Kyandi: Hey, everyone!
Takina: Someone is in a very good mood today.
Kyandi: Yep! With the shelter in place order lifted in my county, I was able to go out, for a short while and while still being very cautious, with my best friend.
Takina: They haven't been able to really see each other much in the last two months or so.
Kyandi: Yeah, so I was happy to be able to go out and spend a little time talking to her. And I was still able to complete this chapter!
Takina: A double win.
Kyandi: Yep. Also, in this chapter, you all get to learn a little bit about Takina's past.
Takina: A particularly painful bit.
Kyandi: Yep, but it should make a few things make sense for you.
Takina: Shall we jump in then?
Kyandi: Yep. Everyone, enjoy and review.
Takina: Kyandi-sama does not own Assassination Classroom.
Chapter 28 Challenging an Ikemen
"He's so...princely."
Nagisa couldn't tell if the tone in Takina's voice was awe or disgust, or maybe even a mix of the two. At the moment, the two of them, Maehara, Kayano, Kataoka, and Okajima, sat in a cafe a good distance away from Kunugigaoka where Isogai worked part-time as a waiter. The six were watching Isogai from a booth as he greeted customers with a bright smile.
"Um...he's an ikemen." Kayano agreed.
They watched as Isogai greeted two older women, a couple of regulars, easily rattling off their usual order while talking them into a couple orders of the chiffon cake.
"He truly is an ikemen. That leader of ours." Maehara remarked.
"I wanna kill him." Okajima retorted, jealous.
After taking the women's order to the kitchen, Isogai swung around to their table.
"You guys, don't lounge around with just one glass of black tea." Isogai told them.
"Relax. We're keeping your part time job a secret for you." Maehara replied, grinning.
"Okay, okay, you're shaking this out of me. It's nothing special, but here's some extra black tea." Isogai replied, pouring the drinks with a wink.
"I think I'll distinguish myself from the rest, Isogai, and order a slice of chiffon cake for everyone, if you don't mind." Takina spoke up from where she sat on the other side of Kataoka from Okajima.
"So six slices?" Isogai asked.
"Yeah, and if you don't mind...a whole cake to-go. I heard the chiffon cake here is really good." Takina replied.
Isogai gave her a bright smile as he wrote the order down. He refilled her cup and went to give her order to the kitchen. Takina turned her eyes back to her cup, only to find the others looking at her with grins.
"What are those grins for? All I'm doing is satisfying my sweet tooth." Takina said.
"Yeah, right. We all know it was you had all those eggs delivered to his house." Maehara said.
"Oh, yeah? Prove it." Takina challenged, looking up at him over her teacup. With no proof to present, Maehara had to close his mouth in the face of Takina's almost cocky grin. "Just eat the cake I'm so graciously paying for, and hush it. You're just jealous."
"Jealous? What do I have to be jealous of?" Maehara asked.
"While it's true that you and Akabane, as well as Isogai, are the three best looking guys in our class, unlike you and Akabane, there's no danger there with Isogai. He's kind and minds his manners. You're a player and Akabane is just a devil child. He's calm, cool-headed, and charming. I'm not saying that you don't have your own charm, but for a girl who is looking for an honest to goodness, long term relationship...you are not the to go to." Takina explained.
Maehara might have argued...if he could.
"Okay, yeah, I see your point. His only fault would be that he's poor. But he even works that to being an ikemen." Maehara admitted. "His street clothes...he wears his bargain brand clothes so immaculately, it doesn't even look cheap. And before, he let me try some of the goldfish he caught at the festival. His goldfish cuisine was freaking delicious."
Takina really had to take the boy grocery shopping. No one should eat goldfish.
"Also, after he used the toilet, the toilet paper was folded into a triangle." Maehara added, Kataoka and Kayano fawning over how much of a ikemen Isogai was.
"Ah, if it's toilet paper we're talking about, I fold it too. Into a triangle." Okajima said.
And that just disturbed the girls.
Takina became amused by the comparisons made after that.
Isogai was a natural with older women.
He was an ikemen.
Nagisa was fawned over by older women.
He had no dignity.
Isogai got love letters from girls in the main school building.
He was an ikemen.
Kataoka got love letters from girls in the main school building.
It was forbidden love.
It was actually quite funny to Takina how the same thing, when involving different people, could inspire different feelings in others.
"There are certain things that only suit ikemens. That only suit Isogai...and Sensei."
Turning to the table behind them, they were confronted by the sight of Korosensei in disguise and enjoying some honey toast.
"Korosensei...what are you doing here?" Takina demanded.
"The honey toast here is superb. Out of respect for this item, I am turning a blind eye to Isogai's part time job." Korosensei replied. "But, everyone, no matter how much of an ikemen he is, it doesn't bother you much, does it?"
They all pretty much agreed that it didn't. It just...simply fit Isogai.
"Why is that?" Korosensei asked.
"Well...you know, he's just a nice guy." Maehara answered. "Do we need any other reason?"
"I actually find it a little difficult to believe that he's single." Takina remarked.
If they were all being honest, her classmates could agree with her. Isogai was nice, cute, and a gentleman. That he was single, boggled them all.
"Well, well, well. The information was right." Takina groaned lowly to herself as the last group of people she wanted to see, make their appearance, Araki speaking as the Elite Five walked into the cafe. "There's a student here working part time."
"You can't be doing this, Isogai." Koyama added.
"This is your second serious offence against school regulations. I misjudged you, Isogai."
Takina frowned as Asano joined the conversation, stepping through the door. Turning to Kataoka and Okajima, she lowly demanded to be let out of the booth. The two slide out of their seats, letting Takina slide out of the booth. Stepping up to Isogai's side, Takina pinned Asano with a stern look.
"Outside. Now." she demanded, ushering Isogai ahead of her.
"If that's what you wish." Asano told her, pleasantly surprised to find Takina there.
Following Takina, Asano and his group and Takina and her friends, stepped outside where they wouldn't be bothering the customers.
Takina instantly rounded on Asano.
"What are you doing? Have you already so easily forgotten our deal?" Takina demanded of Asano. "I have worn this necklace every day, and it's not midterms yet."
"Ah, yes. I haven't forgotten our deal, Takina. A student is in blatant disregard of school rules, and for the second time, I might add. I cannot merely ignore it. If it had been a member of Class A, would have done the same thing." Asano told her.
"Really? For some reason, I highly doubt that. You are purposely messing with Isogai, or are you going to tell me you have no scheme up your sleeve?" Takina demanded.
"I'm hurt that you think that way of me, Takina. I don't consider this messing with you or your classmates. Merely doing my duty as an upstanding member of Class A." Asano replied.
"Well, I do consider it messing with him, so the deal is void." Takina replied, arms crossed over her chest.
"I'm sad to hear that. The necklace looks good on you." Asano told her.
"I'm not. I have grown irritated with the looks of others who look like they're about to mug me at any moment." Takina retorted, half turning from him. "I don't know what you're planning, but if you go through with it, our deal is done."
"If you feel that way, then I can't change your mind." Asano replied.
"Asano. Can you keep this a secret? I can make a lot of money this month, and I really need it." Isogai pleaded, turning to face him.
"Let's see. If I can, I'd like to give you a chance as well. Then, why don't I throw out one condition?" Asano told him.
Takina had a bad feeling about this, and she couldn't help but noticed that when Asano was plotting something bad...he really resembled his father.
"If you show me your fighting spirit, I'll pretend I didn't see anything here." Asano told Isogai.
"Fighting spirit?" Isogai asked.
"You know, traditionally, our school, more so than anything, it values those who possess the will to go out into society and fight. A fighting spirit worthy enough to earn the respect to write off a regulation infraction. In order to show me that..."
What Asano told them next, had Takina really wanting to strangle the boy. Grinning at the looks of unease on her classmate's faces, Asano's classmates turned to leave after Asano stated his condition. Asano, though, turned to Takina, giving her a grin.
"Takina." he said in parting.
"Gakushuu." she replied.
Asano's grin grew into a cocky smirk at the sound of his given name on her lips.
"I love hearing my name come from you." he told her, giving her a wink before turning to follow his classmates.
Maehara and Isogai had to grab Takina as she made a lunge for Asano's turned back, her fingers flexing like she wanted to strangle him.
"I really hate that smirk." Takina said sourly.
"Yeah, you and us both." Maehara assured her. "But you can't kill him."
"Just a little?" Takina asked.
"No."
"You're no fun."
One of these days, Asano was going to push her and she was going to rub dirt in that smug face of his.
She just had to be patient.
She get even soon enough.
Maybe a small does of public humiliation.
-0-0-0-0-
"The Boutaoshi at the Athletic Festival?"
The next day found Takina and the others who had been present, telling the rest of the class the deal Asano had made with them, Takina perched on the desk Karma was sitting at. Despite the current issue they now found themselves having to deal with, Karma was merely happy to see that Takina was no longer wearing the choker Asano had given her.
"Yeah. They said they'd turn a blind eye if we beat Class A. Apparently this chance to mess with us trumped his deal with Itamatsu because he was all to quick to let it go." Maehara told the others.
"Not that I'm complaining about that part." Takina added.
Nor was Karma.
"But you know, we were excluded from the beginning, so we're not scheduled to participate in the Boutaoshi." Kimura pointed out.
"Most importantly, Class A has twenty-eight boys, Class E has sixteen boys. I can't see it as a fair fight, at all." Takebayashi pointed out.
"Which is probably why Asano chose this. He even said something about setting it up to look like a written challenge from us. That, "That will also be praised as an act of courage"." Takina quoted.
"Keh. Anyone can see that he's planning on embarrassing us." Terasaka growled.
"What do we do? If we don't accept, it's another penalty for Isogai. He's already been dropped into Class E. If we make a wrong move, isn't there a chance he'll be expelled?" Sugino asked.
"No...there's not need to do this, guys." Isogai said then, giving them as bright a smile as he could. "We're talking about Asano here, so we have no idea what he'll do to us. This is what I sowed, so I'll reap all the responsibility. Bring on the expulsion! I can aim for assassinations outside of school anyway."
For a moment, there was silence, and then all of the boys blew up, throwing things at Isogai, calling him not cool and calling him names. Isogai stumbled over his words, not sure how to react to their reaction and didn't see what was coming next.
"Dummy!" Isogai flinched as a pair of knuckles dropped on the top of his head. The hit wasn't soft, but it wasn't hard either. It had him looking up at the stern face of Takina. "For a smart boy, you really are stupid. I like you, when you aren't being stupid, so I won't smack you like I normally would someone else, but don't push your luck by saying unnecessarily idiotic things."
"You smack me all the time." Karma pointed out from her side.
Just for that comment, Takina reached out and smacked him over the back of the head.
"Yeah? Well, I'll smack you regardless of whether or not I actually like you. You have a smack-able face." Takina told him, before turning back to Isogai, her hands on her hips. "Look, Isogai, you don't really need to think too hard about this."
"She's got a point, Isogai." Maehara asked, approaching the boy's desk, one of the anti-sensei knives in hand. When he reached the desk, he slammed the end of the hilt into the desk as he leaned down to peer into Isogai's face. "All we have to do is beat those nerds in Class A at Boutaoshi, right? Piece of cake!"
"That's true. Actually, we were lucky that they found out about the part time job, huh?" Mimura agreed, laying a hand on top of Maehara's that was holding the knife.
"That constant resentment, it's a chance to give it all back to them." Terasaka agreed, his hand joining Maehara's and Mimura's.
"Forget beating them, let's smash them to pieces!"
All of the other boys agreed, each of their hands joining the pile. Isogai couldn't find anything to say, struck speechless by the support of his friends.
"So, what's it going to be, Isogai?" Isogai looked up at Takina, the girl meeting his gaze evenly, her hands on her hips. "Are you going to fight with your friends, who are ready to throw in, or are you going to wallow?"
Isogai stared up at Takina, meeting her neon green gaze, the girl never blinking. Though she didn't usually had a round about way of showing her support, never one to outright state it, he could feel her support in that even gaze. She have his back because they were friends.
A smile curling his lips, Isogai took the knife, showing that he was in.
"Good." Takina said, glad to see he wasn't going to back down. "Now, you just have to think of a plan. Everyone has a weakness. You just have to find Asano's and exploit it for all it's worth."
The boys thought about those words, letting them run circles in their heads.
Asano's weakness, something that never failed to get to him, to distract him...
That was it!
Takina raised an eyebrow as every single pair of eyes turned to her, all of them staring. A look of questioning fell on her face as she looked at each of them, a feeling of discomfort settling in her stomach.
"What?" she asked, a little fearful of the answer.
Grins begun to spread across the boys' faces and that was when Takina's instincts kicked in, that gut feeling deep in her gut screaming, "Run, Forrest! Run!". It was as that instinct kicked in that it clicked in Takina's head.
Asano's weakness...was her.
"Oh, no. No, no, no!" Takina said, shaking her head.
"Itamatsu-"
"No! I know what you boys are thinking. First the baseball game and now this?! I had a bruise on my chest for three weeks after that game and that was suppose to be a limited-contact sport! I'm not stupid, I know that Boutaoshi is all about contact! You boys are trying to get me killed." Takina said, cutting off Maehara. "Not happening, no. Not a no, not a hell no, not even a hell fucking no. There's no way I'm doing it, end of story."
Maehara shared a look with Karma before going for the only weak spot he knew Takina had.
"Think about Isogai, Itamatsu. Do you really want him to get kicked out of school when you could have helped him stay?" Maehara asked.
They all watched as Takina's eyes instantly dropped to Isogai's face. She stared at him intently for a moment before one of her eyes twitched. When she next spoke, they knew they had her.
"Verdammte Hölle!" she growled as her shoulders sagged and one gloved hand slapped to her face. She muttered a few more lines of German behind her hand before peeking through her fingers. "Fine, but if I die because of this, I'm haunting you all. And you," Takina jabbed a finger at Isogai, who flinched. "You're coming with me after school today. No arguments."
"Uh...okay." Isogai replied after confirming he didn't have work.
Takina walked away from the boys then, face planted in a hand and muttering, "These jerk-offs are going to get me killed..." under her breath. The boys grinned because they knew, regardless of whatever she said, she really didn't mean it.
Now, they just had to make a plan.
-0-0-0-0-
That afternoon, after school, Takina was outside the building doors, waiting, when Isogai came out. Curious as to why she wanted him to come with her, he walked over to her, the girl marking her book as he approached, tucking it away in her bag.
"So, what is it you wanted me for?" he asked.
"You'll see. Come on."
With that, Takina turned and started walking. Curious, and, if he was honest, a little concerned, Isogai followed her as she started off down the path to the foot of the mountain. He fell into step with her, silence stretching between them.
"Hey, Takina, Isogai!" Hearing Nagisa's voice, the two turned, finding Karma and Nagisa heading their way. "Where are you two off to?"
"Just going somewhere." Takina replied, not ready to let Isogai know where they were going.
"Mind if we tag along?" Karma asked.
"Knock yourself out." Takina told them
With that, she turned back around and continued about her way, the three boys following her as silence, once again, fell on them. The silence wasn't broken until they had left school grounds, and it was Takina who broke it.
"Tell me about your family, if you will, Isogai."
Isogai glanced over at Takina, surprised by her sudden interest, before sharing a look with Karma and Nagisa. Aside from a few conversations, most of them about her father, Takina didn't talk about her family, nor did she ask about others' families. For her to take interest now...Isogai supposed it wouldn't be bad to answer her.
"Well, I have a younger brother and sister." Isogai replied.
"And it's just you, them and your mother?" Takina asked.
"Yeah. My dad was killed in a car accident during my first year of middle school and my mom is always sick, so I had to help take care of her and our finances." Isogai told her.
"I'm sorry to hear that. It can't be easy with your tuition and that of your siblings." Takina said as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket to type something in.
"It's alright. We make it. I started working part-time after that, and, eventually, I dropped to Class E because of it." Isogai explained as she tucked her phone away.
Takina glanced over at him as silence fell between them once more. If asked later on, she couldn't even begin to explain why she felt comfortable enough to share what she did. Maybe it was because she sympathized with Isogai, or maybe it was just that she knew Isogai and Nagisa would never use it against her.
Karma was a little iffy.
Whatever the reason, once she started talking, she just couldn't stop it.
Maybe a part of her had been waiting years to talk to someone, anyone.
"My mother was killed when I was four." The three boys glanced over at Takina, but her eyes were focused straight ahead, though she didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular. "My father isn't exactly a likable man, and with some people, it goes as far as hatred. He had made a lot of enemies in his line of business and there were some who saw me, as his daughter, as his only weakness. They didn't know my father very well."
"What happened?" Isogai asked.
"One of them, to try to force my father into a corner after he managed to bring down their company, hired some men to kidnap me. Leverage to get him to hand back over control of the company. Personally, I don't remember everything, but what I do remember..." Takina trailed off, giving her head a shake. "I prefer not to think about it. When the men found me, I was out with my mother. She was never one to let others push her around. My father use to describe her as a spitfire with red hair to match. Said her motherly instincts were stronger than anything else and God help anyone who challenged them. He even once admitted that she might have been one of the only two people he ever feared in his entire life."
Isogai and Nagisa smiled at the image she painted of her mother. Karma couldn't help but think that her mother had passed her spitfire personality down to Takina in some ways. The pride in her mother, though, despite the limited time she'd had her, was obvious in Takina's tone.
"She sounds strong." Isogai remarked.
"She was. But, when those men came after me, she did the only thing a mother could do...she fought. They weren't suppose to hurt anyone, just grab me and get out of there, but my mother could raise hell with the best of them. One of them drew a gun. I suppose he thought the sight of it would scare her into calming down. They didn't know my mother any better than they knew my father. She grappled with the man for the gun, and, in the struggle...the gun went off. Scared by the implications of what they had done, even if accidental, they ran off, leaving me there in the middle of the street as my mother bled out. She was gone before help arrived."
All three boys turned to stare at her. It now made sense to them, how much Takina hated guns. It made sense how little she wanted to talk about her mother, how much she clung to something that reminded her of her mother, like the necklace Karma had given her. Looking at how the girl schooled her features into indifference, they were confronted with just how much practice she'd had with numbing herself in order to make it through the years.
"And your dad? What did he do?" Nagisa asked.
"Completely and utterly demolished the man. Socially, financially...he buried the man who hired those kidnappers, after seeing to it that the two would be kidnappers were caught and dealt with. He got all the revenge he could on that man, but everything changed after that. Especially with me." Takina admitted.
"He didn't...blame you, did he?" Isogai asked.
"He never said anything, then again...he never says anything, but, when he looks at me, I can see it. Whether or not he wants to admit it, whether or not it's all of him, a part of him does blame me.." Takina replied, eyes still set forward. "I suppose I could understand that. There was even a time when I wondered if I should blame myself, too."
"You can't think like that!" Nagisa told her instantly. "It's not you-"
"Nagisa." Nagisa cut off when Takina gently called his name. "I've thought a lot about this over the years, and I could blame a lot of different people. I could blame it on my father, since it was because of his business dealings the man struck out at me in the first place. I could blame that man for sending those kidnappers, I could blame the kidnappers, and, yes, I could blame myself for ever being born. Regardless of whose fault it is or is not...it's not going to bring her back. Whether I blame myself or someone else, it's a lot of bad feelings. Guilt, bitterness, anger...so much anger. To be honest, I've had enough of that, of it all. I left my home, my country, because I couldn't go on having him look at me with that look in his eyes."
"So your dad basically drove you away." Nagisa stated. "You, his daughter."
"Grief is a heavy burden, Nagisa. It makes people do weird and stupid things. I'm not excusing his actions. Maybe, with me gone, he'll have time to sort it all out. Maybe not. Either way, I left for a reason and I'm not looking back. I'll do what I have to do. It might not always be what I want to do, but I'll still do what I need to." Takina told him.
"Why tell us this now?" Karma asked.
"I don't know, but I don't plan to over think it." Takina replied, before her head tilted and her eyes shifted. "We're here."
All three boys came to a stop beside Takina, looking up to find themselves...standing in front of a grocery store.
"A grocery store?" Isogai asked.
"Yes. Grab two carts." Takina ordered.
Doing as told, Isogai and Nagisa each grabbed one of the big, push buggies, following Takina into the store, Karma bringing up the rear. Once in side the large store, Takina turned to look at Isogai, her hands going to her hips.
"Alright, Isogai, listen up. I don't care what you get, I don't care how much it ends up being, but I want you to take these two carts...and completely fill them both up with food that you and your family will eat. I will be paying for the whole thing."
Both Isogai and Nagisa's jaws dropped while Karma snickered in the background.
"Wait, what?! I can't let you do that, Itamatsu! It's too much." Isogai insisted.
"Isogai." Isogai fell silent as Takina heave a sigh and fixed him with a stern look. "Look, I have more money than I know what to do with. Every month, my account grows and that's with my tuition fees and all my bills being paid. If I can't use that unnecessarily excess amount of funds on someone who really could use it, and who deserves it, then what's the point? Honestly, I don't care how much of it you spend if it'll help you and your family. If you can get enough food for a month, then that's just one less thing you have to worry about, and with Asano and this whole mess with him, I think you deserve that, at least."
For all her feigned indifference and her insisting that she wasn't a softie, Takina still had her way of showing that she wasn't icy as she sometimes acted. Smiling brightly in the face of her indifferent expression, Isogai thanked her.
"Yeah, yeah, get a move on if we're going to get all this back to your place in time for dinner. I have reservations for the four of us, your siblings, and your mother. If she's healthy enough to go out for a short while, that is." Takina replied.
"Really, Itamatsu-"
"Takina." Isogai gave her a questioning look. "I do believe, by this point, that I've earned the right to have you call me by my given name, right?"
Isogai smiled at that.
"Yeah, you have. Thanks, Takina." he told her.
"Yep. Now come on, let's get moving. Nagisa, text your mom that your eating with me tonight for a study session at the library." Takina ordered.
Chuckling awkwardly at the authoritative tone in her voice that left no room for arguments, Nagisa sent the message before he took one cart, Takina ushering Isogai into motion. Falling into step behind Isogai and Nagisa as Isogai went about his shopping, Karma glanced down at Takina.
"So you really do have a beating heart under that icy expression." he teased.
"Shut it. I'm still angry at you for that groping incident." Takina retorted.
"You can't just let that go?" he asked.
"Not a chance, Akabane. One of these days, I'm going to get you back, and you," Takina turned to him to jab a finger at his chest. "Are going to regret the day you met me. That's not a threat, it's a promise."
Karma looked down at her face, peered into her serious, neon green gaze as she glared up at him. There, in her eyes, he could see a challenge, could just pick up the barest hint of blood lust just peeking through the well guarded wall she locked it behind.
And it put a predatory grin on his face, his pupil dilating in response.
"Bring it on." he told her.
"Oh, I will. And it'll make that little kiss incident, look like a playful love tap. I'm going to make you wish you were never born." she promised him, turning on her heel and flicking her hair over her shoulder at him.
Karma's grin grew. He was only just now starting to see hints of her blood lust. A blood lust that, until that moment, had been completely missing during everything else.
It was then that Karma realized, even during the fight between Nagisa and Takaoka, when Takina had been agitated out of concern for Nagisa...he had not felt a single drop of blood lust from her.
It made him pause as he watched her walk away. Who in the world could control their blood lust so well that they could hide it even when agitated? Yet another piece of Takina that didn't fit. He was looking at a puzzle that made up Takina, but there were several major pieces that were missing, the ones left behind not quite fitting together.
It had him wondering...would he ever see the full picture?
END
Kyandi: I hope that, somewhat, starts giving you guys a few pieces to the puzzle.
Takina: You're really going to compare me to a puzzle.
Kyandi: It's a fitting analogy.
Takina: Do I...sense a pun there?
Kyandi: Uhhh...maybe?
Takina: Try saying that without the question mark at the end.
Kyandi: Yeah, I can't. Anyway, everyone enjoy and review!
Takina: We'll return as soon as possible, but to be honest...it'll probably be tomorrow.
Kyandi: Bye-bye!