It took a while because I was working on a different story and I'm still developing my OC xD. But finally I got this chapter up. Hopefully you guys are still with me… Thanks to those who reviewed, favourite'd and followed! Shimoku Kenga is written as 木尾 剑雅.

Swords and Knives

Welcome to 3E

When class 3E heard that a new teacher was coming in, interest was evident on everyone's face. From past experience, none of the teachers sent to their class were ever qualified educators (by qualified, they mean licensed to teach); spying an opportunity for mischief, a certain redhead by the name of Akabane Karma began taking bets on the authentic profession of their teacher-to-be.

"500 yens that he or she is an assassin!"

"Don't be stupid, there's already Bitch-sensei around, 1000 yens he's part of the Black Op!"

"All of you are wrong, I think the new teacher is a terrorist! 2000 yens!"

"Karma-kun, I think you shouldn't do this, Korosensei won't be too happy to know about this…" The feminine pastel blue-haired boy tried to dissuade his friend, a nervous expression on his face.

"Relax, Nagisa-kun," Karma waved a hand in Nagisa's face dismissively and said cheerily, "There's no harm in trying to guess our new teacher's profession, Korosensei might even encourage it as a form of intellectual training."

"Karma-kun, that's not really the point…"

"What's this? Something interesting seems to be going on here," said an airy voice out of the blue.

"Korosensei! You're here!" Hinano jumped up and walked towards the stout octopus-like figure which skin was yellow today, "You look happy today." The light-haired girl commented while brandishing an anti-sensei knife.

"Sensei is glad to see that everyone's so active today as well," said Korosensei as he easily evaded Hinano's stab attempts, "Kurahashi-san, your necktie is slightly displaced." While saying that (and still avoiding Hinano's knife), Koro-sensei fixed Hinano's necktie which was tilted slightly to the right.

"Eh? Really? Thank you, Korosensei!" Hinano grinned, "But Korosensei… Don't you think that I can sue you for sexual harassment?" Hinano waggled an eyebrow playfully.

"W-what? But sensei was just helping you to adjust your necktie! I-I didn't –" Korosensei stammered and turned purple upon Hinano's teasing.

Without giving Korosensei a chance to recover his composure, Karma shook his head.

"How terrible, sensei~" Karma clucked his tongue and said slyly, "Let's see, what's the highest sentence for rape thus far in Japan? Ah! I believe it was life time imprisonment."

... How could this be counted as rape? Nagisa almost blurted out.

"Seriously, Karma, are you expecting that to scare him? Putting his existence which is government classified information aside, do you think there exists a cell which is able to hold him on this planet?" retorted Ryoma with a roll of his eyes. He was about to say some more but the sight of Korosensei cuddling up like a ball in a corner of the classroom and shivering like he could actually feel the (inexistent) cold choked his words in his throat, instead he muttered, "You know what? Forget what I just said."

Karma grinned like a Cheshire Cat and played with the pocket anti-sensei knife he always carried around. He threw the knife into the air and flipped it over, and upon catching it, he immediately flicked it in the direction of Korosensei who heard the sound of the air being sliced and easily dodged the projectile using his Mach 20 speed.

Karma shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, he wasn't expecting such a cheap blow to hit. All he wanted to do was to prick Korosensei.

"Please come this way, Shimoku-san," said a distinct masculine voice which everyone identified as Karasuma-sensei's, followed by an alien low 'hn'.

Soon, Karasuma-sensei's figure emerged at the door, and standing beside him was a tall, handsome young man visibly younger than him.

Karasuma-sensei and the new teacher, thought everyone in class 3E, and they began to study the only stranger in the room.

Chin-length jet-black hair messily done as if he hadn't combed his hair in ages framed his face in loose inky tendrils, illuminating his ghostly pale skin. The stranger addressed as Shimoku by their Karasuma-sensei had finely-chiselled facial features and smouldering golden eyes with cat-like slits in place of his pupils. He was lanky; yet not to the extent of being suspected of malnourishment. He stood half a head shorter than Karasuma-sensei and was dressed in a light blue military uniform completed with spotless white gloves.

Karma's pale eyes flickered inconspicuously when he saw the man's uniform.

At first glance, everyone would think that he was an otaku only with his glasses off – at second glance, everyone felt revealed and naked before those golden orbs.

Then again, it'd be weird if they didn't. Why'd a normal person be sent to class 3E?

Karasuma stole a glance at Shimoku, and saw the latter's indifference towards being studied like a monkey by the class. His heart which had been stuck in his throat the entire morning relaxed a little, but he didn't let his guard down. Clearing his throat, he drew his students' attention and he said, "Class, this is Shimoku-sensei."

"Allow me to do my introduction myself," Shimoku interrupted Karasuma before he could continue, his voice sounding terribly metallic, "My name is Shimoku Kenga. From now on, I will be taking over your class for Social Studies."

"Interesting," Karma turned and murmured to Nagisa, "A major general of the air force serving as our Social Studies teacher. Ne, Nagisa-kun, this class just keeps getting more interesting, doesn't it?"

"Eh? How did you tell, Karma-kun?" asked Nagisa in surprise. He recognized the uniform; but certainly couldn't tell the rank of this Shimoku-sensei.

Karma didn't answer to him though.

Karma believed that he spoke softly enough – at least, it shouldn't be within the audible range of a human from that distance – but Shimoku's unsettling pools of gold laid on him right after he finished speaking, and he looked as though he heard him completely well. Initially surprised, the small arc of Karma's mouth burst into a full grin. The red-haired trick master raised his voice and said mischievously, "Hey, Shimoku-sensei," and successfully drew all attention to himself, "I don't know what you can do yet but this seems to be really interesting. Welcome to class 3E, and I hope you enjoy the ride." At the end, Karma even waved at Shimoku, cheeky smile never put off from his face.

Shimoku didn't reply to Karma immediately. He looked at Karma from head to feet, and feet to head, almost as if he was assessing his worth; and just as a bead of cold sweat was about to meet with the tense frown on Karasuma's face, Shimoku cracked his first smile since he stepped into the classroom.

Shimoku's smile couldn't quite be phrased in words – he looked a little warmer, yet at the same time more devilish. His handsome countenance which was marred by his unhealthy skin tone suddenly became more attractive, like his pale skin didn't affect his overall appearance anymore.

"… Karma, can I take back my bet?" Ryoma suddenly turned and asked the pale-eyed dealer seriously, and then he declared without any uncertainty in his voice, "2000 yens he's a vampire!"

"…" Karasuma briefly considered the option of shipping Ryoma off to some unknown island to evacuate him from Shimoku's wrath, and then he decided that it wasn't a very practical idea. Shimoku had more than a couple of planes at his disposal and the whole Japanese navy grovelling at his feet. Though, the latter was by grace of his family background.

To Karasuma's surprise, Shimoku didn't seem to take offence to Ryoma's words.

"Vampire?" He repeated the word, a light tinge of amusement, "Ryoma-kun, you can rest assured that I'm very much human – in most aspects, at least," he then looked at Karma again, "As for you, Karma-kun. I'm pretty certain that the class and I will have a good time."

Karasuma looked at Shimoku thoughtfully, to which the latter responded with a glance from the corner of his eye.

Karasuma immediately put his guard on again. He inwardly berated himself for even thinking that this man could have changed. No matter what happened, or what he went through, in some aspects… Shimoku Kenga would always be the same. There were some inherent qualities that cannot be erased.

Things like his personality, things like his past experience... things like his human genes.


It's short, again... Even though I promised myself I'd write more. -Facepalm- What do you think? Do you like Kenga? xD follow, favourite or review if you do! :)