"Sawada Sensei!" Karma exclaimed after the session had finished. Since he was to target Sawada Sensei, he'd have to go to every single one of her classes from now on. And not act dumb too. The teacher looked at him with surprise written all over her face. Obviously, she didn't recognise Karma.

She scrambled to remember his name. "Ayano-kun?" she guessed uncertainly, "Do you need my help?" Sawada Hana was a picturesque image. Her chest was large and healthy, although never exposed. Her silky, thick brown wavy hair ended at the middle of her back and her face, with vibrant features, were profound. There was no prettier teacher than her in the school. Maybe Koro Sensei had enjoyed her boobs? Karma thought cheekily with a small smile.

"Haha! Sawada Sensei, you're so funny! I'm Karma-kun, remember?" Karma put on his best perfect angel face. "I was just going to say, your lesson was amazing today! I've probably learnt the most out of this session that every other! What's your secret, do you actually follow what the curriculum says, or do you come up with your own topics and lessons? It's really interesting." He hated this way of charming people, but it had to be done. Seeing as he didn't even know Sawada Sensei very well; having skipped all her classes until now.

Her face brightened. "Oh really? That's good to know! I always worry so much about my lessons - whether you students will like them, whether it's engaging enough, whether you're actually getting anything out of it. It's quite nice of you to speak up like this, Karma-kun. Thank you!" So she was a simple-minded teacher who worries about her lessons a lot. Maybe he could use that to wrap her around his little finger.

"Well, you've certainly done quite enough!" Karma praised. His efforts in trying to show a face that said I-don't-want-to-say-this-to-her-face-but. It worked well enough.

"Karma-kun, is something wrong?" Sawada asked nervously.

Karma faked a gulp. "WEL... There is one thing that I didn't like so much about the lesson. At the end, when you finished up with a summary? Yeah, that was a bit long and confused me."

"Oh really? Thank you for telling me. You're a good help, you know, Karma-kun!" She smiled with a wave before saying a short goodbye and leaving the room. Karma lightly laughed and waved her off, putting on his biggest smile.

Well then, step one is done. Building a small connection to remember, Karma thought. As he walked down the hallway, he noticed a flash of strawberry blonde hair. "Ah, Asano-kun. What brings you to me?" he asked with a cheerful tone and a teasing smile. "Another question abou,-" he lowered his tone, "Last year?"

Asano's steel expression did not falter. "I need to warn you, Karma-kun. Separate from Sakusa. You've grown close to her, but I'm warning you. She's not- She's dangerous. Stop whatever relationship you have with her. I'm doing this for you. Not because I want her, or any of that nonsense." Karma was taken aback by Asano's forcefulness. He'd never seen so much fear. "I'm warning you, Karma-kun. Don't go near her."

As the strawberry blonde haired boy walked away, Karma chuckled. "You do like her, don't you Asano-kun?" her murmured.

-3-

Sakusa, on the other side of the school, bit her nails in fright. She was being way too nervous about the whole ordeal, she knew that. But it didn't stop her wrists from quivering. She quietly approached Horiki, who was chatting with two tall girls. They towered over Sakusa like she was a mouse.

"Horiki-san? I-I, uh, was wondering about lunch. I mean, eat lunch. Ah, uh. Can I eat lunch with you today? I don't really have anyone else..." Sakusa blurted out quickly. The taller girls slowly walked away.

Horiki blinked and wondered but tried to ease the tension. Her signature smile beamed across the hall. "Okay. But don't you usually sit with Akabane-kun?"

"Ahh, you know boys.. they kind of just drift..." Sakusa laughed nervously, as if that was explanation enough. Horiki raised an eyebrow but didn't push the topic.

"Okay. I'd feel awful if I said no anyway. Come on then," she gave a small smile and the two girls headed to Horiki's usual table which was already full of girls. They waved enthusiastically when Horiki came along. But then their smiles drooped a bit when they caught sight of Sakusa trailing behind Horiki.

"Horiki-san! Isn't that the girl who stole Akabane-kun from you?" One girl called out with a whiny voice. "Why is she with you?" Sakusa glanced at the whining girl. She pissed her off, and it didn't seem like her whole table liked her around either.

"Ah, well. She's sitting with us today."

-3-

"So, how was it?" Karma asked that afternoon as cars flew past them in a blur. Their path home was crowded as usual though the rain looked as if it would pour anytime.

Sakusa whistled, "You know... It was okay... None of them seemed to like me much. Why did I have to get stuck with the harder person?"

Karma smirked, "Then get smarter! You wouldn't have to be in her class if you weren't as dumb as her. I could easily take her, but since she's in your class..." Sakusa groaned.

They walked in mild silence; though people chattered loudly all around them there seemed to be a bubble of silence around them. Karma's serene face was going into overdrive. He knew that warming up to their Hana's would take a couple of weeks. Then he would get the truth. There was a eager long for it, a drive to find out what Koro Sensei wanted him to know. Or wanted him to look after. Why would he want him to look after such an ordinary person? What was it that made her so special?

"It must be family," Sakusa suddenly said. "Or a lover."

Karma stared at her. "What?" she asked indignantly. "Why else would he ask you to look after someone. Why would it be so important to him that he entrust it to you? I, for one, wouldn't ask anyone to look after a random person or friend after I died. She must mean a lot to him. And that only narrows it down to a possible lover or family."

A smile grew on his face as he watched Sakusa. "You're right." He nodded. "It would have to be family then. He already had a lover, the only one that was important enough for him to share it to us. But she's dead."

"So... Could it be his sister? Cousin, even?"

The boy shrugged with his hands in his pockets, as usual. "I've no idea. But I didn't think Koro Sensei had any family really."

"Why's that?"

Karma suddenly stopped in the middle of the footpath and held Sakusa's wrist, making her stop and turn to look at him. He let go of her hands and smiled, "Koro Sensei was an assassin before he taught us. I have a feeling that he didn't have family, Sakusa-san." Her pupils quivered in horror as she seemed to look through his eyes itself. Her deep black eyes shook with fear and shock. But somehow, she was still, unmoving.

"An assassin?"

"Yes," Karma nodded with a knowing smile. But behind that smile, there was no joy. His amber eyes glinted in the shadow of his swaying hair. His face haunted her, as if that wasn't all. "And he loved it when we tried to kill him." She ran away. Her footsteps echoed across the empty street and Karm watched her small figure go further and further away. Maybe now, she'd refuse to help him. The thought pulled a string in his heart.