Soaring through the night sky at Mach speed was soothing. Overcoming the shock value from when Korosensei first flew Karma and Nagisa to America, it was quite peaceful to swim through the night sky with only city lights below and the crescent moon above keeping the two company. Forgetting about being the assassin to his prey wasn't much of a problem, either.
Good things come to an end as they soared over the lonely darkness to the mountain top and landed at the schools steps.
Without the cheerful sun, school appeared eerie.
"Go on."
Nagisa exchanged his shoes for school slippers while Korosensei was already ahead.
"In here, Nagisa." He instructed.
In the midst of after school hours the teachers lounge became a place of life.
"Sir, do you live here?"
"Of course not! It is unprofessional to bring a student into a teachers home."
Bringing a young teen to school after hours wasn't?
Hooking up a kotatsu with a kerosene lantern on top, Korosensei was prepared for his visitor. He slid into a side and patted across. "Sit."
Before him the tentacles worked their magic out of sight.
His yellowed teacher stared into his soul as if piecing him.
The suspense was heart-crushing knowing how much trouble he was in. Why had it only occurred of what he might say to him?
"Korosensei-" He started.
"You lied to me."
He grimaced.
Without warning both tentacles latched on bringing Nagisa and him closer to the flame. "You can hide your intentions quite well for a natural assassin since your first day. However — as a teacher is suppose to — I studied 3-E's bodies for a while. You in particular. Those eyes I saw at the end of each day are unlike the typical struggles of a teenager with strict parents."
"You heard? Between Karma and me?"
He nodded.
Lowering his gaze to the flickering light Nagisa's voice echoed identically. "Korosensei, it's fi-"
"Look at me."
His head tenderly forced back into place. His beady eyes clung to his pupils. "I knew there was a problem. That's why I made the move to follow you home."
Nagisa was at a lost for words. His teacher followed him home; assaulted his mother; brought him to school in the middle of the night. No other teacher could had done it without consequences.
His tentacles released only to reach out of distance.
"Tell me, how long had it gone on for?"
Sweet grass filled his nostrils finding a tea cup appearing before him.
"If I had to guess… ever since I was born. Worse after their divorce." He said.
Korosensei's face lightened with interest. "Does your father know? From my understanding your parents were separated for a while."
"As for violence, no. As for everything else: a reason why he divorced."
"Told anybody else?"
"No."
"Including Karma?"
"Not the full extent of it. I got a hunch he might."
"Why say anything, then? I find it hard to believe best friends don't tell each other secrets."
Nagisa held back his gritting teeth. "B-because what kind of guy cries from his mother giving him hell after a stressful day at work? She's trying so hard everyday to do what's good for me. I was fine with everything before and I still will be!"
Red settled in Korosensei's face allowing the tentacles clutch tighter. Nagisa didn't flinch.
"It's not about your shame. It's about how you are suppose to live as an adolescent. Not out of fear or pain. Out of love and support. What she done is criminal. It's called self-blame and manipulation." He said. "'You don't know what it feels like, right?' 'I'm doing this and that to make her/him happy, right?' Us folks always been there. I know because I am one myself!"
Nagisa's throat held a lump. Korosensei's like him? Maybe aliens having lives similar to us wasn't totally improbable.
The tentacles droop caressing him. "I get it. It's scary living in such a place. Harder telling much less finding a positive person. Had you told me something in the past that handprint wouldn't be on your face." He said pressing an ice pack against Nagisa's face.
He went on to fixing his hair. "I value my students. Everyone may think of me as unreliable but you must understand... I'm like everybody else. I want to go above and beyond for all of you. It's my choice." He resumed.
Nagisa knew Korosensei's coming from a good place but the blood boiling underneath distracted his thinking. Still, he fallen speechless. Reviewing his words carefully he surrendered out of frustration. "'Maybe' I should've said something…"
"Well, we got precisely ten hours until sunrise. Wouldn't have stop you or the others from visiting me during the day."
"Sorry."
"Ah. I brought your pajamas." He added.
Out of his sleeve he pulled out a bundle.
No needed telling him twice. If that uniform wasn't so precious, he would had thrown it out.
Korosensei was also in his pajamas wearing a grin. "Now it's a slumber party."
Nagisa was amused.
"You know what would be better?"
Who knew a lantern and tea tray could balance on top of a roof. Not quite the same atmosphere as Mach 20. Being tall was a better substitute.
There was a tap on his shoulder.
"Look up."
Blazing against the black scene was a crescent moon.
"I never seen anything like it in the city." He admitted.
A blanket surrounded him as hot steam rose to his face once more.
"I apologize."
"What do you mean?"
Korosensei kept his gaze to the sky. "It is not my place to yell at you nor act like I understand what you went through. I just want to help... I don't want the future to repeat itself."
"No. You got it right. I am to cowardly for my own good."
"Don't say that. You are bright. You may even rival me if you keep up with your studies."
"When you said 'you did it for them?' That's true. I-I want to create a peaceful bridge between Mom and Dad. I put up with my her because I thought it's going to get better. I can't deny the fact a lot of things are her fault."
The phrase brought a knot in his stomach.
"She thinks I'm her second chance at life and me being feminine was her blessing. When things don't go her way she'll lash out. Maybe because of Grandpa. But, her lies: why Dad walked out on us, who she thinks I am, and my existence. I don't understand."
Lukewarm tea soothed his tight throat. "At middle school age I was under pressure from everyone. She worked overclock constantly. Money kept her stressed. She wanted to make more money than my Dad. As if making me her daughter wasn't enough — if I dared to disobey her wishes she would go berserk. As if you need to be reminded."
He continued talking about how he wanted loved his father. He couldn't.
"He does his greatest to be my dad: visits me every week and do father son stuff with him. He left me and for what? He won't use my full name. How am I supposed to respond as his son?"
I truly want to believe they got a heart deep down. It's so rare to find these days. I wonder a lot if they left that behind ages ago and everything's faked."
Nagisa let go of his bitten his lip wiping away his accumulated half dried tears. "Korosensei,"
"You say you understand. But, do you really?" He asked.
"Do you want the truth?" His gaze left the moon. "I can't."
Understanding Nagisa smiled observing the moon's reflection in his cup. "I don't think you understand what class 3-E truly means to me. We are a family. A dysfunctional family but good one. If it wasn't for E class I'd probably end up miserable on main campus. And with what you've done for us — whether you are going to destroy Earth or not — we're grateful to be given a second chance."
That's why I protected the notebooks. By guarding those I was protecting my entire family."
"Well. What would you do now? If you were in my place?" He asked again.
Korosensei wrapped his tentacles around him. "Stay in the present and work on making my school life the best it can be. That is first way to defeating evils."
"I guess it's the only thing I can do." He sat up straight panic stricken. "Hold on a sec, what are you going to do?!"
"Me?" He asked.
"You threatened her with a fake knife and whisked me off to school. What will happen after she wakes up? What time is it?"
"Nyurufufu, don't worry about the details. Rest assured I'll make sure you are safe. At years end, I trust you will be able to take her on yourself."
"Really?"
"I would call the police..." He teased.
"Then your father will adopt you back and you can't be in class 3-E anymore. Assume he doesn't live in the same area. As much as I love all of you, I can't take care of you when I'm dead and there would be quite the legal action going on."
Korosensei moved his arms in a pledge, "I promise I will come to your kids rescue. You can spend as much time with me as you want after school. I don't mind having company."
Nagisa stifled a yawn. "Thanks Korosensei. You are our best teacher."
Korosensei tucked Nagisa in bed. He overlooked the possibility that they would had stayed at school till the moon disappeared.
More importantly, everything went his way despite some hiccups early on. He was upset for Nagisa seeing the trooper he was. It was a blessing in disguise.
Now, to do the most wicked thing he could come up with for a terrible parent such as Nagisa's mom. To keep her from doing harm for a while.
Through blurry vision he found himself in bed. Did he dreamt it? No. It was too real to be a dream.
"Nagisa?" Mom mumbled.
She peeked her head. "Wake up. Time for-"
Nagisa glanced at her to his desk. The knife was out!
"Oh, um, I found a toy knife from outside after I came home last night!" He told her bending it.
He threw it aside gently pushed her into the kitchen area. He made up a story about finding the owner and he found her in a heap from a fever. His teacher happened to arrived under the guise of a parent teacher conference and helped him get her to bed.
"I thought we ate dinner with him. No wonder why I felt hungrier than usual."
She paused sniffing the air. "Is it me or does something smell delicious?"
On the table laid the best breakfast he ever seen in his life.
Dear Miss Shiota,
Sorry for what happened earlier. I made some breakfast with the help Nagisa. Best wishes to meet again under better circumstances.
Mr. Karasuma
Mom's lips appeared white. Upon closer inspection everything was octopus shaped: omurice with an octopus drawing in ketchup and sausages sliced with mini legs.
Their family didn't waste food. So, she forced herself into a chair chewing in silence. Nagisa on the other hand, ate happily. It was as delicious as dinner.
Maybe visiting his teacher once in a while during work hours wasn't a bad thing after all.
