Kyandi: HA! I managed to get the update up before ten tonight!
Takina: Greet our readers before randomly blurting out things.
Kyandi: Oh, right! Hi, everyone!
Takina: She had a little too much fun with this chapter.
Kyandi: I just love the off-handed things Asano and Karma do for Takina to make each other mad.
Takina: Yhay for them.
Kyandi: Also, yes, I saw the suggestion for an alternate time line where Takina goes to Class A instead of Class E. As well as the seconding for that suggestion.
Takina: You have to admit, it's an interesting idea, and you are known for doing alternate time lines that follow a different route based on one different choice.
Kyandi: True...I shall consider this request. For now, though, I'm focusing on this story.
Takina: With that, should we get on with it?
Kyandi: Yep! Everyone, enjoy and review!
Takina: Kyandi-sama does not own Assassination Classroom.
Chapter 23 Gifts and Deals
After school that day, Takina and her classmates went down to the main campus to check in on Takebayashi from afar. Takina, at first, tried to refuse the silly head gear that one of her classmates had made out of the plants, but soon gave in just to hear the end of the argument about how her hair would "stand out like snow in the desert".
In her opinion, they still stood out.
Sneaking through the bushes, they made their way to the window that looked into Class 3A. There could see Takebayashi standing by his desk next to the windows.
"Looks like he's doing pretty well." Kataoka remarked.
"Doesn't he actually look more sociable now?" Meahara asked, unable to tell if he was happy or upset about that tidbit.
"That's why I told you to just leave that four-eyes alone." Terasaka retorted.
"Get your finger out of your nose, you Neanderthal." Terasaka let out a low yelp when Takina suddenly slapped him over the back of the head. "It's not a mine, you aren't going to find gold."
"Why, you...!"
Terasaka reached for her, angry, but Takina merely seized his hand in a fierce pinch, twisting the skin on the back of his hand to make him call mercy. All the while, her eyes remained on the windows, watching Takebayashi. Every time Terasaka tried to pull his hand away or reached for with the other hand, she would give the skin pinched between her fingers, a harder twist.
"Damn it! Uncle, I call uncle!" Terasaka finally growled.
"I know you possess a brain, Terasaka. For once...use it." Takina told him, releasing his hand.
Terasaka pulled his hand back, glaring at her as he rubbed where she had gripped. Takina, though, was too busy watching the windows to bother with his glare.
It was obvious, at least to her eyes, that Takebayashi had seen them. Then again, she wasn't surprised. The camouflage they had made had been made using the plants from around the Class E building. The plants around the main building were completely different. Of course the plants stuck out among more domestic bushes around the main campus.
And then there was the big, black, shiny thing that was Korosensei.
He really wasn't fooling anything.
Not that Takina could speak.
Her white hair stuck out among the green plants. It made her classmates sure that she would never be able to completely hide herself anywhere up in the snow.
If truth be told, Takebayashi had spotted them because of all three reasons; the plants, Korosensei, and Takina's hair. Though, he had a feeling that Takina wasn't even really trying to hide. That being that, he couldn't figure out why his former classmates were still watching him. He had betrayed them, left them for his own selfish reasons.
Why did they still care?
Takina could almost read that thought just from the way Takebayashi turned away from the windows, his shoulders stiffening like he was ashamed of himself. When she saw Asano approaching Takebayashi, Takina sunk lower into the bunches, letting the branches hide her so that she could peer through the leaves without being seen.
The last thing she needed was for Asano to spot her and get it into his head that she was spying on him because she had a thing for him.
She would never hear the end of it from him.
Or Karma, for that matter.
She watched as Asano spoke to Takebayashi for a moment before the two turned and exited the classroom.
"I wonder where they're going." Meahara remarked.
"The board chairman called for Takebayashi." Takina replied, making everyone look at her.
"Takina...can you read lips?" Kataoka asked.
"A little bit. After all the trouble I use to get when my tutors would give my father bad reports, I picked it up so I could follow their conversations from afar. Anything to give me some warning as to the mood my father would be in when I would report to him at the end of each day." Takina replied.
"I serious fear for the way you were raised." Meahara remarked.
"If only you knew the half of it." Takina replied, already moving through the bushes to head around the building to the window that looked into the chairman's office. When they reached the window, they were disappointed to find the curtains pulled.
"Damn. We can't see inside because of the curtains." Isogai muttered.
"Whatever he called Takebayashi to his office for, we can assume that it's something that's going to end up being bad for us. I already have a bad feeling." Takina remarked.
Unable to spy on Takebayashi any further, they went their separate ways, heading home. That night, unknown to the students of Class E, Korosensei visited Takebayashi on his way home to have a little chat. The next day, in celebration of the opening of the private school that started Kunugigaoka, the students across campus, gathered for an assembly.
There, standing in line with her class, Takina watched as Takebayashi stepped up on stage.
"Another speech from Takebayashi?" Nakamura asked.
"Apprehension." The others glanced back at Chiba as he spoke. "I can sense blood lust from Takebayashi."
"Yeah, so can I." Takina agreed. "Something big is about to happen."
Takina's eyes shifted to the side of the stage, where she could see Asano standing there, grin on her face. He looked up, finding her looking at him, and his grin shifted to a smirk. Whatever he and his father talked to Takebayashi about, she was sure it was with ill intent directed at Class E.
"Please, listen to what I would like to do." Takebayashi said into the microphone, starting his speech. "The Class E in which I stayed is a gathering of weak people. Because they lack what we call academic strength, they receive discriminatory treatment from everyone in the main building. But for me, that Class E, is almost as comfortable to be in as a maid cafe."
Takina had to bite down on the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the look that overcame Asano's features. Karma, who was standing in front of her, felt her forehead thud against his back, right between his shoulder blades. Through that contact, he could feel the light trembling that told him that she was laughing and only barely holding it in.
"I was lying. Because I wanted to be strong. Because I wanted to be accepted. But, even though I was the most useless among Class E, and betrayed them on top of that, my classmates still came to see how I was doing, many times. Sensei, even for a student like me, who had no knack for studying, he tried every method possible and schemed to teach me. I, who was unaccepted by my family and all of you, was treated as an equal by everyone of Class E." Takebayashi continued. "All of you, who are aiming to become distinctly strong, and be accepted by society...I believe you are right, and I respect you. But, for a little while longer, I'm fine with being weak. While bearing with weakness, and enjoying weakness, I will return to my life of aiming for the necks of the strong."
Asano, not pleased in the least, stepped up on the stage then, a glare directed at Takebayashi.
"Have you lost it, you damn pawn! Take it back and apologize, Takebayashi! If you don't-"
Asano cut off, coming to a stop when Takebayashi held up something. Takina raised her head from Karma's back, her eyes fixing in on the item. It was a Best Educational Manager Award with the chairman's name etched into it.
"I swiped this from the chairman's room. It's like a shield which commends a private school's best manager." Takebayashi said, withdrawing one of the wooden knives Class E used when playing Assassination Badminton. Holding out the award in one hand, he raised the knife in the other. "The chairman is truly a strong person. All his actions are rational. According to Asano, in the past, another student did this same thing or something like that."
Takina's lips twitched, threatening to spread into a grin as Takebayashi, with one swing, shattered the glass award, the shards glittering in the lights of the stage as they rained down on the floor. She imagined that Chairman Asano wasn't very happy at that moment.
"Thinking rationally, based on precedent, I'd say it's off to Class E, for me as well." Takebayashi said before exiting the stage.
Asano stopped him on his way off the stage, laying a hand on his shoulder to speak into his ear.
"Hold it. There really is no saving you, is there? And here we went through all this trouble to give you the chance to become strong." Asano told him.
"Strong? It looked like a group of people who were just scared. You, and everyone else." Takebayashi told him, walking away.
With that, Takebayashi returned to Class E, effective immediately.
The next day, they returned to class as normal, the day finding them sitting outside for their gym class.
"Beginning this second semester, we will include a new element to our assassinations. One of which, will be explosives." Karasuma was telling them. Takina perked up at this, one eyebrow raising now that Karasuma had her full attention. "Its power, which won't go off in the open air, is very appealing from an assassination standpoint, but the dangerous way in which Terasaka and the other tired to use it, is strictly forbidden."
Takina instantly turned on Terasaka, one eyebrow rocketing up as she looked back at him. It had to be something that had happened before she joined the class, or she would have heard about it.
"You set off a bomb?" she demanded.
"Just drop it! It's old news!" Terasaka snapped at her.
Takina might have pressed the matter if it wasn't for the sound of books being dropped on the ground. Turning, she found Karasuma had dropped a stack of books on the ground in front of the class.
"For that purpose, I want one of you to completely learn the safe handling procedures of explosives. My permission and the supervision of that one person will be the conditions for when we use the explosives. Now, who's willing to learn it?" Karasuma asked.
Just the sight of the thick books had most of the class balking in the face of the challenge. To everyone's surprise, it was actually two people that stepped up to the challenge. The first of those two, was Takebayashi, who took the books from Karasuma.
"This isn't knowledge that would help with studies, but, well, even this might come in handy at some point." Takebayashi said.
"Actually," Everyone turned in surprise as the second person stepped up, taking half of the books out of Takebayashi's hands. "It would be best if we had two people with the knowledge necessary, and, well...I'm too curious to pass up this chance."
Takebayashi looked up, meeting the lightly smiling face of Takina as she tucked the books under one arm.
"Let's commit this knowledge to mind, together, Takebayashi." she insisted, the boy smiling and nodding in return.
Karasuma, lightly smiling at the beginnings of their bomb squad, fixed the two with a stern look.
"Can you memorize it, Takebayashi, Itamatsu?" he asked, tapping his forehead.
"Yes. If I turn it into a parody song of the second season's OP, I'll get it done right away." Takebayashi replied.
"I won't have to do anything like that, but I'll get it stuck up there." Takina said, tapping her head.
With that, the class had the beginnings of their bomb squad selected.
Takina agreed with Takebayashi to take half of the books and swap out when they were done memorizing what was in the ones they had. Tucking one of the books inside another, so people wouldn't give her weird looks about the content she was reading, Takina headed home, alone, both Karma and Nagisa on cleaning duty.
Which meant Karma had ducked out of school early.
Takina, who had always been fascinated with the contained explosives used for action movies and other things like that, found the book interesting, the words and diagrams completely occupying her attention as she walked. If it hadn't been for that, she might have seen the person in her way before he stepped up in front of her.
Catching the sight of movement at the edges of her vision, Takina came to a stop, raising her head. Heaving an inward sigh because she was running into this person far too much lately, Takina snapped her book close, her eyes fixing in on the eyes of a smiling Asano.
"Was that a sigh I detected?" he asked.
"Yes." Takina retorted honestly. "We've been running into each other far to frequently. I'm starting to think you're purposely waiting to find me alone."
"While I would like to say that's absurd and you're merely being paranoid," Asano started, Takina raising an eyebrow because she couldn't deny that, sometimes, she was indeed paranoid. "Today, that's not the case. I was waiting for you."
"Oh? Is this another attempt to get me to transfer out of Class E? Haven't you had enough of that for a while, given how things ended with Takebayashi?" she asked, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder before crossing her arms.
"That was...regrettable, but that is not what this is about." Asano said, adjusting his tie as he obviously tried not to let the events with Takebayashi ruin his mood.
Takina raised an eyebrow at the attempt to keep his mood good. Whatever he wanted, he wanted his mood to remain good. It had to be something he was looking forward to, and that thought had her curious as to what he could possibly want from her, that wasn't related to her leaving Class E, that had him in such a good mood.
"Alright, color me curious. Why are you in such a good mood, and what does it have to do with me?" she asked.
"I have something for you." Takina's mind instantly filled with a series of ideas of what it was he had to give her, and each was more horrifying than the last. The thought must have shown on her face because Asano chuckled, evidently amused by the look. "It's nothing bad, you have my word. You are one of few that I have no intentions to shame or embarrass."
"Lucky me." Takina replied, unsure how she could feel about that admittance. "If it's nothing bad, then what could it possibly be?"
Reaching into his school bag, Asano pulled out a white velvet box about the size of a medium-sized notebook. Takina instantly had a bad feeling of a different sort settle in her stomach. Her eyes darted up to Asano's face and then back down at the box as he opened it. There, nestled among more velvet, was a choker that was a mix of simple and fancy.
The chain, itself, was simple, just a thin chain of sterling silver.
Scratch that.
Takina leaned closer, blinking in surprise when she found that it was silver, but white gold. The charm was that of a small cluster of flowers made from mother-of-pearl. At the very center, was a blue-green gemstone that glittered in the sun, the light making the color shift subtly from blue to green. It was simple looking enough, but Takina, whose step-mother loved her jewelry, her taste running on the expensive side, knew that the trinket was far from cheap.
"What is this?" she demanded, raising her eyes to look at Asano's face.
"The flowers are hyacinth, and the jewel is an Alexandrite. All set in mother-of-pearl and white gold." he told her.
"I see that. What I meant it...why?" she asked.
Asano removed the necklace from the box, Takina stiffening as he stepped behind her, hooking the necklace around her neck to secure it in place. It fit perfectly around the column of her neck. Asano latched it in place, his eyes, for a moment, pausing on the barest hint of a tattoo he could see just under the collar of her shirt.
"Hyacinth, particularly white ones, are suppose to symbolize "loveliness", and the Alexandrite, though red under different types of light sources, is usually blue-green under sunlight and reminded me of your eyes. It's why I picked it." he told her.
"Once again, you are missing the meaning behind my question. Why are you giving me this?" Takina demanded, looking over her shoulder at him.
It had not escaped her that, once again, the boy was far too close, invading her personal space on purpose.
"You wear this everyday, don't you?" Asano asked, sliding his hand around to the front of her throat to pick up the poppy necklace. Takina's narrowing was the only indication that she was uncomfortable with his casual touch. "I want to be represented, too. Consider it an...apology for all the unpleasantness you experienced with the Takebayashi issue."
"If you're going to spend this amount of money every time I experience unpleasantness from something you, your class, or your father does, then you're going to be broke in no time." Takina retorted. "You're not going to let me give this back, are you?"
"No, I'm not. If you'll accept it, and wearing it, I can make you a solemn promise that I, and Class A, will leave Class E be for a while. Let's say...until midterms?" Asano offered.
In her head, Takina let loose a string of German curses because that was far too tempting of a deal to pass up on. It would give her and her classmates time to plot against Korosensei and to prepare for midterms, all without having to deal with the schemes of Class A.
Asano's smile shifted into a smirk at the look on her face. He knew her answer before she said a word. Heaving a sigh, Takina turned her face away from him, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Fine. You win this round, Asan-"
"Gakushuu."
Takina really wanted to slap a hand to her face.
Even Karma didn't bug her this much to call him by his given name.
"I already told you, I'm not calling you that." she told him.
"Is this a tattoo under your collar? You know, those are against school rules."
She really wanted to punch him right then.
Turning to face him, Takina looked up at his smirking face.
"Let me guess, I call you by your given name and you keep the tattoo a secret?" she asked.
"You really are quite clever." he told her as an answer.
"Alright then. I'll play your game and will accept both deals...Gakushuu." Takina didn't think the boy's smirk could get any bigger, nor did she think he could get any more pleased with himself. "But, to be honest, you really should have gone with a snapdragon, instead, if you think I'm so clever."
"Snapdragon?" he repeated.
"They stand for deception, strength, and deviousness. I would have thought those would have been traits you valued more." Takina replied, turning on her heel to walk away.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning, Takina." Asano called after her. "After all...I do have to make sure you're wearing the necklace."
Takina didn't falter in her stride, or glance back. She merely raised a hand over her shoulder.
"Whatever tickles your fancy."
Asano watched as she opened her book once more and continued on her way as if he hadn't stopped her. Smirking to himself, Asano started off about his way too. While happy that he had managed to get her to accept the gift and to call him by his given name, there was one other purpose behind the necklace, and just thinking about it had his smirk growing.
He only wished he could see Karma's face when he saw the necklace.
-0-0-0-0-
"Holy cow! That thing's shiny!"
The frown on Takina's face only grew as her classmates continued to stare at her neck where her newest accessory shined brightly in the light. It was before school started and Takina was sitting at her desk, the others gathered around after hearing that the necklace, which the girls had noticed right away, was a gift from Asano.
Takina glanced out of the side of her eyes, towards Karma, who had his arms crossed over his chest, his face turned away from her. It didn't take a genius to realize that the boy wasn't happy. Which she had a feeling had been another goal of Asano's with giving her the necklace.
"It looks expensive." Isogai remarked.
"It is. I looked it up when I got home...fifty-four thousand yen." Takina replied, sounding put out.
"Seriously!?" came the shocked gasps from around the classroom.
Takina dropped her face into her hand, looking worn out.
"What kind of middle schooler goes around spending that kind of money on a girl he barely knows?! I wanted to throw it back in his face." Takina told them.
"Why didn't you? I mean, it's pretty and all, but...that's a lot of money." Kataoka remarked.
"Because he made me a deal. I accept the necklace and wear it, and he assured me that Class E doesn't have to deal with anymore schemes from him or Class A until after midterms. It was too good of a deal to pass up." Takina explained.
"Well...she's got a point." Sugaya admitted sheepishly. "If we can be left alone in peace until midterms, it would be great."
"Yeah, but at the sacrifice of Takina's pride? That's not fair!" Okano retorted.
"It's not so much a hit to my pride, as...I feel like a peacock with this thing on. Do you know how many people eyed me on my way to school today? I'm grateful that no one tried to mug me for it." Takina said, sagging back in her seat.
She was clearly put out by the whole thing. Especially since the sight of the necklace, regardless of the reason behind why she had accepted it, had put Karma in an awful mood. She was getting a little fed up with the way Asano and Karma were making it no secret that they were competing and that she was just the newest battleground for them.
"And that's not even all of it." Takina added.
"What else did he do?" Meahara asked.
"He's been harping on me to call him by his given name for a while now, and insist on calling me by mine. I don't really care much about the latter." Takina replied.
"But the only guy you call by his given name, is Nagisa." Sugino remarked. "You don't even call Karma by his given name."
"Yes, well...now that's got to change." Takina said, heaving a long, put out sigh.
Karma finally looked over at Takina, whose head was hanging back, her posture showing just how exhausted the whole thing was making her.
"Why?" Nagisa asked.
"...he saw my tattoo."
And that was answer enough.
They all knew that body art was against school rules.
"You actually let him see the back of your neck?" Kataoka asked.
"I'm not perfect, and, if I'm being honest...sometimes I forget the thing's back there. It's not a spot I can see, myself, so, most of the time, I don't even think about it. When he stepped up right behind me to put the necklace on me, I was more focused on him being in my personal space, that I forgot all about the tattoo." Takina admitted, sitting up straight only to brace her elbows on her desk. She dropped her chin in one hand. "Considering what he could have demanded of me in return for keeping the tattoo business secret, I'll take the added annoyance of having to call him by his given name."
When she said this, they were all suddenly hit by the realization that Asano could have used the tattoo as blackmail to force Takina to switch classes. They were fortunate that Asano seemed a little bit more concerned about winning Takina's affections over getting her in Class A.
"I don't think you'd really have to worry about him asking for that." Karma remarked.
"You have a point." Takina agreed, making their classmates look at the two in confusion.
"What do you mean?" Sugino asked, looking between the two.
"While him running his mouth is problem enough and can cause me some problems, there two issues with that threat." Takina told them. "One, he wouldn't have any proof. He could still cause me problems, even without it, but I don't think I would have to worry about expulsion. I might receive some kind of punishment for refusing to prove him wrong and show them I don't have one, but they can't force me to show them and they can't expel me for something they have no proof of."
"Good point." Isogai agreed.
"Two, getting her expelled would kind of defeat the purpose of trying to get close to her. A conflict of interest." Karma added.
"Why not let him think he's won this one, and just save myself some trouble?" Takina remarked. "It's not like it bothers me to call him by his given name."
"If that's the case, then why don't you call any of us by our's?!" Okajima demanded, the other boys agreeing.
"Do you boys realize how difficult some of your names are for me to say? Japanese is not my first language...or even my second." Takina replied.
"Our names aren't that difficult." Sugino insisted.
"Oh really? Tomohito...Ryunosuke...Taisei..." The boys whose names she called, winced as, in her attempt to wrap her mouth around the names, they didn't come out quite right. "The girls' name are easier to say, and Asano's given name is a freaking nightmare. I'm concerned that one of these times, I'm going to say his father's by mistake. He definitely wouldn't be happy with that."
Karma didn't know about her, but the thought made him grin.
"So you're just going to accept the deals?" Meahara asked.
"The second one isn't really that big of a deal, so why not? As for the first one...it's a small price to pay in order for our class to get some peace from Class A. I consider it well worth it." Takina replied.
"Yeah, maybe, but what is someone really does try to mug you for that thing?" Meahara insisted.
"Meahara, you have first hand experience that I can handle myself." Meahara flinched at the reminder of all the spars he had been in with her since she had started in the class. "Besides, it's not like I walk alone. Nagisa's almost always with me."
"No offense to Nagisa, but that's not much comfort." Meahara replied.
Nagisa only smiled sheepishly. He couldn't really get made when he was well aware that no one really felt threatened by the sight of him. No mugger would look at him and think of him as a threat before going after Takina. In fact, a mugger might actually see Takina as the bigger threat out of the two of them.
"I'll be fine. If you're so worried, you're more than welcome to wake up earlier than you already do and make the trip to my apartment to walk to school with me." Takina offered. Meahara made a face in response to the idea. "That's what I thought."
Karma glanced at Takina as, with the start of class, everyone else was forced to return to their desk. His eyes dropped from her face to the choker around her neck. Hating the mere sight of it, he decided on something then and there.
If Asano wanted to play this game, then two people could play it
END
Kyandi: I would have accepted the necklace from the beginning.
Takina: Yeah, only so you could turn around and sell it.
Kyandi: I'm like Isogai, I'm dirt poor. I'm lucky to afford my internet every month, so leave me alone.
Takina: It's even worse now that you can't go to work.
Kyandi: Tell me about it...I want to cry. But! I won't!
Takina: Because you have fanart you want to get back to?
Kyandi: YES! With that in mind, everyone, enjoy and review, please!
Takina: We'll be back as soon as possible.
Kyandi: Bye-bye!