The door of the classroom slammed open, letting enter a rather frazzled Ame. Her eyes were wide, she was panting, and her hair was a wild mess.
"I am so sorry! I swear to God, I didn't mean to be late!"
The rest of the class stared at her with wide eyes. Ame had been late to class ever since the year began and, while she had been getting better ever since she made that deal with Korosensei, it was still a habit she had a hard time getting rid of. So, to see her actually bothered by her lateness, for once, greatly shocked them.
"Ame… Are you sick?" frowned Rio.
"What? No!" She ran a hand through her hair, agitated. "My alarm didn't work this morning and no one woke me up because they thought I was already gone for school and I swear I didn't mean to miss the first three periods but—"
"First three?" echoed Isogai, confused. "Naoki-san, this is the first period."
"… what?"
"Niryufufufu!" Korosensei laughed, rubbing his tentacles together. "Isogai-kun is right! This is the first period of the day: chemistry!"
"But… they told me… Ugh. You know what? Forget it ever happened," she huffed in defeat, taking the seat next to Rio. She let her head hit the table. "Just start the lesson already."
Her classmates were now muffling laughs and smiles. The girl really wasn't one for early mornings, that much was obvious. And, well, to see the usually calm teen so distraught was rather entertaining.
"Now, now, Naoki-san!" chuckled her teacher, coming to stand next to her. His tentacle patted her head. "No sleeping in class—"
He was cut off as the girl suddenly straightened up, slicing through three of his tentacles before throwing the knife at his head. He instantly vanished, reappearing on the other side of the classroom.
There was a moment of silence.
"Damn it!" she cursed, sitting back down. "Almost had you…"
"You mean that was planned all along!?" gaped Muramatsu.
"Well duh. Worst thing is, no one suspected a thing even though I acted so out of character," she snorted, pulling a hairbrush from her bag. She started rearranging her hair correctly. "But well, I guess I'll have to think of something else now."
Her teacher chuckled once more, his skin turning orange.
"Wonderful attempt, Naoki-san! Though, now, we truly must start the lesson. So, without further interruption…"
Ame finished brushing her hair, before leaning against the table. She would probably sleep through it. She did have a late-night patrol the night before… An eraser suddenly hit her square in the forehead, startling her out of the daze she was falling into.
"Oi!"
"No sleeping in class!" warned Korosensei. She then noticed that each of his tentacles was holding a projectile of some sort. "And I am ready to forcefully keep you awake if I have to!"
Damn it… To think I got up early too…
The class was coming to an end. After getting hit by an eraser for the fourth time, Ame gave up on trying to sleep and half-listened to the lesson. Korosensei ended up stealing the snacks the students had bought for the experimentations but, as her classmates started protesting, Okuda Manami rose to her feet and walked up to their teacher.
"A- ano, sensei…"
"Can I help you, Okuda-san?"
"Ano…!" She suddenly extended three vials full of weird liquid. "Those are poisons! Please drink them!"
Ame gaped at her for a few seconds, genuinely taken by surprise. And I thought I was straightforward…
"I- I guess that's too much to ask…?" blushed the purple-eyed teen.
"My, this is certainly an honest assassination attempt, Okuda-san," mused Korosensei.
"It's- it's because I'm not good at surprise attacks and stuff like everyone else… But I am good at chemistry, so I made this with all my heart and soul!"
"Heart and soul of what? A poison mistress?" sweatdropped Ame.
Rio roughly elbowed her.
"O- Okuda…" Sugino scratched the back of his head. "No one would be dumb enough to drink it just like that…"
"Well then! I would be delighted to!" Their teacher suddenly opened the first vial—"Itadakimasu!"—and drank it all in one shot.
"No way!"
"He drank it!?"
He suddenly bent over his desk, shaking. Ame tensed in anticipation. Could it truly be working after all? Were poisons actually efficient?
I should have asked Hana for some!
"What?"
"Is this for real?"
Suddenly, his skin turned blue and his head elongated weirdly, two horns growing out of his forehead.
What kind of reaction is that?
"Ah, yes. This tastes like sodium hydroxide," he mused. "It's poisonous to humans, but not to me, I'm afraid."
"Oh…"
"There are two others, correct? All right, then!"
He opened the second vial and drank it. He started shaking again, bands of sweat rolling down his forehead… before his whole face turned green and wings sprouted from each side of his head.
What kind of reaction is that!?
"Ah, thallium acetate," recognized their teacher. "Now, for the last one!"
And thus he drank the last one. He started trembling as a weird aura suddenly grew around him. Ame froze, wondering if maybe this one actually worked—
"Oh."
His face turned entirely blank. Like, literally. It was a grayish white and lacked his usual facial expression.
WHAT KIND OF REACTION IS THAT!?
"Aqua regia, I see. The only effect they have is on my face. Even if you hate me, please don't hate assassination."
Ame wanted to tear her hair out of exasperation. "Where the hell does this even come from!?"
"Also, Okuda-san." The girl looked up, startled. "I can't overlook a student making poison unsupervised. it's not safe."
"Right. I apologize," bowed the bespectacled girl.
"If you have time later, why don't we work together on a poison that will kill me?" the octopus then proposed.
The student lightened up at that. "Y- yes!"
Ame let her head meet the table for the second time that morning. Making poison with the target? This whole assassination gig was seriously getting out of hand.
.
.
"Now, let's add it into the ethanol. Oh, and be careful not to inhale the fumes."
"Right!"
Ame leaned against the wall, listening in on what was happening in the class. The other students were already outside playing a round of Assassination Volleyball, but she wanted to see how Okuda's creation would turn out. She had no doubt the poison she was creating with Korosensei wouldn't actually kill him (who'd be stupid enough to do that?) but she had no doubt the effects would be as entertaining and ridiculous as the last ones.
"Your grades in science class are superb, you know," then remarked their teacher. "But…"
"But everything else goes right over my head," completed Okuda, already knowing what he was getting at. "It's only natural that I ended in the E Class. I'm especially bad at languages… I never know which way is the right way to phrase things or how to express my feelings as a person." There was a moment of silence. "But… I'm okay with that. Because equations and formulas always have the right answer. They're free of fussy word games and complicated emotions."
"That's true. In that case… I have a homework assignment for you." There was a rustle of clothes. "Handle it with utmost care."
"O- okay!"
Understanding they were done with their work, Ame simply hid in the shadows. A few seconds later, Okuda quickly ran out of the classroom, a small smile on her lips. She was obviously excited to get started on whatever work Korosensei had given her. Ame watched her go, somewhat amused. She could understand why Okuda thought the way she did, but communication was a part of being human. You couldn't simply avoid it. Plus, with her abilities in chemistry and science, assassination would actually be a piece of cake, if she simply knew how to handle words better.
"May I do something for you, Naoki-san?"
The teen looked up to Korosensei, who was now next to her. She wasn't surprised that he knew she had been eavesdropping all along, he wasn't the entire world's target for nothing either.
"No, I learned what I needed to know. See you later."
The black-haired teen then left. Korosensei watched her go, more thoughtful. Had he not known she had been eavesdropping in the first place, he probably wouldn't have spotted her in the shadows until she decided to move. The girl was able to mask her presence perfectly, and there was absolutely no killing intent to be sensed, so knowing when she was about to attack was near impossible. She obviously possessed great potential, both for assassination and learning, but she barely put it to use, and he was starting to run out of ideas.
You were right, Yukimura-san. A difficult student indeed.
"Hey, Okuda."
The bespectacled girl jumped at the voice, snapping her eyes to the source.
"Na- Naoki-san!"
The black-haired teen nodded in greeting, before sitting in front of her. The shy girl bit her lower lip, reporting her attention to her current work. She hadn't expected Naoki Ame, of all people, to come and talk to her.
"So…" Ame leaned back in her seat. "I've heard what you said to Korosensei."
"O- oh?"
"Yeah. Anyway, you're pretty great when it comes to poisons and stuff like that, right? But as you said yourself, you can't do it when it comes to surprise attacks and the likes. Which is kind of sad, considering poison is only effective when the target doesn't know they took it."
"Right…"
"But! I've got an idea."
At that, Okuda finally dared look back to her. There was a glint in Ame's eyes, and the shy girl couldn't help but be curious.
.
.
When the next period started, Okuda wasted no time in handing him the poison she had created. The teacher drank it all… and a dark aura suddenly took over. Ame bit back a gasp as her instincts started screaming at her to run run run—
He suddenly melted, becoming a gray mass of liquid on the desk.
"HE MELTED!?" exclaimed the students, horrified.
"I actually had you make a tonic that would stimulate my cells and enhance my fluidity," admitted the grayish mob. He suddenly vanished, only to reappear under Kataoka's desk. "As a liquid, I can now fit into the tightest of spaces. What's more, I'm still… as speedy as ever!"
He suddenly started jumping around the whole class, using the walls to propel himself all around. The startled students could do nothing but gape. How the hell were they supposed to kill him now?
"You- you tricked me, Korosensei!" accused Okuda.
Their teacher finally stopped moving, now holding to the top corner of the room and smirking down at her.
"Having the verbal aptitude to deceive others is a vital part of assassination, Okuda," he replied. "Even the most potent of poisons is wasted if you offer it in such a naïve way that your target can take advantage of you. Nagisa-kun, how would you try to poison me?"
He dropped to the floor, slowly regaining his normal form and shape.
"Mmm… I'd probably mix it into a sweet drink you like, and then offer it to you as a special drink I made," answered the boy.
"Yes! To deceive someone, you must understand their feelings and communicate with them creatively. Language is the key to an effective poisoning." He rose back up, finally back to normal. "Your scientific talent will someday be useful to everyone. So, to explain things clearly to as many people as possible, I hope you'll continue to develop the language skills to poison someone."
"I- I will!" assured Okuda, smiling again. Then, she cringed. "Though, I still had one last made… Would you terribly mind trying it out?"
The students sweatdropped a little. If Okuda had another poison ready, shouldn't she have used Korosensei's lesson and tried to trick him into drinking it? But the octopus merely chuckled.
"Last one, then," he agreed.
Beaming at him, the bespectacled girl extended another smaller vial with a pink, rather thick liquid. All the students watched in anticipation, wondering what kind of reaction it'd provoke this time around, and Ame bit back her smirk.
Gotcha!
Korosensei opened the vial, and was about to drink it… before he suddenly dropped it on the floor. The vial broke, and the poison instantly spread around, no longer drinkable.
The stunned silence was broken by Ame's sudden exclamation. "Damn it!"
"Ame?" blinked Rio.
"I can't believe he saw through it," she groaned, letting her head hit the desk.
"Through what?" wondered Sugino.
"A- ano…" Everyone looked back to Okuda, who now harbored a sheepish smile. "A- Ame-san and I decided to try and use Korosensei's only known weakness against him, so we melted anti-sensei's bullets. Though, I guess it still wasn't subtle enough…"
"Wonderfully delivered!" however assured their teacher, patting her head. "You used another form of language to deceive me: your honesty. You acted naturally and I was blinded by my expectations. Had it not been for the smell, then I would have fallen for it. Good job, the both of you!"
"Well, whatever." Ame turned to Okuda and smiled a little. "Guess we'll have to work on it, right?"
"R- right! Thank you for your assistance!"
"Nan, don't sweat it."
As Ame and Okuda started chatting about a few ways to better their creation, Rio couldn't help but smile. Ever since she met Ame two years prior, the girl had been rather closed to the rest of the world. The only reason they ended up hanging out was because of their fantastic grades in English class. The girl was rather unapproachable for anyone who didn't know her that well, and that was probably why she didn't have any other friends. However, to see her slowly opening up to the rest of the class was a refreshing sight.
Thanks to this assassination, Ame was finally starting to see a world beyond herself, and it made Rio incredibly happy.
.
.
"Hurry! If we're late, who knows what they'll do to us this time!" prompted Isogai.
"Oh, yeah. Last time, we had to clean out the main campus' flowerbeds," recalled Okano.
"Man, that was rough," grunted Maehara. "Their flowerbeds are way too huge."
"You slacked off the entire time!" protested the class rep.
"Ugh!" Okano groaned, irritated. "Why are we the only ones who gotta put up with this!?"
"Cause we're the E-Class?"
The three students jumped a little at the voice, and Maehara snapped his eyes to Ame, who was casually leaning against the tree next to them.
"When'd you get there!?"
"I was here the whole time," she shrugged. "I was waiting for you guys to show up."
"I saw you leaving earlier so I thought you were going to skip," pointed out Okano.
"I wanted to, but Korosensei forced me to go," huffed the black-haired teen, crossing her arms behind her head. "Damn pain in the ass… I was planning on going ahead, but then I realized I didn't know the way and decided to wait for everyone else. Though, is it really as bad as everyone's saying?"
"You… never went to an assembly?" sweatdropped the flirt.
"Never saw the point in doing so. I wasn't into any school clubs or extracurricular activities, and it's just an overall waste of time," she shrugged.
"You weren't into any school clubs?" repeated the other girl, surprised. "Were you not interested?"
"Actually, I was. I wanted to join a few sports club and stuff like that," admitted Ame. She shoved her hands in her pockets, her lips curling into a bitter smile. "We just didn't have the means to pay for it. Still don't."
"Oh, so you're poor like Isogai?" blinked Maehara.
Ame's rubber knife slapped him behind the head. He winced at the hit, rubbing the sore spot, and she glared a little.
"Rude much? I'm not poor, thank you very much. It's just that it wasn't a necessary expense and so I decided we shouldn't waste our money on it," she explained, starting to walk ahead. "The only reason I'm in this school is because of my parents, who paid my three years in advance and because I pay the extra expenses thanks to my job."
"Wait, if your parents managed to pay off the three whole years in advance, then why couldn't they afford you being in a club or something?" insisted the flirt, confused.
Ame sighed heavily when realizing he wasn't dropping it. She hadn't meant to actually talk to her classmates about that kind of stuff, she wasn't that close to them, but the words had slipped out before she could stop them and now it was too late. So, resigning herself, she stopped in her tracks and turned back to face the three, looking at Maehara straight in the eyes.
"Because dead people can't exactly afford anything."
Okano's hands flew to her mouth and Isogai's eyes widened, before he lowered his eyes. Maehara gaped at her for a few seconds, before understanding dawned on him and he cringed.
"Shit, I'm sorry—"
"Don't be. It's been a long, long time since it happened. Don't really remember them, to be frank. Their faces are all blurry..." She then shook her head. "Anyway, can we just get a move on already? I thought we weren't supposed to be late."
"R- right." The class rep was the first to snap out of his daze. "Let's get going. We'll wait for everyone else at the bottom of the mountain."
Nodding in understanding, Ame turned her back to them and started moving ahead. Before any of them could think of adding anything, though, she vanished from sight.
"… she's fast," mumbled Maehara, still a little under shock.
"You need to learn to keep your mouth shut," then deadpanned Isogai.
"How could I have known!?" protested the flirt.
The poor boy simply sighed, shaking his head. He'd check up on the girl later, to make sure everything was fine. For now, though, they'd all have to focus on getting to the bottom of that damn mountain first.
Ame sweatdropped heavily as she watched her classmates reach the main campus one after the other. They all looked pretty exhausted, most dropping to the ground in relief, and she couldn't help but wonder how they managed to get to the top each morning without dying on the way.
"That- that sucked…" grunted Okajima.
The girl made a face when noticing the snakes still wrapped around the boy's arms and torso.
"Do you… want me to take them off?" she proposed.
"Urgh…"
Taking that as a 'yes', she wasted no time in gently pulling the snakes off. There were four of them, but she had learned how to handle them thanks to Hana, who often used her as an assistant when she worked on creating new poisons. So, easily pulling them off the poor boy, she then walked to the edge of the campus and let them return into the forest.
Poor guys were even more scared than Okajima…
"You- you're really something else, Ame-chan," gasped Kayano, bent over. "You didn't even break a sweat!"
"I'm used to this kind of stuff," shrugged the girl. "Anyway, are you okay? You look like you're about to pass out."
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" assured the green-haired girl, chuckling weakly. "Just- just needed a break."
"If you're sure…"
Ame trailed off as, in the distance near the fence separating the main campus from the street, a car suddenly stopped. Three men stepped out of it and started advancing, only stopping once they reached the fence.
They were eyeing their class. Looking. Searching.
That's the guy I stole the drug from, recognized the girl, her breath catching in her throat. He saw my uniform. He knows I go to school here. Is he going to check all of the girls?
Subtly, she pulled out the sound enhancer from her pocket and put it in her ear, before activating it. It took the form of an earring, but it really was a way for the wearer to hear anything in a distance of up to thirty meters, depending on how it was adjusted.
"—here."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, it was that uniform from those elite brats."
"Did you see her face?"
"More or less. Long black or brown hair, I don't really remember—"
"That's not exactly helping our case here, man. There are a lot of girls with black hair, ya know?"
"Well, at least we know where to begin. Look, there are already a bunch of them over here. Think it's one of them?"
"Maybe. I can't really see from that far, but if they're going inside the building, then we'll get a better view—"
She turned it off as all of the students started gathering to go and rank in the gym for the assembly. They'd have to walk by the three when going in, and she had no doubt the guy would recognize her. She needed something to help pass unnoticed.
Something… or someone.
Not wasting any more time, the teen went to the red-haired boy. She was surprised he wasn't ditching the assembly, but then remembered he had received the same warning from Korosensei that she did. She grabbed his arm and "tripped". He instantly helped her back to her feet, frowning.
"Ame, what—"
"Three guys at the fence looking for me," she resumed quickly. "Help me inside."
He simply nodded, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she started faking exhaustion. Since he was taller, she was effectively hidden from view as they walked by the three, who kept looking at each girl of the group in wonder. As soon as Ame stepped through the door, she exhaled in relief and finally let the boy go.
"Thanks, Karma."
"Sure thing. Though, are you in trouble?" He smirked a little at that. "I can take care of them if you want."
"Yeah, no, really not," snorted the girl, running a hand through her hair. "They don't know it's me per se, anyway. Just couldn't risk them recognizing me."
"What kind of mess have you gotten into, to have rough-looking guys like them looking for you?" he mused.
"My kind of mess. Please don't mention it to anyone?"
He thought it over for a moment, before smirking again. "Depends how much you're ready to pay for my silence."
"I'll get you a surprise."
"That's not saying much."
"Oh, trust me: you'll love it."
"… fine. I want it by the end of the week, though."
"You'll have it tomorrow."
They shook hands to seal the deal, before finally joining the rest of the class in the ranks. A little after, students started filling in. Ame completely ignored the mocking looks and the jeers directed their way, too focused on the real problem at hands.
They don't know I'm the one they're looking for. All they know is that I'm a girl, that I'm in Kunugigaoka, and they don't know whether I have long black or long brown hair. That means they'll probably start following whoever fits the description. In our class, only Kanzaki, Kataoka, Hara, Yada and I fit the bill.
That means… those girls are potential targets.
It didn't sit well with Ame. It didn't sit well at all. She started mulling over the situation, not noticing as the assembly began. She was deep in thoughts, weighting her options. In case something did happen, she needed a way to get to them quickly. Either that or she revealed herself, thus freeing the others from doubts.
What do I do—
"Essentially, you are the cream of the crop—this nation's chosen elite!" For some reason, Ame was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts. "I, your school dean, can vouch for that! But, if you're not careful… you could end up like certain other good-for-nothings."
Ame stiffened when realizing he was looking at the E-Class, and she glared at the man with all the anger she could muster. Around them, the other students started laughing.
This is… This is so…
"Now, now. We mustn't laugh at their expense. I suppose my comment was out of line."
You think!?
He kept on talking mindlessly after that, but Ame couldn't stop glaring. At some point, the man must have finally realized something was wrong, for his eyes started darting nervously around the room. Finally, they met Ame's, and his words died on his lips as a nervous sweat broke out on his forehead. Silence ensued, during which no one could understand what was happening to the dead. No one could see who he was staring at.
"Ame!" whispered Rio, alarmed. "Ame, knock it off!"
"… tche."
She finally averted her gaze, glaring at the wall behind the man instead. Instantly, the guy let out a shaky breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Loosening his collar, he apologized for the interruption and continued his speech. Rio made big eyes at her friend, and a faint blush rose to Ame's cheeks as she lowered her eyes, now a little embarrassed.
"What was that about?"
"Sorry! It's just…" There was a bitter taste in the back of her throat. "It was humiliating."
"… I know. Just… bear with it, okay?"
The black-haired girl sighed but nodded in agreement. In the end, drawing attention wouldn't do them any good. After a few more minutes of unnecessary blabber, the dean finally left the stage to the student council.
"Ne, Ame…"
The teen glanced to the blonde, who grinned a little and pulled out her knife sheaths. Ame blinked when realizing it was decorated, before grabbing it and roughly whacking Rio behind the head.
"Oi!"
"Are you crazy?" protested the teen. "We're not allowed to talk about the assassination, remember? Don't go pulling your knife around, else there'll be questions!"
"Aw! But look at mine!" Kurahashi suddenly turned around, showing off her own. "They're cute, aren't they?"
Without warning, Karasuma suddenly appeared before them. He scolded the girls for so recklessly exposing the secret of the E-Class, while Ame merely facepalmed at her classmates' idiocy. Had they no sense of subtlety?
A little after, Irina showed up. By now, the attention of most of the students was directed at both her and Karasuma, and Ame couldn't help but feel a little smug at the envious looks they were now getting. Maybe they were the End Class, but at least they weren't robots like the rest of them, and they had awesome teachers. That had to count for something, right?
"All right!" suddenly exclaimed the student council representative on stage, drawing back everyone's attention. "The student council events are explained on the handouts you've just been given."
What? Ame looked around, confused. What handouts?
"Excuse me, sir!" called Isogai, at the very front of the line. "The E-Class didn't get any handouts!"
"Uh? You didn't get any?" The boy straightened, a weird smile on his lips. "Now that's strange… I'm sorry! It seems we forgot to make some for 3-E! I guess you'll just have to memorize it all before you leave!" At that, all of the students surrounding them started laughing again. "In fact, you and your classmates could stand to sharpen your memory anyway!"
It was humiliating. It was angering. Frankly, the girl couldn't have cared less about the students mocking and taunting her. She knew what she was worth and she knew that, in the big scheme of things, they were nothing more than dirt under her shoes. However, knowing they were mocking her classmates and, most of all, knowing how it affected them…
Needless to say, Ame was pissed.
That damn little cockroach…
She pulled out her knife, about to chuck it at the guy's head. Panicking, Rio instantly tried to hold her hand down.
"No! Don't!"
"Let me at him—"
There was a violent gust of wind, making the two froze in place. Then, blinking a few times, they realized they were now holding handouts.
"What—"
"Oh, would you look at that!" At the familiar voice, all of the students snapped their heads to where the teachers were standing, only to find a disguises Korosensei now spinning a pencil between his gloved tentacles. "Everyone has a handwritten copy now, it would seem. Isn't that right, Isogai-kun?"
"Aa," nodded the boy without missing a beat. He looked up at the student council representative. "Nevermind, we got our handouts. Please continue, sir!"
"What? No- no way! How!?" protested the guy, forgetting about the mike before him for a second. "Hey, now! Who killed our fun? Err, I mean… Ahem! Let us continue! Let's take a look at the upcoming student council schedule."
As he kept on talking, though, none of the students were really paying attention. The teachers from the E-Class were now acting rather weirdly. The big, wriggly guy was avoiding the attacks of the female bombshell, who was apparently trying to stab him, and then the other cool guy forced her to drop the weapon and forcefully lead her out of the gym. To all of the students, it really was confusing. To the E-Class, though, it was hilarious.
"That's Bitch-sensei for you!" mused Maehara.
At that, the rest of the class started laughing, ignoring the dumbstruck looks they were getting from the rest of the students present.
The E-Class wasn't supposed to be laughing.
The E-Class wasn't supposed to be happy.
The E-Class was supposed to be miserable and sad and—
Fuck off, snorted internally Ame. This isn't just the End Class now. This is our assassination classroom, and no one can take that away from us.
.
.
"Hey, Usagi?"
"What is it?"
"Do you think you can have twelve trackers ready in the next hour?"
"Twelve!? Are you tracking down your whole class or something?"
"More like half of it. Just some precautions. So, think you can do it?"
"Who do you take me for? 'Course I can."
"I'll come to pick them up once school's over, then. Thanks. Oh, and can you get me a special kit too?"
"A special kit? You mean the one you were using when you first started working with us?"
"Yeah, that one."
"I guess. What do you need that kit for, though?"
"A gift. Don't worry about it. You can take the money directly from my account."
"Man, you sure get weird gifts for your friends. Anyway, everything will be ready in the hour. I'll even give you a special discount. Aren't I the best?"
"That you are. Thanks, Usagi. See you later."
"Later!"
Ame hung up, feeling a little lighter on her feet. She had decided to put trackers on all of the girls in her class until she found a more suitable solution. Of course, she couldn't just put them there, she'd have to be subtle again, but she'd figure something out. It would have to do for the time being. Reassured, she then stepped out of the shadows in which she had been hiding. She hadn't wanted to risk having anyone eavesdropping, after all.
"Ooh? Who do we have here? An E-Class loser?"
Ame bit back a groan. Really?
Not wanting to deal with them, she simply kept on walking. However, she barely made a few steps before a hand fell on her shoulder and stopped her in her tracks. She shot a glare at the boy holding her in place.
"Let go."
"What kind of tone is that, girl?" grimaced the boy.
"The kind of tone I use on people who annoy me, big-nose," she retorted
"What did you just say!?"
"Sorry. I thought we were just stating the obvious," she deadpanned.
"Ah!" Another one suddenly showed up and slung an arm around her shoulders as he offered a flirtatious smile. "She got you on this one, Seo. A beautiful gem with a sharp wit, aren't you?"
Growing more and more annoyed, she roughly shoved his arm off of her.
"Look, I don't know who you guys are, so stop acting like that. It's creepy."
"You don't know who we are?" Ame cursed as a third one suddenly showed up. He was wearing glasses, and looked… rather disgusting, to be honest. "Koyama Natsuhiko."
"Seo Tomoya," added the first one.
"I'm Sakakibara Ren," concluded the flirt, taking her hand in his. "We are the top students of the A-Class. And you are?"
"Not interested, from the End Class. You sure you want to hang around much longer? I might bite," she warned flatly, pulling away.
But the boy simply laughed. "Truly spirited! But won't you even give me a name?"
"No. Have a nice day."
And on that note, she spun on her heels and left. The three boys watched her go for a moment before a smirk stretched on Sakakibara's lips.
"What a unique little flower…"
"More like a cactus," snorted Seo, still angry about her earlier comment.
"I'd rather compare her to a rose. A rural beauty, with dangerous thorns…"
"You guys are weird," simply stated Koyama, pushing his glasses up his nose.
At that, the other two shrugged. As themselves started heading back inside, though, Sakakibara couldn't help but wonder if Asano would help him find out the girl's name.
Ame quickly dropped by Headquarters to grab what she needed before heading back home. After greeting her grandmother and the kids and eating a quick dinner, she locked herself into her room to get started on her work.
It took her the whole night, but Ame was done and satisfied. It's thus with a little bounce in her step that she returned to school that day, and early too. The only reason she wasn't dropping asleep in the middle of the street was because of the two coffee she ingurgitated that morning and also the mild adrenaline running through her veins as she ran from one rooftop to the other to get to school faster without risking running into one of the gang's members.
When she arrived at school, it was empty. Without a noise, she simply went to sit at her place and leaned back in her seat. Maybe she'd be able to get a power nap or something…
Something hit her face. Bolting upright, it took her a few seconds to notice Rio, who was bent over in laughter, and Karma, who was smirking lazily her way with an eraser in his hands.
"'Morning, sleepy head!" greeted the blonde.
"Rio…? Where the hell do you guys come from?" wondered the teen, confused.
"You've been sleeping for a while, Ame," chuckled the red-haired boy. "But I was impatient and couldn't wait for you to wake up."
"Impatient? What for?"
"Why, for my surprise, of course."
Oh, right… She grabbed the kit from her bag, before handing it over. He took it, obviously curious, and opened it. It was the size of a pencil case, but it was full to the brim with different kinds of equipment.
"That's for eavesdropping." She pointed at the sound enhancer. "You can record conversations with that pencil. That's a portative camera, and those contacts allow you to read heat signatures. Also, you've got some stuff for pranks and things like that. Oh, and you've got a mini-Taser too."
"That… Where did you even get this?" he wondered, stunned.
"I've got connections. So, are you happy or not?"
"Happy?" A devilish smirk stretched his lips. "My dear, I say we should make deals like this more often."
As he started giggling like the devil himself, the teen slowly backed away. Maybe getting that kit for Karma, of all people, hadn't been such a wise decision after all. But! A deal was a deal, and she'd be damned before breaking one.
.
.
Once lunchtime began, Ame quickly gathered all of the girls around her desk. The twelve of them were exchanging confused glances but were waiting for her to start, while the boys tried to spy from afar.
"So! I know I haven't really talked to any of you guys before, but I thought that maybe starting anew would help us better our relationships!" she informed, way too cheerfully for it to be natural. She then emptied her bag on her desk. "As a token of my faith, please take one each. I insist."
Frankly, anyone knowing Ame would have been creeped out by her attitude. However, all of their attention was now on the small key-chains lying on the girl's desk. They were all really pretty, decorated with small stones and some had glitters and others were shaped like animals…
"They're so cute!" beamed Kurahashi, picking up the butterfly one. "Thank you so much, Ame-chan!"
"Oh, look at this one!" exclaimed Kayano, smiling happily at the frog one.
"So cool!" gasped Fuwa, picking up the one in form of a magnifying glass.
Ame wasn't stupid. She had taken a good part of the night checking up the personal information about the girls, making one for each that would suit their tastes better. It was a safe way to ensure they'd keep them. Plus, the key-chains would more than likely be either used as actual key-chains, or they could put on their bags for decorations. Either way, it assured Ame that she'd be able to find them rather easily if something went wrong.
"Wow. That's… so not you, Ame," sweatdropped Rio, however picking up the one in form of a pizza slice. "Why are you really doing this?"
"I put a tracker in each of them so that I'd be able to stalk you guys," deadpanned Ame.
"You so would." But the blonde seemed satisfied with the creative excuse, and didn't insist any longer.
The rest of the girls quickly chose their key-chains, thanking Ame for her consideration, and started chatting together. Now that all of the girls were actually together, they started really talking, and a few plans started popping up, like going to the mall or the cinema.
"Hey, what about us?" then whined Maehara. "Don't we get cool key-chains too?"
"No."
He slumped over his desk in defeat while Isogai chuckled nervously, patting his shoulder in comfort. While the rest of the boys started complaining about favoritism, Ame simply closed her eyes and fell asleep once more.
For now, her work was done.