratios, we're going to be going over some common deep-ocean organisms today. You've got a science test soon, right? How about we review the sorts of adaptations they use to survive down there…"

The rest of the tutoring session went swimmingly—though Sakura cringed at herself for making the pun inside her head. Nagisa was an amazing teacher, she reflected. His voice was calm, comforting, and clear—and more than that, he made even the most complex of concepts easy to understand. Ideas that her teachers had explained over and over again to Sakura after class were broken down, simplified, and by the end of Nagisa's explanations, Sakura was breezing through practice problems. It still amazed her that someone like that was settling for a simple high school teaching position, even tutoring on the side. She'd asked him before; if he wanted, he could easily become a university professor, with the vast reservoirs of knowledge he held. Why didn't he?

And yet…it seemed to make more sense to Sakura, as she watched him, why he didn't. He taught her, explaining things, and as he did his expression lit up, his eyes brightening, his smile broadening. He loved teaching, especially one-on-one, individually connecting with his student, helping them learn and grow. That was something you couldn't get from university, with enormous classes, and too many students to really bond with. That had to be why, despite the many years they could have drifted apart, Nagisa had stayed Sakura's tutor. It was true; the really did share a bond, something Sakura didn't really have with anyone else, not even her father, as ashamed as she was to admit that. But it made her feel happy. Nagisa was hers—and she was his. They had a special relationship, one she couldn't describe. Maybe it would grow into something different, eventually. Sakura could only hope.

Eventually, they neared the end of the tutoring lesson. Sakura glanced at the clock on the wall with a sigh; well, time didn't stop just because she wanted it to.

"Well, I think that about covers everything," Nagisa was saying, smiling contentedly at Sakura's textbook. "You should ace that test, if you make sure to study up on those areas we've talked about today. " He paused. "Sakura?"

She blinked. "Oh, uh, sorry. Lost in thought there."

Nagisa nodded. "Well, I realize we are a bit early. Hopefully your dad is fine with picking you up at 4:45 instead of the usual." He smiled. "And if not, what's a few more minutes with me, right?"

I'd spend the rest of the day with you, Sakura thought with a blush. Idiot…she shouldn't be thinking those sorts of things. Shaking her head, she almost didn't notice the buzzing in her pocket. Slipping out her phone, she saw a message from her dad.

"Oh great," she groaned, reading it. "My dad's getting held up at work. He can't pick me up." It was probably true, but that didn't mean her father wasn't going to head to the local pub afterwards anyways. He typically couldn't survive without at least a drink a day.

Nagisa frowned. "Well, I can drive you."

Sakura felt herself redden. "Um…no, that's okay. You're probably very busy, and I take transit all the time…"

Nagisa chuckled. "Busy? I rarely ever have anything planned. The only thing I do at home is plan for new lessons." He blushed as he said that. "I'm probably the biggest loser of a teacher you've ever had."

Sakura laughed. "Not the biggest…but Nagisa, if you're lacking in things to do, why don't we do something this afternoon? We could go to a movie or do some karaoke…ooh, or go shopping! There have been some outfits I've been wanting to try on lately…"

"Shopping?" Nagisa asked hesitantly. "But that's besides…is your dad gonna be okay with you being alone with me outside a tutoring session?"

Sakura waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about it. I'll just tell him I'm hanging out with Shibata."

Nagisa sighed at that. "Man…this totally goes against what teachers and students are supposed to do, you know?"

"I know, but you're still gonna go with me, aren't you?"

He frowned at her. "You know me too well, Sakura."

And with that, they left. Sakura couldn't help but feel giddy as she directed Nagisa to her favourite shopping district. Once there, she immediately dashed from store to store, quickly using up her allowance on a myriad of clothing. Though she felt her body heat up as she did, whenever she could Sakura would show off an outfit to Nagisa. As usual, all he'd say was 'it looks nice'—but that was enough to make her heart soar. After seeing several shirts she thought might look good on him, Sakura got the brilliant idea to make Nagisa into a model. Clearly embarrassed to the point of being red in the face, Nagisa endured it, trying on all manner of outfits for Sakura. She eventually chose three shirts, two pairs of pants and a nice jacket for him. Despite her insistence on paying, Nagisa, ever the gentleman, bought his clothes himself, and even sneakily paid for Sakura's choices.

By the time six o clock rolled around, Sakura found herself not wanting to go home. Home was boring, frustrating, saddening and confusing. Here, she had Nagisa. He seemed to automatically make her day better, just by being there.

Just as Sakura had almost forgotten her worries in the mesmerizing blue of Nagisa's eyes as they strolled down a more empty street, a few menacing forms stepped in their way.

"Well, well, a couple on a date, eh? Bit young for you, pal."

A stab of fear pierced Sakura's heart. She took in four or five guys standing in their way, each exuding intimidating malice. She gulped. Muggers.

"That's adorable," the tallest of them said. "And they've already stocked up on goodies."

"Must be nice, having so much cash," a larger guy said. "We're down on our luck, can't buy nothing good lately."

The taller one slid a hand into the inside of his jacket. "You two look like good, altruistic people." With a devilish grin, he produced a switch knife. "Mind shelling out a bit of cash for a few poor souls?"

Nagisa tried pushing Sakura behind him, but she resisted, instead walking right up to the tall one and striking him with quick movement, planting the heel of her palm into his stomach. He grunted, dropping the knife, and stumbled away in pain.

"You little bitch!" The larger one pulled out a knife of his own, snatching Sakura's wrist quicker than she expected. Trying to pull away, she aimed a kick at the mugger—but one of his friends pressed a blade to her side.

"Now," a beefy guy with a scar across his cheek said, grinning, as he pressed the blade closer to Sakura's skin, "why don't we all calm down? Hand over your wallet, and the girl walks away. Alright?"

Sakura tried struggling further, but the blade pressed through her blouse, threatening the break her skin. She resisted tears. Damn it. They're going to rob us, and all I did was make things worse! Wasn't this what her martial arts training was for? She should be able to handle situations like this! Now Nagisa—

Nagisa strode forward, a wan smile on his lips, as content as though he was going to see a movie. No one moved, the muggers simply staring at him as he walked up to them, almost as hypnotized by him as Sakura was. He almost seemed friendly in his demeanor as he brought his hands together in a swift, fierce clap.

It was a thunder strike. It had to have been. Nothing else could have caused as much carnage. Sakura watched as the five men fell to the ground, twitching, their mouths agape, their eyes dull and terrified.

Nagisa grabbed Sakura by the wrist before she could say anything. With strength she didn't know he had, he pulled her down the street and around the corner. They continued along until they were far from the unconscious muggers. At last, Nagisa let her go, glancing over his shoulder warily.

Staring, half indignant at being forced around, half still in awe, she crossed her arms at him. "Nagisa, what the hell was that?"

"Language," he admonished absently, still glancing around.

"You just knocked all of them out with a clap! How is that possible? More importantly, since when could you do…whatever it is you just did?" That itch seemed to return to Sakura, a soft prodding in the depths of her mind, though not about the strange octopus case this time. Now, in the busier street he'd hauled them to, Nagisa looked completely ordinary. And yet, just moments ago, he'd seemed a completely different person, something otherworldly. How could that be, though? Confusion infected Sakura's brain like a poison as she watched her tutor apply his usual gentle smile.

"Can't a man keep his secrets?" Nagisa's answer was delivered with a frustratingly calm look.

"But—" she began.

Nagisa put a finger to her lips. "Shh. Now, you're not hurt, are you?"

Sakura frowned, flexing her wrist. "Well, no, but—"

"Good. I should probably get you home now. Your father's probably worried half to death, and I don't want any angry parents banging on my doorstep." He gave her a sad smile. "Sorry to cut it short. But…I had fun, Sakura. Thank you."

Sakura blushed.

"Ah, Mr. Shiota Nagisa." A voice came from behind them. "It has been a while."

.

Nagisa could barely believe who strode up to him. Clad in a familiar-looking dark cloak, with a slightly more wrinkled face than in years passed and graying hair came Lovro, master assassin and trainer of assassins-to-be. He looked much the same as he had the last time Nagisa had seen him seven years ago, though he was noticeably older. Still, he carried himself with the bearing of one of his profession, confident in posture and without the weakness usually found in those his age, thanks to the assassin's training regimen.

"Lovro?" Nagisa frowned as the man stopped before him, extending a hand. Nagisa shook it, still confused. "What are you doing here?"

"An…assignment, you could say. But I wanted to speak with you. It has been too long, and besides, I have something…important to discuss with you." There was a gleam in the old Russian's eye.

Nagisa was about to ask him to elaborate, when he remembered Sakura. "Uh…Sakura, why don't I drive you home now?"

The girl folded her arms with a scowl, stubborn as ever. "Hold on, Nagisa. Just who is this?"

"An old friend," Nagisa replied. "Sorry, Lovro. I'll be with you in about ten to twenty minutes. Why don't you wait at a nearby café? I'll try to hurry."

"Please, take as much time as you like," the old assassin replied.

Sakura eyed him suspiciously, but graciously shrugged. "Fine. Whatever. I'll just ignore the weird old guy along with that strangeness from before. Oh, and Nagisa? You don't have to drive me. I'm not a kid. I can take the bus. I do it every day, after all."

Nagisa opened his mouth to object, but Sakura's expression was firm. He sighed, nodding. "Alright, if you insist. See you at school, Sakura."

Sakura gave him a wan smile in goodbye, striding off with her clothes, leaving Nagisa and Lovro alone.

The older assassin started to walk, prompting Nagisa to do the same. Lovro said nothing for a while, before at last speaking, his voice still as heavily accented as it had been years ago. "So…you are a teacher now. I had heard you were aspiring. You enjoy your profession?"

Nagisa nodded, frowning, unsure of what Lovro was getting at. "Certainly. I love guiding my students to excellence. It's…fulfilling, to see them grow."

Lovro stroked his chin in thought. "And yet, you clearly retain your assassin's skills, judging by the encounter from only a moment ago."

Nagisa shot him a look. "You saw that? Why didn't you help?"

The assassin shrugged. "I was prepared to intervene if it became necessary, but as I saw it, it presented a fortunate opportunity to judge your skills."

Nagisa frowned. Could have intervened once Sakura had a knife placed to her side. "Alright. Yes, I'm still skilled in all the things I was taught in Class E. What's your point?"

Lovro again didn't speak for a while as they turned a corner, steadily making their way back to Nagisa's car, he noticed. "The organization which I work for is centralized in Russia, my homeland. However, we have operatives all around the world. Japan is no exception; you know this. Currently though, this country has caught my and my associates' interests. You see, there have been some…concerning events occurring about Japan's underground. Concerning one particular yellow octopus."

The shock that jolts through Nagisa's body at the mention of his former teacher almost causes him to stumble to a stop. What? Korosensei? Concerning him? How could anything possibly concern him anymore? Wasn't that chapter of Nagisa's life closed? A jumble of other questions bounced around inside his head, but eventually he settled on one.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Lovro shrugged as they both turned onto the block leading to the parking lot where Nagisa had parked his car. "You and the octopus were very close. I thought you ought to know." The old man chuckled. "Well, I suppose that's only half the reason. Truthfully, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to perhaps…take up your knife again. Maybe consider doing some jobs for my organization?"

The answer at Nagisa's lips was immediate. "No. I'm sorry, Lovro, but that part of my life is over. I'm glad for the skills I obtained from E Class, but I'm a teacher now. Sorry."

Lovro nodded. "I understand. I won't force you to; the choice is completely yours. However, I will say this: if you do agree to help us, your efforts would not go unrewarded. Of course, perhaps money is not a primary concern of yours. So I will add: these people are doing something related to your old teacher. You help us, and you see what they are doing firsthand, learn more about the octopus, perhaps." He seemed to notice the unchanged expression on Nagisa's face, because he went on. "And…you would gain protection from my people."

"Protection?" Nagisa repeated. "Why would I need protection?"

An flash of uneasiness crossed briefly over Lovro's face. "There are strange things about, Nagisa. Strange things revolving around the events of seven years ago. I would be cautious in these times. The protection of my people could be valuable—and not only to you. For one, your young pupil there seems reckless. Some eyes keeping a lookout for her might be prudent, yes? And I'm sure you have other loved ones. Should anything happen, they could be at risk."

Nagisa bit his lip at that. The way Lovro was talking made him feel anxious. Strange things? What strange things? It seemed even Lovro himself didn't quite know, which made Nagisa nervous. If the older assassin was unnerved by even vague details, there was reason for Nagisa to be terrified.

Still, his heart had not ultimately been swayed, not when he remembered what he'd have to give up, what he'd have to do in order to gain the protection Lovro was talking about. "Sorry, Lovro. My answer is the same. I can't return to being an assassin. That isn't me anymore."

Lovro chuckled at that. "I would think, based on earlier, that it is very much so a part of you." He held his hands up. "But it is not for me to say. You have given me your answer, and while I hate to lose the cooperation of such a talented assassin, I will respect your decision."

They stopped at last in the parking lot, right next to Nagisa's car. Unlocking it, Nagisa held out a hand to Lovro. "Well, it was nice seeing you. Sorry you're here on business; I would have liked to chat more. I hope you find someone more skilled to take on this job of yours."

Lovro shakes his hand. "Perhaps another time. Oh, that is right. I would like to give you the number of a burner phone of mine. I realize you are adamant in your refusal, but it wouldn't hurt to be able to contact me just in case you do change your mind." Without letting Nagisa respond, the old assassin whipped out a sticky note and wrote the number down before handing it to Nagisa.

He accepted it reluctantly. "Well, good luck, Lovro." With that, he hopped in his car and drove home.

By the time he'd reached his tiny house, the sun had already started setting. Turning off his car, Nagisa grabbed the various bags full of clothes from the passenger's seat and hauled them up the steps. Glancing up at his house, he stopped. Even now, the place still made him smile. It was a simple home, small and compact—and for that reason cheap enough that even on a teacher's salary he could afford it. But he also loved it for that very reason. The quaintness of it was charming, and it really felt entirely his own. On nights like this, with the sun tossing out vibrant colours like waves on the beach, he was reminded of why he loved it.

After unlocking the door, he hauled his bags inside, and stripped off his teacher's garb, removing the vest and tie entirely and undoing the bottom button of his shirt. After around nine hours of wearing it, he was ready to wear something a little looser.

His eyes almost naturally drifted over to the bags sitting haphazardly in a pile off in the corner. Well, I bought them to be worn, he thought. Nagisa wasn't one for caring much about fashion, particularly when he wore about the same thing every day to work, but as he stared at the bags, he found himself wanting to try them on, to see how they looked on him.

Memories of Nakamura and Karma's teasing from years ago sprung up suddenly in his mind. He recalled when Nakamura had unexpectedly stripped him of his trousers and swapped them for her own skirt. Yes, his almost feminine figure had made for unending teasing, though for an assassin the ability to portray yourself as either gender was an invaluable skill. But, he wasn't an assassin. He was a teacher. Would the clothes Sakura had made him buy even look good on his strange body?

Nagisa found out soon enough. With a few changes, he'd soon tried out every article in the bags. Funnily enough, Sakura really did have an eye for clothes. She'd chosen for him a variety of styles, and they all fit well on him, and as well looked really good. He found himself staring at his reflection in the mirror. One of the outfits was even alright to wear to school, though somehow more fashionable than the professional-looking suits Nagisa already wore.

After getting a hold of himself, Nagisa headed to his little kitchen, pulling out a few ingredients, ready to make a quick meal after a long day. Grabbing a pepper and a cutting board, he drew a knife from his knife block before stopping.

His own face shone in its edge. In that moment, he saw a snake-like precision, vicious skill, and a deathly glare. Nagisa nearly dropped it, his heart pounding. His hand shaking, he brought the knife closer. Glimpses of memories from days in Class E flashed in his mind, days where he'd wielded a knife almost every day. Once, he'd even brought it up to a man's neck. His classmates and his teachers alike named him the best assassin. Nagisa wondered…could he still brandish a knife like he had in his youth?

Cautiously, hesitantly, he bent into the stance Mr. Karasuma had taught him. His body relaxed into it, almost naturally, like this was the position it was comfortable in. The techniques returned to him instinctually, and with fluid, elegant movements he slashed the knife through the air, driving back an imaginary opponent. With grace and poise he followed up on the initial attack with flowing strikes, eventually dealing the killing blow to the assailant in his mind.

Then he stood upright, holding the knife up again, examining himself in it. The eyes of a killer shone back at him, bloodlust palpable. Earlier, Nagisa had told Lovro he wasn't an assassin. And yet, how could he truly say that? Even now, all these years later, his killer's instincts and training were still ingrained in him, like second nature. His profession might be teaching, but deep down, could he really deny he was an assassin?

But it was true that he didn't want take up Lovro's offer; Nagisa was sure of that much. To potentially endanger his loved ones, just for the sake of knowledge? Sure, the fact that some dangerous people were doing something related to Korosensei intrigued him, but he wasn't about to risk mercenaries coming after Sakura if these people found out he was privy to whatever it was they were doing. No, Nagisa wanted no part of the underground—

Ritsu.

The thought came unbidden to his mind suddenly. He frowned, thinking back. The last time he'd talked with Ritsu, hadn't she said she was infiltrating some underground criminal sites? It seemed so unlikely, and yet…what if she was going after the same people Lovro was? Could that email be…no, surely not.

And yet, the thought wouldn't get out of his brain as he ate, no matter how hard he tried to banish it. Eventually, he pushed his meal away, pulling out his laptop, checking his email. Sure enough, Ritsu hadn't replied to his email. It had been several days; Ritsu, living almost entirely online, would have responded in at least a few hours. What was wrong? Had something happened to her?

A bad feeling took root in Nagisa's stomach. He pulled out his phone and found her contact quickly. Putting it up to his ear, he waited through several anxiety-inducing rings before a message told him that the number he was trying to call had been disconnected.

Shit, he thought, the bad feeling worsening. Something was definitely wrong. But how to deal with it? If something had happened to Ritsu, it wasn't like he could just call the police and report her missing. She was an A.I. And he didn't know how to even begin going about tracking her down online. But…maybe the email had something to do with it! Did it detail how to find her? But why was it encrypted, then?

Damn…Nagisa had to do something about this. Ritsu was his friend; he couldn't just ignore when she was in trouble. But the email was his only clue, and he couldn't open it. Perhaps he could consult the internet?

With a few searches, Nagisa located a number of explanations. Yet, everything he tried didn't work. Was it because he wasn't using the right terms in his searches? Or was it his incompetence with technology? Many of the guides people gave were really tough to follow. It was encrypted, right? He'd gotten that right, right?

Groaning, he sat back. This wasn't working. He needed to try something else. Maybe he could try calling someone? Someone who knew something about technology?

A name popped into Nagisa's head. Well, I guess I could give it a try, he thought. He scrolled through his contacts, finding the desired name, before sending a text and clicking his phone off.

Pinching his brow in exasperation, he sat back, trying to will this strange, underground business about Korosensei away. Damn it…his life had been normal up until an hour ago. Well, hopefully I can find out what happened to Ritsu, locate her, and be done with all of this. Yeah. This would be over soon enough.

Somehow, Nagisa knew he was only lying to himself.

.

The night was a colder one than usual. It was true that it was spring, yes, but they'd had a good streak of warmer days lately. Now, Okuda, clad in a jacket far too light for the temperature, had to keep her hands in her pockets and her hood up over her head.

Clicking her keys to turn off her car, she strode up to her apartment, opening it with a sigh. Inside, most of the lights were off, except the kitchen, where the muffled sounds of cooking could be heard. Beyond that, bright, flashing lights from a dual monitor computer lit up the darkened living room. Feeling relief at the warmth of the room temperature apartment as she shut the door behind her, Okuda stripped off her coat and shoes and walked in.

"Hey, Okuda!" Kanzaki greeted from her seat at her gaming station, not looking up from whatever it was she was playing.

"Hi Okuda!" Hinano chimed in at the sound of Kanzaki's voice, her voice soon devolving into helpless cries as the sounds of food frying on a pan surged in volume and a plume of smoke went up from behind the wall dividing the kitchen from the living room.

"Hey, guys," Okuda returned. "Hey, Hinano, how many times do I have to tell you to lock the door when you're at home? What if there's a break-in?"

Hinano's only reply was a shriek as a burst of flame shot up from her pan.

"Don't worry about it," Kanzaki responded for her. "We knew you were coming home soon. Now you can lock it yourself!"

Okuda rolled her eyes, but did so, walking in and flopping down on the couch, exhausted from work. In the dark of the room, Kanzaki's game was the only thing providing light. Okuda eyed the dark-haired girl from her seat. It was sometimes amazing that she could make gaming her job. Right now, now that both Okuda and Hinano were back from work, she probably was just gaming for the hell of it, but Okuda knew when she was alone Kanzaki would stream for hours at a time, getting plenty of donations while she did it. Sometimes she even competed in official matches, winning prize money. It was actually really incredible.

Unfortunately, Okuda couldn't do what she loved all day long—it was something she and Hinano shared. Currently, the redhead was cooking, an activity which obviously wasn't her strong suit. Well, it was her turn today. Hopefully the food wouldn't be too destroyed.

Hinano had a great job as well. On top of doing a mountainside tour up by the old E Class building, she worked at an animal shelter, helping injured strays and giving them new homes. However, even with two jobs, she didn't make enough to live off of by herself. Similarly, Kanzaki, while popular, still claimed a streamer such as herself didn't make all that much. Okuda was in the same boat; her small research facility wasn't all that well-funded—although that had recently changed. With limited salaries, the three had banded together to pay the rent for the apartment. So far, two years in, it was working out pretty well, though Okuda usually was the one who had to deal with figuring out costs and talking with the landlord. The three girls had a kinship that remained strong, even years after their first meeting each other in Class E.

And it was that kinship that made Okuda roll her eyes as Hinano emerged from the kitchen, face blackened with smoke, grinning triumphantly and holding a plate of tempura. "Dinner is served!"

If you can call it that, Okuda thought to herself, examining the tempura closer as Hinano rounded the couch and jumped into the seat next to Okuda, brandishing the dish proudly. It was blackened and burnt in patches, and smelled thoroughly unappetizing. But Okuda couldn't bring herself to point that fact out even to Hinano, so she resigned herself to eating it silently.

As Hinano flicked on the TV, already on her favourite movie channel, Kanzaki turned from her computer, pulling her headphone off one ear and glancing at Okuda. "So? Updates on that guy at your work? Didn't you say he was giving you guys your first assignments today?"

The hawk-nosed man. He still hadn't given his name, even now, several days into him working directly with their lab. And, as expected, he was as infuriating as ever, never once giving Okuda any hints as to what he might really be up to. Today, despite putting on a ditzy outwards appearance, he'd masterfully maneuvered around every one of her seemingly innocent questions. Despite Takebayashi's insistence on waiting and watching, Okuda had found herself wanting to do some further digging all week. Well, today she'd had enough.

She got up, replying to Kanzaki as she pulled out her personal laptop from her bag and returned to the couch, setting it up on her lap. "We haven't gotten whatever this mysterious sample is they keep talking about yet. I've tried to get Kawamoto to fess up about what it is, but he hasn't let anything slip. Probably that Re-Core guy scaring him into silence."

Kanzaki raised a brow as Okuda's fingers danced across the keyboard. "What are you doing now?"

"Looking up stuff about Re-Core," Okuda replied absent-mindedly, clicking on what looked to be their official website. It seemed official, even displaying some of their current projects. Were any of them the assignment Okuda's research facility would be undertaking? But the things Re-Core was supposedly doing here seemed far too ambitious for that to be the case, unless theirs was only a small part of an overall project. It would help if Okuda could get any information regarding their future endeavors, but everyone who seemed to know things had been adamantly tight-lipped. Well, then maybe Okuda could figure it out on her own.

"Ooh, I love this scene!" Hinano leaned closer to the TV, munching on tempura, oblivious of Okuda's research. Okuda tried to ignore the sounds of gunshots and explosions coming from the screen, instead delving through what the official website said about Re-Core. Unfortunately, like a lot of official sites tended to, it gave her very little useful information. Just vague claims about important work and meaningful contributions to the scientific community.

Eventually, fed up with Re-Core's website not actually saying anything of value, Okuda moved on to the other results. Most were articles about the company (which only painted it as an ordinary business devoted to the pursuit of science) , affiliations and collaborations with other companies (of which there were few) , and online forums discussing the place. The forums were what Okuda found most interesting; none of the photoshopped descriptions making the place look good. Just cold, hard facts from real people.

She browsed several for a while as Hinano's movie and Kanzaki's games ran into the night. A general topic often brought up seemed to be the fact that the company was very vague about what it actually did. It wasn't merely the typical case of a bland, nondescript company website—Re-Core genuinely appeared not to have done anything. From what people could find, they'd only done one or two specific things, the same one or two things always brought up in articles…as though they'd just made something up to keep people from getting suspicious.

Of course, the fact that Re-Core was a rather young company was sited often whenever this speculation appeared. Okuda did some quick research of her own; indeed, the company had only been around for three years. Still, though, it was standard for most young companies to have at least a few noteworthy accomplishments under their belts, and the handful Re-Core touted about were small and nonspecific. Indeed, most of their history was irregular, at least from what Okuda could find. There wasn't much readily available to the public, and what she could find had been difficult to track down in the first place, but eventually she got some records. Apparently, they'd made a number of purchases from larger companies, the exact items remaining undisclosed, as well as from a few obscure, smaller ones, the details of those transactions even less available.

But there were gaps. Massive ones, in fact. Large periods of time over the course of the company's timeline where seemingly nothing happened, where nothing got done. Perhaps it was simply the lack of information regarding Re-Core's history, or perhaps they were simply doing things that companies like theirs did that just never got recorded. But to Okuda, it seemed like holes neglected to be filled with the appearance of a history. Somehow, no one ever mentioned the gaps on forums she visited, but perhaps that was simply because she'd delved deep to locate what she'd found, and put in substantial effort to compile dates into one cohesive timeline.

In fact, no one ever mentioned anyone who might be the hawk-nosed man working with them. Images or physical descriptions of important Re-Core employees were few and infrequent, and besides, in the company hierarchy, it was entirely possible the man wasn't even important enough to be worth mentioning in any of the few cases in which names of employees were given. Indeed, the only names Okuda got were of the president, the CEO, and various other high-ranking executive officers, all of which had portraits to match, none of which were her hawk-nosed man. It made sense, she supposed. Why would he be so high up the corporate totem pole, when his job was on the ground level, working directly with their tiny lab?

Eventually, Okuda reluctantly forced herself to shut the laptop, when it became clear no more relevant information was presenting itself. Hinano was fast asleep, her tempura cold and abandoned beside her, the movie on the TV an entirely different one than the one Okuda remembered seeing earlier. Kanzaki was still gaming, though when Okuda glanced at her watch, she paled. She had been researching for four hours? It hadn't felt nearly that long.

She stood up, her legs aching in complaint, prompting Kanzaki to give her a brief glance. "Going to bed already? It's only ten."

Okuda nodded. "Just because you don't have a sleep schedule doesn't mean the rest of us don't."

Kanzaki shrugged. "Alright. In that case, wanna drag Hinano to bed?"

Okuda sighed, but gingerly took the redhead in a princess carry and carried her to their collective bedroom. The room only contained two beds; typically Okuda and Hinano were the occupants, while Kanzaki stayed up into the small hours of the night. Okuda would usually find the gamer laid out on the couch in an unflattering position in the morning.

Laying down Hinano, Okuda changed into what might pass for pajamas and slipped beneath the covers of the other bed. As she closed her eyes, her thoughts drifted back to Re-Core, and the hawk-nosed man, and the all too obvious fact that something was clearly happening with the company, something that couldn't be good.

.

A mall food court didn't exactly seem like the sort of place a high-ranking businessman and a wealthy client would meet to discuss the terms of a business deal to Terasaka, but he every time he'd said so, the ever infuriating Karma Akabane would simply wave a dismissive hand and reply that 'being him meant he could meet with people wherever he damn pleased'. Then he'd made Terasaka go out and buy him a meal from every restaurant in the mall.

The order had baffled Terasaka, but he'd fulfilled it, even despite the weird looks he garnered once people started noticing he was piling the food up on one table. Karma would eat it at an agonizingly slow pace, too, and by the time Terasaka had indeed purchased from every place at the food court, his boss was still picking at the fries of his first meal.

That was it. Slamming his fist on the table loudly, he glared at Karma. "Alright. Mind telling me why the hell you're acting like you're dining on hors d'oeuvres when you've got a damn buffet in front of you?"

Karma sipped his fountain drink, his grin aggravatingly sly. "Careful now, Terasaka. Don't want to get fired on your first week, and from backtalk, no less."

Terasaka rolled his eyes. "Like you'd actually fire me. You've barely messed with me at all yet."

The redhead grinned devilishly. "You got me. As to your question—well, why do you think?"

Terasaka ground his teeth together. He knew full well why Karma was eating so slow. Because it baffled Terasaka, and thereby irritated him to no end.

Sitting down and sighing in resignation, Terasaka rested his weight against his elbow. "Alright. Fine. You're an eccentric, annoying guy. That much obviously hasn't changed. I'm full aware of this, but I don't think your client will be so accepting. He might not even show, considering just where you're meeting. Just what makes you think you'll actually make a deal today?"

Karma just chuckled. "Maybe with the average company. But, as it happens, I'm meeting with a bit of a smaller business. They have no choice but to meet me here; Akiyama Insurance is huge enough for them to be forced to accept whatever absurd demands I make."

Terasaka frowned. "You're meeting with a small company? But all of Akiyama's clients are big, corporate monsters. Why waste your time?"

Moving from the fries to a burger, Karma shrugged. "Call it intuition. A gut feeling, if you will."

Sighing, Terasaka shook his head. "I don't know how you managed to climb up to such a high position so quickly with business sense like that."

"It's called risk taking, big guy," Karma replied. "And besides, you know me. I've always excelled at everything I do. Why should a simple insurance conglomerate be any different?" He sipped the fountain drink noisily, causing Terasaka to grind his teeth together again. "Honestly, I'm more impressed you got to the position you're at. Your former boss was damn high up in the company, and I don't just mean from the ground floor. How'd someone with an empty skull like you get where you are?"

Terasaka elected to ignore the insult. "You might not have heard of it; it's called hard work. It's what everyone else on the planet has to do in order to get anything good." Karma didn't react to the jab, simply sipping loudly again. Terasaka resisted snatching it from him. "Ugh…I put up with bullshit. That's how I rose so high. Ridiculous requests from strict bosses got me on everyone's good sides. People liked having me as a secretary. Before I knew it, I was one of the highest in the whole tower." He scowled at Karma. "Do I even need to ask how you got here? Probably just bullshitted your way through university, then threatened to beat Mr. Akiyama's head in if he didn't let you have the job." I joke about it, but I wonder if something similar to that actually happened, thought Terasaka. Akiyama had said he had a debt.

Karma smirked, although there was less humor in it than normal. "Let's just say I have my ways…and my reasons."

The answer seemed to convey some deeper meaning, but Terasaka didn't pick up on it. Shrugging, he helped himself to some of the Chinese food among the pile. "Damn it all…can't believe I got stuck as your secretary. Seven years of doing my own thing, free of you, and here we are again. Right under your thumb, no matter how hard I try to avoid it."

The redhead chuckled. "Oh, come on, Terasaka. What happened to those days when you would actively invite me to order you about as I wished?"

Terasaka slammed his fist against the table. "Hey! That was one time, and under the circumstances—"

He cut himself off as a figure stepped up to the table. Clad in the typical fancy grey business suit Terasaka had become so accustomed to, the newcomer wore his hair slicked back, with a long face and thin glasses. His expression was one of calm collectedness, betraying no hint of emotion, despite the large pile of food on the table. Stopping before him, the businessman set his small black briefcase down on the ground before him.

"Ah, you must be my client-to-be," Karma greeted him with a snake-like smile. "So sorry about the food; I thought I might try a few samples, but I think I got carried away…Terasaka, clear it away, would you? We wouldn't want to be a nuisance to our guest."

Gawking, Terasaka glanced around. There were a number of vacant tables the two could have moved to! He was about to say so, when Karma gave him a sharp look and he remembered that technically, the redhead was still his boss. Growling quietly to himself, Terasaka got up and began moving food to a nearby table, cursing Karma all the while. No doubt this was the true reason he'd bought all this food. It must give the bastard so much pleasure to see Terasaka do so much needless work for him.

It took several minutes for Terasaka to move it all, the client simply standing there patiently. He didn't even look awkward or uncomfortable, he just stood with his unreadable expression. Finally, when Terasaka was done, he gave a grudging bow to the two of them and backed away, taking a seat at the table now covered in uneaten food. What a waste, Terasaka thought, regarding the food.

Karma motioned for the newcomer to sit across from him, and the man obliged. He shook Karma's outstretched hand, and when he spoke, his voice was cold, calm, devoid of humour. "Good day, Mr. Akabane. My name is Hideki Seo. I represent the company Re-Core."

"Good to meet you," Karma replied. In his eyes, there was that familiar bloodlust that Terasaka had seen many a time before, although this time it was different. Not a desire to kill…but a drive to do business—and succeed. It was clear; Karma would have a deal today. Of course, Terasaka didn't see why he needed his bloodlust. This 'Re-Core' was a small business, as previously established. A little pressure, a little maneuvering, and he'd have this guy in the palm of his hand. Re-Core would have no choice but to go along with whatever demands Karma made.

"So," Karma began, sitting back. "Let's review what your company is and does, first of all. A science research company?"

"Less research, more execution," Seo replied. "We fund other research facilities and see their findings put to good use. For example, we revolutionized the medical industry due to the discoveries of one lab we were funding. These are the sorts of things Re-Core accomplishes." He handed him a paper matter-of-factly.

Terasaka couldn't tell what was on it, but Karma stared at it for a while. "I see. Alright. In that case, what sorts of things were you hoping Akiyama might help you insure? As you likely know, we insure anything for our clients. The best deserve the best, as it were."

Seo pulled out another sheet of paper, sliding it to Karma. "That is a list of the items we would like insured. You see, we are in the midst of a very big project, with a lot of money at risk. It would harm the company greatly if something were to go wrong and we simply lost everything."

"An extensive list," Karma noted, staring at the paper. He returned his gaze to Seo. "A valid concern, Mr. Seo. But…I do have a question. I did some research, you see, and I discovered your company was already insured. Why the switch?"

Seo inclined his head. "The stakes were raised. Our company was small, undertaking smaller projects, requiring only smaller insurance companies. But we hope to grow above and beyond, thus the larger, and riskier, project. With such money and assets in danger of putting our company out of business with their loss, we felt it necessary to put them in the hands of someone more…accustomed to weightier responsibilities."

Karma nodded. "Well, your company's credentials all seem to be in order…but I will say, Mr. Seo…your company, despite its aspirations, is still small. Surely you realize that Akiyama Insurance is an enormous conglomerate. We insure many of the leading companies in many industries. I decided to take a risk, like Re-Core is, and interview you. I myself know what it is like to not ever be given an opportunity to grow and excel, to show what you can do. So I am willing to make you an offer, but, of course, I cannot simply bypass the ways of business. If I agree to insure you, I need to know your company can afford to pay."

Seo's expression remained unchanged. "Re-Core has certain…benefactors supporting us. I can assure you that we have an abundance of money at our disposal. Of course, misusing our benefactors' gifts will mean a loss of their support, thusly the requirement of your insurance. I trust Akiyama Insurance will not fail us should we elect to enlist your services?"

Terasaka tensed up. He glanced over at Karma. The redhead had lost his humour, his smirk gone. Now he stared calculatingly at Seo, a dangerous look in his eyes. Despite his inherent stupidity, Terasaka understood exactly what was going on. The way Seo had phrased that last sentence made it sound like he had Karma under his thumb, like it was Karma who was at his mercy. Clearly Karma didn't like this; he was used to being in control. Sparks of tension seemed to fly between the two businessmen's eyes, but neither one faltered. It was like there was a silent contest going on between the two of them.

Eventually, Karma spoke. "Akiyama has the highest of standards, and we pride ourselves on going above and beyond. That being said, we will not just take the word of any potential clients. I will require proof that you truly do have this money at your disposal."

Seo nodded. "You will have it. I take it, though, that this does not mean we have a deal just yet?"

Karma's gaze was hard, unyielding. "Not yet, Mr. Seo. To be frank, I'm simply no longer certain this risk of insuring your small company will pay off. I will consider in my own time, while you prepare your documents."

"I see," Seo said. He stood up, and straightened his suit. Extending his hand, he spoke, his voice almost emotionless. "Then I look forward to seeing you again. Re-Core will send you an email regarding our next meeting."

"I will send you an email," Karma answered, shaking his hand. "No need to trouble yourselves."

Seo nodded, bowed and left, taking his small briefcase. As he disappeared in the mall's crowd, Terasaka got up and walked over to Karma.

"What was that?" He asked. "That was scary…like a wrestling match between demons. What exactly happened there?"

Karma simply stared in the direction where Seo had vanished. "That was troublesome…I thought applying my usual manipulations would work just fine. But he never even flinched. Barely reacted. It was like he was in control over the entire conversation. I had to back out in the end, just to get a little breathing room. This one…I definitely can't underestimate him from now on."

Terasaka frowned. There seemed to be an underlying implication in Karma's words that he couldn't understand. "Karma…just what is it you're up to?"

But Karma didn't answer. He just kept staring at the place Seo used to be, gazing off, his eyes hard, his expression never betraying whatever enigmatic thoughts floated about inside his head.

.

Here's chapter two. Hope you like it!

So, as you can see, I've stretched out the lengths of each character's segment. Doing this should allow me to actually do more with each of them. I didn't do Okano and Rio for this chapter (sorry if you were hoping for them) both to avoid making the chapter lengths monstrous and to not force myself to write tons more than I'd like.

For each chapter you're probably going to see a different combination of characters, depending on what's most important for the story at that point, but generally speaking I'll probably stick to 3-5 character segments per chapter. (But you can look forward to updates on Okano and Rio next time)

Until next time!