Adventures In Solitude

by Jdphobe

Fifteen years after Assclass, Nagisa, now 30, has done a pretty bang-up-job of becoming a teacher. Happily married, he's ready to move onto his eighth year of teaching, now at the renovated E-Class building. Life is good. But will everything he believes be tossed upon its head when he meets a strange student he quickly becomes convinced is the reincarnation of Korosensei?

10. Aftershock Time

Karma has a feeling something huge went down before Nagisa even arrives.

When Nagisa enters the house looking like he's seen a ghost, that just about confirms his suspicions.

The three of them are sitting in the living room. Gakushuu and Kayano lounge on the couch and Karma's made himself at home on the recliner across from them. Kayano had only ended up getting home a few minutes earlier and was just really getting comfortable when the door creaked open and Nagisa made his entrance

It doesn't take much observation to note he's been crying. His eyes are a puffy red. So either he's been doing copious amounts of Marijuana, or he's had a massive sobfest. The latter is much more likely considering he works exclusively around children.

Kayano pats the seat next to her. He gives her a nod in acknowledgment and flops down on the right-hand side of the couch. His exhaustion is palpable.

"What on earth happened?" Gakushuu asks.

"Well, I have good news and bad news," he says (Which is always a wonderful thing to hear!) "Well, I'm not sure if I actually have bad ne-" he starts, but pauses. "Wait. No. I definitely have bad news. I'll start with that. That's the most comprehensible thing here."

That's a great sign!

"Okay, so, like I said: Makoto. I gave him an extra set of house keys. I managed to find out that things weren't too good at home." Nagisa sighs. "His dad's pretty clearly neglecting him."

"...Ah," Karma says.

That… Explains a lot. Growing up unsupervised is a double-edged sword. On one hand, yeah, it really sucks to miss out on basic familial affection. On the other hand, you do learn street smarts real quick. You need to when you end up acting out every day in a desperate plea for attention.

The whole wacky whimsical stabbing thing makes a lot more sense now.

"I don't think he's being hit or anything, but he is being borderline starved. I'm going to be keeping a close eye on him in the future. I also sent a text Muramatsu's way- But I'm hoping to give him a place to stay here."

"Of course," Kayano says. Karma nods along.

Nagisa inviting students over is nothing new. He's worked with high-risk, misbehaving, and oftentimes impoverished students for the majority of his career. It's not something his spouses particularly mind. Admittedly it tends to end in a smashed TV or two, but it's nice to have another face around the house. And, y'know, to salvage futures and stuff. But mostly the 'you need at least five people to party' thing.

Plus, with the whole crackpot conspiracy theory they have going on, something tells Karma Makoto is more than welcome around the house. They need to get to the bottom of this, after all.

"So what's the good news?" Kayano asks.

"Oh, well-" Nagisa drifts off, searching for the words.

And speak of the devil. He can't be certain, but Karma has a feeling he knows where this conversation is headed.

"If I may go out on a limb:" he speaks up. "Something to do with Korosensei?"

Nagisa shoots him a relieved look. "Yeah," he says. "Something to do with Korosensei."

Ah. So Nagisa's found another clue, has he?

All eyes are on Nagisa. Kayano leans closer. Gakushuu's uncomfortably fiddling with his tie.

"Well, then. Let us in on it! We're all a pro-Korosensei household here," Karma insists. "How shocking can it possibly be?"

"He told me he's Korosensei."

Karma chokes.

THAT'S A LITTLE MORE THAN A CLUE!

"He what!?" Gakushuu shouts.

"W-When!? How!?" Kayano asks.

The room explodes into chatter in an instant. Nagisa can't even get a word in.

"Okay, okay! Shut up, everyone!" Karma interjects. "Let the man explain!"

"...Okay," Kayano says.

And every eye is on Nagisa once more.

"It actually… Came up because of the neglect thing," Nagisa admits. "I was trying to offer him help and get more details on the situation, and it got… Really intense. He wasn't cooperating with me… And I…" He pauses, before meekly admitting "SortaadmittedIthoughthewasKorosensei."

Gakushuu's reaction is instantaneous. "You WHAT!?" he growls, rushing to his feet. Kayano has to grab him by the back of his shirt. Nagisa flinches back.

"I- I know it was a bit of a slip-up-"

"A slip-up!? You promised!" Gakushuu's voice cracks with anger. He tears away from Kayano's grasp, but doesn't make a motion to head towards Nagisa. Instead, he stares him down with those piercing eyes.

Nagisa doesn't meet his gaze. "...Okay, no. I really fucked up," he admits. "Even if it was just a moment of impulse, I broke your trust. And that wasn't right of me."

Gakushuu doesn't speak.

"But please: Hear me out. I'll explain the full extent of what went down. And then you can make your decision."

Gakushuu hesitates, sending Nagisa a vitriolic glare, but hesitantly sits down as Karma pulls him back.

Karma can't exactly blame the guy for being pissed. He has daddy issues with a capital D. He'd been told who he was supposed to be his entire life. And if he and Nagisa had actually had a talk about specifically avoiding this? Hoooo boy. That said, Nagisa has a tenancy to clam up, and giving him a panic attack isn't exactly going to help either of them in this situation.

He's a little peeved at how Nagisa handed this, too, anyway. But he's also not sure if he'd have done anything differently in Nagisa's shoes. He knows his Sensei well enough to know he's a nosey bitch.

"As soon as I said it, Makoto started… Staring at me. And then, with this big grin on his face, he went 'You think I'm Korosensei too, don't you?'" Nagisa explains.

"Oh my God," Kayano says.

"Well, someone sounds certain," Karma quips.

"When I was like 'Hey, wait. What the hell does that mean?' He scrambled over, sat down, and explained. The tension in the room shifted immediately. It's like he'd completely forgotten I was arguing with him. That this was… Way more important to him." Nagisa pauses. "And it was. I really think it was."

Karma cocks an eyebrow.

"He told me… He'd dreamt of the E-Class his entire life. About Kunugigaoka. And about us. That he could never really make sense of it, but that the moment he heard about Constellate he flipped out. He admitted he didn't remember everything. Not even… All of our names," he awkwardly explains. "But that he knew this place was important to him, even though he'd never been here. That those people were important to him, even if he didn't know who they were."

The idea of Korosensei not remembering them is… Weird at best, and unnerving at worst. But to be fair, Karma would probably have trouble remembering all of his classmates in the same situation. He has enough trouble remembering half his background-character-esque classmates as is, seeing as how sometimes it seems their entire personalities boil down to "I make shitty food" or "I'm into motorcycles."

...On second thought, maybe that's just his distaste for the Terasaka Squad showing.

"Of course, none of that was enough for him to come to any conclusions. At least, not until he started attending Constellate. He said the moment he stepped in the building, things got crazy intense and specific. He started remembering things like assassination attempts. Or… Mebeingalittlebitshorterbutnotmuch." Nagisa's face flushes pink, his 'has been the height of a middle schooler his entire life' complex clear as day. "And some of these things he told me were, like, not only super in depth, but super obscure. Do you, uh - Remember Okuda's assassination attempt?"

How could he forget? Korosensei nyooming around the room and his prior impromptu Sonic the fucking Hedgehog cosplay was an event for the ages. Okuda was someone Karma'd always kept a close eye on, namely because he'd been convinced with enough badgering she would finally make him some cyanide, chlorine glass, or at least "a Benadryl."

...She had not ended up making him a Benadryl.

That said, however, he does remember her attempt on Korosensei's life. Karma nods, as does Kayano.

"No. I don't remember any of this," Gakushuu reminds, with an irritated skepticism in his voice that seems to imply 'and neither does Makoto.'

"Well… Basically, he told me all about how he remembered 'some girl' struggling with her Language classes. And how she thought she was okay off because she was good at Science. But he helped her concoct a formula to kill him while also helping her figure out a way to sell him on chugging something that was most-definitely poison."

"Which is… Exactly what happened," Kayano clarifies. "Minus the 'some girl' thing. Okuda has a name."

'Aw! C'mon, Kayano. Okuda may have been your best friend and all, but it's probably for the best to admit she's pretty forgettable too.' Karma thinks, completely throwing his cyanide dealer under the bus.

"He had a few super specific stories like that. He also told me about Ritsu 'going apeshit.'" Nagisa pauses. "His words, not mine!"

Eh. Karma figures 'apeshit' is pretty much how he'd word it, too.

"And… I can't figure any way he'd know these things without… Well, telling the truth about this. No-one knew these things," Nagisa says. "We kept it all to ourselves. It was our secret. So hearing him say that himself… That he knew all this… Oh my God. You have no idea how overwhelming it was-"

Kayano nods. "...I can imagine. I'm getting a little overwhelmed just talking about this."

"I… I'll admit I started crying," Nagisa says. "I just couldn't take it-"

Mmmyep. Karma had deduced that one out ten minutes ago. "Yeah. You looked pretty exhausted coming in through the door," he admits. "I figured you'd been crying."

"...Yeah. A lot," Nagisa sheepishly admits. "The idea of him having a second chance was just… Too much. Too good to be true. And… As soon as I started crying, he hugged me. And patted my back. And said, 'Hey. Don't cry. I'm right here.' And I lost my mind, guys. I know my Sensei. And the reassuring way he held me... That was him-" He's getting choked up again just talking about it.

Kayano places a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Gakushuu's still.

"That's it. It sealed the deal for me. I know for certain: He's Korosensei. I mean, come on! He remembers everything-"

'Everything' being a massive exaggeration considering Nagisa just admitted he didn't remember Okuda's name, but Karma will let that one slide.

"That's… That's great!" Kayano says. She's trying to keep collected, but Karma can spot a massive grin turning up the corners of her lips.

"Indeed," Karma agrees. "B-"

Gakushuu cuts him off.

"And how do we know you didn't just tell him all of that?"

Nagisa stares.

"...W...What?"

"How do we know he actually remembered all of that, and that you didn't just tell him everything?" he indignantly repeats.

"Gakushuu-!" Kayano hisses.

"I- I would never-" Nagisa sputters. "This is too important to me-"

"Exactly," Gakushuu says. "Am I really supposed to believe you're not seeing what you want to see in that boy? For ~Korosensei's sake?~"

"Gakushuu-" Kayano sternly repeats.

"What!? You know I'm right, Akari," he snaps.

"No. I think you're being an asshole," Kayano argues.

Gakushuu's fist clenches. "It's not fair to him!" he snarls.

"I know it's not!" Nagisa refutes. "I never said it was. I know I shouldn't have said what I said. But he told me himself-"

"You say!" Gakushuu refutes. "There are all sorts of ways to get into someone's mind and subconscious! How do I know he came to that conclusion himself!?"

Nagisa stares blankly. "N- N- No!" He sputters. "I… W… No-! I would never!"

"Cut it out," Kayano demands. "You're being a jackass."

"I'm being a jackass!?" Gakushuu repeats in disbelief. "I'm the only one looking out for this kid!"

"I am looking out for him as much as I can!" Nagisa butts in.

"Then why am I the only one worried about what this is going to do to him!? A middle schooler should not be occupied with who he was in a 'past life!'"

"He was already thinking about it before I said it-"

"You say! I'm hesitant to believe that one, Nagisa!"

"So you're calling me a liar?"

"Yes! I am!"

Karma's head darts back and forth, and his breath quickens. He feels anger rise in his chest, but before he can deduce who at Kayano bolts to her feet with an exasperated "Get out-"

"Excuse me!?"

"Get out. You're just making Nagisa upset, and you're not contributing anything to this conversation. If you think you're the only one who has any stakes in or issues with this situation, then you are a self-centered asshole . The rest of us are plenty upset about what's going on, so unless you think you're allowed to make a rational assessment about our teacher, a man you never met, mind you, get out."

Gakushuu's jaw drops. "I… I…" he says. And he gets to his feet. "Fine," He snaps. "I see I'm not wanted." He storms out of the room and firmly shuts the door with a thud.

Karma only faintly realizes he hadn't spoken an entire word that entire conversation as he watches him go. His breathing is ragged, but he slowly unclenches his fist.

He doesn't know what he's supposed to think. Because here's the thing: he doesn't exactly think either of them are completely wrong. (A rare occurrence with him.) He firmly believes that boy's his teacher in the flesh. But Gakushuu makes a very fair point in bringing up that's something potentially insanely influential for a child to be dealing with.

That said, however, he doesn't think Nagisa made it up. And… He thinks he wants his teacher to remember him.

Nagisa sighs. "...You shouldn't have said that, Kayano."

"He was being an inconsiderate jerk."

"You should still apologize to him-"

"I just don't like that he thinks he can talk to you that way-!"

"It's not like it's a regular occurrence, Kayano. He's just really stressed about this." Nagisa pauses. "I should talk to him," he says, standing. "Just the two of us. That… That wasn't how that was supposed to go-" As he steadies his breaths, an icy calm look that Karma hates forms in his eyes.

Karma stands, too. "Don't," he says, placing a hand on his shoulder. "He'll burn himself out in time."

He knows Nagisa's 'snake eyes' all too well. What he'd at one point considered scary, he's now come to know as 'Nagisa dissociating in a desperate attempt to stay calm during tense situations as a result of extreme trauma.' It's a lot less cool when you word it that way and a lot more sad. But it's equal parts depressing and traumatizing if the situation escalates enough. He hates it when Nagisa lets himself get that detached.

"But-"

"Please. He's stubborn. Just give him space." Karma gets it. He's similar. When he's mad, he's mad. Nothing much can simmer him down other than time. Or a fistfight. But mostly time.

He supposes that's why he tries not to get too invested in arguments nowadays. That said, hearing his husbands be called a 'manipulative liar' and a 'self-centered-asshole' in the same breath stings a little.

Nagisa sighs but relents. "Fine," he says, awkwardly sitting down.

His emotion returns to his eyes. He seems ashamed.

"I know I went about that wrong. I shouldn't have told him. But he did tell me everything else himself. I would never make that up-"

"I know, Nagisa," Kayano says. "I believe you."

Karma decides it's due time for a topic change. He'll deal with Gakushuu himself. "Well, then. He better be stopping by, soon." He pauses. "The boy in question. I mean, you gave the kid house keys. We better be seeing our teacher for ourselves, soon. You can't hog all the heartfelt reunions."

"Of course," Nagisa says. "I wouldn't be surprised if he dropped by tomorrow. He was really excited to see you two." He lets out a nervous chuckle. "I feel like if I hadn't told him it was time to get heading home, he would have tried to drop by today."

"Awww. Why didn't you let him?"

"It was seven o'clock, Karma."

"So? The night's still young! Me and him have very important things to discuss, I'll have you know."

"Do I want to know?" Nagisa asks.

"Nope. Remember? I'm a wild card."

For one, he's really gotta bring up the whole stabbing thing. He has a quaint idea about how he can use that topic to his advantage. But he decides to leave that one as a surprise for Nagisa and Kayano.

"Karma, I am literally begging you not to bully the child," Kayano says.

"Hey! Hey! I never said I'd bully him… Just maybe poke fun at him a little."

"And I'm sure he'll be very proud of how much you've grown up." Kayano snidely comments.

"Damn right! As obnoxious as ever, but six foot and a massively successful bureaucrat? He'll be delighted by how I've managed to achieve my dreams without ~changing who I am~ or whatever."

Kayano snorts. "I guess you're right. If you'd suddenly become a model citizen, he'd be like 'this can't be right! Where's my most disobedient boy!?'"

"'My most disobedient boy?'" Karma repeats.

"Student. The word you're looking for is student," Nagisa says.

"That's the one," Kayano replies.

Karma snickers.

"Listen. We've all had a long day. Excuse me for not remembering my basic vocabulary," Kayano says.

A silence falls over the room.

"...So that's that?" Karma asks.

"...That's that, I suppose," Nagisa replies. "That's all I had to say about Makoto. That… He's Sensei, yeah."

"Well that wasn't too hard, was it?" Karma asks. But the empty spot across from him on the couch is hard to ignore.

"I guess," Nagisa admits. "I... Should have gone about that differently. I mean, I don't know how, but there had to be a way of saying that without upsetting Gakushuu."

Karma shrugs. "I wouldn't overthink it. He's emotional." And Nagisa had hit a sore spot. He was bound to upset Gakushuu no matter what he said. "I'll talk to him later, okay? After he's had some time to brood."

"I mean, I don't think he's going to just drop this one-"

"And I don't expect him to," Karma replies. "But I'll try to hear him out when he's less in the moment."

Nagisa gives a tiny nod. "I just feel bad this is causing so many arguments. I'm stressed too, but… I'd like to think it's a good thing. I really would. So I don't want this tearing us apart."

"Tearing us apart?" Karma snorts. "Don't worry about that, Nagisa. We've been through way worse. A little bit of dead teacher drama is nothing. Give him time. Something tells me he'll change his tune once he actually meets Makoto."

The kid had an energy to him. And even if he's never met Korosensei, something tells Karma Gakushuu will feel it. He's persuasive and he's charismatic. It's hard not to fall under his spell.

In that way, he actually reminds Karma of himself a little.

"And for the record," he says "I'm glad you told all of us right away. I don't think I could have stood it if you'd hidden all of that from us for weeks on end again." Korosensei is a them issue. And as Nagisa's spouses, so are Nagisa's thoughts.

"Jeez, no," Nagisa says. "I don't think I could have stood it either," he admits. "I just hope you're right. About Gakushuu."

"Hey. I was right about Makoto, wasn't I? I'll be right about this, too."

And laying back in his recliner, Karma closes his eyes. Because he knows he will be.

---

And true to Nagisa's word, Makoto shows up the next day.

Kayano's in the lounge working on replying to some emails when she hears Nagisa unlock the door, boisterous footsteps in tow. An impressed "Wow!" echoes from the other room. Kayano pockets her phone, stands and makes her way towards the door, but Karma, sitting on the arm of the other couch, shakes his head.

"Let's not pounce on the poor kid," he says, in a tone barely masking the fact that he'd love to 'pounce on' the poor kid as well. "We don't wanna overwhelm him. Let him get a look around the place first. Then Nagisa can bring him in here."

"Fair," Kayano replies, taking a seat on the couch and shouting "We're in here!" over her shoulder.

"Coming!" Nagisa shouts back.

Gakushuu is nowhere to be found. He hadn't wanted part in this reunion. Instead, he's in the guest room sulking. He's been avoiding them all day. Karma'd talked it over with him last night, but he hadn't shared the details of how that had gone with Kayano.

Now that she's had some time to cool off, she'll admit she'd been a little harsh with him. But the moment had just felt so heated. All of them had had worries about what had gone down with Makoto. She hated the way he'd acted like the only rational one in the room when there were things bothering all of them about this.

...Even if her worries were distinctly different than his.

Still, she'd hit a sore spot. And she'll apologize. When he apologizes to Nagisa. She's not budging until then, at least. She figures she owes herself that much dignity.

The footsteps grow louder, and the boys make their entrance.

Kayano's not sure what she expected Makoto to look like- But what she's met with is a perfectly ordinary kid. With dark messy hair and dark eyes, he stands just barely over five feet. He doesn't strike her as particularly different than any other kid Nagisa's taught in the past.

Then she meets his eyes, and she finally gets what Nagisa's been talking about.

He's staring at them with complete wonder. Bouncing from foot to foot; excitedly fidgeting. And the ecstatic grin on his face stretches from ear to ear.

"H-hey!" he says, his voice cracking with something overwhelming. "Kayano! Karma!"

Is it… Pride?

He can't hold back a second longer. He rushes towards them. And before she knows it, she's being tackled by a bundle of excited twelve-year-old. She falls back on the couch as he seizes her in a hug. "It's so good to see you again! I missed you!"

"A-Ah! Makoto-!" Nagisa says, scrambling to his side. "Be careful-"

"No, no- It's fine," Kayano reassures, having to hold back a laugh. She returns Makoto's hug. "I missed you too..." She pauses. "...Sensei."

And it feels so, so right to say.

He's quivering like an overexcited puppy. But it's not much sooner then he's buried himself in her neck when Karma speaks up.

"Hey. No hugs for your real favorite?"

"Hey! I don't have superspeed!" Makoto whines. But he's already weaseling his way away from Kayano and making a divebomb towards Karma.

And for one second, she briefly worries he'll knock Karma off the couch. But as over prepared for this situation as any, Karma catches the feverishly excited boy in his arms. He's got Makoto in a hug before Makoto can even wrap his arms around his shoulders.

"Yes, yes. I missed you, Karma!"

"Good, good." Karma smiles, content. But quickly that relieved smile grows into a devilish grin. He tosses Makoto back over his shoulder. Makoto lets out a surprised yelp, seeing as how he's now being suspended upside down. "Because we need to talk."

"Karma!" Nagisa shouts.

Karma ignores him completely. He stands, his grip tight on the wriggling Makoto. "Sensei," he says, his tone indecipherable.

"What!?" Makoto wails, elbowing his back.

"Sensei."

"WHAT!?" Makoto's wail grows into a shriek.

Karma can't keep that cool collected facade for long. His voice edging on giggles, he says "Why'd you stab me, Sensei?" Kayano hadn't thought it was possible for a voice to simultaneously drip with so much malice and amusement at the same time.

"That's what this is about!?" Makoto cries in disbelief.

"Karma! Let go of him!" Kayano snaps.

"Why'd you stab me, Sensei?"

"Karma!" Nagisa shouts in a voice all too sadly used to this.

"Why'd you stab me, Sensei?"

"I DUNNO, KARMA! WHY DID YOU STAB ME WITH A KNIFE!?" Makoto shrieks. "SOMETIMES YOU DO THINGS JUST BECAUSE! AND SOMETIMES YOU DO THINGS BECAUSE YOU REALLY WANNA GET BACK AT SOMEONE!"

Karma smiles, content, and drops Makoto back on the couch.

"Gotcha," He says with a smirk.

"'Scuse me?" Makoto asks as he sits back up.

"I know you're our guy," Karma says matter-of-factly. "You're our Sensei."

"Like there'd been any doubt!" Makoto hisses.

Kayano's still completely lost. What's he going on about? "And how exactly did you come to that conclusion?"

"When Makoto stabbed me," Karma proudly explains. "It was weeks before Nagisa let him in on any of this. If his motive was really to 'get back at me' like he just admitted, then he remembered the little trick I pulled long before Nagisa breathed a word of this to him." He looks Makoto's way. "He's our Sensei alright."

He pauses.

"Plus, y'know: The way he shrieked when I tossed him over my shoulder was so Korosensei. That pathetic horror and desperation? I'd recognize it anywhere."

Makoto's face flushes with embarrassment. "Glad to see you haven't changed at all, Karma…" he grumbles.

"Well, that was some wonderful detective work, Karma," Kayano admits, holding back a giggle. Yeah, she'd pretty much already believed Nagisa, but it's nice to have more proof. "But you really didn't have to torture the kid to get that answer."

"Literally? Of course not. But emotionally? It was an irresistible notion."

"Asshole," she quips in response, before quickly looking Makoto's way. "Er-! Jerk. Sorry."

"Are you censoring yourself because I'm your teacher or because I'm a kid?"

To be frank, Kayano herself doesn't even know the answer to that one!

He turns Karma's way. "Hey! Hey! It's okay, though. I mean, he just did what I taught him to, right? Glad to see he remembers after all these years." He smiles. "Keep up the good work!"

Nagisa sighs. "Please don't encourage him."

"Nope! You heard our sensei. It's waterboarding time."

"KARMA HE IS TWELVE AND IF YOU WATERBOARD HIM I WILL PERSONALLY GUT YOU LIKE A FISH."

Makoto giggles. "But you guys have definitely changed a little, too. I'm glad to see you're finally willing to stand up for yourself against him, Nagisa."

"Comes with years of experience," Nagisa sheepishly admits. "After a while, you just get used to it."

"Gee. Thanks."

There are things Makoto doesn't notice, too. Kayano's 98% certain that if Nagisa had threatened to 'gut Karma like a fish' fifteen years ago, Karma would have just about pissed himself. By now, she knows all about Karma's little complex. And with Makoto putting it into words like that… It's hard not to be proud of how far their relationship has come.

"You too, Kayano!" Makoto says, his head shooting her way. "You're so grown up! And so pretty! I saw one of your movies a few months ago! It was sososososo good! Though really sad, too! I started crying! A lot! But I guess that's okay because it means you did a good job!"

Kayano giggles. "Well, thank you!" She says, taking an awkward half-bow half-lean considering she's sitting on the couch. She can't exactly place her finger on which movie he's talking about, considering she's participated in a fair number of tearjerkers, but that's besides the point.

"You're all so good at what you do! Even you, Karma!" Makoto rambles. "It's so, so, so cool to see what you're all doing! I wanna see it all! Tell me about everything!"

"Maybe not today, buddy," Nagisa says with a laugh. "We've had a long fifteen years. But remember, you're welcome here anytime. So there's plenty of time to catch up."

Kayano nods. "Let's watch more of my movies together sometime, okay? There's a few I'm really proud of."

Makoto nods vigorously. "I'd love that!"

"Well, shucks," Karma says. "Gonna have a bit more trouble showcasing my work to him. There isn't exactly a 'bring your dead teacher into work day.'"

Makoto pouts. "Well, there should be!"

"I'll see what I can do."

"And I suppose you already know most of how I've been doing, huh?" Nagisa says. "I mean, you come to my school every day. What do you think…?" He pauses and glances to the side. "Of what I've done to the place?"

"I think it's great, Nagisa!" Makoto proclaims. "Having air conditioning so I can breathe is a nice touch."

"Yeah. I thought so too." Nagisa says, cracking a smile.

"But you haven't showed me everything." Makoto continues. "You haven't told me about all your other students! From before this year! Were they nice? Or did they beat the shit out of y-"

"One student took a baseball bat to our television," Karma interjects.

"Ah! I see! Those kind of students," Makoto notes with a knowing smile. "Are they doing good? I wanna meet them, too!"

"One thing at a time, Makoto," Nagisa says.

"Okay, okay, okay. But one day!" he replies. "And you gotta tell me about how you all got together, too! More than just 'WcDonalds!'"

"We will, we will," Nagisa says. "But I'm saving that one for the whole class. Remember? I promised."

Makoto nods vigorously. "But I'll get, like, the director's cut, right? All the saucy secret stuff you can't say in front of them!"

"I try not to keep secrets with my students…" Nagisa admits with a laugh.

"Says the guy who won't even tell me what really happened to the moon!" Makoto huffs. "Which reminds me!" He turns his head towards Kayano, then Karma. "You guys gotta tell me all about the things from back then, too! Nagisa's bringing in the yearbook to show it off, but I bet he won't remember everything. And I want to know it all! Because…" He pauses. "I think this was all really important to me. So it still is now."

Kayano nods. "...Of course. We'll share everything."

Admittedly, the idea of him not remembering moments between them is… Bittersweet. She's happy he can move on with his new life, but some of her fondest memories come from that year at Kunugigaoka. And moreso than that, she can't help but feel there are some things Korosensei would never have wanted to forget.

...People Korosensei would never have wanted to forget.

"Hey. Sensei," she says. "Do you remember…-" But drifts off as he turns his head her way. He looks at her with an overjoyed grin, and she feels her heart sink. "...Uh-" She says. "That time we made a giant pudding?" she improvises.

...Okay. So maybe she won't share everything. She can't make him feel that again.

"What!? No!" Makoto replies, his eyes wide with wonder. "We made a giant pudding!? What's giant!? How big's giant!?" he demands.

"I dunno…" Kayano says. "Only taller than the school."

"No fair! No fair!" Makoto cries. "I wanna eat a giant pudding again!"

...He deserves to live in a world where his biggest worries are over giant pudding, not lives lost.

Kayano forces a smile.

"Yeah! It was awesome," she says. "Not sure I can do it again, though. It was sort of my magnum opus, you know?

"Well it's time for a magnum opus two!" Makoto huffs.

"I don't exactly have government funding on my hand this time."

"Yes you do!" Makoto says, dramatically pointing at Karma. "Karma, make her make me a giant pudding."

"Well, you heard the man," Karma says. "Now you've gotta."

"It's your paycheck, Karma," she reminds him. "If that's really what you want…"

Makoto snickers. Karma rolls his eyes, but doesn't exactly turn down the idea, either.

"Oh! Yeah!" Makoto says, finally distracted from the topic of 'gargantuan pudding' "There was something else I was meaning to ask you guys. What was it again?" He flicks his finger against the side of his head. "...Right!" He exclaims. "Where's Asano? How's he doing? I thought he was a part of this family."

"He is," Nagisa quickly reassures. "He's just… Not in the best mood right now."

Makoto frowns. "Oh. Is it because of me?"

"No, no-" Nagisa quickly reassures, brushing off Makoto's scarily accurate insight. "You didn't do anything."

"...Can I try and talk to him?" Makoto asks.

"I dunno if that's the best idea," Nagisa admits. "I think he just wants to be left alone."

"Pretty please? Just a little bit! I won't bother him too much."

"Makoto-"

"What's the worst that can happen? He'll yell at me a little? I won't care!"

"He won't yell at you-"

"Then I don't see the issue here. Just let me stop by and say hello. I wanna see how he grew up, too!"

Makoto sends puppy dog eyes Nagisa's way. And that must be enough to make him crack, because he lowers his shoulders and lets out a reluctant "I guess."

"Yes!" Makoto proclaims, already bolting to his feet.

"Just ask him first! If he doesn't want to talk, give him some space."

"I will! I will! Don't you worry!" And with that, Makoto's off.

Kayano's only just noting they hadn't even told him where Gakushuu was when Nagisa shouts "He's in the guest room! Take a right down the hallway!" Over his shoulder. Whether or not Makoto heard him is unclear, because he does not grace them with a response.

Kayano lets out an exhausted laugh. "...Is he always like that?"

Nagisa and Karma speak up at once. "Yeah. Pretty much."

"...Well I'm glad to see he's as stubborn as ever." She pauses, staring down the hallway. "Do you think that's going to be okay? Him bugging Gakushuu?"

"They'll be fine," Karma reassures. "Gakushuu knows how to stand up for himself. If he doesn't wanna hear it, he won't hear it. He's plenty stubborn, too."

That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen: An unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. But Nagisa pipes up before she can voice that thought.

"Plus, I trust Gakushuu not to, like, snap at him. He's patient with the kids."

It's true. Nagisa's brought home a fair number of students over the past eight years. And inexplicably, sometimes it seems Gakushuu is the most patient of all with them. Even when Konishi had wrecked their house, he'd only let the faintest twinge of irritation show. Insanely contradictorily to his actual emotions, seeing as how the moment they'd been alone he'd buried his face in his hands and screamed.

If he could face that with a calm and collected face, surely a little bit of Korosensei-esque shenanigans will be nothing in comparison.

"You're right," she says. "I just hope this won't stress him out more." But she quickly decides it's time for a topic change. Now that the elephant in the room that is Makoto is out of the way they'll have plenty of time to talk to their moody spouse once he leaves. "...It's weird seeing him again. Korosensei, I mean."

Nagisa nods. "...Yeah. All through class today, I kept getting this surreal feeling. Like… 'I'm his teacher, huh?' I… Never could have dreamt up anything like this."

"...He's different." Kayano admits. Rasher. Blunter... Happier. "I mean, not a lot, but a little."

"So are we, I suppose," Karma points out. "It's been a long time. He's led a new life."

Kayano nods.

"It's nice seeing him, I think," Karma admits.

"Of course you'd think that, seeing as how you got to torture him." Nagisa quips.

"I didn't torture him." Karma rebukes. "I was just reliving some memories. For old times sake!"

"Memories of Korosensei screaming his ass off?"

Karma nods sagely. "Memories of Korosensei screaming his ass off."

That reminds her. "...It's crazy. Thinking that he doesn't remember everything." She pauses. "That he doesn't remember most things."

"Yeah…" Nagisa admits, nervously scratching his shoulder. "But I think that's for the best. I mean… He'd seen some messed up stuff. If… If he only ever remembers the good things that went down in that classroom, I think it's for the best."

Kayano frowns. Indeed, she'd come to the same conclusion. But it's depressing to hear Nagisa second it. She quietly nods.

Nagisa must notice the look on her face. He always was good at seeing through her acting. At least, after learning just how much he'd failed to notice in middle school. "...You wanted to bring up Aguri earlier, didn't you?"

"Ah. That explains the awkward pudding transition," Karma comments.

Kayano nods. "Yeah. But you're right. It's just not right. We don't need him asking questions we can't give him fair answers to. If… If we tell him about her, his first question will be 'where is she?'"

...Gone. She's gone forever. And he's not.

"I'm not putting him through that heartbreak. That'd be selfish of me."

Here's the thing… She'd been over Aguri.

Well, not over. You don't get over your dead sister. Aguri had practically raised her. Looking back on it, she served more of the role of a mother than anything. She'd been deeply important to Kayano.

But it had also been fifteen years. She'd moved on. It didn't hurt when she thought about her anymore. Aguri was simply a happy memory to look back on. Kayano had gone on with her life. And she'd been certain that somewhere her lost sister was proud of her.

...Now she's not so sure. And it seems to open the wound all over again. After years of feeling okay, that stings.

She supposes she just has to tell herself that she'd be okay with this. That she'd be happy for Korosensei. She'd never once complained about the life she led. And she'd died proud of her legacy.

...At least, that's what Kayano likes to think.

"...It's not selfish, Kayano," Nagisa says, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. "I know why you feel the way you do. And I'm sorry for putting this on you-"

"You're not putting anything on me," she reassures. "I'll be fine."

"If you say so. But… While we're working through… All of this, remember I'm here for you, okay?"

"We're here for you," Karma butts in. "Me and Gakushuu may not be into you, but we're still your family. So when Nagisa's being dense, always remember we have your back."

"Hey-!" Nagisa says.

"It's true, isn't it?" He looks Kayano's way.

"...Maybe a little," she cheekily admits.

Nagisa pouts in response.

"Thanks, though," she says. "I'll keep that in mind."

And she appreciates it. She doesn't say that enough, but she appreciates it.

With the heaviness in her chest that she just can't seem to shake, now she needs it more than ever.

---

Gakushuu heard the kid enter the house. He anticipated that much. He did not, however, anticipate the child barging into his room.

He's in the guest room, laptop to his side, and book open across his lap when the door creaks open and the infamous Makoto peeks his head in.

"Hey!" he says. "I finally found you! Looked all over the house!"

'It's really not that difficult to find the guest room' Gakushuu notes, but does not speak up. He gives Makoto a curt nod.

Makoto pays no mind to the awkward air of the room. "I'm just gonna invite myself in, okay?" he says, stepping into the room.

He doesn't particularly stand out. From Nagisa's description, Gakushuu'd somehow expected to see a boy with an uncannily wide smile. But there's no resemblance to the enigmatic Korosensei to be found here. Black hair. A tad heavyset. Decently dressed. He's… Just a kid.

Yeah. That's what Gakushuu had thought.

"Hope you don't mind me peeking my head in!" Makoto continues. "I'm just so thrilled to meet you! Can we talk a little? I know we weren't exactly acquainted, but… I figured it's still my job to check up on you!"

Gakushuu snorts. It's clear if he doesn't intervene, no-one will. Why does he always have to be the responsible one?

"I don't mind," he says. "Come in, come in." He scoots over and beckons the boy his way. "You're Makoto, right?"

Makoto quickly nods. "The one and only!" He says, taking a seat next to Gakushuu. "And you're Asano!" He pauses. "We're not exactly on 'Gakushuu' terms, are we?"

"No. We're not," Gakushuu confirms. He just met this kid. As his teacher, Nagisa may not mind being disrespected that way, but Gakushuu finds it more than a little weird.

"Okay," Makoto says, turning his attention towards Gakushuu's lap. "Watch'ya reading?"

Gakushuu's eyes drift towards his lap. "Ah... That. Nothing special," he admits. It's some meandering romance novel "I'm mostly just looking for something to take my mind off of work." He motions towards his laptop. That's a bit of a lie. More than anything, he's looking for a way to take his mind off of the fact that his husband blatantly lied to him over this kid.

"Cool! Is it good?"

"Mmm." Gakushuu shrugs.

Makoto falls silent. Gakushuu feels bad for giving him the cold shoulder, but he doesn't exactly know what to say.

"So..." Makoto says. "A CEO, huh? It must be cool being so successful."

Gakushuu gives another shrug. "It's simply the result of much hard work."

"Well, that's good," Makoto replies. "It's important not to lose that ethic. It's nice to see you're as diligent as ever!"

"Mmmm."

"I bet your dad's proud of you," he adds on. And Gakushuu feels his heart stop in his chest. "I worked with him back in the day, you know! Verysmart guy." He pauses. "You actually look just like him, now."

Gakushuu feels disgust rise in the back of his gut. It's bad enough to hear that from himself in front of the mirror each morning, much less from some kid who has no idea what he's talking about.

"Actually," Gakushuu says. "Me and my dad don't talk. So if you think you worked with the man, I think you got the wrong impression."

They haven't talked for years. Sometimes, it still makes Gakushuu sad. But… He feels better about himself now that he's no longer in contact with his dad. At least, he thinks so.

...It's hard to tell sometimes.

Makoto shies back. "...Oh," he says. He stares downwards. "...That's sad."

"Yeah. It is." Gakushuu snaps.

Makoto's anxiously knitting at his hands. His gaze has drifted off Gakushuu.

"Listen. I'm not mad at you-" Gakushuu says.

"I know," he replies. "You don't believe me, though, do you?"

"No. I don't," Gakushuu admits. That came out a bit harsher than he'd intended, but- "You need to look at this from my perspective. You can't just jump to a conclusion like that. Especially at someone else's behest-"

"It's not at someone else's behest-" Makoto refutes.

"Are you sure?" Gakushuu asks. "Did Nagisa ever whisper anything in your ear? Subliminally suggest this to you?"

"N-No!" Makoto responds, louder this time. "He would never. You should trust him more than that…"

And Gakushuu knows that. He knows it more than anything. Nagisa loves him. Nagisa has been by his side for almost thirteen years now. And he's never faltered. But he just can't forget how it felt: His dad whispering in the back of his mind. That's why he can never let it happen again. He can't let another kid feel that way, no matter how low the chance is.

It's not that he doesn't know that he's coming across as an asshole. He's perfectly self-aware. And he knows that he'd really hurt Nagisa. But it stings. Why does no-one else seem to care about this possibility? Nagisa of all people should know how terrible it is to tell a child "this is who you're supposed to be."

He only realizes he'd fallen silent when Makoto nudges his side.

"...I know," he admits. "It's just…" He tries his best to articulate his words. "I don't like the way this happened."

Makoto looks to the side. "I'm sorry you're fighting because of me."

"N-No!" Gakushuu quickly refutes. "This isn't your fault. We're not fighting because of you. We're just worried about you."

"Aren't those practically the same thing?" Makoto says with a shrug. "...You four don't need to worry about me, okay? I can look out for myself." And he sounds so sure of his words. But Gakushuu can't believe it for a minute.

At his age, Gakushuu thought he'd had the whole world figured out. That he could fend for himself. But deep down, more than anything, he'd just wanted someone to tell him that none of what was happening to him was his fault.

"Asano-san...That stuff you described earlier…" Makoto says. "Did… Did your dad do all that to you?"

Gakushuu lets out a "tch."

"...Yeah. Something like that," he finally says.

Makoto frowns deeply. "...Oh," he says. He hesitates, before placing a firm hand on Gakushuu's shoulder. "...I'm sorry I didn't notice."

Gakushuu reels back. "Excuse me?"

"Even if you don't believe me: I'm sorry. Because I don't need you to believe me. I believe me. And I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I never realized how bad things were. You seemed very confident…"

Mmm-hm. No-one noticed. Alllll the attention had been on the troubled E-Class. No-one had paid any mind to what exactly the kids at the main campus had been going through. "You can't struggle. You're perfect. Work harder. Work harder. Work until you snap." No-one asked why they'd lash out like that. And when the story of Kunugigaoka came out, they'd just been the bullies.

No-one had noticed that Koyama had stopped taking care of himself for months on end in favor of his studies. No-one had noticed that Seo slept four hours a day at best. And no-one had noticed that Gakushuu's father brainwashed, beat, and berated him behind closed doors.

...Not even the ever-perfect Korosensei.

He knows it's an unfair resentment. It's true: Hindsight is 20/20, and they'd been plenty cruel, too. There's things he'd done that Gakushuu regrets every day. He'd been the bad guy. And no-one watched out for the narcissistic asshole.

...Well, except Nagisa.

Their friendship is a big part of what got him through High School. Nagisa had offhand texted him a thanks for the whole 'paparazzi incident,' and against all odds, they'd hit it off. Nagisa had a benign aura to him. He'd never once needed to be competition. Unequivocally, despite their differences, he and Nagisa had been equals from the start. And that was new. He hadn't been a 'threat.' That comforted Gakushuu.

But it was more than that. Although he'd seen Karma more often, and even fallen for him first, Nagisa had seen something in him that no-one had before. An intuitive perception born from his own mother, that dared him to ask Gakushuu the one thing no-one had before:

"You're hurting too, aren't you?"

And from the moment that came to light, Nagisa had been there for him. They'd protected each other through each low point, and been there to bandage each others' wounds. Gakushuu had been there to help Nagisa pack his boxes when he finally moved out of his mother's home, and Nagisa had been the one to place a hand on Gakushuu's shoulder all those years later and beg him to cut his father off.

...Nagisa saw him. It would have been impossible not to fall in love with him.

"Yeah. Seemed," he finally says. "That's the keyword. But don't worry about it. I'm getting better every day."

And in part, that's all thanks to Nagisa.

Makoto nods. "I mean, I guess- But that doesn't mean I shouldn't have stepped in." He pauses. "I just… Trusted your dad, you know?" He steeples his fingers. There's this strangely authentic guilt dripping from his voice. "...Like, I- I noticed the bruise… But he promised he was going to get better-"

Gakushuu freezes.

He shouldn't know about that-

It's true, Gakuho hit Gakushuu a number of times, including during Korosensei's 'reign.' But it had remained more of an open secret than anything. And those days are long past. There's no way for Makoto to know that -

Unless…

Nagisa told hi-

No. No, no, no, no, NO . Gakushuu knows one thing for certain, and it's that Nagisa wouldn't share that. No matter how bad his delusions were, no matter how high his hopes got, he would never share that with a stranger. They'd weathered the storm together. Nagisa knows exactly what it felt like. The one thing Gakushuu cannot believe, no matter how bad, is that Nagisa would share the story of his abuse.

...Makoto has to know another way. And that only leaves one option.

"Well, sometimes people lie," Gakushuu says. "Me and my dad never fixed things. I'm sorry to disappoint."

Makoto leans in to hug him. Wraps his arms around Gakushuu's side, and squeezes tight. "I'm sorry I couldn't fix things for you."

And held tight, he thinks he finally gets what Nagisa meant about the energy this boy exudes. "...It's fine. I survived, didn't I? Believe it or not, I didn't need you." That came off harsher than he'd intended as well. "I had… Plenty of other people by my side."

And his husbands' faces are clear in his mind.

"...You really are who you say you are, aren't you?" Gakushuu asks. "...You haven't been lying."

Because he knows Nagisa is better than that. If Nagisa's above sharing the story of his abuse, then he's above perpetrating it. Gakushuu should have given him more credit.

"That's what I've been trying to say this whole time!" Makoto replies. "I can't believe you're finally coming around!"

Gakushuu shrugs. "...Eh. I reflected on some things. And that left no other possibility."

Makoto smirks. "About time you used that big brain of yours," he chides, tapping his forehead.

"I suppose so..." Gakushuu admits.

It seems he has some apologies to make. To Nagisa and Kayano both. Because he's made his decision. He'd rather believe in an impossibility - Believe that this world is truly strange than he would believe Nagisa would ever willingly hurt him. He just can't fathom it. Not after they've had each other's backs for so long.

...He'd rather believe that the universe itself is crazy than dare believe his husband is.

He'll put his faith in the whole 'Korosensei' thesis for now. As unfair as it would be for him to tell Makoto who he's supposed to be, it's equally as unfair of him to tell Makoto who he's not. That's Makoto's decision to make. All Gakushuu can do is try his best to help.

He doesn't know how. But he will. If this is so important to Nagisa… If this is so important to the others… It's the least he can do.

Makoto's still bragging about winning over his belief when Gakushuu motions towards the door.

"Okay, okay. It's time you get on your way," he says. "I'm not sure you remember, but I have a book I'm supposed to be finishing up."

At least, that's what he says. In reality, he needs to figure out what the hell he's going to say to Karma, Kayano and Nagisa. He can't exactly do that with a twelve-year-old babbling in his ear. And regardless of the fact that he tries to have as much patience as possible about Nagisa's students (After all, he knows just how much it sucks to be treated like garbage as a kid,) there's only so much he can take.

"Oh! Of course!" Makoto says, springing to his feet. "Thank you for hearing me out, Asano-kun!"

Gakushuu's lip twitches. Asano-kun, huh...? He's not exactly how keen he is on a literal child referring to him as -kun, but he'll take it any day over Gakushuu-no-honorific-at-all.

Plus, if he'd wanted to express any distaste about the way Makoto had referred to him, it's too late now. Makoto's out of the door in an instant. He bolts like a streak of lightning, nearly tripping on the carpet as he shoots out of the room.

Gakushuu snorts. That had certainly been… An experience. He's not sure what he'd expected Makoto to be like, but that wasn't it.

Rash. Thoughtful. Dumb as hell.

...He's not sure what he'd expected the elusive Korosensei to be like, either.

He hears something skid, and then the scuttle of wild footsteps as Makoto reels back around. He peeks his head into the doorway.

"Oh! One more thing! Congrats about your relationship! I really didn't expect it, but… You seem a lot happier!"

Gakushuu's lips purse, but before he can grace Makoto with a response, he's already on his way again like a goddamn freight train.

"I think you make a good couple!" he shouts down the hall, and then he's gone for good.

Forgetful, too. Gakushuu notes. Makoto Himura has a one-track-mind, if nothing else.

He's not entirely incorrect, though. If he may say so himself, he thinks his spouses and he make a pretty good goddamn couple. Even if… Sometimes they do stumble along the way.

But these stumbles feel different. They're rare, and they're intense, and they're forgivable. They work through things. They always have. And most importantly: Yeah, when they're not stumbling, they do make him happy.

...He'd never gotten that with his old family.

He leans back against the bed, licks his thumb, and turns the page of his book. Okay… He'll finish this up, think over what he needs to say to his spouses, and have a concrete apology ready by the time Makoto leaves the house.

He hears Makoto chattering excitedly with the others, even from halfway across the house. He yelps and he laughs and he shouts.

He'll figure out what to do with him as well.

If it's what he truly wishes to believe, then indeed he can be Korosensei. But Gakushuu will do him one better. He'll watch out for Makoto. And make sure Korosensei's legacy never becomes too much to bear.

...He'll be there for Korosensei where Korosensei wasn't there for him.

---

Karma and Kayano are tag-teaming to make dinner when Gakushuu peeks his head into the kitchen. Nagisa's the first one to notice, thoroughly unoccupied with much more than his phone, seeing as how he'd served his dinner duty last night.

Makoto left about an hour ago. He'd wanted to stay longer, but had quickly become concerned about his father when he realized the time. Nagisa had offered to let him stay for dinner, but he'd shook his head and said he'd take him up on the offer next time.

He hadn't exactly shared how the conversation with Gakushuu had gone outside of "Good." Something about him being "Grumpy but funny?" And knowing both Gakushuu and Makoto, that could mean just about anything.

Gakushuu's hands are in his pockets. He doesn't exactly seem to be ashamed. It's not like he's walking into the room with his tail between his legs. But he does have a genuine frown on his face. He may not be the type to project his self-defeat openly, but with time he has become someone willing to admit he's wrong.

...Not that he had been completely wrong. Nagisa still knows he'd been slightly unfair to Makoto, but he's not willing to step down on this now. He's spent his entire life learning to advocate for himself. He knows what he believes, and this is it.

---

Karma catches Gakushuu out of the corner of his eye. He's got this stern look on his face. He nearly drops a comment along the lines of 'look who's finally out of his lair,' but quickly decides against it.

"Hey," he says, keeping his eyes on dinner.

"Hey," Gakushuu returns.

"Feeling any better?" Nagisa says.

"Somewhat," Gakushuu replies.

Kayano's quiet. Although it'd be easy to mistake some of her cold shoulder for anger, Karma has a feeling it's mostly guilt. She'd ripped into Gakushuu yesterday. Even he knows she'd gone too far, and he loves a good catfight.

"I heard you talked to Makoto?" Nagisa asks.

"Indeed," Gakushuu replies. "He's… A peculiar kid." He's walking Nagisa's way.

"That's putting it lightly," Nagisa says with a chuckle. "I hope he didn't give you too much of a hassle."

"Of course not," Gakushuu replies pulling out a chair and sliding in next to Nagisa. "He certainly gave me some things to think about."

Karma has to hold back a satisfied smirk. That ever-so-slightly defeatist tone is in Gakushuu's voice. This is bound to play out interestingly.

"Like?" he asks, still never looking at Gakushuu as he continues to prepare to the meal.

"A lot," Gakushuu says. "Let's talk, okay?"

Bingo.

---

These sorts of conversations are always Gakushuu's least favorite.

It's not that he thinks he's irrefutable, but admittedly it still sucks to swallow his ego. Especially when 'his ego' comes from such a place of vulnerability.

There's no use beating around the bush, however.

He gulps. "Listen. I believe you, okay?" he says. "At least, I think so."

He still thinks it's a ridiculous notion, but he doesn't know what else to say. He's wracked his brain over it for the past few hours now, and no other possibility had come to light.

Nagisa's mouth falls ever so agape. He's as surprised by this as Gakushuu is, evidently.

"W… What?" he murmurs "What did he say?"

Gakushuu sighs and drums his fingers on the table. "Some… Things I knew you wouldn't share with him," he admits. "Things that I would even define as… Slightly harmful." He pauses. "I… Don't know what other way he could have come to collect that information unless you were telling the truth."

Well. There is one other option. That Nagisa himself had shared that. But even with hours of reflecting on it: That had continued to come up as a definitive 'no.' Nagisa has only ever had his best interests in mind. And genuinely: Unlike certain people that have been in Gakushuu's life.

Yes. This is the only way. So he'll swallow his ego if he must. He'll apologize. Because Nagisa's feelings matter too.

---

Kayano's not sure Gakushuu himself even notices the slight quiver in his voice.

Gakushuu is a very strong-willed man. He keeps very few secrets. He has a tenancy to brag and oftentimes sees himself in an extremely narcissistic light. He has an incredible amount of pride and belief in himself, barring the very few topics he refuses to breach.

So in between that and the restless tone in his voice, it's not too hard to piece together what exactly Gakushuu is talking about.

Either Makoto had shared his inexplicable fear of the Kahoot Owl with him, or he'd dropped details about Gakushuu's abusive father.

P...Probably the latter, on second thought.

A certain air takes over the room whenever Gakuho Asano is brought up, and Kayano recognizes that icy feeling as clear as day.

Yikes.

Nagisa must have put the pieces together, too, because there's an insanely distressed look on his face.

Kayano bites her lip and looks his way.

---

"J-Jeez, Gakushuu… I'm sorry."

Nagisa wouldn't have let Makoto into his room if he'd realized he was going to start gossiping about stuff like that. He knows Gakushuu hates it when that topic is breached. It's half of why Gakushuu had gotten so upset at him over the Makoto-Korosensei thing in the first place.

"It's fine," Gakushuu reassures. "...It's clear he just didn't know any better. We… Cleared that one up."

Nagisa gives a tiny nod.

"And frankly, it should be me apologizing to you," Gakushuu admits, averting his gaze. "...As… Upsetting as the things Makoto shared with me were, they did solidify your evidence," he specifies. "I was… Unfairly harsh on you."

'Yeah. You totally were.'

But… Nagisa gets where he was coming from.

"No, no. You were just worried about him." He says, placing a hand on Gakushuu's shoulder.

"Exactly! It felt like I was the only one! You get why this was upsetting to me, right?"

"Of course," Nagisa replies.

"But leaping down his ass wasn't exactly going to fix anything, either," Karma quips from across the room.

Gakushuu scowls deeply, but gives a shrug. "I know," he replies. "I'm sorry. I got far more intense than I'd intended to with the things I said. I should have known you wouldn't have manipulated Makoto."

Of course not! Nagisa's not mad, though. Maybe he had been a little at the time, but he knows it's just a remnant of how Gakushuu was raised.

He gets it. The way he'd flinched as Gakushuu's shout is the same. Sometimes they're still recovering from the paranoia their homes gave them.

...But the good news is Gakushuu's willing to admit he was wrong and apologize. And Nagisa's willing to realize Gakushuu would never lay a hand on him. That's more than their parents ever would have done.

As hard as it is sometimes, they make a pretty good team.

"It's fine, Gakushuu." He pauses. Ah. He's forgetting something important, too. "I forgive you."

---

Ah… If Kayano won't speak up herself, Karma supposes he'll need to step in.

"Your turn," he says, nudging her with his elbow as he chops their food

"Of course," she says. She still has this weird defensiveness to her posture, but she does turn Gakushuu's way.

"So… I kind of went off on you."

"You did," Gakushuu says.

Kayano sighs. "...Listen. I went way too far. I don't know what came over me," she admits. She's not looking towards the counter, so Karma makes sure to diligently watch the stove in her steed, as opposed to looking towards Gakushuu's inevitable wounded face.

He hates seeing him look that way.

"I guess I'm just stressed too. This has… Reopened a lot of old wounds for me," Kayano continues.

And that's open secret in the room number 2. She doesn't say it's Aguri who's stressing her out, but it's pretty easy to piece together.

He decides to avoid looking her way too.

---

Admittedly, Gakushuu's only a little eased by hearing Kayano apologize.

She's still explaining her side. "...But it wasn't fair for me to snap at you like that. I'm still mad you yelled at Nagisa like that, but I shouldn't have made it personal."

Which, fair enough… But...

"You understand when you say things like that, that makes me feel like that's how you think about me on a daily basis, right?"

The whole 'violent narcissist' thing is still a bit of a sore spot. He knows he'd been horrible to people when he was younger. But he tries to do better every day. He just wants to be a 'good person,' whatever that is. It feels like the only thing he can do to shake his dad's violent legacy.

"Of- Of course not!" Kayano sputters. "I don't really think you're a self-centered asshole." She pauses in this way Gakushuu doesn't particularly like, but he tries to shove his unease to the side. "You're… A very thoughtful person, Gakushuu. I just hated that you thought you could talk to Nagisa that way."

"I know…" Gakshuu admits. "You just made things very personal."

"I know," Kayano agrees. "And I'm sorry."

"Admittedly I was getting pretty peeved at the way you were talking to Nagisa, too," Karma admits over his shoulder. "I was gonna stay out of this, but if we're having a heart to heart I am sorta glad Kayano snapped before me, because I was this close to knocking some sense into you."

An empty threat considering Gakushuu knows Karma would never lay a finger on him, but appreciated nonetheless.

"Guys, guys!" Nagisa pipes up. "You don't need to protect me. I'm perfectly capable of standing up for myself."

"Considering your 'standing up for yourself' is anything from curling up in a ball to threatening to skin someone alive, forgive me for taking that with a grain of salt," Karma snarks.

Nagisa sheepishly covers his face. "Touche…"

That said, the atmosphere in the room seems to have lightened significantly. And Gakushuu feels he's made his case.

"Now that it seems we've gotten all that sorted out, that only leaves one thing left to discuss: Makoto"

---

Ah yes, the infamous, Kayano notes.

"First and foremost, on the topic, I must extend a genuine apology for one last thing:" Gakushuu admits. "You were right about that much, Kayano. You knew the man and I did not. Although I wish you had taken my concerns more seriously-"

Nagisa interrupts him. "And we will," he reassures. "In the future."

Gakushuu nods before continuing. "...I wasn't in any position to make an assumption about him. Having met neither Makoto nor Korosensei, I was out of my area of expertise. So I apologize if I came across as presumptuous, much less stepping on the toes of something I know was so important to you."

"Is important to us," Nagisa clarifies. "Makoto is important to us."

Kayano nods along. The meeting earlier had only been a few hours long. In the full scope of things it had been very brief. But she'd enjoyed getting to 'know' Makoto. He reminds her of Korosensei in the best ways, and Nagisa's right to specify he's as important as ever.

"Of course," Gakushuu agrees. "And with him being so important to… The lot of us…" He pauses. The tone in his voice sincerely makes Kayano doubt he has much fondness for Makoto himself, but considering Gakushuu isn't particularly fond of children, that much is fair. "What do we intend to do from here? For him?"

"Good question," Kayano says.

"This… Korosensei," Gakushuu continues. "He… Saw and engaged in some rather messed up events, did he not?"

"Just a little bit of homicide," Karma jokes. "Yeah. The dude was the most infamous killer on the planet. He's seen all sorts of fucked shit."

Gakushuu rolls his eyes at the crude wording. "Indeed. Which is why I must step in once more, just in case. This may be perceived poorly, and I apologize in advance: But I must ask: Do you seriously intend to inform him of these matters?"

"Of- Of course not!" Nagisa is quick to clarify.

"We actually discussed this earlier. We've made an executive decision to… Avoid bringing those things up."

"Only Korosensei's happy memories need to matter," Nagisa admits with a frown.

Well, most of Korosensei's happy memories.

Kayano bites her lip and reminds herself 'it's for the greater good.' But it's hard not to imagine Aguri rolling over in her grave.

Nagisa must spot the look on her face. "At least, for now," he says. "If he wants to know the nitty gritty stuff when he's older, then I think he deserves to. Those are his memories, after all. But no, I don't intend to let him in on anything that I think would harm him."

"I still wouldn't put that down as a certainty, though-" Kayano clarifies. "Only if he asks. Otherwise… I think it's best we just let him live."

Aguri'd want him to be happy, too, after all.

---

Nagisa listens attentively to Gakushuu voicing his concerns.

"Very well," Gaksuhuu says. "I agree that's for the best. If we even remain in contact with this boy as he gets older."

"We will," Nagisa says. "I keep in contact with all my students. Korosensei or not, he'll be no different."

It's true. Just this morning he'd received a text from a Paradise student asking for advice about college. He tries to be there for his kids no matter what, and he doesn't want that to fade once they graduate. He'll always be their teacher, no matter how much they grow.

...And Korosensei will always be his.

Gakushuu nods. "But furthermore: My final worry is the potential pressure you're putting on this Makoto's shoulders. What happens when he fears he either cannot live up to the gargantuan legacy of Korosensei, or feels he must become Korosensei? While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I very much figure you don't want him to be changing anything about himself in this case."

Despite voicing worry that his takes may be perceived as controversial, Gakushuu's doing a better job than anyone at putting Nagisa's thoughts into words.

"Would you believe me if I told you that's actually part of the reason I hesitated to bring this up for so long?" he asks. "I… One hundred percent get where you're coming from, Gakushuu. I'm scared of putting him under that sort of pressure, too. So… I won't let that happen." He pauses. "We won't let that happen. All I want is for Makoto to live the best life possible. Telling him how he's supposed to act to be would only be detrimental to that. We won't let him feel that way."

...Not when it's a feeling they know all too well.

"Thank you," Gakushuu says. "That's all I ask."

"Plus? If I may make a confession?" Karma asks. "I think I like the new Korosensei better," he stage-whispers.

Kayano snorts. "You're only saying that because he's willing to cuss in front of you."

"What can I say? He's totally unhinged! It's hilarious."

Nagisa's not exactly sure 'hilarious' is how he'd word 'willing to do things like shank Karma,' but he snorts along anyways.

Karma slides dinner onto the table. "Well, I'm glad you all had your heart to heart. In the meantime, I actually finished making us dinner."

Kayano sheepishly blushes, realizing she'd gotten distracted entirely. She mumbles a quick apology, before finally taking a seat.

"What do you all want to drink tonight? Since it seems I need to do everything around here."

"Water, please," Nagisa says. It's been a long day. Anything else and he thinks he'll combust.

"I think I'll second that," Kayano says.

"Wine, please," Gakushuu says.

"Of course," Karma says, grabbing a gin for himself. He pops it open with a bottle opener, before pouring the rest of their drinks and sliding them their way. "Bon appetit."

"Thanks, Karma," Nagisa says as Karma takes a seat next to him.

"Watch'ya think?"

"It's okay," Gakushuu snarks, taking a bite.

"It's okay!?" Karma repeats "And after everything I've done!"

"Sorry, Karma. Serving your basic duty as the housewife of this family isn't worth any extra praise," Kayano tacks on. Gakushuu smirks smugly in response. Nagisa's glad to see they're back on good terms. Good terms being 'tag-teaming to roast Karma,' of course.

Nagisa chuckles and takes a bite of his dinner. But he can't stay silent for long.

"Hey. Gakushuu? Uh… Thanks for… Thinking about all that. I'm really excited about Makoto, but you're right. Sometimes I need a reminder that I still need to think things through. So… Thank you for looking out for him. And for bringing up your worries. I feel like maybe earlier I made it seem like your feelings didn't matter, and I never want that to happen. I don't want to fight about this again. So, tell me how you feel, okay?"

Gakushuu averts his gaze, staring intently at his dinner plate to avoid showing Nagisa his quivering lip. "Of course," he says.

"You too, Karma, Kayano," he says. "...We gotta work together on this. I need you guys more than ever."

"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way," Kayano says.

"You're sappy tonight," Karma points out.

"Kinda had a reunion with my dead teacher then a heart to heart with my spouses in the span of the past four hours. Forgive me for being a bit sappy."

Karma smiles. "Are you kidding me? I love it." He takes a sip of his drink. "You've got a point. We gotta look out for him. And we've gotta look out for each other. So let's toast on it: To Makoto, and to us."

And as silly as he feels clinking his glass of water against gin and wine, Nagisa thinks he likes the sound of that.

To Makoto, and to us.

---

The next day Makoto invites himself into Matsuraiken like he owns the place.

"Yo! Muramatsu!"

You know, how you talk to a guy you've never met!

When Makoto had first let Kiyoshi and Fumiko in on the whole "Nagisa gave me a free fast pass to this ramen place" thing, Kiyoshi had been a tad surprised. But he'd been happy, too. Because, y'know, getting free ramen is decidedly better than stealing from the local 7-Eleven.

Plus, he'd known well enough that Muramatsu was a good guy. They're not exactly close, but he's well aware he's another kid his parents taught back in the day. He's been to his place once or twice, and Muramatsu babysat him a few times growing up. They're acquaintances at best, but he'd been glad Muramatsu was doing this for Makoto. And as such, he'd gladly agreed to come scope out the place with Makoto and Fumiko. Sure, literally anywhere he was invited to by Makoto was bound to be weird, but what was the worst that could happen?

Makoto doing literally everything his social anxiety constantly tells him not to do, apparently!?

The good news is he's not alone, and all social conventions haven't magically vanished from the planet, because Fumiko is shooting Makoto an equally as baffled look.

Before she can chastise him, however, a man peeks out from behind the kitchen door. It's been a few years since Kiyoshi's seen him last, but he'd recognize the delightfully bland and slightly exhausted Muramatsu anywhere.

"Hey. You must be the Makoto I've heard so much about," he says.

Makoto nods eagerly in response. He's almost wiggling, excitedly stepping from foot to foot.

"And hey! Is that Kiyoshi back there?"

Kiyoshi only just now realizes he's hidden behind Fumiko. He awkwardly steps out away from her.

"Mmmmmmyep-" he says, suddenly acutely aware of the fact that he's horrified to be seen with Makoto in public.

"Long time no see. I'd heard you were in Nagisa's class this year, but I didn't expect to see you here. You friends with him?" he asks, pointing his thumb at Makoto.

"Uh! Yeah! Kinda!" Kiyoshi sputters. "We… Uh… Workongroupprojectstogether."

"Neat, neat," Muramatsu says, evidently not giving nearly as much of a shit about this as Kiyoshi is. "And you?" he says, looking Fumiko's way. "I don't think I've ever seen you around here before."

"That's because I don't typically attend low-quality establishments," she matter-of-factly states. "I'm just here for my friend." She points at Makoto, before holding out a hand. "Hisakawa. Fumiko Hisakawa."

Muramatsu leans over the counter and awkwardly takes her hand, trying his best to return politeness to the girl who just addressed his life's work as hot shit.

Kiyoshi shoots him an apologetic look, hoping it's enough to make up for both of his friends. He sincerely doubts it, but he thinks he'll combust if he lets Muramatsu think he's one of them.

"But I suppose none of that really matters, huh?" Muramatsu says, pulling his hand away. "You're here for food, right? Usually I'd make your friends pay, but just this once it can be on the house. Kiyoshi's an old friend, and it seems Miss Hisakawa needs some persuasion on the quality of my work. So watch'ya thinkin?"

Makoto quickly scans the menu overhead. "I'll take Tonkotsu!"

"Good choice, good choice," Muramatsu comments, turning to Kiyoshi. "And you?"

"Er- Shio please."

Muramatsu nods. He doesn't even need to ask Fumiko.

"Shoyu," she says.

"Alright. I'll be on that in a jiffy! In the meantime, you can sit down over there," he says, motioning to a booth towards the corner of the restaurant. "I'll bring it your way, so feel free to just get comfortable."

Makoto nods and skips over to the booth. He shouts, "Try not to make it too bland!" over his shoulder, before sliding into his seat. Fumiko follows, letting out a deep sigh.

"S-Sorry," Kiyoshi quickly apologizes. "...They… Don't watch what they say."

Muramatsu shrugs. "Eh. Don't worry about it. More than anything I'm just surprised Nagisa told him about the 'bland' thing. That's a new one. I've heard it a hundred times before, though. So it ain't gonna get to me now. Something tells me he'll be pleasantly surprised by the quality of my ramen, anyways." And with that, he turns and returns to the kitchen.

Kiyoshi slides in next to Fumiko, looking across the table at Makoto.

"Hey, real question? What the fuck?"

Makoto tilts his head. "What?"

"You can't just talk to someone that way. Do you even know that guy?"

Makoto pauses, thinking that one over. Finally, he leans towards Kiyoshi with an excited grin. "No. Yes. Kinda!"

Kiyoshi cocks an eyebrow.

"There's actually something I've been meaning to tell you guys!" Makoto says, his voice shifting into a stage whisper. "Can I share a secret?"

Kiyoshi frowns. "...Well… Last time you said that you showed us a malformed cat, so you're either gonna pull another fucked up animal out of your ass, or try and sell us cocaine." Needless to say, whatever Makoto's about to share will be interesting, at the very least. "I don't see why not?" Plus, he highly doubts Makoto will take no for an answer.

"E-Eh!?" Fumiko butts in.

"Huh?" Makoto asks.

"Y-Y-You're not really selling us drugs, right!?" she asks, genuine horror in her voice.

"No," Kiyoshi reassures. "He's not selling us cocaine. I was just making a joke."

Fumiko seems to have completely missed that, because only now do her tense shoulders lower. "...Oh."

"No, no," Makoto says. "This is way cooler than drugs. This is life changing. Earth shattering. Insanely cool. I've been meaning to bring it up to you guys forever now, and I think now's the time. You guys wanna know my secret?"

Kiyoshi nods. And Makoto leans in even further. He grins and whispers into Kiyoshi's ear.

"I'm Korosensei."

There's no way Kiyoshi heard him right. What did he just say...?

"Excuse me?" Fumiko asks, a baffled curiosity to her voice.

"I'm Korosensei," Makoto firmly repeats.

"T… The Korosensei?" Kiyoshi asks, his mouth dry. The claim is utter horseshit, but the way Makoto says it is filled with conviction.

"Duh. How many Korosenseis do you know?"

"B-But what does that even mean?" he replies. "Of course you're not! I mean, look at you-" he says, motioning to Makoto. There's not a tentacle or tie to be seen. Plus, you know, the more significant factor in this equation: Korosensei's been dead for fifteen years!

Makoto glances at his hand, but quickly shakes his head. "Well, not in that way!" he says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"Then in what way?" Kiyoshi quickly retorts.

"The reincarnation. I'm the reincarnation of Korosensei."

Kiyoshi sputters. "T-That doesn't-"

"Just hear me out," Makoto interrupts. "I've known there was something off about me my whole life. I mean… I never felt like I belonged."

And neither has Kiyoshi! But that doesn't mean he's suddenly the second coming of an octopus! It means he's an outcast.

"I've always had these strange dreams. Of… Things I shouldn't know about. Faces I couldn't recognize. The same place over and over and over again. I could never place my finger on it, but I knew it was home."

"Or it was just a weird dream," Kiyoshi points out.

"Kiyoshi has a point," Fumiko admits. "I… Dream about weird things all the time. I'm not sure that means what you think it means."

"Let me finish!" Makoto says. "I didn't recognize any of it at least until I got to Constellate. But then I knew what I was seeing. It was the place from my dreams! Right down to the shitty overhead lighting and the fresh smell of the mountainside. I was coming home. And then I met Nagisa. Guys…-" Makoto takes a deep breath. "Nagisa. Karma. All of them. I remember them when they were little."

"You can't prove that-" Kiyoshi says.

"Yes I can. I know things I shouldn't know. Nagisa's first assassination attempt: Some older boys bullied him into strapping a grenade to his chest. He hugged me and then they set it off. He nearly got seriously hurt."

"...You could have looked that up," Kiyoshi refutes.

"No, I couldn't have. Look around. There's nothing on Kunugigaoka online. At least, not on the class of 2015. What the government didn't scrub, the class didn't share."

"It's true," Fumiko admits. "I've done my own research on the topic. It was a bit of a fascination of mine for a while. What went down that year, I mean. Even in textbooks there's very little information, especially personal anecdotes. It's all been covered up."

"He made it up, then," Kiyoshi offers.

"Nope. No I didn't," Makoto says. "Just ask Nagisa himself."

"What?"

"Ask him what happened! He'll tell you exactly what I just said. He'll back up all of this. Because Nagisa believes me."

Kiyoshi raises an eyebrow. "No way," he says.

"Yes way," Makoto replies. "Invited me over to his house and everything. I had a wonderful reunion with Karma and Kayano and everything. Ask him. He'll second all of this," Makoto pauses. "I think. Now that I think about it, he sorta told me not to share this with anyone, but you guys are different. You're my friends, not the E-Class. Not that they aren't my friends! But, like, I guess it's easier to explain to you!"

Is it? Kiyoshi's head is spinning.

"I-I'm just not sure how I can-" Kiyoshi drifts off. What is he even supposed to say? 'Believe this?' Pretend he does? Process this at all! That's his parents' dead coworker Makoto is talking about.

"I know, I know," Makoto replies. "But please, just trust me on this. Do you ever know something so deeply in your gut that it has to be true?" He's frowning now. "This… This is important to me. And it's important to Nagisa, too."

...

"We believe you," Fumiko says, and Kiyoshi chokes on his spit.

'We do!?'

She shoots him a look that says 'just work with me.' He gulps and hesitantly nods his head.

Makoto pumps his fist and cheers under his breath. But before he can boast any more, their ramen is ready. Muramatsu slides it onto the table with a hospitable grin.

"Enjoy!" he says.

Makoto nods eagerly, and it's only now Kiyoshi notices the look in his eyes. He's genuinely staring at their waiter as if he's an old friend. He's not stringing them along. He's genuinely out of his mind.

Kiyoshi bolts to his feet.

"Fumiko? Can we talk for a second?"

"Not right now-" she says, but he's already grabbing her hand.

"Please? I think we really need to talk. Makoto, you watch the ramen in the meantime." The delicious scent is wafting through the air, but Kiyoshi can't even focus on it in the light of these insane developments.

Fumiko does try to pull away, but relents. "Fine," she says. "We'll be right back, Makoto."

Makoto watches Kiyoshi drag her outside with wounded eyes.

The moment the door is shut, he's staring her down "Y-You don't actually believe him, do you!?"

Fumiko's lip curls. She takes her hand from Kiyoshi and wipes herself off. "Of course not," she answers. "But I'm not gonna refute him. And you shouldn't either."

Kiyoshi's quiet. Once she's satisfied with wiping off his germs or whatever, she looks his way. There's a deadly seriousness in her eyes.

"Listen. I'm not sure if you've been paying attention," she says. "But… Makoto's had a hard life," she admits. "He's seen a lot. I think he needs this."

"H-huh?" Kiyoshi asks.

"Listen. It's not really my place to disclos-"

"No. I mean- Why would he need this?"

"He's used to being helpless, Kiyoshi. If he wants to believe he's a superpowered martyr capable of accomplishing inhuman feats and helping everyone around him, then so be it. Please. Just let him have this."

Kiyoshi slowly blinks. He supposes she has a point, but this whole thing is still leaving a weird taste in his mouth. "But what about what he said about Nagisa? There's no way he-"

"That doesn't matter," Fumiko interrupts. "Now let's get back in there before he thinks we're gossiping about him." She pauses. And when Kiyoshi stands, shellshocked, it's her turn to tug on his hand. "He's a lot more perceptive than you'd first give him credit for. I have no doubt he knows exactly what you're thinking. So you're gonna go in there and you're gonna say 'Okay, I believe you,' and mean it."

"B-But I don't!"

"Then you'd best well pretend. If you want to worry about something, then worry about preserving this for him. Do you think you can do that for me?"

Kiyoshi opens his mouth to disagree, but sighs and nods. It's just not worth the effort. And quite frankly, he's afraid of what Fumiko will do to him if he disagrees any further. "Of... Of course," he says.

"Good," Fumiko replies, finally releasing her iron grip on his wrist. "Thank you, Kiyoshi. I… Think this will mean a lot to him."

Kiyoshi gives an uneasy nod. "I guess…"

"Plus, even if it's not true, it's sort of cool to think about, isn't it?" Fumiko asks. "I don't see any problem with playing pretend."

That's easy for her to say as someone who had the luxury of the Korosensei mystery being a simple childhood interest. But that's his parents' dead coworker Makoto is talking about!

He just keeps nodding, ignoring the pit in his stomach.

Fumiko leads him back into Matsuraiken. Makoto notices them right away. He waves them over and shouts an enthusiastic, "Hey!" through a mouthful of ramen.

"Hey," Kiyoshi says, sliding into his seat. Fumiko quietly nudges him as she sits down. Kiyoshi gulps, takes a bite of his ramen, and forces it out. "Me and Fumiko had a talk. I - Uh - Believe you." He says.

Makoto grins. "I knew you'd come around!" he says, turning Fumiko's way. "Thank you, Fumiko!"

Fumiko gives him a smile. "You're welcome."

"I have so much to tell you guys!" Makoto rambles. "You have no idea how much went down back then! Did you know Karma was a little shit as a kid?"

"Yeah. I actually think I could come to that conclusion myself," Fumiko snarks with a smirk.

Kiyoshi stares into his ramen as the topic shifts to something about a younger Nagisa. And with his ears ringing, he can't help but wonder if this is really okay.

Why had Makoto brought Nagisa up like that? Makoto would never bring up someone he knew would refute his point. But there's no way in hell Nagisa could be backing this horse. Kiyoshi knows how much Korosensei meant to him. He… He couldn't roll with this simply for Makoto's sake

...Could he?

Fumiko had said not to worry. But Kiyoshi worries. He worries about Makoto, worries about Nagisa, and worries about what this means for him as the one and only son of Irina and Tadaomi Karasuma.