Hello once again. This chapter is mostly about the Former E Class students, but the focus will return to Nagisa's students in the next installment.
Also that oneshot about Nakamura is going to be delayed by a few days. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I go back to college soon and everyone wanted to see me this weekend. Hence why this chapter is a bit shorter than usual.
And if you have not yet checked it out, I'd like to shamelessly promote the Koro-sensei themed oneshot I published two days ago, Hello Shooting Star, Again.
AN: Line is a Korean group messaging app. From what I gather, it's kind of like GroupMe. E Class is shown using it when they all conspire to infiltrate the anti-tentacle barrier and see Koro-sensei in the last arc. It'll come up in my stories.
"So you came too." Isogai's voice registered in Nagisa's and Akari's ears.
The couple looked up. "What brings you he-" Nagisa was about to ask, then saw that the old class rep was accompanied by Kataoka, Okano, Maehara, Takebayashi, Kurahashi, Kanzaki... Even Karma and Okuda found time out of their busy schedules to be here!
"Was there a post in the groupchat that we missed?" Akari sat up in her old seat (she still fit in it too, albeit it was a bit more snug).
"No... I just woke up this morning with the urge to come here." Chiba said, this time loudly enough for the room to hear. Almost instinctively, each classmate went to their assigned seat and sat down.
"Something was pulling me here, like the narrator of a manga or something." Fuwa dusted off her seat.
"I had a dream in which we were all students here again, and when I woke up it was the only thing on my mind." Kimura was not dressed in a police officer's uniform, presumably he was off duty today.
"But for us to have all arrived at the same time... It's beyond pure coincidence." Isogai breathed, assuming his seat. "It almost like his soul was speaking to us all."
"Well, I certainly did feel like Koro-sensei was going to speak to me today." Nagisa's girlish voice rose out from the crowd.
"About what?"
"I wanted advice for an issue with my students."
"Babysitting seventeen year-olds is busting your ass already?" Karma laughed. Nagisa swore he could see devil horns on his red-haired friend.
"Shut up Karma."
The former assassins moved outside to sit on the grass, as the rainy season was finally over.
"So, what's everyone been up to?" Kataoka put down a few picnic blankets for everyone to sit on. She found them in the closet, as undisturbed as they were on the day they were sent to E Class.
"Karma had to help me break into my apartment yesterday." Isogai laughed nervously.
"Yuuma, what did I tell you? You need to remember to bring your keys everywhere." Kataoka scolded him playfully.
"Did you all see the pictures I posted of my new cat on Line?" Okuda beamed. Everyone nodded. "Then, my news is that you all have to meet my boyfriend, he's such a dream..."
Karma shuffled in his seat. "I have to admit, he's a really great and interesting guy. Even I get along really well with him, and I don't get along with anybody."
Nagisa understood that there was no animosity there, and that his old friend meant everything that he said. "You'll still swoop in if they break up?" Okajima asked.
"Don't be creepy. I'm not one of those." Karma scoffed. Nagisa knew it was selfish to think, but he hoped that Karma and Okuda would still end up together.
Everyone had positive updates that day. Kurahashi had decided to go to Veterinary school. Maehara was living with a girl (just one girl- improvements!). Kanzaki had gotten into the habit of working all-night shifts at the retirement home.
"That's all wonderful to hear, but none of it answers the question of why we're all here." Nagisa sighed. Akari walked over and sat right beside him. She gave him that look he was all too familiar with. He nodded. It was time for them to know.
"We have something to say ourselves." Nagisa stood up, holding Akari's hand. "You saw the post in the group chat about us living together?"
"Yeah, are you dating?" A few voices spoke up.
"Yeah, we figured you'd infer that. And there's something else," Nagisa ran his free hand through Akari's hair.
"We're pregnant." Akari did the talking this time.
Within milliseconds, the new parents were swarmed with their old friends.
Hara put her hand on Akari's forehead to check for a temperature. "Are you okay? Do you need anything right now-"
The standard questions were asked. 'How long have you known?', 'When?', 'Boy or girl?'. They were answered succinctly.
"We find out the gender on Nagisa's birthday." Akari now held her female friends' hands. "We'll post blue or pink in the Line chat."
"I want boy-girl twins." Karma began to fold his blanket.
"We did too, but according to the ultrasound technician it's just one baby."
Soon everyone left. Nagisa was still left wondering why all of former E class had the desire to come back to the classroom on this exact day. And if all the students, then why not Karasuma and Bitch-sensei? Was today the anniversary of something...
And then he heard a voice whispering to him. Koro-sensei's. He thought back to the 'incident' he had not yet figured out.
You'll find out soon enough...
Nagisa and Akari walked home together. It was just beginning to get dark. The heat still hung in the air, the cicadas were buzzing.
"That actually went pretty well," Akari giggled. "Hey, speaking of your birthday, what do you want?"
"You're carrying my child. I don't need a birthday gift from you." Nagisa held her hand.
"But I want to do something for you. It's two days before summer break, we could go somewhere. How about Tokyo Disneyland? I haven't been there in a while, and I know you've never been."
"How many rides can you go on, though? You'll be four months along."
"I'll sit them out and eat ice cream or something."
"That wouldn't be right. How about we just rent a beach house for a week or something? There are plenty of baby-friendly activities."
His girlfriend smiled. "That sounds great. I'll start looking for a place tonight. Don't offer me money, this is my gift to you!"
Monday came again. It's time to start preparing for finals, Nagisa thought to himself.
He wrote on the board. June 26th, twenty-five days 'til finals. He cleared his throat. "Class,"
Everyone looked up.
"Your grades have improved significantly. And for that, I'm proud of you. I think you're all well prepared for the upcoming finals."
Toshima raised his hand. "Uh, we're all flattered you think that," Nagisa heard Kagato snort. Toshima threw him a dirty look. "Though some of us may not say it. But what are we going to do about the principal's ultimatum?"
"I didn't tell you last week because I didn't want to distract you from the big test I assigned on Friday," He had graded it; everyone got grades above a seventy-five. "But I got the principal's approval for the fundraiser." Every face in front of him smiled. "And I have the key from Narayama. Everything's in the storage room. How about we go there during lunch and get our paintings?"
Everyone cheered. All but one. Aida. Instead, he had an expression of panic and fear. He looked around the room frantically, as if to try to find someone on his side. Tsukuda did not notice his best friend's reaction, so Aida accidentally made eye contact with Nagisa.
What is he hiding? Does everyone leave their dirty laundry in that damned storage room!? Nagisa felt himself getting a headache. He wasn't looking forward to class ending today. He dreaded what he would find in that room.