Ame had decided to clean her room at last. She had started early in the morning, forbidding the children and her grandmother from entering, and she had even locked the door. After all, she'd have a hard time explaining why she had so many knives lying around at random. It had taken her a few hours to sort things out and she even made an inventory of all the weapons and equipment she had found so she could, later on, figure out what belonged to her and what was a loan from the Zodiac.
She had finished hiding the last of her weapons under her bed (her grandmother couldn't bend because of her old back so she wouldn't be able to find them) when someone knocked at her door.
"Ame-nee?" It was Kiba. "There's a guy at the door. He's got the uniform from your school, says he's a classmate of yours."
Classmate? She frowned, instantly on edge. The fake address is still there and not even Rio knows where I live. Is it an assassin?
She quickly slipped two knives in her sleeves before opening the door and rushing passed Kiba. She couldn't risk getting her family involved, she needed to get rid of the intruder right away. So, muscles tensed and ready to jump into action, she finally reached the door… where she found none other than Asano Gakushu chatting amiably with her grandmother.
"Oh, Ame-chan!" smiled the old woman. "You never told me you had such a charming friend!"
"It's because I don't," replied bluntly the girl, relaxing nonetheless. Better him than an assassin, after all. "What are you doing here, Asano Junior?"
He simply offered her one of his bland smiles. "No need to be on the defensive, Naoki-san. Why don't you walk with me?"
She considered the offer for a moment. He obviously had something in mind, but she had no idea what. The idea of going out for a walk was tempting, but she wasn't enough of an asshole to drag him into her target-on-her-back mess.
Yet.
Depended on if he pissed her off too much.
"Let's just go up to my room," she replied, gesturing for him to follow. "Come on."
"Well, if you insist."
She had many, many questions. What was he doing here? How did he find her? What did he want? She had a bad feeling about all of this, to be honest. So, as soon as they entered her room (God, was she glad she cleaned it up just before, seriously), she closed the door, reining in her questions and suspicions to keep up the cool act.
"So?" She crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against her desk. He was busy examining her small shelf of books. "What do you want?"
"I owe you a favor if I recall," he then remarked. "And while you've had your fun for the summer break, I hate to owe someone something." He turned to her. "So, I'll return the question: what do you want?"
She blinked a few times, honestly taken aback.
"That's why you came all the way here?" she then gaped. "Are you really that petty? And- and how'd you find where I live anyway?"
"Well, considering the fake address in your student file, it wasn't easy," he admitted, making her tense. "But you had a certain Asana Sakura as your legal guardian, and finding her wasn't much of a challenge." He then noticed the tension painted on her face and rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't be so wary. If I tried to tell on you, then I'd have to explain why I hacked into the school's records, which isn't exactly legal either."
"… fair enough." She forced herself to relax, before shaking her head. "But still! You can't just barge in here and ask that of me. I understand your position—really, I do—but I'll use that favor when I want to, and not when you tell me to, got it?"
He stared at her for a moment, gauging the look in her eyes. They showed an unwavering determination, and she wasn't the kind of person who'd give in easily, that much he knew. However, that favor he owed her proved to be much more troublesome than what he had first anticipated. After all, for as long as he owed her, he wouldn't be able to dig up the E-Class's secrets freely and, frankly, he was impatient to finally get his father on a leash. He wouldn't let this girl get in the way of his plans more than she already did.
"You're planning something, aren't you?" she then asked, narrowing her eyes. "That's why you want to get this over with. That way, I can't use that favor against you."
He didn't say anything, still trying to figure out how—
"Ame-nee!" Ash suddenly slammed the door open. "You forgot your phone downstairs and it started ringing so I picked up and it's your job and they wanna know—uh, who's that? Your boyfriend?"
Oh crap, paled the teen.
"… job?" then echoed Gakushu. "You have a job, Naoki-san?"
"Of course she does!" instantly replied the six-year-old girl, as if she was scolding him. "What kind of boyfriend doesn't know his girlfriend has a job?"
"Ash, honey, just stop talking. Please," sighed Ame, knowing she had lost the fight. "He's not a friend, even less a boyfriend, so—"
"But you never brought someone home before," pointed out the kid.
"I didn't bring him. He popped up uninvited, pretty much like you just did," replied the teen, ushering her sister outside. "Now go make some pancakes or something."
"Hey, wait—"
But Ame didn't wait, simply closing the door—and locking it, this time around. After a moment of silence, she sighed heavily and turned to face Asano Junior, who now had that annoyingly victorious smirk dancing on his lips.
"I know, I know," she grunted, shoving her hands in her pockets. "I can't have a job as a student, it's in the school contract, blah, blah, blah. I'm calling in my favor: you can't tell anyone about this job. There, happy?"
"Very much so. I'll keep quiet, you have my word," he assured. His smile was anything but comforting, though. "Now, why don't we get down to our real business?"
"Ugh, I knew you had something else in mind," she groaned, sitting down on her chair. "What is it?"
"What is the E-Class hiding?"
…
…
…
"Wait, I'm sorry, what?" She rubbed her ears. "Didn't quite catch that."
He narrowed his eyes. "Don't play dumb, Naoki-san, it doesn't suit you. What's your class's secret?"
"What, still salty 'cause we beat you in the finals?" she replied, lifting an eyebrow.
"The E-Class is the lowest of the low. Miscreants, idiots, untalented… It's been this way ever since this school was created and yet, this year, those supposedly incapable students somehow manage to get on par with the A-Class," he resumed. "Adding to this how my father seems so involved with the E-Class too… Tell me, Naoki-san: how could absolute failures like yourselves change so drastically in a single term?" He then offered a pleasant, hollow smile. "No offense, of course."
"Of course," she repeated, unimpressed. "So all that is really about your father? Always trying to control every single thing, every single variable… Yeah, I can see the family resemblance now: manipulative, ego-complexed, absolute assholes…" She returned his smile. "No offense, of course."
"Enough playing around," he replied, growing annoyed. "Tell me—"
"But why should I tell you anything?" she replied, leaning back in her seat. "I don't owe you anything and thanks to that favor, you've got nothing to blackmail me with. I wouldn't tell you anything, Asano Junior, even if there was something to tell—which, obviously, there isn't. What, do you think we're following some super-secret training to become assassins or something? We're not in a fricking anime, for crying out loud."
"… I see." He glanced at her room one more time, before reporting his attention to her. He smiled yet again, though it was colder than before—more vicious. "It would seem my business here is done, then. I apologize for taking your time."
"Whatever. You know where the door is," she retorted, not bothering to escort him back.
He nodded, politely bowed, before unlocking the door and leaving. As soon as he closed the door behind him, Ame exhaled deeply. For one reason or the other, she had the distinct feeling she had escaped the net just to be caught by the harpoon, and it didn't sit well with her.
.
.
"What brings us together here today during a school break, no less, is the nation's current egg glut, in which excess eggs, rather than being sent to market, are being discarded in bulk," explained passionately Kaede.
For a reason Ame had yet to figure out despite the green-haired girl's announcement, all of the students and teachers (saved for their target) had been gathered at the E-Class campus and where now at their desks, listening to the leader of their little operation, who was standing at the front with a newspaper in hands.
"Oh, yeah—I head about that on the news. What a waste!" exclaimed Isogai.
"Right?" beamed Kaede. "So, I came up with a plan to salvage those discarded eggs and assassinate Korosensei!"
"Uh? Kill him with eggs?" blinked Rio.
"That I've gotta hear," grinned Ame, growing interested.
"Bah. So you cook up a dish and toss in some of these babies?" scoffed Terasaka, throwing some Anti-BB balls in the air. "Like he won't see through that."
Kaede simply chuckled. "I gave it a little more thought than that. The first steps are already in place, thanks to Karasuma-sensei."
At that, the man nodded. "Aa, everything's all set up in the yard—"
"Then to the yard, everyone!" exclaimed cheerfully the girl.
Curious as to what would happen next, everyone quickly left the classroom to head to the yard. Karasuma simply smiled, amused and impressed at the same time.
Honestly. These kids come up with the craziest things.
"What the fuck."
All could only agree with Ame, although they probably wouldn't have worded it that way. Before them was a gigantic mold and, next to it, dozens of containers with those discarded eggs inside.
"Don't tell me—"
"Yep! We're going to make one ginormous pudding!" announced Kaede. "I call it… Operation Pudding Popper!"
"Operation Pudding Popper…?" repeated Nagisa. "Korosensei does have a sweet tooth…"
"About that! I've already obtained a crucial confession!" claimed the green-haired girl. "He dreams of diving into a pudding bigger than himself, but he can't because of his low finances… Let's make his impossible dream come true! Frankly, I'd like to eat some too!" Her eyes started sparkling. "We'll embed bombs and anti-Sensei BB's in the giant pudding's base. When he gets to the bottom of the thing… we'll make it explode!"
While her plan looked like it had been directly pulled out of some random manga, Ame couldn't deny it was interesting. It was so crazy… it could very well work.
"It's worth a try," remarked Isogai, obviously interested too.
"He does tend to go crazy over sweets and sexy stuff," added Okajima. "And with behind-the-scenes Kayano stepping forward with this plan, there's an element of surprise, too."
"Well, what are we waiting for, then?" then stated Ame, pulling up her sleeves so they wouldn't get dirty. "Korosensei isn't around, so let's use this time and do what we can, right?"
"Yeah!" exclaimed the students.
Everyone getting pumped up, they wasted no time in putting on aprons and uncovering the equipment and tools they'd be using. Kaede had been very creative and resourceful, using an inactive line at a mayonnaise factory to prep the beaten eggs and other things like that. Honestly, Ame was impressed. The girl had probably worked on this plan for a long while, now, and it showed.
She could only hope it'd work out.
In the end, Ame wasn't impressed anymore: she was utterly baffled. Kaede had studied her subject under all aspects, be it the scientific one or the flavor one. The students worked relentlessly while following the girl's instructions to the letter and, by the end of the day, they somehow managed to finish it.
They made a giant pudding that was bigger than their class-building.
After all this work, too bad we can't even eat some, mused internally Ame. Now all that's left to see is if it works.
The following morning, the students were quickly back to the mountain to reveal the final result of their hard work. Blowing air between the mold and the pudding itself, they separated the two and released the external lock. Instantly, a team started working on adding softened gelatin and agar all over. At the top of it, Nagisa added the caramel sauce. Ame had also volunteered to use her flamethrower (no one asked where she got it, they knew better than that by now) to toast the surface.
And finally… finally, it was done.
"This is awesome," gaped Ame, pulling out her phone to take a picture. "Ritsu, you mind sending it to Usagi? We totally won our bet. Oh, and send it to Korosensei, too. It's time."
"Right away!" beamed the purple-haired girl.
It smelled amazing and Ame had no doubt she wasn't the only one who had a hard time holding back from taking a bite. Even the knowledge that there was a bomb inside wasn't enough to deter her or anyone else. However, they did hold back knowing it was Kaede's assassination attempt: they wouldn't mess it up after all the work she put into it. A second later, Korosensei appeared before them, his mouth watering at the sight of the gigantic pudding.
"What- what is this!?"
"A giant pudding!" beamed Kaede. "Go on, dive in!"
"Can I- can I really eat this whole thing?"
"Oh, yeah. Sure," shrugged the girl. "I just wanted to use up those discarded eggs."
"It was all Kayano-chan's idea," added Rio.
Korosensei grabbed the hands of the girl in question as tears started pouring down his eyes. "Ka- Kayano-san…"
"Well, see ya, Korosensei," waved Rio, turning around to leave.
"We've got an English class to get to," added Isogai.
After all, the second term was starting today and, for once, Ame couldn't find it in herself to complain about it. She kind of missed going to school, to be honest. All of the students wished him good luck before heading back inside. Crying and salivating at the same time, Korosensei wasted no time in pulling out two small garden shovels before literally jumping in. He didn't even notice as his students stopped in the hallway instead of going to class as told, so they could watch the detonation.
"Wow, look at him go!" gasped Sugaya.
"It's only a matter of time before he reaches the bottom!" added Okajima.
"There's a surveillance camera in there, too," recalled Takebayashi, watching the recording of the said camera on his computer. "We detonate the bomb just as the pudding around it is eaten: the moment the screen lightens slightly from pitch black.
"The pudding… exploding…"
Ame tensed a little at Kaede's murmurs. Don't tell me she's backing out now?
"NOOO!" The green-haired girl started hitting her head against the window. "The pudding I poured all my heart into can't go blowing up!"
"Calm down, Kayano!" exclaimed Sugino, horrified.
Terasaka forcibly pulled her away from the window. "Don't get emotionally attached to a damn pudding! It was made to be blown to bits!"
"No, we can't!" cried Kaede. "We need to keep it in the yard forever, as a monument!"
"It'll rot!" instantly protested the rest of the students.
"Phew, time for a break." Everyone stiffened as their teacher suddenly appeared in the middle of the group. "I detected the faint smell of a foreign object in with the deliciousness."
His eternal grin stuck in place, he showed them… the bomb, along with the detached detonator.
"No way!" protested Ame.
"I ate from caramel to pudding to dirt, then tunneled through the ground and removed it," he explained. He then looked at Takebayashi, who was slightly shaking. "Did you put up the bomb, Takebayashi-kun? Your calculations were spot on, but I picked up on the distinctive scent of plastic explosive." Without hesitation, Korosensei swallowed the bomb whole. "Next time, pay attention to any odor components, too."
"Yes, sir," nodded the boy.
"And! Since you all worked together to make this pudding, you should all eat it together!" then added the octopus. "See? I've set aside nice, clean portions for you!"
Ame could only grin as she realized it was true. True to himself, their teacher had foiled their assassination attempt, turned it into a lesson, and then proceeded to make their failure all the sweeter. She didn't hesitate in grabbing a cup of pudding for herself, impatient to try it out.
"We failed again, uh?" mused Maehara.
"And it was such a good plan, too," added Kanzaki.
"A delicious plan, you mean," replied Ame, enjoying the free food. "Hey, Kayano! Do you think you could lend me the recipe? I'm sure Ash would love it."
"Of course!" beamed the girl. "I can send it to you."
"That'd be great, thanks—" Her phone started ringing. "Oops, sorry about that. Just a minute."
She went to stand next to the window, perfectly aware of how her teacher was watching her every movement. While it had been a while since she had had to escape the campus, their deal was still on. If she wanted to take that job, she'd have to escape, and fast.
"Hello?"
"Ame-chan, there's trouble!"
"W- what?" She let out, a tad loudly. Noticing the stares the other students shot her, she turned to the window and lowered her voice. "Obaa-san? What is it?"
"I- I don't know how to tell you… I just received a message from an inspector who's going to drop by in less than two weeks!"
"An inspector? Less than two weeks!?" Ame's throat suddenly felt dry. "But why? You've been cleared from inspections, haven't you? They're supposed to only drop by once every five years, and they have to warn a month ahead! Why so suddenly?"
"I- I don't know! He said someone complained about- about the state of the house and that- that they were worried for the children… Ame-chan, what can I do? I'll never be able to get the house ready in time!"
"Someone complained…" The girl's eyes suddenly widened in understanding, and her hand clenched on the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. "Look, I think I know what's going on. Start doing what you can, I'll come over to help right away."
"No, wait, your schoolwork—"
"My family is way more important than this stupid school, Obaa-san," scowled the girl. "And the real classes are only starting tomorrow. Just… don't worry the kids, okay? I'll handle this."
Still under the shock of the news, her grandmother could only agree. As soon as she hung up, Ame grabbed her bag and made a move for the door. Just as she was about to leave, though, Korosensei appeared before her.
"You can't leave, Naoki-san," he remarked. "Or have you forgotten about our deal?"
"This has nothing to do with it!" she replied, clenching her fist. "Look, some trouble came up and I need to handle this right now. If I don't, I- I don't know what'll happen, but it'll tear my family apart." She lowered her head. "I can't let that happen so please, let me go."
He considered her for a moment, before slowing nodding. "On one condition, Naoki-san: if you can't handle this problem on your own… then come to us for help. Promise me that, and I'll let you leave."
The black-haired teen clicked her tongue in annoyance before glancing at the rest of the class, who was watching the exchange with worry, confusion and/or curiosity. Understanding she couldn't win that fight, she sighed in defeat.
"Fine. I promise."
Satisfied, her teacher stepped out of the way. She instantly rushed outside, already knowing who was behind all of this.
"ASANO!"
The students of the A-Class jumped in fright as a black-haired fury stormed inside, disturbing their relaxed dinner time. She was disheveled, panting slightly: she had obviously run all the way to their classroom.
"Oh? Naoki-san?" The boy's fake surprise angered her even more. "What brings you here?"
"You asshole!" She walked up to him as if she was on a warpath and slammed her hands down on his desk, practically seething. "How dare you!?"
"I'm afraid I don't know—"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" she snapped. "You reported my home to the inspectors, didn't you!?"
"Oh, that." He leaned back in his seat with a shrug. "I merely did what any good citizen would do. Your house is improper and fails to respect the norms put in place for such residences. I'm looking out for the children who live there, really."
"No, you're looking out for yourself!" she spat. "You only did this because I refused to tell you what you wanted to hear!"
At that, his eyes glinted maliciously. "Then are you ready to talk? I can always nullify my report."
She gaped at him for a few seconds, before baring her teeth. "There's nothing to say! The E-Class doesn't have any secrets, we're just that good, and if your stupid ego still can't accept that, then don't drag my family into this!"
"I'm afraid I can't help you, then," he simply replied with a sigh. "Good day—ugh!"
She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him up so their eyes could meet and, in that very moment, he was frozen in place by the pure hellfire burning in them.
"If my family ends up hurt because of that little stunt of yours…" She tightened her grip as she spat out the next words like a curse. "Then blood will spill. Got it?"
She didn't wait for him to answer, shoving him back in his seat so harshly he fell off. As the rest of the students rushed to his aid, she left the class with the now familiar, bitter taste of failure in her mouth.
He had won this fight, and she hated losing.
But what do I do now? I can't tell him about Korosensei, but there's no way he'll nullify his report…
She stepped outside and stopped in her tracks, taking a moment to breathe. She then pulled out her phone, contemplating it without really knowing what to do.
I told Obaa-san I'd handle things, but I probably only made them worse…
::
"On one condition, Naoki-san: if you can't handle this problem on your own… then come to us for help. Promise me that, and I'll let you leave."
::
She didn't want to drag her classmates into this mess. It was a very personal problem, not at all in link to their assassination mission. But… she promised. And, well, she was a woman of her word, if nothing else.
It's not like I have much of a choice now, anyway.
She quickly dialed Rio's number and, after the third ring, her friend answered.
"Ame? What is it?"
"I… I need your help," sighed the teen. "Yours and… everyone else's, if they don't mind."
"It's not like you to ask for help, so it must be something bad, uh?"
"You have no idea."
"Well, I guess it's a good thing we're here then, right?"
"Wait, what?"
Looking up, she glanced around, before her eyes landed on none other than the E-Class, who was standing on the other side of the yard. Rio waved her way with a cheeky grin. Letting out a disbelieving laugh, Ame hung up on her before quickly running up to them.
"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, confused and surprised at the same time.
"Korosensei told us you'd need our help so he gave us the rest of the day off," answered the blonde, swinging an arm around her neck. "So? What's going on?"
Ame bit her lower lip, before dropping off the bomb. "Yesterday, Asano Junior dropped off at my place. He wanted to get rid of that favor he owed me and I ended up being forced to use it after he accidentally found out about my job."
"Right, those aren't allowed by the school, uh?" recalled Maehara.
"Exactly. I made him swear he wouldn't tell anyone about it," confirmed Ame. "Thing is, he asked right after that about the secret of the E-Class." They all tensed at that. "He knows something's going on and he doesn't seem too keen on giving up. I refused to tell him and insisted there wasn't anything, so he left. I thought he was done with it, but…"
"But that wasn't the case, I'm guessing?" mused Karma, his eyes slightly narrowed.
"He… he reported the house." Ame lowered her eyes. "An inspector will come in less than two weeks, in exactly ten days."
"Oh, that's not good, is it?" flinched Rio.
"Reported the house?" repeated Sugaya, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I live with my grandmother, who owns a foster home," answered Ame, rubbing the back of her head and slightly averting her eyes. "My siblings, whom many of you met at the Summer Festival, are all orphans or foster kids who were taken in at one point or the other. Because of that, though, the house we live in needs to respect many, many norms but, because of some financial difficulties, it's very hard. At this point, I'm pretty sure we don't respect most of them, to be honest. Patching things up before the inspector arrives is impossible. Or at least… not when we're so few in numbers." She finally dared to look up, biting her lower lip. "Rio, everyone… I know this has nothing to do with you or the assassination, but I'm asking for your help to save my home!" She bowed deeply. "I beg of you!"
There was a moment of stunned silence.
Then, Karma laughed.
"You're an idiot, you know that?" he remarked, harshly ruffling her hair. "Of course we'll help."
"Considering how many of us there are, it shouldn't be too hard, right?" added Okano.
"As long as we work together!" added Kayano.
"I'm in!" beamed Kurahashi.
"Obviously, I am too," added Rio, rolling her eyes.
"You've- you've helped us out even though we never asked you…" Okuda looked up, determined. "I'll return the favor!"
"Me too!"
"I'm in!"
"Let's do this!"
"Everyone…" Ame felt some tears prickling her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away as she straightened up. "Right! Let's go!"
.
.
"Well… this is it. Welcome to my home, I guess."
For a moment, the students of the E-Class could only stare. They had grown so used to Ame's… Ame-ness, that they were expecting some kind of super-protected building, or a haunted manor, or even a military base. So, finding out she lived in an almost-boringly normal house in an even more normal neighborhood was… well, surprising.
"Okay…" Rio turned to her friend, her smile twitching a bit. "So, where are the traps hidden?"
"Traps?" Ame snorted, walking up to the door without hesitation. "There aren't any. Why would there be? It's my home."
"Yeah, I know, but I also know that you're paranoid to the extreme," replied the blonde. "And, I mean, is it really safe for you to live here like that, without any protection? You know, 'cause of this whole you're-a-target situation?"
"Well, I can't deny there are many, many cameras and sensors hidden all around," admitted the teen. "But you're the first people outside the family and the inspectors to come here for, like, years. Also, I've got good friends. Assassins will have a hard time finding me, trust me."
"Oh, I can believe that," sweatdropped Maehara. "Though honestly, I was expecting pointy fences and electric wires, not a run-down house and a garden gnome."
Isogai instantly elbowed him. "Don't be rude!"
"Nan, it's fine," assured Ame with a shrug. "It is run-down. And, for your information, the electric wires are around the windows. I'll have to take them off later, though."
At that, all students heaved in relief. That's more like Ame!
She gestured for them to wait outside. The house wasn't that big, so she doubted she could fit everyone comfortably inside. She quickly went to find her grandmother, who was in the kitchen trying to pull wood splinters out of the counter. Her fingers were covered in blood because of many failed attempts.
"Obaa-san!" Ame quickly grabbed her hands to stop her. "Don't push yourself like that! If you get hurt, it won't be of any help!"
"R- right…" The woman sighed before going to wash her hands. "Did you find something, Ame-chan?"
"Well, I know who reported it and why, but that won't be of help," admitted the teen. "So, instead, I brought along a few more pairs of hands to help out!"
Her grandmother tilted her head in confusion and Ame gently grabbed her arm to guide her outside. When they stepped out, it was only to find the E-Class already working on the exterior of the building. Some were pulling out weeds, others were cleaning the garbage, and some more had started rearranging the stones in the entrance so no one would trip over them.
"What… Who—"
"Hey, everyone!" exclaimed Ame, gaining their attention. "This is my grandmother! Obaa-san, these are my classmates—my friends. They've come to help."
Still a little flabbergasted, the old woman could only nod slowly as the rest of the teens greeted her loudly, waving their hands or grinning brightly.
"Okay, everyone!" then exclaimed Ame. "We've got a lot of material, but we'll need loads of paints, nails, wood and whatever else that's necessary to repair the entire house!"
"We can use what's left of the stuff we used for the pudding!" suggested Kayano.
"And we have more than enough material at the campus since we're always repairing the building!" added Maehara.
"I've got paint at my house," added Yoshida. Everyone looked at him at that, and he shrugged. "We just repainted the entire house. We still have a lot of it, though."
"Then we need three teams: one that goes back to school to get the material, another that'll go get the paint from Yoshida's place, and a third one that'll go bye what we need still. I'll handle expenses, so don't worry about that stuff. Those who stay here can get started right away, and I will go and pick up the kids early so they can help out," quickly listed off Ame.
"Niryufufufu! There's no need to worry about expenses or material!"
All of the students jumped at the sudden appearance of their teacher. Ame's grandmother simply blinked, unsure of when the strange-looking fellow had arrived.
"Korosensei!" exclaimed Nagisa.
"Obaa-san, why don't you go fetch the kids instead?" instantly suggested Ame. "I'll hold down the fort for now, okay?"
"R- right…"
As soon as the old woman left, all students reported their attention on the disguised octopus.
"Spill," ordered Ame. "What do you mean?"
"Well, from what I've understood, you ended up in such a situation because you kept your promise and refused to speak a word of me or your government-issued mission to that other student," mused their target. "I've managed to convince Karasuma-sensei that this is for the better of the assassination and so the government will provide you with the necessary materials to rebuild. Look!" He vanished for half-a-second before reappearing, dozens of bags full of construction material and other necessities lying on the ground. "However! I am unfortunately not allowed to actively participate in the project myself, so you are on your own from here on out."
"That- that's more than enough!" gasped Ame, her eyes wide. "Thank you!"
"Niryufufufu! Of course. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Good day!"
And he disappeared yet again. There was a moment of stunned silence, before Rio clasped her hands together, the noise drawing everyone else's attention.
"Alright! Let's get to it!"
"Yeah!"
Ame quickly made a list of what could potentially earn a bad report from the inspector and the E-Class's students were quick to get to work. Isogai, Ame, and Yoshida instantly started on the roof, which was leaking. Okajima and Kimura got to work on smoothing over and repairing the stairs, while Karma, Kataoka, and Hayami did the same on the walls in the kitchen, the living room, and the bathroom. The others weren't in rest: Sugaya volunteered to repair some of the doors, Chiba and Mimura were tasked with sanding the furniture, Takebayashi and Ritsu started checking all of the electronics in the house, Rio, Hazama, and Fuwa kept on cleaning the front-yard while Maehara and Yada cleaned the backyard, Muramatsu and Terasaka took up the challenge of repairing the entryway, Hara started making an inventory of the food to get rid of whatever was rotten or stale while Okuda did the same but for the various cleaning chemicals and the medicine cabinet, Nagisa and Sugino started painting the outside walls of the house, and Okano and Kanzaki took it upon themselves to clean up the rest of it.
As soon as Ame's grandmother came back with the children, Ame took a break from the roof to explain what was going on. She wisely avoided the whole 'the-government-is-kinda-founding-the-whole-project' situation, simply saying all of the material was a gift from her friends. Once the children were made aware of what exactly was going on, though, they were more than eager to help. After all, while it could be difficult at times because of the lack of money, they were a family, and they wouldn't give up on that so easily. So, pulling up their sleeves, all of the kids started cleaning up their rooms. Or rather, they dragged most of their stuff out of said rooms so they could re-paint the walls.
Kayano started painting the girls' room with the help of Rin, Amaya, and Ash while Kurahashi handled the boys' room with the help of Jackie and Kiba. As for their caretaker, well, she took care of Leo while going around and checking up on everyone, offering water, snacks, and praises on the way.
"Where's the box of nails?"
"Can you pass me the screwdriver?"
"Crap, I think I sanded a tad too much over there…"
"Ouch! Why'd you hit my feet!?"
"I'm running off to the store to get some more paint, does anyone needs anything?"
"Oi, Terasaka! You're in the way!"
"Shut up, Karma!"
All in all, it was a rather eventful day. Or rather, it was an eventful ten days. Each day after school, they dropped by to help out however they could. It was a lot of time and efforts but, by the time they were done, the result… was simply perfect.
The house looked as good as new, with a good layer of fresh brown paint. The roof wasn't leaking anymore, there were no more cracks in the entryway and the front-yard was cleaned from all weeds and other garbage. The inside was also impressive: there were no more splinters coming out of the furniture, the stairs were gleaming under the light, the doors could actually be closed and locked, and the walls had received a second chance at life. Isogai, Maehara, Rio, and Kurahashi had volunteered to come back the next day and help put on the second layer of paint on the walls the next day, too, since there was no school, and they'd be done in time. Sure, the smell of paint would weigh heavily in the air still, but they'd leave all of the windows open and the worst of it would be gone in time for the inspector's visit.
"We did it…" Unable to help it, Ame threw herself in Rio's arms, laughing. "Oh my God, we did it!"
At her joyous exclamation, the last of the tension weighing in the air vanished, and the students started congratulating each other on a job well done. The children started cheering and yes, Ame might have shed a tear or two.
"Guys…" She took a step back to fully look at them. "I don't know how to thank you. Thanks to you… thanks to you, my family is safe!"
"Well, what are friends for, hm?" grinned Rio.
Ame could only grin back at that.
"Well, you might not know how to thank them, but I do!" Everyone snapped their eyes to Ame's grandmother, who smiled at them. "All of you, stay over for my famous dorayaki! I insist!"
"Eh? It's been a while since I've eaten those," mused Karma.
"Well, can't say I'm not hungry," chuckled Sugino, rubbing his stomach.
"Ooh, I'll help out!" happily exclaimed Ash.
"Mind if I join you?" suggested Hara.
"Oh, me too!" nodded Muramatsu.
"Of course, of course!" laughed the old woman. "The more, the merrier! Though, we might have some difficulties fitting in the dining room…"
"We can do them outside," shrugged Ame. "We can bring some tables and set everything up outside while you guys take care of the food."
"Then that's settled!" agreed her grandmother, clasping her hands together. "Chop, chop!"
.
.
The next morning, as agreed on, Isogai, Maehara, Rio, and Kurahashi came back to help Ame and the children put the final touches on the dry paint and other smalls details. It was a quick job and they worked efficiently and so, by noon, they were done. Just as they were enjoying some home-made dangos, though, there was a knock on the door, which made them tense.
The inspector's here!
Ame's grandmother went to answer and, a few seconds later, a stern-looking woman came in. She seemed rather uptight, probably not prone to let a single detail slip by, and Ame was suddenly glad they had worked so hard the day before. She was wearing a knee-length skirt, a white blouse, and even some gloves! There was also something… familiar, in the woman's eyes, but the girl couldn't quite place it.
It's a woman who gets the job done, she analyzed. If she finds anything that might lead to her having a single doubt about my grandmother's capacity of taking care of so many children, she won't hesitate to break us apart.
"I am Ichinose Akane, the inspector sent to investigate this house," she presented herself. She pulled out some papers, quickly looking over them. "We received a report from an anonymous source about this house which, quite frankly, worried us a bit. So, we'll start with a thorough examination of the property. Once that is done, I will spend a few minutes alone with each person who lives in this house…" She then glanced at the baby in Ame's arms, and her eyes softened slightly. "Well, saved for the little one, of course."
A joke? Ame quickly reevaluated her previous analysis of the woman. She does her job well, but that's because she actually cares. She wants the kids happy as much as we do, meaning she's not the enemy.
"Why don't we start with the front yard?" the inspector then suggested.
"Right away," nodded Ame's grandmother, obviously nervous. "Ame-chan, would you mind looking after the kids while we're at it? Maybe bring them to the park?"
"No problem. The inspection should take what, around an hour?" wondered the teen, glancing curiously at Ichinose-san.
"More or less," she confirmed.
"Then we'll be back in an hour," nodded Ame. She then looked at her friends. "You guys want to come with us?"
"Well, I've got nothing better to do," shrugged Maehara.
"Beats lazing around in my room," joked Rio.
"Sure! It'll be fun!" beamed Kurahashi.
"I've got work later, but I guess I still have some time," smiled Isogai.
"Great! I'll go get the kids, then," smiled back Ame. "I'll see you later, Obaa-san, Ichinose-san."
The five teens wasted no time in leaving the two adults alone. Ame went to fetch the kids, who were in their rooms, and the little group was soon off in direction of the park, which was only a few minutes away. The kids were a little tensed because of the ongoing inspection, but Rio and Maehara were doing their best to light up the atmosphere.
"I sure hope you didn't hide candies under your beds!" joked Rio.
Ame was about to laugh, but said laugh died on her lips when she suddenly remembered a very important detail that had escaped her up until now.
::
She had finished hiding the last of her weapons under her bed (her grandmother couldn't bend because of her old back so she wouldn't be able to find them) when someone knocked at her door.
::
"Oh fuck," she let out, unable to help it.
At that, everyone stopped in their tracks, startled.
"Ame-san?" blinked Isogai.
"I… do, have some stuff hidden under my bed," she admitted, a little pale. She shot a look at her classmates. "School stuff."
It took them a few seconds to understand what she was saying but, once they did, they became as pale as her.
"School stuff?" repeated Kiba, confused. "Why would you be in trouble for hiding school stuff under your bed?"
"'C- cause that might make the inspector think I don't take school seriously!" answered quickly the girl, growing more and more agitated.
"But you don't," flatly pointed out Rin.
"Well, she might think I'm a bad influence on you!"
"That's 'cause you are!" chirped in Jackie.
"That's not—ugh! Not the point!" huffed Ame, shaking her head. "I'm going back to clean things up. Maehara, Kurahashi, do you mind watching over the kids while Rio, Isogai and I handle this?"
"Sure thing!" replied Maehara with a military salute.
"Don't get caught!" added Kurahashi.
In the kids' eyes, she was joking. To her classmates, though, the message was clear: "If you get caught, we're all in trouble!"
So, wasting no time, Ame, Rio, and Isogai quickly ran back to the house. Once there, Ame went inside alone, to see where exactly they were with the examination.
"Ame-chan?"
They were in the living room, then.
"Jackie forgot his sweater!" she said, quickly running up the stairs. "My friends are watching over the kids, don't worry!"
"Okay!"
Ame dashed into her room as soon as she arrived upstairs, silently closing the door behind her. She then went to the window and signaled for Rio and Isogai to get closer. She pulled out her phone and quickly dialed the blonde's number.
Her friend answered in a heartbeat.
"So, what do we do?" she asked.
"We have a few minutes," answered Ame. "I'll throw out my bags, but you guys have to catch them, else the noise will get their attention. Just hide them in the bushes, since they already checked outside."
"How many are there?"
"Err…" Ame bent down to check, grimacing a little when seeing there were a few more bags of weapons than first thought. "A few? Let's just do this quickly and silently."
"Why do I have a feeling it's more than 'a few'? But anyway, let's get to it already. I saw them move to the kitchen."
"Right on it."
Ame hung up before pulling out the first bags. She then opened her window and, once certain her friends were in position, she threw a first one outside. Isogai caught it, though he obviously stumbled under the weight, and instantly went to hide it while Rio took his place. She easily caught the second bag, and Ame wasted no time in grabbing the next ones. They worked like that for a few minutes, careful not to make a noise. Ame had many bags of weapons, and some required to be handled more delicately than others, hence why it took them some time. Just as she grabbed the last one, though, her phone rang.
"Rio? What is it?"
"We saw them through the window, they're coming up!"
"Crap! You two hide, I'll be fine!"
Ame swung the bag over her shoulder and, without hesitation, threw herself out the window. She grabbed the edge at the last second, using the momentum to swing herself up on the roof. A moment later, she heard the door of her room open.
"And this would be…?"
"Ame-chan's room."
"And Ame is your actual granddaughter, isn't she?"
"Aa. After her parents died in that awful car crash, I took her in. It's only afterward that I signed up in the program to open up this foster home."
"I see."
Ame exhaled in relief as they kept on chatting, obviously unaware of her presence. She then looked down, only to find her friends hiding behind the car. The three of them exchanged some thumbs up, glad to have avoided that particular shit-show.
I'm so glad I remembered in time. I mean, I would have had a pretty hard time explaining the katana and the stun-gun, seriously. And don't get me started on those government-issued knives! That would have been a mess.
The three classmates returned to the park as soon as the path was cleared. The weapons carefully hidden, they offered reassuring grins to the other two: mission accomplished. After what, they spent the rest of the hour relaxing and playing with the kids. Once the time was up, though, Ame's classmates headed back home—after making her promise she'd contact them as soon as she got the results of the inspection.
The little family then headed back home. When they arrived, it was only to find their caretaker and the inspector having some tea in the kitchen. After what, they were all sent to wait in the living room while Ichinose-san started with the interviews, going from the youngest to the oldest (which meant Ame was the last to go, which meant she was rather on edge). However, as the minutes went by, the kids came out of the kitchen with small smiles no their faces, which allowed her to relax and, when her turn came, she was more than ready.
"So, let's start with some basic questions," suggested the inspector with a small smile, a notepad and a pencil in her hands. "Like, what's your name? How old are you? And what school are you attending?"
"My name is Naoki Ame, I'm fifteen, and I attend Kunugigaoka Academy," she answered smoothly. "And before you ask, my grandmother took me in at the age of four after both of my parents died in a car crash. The other children were all taken in afterward."
"I see. It's come to my attention that your family may struggle financially from time to time," she then remarked, looking through her previous notes. "Is that true?"
"Yes," replied bluntly Ame. "We're a little tight on money, but it's not like we can't afford what we need. There's always food on the table, everyone goes to school, and… well, we're happy. That's all that matters, right?"
She smiled a little at that, but it dropped quickly. "I've also been made aware that you have a job, but none of the children nor your grandmother were able to tell me what exactly it consisted of. Would you mind clearing that up?"
"Oh, I just handle computer problems for older people," shrugged Ame without an ounce of hesitation. "It's pretty late because, for one reason or the other, old people don't sleep that much. Also, it works better with my school schedule."
"Right…" She didn't seem all that convinced, but it's not like she was there to play the police either. "Well, other than that… Do you have any complaint? Or worries? About your life here, I mean."
"I don't," assured instantly the young girl. "These kids… I've lived with them for most of my life. They're my little brothers and sisters, you know? I know none of us are related by blood, but we're family, and that's more than enough for me."
At that, her smile returned. "I see. I'm glad to hear it. Though… computer problems for older people? Really, Ame?"
The teen stiffened at the tone of voice that had suddenly, drastically changed into something much, much more familiar. It's only when she noticed the amused glint in the woman's eyes that she understood.
"I- Isana!" she gasped, almost falling off her chair. "What the hell!?"
"Well, when I heard about your little predicament, I couldn't help but get involved, you know?" mused the woman, leaning back in her seat. "I thought you'd have a hard time fooling an actual inspector, you know? Though, I honestly wasn't expecting this. Last time I dropped by, this place looked like a wreck."
"Yeah, well, I had some help from my classmates," admitted the teen, allowing herself to relax at last. "Still can't believe it's you… Your costumes are as terrifyingly realist as always. Where's the real inspector, then?"
"Sent her to the wrong address," shrugged the spy. "Thanks to that little stunt, the government will find out and get to dispatch a small drug ring for free. They're welcome, really."
"Oh, please. As if that didn't benefit us," snorted the teen.
"Touché. Anyway, even if a real inspector dropped by, you'd have passed the inspection with flying colors," admitted Isana, gathering her papers. "My work here is done. Good job, Ame."
"Thanks for the help, Isana," replied Ame, relieved. "Though a little head's up would have been appreciated. Do you have any idea how much trouble I just went through to hide all of my weapons?"
"Yeah, seeing you guys throw those bags out the window was rather entertaining," she replied, unrepentant. "Also, you owe me one for distracting your grandmother while you pulled that stunt."
Well, guess we weren't as subtle as I thought, sweatdropped the girl.
"I'll see you around, then," concluded Isana, picking up her bag. "And stop getting in trouble, would you?"
"Where would the fun in that be?"
The woman chuckled at that, before heading out. Once she was gone, Ame let out a sigh. They had more than lucked out on this one, seriously. Though, in the end, maybe it wasn't all that bad: her family and her classmates got to meet, which was cool, and, in the end, they even got the house fully repaired and repainted without spending a single yen on it! And, well, she couldn't deny that working with her friends on something other than the assassination had been fun too. It… kind of reminded her of the Zodiac, to be honest. A big team, working in synch flawlessly…
I never thought my third year would turn out like this, she mused, glancing at the blue sky through the window. An assassination to save the world, an alien-octopus for sensei, making actual friends, and even succeeding in my studies… Honestly, I can't wait to see what the second term has got in store for us.