"Well then, class… Shall we begin?"
Ame exchanged a confused glance with Rio. Begin what?
"Midterms time has rolled around!" announced their teacher. He was moving so fast it left afterimages of him. "And that's why this period will be spent in high-speed enhanced test studying!"
Suddenly, one of the afterimages appeared before the orange-eyed girl. Startled, she glanced around the class, only to see a clone of Korosensei standing before each student, books in his tentacles and bandanas on his forehead.
"My doubles can work with you one-on-one to drill you on each of your worst subjects! Now, let's get started!" he exclaimed cheerfully.
Ame scowled when realizing he would have her get started on math. At the same time, though, her phone buzzed, and her eyes lit up a little.
Freedom!
She "dropped" her pencil. While bending down to pick it up, she shot a look at Karma, who smirked and nodded. Without warning, he shoved his knife into the double's face before him, thus disrupting the afterimages and effectively distracting their teacher. She was about to jump out of the window, already savoring her victory, when a tentacle suddenly wrapped itself around her waist and forced her to sit back in her seat.
"I win this round, Naoki-san! Now, let's get started our your math…"
Cursing under her breath, she then decided to try a little. In the end, she couldn't escape it, so maybe she'd try not to fail the midterms, for once.
"I'm gonna die…"
Ame's head was throbbing painfully.
So many numbers…
"There, there," chuckled Rio, patting her head in comfort. "At least it's not as bad as me and civics, right?"
"You wanna bet?"
"You know, I could help you if you want," proposed Karma, stopping by her desk. "Math is my strength."
"Thanks, but no thanks," snorted Ame, getting up. "It's not like I care about the midterms anyway."
"You probably should start working a little more on your grades, though," then pointed out the blonde, frowning a little. "I know you're rather laid back when it comes to school, but we've got entrance exams this year."
"Not like I need them!" scoffed the black-haired girl. "I've already got a job, remember? A job I like, that pays well, and is awesome too."
"Mind clueing us in? You never did tell me what your job is," pointed out Karma, crossing his arms behind his head.
"Ugh, don't bother," grunted Rio, rising up. "She's had that damn job since we started school and she never told me anything about it other than she likes it, that the money's good and that it's cool."
"It's because I'm a secret agent and a super spy, Rio. I can't go yelling it on the roofs," deadpanned Ame.
"With how you act, I wouldn't put it past you," snorted her friend. "Though if you ever find a hot English man on one of your secret missions, do put us in contact, okay? I'm counting on you."
"I can't promise he'll be English, but I'm sure I can manage to find you a hot guy." She then offered a smirk to Karma. "I can find one for you too, you know?"
He shuddered a little, shaking his head. "No way! I'm into girls, through and through!"
"You won't know until you've tried, though."
As he groaned in horror and Rio laughed at his expense, Ame let out a small sigh of relief. Diverting their attention had been easier than she thought—
"Though seriously, Ame. One day, you'll have to tell me what that job of yours is."
Nevermind.
"One day," relented the teen. "Maybe."
Never. Not happening.
A few minutes later
"As principal, I must consider what's in store next year and beyond, should the Earth survive," stated Asano Gakuho. "In other words, if someone does happen to kill you, what is this school's future? Put frankly… we need the E-Class to remain as it is."
"… As it is?" echoed Korosensei, more serious. "You mean, with rock-bottom grades and treatment, like now?"
"Yes. Are you familiar with the worker ant principle?" then asked the principal. "In a group, twenty percent will be lazy, twenty percent will work hard, and the remaining sixty percent will be average. My goal is a group with five percent slackers and ninety-five percent hard workers. I don't want to be like the E-Class or I don't want to be in the E-Class… With ninety-five percent of students thus determined, my ideal ratio is attainable."
"I see. How logical. Then the five percent in the E-Class must be kept weak and pitiful," understood the yellow creature.
"I received a complaint from the D-Class teacher today," replied his boss. "A student from E-Class glared at one of my students and threatened to kill him, is what he said. Now, I'm sure the glare is part and parcel of the whole assassination thing, and that's fine. The problem lies in a student with rock-bottom grades defying a regular one. Under my policies, that cannot stand. So please, tell that student in no uncertain terms to control himself." On that note, the principal started heading for the door. He suddenly stopped. "Oh, and—Korosensei?... You have one second. Solve this!"
The man threw a metal puzzle at him, and Korosensei instantly freaked out. After one last taunt, the principal then truly left. As soon as the door closed behind him, Korosensei stopped moving, now lying on the floor.
"The principal of Kunugigaoka High School, Asano Gakuho," Karasuma read in a newspaper. "A shrewd manager who, in its first ten years, made this school one of the nation's bests." He sighed heavily. "There's no escaping the structure he's built here. Not even for you."
Korosensei lied down for another second before the metal puzzle now trapping his tentacles broke. Then, slowly, he rose back up.
"What are your thoughts on the matter?" he then asked blankly. "Naoki-san?"
"Wow, am I really that predictable now?"
Karasuma and Irina stiffened, their eyes snapping to the ceiling. None other than Ame was casually sitting on one of the wooden beams supporting the roof.
"How'd you get there!?" gasped the blonde, eyes wide.
"I climbed through the window."
"That's—"
"So, what do you think, Naoki-san?" repeated Korosensei.
The teen looked down on him, before sighing and jumping from her perch. She landed on her feet, before crossing her arms over her chest with a small scowl.
"His policies suck. I understand where he's coming from, but he could totally reach a ration of a hundred if he worked out a healthy, competitive system instead of one based on a superiority complex." Annoyed, she ran a hand through her hair. "That's why I hate this school. Teachers don't give a rat's ass about the students, they're only looking out for their reputation and their paychecks." She then glanced at the three teachers in the room. "Not you, of course. Korosensei, Karasuma-san, and Bitch-sensei are different. Yukimura-sensei was different too, so it's really a shame that she's gone now."
At her remark, Korosensei visibly stiffened. She narrowed her eyes a little at that, tucking the reaction in the back of her mind to analyze later.
"Anyway, I think you should stand up a little straighter, Korosensei," then remarked the teen, heading out. "He may be your boss, but he's an absolute asshole too. Don't let that kind of people walk all over you, even less when it comes to your teaching. A little more and one would have thought you were ashamed of the E-Class."
"Of course not!" He finally really reacted. "I am extremely proud of the E-Class!"
"Then prove it. Prove it to that damn principal. I don't know how you'll do it, but I'm sure you'll find something," shrugged the girl, stepping out of the room. "Anyway, see ya tomorrow, senseis."
The door slid shut behind her. After a few seconds, Irina huffed angrily while crossing her arms over her chest.
"This girl is starting to freak me out! How did she get up there without any of us noticing?"
"Naoki-san is extremely skilled when it comes to becoming invisible," replied Korosensei. "If you start paying attention, you'll start noticing little things that a normal person shouldn't be able to do. Like how she walks without making a sound."
"We already know she's got skills above average when it comes to assassination—"
"Not just assassination, Karasuma-san," the creature cut him off, shaking his head. "I do believe she's more well-versed into information gathering. Though, where she learned those skills is still beyond my comprehension."
"Do you think she's actually an assassin undercover?" proposed Irina, eyes narrowed. "It wouldn't be the first time the government employed such measures to get rid of certain threats."
"No. She was already a student here before I arrived," pointed out the octopus. "And for all her skills, she does not possess the aura of a killer. The scent of blood always follows an assassin. You would know it better than most, Irina-sensei."
At the remark, the woman bit her lower lip, lowering her eyes. It was true that, even though the kid creeped her out with her ninja-like abilities, there was no bloodlust or killing intent to be sensed whenever she was around. Whether she was good at hiding those or simply didn't have them was another matter, though.
"Anyhow, I do believe Naoki-san had a point," then chuckled Korosensei, a little darkly. "I shall take my leave, now. I have some special tests to prepare for tomorrow."
He vanished using his Mach 20 speed. The other two teachers stared at the spot where he had just been standing for a few seconds before Karasuma sighed and turned to the woman.
"Found anything?"
"No, nothing. There's not even a whisper of a gang with such a symbol existing," answered the pro assassin, twirling her hair between her finger. "Which is practically impossible, considering all gangs leave some kind of trail."
"Then maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe it really is a family heirloom."
"But I couldn't even take it off! When I pulled on her ring, it stayed stuck, as if it was part of her finger itself!"
"Irina, you found nothing. Yes, her skillset is… unusual, for a fifteen-year-old girl, but there are many exceptional students in this class. We should focus on our jobs as teachers for now," proposed Karasuma. "If whatever she is up to becomes problematic, then we will handle it with a more direct approach."
"… fine. Though I better not find her hiding under my desk or I swear I'll stab someone. Probably her."
.
.
"Good morning, class. Today, I've tried making even more of me!"
Ame facepalmed when seeing this. When she had told him the day before to stand up for himself and prove to the principal the worth of the E-Class as their teacher, she hadn't meant for him to actually put everything on their backs.
I mean, I understand where he's coming from. If the E-Class students score in, like, the top fifty, then it'll prove that his teaching methods are the best or whatever. But I didn't mean for him to give us even more work! It was more something along the lines of: tell that asshole what's on your mind and show him that you're a good teacher and that his structure sucks!
I guess I should have made myself clearer.
In the end, though, there was no escaping it. So, resigning herself to her fate, she started working on her math once more.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Korosensei instantly dropped on his desk in exhaustion, panting heavily. The students gathered around, amused and confused at the same time.
"You know, he does look pretty beat."
"Maybe now's our chance!"
"Why's he teaching this hard anyway?
"Niryufufufu! All to get your test scores up!" replied the octopus. "If that happens… Then my students will look at me with respect and with no longer fearing of being killed, I'll be rolling in good fortune!"
Ame rolled her eyes as his face turned pink. She knew the real reason behind why he was suddenly acting like that and didn't really understand why he didn't simply tell the other students.
"Well, the whole studying part is fine and all…" remarked Mimura.
"Yeah, but if we assassinate him, we get ten billion yen," completed Yada.
"And with ten billion, you don't need good grades to live the good life!" mused Rio.
"Is- is that what you think!?" gasped Korosensei.
"We're the End Class, Korosensei," pointed out Okajima.
"Assassination is way more accessible to us than any exam," added Fuwa.
At that, the rest of the students nodded in agreement. None of them were really expecting to pass the midterm, and everyone was more or less betting everything on the assassination.
Ame could tell it wasn't the right answer, though.
"Ah. I see how it is." Korosensei's tone was somewhat somber now, as he slowly rose up to look down at them. "You… don't have what it takes, to be assassins." His face suddenly turned purple, with a big X on it. "Out into the schoolyard, all of you!"
Not really understanding what was going on, the students however obeyed and slowly headed outside. When she stepped out, Ame's eyes landed on the dark clouds that had started gathering above them.
I like rain…
Korosensei was now standing in the middle of the field, farther away from them. The students were exchanging confused whispers, unsure of what to make of his sudden bad mood.
"One good thing about the E-Class system is its built-in remedial process," then stated their teacher. "By scoring in the top fifty of 186 students on periodic exams and receiving permission from their former teacher to return, they can leave this outcast E-Class. However, it's too difficult to meet these conditions given their poor grades in this inferior academic environment. Most E-Class students, being made to feel remediation is far out of reach, face intense discrimination."
"Korosensei, where are you going with this?" wondered Ame, scratching the back of her head.
"Irina-sensei!" suddenly called the creature. The woman had just joined them, as confused at the rest of them. "Let me ask you something as a professional assassin."
"… What is it?"
"When you're on a job, do you have one single plan prepared?"
The woman blinked, surprised by the question, before growing serious.
"No. It's not often that my main plan goes as expected. Making more detailed back-up plans in preparation for any contingencies is Assassination 101."
"And you, Karasuma-san. When you teach knife skills, is the first strike the only important one?" then asked Korosensei.
"The first strike is, of course, the most important, but your next move matters, too," answered the agent. "Against a powerful foe, your first blow is likely to be dodged, so the precision with which you can land your second and third blows can decide the fight."
There was a moment of silence.
"Look, what are you getting at?" finally asked Maehara, exasperated.
The yellow creature suddenly started spinning in place at Mach 20 speed, instantly making a cloud of dust and dirt rise around him.
"As your teachers have said, having a trusty second step is what makes for a confident assassin. But what about you?" He started gaining even more speed. "We've got assassination, and that's enough, is what you say, and down go your academic goals. You're just trying not to face the reason for your inferiority complex. What if I got away from this classroom?" The wind picked up, making a few students stagger back and others yelp in fright. "If another killer managed to do me in? Without the assassination you rely on, all you're left with is good old E-Class inferiority. A word of advice from me to you as you walk that fine line: those who can't wield a second blade aren't qualified to be assassins!"
Ame was forced to cover her eyes as a real tornado took over the field, blasting dirt and rocks around. Protecting her eyes from the sharp wind, she gritted her teeth in mild fright. She knew Korosensei couldn't hurt them, but seeing him display his abilities like this always scared her.
What the hell is he doing—
Suddenly, everything stopped. The wind, the dust, everything. Slowly opening her eyes, the first thing Ame saw was the now clearer sky, slowly filling out of dark clouds as sunrays pierced through them.
"The yard was very uneven and full of weeds. I tidied it up," announced Korosensei.
And then the dust finally cleared, revealing a real field, one fit for any sports and training, one that could give the one on the main campus a run for its money. Ame gasped in amazement.
"I am a super-creature capable of wiping out the Earth," then stated the yellow teacher. "Flattening out this area here is a piece of cake. Listen carefully! If you can't show me that trusty second blade, I'll know there's no assassin in this classroom worth taking me on, and I'll flatten this entire campus before I go."
"A- a second blade? When?" wondered Nagisa.
"Tomorrow, of course." Everyone stiffened at that. "I want all of you in the top fifty after tomorrow's midterms."
"WHAT!?"
"I've already been developing your second blades. I don't use the doltish teaching methods they do at the main campus. Wield those blades with all confidence!" ordered their teacher. "Succeed in your mission and hold your head high, smiling, unashamed. You are proud assassins—and proud members of the E-Class!"
Ame stared at him for a few seconds. Then, she scoffed and returned inside to go grab her things. School was over anyway, and she couldn't wait to leave.
"A- Ame!?" called Rio, surprised to see her leave so quickly.
The teen didn't bother answering, quickly going to grab her bag before escaping through one of the windows and running down the mountain as fast as she could.
.
.
A second blade… uh?
Sitting on a bench in a small park, Ame was now deep in thoughts. She hadn't gone home yet, knowing her grandmother would ask her a million questions about her studies and her midterms. She wasn't feeling up for disappointing her right now, to be frank. And what other than disappointment could she promise to her sweet grandmother, really? Ame hadn't studied at all, she never did her homework, and she barely listened in class. Sure, having Korosensei as a teacher forced her to learn a lot, but it still wasn't enough, and she knew she wouldn't be in the top fifty the next day.
Hell, amongst the dead-lasts is more likely.
Honestly… the girl didn't know how to feel about it. Ever since she joined the Zodiac, her interest in school dropped until it went under zero, and even lower if possible. She knew it was important, but she already had a future guaranteed within the yakuza group. Why bother looking farther than that?
::
"Those who can't wield a second blade aren't qualified to be assassins!"
::
Korosensei's words had struck a chord in her. What else had she planned for her future? What kind of a second blade did she possess?
None.
There wasn't any other future or any second blade. It had always been about the Zodiac and her own, selfish interests. But she liked working with the group! They taught her so much and it was fun and always different… Okay, sure it could be dangerous at times and yeah, it wasn't exactly moral work. It was still better than being a paper-pusher stuck behind a desk all day, though. Out on the field, smack in the middle of the action, that's where she belonged! And she already possessed all the necessary skills for it. So, why work for another potential future in which she had no interest?
She liked English. It hadn't been easy to learn, but Uma had been a very patient teacher and knew her personality well enough to teach her correctly. She enjoyed physical activities and sports because of the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment it brought her, and also because it helped her become better. But what about the rest? Civics weren't half-bad, but not that interesting. Science and math were an absolute nightmare, she didn't get them at all. And yeah, okay, maybe if she actually tried, it'd be a little easier, but she didn't like it! Why should she do something she didn't want to do?
But Korosensei said he'd leave if we didn't all make it into the top fifty…
That was hopeless. It was too soon, too sudden, there was no way all of the students of Class E could make it, and even less her: she was a failure through and through when it came to academic results.
So… it's over? We're done with the assassination?
But it left a taste of defeat on her tongue. A bitter, bitter taste, one she didn't like at all. Knowing that amazing experience would come to end tomorrow—
MOVE!
Her heart missed a beat as her instincts suddenly screamed the arrival of danger, and she jumped off the bench, rolling in the dirt for a second before falling back on her feet. Adrenaline already pumping through her veins, her eyes landed on the threat she had sensed just in time.
A man.
A familiar man.
A familiar man with a fucking baseball bat.
"Ya!" snarled the man who had just tried to bash her skull. "Ya damn brat, ya better pay me back the triple for what you've taken!"
"Gotta catch me first!"
And she took off. As she started running, though, she cursed herself. She had been avoiding those guys for the last few weeks. How could she have been so careless?
"Get her!"
"Over here!"
Wait, how many are there!?
She was about to reach the entrance of the park when two other guys blocked her path. Without halting her mad dash, she abruptly turned to the left, jumped on the small wall and climbed the whole way up, before jumping on the other side and safely landing on the sidewalk. She started running again.
I've got to lead them away. I need to take cover where there are people.
There were numerous yells and footsteps now echoing behind her. She didn't dare look back. It wasn't the first time she was chased by an angry mob, and she knew to look behind always lead to a cliché I-tripped-on-air fail, and she never really liked clichés.
Faster, girl, you can be faster!
She reached the end of the street. Without hesitation, she crossed over. Many cars honked angrily as she swerved through the mass, barely avoiding being crushed under one. She jumped over a few more cars before reaching the other side, where she started running again.
"Fuck!"
"Stop her!"
"Get back here!"
She didn't bother answering, simply focusing on escaping her tails. She was used to this kind of stuff, she knew she could do it, she just needed the right opportunity—
There!
Without hesitation, she disappeared through a mass of people. Passing through without bothering with apologies, she forced her way to the entrance of a small café and went in while slamming the doors. There was a moment of silence as she offered a sheepish smile to the startled customers, before subtly making her way the table the farther away from the door and the windows. After a few seconds, a waiter came to her table.
"Hello, how can I… help…"
Isogai stared at Ame, dumbfound. Ame stared at Isogai, startled. And then, loud exclamations from outside could be heard and she was snapped back to reality.
"I'm not here!" she exclaimed, a little pale.
"Wait, what—"
She slipped under the table. The boy gaped at her for a few seconds, before the doors slammed open, letting enter five men with rather antipathetic expressions. A few were holding baseball bats, too, and they were obviously here to cause some trouble.
"Okay, where's the girl?" roughly demanded one of them.
They're looking for Naoki-san? Isogai startled in understanding.
Now wasn't the time for questions, though. Shaking off his shock, he walked up to them and offered the best waiter smile he could manage.
"Welcome! How can I help you today?" he greeted cheerfully.
"We're looking for a girl. She… stole something from us," grunted the closest one. "Saw her come in here."
"I believe you're the only people who came in for the last ten minutes, at least," replied the boy, shaking his head. "And if you're not going to order anything, then I'm afraid you will have to take your leave. You're scaring our customers."
The five men exchanged glances, before taking a last look around. When understanding they wouldn't be able to search the whole café without causing a commotion, they finally left. The civilians present returned to their previous chatters, deciding not to get involved in the situation. Plus, if the charming Isogai decided to help the girl, then who were they to stop him?
The boy was quick returned to Ame's table, where said teen slipped out from under it, settling back on the seat, and she offered him a grin.
"Thanks for that, Isogai. I hadn't thought they saw me come in."
"Are you okay, Naoki-san?" he frowned, worried. "Have they done anything—"
Her laugh cut him off. "Done anything? Nan, they couldn't graze me even if they wanted to. Don't worry about it, really."
"If you say so… Do you want to order something?"
The black-haired girl stopped laughing, looking at him in genuine surprise. She hadn't expected her class rep to be so… calm, about everything. She had just stormed in, chased by five dudes armed with baseball bats and metal bars, and he was asking her if she wanted to order something?
"… You know what? I think I'll take you up on the offer. Do you have anything with strawberries?"
.
.
"Thanks again for the help, Isogai."
"Of course. Don't hesitate to come back if they come after you again," proposed Isogai.
"You know, I think I'll take you up on the offer," chuckled Ame, heading for the door. "Anyway, I'll try not to cause too much trouble. See you tomorrow!"
"W- wait! Naoki-san!"
She stopped, looking back to him, puzzled. Was she forgetting something? He bit his lower lip, obviously unsure about how to ask her whatever he wanted to ask. Then, he sighed heavily, before his eyes met hers, serious.
"Naoki-san… What will you do about tomorrow?"
Will you work your hardest? Will you try to make it? Will you even bother showing up?
Ame easily understood what he was really asking. Falling serious, she stared back, still not knowing the answer herself. Then, she let out a sigh while running a hand through her hair, a small scowl on her lips as she averted her eyes from his.
"Ugh, I guess I'll do what I can. I do owe you one. So… yeah. Guess I'll try my best. I can't promise great results, but I can… I can promise that, at least."
"… Thank you, Naoki-san."
"Whatever." On that note, she finally stepped out of the café. Before the door could close fully, though, she blocked it and looked back to the boy. "And Isogai? Call me Ame. We're classmates, not strangers. 'Night!"
He blinked a few times, startled. "G- good night!"
But she was already gone.
Ame ended up studying.
Like, actually studying.
Acting as if all of the documents she had were files given to her for a mission, she memorized everything she could get her hands on. It wasn't exactly effective, but it was better than nothing. Then, a little past midnight, she went to sleep.
Sleep.
Ame didn't do full nights, never really managed to. With her missions and her occupations, she didn't have the time for it. So, going to bed so early was a first for her, and she had a hard time staying under the blankets. The next morning, though, she woke up more rested than she had been in a rather long while. Sure, there were some days where she completely went out of energy and crashed for numerous hours to make up for it, but it wasn't the same. Then, on her way to school, she started memorizing again. She decided to focus on what she actually had a chance at, leaving math aside. Korosensei had drilled a lot of it into her head anyway, so she'd probably manage not to fail the exam, at least.
And, at last, she reached the school.
Well.
Guess it's time to keep my promise.
Rio gaped at Ame as she took her place next to her for the first exam: math. Frankly, the blonde hadn't expected her friend to show up at all that day, what with her lowering interest in school work. However, she didn't have the time to question her, considering they were about to start. Though, as soon as they received the copies and the exam started, Ame froze in place. There were too many numbers on the paper, too many words, she had no idea where to start to try and make some sense of it all—
::
"Don't forget, Kitsune: panic is the mind killer."
::
Saru's teachings made her frantic brain come to a halt. Then, she breathed in and out a few times, forcing herself to focus. After what, forgetting about the rest, she started working on the first question. As soon as her mind cleared, she almost instantly recognized it as one of the problems Yukimura had given her that one time. That problem had been one of the four Ame failed to complete. But… the girl knew how to solve it, now.
Now it makes sense!
She wrote down the answer and passed to the next one. Again, she focused on the question itself, trying to think back to all the lessons she never really bothered listening to. She finally wrote her answer and passed to the third one. After going through the same process, she reached question four… and blocked.
What the hell is this!?
She didn't get it at all. There was no way to make sense of it. No matter how hard she tried, the question seemed like an infinite maze with no issues. Taking down the walls was impossible, and there was no hidden door. She was utterly lost, unable to find a way out.
Fuck! I can't remember what to do! This question is too big, I can't focus! Where do I start? What do I do? I can't remember anything!
Around her, she could tell her fellow classmates were slowly starting to overcome it and, from the noise of their pens on the papers, she knew they were already much more advanced than she was.
Think, think, think—
::
"Naoki-san. You focus so much on the problem that you fail to see its components. Your fear paralyzes you."
"Tche. Fear? I'm not scared of anything, even less of numbers."
"Then why can't you even move your pencil?"
The orange-eyed girl stiffened at that, and Korosensei patted her head.
"You need to get rid of the unnecessary information. Gather what you know, and work with the information you have to solve the problem. You know what to do when it comes to analyzing, don't you? Put that skill to good use and analyze the problem: identify real information from false information. And solve it."
::
The girl blinked a few times.
Korosensei's right. What am I scared of? I'm always boasting about how I'm better on the field, but it's not that different when it's on paper. Had Saru given me this problem in a mission, I would already have gotten over it.
Get a goddamn grip, girl!
So she started doing what she did best: she analyzed. She studied the problem, took it apart, tested different scenarios and outcomes... In a few minutes, she finally managed to find the answer, and she passed to the fifth question. Now that she knew how to tackle the problems, she felt like nothing could stop her anymore. So, she kept on answering each and every problem. And okay, maybe she didn't have the right answer all of the time but at least she wasn't leaving any case blank.
I can do it. I can do it. I can do it—
But then question eleven came up, and her hopes crashed.
Game over.
.
.
Midterms were over, and the results came in at last.
Ame stared at the papers on her desk, unsure of how to feel about the situation at hands. She hadn't really expected to make it, of course. She hadn't worked for it until the night before the test, and she had resigned herself to failing way before the midterms even came up. However… she tried. Late, of course, but she tried. And, in a way, she had truly hoped she could make it after all. Maybe not in the top fifty, of course, but at least in the low hundreds.
Naoki Ame
Overall score: 121
Ranked 184th of 186
Dead last.
Of all the spots she thought she'd get, it wasn't the last one. Because yes, it was technically the last one: the other two students behind her had missed the exams because one was sick and the other preferred dropping out over risking ending up in the E-Class.
Anyhow, she should have expected it and, normally, she wouldn't have even cared. Hell, she would have laughed about it! But now… now, she only felt disappointed. Angry, a little hurt, and disappointed, because she had hoped. She had hoped, and failure had never tasted more bitter than in that very moment.
Tche. Talk about keeping a promise.
She knew no one in the class actually made it into the top fifty. She knew everyone had failed, in a way. However, despite everything that was happening, all of the students of the E-Class still managed to score higher. None were geniuses, but they still worked and still got better than her. It shouldn't be a surprise to her, considering she barely did any work, but now that she was actually trying… Well, put bluntly, she felt like she was falling behind the group. For the first time, Ame felt like she was in the back instead of in the front. Yeah, sure, she probably was one of the best when it came to the assassination, but what did it mean to people who could be both assassins and students?
I'm just one. That's the problem. I haven't even been considering myself a student for a long while, now. I already thought I knew everything I had to know.
Ame didn't like this feeling. Being dead last was an idea that never bothered her before but now… now, it did.
It bothered her.
It bothered her a lot.
I can't keep going like this. If they could do it, why couldn't I? I've got no interest, but that's beyond the point now.
Her pride had taken a great blow. She always thought herself above everyone else but, saved for English and assassination, she had no skills whatsoever.
It wouldn't do anymore.
I've grown complacent. When I first joined the Zodiac, I didn't know anything. I was the weakest member, but I learned and I grew and I became strong. I let my past accomplishments obscure my future's potential. I let my strength cover up my weaknesses. I let my pride blind my judgment.
The teen clenched her fists on her papers, crumbling them. True, she had failed, but that failure lit a determined fire in her heart: she was going to catch up to everyone else, and then go straight ahead and leave them all in the dust.
I swear I will.
The air in the classroom was somber, heavy. No one dared to utter a word as Korosensei stood at the front, his back turned to them. None of the students had confronted him ever since they received their rankings, and so none of them knew what was going on in his head now.
"… I take all responsibility," he finally said, breaking the suffocating silence. "I seem to have underestimated the system at this school. I… can't bear to face you."
Ame lowered her head. He may have failed as their teacher, but she had failed as his student. In this story, she too was too blame. Hell, everyone was to blame. Of course, principal Gakushu was the worst, but still—
A knife suddenly flew above Ame's head. Korosensei moved aside to avoid it, startled.
"Eh?"
"You sure?" then mused Karma, the one who had just thrown the weapon. The boy started advancing to the front of the class. "If you can't face us, you can't see us coming to kill you."
"Karma-kun!" snapped their teacher, his face growing red. "I am very depressed right now, and—"
His annoyance instantly vanished as Karma dropped his exam results on his desk. Surprised, Korosensei picked them up, and his eyes widened at the sight of all the fantastic grades his student had gotten.
"Changing the questions didn't matter to me," then informed the red-haired boy, smiling.
Curious, all of the students went at the front to see better what kind of results he had gotten. Soon enough, disbelieving exclamations echoed.
"No way!"
"Whoa!"
"A hundred in math!?"
"With my grades, you taught me more than you had to," explained Karma. "So, I could handle the questions even if they'd change their scope. Still, I won't be leaving. Assassination is way more fun than going back to my old class. So, what's the plan?" He then asked, somewhat tauntingly. "You gonna use our not all making it into the top fifty as an excuse to turn tail and run? You're just afraid of being killed, that's all."
A vein popped on Korosensei's forehead. Ame blinked when understanding what Karma was up to, before grinning a little.
"Why, Korosensei. You should have told us you were scared!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, is that it? You were afraid?" added Maehara.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"Right? Like 'I'm scared and I want to run away'!"
As more and more exclamations and taunts followed, more and more veins started appearing on Korosensei's face. Then, he fully turned red.
"I am not running away!" he yelled.
"Ooh? Then what?" retorted Karma without missing a beat.
Their teacher instantly returned to his yellow color. "We'll get revenge on them twofold in the end-of-term exams!"
At that… the rest of the students started laughing. Was it relief or excitement, Ame couldn't really tell… but she found herself joining them others. In the end, they had all run into a wall with the midterms. However, she had learned her lesson, now, and she had learned it well. Great results only came to hard workers, and she'd be damned if she failed again.
Now… Now, I'm aiming for the top!